WordsforLife
Autumn 2014
Now with Call to Prayer
wycliffe.org.uk
Along with this, always keep praying (asking things at God’s mouth), crying out to him with the power of the Holy Spirit.
As you do this, keep alert, praying for all of God’s holy people without tiring.
Above: Ephesians 6:18 in the Logo language of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a translation back into English. Illustration by Jason Ramasami. Front cover: A Fulfulde girl sells breakfast. Nigeria. Photo by Tim Robinson.
Welcome Nate is a pilot with Wycliffe in Indonesia. He’s seen firsthand how difficult it is to get the Bible to a small and remote community. Preparing a runway, sourcing the plane and delivering Bibles is expensive and difficult. Add to that many years of challenging work for the translation team, linguists and surveyors.You have to ask, ‘Is it really worth the effort?’ As he ponders, Nate says, ‘I am reminded of the immeasurable cost my God expended in searching out and finding me...’ In this edition, we haven’t included easy Bible translation stories (we can’t find any!) but, in the difficulties and cost, you’ll see God’s no-expense-spared, loving fingerprints in every instance.
Hannah Thomas Editor E: hannah_thomas@wycliffe.org
In this issue… P4 The Bible changed my life P8 It’s enough to make you sick Brazil P12 Sing a new song Nigeria P14 When God doesn’t answer P20 How to… run a prayer event P26 Tony and Maggie Canvin Europe P30 News from Wycliffe
New address Wycliffe Bible Translators, The Clare Charity Centre, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, High Wycombe HP14 4BF T: 0300 303 1111 E: askus@wycliffe.org.uk Scottish Office: 342 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LY T: 0141 248 5555 E: scotland_uk@wycliffe.org Northern Ireland Office: 342 Beersbridge Road, Belfast BT5 5DY T: +44 (0)28 9046 9905 E: nireland_uk@wycliffe.org
Pray… August A new director; training in the UK; Pirahã language; training in Nigeria; Japanese Sign Language September Mission teachers; Lendu Old Testament; singing in Pangu; Papua New Guinea October UK-based teams; First Nations languages; a Nigerian cluster project; sign languages in India November Ketengban Bible; work with the Roma people; answers to prayer
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Wycliffe UK Ltd. is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 251233 and a charity registered in Scotland, number SC039140.
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The Bible changed my life Hannah Thomas In a society where the Bible is seen just as an important cultural artefact or a guideline for moral life, Wycliffe faces the question of whether it’s worth translating into the less-known languages of the world. Meet three people for whom having the Bible in their languages was undeniably worth it.
Simeon
They live 40 miles from the nearest church: they try to go but the journey relies on Simeon earning enough during the week for the taxi journey. When they do attend, the service is in Russian – not their own language.
A village near Simeon’s
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Simeon is a witness for Jesus, even to the local mullah. He and Sara read the Bible every day at 5am before Simeon starts work. That, he says, is what keeps him going: ‘Even when the electricity is cut off I light a candle or a kerosene lamp and read the word of God… Thank you that you bothered with a translation of the Bible into my language.’
“Thank you that you bothered with a translation of the Bible into my language.”
Photo: SIL/Bolshoi
Simeon, Sara and seven of their ten children live together in a small village in Central Asia. Along with some of their children, Simeon and Sara are the only people in their village who trust in Jesus.
Call to Prayer Friday 1 – Sunday 3 August
Uiko signs in front of cameras
Photo: Marc Ewell
Thomas
Uiki
Thomas pastors a church in Papua New Guinea. Recently, he attended a course that helps people to see the application of Scripture to their lives. It’s a course that’s been changing people’s lives: teenagers have reconciled with their parents, husbands with their wives. But what could a seasoned pastor still have to learn from God’s word? Thomas says, ‘I thought I was living all right and doing the work of the Lord. But now I see that I have big issues in my home. I hit my kids and I’m not showing them God’s love. I realise I’m failing with my own family. I want God to change me.’
Uiki grew up in a Buddhist-background Japanese home. She and her whole family are Deaf and her first words were in Japanese Sign Language. At her Deaf school, she learnt a little about Christianity when older girls forced her to spend her only free hour in prayer meetings – and she didn’t think much of it. In her twenties, someone on the Japanese Sign Language Bible project asked Uiki if she could help with translation: ‘I worked on the first draft of the Book of Esther, and started to like what I read,’ she says. The translation team was desperate to keep her as she’s an excellent translator. As she worked through the next book, Matthew, she started coming across the Christian terminology she had heard at school but this time, it began to make sense. ‘It wasn’t one particular passage,’ says Uiko, ‘but through translating the whole of Matthew I heard God was calling me.’ The Bible wasn’t less powerful or meaningful to Simeon, Thomas or Uiko because it was in a minority language: for each of them, it meant all the more because it was in their languages. It’s not only changed their lives, but begun to change the lives of many more through them.
Pray: The Wycliffe board of trustees has appointed Rev James Poole of St Andrew the Great, Cambridge, as the new director, beginning this autumn. n P ray for the trustees, to support James wisely and graciously. n T hank God for James and his family’s willingness to serve. n P ray that, as he adjusts to the role, he will feel prepared and well supported.
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Maik Gibson, current training director
Ready for every good work
The Centre for Linguistics,Translation and Literacy (formerly ETP) is celebrating the end of the first year of courses at Redcliffe College, Gloucester. Praise God for his blessings since Wycliffe’s training joined the college to support training for world missions. nL anguage and Culture Acquisition is running during July and August, training new Wycliffe workers and people from other organisations to live and work cross-culturally. nB eginning in September and running until December, Assignment Related Training helps equip new Wycliffe staff and others to develop into language, literacy and Scriptureengagement specialists. n F or the first time, a Participatory Methods (18–22 August) course will run, which shares methods to help community workers involved in literacy, Scriptureengagement or translation better facilitate community conversations and planning. nW hen working with local communities, Wycliffe workers often serve as trainers and consultants. The Learning that LASTS
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course (1–5 September) helps participants improve their adult teaching skills and Planning that LASTS (8–10 September) applies the lessons of Learning that LASTS in the development of training courses. n Bible Storying (17–22 November) is used around the world to help oral communicators engage with the Bible in a way that’s relevant and clear to them. n Pray for the continued development of teamwork with Redcliffe College and that the work of neither students nor staff would be limited by space or funds. n Pray that students would not only grow in specialist knowledge, but also be strengthened spiritually and emotionally, so that they can stand firm in all the transitions ahead of them.
Five facts about the Pirahã language, Brazil 1. The Pirahã language is spoken by 350 people on a tributary of the Amazon. 2. Pirahã has one of the world’s smallest alphabets: only 3 vowels and 8 consonants. 3. Pirahã is highly tonal, so much so that singing is sometimes preferred to speaking; you can even whistle or hum and still be understood. 4. Men and women’s speech is different from each others in Pirahã. 5. Children can’t speak Pirahã properly until aged six when their diaphragm muscles are developed.
Call to Prayer Monday 4 – Sunday 24 August
The Theological College of Northern Nigeria ‘My own language already has the New Testament, but I want to reach out to those without God’s word in their language. I want to see them have access to God’s word without someone having to read it for them or tell them about it. In this Linguistics and Translation Department, I am learning the skills to enable me to help another language group receive God’s word.’ 2nd year BA student
Pray
n C lasses begin at the Linguistics and Translation Department of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria on 21 August. Fifteen new students join the eighteen continuing students. May God bless this academic year!
n K eren is helping the Pirahã people translate the Bible. Pray for health, strength, wisdom and perseverance for Keren.
n M any students in the department are studying so that they can translate the Bible into their languages. Ask God to equip them.
n F or responses to video and audio materials. Pirahã culture is largely oral and many will never learn to read.
n B efore term begins, students need to pay for at least the first term, a challenge for many. Ask God to provide.
n F or the vernacular media services team, who have been working with Keren to help share the Bible in ways that are exciting and appropriate for the community.
n T hree of the PhD teaching staff aren’t able to return this year. Praise God for the new staff member, a PhD linguist, who’s been able to join the team in their stead.
n T hat the translation work will continue to progress.
n T here is still a serious need for more PhD staff, especially for a lecturer in New Testament Greek.
n F or endurance, encouragement and safety for the Pirahã translators. n F or the work in Brazil. One of the main centres has been evacuated due to flooding in the last year.
n T he whole team wants the department to be sustainable, which means training up Nigerians who can train in the future. Pray these potential teachers would be attracted to teach the courses.
n O nly 5% of the languages in South America are still without any translation.
n P ray for insight and wisdom for the staff who are on the lookout for potential trainers.
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It’s enough to make you sick Jack Popjes
We had been on a steep learning curve ever since we arrived in the village to learn the Canela people’s language and culture, when suddenly the curve got even steeper. I had hired Black Palm, an older Canela man, to help us learn his language. Every day for four months, he had come to our house and patiently
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repeated words and phrases and corrected our pronunciation. He always looked forward to our midmorning coffee break, and one day it was especially satisfying since Jo had made a Dutch delicacy, oliebollen, to go with our coffee.
He cautiously nibbled at his oliebol, then his face broke into a smile as he ate it up quickly and asked for another one. All three of us ate until they were all gone. ‘How do you make these sweet things?’ he asked Jo. She showed him a bag of flour and said, ‘This is powder made from grinding up wheat which is sort of like rice.’ She then showed him the butter, milk, salt, spices, sugar and eggs, and said, ‘These are all mixed up into a batter and then you drop a lump into the boiling oil, and –’ ‘Wait!’ he said, ‘Are there eggs in these sweet things?’ When Jo said, ‘Yes,’ he jumped up, ran outside and vomited up all of Jo’s delicious oliebollen. All teary eyed, he asked, ‘What are you doing? Are you trying to kill my little son?’ That’s when our learning curve started to go straight up as we began to research the enormous number of taboos the Canelas practice. Eventually we discovered that Canelas believe that what you eat will affect not only your own health, but also the health of close relatives. Babies, the elderly and sick people are especially vulnerable to certain foods being eaten by their relatives. Since it is well-known among Canelas that eating eggs will cause diarrhoea, and since babies are particularly prone to diarrhoea and death through dehydration, no one in the immediate family eats eggs during the first year or two of a child’s life. Black Palm was the father of a newborn, so it was no wonder he was so upset. Because of this taboo, many adults don’t eat eggs for 10 or 15 years at a stretch, denying themselves an excellent source of scarce protein. Pregnant women also tend to avoid eating meat and subsist mostly on starchy manioc root. We prayed much and worked hard to teach Canelas the truth about health and germs, and demonstrated a healthy lifestyle ourselves. We
For everything God created is good… noticed many of these taboos changing when they saw how we boiled our water and evaded many sicknesses that way. Then people learned to read and learned about hygiene and the value of clean drinking water to avoid diarrhoea. But the big changes came when early in the translation process we translated 1 Timothy. Our translation helpers’ faces lit up with big smiles when they read 4:3–5 which taught specifically about all foods: ‘. . . which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.’ [NIV] The Canelas were a sickly group of fewer than 400 when we first started living with them. By the time we left, 22 years later, the village had grown to well over 1,000. Today, 45 years after the oliebollen incident, the village is thriving with nearly 2,000 inhabitants with healthier bodies, educated minds and a growing number of spiritually alive souls. Black Palm’s granddaughter recently became the first Canela to graduate from high school. She is now in university and studying to become a medical doctor.
Jack started writing stories for missionary newsletters during the decades he and his wife were Bible translators in Brazil. He served as president of Wycliffe Canada for six years and as director of Wycliffe Caribbean for three years, and is now a public speaker. Read more from him on his blog, jackpopjes.com.
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Photo: Heather Pubols
Picture-prompted prayer Pastor Miya Kori signs ‘Christian’ in Japanese Sign Language (JSL). She pastors a Deaf church Toyooka, a city six hours west of Tokyo. She says, ‘When I was little, we didn’t have the JSL Bible. My father was such a good storyteller in JSL. He shared all the Bible stories with me. Now I want that for others through the JSL Bible.’ n P ray for Miya and the church she pastors as access to the Bible in JSL increases.
Pray for other Bible translations into sign languages:
n M iya also helps the translation team as an advisor. Pray for wisdom and skill.
n N o sign language has a complete Bible translation yet.
n R ead about Uiko, a translator of the Bible into JSL, in The Bible changed my life (pp 4–5) and thank God for his work in her life.
n T hank God for the access that new technology allows the Deaf to have to Scripture.
n P ray for the rest of the team translating the Bible into JSL and making it available as videos.
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n P ray for the British Sign Language Bible project. The team are translating Mark, but need support and people to join them.
In the classroom It’s back-to-school time in many parts of the world. This week, pray particularly for schools and teachers who serve the children of overseas mission workers.
Call to Prayer Monday 25 August – Sunday 14 September
Many thanks to Thom Varum of Teachers in Service for these items. teachers-in-service.org
n P raise God for the high calling he’s given to mission teachers. n T hank him for his provision of finance, training, prayer support, health and safety. n W e’re particularly giving thanks for schools like Rain Forest International (Cameroon), Ukarumpa International (Papua New Guinea), Hebron (India) and Hillcrest (Nigeria). n P ray for teachers struggling with decisions whether to return to their home countries for financial reasons. n T eachers need wisdom, patience and willingness to learn in environments of constant diversity. n P ray for them to be continually strengthened in their relationship with their Teacher and Father. n A sk God to send more teachers to where most needed!
War and peace
Pray…
The Lendu language, spoken by 1.5 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo
n For funds to print the Bible.
After the Lendu New Testament was launched in 1989, the team began work on the Old Testament. Nearly 90% was complete when the war in the DR Congo broke out and, in those violent years, one translator was killed and nearly all the Old Testament work was destroyed. Over the last decade, God has worked through the team to restore that which was lost (Joel 2:25) and this year the Lendu people will see the whole Bible in their language for the first time. n Praise God!
n F or safe passage when the printed copies are in transit. n M ay the word of God be comfort and life to the Lendu people. n F or the translators, and their families, in a period of job transition. n F or church leaders learning to use the Bible in church services and Bible studies. n T hat God will raise up Lendu speakers to study his word diligently and proclaim it to their own people and to the ends of the earth.
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Sing a new song James MacDonell The Pangu people are one among many minority communities in northern Nigeria. Over the past decade a Pangu alphabet has been developed and literacy work has started, but only a few Pangu people have taken a serious interest in learning to read and write their mother tongue. There are only a small number of Christians and church services aren’t held in the Pangu language. Two part-time language project workers have translated the Gospel of Luke and now it’s going through final checks before publication. Because so few Pangu can read their language, they want to produce an audio recording of Luke as well. To make it even more
‘I am happy because we can praise God in our mother tongue.’ Gabriel 12 WordsforLife
interesting to listen to, they hope to include some songs based on Luke. This idea led to plans for the first Pangu Scripture song-writing workshop. The threeday workshop was held in a church in a central town in February 2014, and more than 30 people came. Two specialists travelled 300 miles to lead the workshop. They helped the Pangu Christians see that they can use their own language, traditional musical styles and instruments to worship God – they don’t have to borrow from other cultures. It was encouraging to see Pangu people praising God through their unique style of singing and dancing. Although time at the workshop was limited, 12 new songs were produced and recorded.
Call to Prayer Monday 15 – Sunday 21 September
Pray n G ive praise for the success of the workshop and the willingness of the leaders.
Everyone enjoyed the workshop. The songs that were recorded are already being shared on mobile phones and some participants want to produce a CD of Pangu worship songs. Read translations of songs from the workshop at wycliffe.org.uk/wordsforlife.
‘We have now brought back our traditional music and we thank God for what we have got. By the will of God, we will compose songs in our mother tongue which we will sing for all to hear, to show love and praise for God.’ Salome
n P ray that Pangu Christians will have opportunities to use the new songs in church services or at special occasions. n P ray that people will continue to compose new songs and be able to share these with others. n P ray that people who are not Christians will be attracted by the music and respond to the message the songs contain. n P ray for the successful production of the audio recording of Luke and that it will be distributed as widely as possible. n P ray that Pangu Christians will learn to apply the truths of God’s word to their lives. n P ray for God’s guidance for the future of Bible translation in Pangu.
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When God doesn’t answ I believe prayer works! I couldn’t be Wycliffe’s prayer coordinator if I didn’t. It’s why I pester the rest of my colleagues with my constant refrain, ‘How can we pray for that?’ What is more, I believe that prayer must underpin all we do, because by praying we remember that the battle belongs to God. What’s happening when we don’t see results straight away? Prayer can be a rollercoaster ride. It’s wonderful when we see God answering our prayers, especially if he answers immediately. But when God doesn’t answer quite so quickly, it’s easy to feel that it isn’t worth the effort. Let’s face it: prayer can be hard work and sometimes we will want to give up. So why keep praying when we don’t see immediate answers? ‘Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.’ Ephesians 6:18 (NLT) The command to ‘be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere’ reminds us that we have to keep on praying. The context of the verse is Paul talking about a spiritual battle, one in which we need to wear the armour of God and engage in the fight. Prayer is one of the weapons with which we fight the battle. God does not always answer our prayers in the way or according to the timing that we have in mind, but these are opportunities to fight persistently in prayer. If we use these opportunities, they won’t go to waste; in fact, I think that there are at least four big benefits – blessings in fact – that come when we keep on praying. I’ve seen this in Geoff and Clare, a couple who fairly recently moved to South Asia where they are training people to learn and share spoken Bible stories in their mother tongues. Their story has challenged me and I hope that these
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excerpts will motivate you too to be persistent in your prayers. Why keep praying? 1. We are part of a bigger plan Often, though we don’t realise it, we have a small role in God’s greater plan. When he acts to do things in the right order and at the right time, we can’t understand what is happening because we can’t see the whole picture. As we keep praying, this is a great opportunity to grow in trust. A few months after arriving in South Asia, Geoff and Clare helped run a series of planning meetings with the people they were partnering, about how to start teaching mother-tongue Bible
wer
Jo Johnson
stories. Initially different partners had different ideas and goals but… ‘Throughout the week, God brought us closer and closer to a shared vision. By the end of the week, we had a plan – when to do training, for which languages, what training to use, and how to make it all happen. All of this miraculously happened in spite of the fact that I had to plan all of the meetings, and planning is not a strength of mine. God was exceedingly gracious!’ 2. We are strengthened to grow in hope and faith In much the same way that regular exercise strengthens our muscles, persevering in prayer
makes us stronger spiritually. When we pray, we connect with God’s heart. It helps us to nurture our relationship with him, learn to trust him and look to him more. With a plan in place, Geoff and Clare could have rested on what they knew. Instead, they continued to rely on God as they worked the plan out. ‘Although we have a plan, we know we have as much to learn as the people we are training. We also know that God may take us in a different direction and the plan may need to change. That’s okay – we’ve seen over and over again that God knows what he is doing.’ continued on page 18
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The word of Go Poverty
Politics and Ideologies Disability
my rst language is a sign language
I’ I can’t read... just staying alive is an achievement
The Bible is a banned book in my country
Now I see!
lis
Books are brilliant bu that stop people fro But these d someone get This phone is the perfect disguise...
Wow! my story and his story are linked: riches exchanged for poverty! Mov
some easi
Sign language video Bibles
Mobile phones, apps & computers
Films & TV
Chronological Bible stories
od: only a book? Orality
’ve always learnt by stening not reading!
I have an endless commute by car…
Reading has always been a problem for me...
Other situations
Feeding babies and feeding on Scripture? Who can manage that?
ut there are lots of circumstances om accessing the Bible as a book. don’t have to stop Heavenly music to tting to God’s word. my ears!
vement is ething I can ily digest
Mummy taught me the gospel when I was just a toddler
It stirs my emotions
Audio Bibles online, on CDs, on digital players & on the radio
Theatre, dance, art
saamvisual.com
Songs, hymns & poems Comic books & picture books
Jason Ramasami 4/14
important it is for missionaries to know that others are praying when the tough times come. Geoff and Clare feel this too and wrote this to their supporters: ‘You are part of everything that we do here. Your prayers lift us up in times of difficulty and help us break through to amazing victories. Thank you for labouring with us in this new field!’ 4. The breakthrough is sweeter when we’ve kept on praying It’s true in many areas of life that success is far more satisfying when we’ve invested time and energy. In my experience, prayer is just the same: my rejoicing is greater when I’ve kept on praying and finally seen a breakthrough than when the answer comes quickly. The Bible storying project that Geoff and Clare are involved in has gained incredible momentum, but it certainly wasn’t immediate:
continued from page 15
Soon the first workshops to translate Bible stories and train storytellers had started, and they were able to say: ‘It is very refreshing to have things go better than expected – God is so good.’
‘From few to many – in our previous project, we struggled to finish 11 Bible stories in more than three years. In our current project, so far we have seen Bible stories crafted in 8 languages. If we count each Bible story in each language, that is 80 Bible stories crafted and being told – in six months! The participants are also writing songs, dramas and dances to go with the stories. ‘It is exciting to be able to tell you that this project is bearing fruit. We have had years when we didn’t seem to be making much difference. The truth is that God has been working all along.’
Sometimes we have to go through bad experiences to get to good places, but it doesn’t stop those bad experiences making you lonely and isolated. I cannot stress too strongly how
Jo Johnson is the UK prayer coordinator. She has been working with Wycliffe for 15 years, is married to Stewart, UK church engagement director, and has three super children. Catch more of her inspirations to pray on Twitter: @j0annaj.
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Geoff and Clare’s names have been changed to protect their colleagues. These photographs do not represent their work.
3. We encourage those we are praying for
My rejoicing is greater when I’ve kept on praying…
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How to… run a prayer Running a prayer day is a great way to encourage yourself and others to pray. It can be uplifting for your church or small group. Most importantly of all, God uses our prayer to change things! Planning an event can be daunting, though. These are our tips for running your own prayer day.
Decisions, decisions Ask these questions to hone your plan: n What do I want to focus on? Are you inspired to pray for Bible translation, for an upcoming local outreach or for Syria? n Who do I want to come? Is this an event for your whole church, your Christian Union or your small group? n How long will my event be? You can choose from a range of events – from a whole Saturday to a ten-minute segment in a Sunday service.
Praying together in Brazil
n What sort of resources can I get? It’s good to have a mix of media, so look for presentations, videos, photographs and audio as well as printed prayer points. Making plans Before the event, think about the practicalities. n Look at all the materials beforehand. Prayer requests might need printing, videos downloading, and it helps if you’ve seen the presentations before you use them! n A t your location, make sure there is room for everyone to sit, but also check what technology you will need. Think about who will be there and what text size will work best for printed prayers. n T ell people. Well in advance, announce your event to church, call your friends to make a date, and add an event onto Facebook.
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Prayer at a Bible study in the Philippines
er event On the day Once you have a plan for the event, the final factors can make the day. n S tart with worship. It focuses us on who God is. You could read the Bible together, sing with a musician or to a CD, or watch a devotional video. n T ry to keep things moving quickly. Use presentations as springboards for prayer and aim to spend at least half the time praying not explaining. n P rayer can be hard work, so if you are running a longer event, plan breaks and refreshments.
Photo: Elyse Patten
Still overwhelmed?
Join us for an event Wycliffe is running Frontline Prayer Live events in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire and in Edinburgh on 8 November. Come and see how it could work in your situation. Join together Talk to others in your small group and see if you can run the event together. Alternatively, arrange some dates and call the Wycliffe offices to see when someone could run an event for you. Ready-made resources We’ve gathered together the prayer material we’ll be using at our Frontline Prayer events into three modules focusing on oral communities, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bible translation challenges in the Pacific.
Photo: Janeen Michie
In each module you’ll find an introductory presentation, videos and display materials, and lots of current prayer needs. They are ready to use, even if you don’t know the subject. It takes an hour to pray through each module, but they come in segments so you can use as much as you have time for. Registration for events and all the resources are available at wycliffe.org.uk/pray. If you are planning to use the resources, we’d love to know. Share your events on facebook.com/ WycliffeBibleTranslatorsUK.
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Photo: Tim Scott
Listening to audio New Testaments (Stage 5)
Take a tour Stage 1: No translation n T he Bariji, Nen and Kopar communities are among 300 in Papua New Guinea that need translation to begin. Stage 2: Preparations
n A t the moment, the translation of their work into another language for their consultant to review is a struggle. n T he Tairuma team has faced setbacks constantly for two years. Thank God that he’s keeping the team going. Stage 4: Getting the word out
n T he Sepik Programme Engagement Strategy responds to regional requests for translation to start. Pray for the logistics.
n Printing is all that stands between the Binandere people and the first published Scripture in their language: Mark, Luke and Acts. Pray it will be ready for October.
n A new multi-language initiative is working with five languages in the west of the country. Pray for a positive response to the first gatherings.
n T hank God for the two incredibly encouraging church denominations who are backing translation work among the Binandere people.
n In another multi-language initiative, one pastor said, ‘We thought holiness was being quiet and serious, but now I see it’s a joyful thing.’ He was at training for translation but has been learning to engage with Scripture too! Stage 3:Translation n The Amani team is set amid the community’s constant fighting. n The Guhu Samane translation team has failing solar panels, so there is not enough electricity.
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n The Nukumanu New Testament was launched in February, more than 10 years after work began! Stage 5: Engaging with the Bible n P ray that God would act among the Nukumanu people, who have the New Testament. n G ive thanks that the Madak people have taken their newly translated New Testament to heart. n G od protected the recent reprint and delivery of the New Testament, along with audio versions, for the Madak people.
The offices at home
Call to Prayer Monday 22 September – Sunday 19 October
n F inance: The important tasks that the finance team does keep coming around. Pray for the team’s diligence and perseverance. n C ommunications: ‘The team tries to share the stories of what God is doing around the world to encourage, challenge and inspire supporters. Pray that we would do this well.’ n P ersonnel: ‘We’re advising on assignments, support-team building, children’s education, home leave and retirement. We never know what the next email will bring! Pray for good listening skills and wisdom when supporting those in challenging situations.’ n I T: ‘The team is juggling a lot of jobs. Pray for us to solve problems effectively – sometimes we need the wisdom of Solomon!’ n C hurch Engagement: First Steps events are a great opportunity for people to find out more about Wycliffe’s work. Pray for
Maggie Gaved as she coordinates these at several churches this autumn. n G lasgow office: ‘We are doing the final preparations for our November tour of university Christian Unions. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send out labourers as a result of the visits.’ n B elfast office: ‘Pray for our Wycliffe Live event on 15 October and for our Member Mingle events, where Wycliffe staff on the island of Ireland gather to encourage one another.’
O Canada! Did you know that there are more than 30 First Nations languages spoken in Canada? They include… Atikamekw n The Atikamekw New Testament will be launched by the end of the year. Pray that it will be vigorously used. Mi’kmaq n May the Mi’kmaq Scriptures deeply impact the community as they hear parts that have been translated.
n Pray for the translators to grow in ability, in faith, and for their families who are facing difficult circumstances.
n ‘Mi’kmaq Bible story booklets have been widely accepted by local schools that teach Mi’kmaq, even ones that don’t have a religious education policy,’ says translation advisor Dianne.
Naskapi
n Translation of the Sunday lectionary readings from both the Old and New Testaments are on target.
n Since the publication of the Naskapi New Testament in 2007, more and more people are motivated to read and write their own language.
Mushuau
n Mushuau Innu is the language most related to Naskapi: although they cannot read each other’s script, speakers can understand each other. Naskapi language workers have been welcomed in the Mushuau community, but need wisdom about how to start work.
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Celebrate! Celebrate with the Adamawa cluster In 2008, 12 language teams in Nigeria started work to get the first Scriptures, Luke, into their languages. n Seven of the languages celebrated the launch of Luke’s Gospel, the JESUS Film and literacy books this year. Thousands of people came to the events. There were long queues to buy the materials and, at one event, a reading of ‘The Good Samaritan’ received a standing ovation! n At the Nzanyi launch, three-quarters of the attendees were from another religion but were interested by materials in their language. One religious leader spoke about how good the project has been. n There is already fruit: after the first showing of the Yungur JESUS Film, 100 people said they want to follow Jesus and 50 came to the first discipleship event the following day. n ‘The translation work is having a positive effect on the lives of the translators and the entire Ga’anda population,’ the Ga’anda team reports. Pray for the continuing impact in the communities.
At the Ga’anda celebration
n Pray for the Ga’anda, Hwona, Lala, Marghi South, Nzanyi and Yungur teams, who are moving on to do complete New Testaments. n D ebani, Moginam and Zimzing have finished recording the JESUS Film and are now preparing to publish Luke, despite the situation the teams face in northern Nigeria. The work in Koma is delayed because the team could not travel to consultant sessions because of security issues. n P ray with the Bandawa team, who are facing challenges in their work to finish Luke and the JESUS Film.
Celebrate sign language work in India Last autumn in India, DOOR International launched three DVDs of sign language Bible stories. Chronological Bible stories on DVD open up the Bible to Deaf people who have previously never had access to it. At the launch, one man said: When I myself had no opportunity to understand Scripture, how can I share it with others? Every time I saw pastors preaching in hearing churches, I wanted to preach like them. Today God has made it available for me. What a privilege!
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Celebrate Bibles in Indonesia When you need to get 9,000 Bibles to a village in the mountains of Papua, eastern Indonesia, the only way is by air! When the Ketengban Scriptures were ready, pilots Nate and Tim transported 544kg (about 85 stone) of the valuable cargo at a time. The Ketengban New Testament was finished in 1998. ‘Before, they’d only had God’s word in someone else’s language or second-hand from someone who could speak to them about it,’ said advisor Andrew Sims. ‘Now it was in their language.’ The books Nate and Tim delivered contained the revised New Testament and half the Old Testament in Ketengban.
Call to Prayer Monday 20 October – Sunday 9 November
n T he local schools, run in the national language, are poorly funded and frequently closed. Pray for improvements. n P ray that a new literacy programme in Ketengban would start – it needs funding and staff. n P ray for distribution of the Scriptures in other media, including mobile phones (there’s no mobile signal but people use them to watch videos and listen to recordings). Ketengban pastors receive the new Bibles
n P ray that God will use the new Bibles to transform lives. n T hank God for planes and pilots to get to hard-to-reach places.
Photo: Tim Hunter
n P ray for continuing work on the Old Testament. n P roblems about witchcraft still surface due to the historic animism among the people. Pray for spiritual breakthrough.
n T hank God for the joyous launch! n P ray for the impact of these DVDs and Bible story board books in India. n P ray for the translation teams who continue to work. n A sk God for people in local communities who will check the clarity of the translation. n P ray God would open doors into parts of India that are closed to this work. n D OOR is running three Scripture use workshops to help Deaf churches and communities use the new DVDs. n P ray about the many other projects DOOR is involved with, making the Bible available to the Deaf around the world.
DOOR International is a Wycliffe partner organisation specialising in sign languages.
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Tony and Maggie Working with the Roma in Europe
How did you become Christians? Tony I was brought up in a Christian family, and I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I started to believe; I think I grew into it! Maggie I wasn’t brought up in a Christian family. Although I went with girls from my sixth-form to Christian meetings, I had lots of questions. After I finished school, I travelled to my friend’s church every week – it was through her family I came to the Lord. In the train to work I bowed my head and gave my life to the Lord.
Tony I had the conviction from about 17 that I was going to be involved in full-time Christian work, either mission or pastoral. I went to a series of mission-minded churches. Maggie and I met at an Easter house party where a speaker talked about the need to get the Scriptures into Russia – where people had none. When Maggie’s first weekend off from nursing coincided with a Wycliffe enquiry weekend, we sensed it wasn’t by accident.
What brought you into the Wycliffe team? Maggie I used to travel in the same train carriage to work every day. The regulars watched my journey to faith. I studied Mark’s Gospel with a Russian on my way to work, and others in the carriage would chip in. I got a Russian Bible for him and when he read through the passage in Mark we’d been studying, tears rolled down his face and he said, ‘It speaks to me, it speaks to me!’ The whole carriage cheered! That was where my interest in Bible translation began.
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The team working with the Roma
What do your current roles involve? Tony Since 2011, Maggie and I have been coordinating the work among the Roma (‘Gypsies’) in Europe. We have teams working in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, and a New Testament has been finished in Germany. There are a lot of misconceptions about Roma people. Can you tell us a bit about them? Tony The Roma people originate from northern India and they have migrated to and settled in nearly every country in the world. Our teams work specifically with the Roma people in Europe. For the Roma, the world is divided into Roma and non-Roma, and many feel strongly the need to keep their traditions and language separate from the non-Roma around them. The majority of Roma have permanent homes, but many of them will travel (for example, for seasonal work) and be away for long periods of time before returning home. Maggie The biggest misconception is that they have just one language: there are probably more than 100 Romani languages in Europe alone! What motivates you to keep going? Tony Let me tell you about Manolito. He’s the son of a Sinte pastor (a German Roma) and his mother is on the Sinte Romanes translation team. From prison, he contacted us for a copy of the Sinte Romanes New Testament. Reading it, he said to his parents: ‘Now I understand what you’ve been trying to tell me!’ He and another inmate who read the New Testament became Christians and he’s been baptised in prison. He’s German by nationality and has been to German school, but didn’t understand the good news until it was in his own language. That keeps me motivated.
Call to Prayer Monday 10 – Sunday 16 November
Pray: Tony and Maggie share these items from their work: n The Sinte Romanes New Testament, Germany, has sold out. The plan is to republish, with portions of the Old Testament included as well. n Pray for the translation work in Romania, Croatia and Hungary, and for the translation work just beginning in Bulgaria. n Pray for wisdom for Tony and the team as they decide which languages they should choose to focus on for survey, study and translation. n The team needs new workers in both eastern and western Europe. n Pray for funding for Tony and Maggie – their support levels have dropped recently. Ask God if you or someone you know should join their support team. n Pray for the development of partnerships with other mission agencies and churches. n Most of all, pray for the Roma, that they would all know that God loves them!
In order to do this work with the Roma people,Tony and Maggie need support in prayer and in finance.To give, contact the UK office or give online at wycliffe.org.uk/ support/Tony+and+Maggie+Canvin.
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Participants and leaders at The Next Step
What happened next? You prayed: The Luke film in an Asian language had been completed and was being shared by John and the team. n P raise God for the new website in the language. This website will allow the Luke film and other Scriptures to be shared online.
You prayed: The Rapa Nui New Testament of Easter Island had been checked by a consultant and needed changes. n P ray that the New Testament will be typeset accurately and without complications. Pray for alertness as the team does the final proofreading of typeset pages. n P ray that the Bishop of Valparaíso, Chile, and the Chilean Bible Society will soon set a date for signing a co-publication agreement between them and SIL, Wycliffe’s partner. Pray for good relationships and God’s guidance for those working out the details of fundraising, printing, shipment and of a launch celebration. n P ray that God would prepare the hearts of the Rapa Nui people to receive his word. Pray that those who worked on the New Testament will be eager to use these Scriptures, and will communicate their enthusiasm to others.
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You prayed: The Chadian Arabic New Testament was launched last year. n O ne man has sold 5,000 copies of the audio version and says, ‘I asked my friend who listens to the New Testament why the audio version is so popular. He replied that only one in a hundred people in our region can read, but almost everyone can listen and it’s in a language they understand well!’
You prayed: As the Tatar Bible, Russia, was heading through the last stages, the workers were looking for new roles. The ‘Tubas’ New Testament was close to completion too. n T he Tatar Bible was sent to the publishers at the beginning of March – ‘later than expected but still on time, we trust, for the expected 2015 launch,’ says translation advisor M. n A dvisors M and T are both studying (for an MA and PhD respectively) ahead of moving on to other roles, which they anticipate will build on their experience in the same region. n W hen the translator on the ‘Tubas’ project had a baby, the project inevitably slowed. Pray for quick catch-up times and that this will also be ready for release in 2015.
Chad
Call to Prayer
Monday 17 – Sunday 30 November has so many projects to work with, it’s been difficult to find enough time for the Avatime project. n P ray for Divine, who leads the project. He’s also been helping another project in Ghana, a cluster of languages just beginning the work, with the development of alphabets and translator training.
You prayed: The software development team at partners SIL develops technology to enable Bible translation
You prayed: The ‘Maor’ New Testament translation was progressing slowly, as the final review was being done before typesetting.
n I n April, the team released an updated version of FieldWorks Language Explorer (FLEx), a computer program which helps workers record language analysis. This update fixes a number of problems and allows researchers to share contributions without the risk of overwriting someone else’s.
n K eep praying for this project – they have come so close, but reviewing and typesetting the New Testament are vital last steps! Thank God for the progress in literacy classes in the community.
You prayed: The team working in Europe, the Mediterranean and parts of Asia needed a lot of new staff. n P raise God! Since the end of 2013, the team has welcomed a new communications coordinator, a new director of human resources, three new finance workers and a new director. Pray for God’s grace in their new roles.
You prayed: The Avatime Project, Ghana, was translating the New Testament into the Sideme language, but facing spiritual opposition. n T he translation work is making progress. They have translated nine books in the last year. However, the only available consultant
FLEx software has been updated
You prayed: The Next Step, a
weekend event for people interested in working with Wycliffe, ran in March. n C hurch Engagement Director Stewart Johnson said, ‘God spoke to all nine participants. Four have decided to begin the application process immediately and a couple is looking into a short-term assignment with Wycliffe.’ Keep praying for these servanthearted enquirers.
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The world’s biggest blockbuster
The new Wycliffe director In the last magazine we mentioned that Eddie Arthur, Wycliffe’s UK director for six years, is stepping into a new role. The hunt has been on to find a new director and at the start of June, the trustees appointed Rev James Poole, who starts in the autumn. We’ll introduce him in the next edition of Words for Life. Prayer items for James and the trustees are on page 5.
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The JESUS Film Project is releasing an updated version of the film in English, with enhanced images and sound. Find out more about the impact of the film and the new release at wycliffe.org.uk/wordsforlife. A still from the JESUS Film
Photo: The JESUS Film Project®
Watching the JESUS Film in Lesotho
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the JESUS Film. The film has been translated into more than 1,200 languages, in 65% of which Wycliffe has been involved. It’s been watched an estimated 6 billion times, making it the most watched film in history; JESUS Film Media estimates that, every eight seconds, someone makes a decision to follow Jesus after seeing the film.
Photo: Daniel Weber via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Our latest news
Short-term mission? In March, Wycliffe’s director Eddie Arthur travelled to Ghana to celebrate with GILLBT, Wycliffe’s partners in Ghana, as Mary Steele reached 52 years of Bible translation work. Mary arrived in Ghana in 1962, beginning work with the Konkomba people. When the New Testament was completed and literacy well underway, Mary started work in another language, Bimoba, and after that New Testament was completed, she returned to help the Konkomba team work on the Old Testament. In 2005, Mary was awarded an MBE for her work. At the celebration, a Konkomba man and former government minister said that he and other successful Konkombas could not have done what they did without Mary’s work.
Mary receiving her MBE
Mary Steele, with colleagues, celebrating her work in Ghana
What next? If you’ve been inspired about the impact Bible translation has on people and communities, take the next step to support the work by… Praying This magazine is filled with prayer items: you can pray for a bullet point a day or for a whole topic at once. Running your own prayer event (pages 20–21) is a great way to involve others. Giving Could you give to help those still waiting for God’s word have it? You can give securely online at wycliffe.org.uk/give or by contacting us. Telling someone else We’d love to send you more copies of the magazine to give to friends and family. These stories may be reprinted in church magazines and on websites (get in touch if you’d like us to send photographs from the magazine). Going to serve Is God asking you to serve in the UK or overseas? Go to wycliffe.org.uk/events to find out when you could come to an exploratory event or talk to someone at one of the offices about what role you could fill. WordsforLife 31
Frontline Prayer resources
Stand together in prayer for the hundreds of millions still waiting to hear God speak their language. Frontline Prayer resources are flexible, downloadable prayer modules, perfect for equipping you and your church for passionate, inspired and informed prayer.
Modules now available: Democratic Republic of Congo and Bibles for Oral Communities Coming soon: Translation challenges in the Pacific Pray through the whole collection online: wycliffe.org.uk/fpmodules
wycliffe.org.uk Wycliffe UK Ltd., a company registered in England and Wales, no 819788; a charity registered in England and Wales, no 251233; and in Scotland, no SC039140 Registered office: The Clare Charity Centre, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, High Wycombe HP14 4BF