Words for Life Winter 2013

WordsforLife

Winter 2013

wycliffe.org.uk

Front cover: Kaiwá Bible translator Salvador Sanches, Brazil, holding all the books he needed to read the whole Bible until it was launched in Kaiwá this year. Photo by Elyse Patten.

Below: Genesis 1:20-25 Foiy apsomb (‘God created the animals’) by Papua New Guinean artist Nanias Maira in the style of his people group, the Kwoma. Photo by Peter Brook.

‘ My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ – Isaiah 66:2

Welcome

WordsforLife 3

On the front of this edition of Words for Life is Bible translator Salvador Sanches. He’s holding a beloved Bible in Portuguese, but that’s not his mother tongue. His language is Kaiwá, and this is the Bible he used as he translated the Old Testament into his own language.

It’s been nearly thirty years since the New Testament was first published in the Kaiwá language of Brazil. Salvador has been working for decades since to complete the Bible, which was finally launched at the end of August!

Even in Brazil, not that many people have ever heard about the Kaiwá. It’s true for many languages that Wycliffe works with: they are often spoken by people who are in the minority even in their homeland. Bible translation is radical, because it shows that God communicates even in the forgotten, unknown or unwanted languages. In that way, Bible translation imitates Jesus, who spoke the words of men and became like one of us.

Hannah Thomas Editor E: hannah_thomas@wycliffe.org

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

Contents P4 Culmination P6 Kemulik Haeu! Thank you God! P10 What you didn’t know about Bible translation P12 Transformational development P16 The dilemma of Luke 9:48 P18 Our latest news

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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.

Culmination It was the last day of Wycliffe’s 2012 international gathering in Thailand. For seven days, five hundred leaders of Bible translation organisations from over 65 countries had met together Eddie Arthur to pray, discuss and seek God’s will for the future. As the conference closed, the chair called for a time of prayer and suggested that people should stand up and pray in their mother tongue. One by one, people stood up in the huge conference hall to pray.

There were prayers in English, in Spanish and then

a young West African stood up to pray…

I buried my face in my hands and sobbed my heart out.

The young man was Didier and he was praying in Kouya.

We first met Didier in his home village of Gouabafla in Ivory Coast while he was at school; he joined the Kouya translation team and committed his life to the Lord while working on John’s Gospel. Now, he’s the director of a linguistics and translation organisation in Ivory Coast. Didier is an honoured and respected leader in the international Bible translation movement.

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Kouya is a language which people who live within thirty miles of Kouya-land have never heard of.

This tiny, little-known language from the Ivorian rain forest was being used to worship the Lord alongside all of the famous languages of the world. I’ve often told the story of the old Kouya man who rejoiced when he saw Kouya written down, saying that now Kouya took its place alongside English, French and German because those languages had paper, and now Kouya had paper, too. As Didier prayed, we saw that principle lived out in practice. A little bit of Revelation 7 taking place before our eyes!

Scholars generally highlight two key impacts of Bible translation: God reveals himself to people through his word and draws them to himself; and minority languages and people groups gain dignity and self worth as vehicles of the Good News.

There in that conference hall in Thailand, we saw those two principles worked out in a few simple words as the Kouya people and language took their place on the world stage.

My wife Sue and I were both involved in running that final conference session, so we weren’t sitting together, but when the meeting ended we met in the middle of the room and oblivious to everyone else (including the photographer) we wept for joy at what God had done and for the privilege of seeing him at work.

Eddie is UK Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators. As well as being involved with the Kouya New Testament translation, he has also worked as the national director for SIL,Wycliffe’s partner organisation, in Ivory Coast and as the director of Wycliffe training in Europe.You can read more of his musings at kouya.net or by following him on Twitter (@kouya).

Kemulik Haeu!

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Thank you God! David Gilchrist and Bob Noble

Why would a group of people travel half way around the world to visit a tiny island in the Pacific?

In May, we were part of that group of 12 people, including representatives from Wycliffe Bible Translators in the UK and Poland, and several UK churches, all of whom have been part of the Seimat Bible translation and literacy project in Papua New Guinea. We wanted to be with the Seimat people as they celebrated the launch of the complete New Testament!

The celebration was the culmination of 10 years of hard work by a dedicated team of local Seimatspeakers, along with Wycliffe members Theresa Wilson (UK) and Beata Wozna (Poland). But it was also the result of 10 years of faithful prayer by many people around the world – our group of 12 was only a small sample of the people who filled this role.

The Ninigo Islands, where the Seimat people live, are very beautiful but really, really remote. To get there, after a forty-hour journey to Papua New Guinea, we took an hour-long flight in a small plane over the sea and transferred first to sailing canoes and then to motor boats to Patexux Island, where the celebration was to take place. Flying in, our pilot told us that doing this flight some years previously, he had been radioed by another plane who thought he was lost, flying out to sea. He

Beata Wozna works with the translation team

assured them he was not lost, but going to the Ninigo Islands. ‘Why are you going there?’ he was asked. ‘To translate the Bible!’ he replied.

As we arrived for the launch, local men lined up for the traditional welcome. With spears in hand, the head of the group asked Theresa and Beata why they had come. They replied, ‘We bring the good news of Jesus, God’s word in the Seimat language.’ He then told the group that there was no need to fight as they had come in peace.

Atelah Bendict, the leader of the Patexux island community, said, ‘The population of this island is normally 300 people but on the day of the dedication it had temporarily grown to 900 people as representatives of all the Ninigo Islands had come to the celebration!’ It was the first time so many different islanders had come together with government representatives, special dancers from the provincial capital, and overseas visitors. A very significant event in the life of the Seimat community.

When Theresa and Beata arrived in the Ninigo Islands in 2002, the first thing to do was to learn

Kemulik! Kemulik! Kako amuke menge Haeu ti puki kakaiakako Seimat!

Thank you! Thank you! We rejoice in God’s story in our own Seimat language!

s to education, r the appointment

celebrating ory in their A Nyiha hat a difference e is about things When I read about ke it’s in heaven. ust stories.’

rds of the world’s Pray that their work ue to share the word. hearing.com)

n June, two New were launched ly in Mexico. The mo Mazatec and itlan Mazatec s had celebrations in their he same time as a larger, val for Mazatec languages. communities and the at the passion for the ment will stay alive.

As a New Year starts, ple have access to the ever before. There are e reading God’s word, e listening, more people ripture films in their own an ever in the history of And yet more than 200 ple will remain without any od’s life-changing word.

iptions

23 46. ered in Scotland No SC 039140.

and write down the language. Unfortunately within a few weeks they were evacuated with dengue fever and could not return to the islands for another 5 months, so it wasn’t until July 2003 that they knew enough to run workshops to establish a trial alphabet for the Seimat language. Only then could they start on the literacy and translation.

During the project, Theresa and Beata worked with the Seimat school teachers and other adults from the different communities to write the first story books and literacy materials in Seimat. Written materials in Seimat have made a huge difference. Children in the Ninigo Islands used to go to school with no knowledge of English at all and no skills in reading or writing, but were expected to learn in English from their very first day. The head teacher of a local school said, ‘There was a high dropout rate from school because it was too hard for the kids to learn to read and write in English.’ That head teacher is now teaching the children to read and write in Seimat using the literacy materials developed by the team. This will have a lasting impact on future generations.

Theresa and Beata’s life in this remote part of the world has been very challenging – they have suffered from malaria and weathered powerful storms in small, open boats. Once their boat’s motor failed and they drifted for six hours in shark-inhabited waters before landing on the tip of one small island – the last bit of land between them and hundreds of miles of open ocean. In spite of all of this they have persevered so that the Seimat people can have the word of God. It was a joy and a privilege to be at the launch and to see the Seimat people so keen to receive their New Testaments. Upon receiving his copy, islander Ribert Benny said, ‘I feel so wonderful. It’s like I just found a pair of glasses and I can really see clearly.

Before the image was blurred, but now I really can see it. That is how I feel about this Bible. We are so glad, you have been so generous. Thank you so much to you and your people.’

Call to

Prayer

November – December 2013

use.

The words of God have power and twoIt exceeds the work of a very sharp the sided knife which can cut deep into and body of animals and split even joints bones. In the same way words of God enter very deep into our minds to show reveal our wants and our ways.

Guinea New Papua Hebrews 4:12 in Seimat,

‘now in our own language!’

‘Kakai Haeu i tahiawen!

Se ape ti puki kakaiakako wanen!’ read a banner at the launch of the New Testament in Seimat in Papua New Guinea earlier this year: ‘God’s word has arrived! It’s now in our own language!’

■ Fri 1 Nov Seimat Translator Theresa Wilson (UK) says: ‘Praise God for his grace and for providing everything and everyone in the team that led to the completion, publication and launch of the Seimat New Testament. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work deeply in the hearts and minds of the Seimat people, revealing to them the love of God the Father, Son and Spirit.’

■ Sat 2 Seimat Ask God to speak to the Seimat church leaders afresh as they read his word and preach each week. Pray that God will teach them more of what it means to be shepherds of his flock. Some people are also writing new songs based on the Seimat Scriptures to use for praise in church.

Storytelling in Seimat (5 November)

■ Sun 3 Seimat Pray for the newly elected Seimat community leaders in the islands and the provincial town of Lorengau (370km east, across the sea), for wisdom to discern what is best for the people, courage to speak the truth, discipline, inspiration and diligence.

■ Mon 4 One off Wycliffe in the UK has moved! Please pray for us during our first day in the new offices. Ask God to bring strength and joy to the many exhausted workers, especially the IT team, who have been involved in making the move happen. Pray that the whole office will be united in praising God for new offices and new opportunities.

1

■ Tue 5 Seimat During the translation project, Theresa and her colleague Beata Wozna worked with school teachers to write the first story books and literacy materials in Seimat. Pray for all Seimat school teachers, administrators and pupils, that attendance will improve, school libraries can be developed and solar lighting will be provided to help teachers prepare better and pupils to study more.

■ Wed 6 Seimat Pray for Theresa Wilson, who is working with a team of fellow literacy consultants to complete a new teachers’ manual and resources for to help school students bridge the gap between their

Pray with others for the Seimat community, the use of the New Testament and for Theresa and Beata using Call to Prayer 1- 8 November.

David Gilchrist before the Seimat launch

I looked for someone among them who would stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land... Ezekiel 22:30

Photo: Elyse Patten

Standing in the Gap is a new weekly update to let you know what

and who needs prayer now. Find updates on the blog, on twitter or by email.

Sign up at wycliffe.org.uk/subscriptions. wycliffe.org.uk/standinginthegap | @wycliffeuk_pray

Remember to join us for the Wycliffe prayer day – Frontline Prayer – on November 9th at one of the six venues. wycliffe.org.uk/frontlineprayer

What you didn’t know Bible translation and Wycliffe

6,877 languages are spoken around the world today. The complete Bible has been translated into 518 languages, spoken by 7 out of 10 people in the world.

But 1,967 languages have none of the Bible and no work started.

Since Wycliffe began, workers have been involved in

830

finished New Testaments.

‘All these years I thought it was only the past or who could understand what God was saying. But now I’m reading it, and I can understand what God is saying to me.’

A woman speaking the Moba language of Togo

One third of the languages Wycliffe is involved with have fewer than 10,000 speakers

One third have between 10,000 and 100,000 speakers

Wycliffe is involved in

1,537

language projects

One third have more than 100,000 speakers

6,001,500,000

Bibles have been printed in the world: that’s enough to fill St Paul’s Cathedral 31 times.

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about Bible translation 6,877 ‘In the past we’ve had the English Bible.We’ve been able to hear God speaking to us, but it was as if he was a long way away. But now, it’s as if God is right next to us.’

A pastor speaking an East African language

Total languages worldwide

518

Languages with all the Bible

2,280

Languages with some of the Bible

4,089 Sign languages in the world:

more than 200

Complete Bibles in sign languages: 0

40%

Languages with none of the Bible, of which 1,967 don’t even have a project started and need one

of the world’s languages are currently catalogued as endangered. Languages that are lost or endangered are often connected to oppressed communities.

Transformational development

Many of the communities Wycliffe works with are in the minority even in their own countries, not only marginalised because of the language they speak but by many other factors. In many parts of the world, being part of a minority community can mean less access to education and healthcare, as well as to the Bible.

LEAD (Language, Education and Development) Asia is part of SIL, one of Wycliffe’s key partners, and works with other organisations to help address some of these issues. Matt Wisbey, a Wycliffe member working with LEAD Asia, spoke to Words for Life about what that looks like and why it’s important.

What do you do?

who work with minority communities can feel isolated a lot of the time – like they are on their own trying to find solutions – so it’s key to get people together.

I am working with LEAD Asia, focusing on the connections between language, education and development within minority communities in Asia. In particular we help Wycliffe teams and Why do you think Bible translation is other organisations share their knowledge important for minority communities? and experiences of these complex issues and, ultimately, see a greater impact through their work. Wycliffe’s work is often with the most One of the key things I’m involved in is facilitating marginalised and excluded people groups, the events that bring these organisations together. whichever way you choose to measure it (level of income, life expectancy, access to healthcare It’s great to see people sharing skills and best practice, but events like this are also important to or education). The fact that there are still encourage people in what they are doing. Those communities around the world that are excluded

Photos: Ari Vitikainen

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from basic human rights just because of where they are born is wrong. We’ve all been made in God’s image and therefore we are all of equal value to him.

We need to recognise these challenges and work alongside communities to address them. Ultimately, however, I believe that real development must be built on a foundation of right relationships: with God, ourselves, our community and the wider world. Those right relationships are not possible without knowing God and that comes, so often, through his word.

Although there isn’t Bible translation going on in all the contexts of the organisations I work with, God’s restoration is still needed. There needs to be transformation, personally and as a community. There are challenges around health

and education. People feel trapped. They need God’s power and peace. People have their land taken away from them. They need God’s love: to love their enemies, their neighbours, the people who are changing their communities and land.

They need to see God’s hope, the hope for their lives and their future.

At a LEAD event

ccess to education, ay for the appointment

l be celebrating as story in their oday! A Nyiha d what a difference Bible is about things h. When I read about nds like it’s in heaven. not just stories.’

-thirds of the world’s on. Pray that their work ontinue to share the word. esbyhearing.com)

30 In June, two New nts were launched eously in Mexico. The onimo Mazatec and xochitlan Mazatec nities had celebrations in their at the same time as a larger, festival for Mazatec languages. the communities and the es, that the passion for the estament will stay alive.

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ubscriptions

5 7023 46. registered in Scotland No SC 039140.

What challenges do minority communities face?

Part of the issue is often self-esteem: for generations, people in excluded minority communities have been told, explicitly and implicitly, that they are less important than the others around them. ‘Your language isn’t “official” enough to be used in schools or at the market.’ ‘Your culture is backward.’ It is hard to shake off those labels, so a lot of minority people live with a negative selfperception, a negative perception of their home community and a negative perception of the future. As a result, when they go to a regional town or mix with another people group, they might try not to associate with their own community; they might dress differently or try not to use their language because of the attitudes associated with them.

But this doesn’t need to be the case.

One area of work that LEAD are keen to explore further is how to carry out development work with a minority community [like education or raising awareness of their rights] by building on the foundation of the community’s identity, rather than sweeping it out of the way and bringing in external solutions. Ultimately the community needs to understand who they are, who they want to be and where they want to go. If a development organisation believes something is good for a community but it does not take into consideration the community’s identity and values, whether they act or not, the impact in the end will be limited. Instead, communities need the opportunity and space to discover who they really are and what their future could look like – only then can true transformation really occur.

Call to

Prayer

November – December 2013

Matt and his wife Liz joined Wycliffe in 2007.

Their first role was as part of a team doing literacy work with minority communities in Tanzania. Since 2010, they have been based in the UK, where Liz looks after their son Levi and Matt serves remotely with LEAD Asia.

Please pray: • F or LEAD Asia’s next event this November • F or Matt and Liz’s financial supporter team to grow

• F or health and strength for Liz • F or Matt in the challenging situation of working remotely In order to keep doing this work, Matt and Liz need financial and prayer support.Visit wycliffe. org.uk/mlwisbey or call us to find out more about joining their team.

use.

The words of God have power and twoIt exceeds the work of a very sharp the sided knife which can cut deep into and body of animals and split even joints bones. In the same way words of God enter very deep into our minds to show reveal our wants and our ways.

Hebrews 4:12 in Seimat, Papua New Guinea

‘now in our own language!’

‘Kakai Haeu i tahiawen!

Se ape ti puki kakaiakako wanen!’ read a banner at the launch of the New Testament in Seimat in Papua New Guinea earlier this year: ‘God’s word has arrived! It’s now in our own language!’

■ Fri 1 Nov Seimat Translator Theresa Wilson (UK) says: ‘Praise God for his grace and for providing everything and everyone in the team that led to the completion, publication and launch of the Seimat New Testament. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work deeply in the hearts and minds of the Seimat people, revealing to them the love of God the Father, Son and Spirit.’

■ Sat 2 Seimat Ask God to speak to the Seimat church leaders afresh as they read his word and preach each week. Pray that God will teach them more of what it means to be shepherds of his flock. Some people are also writing new songs based on the Seimat Scriptures to use for praise in church.

Storytelling in Seimat (5 November)

■ Sun 3 Seimat Pray for the newly elected Seimat community leaders in the islands and the provincial town of Lorengau (370km east, across the sea), for wisdom to discern what is best for the people, courage to speak the truth, discipline, inspiration and diligence.

■ Mon 4 One off Wycliffe in the UK has moved! Please pray for us during our first day in the new offices. Ask God to bring strength and joy to the many exhausted workers, especially the IT team, who have been involved in making the move happen. Pray that the whole office will be united in praising God for new offices and new opportunities.

1

■ Tue 5 Seimat During the translation project, Theresa and her colleague Beata Wozna worked with school teachers to write the first story books and literacy materials in Seimat. Pray for all Seimat school teachers, administrators and pupils, that attendance will improve, school libraries can be developed and solar lighting will be provided to help teachers prepare better and pupils to study more.

■ Wed 6 Seimat Pray for Theresa Wilson, who is working with a team of fellow literacy consultants to complete a new teachers’ manual and resources for to help school students bridge the gap between their

Find more information about praying for LEAD Asia in Call to Prayer, 10 – 16 November.

Lessons and learning in Tanzania

Muddled Mission says: I really want to share my passion for Jesus with the world, but can I really make a difference? What’s the best thing for me to be involved in? Do I need to move abroad?

I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start!

Wycliffe says: We have just the thing for you: the First Steps event is planned to help you take your first steps into mission. It’s a fun, interactive, free day and there are events running all over the country.

We want to see more people like you stuck into mission. Come to First Steps to see how your journey into mission begins.Visit wycliffe.org.uk/firststeps to find out more.

This winter: events in Stockport, Linlithgow, Gloucester, Bromley, Coventry and Belfast.

If you think people in your church might be interested in First Steps, get in touch and we’ll send you a poster to display with details of your nearest event. Contact details on page 3.

wycliffe.org.uk/firststeps

The dilemma of Luke 9:48 A day in the life Michael and Mahdi are Kenyan translators who have been working on translating the very first books of the Bible into the Weera language. It is a difficult project. The Weera communities are quite closed to outsiders and to the gospel. The land is hot and the translation office is a lorry container with windows and a door added into the sides.

Travel to Weera villages is arduous – impossible

during the rainy season – and on occasion the team have needed bodyguards.

The translation holds problems too. Michael and Mahdi are doing a thorough check of their draft of Luke. It involves careful scrutiny of every aspect: every spelling, every verb for tenses and agreement, all the word orders, all the idioms.

It’s throwing up all sorts of difficulties. This, says Michael, is just one of many:

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Translators, we have a problem ‘One day, as we were checking Luke 9:48, we hit a big problem. In English the verse says: Then he said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.’ (NLT)

The least among you In the Weera community, women and girls are regarded as lowly. Women are usually counted with the children and have almost no rights or say in family matters. Wife beating is very common.

This is what we have written in Weera: Wanafundidhi kiyer, ‘Halibe maangꞌe wîîlchi tan / kan sidhe kaꞌadhe, an i’aadh.

Hali an iꞌaadhe hali itesidhe aadh.

Halichi lokodahadhini halusu awinye komomo kohorea.’

Little boys have more ‘value’ than little girls. It is common for part of a dowry to be paid when a girl-child is between seven and ten as a ‘booking fee’ for marriage, and girls are given for marriage by their parents as young as 13.

The English translations say ‘child’, which could be either a boy or a girl. The Kiswahili translation [the national language in Kenya] uses the term ‘mtoto huyu’, which also doesn’t specify gender.

What would Jesus do?

If we translate Jesus’ word as ‘kan’ (boy-child), we might aid the prejudice against women and girls. The men and boys would feel proud, but the women and girls would feel that Jesus, just like their men, doesn’t regard them highly.

Not so in Weera! In Weera, the only time we don’t specify gender is if a child is still in the mother’s womb. As soon as a child is born, you have to use a word that says ‘boy’ or ‘girl’.

If it is a boy-child and you want to say ‘child’, you say ‘wîîlchi kan’. And if it is a girl-child, you would say ‘wîîlchi tan’. As we translate the passage, we have to pick one or the other.

If we used ‘tan’ (girl-child), the men might feel challenged to reconsider their stand on the value of women and girls. If the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords regarded a girl-child so highly, who are they to look down on women?

But which child did Jesus bring to his side? Was it ‘kan’ or ‘tan’?

work on the islands

■ Sat 14 Aaron and Joanna Choate and their children returned to the Solomon Islands after more than a year in the US, as Aaron finished his MA. Pray for the family and their adjustments to working with the Lavukaleve translation team again. The team is forging ahead, after several years when translation lay dormant before the Choates first arrived.

Mark Ewell

enemies on all sides ■ Sun 8 On Palm Sunday, a coup d’état took place ■ Wed 11 The Ngbugu in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Wycliffe translation team has staff who are not citizens have had to leave the suffered huge health country, local staff have been put under great problems over the years: pressure and the population is suffering.

The two team members have new government is Muslim. Already many Christians died, another is paralysed, are facing persecution. and now the team leader, ■ Mon 9 Aid agencies like UNICEF, Simon Bangonale, has been World Food Programme and Médecins Sans Frontières ill for months with no are ■ working in the country but the day-to-day health care available. situation has gone from bad to worse: ■ Thu 12 A new version of the complete • More than 200,000 people are displaced Bible was launched in June in the Sango language, • Over 60,000 have fled the country the official language of the CAR. But shortly • Health care is in tatters with children before the especially launch the storehouses were looted vulnerable to malnutrition and malaria and many Bibles lost. Later a number of stolen copies turned Aid is hampered by lawlessness. Food up for sale at the market. Pray for Bible supplies are Societies as precarious. Many people cannot access they raise money to replace equipment their fields lost in the due to the risk of violence. Pray for the work of aid looting and do another print run of the Bibles. organisations in CAR. ■ Fri 13 In the last few years Luke has been ■ Tue 10 Elvis Guenekean from the Wycliffe translated and used to dub The JESUS Film in eight organisation in CAR, ACATBA, says, ‘The big CAR languages. Many people came to faith in need is for translation consultants to deal Jesus at the showings in the Gbaya area.

Specialist with the backlog of translated drafts, linguistics Neil Zubot has been able to load the film and consultants to help translation teams with technical the audio New Testament onto people’s phone linguistics issues, and finance for three translations memory cards. Neil was one of those who had which were scheduled to be completed in 2015 and to leave CAR but God’s word remains and can be for eight others where work is under way.’ heard thanks to modern technology.

This was the choice we faced that day. Which one would you choose?’

Weera and Mahdi are pseudonyms we have used to keep the team safe.

■ Sun 15 Joanna, as well as having a full-time job homeschooling their children, also helps women in some of the local villages to record and produce Bible stories in their language. Pray for the impact of these stories, that there will be gathering enthusiasm among the translators, the translation committee and the community to hear God’s word soon.

children are going through as they adjust back.

■ Tue 17 Praise the Lord: the literacy classes in the Santa Ana language have been started independently of the Wycliffe workers this year, as the community took up the project. Continue to pray for Karen and Caroline, who have been coordinating this literacy work, especially as they continue to travel back to assess the classes and train teachers.

■ Mon 16 Another couple recently back are Paul and Cathy Unger, who have been working ■ Wed 18 Literacy teachers with the Lengo people since from more than one language 2001. Pray for continued vigour group have been learning a for the translation team as they Bible-based literacy programme work on parts of the Old and and some teachers have started New Testaments, and for all the using the ‘Know your Bible’ adjustments Paul, Cathy and their studies with more advanced

reading students. But all these classes have faced intense spiritual opposition. Pray for a breakthrough, and that further classes would be able to go ahead.

■ Thu 19 Both the Malango and the Dughore translation awareness courses* started disappointingly, with few students. But God answered

prayers and on subsequent days more participants arrived and there was a lot of interest about forming translation committees.

Both projects have now formed committees and taken the first steps in their translation. *A translation awareness course is the first step among people in the community towards building a translation team and committee.

growing light for Burkinabé paths Fri 20 Since the early 1990s, churches in Burkina Faso have been rapidly expanding – amazing in this Muslim stronghold.

Unfortunately, churches have struggled to keep up with the growth, and often churches have problems serving the congregations, because training and resources aren’t available to leaders. In some cases, it’s led people to turn back to their previous beliefs. Pray for provision for the Burkinabé church.

A Bissa Barka woman’

■ Mon 23 One church leader the Barka team visited said, ‘This translation will allow the Bissa brothers to have a biblical knowledge and a deep knowledge of the personality of God. All my encouragement!’ Pray for other leaders the team meets and that God would bring this to fruit in this New Testament translation.

■ Tue 24 Next year the team wants to start literacy work among the community.

It will help Bissa Barka speakers to read the translated bits of the Bible as they become available, but will

also give them more equal access to education, medical help and jobs. Pray for the appointment of the literacy worker.

■ Wed 25 Many people will be celebrating Christmas with the Christmas story in their language for the first time today! A Nyiha speaker (Tanzania) explained what a difference it makes: ‘I realised that the Bible is about things that happened here on earth. When I read about Bethlehem in Swahili it sounds like it’s in heaven.

When I read in Nyiha, it’s not just stories.’

second language. Pray that this than two-thirds of the world’s translation would reach people population. Pray that their work in Chad who have never heard would continue to share the word. before. Forty thousand New (faithcomesbyhearing.com) Testaments have been printed, in both Roman and Arabic script. ■ Mon 30 In June, two New Testaments were launched ■ Sat 28 Wycliffe has been simultaneously in Mexico. The working on ideas to get more San Jeronimo Mazatec and people in the UK praying. One the Eloxochitlan Mazatec new step is the weekly Standing communities had celebrations in their in the Gap prayer blog, which villages, at the same time as a larger, allows us to share urgent and up- secular festival for Mazatec languages. to-the-minute prayer requests Pray for the communities and the online and by email. Pray for Jo churches, that the passion for the Johnson, who coordinates it, New Testament will stay alive. and ask God to raise up more ■ Tue 31 As a New Year starts, pray-ers through this resource. (wycliffe.org.uk/standinginthegap) more people have access to the Bible than ever before. There are ■ Sun 29 Wycliffe partner Faith more people reading God’s word, ■ Fri 27 The Prime Minister of Comes By Hearing reached a more people listening, more people Chad was one of the celebrators milestone: in March, they passed watching Scripture films in their own at the launch of the Chadian the 700th New Testament language than ever in the history of Arabic New Testament this year. produced in audio format. They the world. And yet more than 200 Many people in Chad speak now have New Testaments million people will remain without any Chadian Arabic as their first or available in the languages of more verse of God’s life-changing word.

You can also sign up to receive Call to Prayer as a daily email: wycliffe.org.uk/subscriptions Wycliffe Bible Translators, Horsleys Green High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3XL (01494) 682268 e-mail: askus@wycliffe.org www.wycliffe.org.uk

a year in the life

A lot can change in a year.

Celebrate these new things from 2013.

■ Thu 26 Ian and Sarah Hodgson are among the newest Wycliffe workers. Praise God for the passion he has planted in their hearts for the Bibleless people around the world. They are currently doing courses at Wycliffe’s training programme at Redcliffe College. Please pray for provision for them and their children as they study and explore where they can serve in the future.

In Call to Prayer, you’ll find prayer items for the Weera team between 17 and 23 November.

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■ Sat 21 Burkina Faso is very poor.

47% of people there live below the poverty line.

Pray for believers in poverty, that they will face their situations with biblical hope.

Pray that the churches would be able to serve those most in need.

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■ Sun 22 The team working on the Bissa Barka New Testament in Burkina Faso is still in the early stages of getting the Bible translated.

They’ve been developing a writing system for the language for the first time – it’s difficult deciding how to spell words that have never been spelt before – and the translators have been receiving training.

They’ve just started Mark, their first book, and have drafted up to chapter 16. Pray for their progress.

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Charity registered in England and Wales No 251233. Charity registered in Scotland No SC 039140.

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Call to

Prayer

November – December 2013

The words of God have power and use.

It exceeds the work of a very sharp twosided knife which can cut deep into the body of animals and split even joints and bones. In the same way words of God enter very deep into our minds to show reveal our wants and our ways.

Hebrews 4:12 in Seimat, Papua New Guinea

‘now in our own language!’

‘Kakai Haeu i tahiawen!

Se ape ti puki kakaiakako wanen!’ read a banner at the launch of the New Testament in Seimat in Papua New Guinea earlier this year: ‘God’s word has arrived! It’s now in our own language!’

■ Fri 1 Nov Seimat Translator Theresa Wilson (UK) says: ‘Praise God for his grace and for providing everything and everyone in the team that led to the completion, publication and launch of the Seimat New Testament. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work deeply in the hearts and minds of the Seimat people, revealing to them the love of God the Father, Son and Spirit.’

■ Sat 2 Seimat Ask God to speak to the Seimat church leaders afresh as they read his word and preach each week. Pray that God will teach them more of what it means to be shepherds of his flock. Some people are also writing new songs based on the Seimat Scriptures to use for praise in church.

Storytelling in Seimat (5 November)

■ Sun 3 Seimat Pray for the ■ Tue 5 Seimat During the newly elected Seimat community translation project, Theresa and leaders in the islands and the her colleague Beata Wozna provincial town of Lorengau worked with school teachers (370km east, across the sea), for to write the first story books wisdom to discern what is best and literacy materials in for the people, courage to speak Seimat.

Pray for all Seimat the truth, discipline, inspiration school teachers, administrators and diligence. and pupils, that attendance will improve, school libraries can be ■ Mon 4 One off Wycliffe in developed and solar lighting will the UK has moved! Please pray be provided to help teachers for us during our first day in prepare better and pupils to the new offices. Ask God study more. to bring strength and joy to the many exhausted workers, ■ Wed 6 Seimat Pray for especially the IT team, who Theresa Wilson, who is working have been involved in making with a team of fellow literacy the move happen. Pray that consultants to complete a new the whole office will be united teachers’ manual and resources in praising God for new offices for to help school students and new opportunities. bridge the gap between their 1

Our latest news

Change of address The Wycliffe administration offices are settling into new premises. The Clare Charity Centre is a great place to be based, but please keep praying for us as we adjust to the move.

Our telephone number stays the same (0300 303 1111) but we’ve got a new address (on page 3).

Please keep in touch!

I’m so hungry I could eat a

Photo: Zeke du Plesis

For a number of years, Hook Evangelical Church has been closely connected with work in Chad through Wycliffe’s InFocus programme. They’ve been supporting a team by prayer and finance, and even visiting to encourage them in the work.

The children get involved too; in 2005, the Sunday school raised the money for a much-needed donkey to help with transport and drawing water from the well.

When they heard earlier this year that the donkey had met a sticky end (eaten by a hyena!) the Sunday school were devastated. But these are children with a mission: with the help of some kind cooks and donkey-shaped biscuits, the

What you said We loved getting your comments about Words for Life and our other publications in response to our survey. It was great to hear that Words for Life interests, excites, encourages and prompts prayer.

“The sooner everyone has Scripture in their own language, the happier I’ll be!”

“I find it exciting to see more and more people having the Bible in their mother tongue.”

“It fills me with hope for the spread of the gospel.”

“I enjoy seeing how an old organisation is cutting edge at bringing God’s word to all people groups.”

You’ll start to see changes from the beginning of next year. Keep letting us know what you think: the survey may be closed but our ears are open.

donkey biscuit!

Sunday school raised enough money for a new donkey! They’ve named him and, in February, a group from the church will be heading out to meet Donkey Joshua (and to encourage the team).

If your church would like to link up with a Wycliffe project, get in touch with InFocus using the details on page 3.

Children on a mission ‘Lord,’ a little boy prayed, ‘if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.’

Don’t you love the honesty of children? the way they express themselves? the awe they have when they discover new things? In our churches, we need to make the most of these beautiful gifts children have. We can share the mission of Bible translation with them. For children, weird scripts, different cultures, singing, dancing and new ways of life are fascinating!

If you want to share mission with children, but aren’t sure where to start, visit wycliffe.org.uk/ children or contact Gerdy Oldham (with the contact details on page 3).

WordsforLife Your support in the past year has helped us to: 300 UK members around the world n Help fund 63 language projects in 13 countries for over 16 million speakers n Fund the completion of 17 language projects n Train and send 7 new workers from n Support over

the UK to join language programmes n Fund the translation of the JESUS Film into 13 new languages

Thank you!

A single gift of £10 could translate a single verse and change someone’s life forever.

Give online at wycliffe.org.uk/makeadifferencenow

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