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May 18th, 2012 - by Elyse
400 people, 80 nations, 1 vision. Last week leaders from all the partners of the Wycliffe Global Alliance met together in Asia for a week of sharing the joys, challenges, plans and hopes of the ministry of Bible translation in their nation. Here Fajak Avajani, leader of the Episcopal Church of Sudan Translation Department holds his Tira New Testament while listening to the morning session on missiology. During the closing reflection time for the conference Fajak shared with the whole group, “I came to this conference with a bleeding heart. And I am leaving this conference with a bleeding heart, because my country is bleeding.” The facilitator called for a time of prayer for Sudan, and many colleagues gathered around in support. Our world is big, and many of its peoples are hurting. The vision to see every language community with access to the Good News is big, and not without difficulties. But if God is for us, who can be against us? We are in this together.
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Sudan.
Read more about how prayer played a vital role for Fajak and the Tira New Testament project.
Photo & Words: Elyse Patten
Wycliffe partners can access this high-res image on Skip
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May 7th, 2012 - by Elyse
Cheeky, intelligent and fluent in two languages, Finau entertains me during the morning tea break of a four day Bible storytelling workshop in the Kingdom of Tonga. Despite the fact the workshops are usually run for adults, thirteen year old Finau from the small island of ‘Eua, begged to be able to attend saying, “At school they tell bad stories, but I want to learn to tell good stories.” Finau memorized, crafted and confidently told the story of the prodigal son, and with two dozen other participants learnt the skills and confidence to share Bible stories with his friends. Bible storytelling is making waves all over the world, especially in places where people have always told stories to instruct, educate and entertain. To learn more about this ministry take a look at the wycliffe.net page on orality.
Photo & Text: Elyse Patten
April 26th, 2012 - by Elyse
In a remote village church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pastor Gaspard is updating the congregation on the progress of the translation of the Bible into their language – Mono. His dark suit contrasting with the beautifully hand made thatched roof of the church. Many years ago the Mono language community selected Pastor Gaspard, and his wife Marie, to study theology, linguistics and translation principles to bring God’s word into their language. The community took action after foreign translators, who did some helpful linguistic analysis, were forced to leave the project because of the outbreak of war in the area. In fact no foreigners from Wycliffe had visited this village, Bili, for over a decade, and when a journalistic team took the long and treacherous journey there last month, they were greeted with an overwhelming welcome. Take a look at the photographer’s blog for more on her journey to Bili, and the Mono Bible translation project.
Photo: Heather Pubols
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April 14th, 2012 - by Elyse
Meet Pastor Peter, his wife Ansi and their youngest son Nehri. When this photo was taken a couple years ago Peter had recently moved his family to his home village on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. After many years of Bible training, teaching and serving as the pastor of a remote village church, Peter moved home to begin translating the New Testament into his own mother tongue – a language known as Whitesands. Over last Easter weekend Peter travelled to the capital to meet with Whitesands speakers who live in town. He hosted 9 Bible studies between Thursday night and Easter Sunday morning which were attended by at least 70 people – men, women and children; pastors from 3 different churches; and high school and uni students. Peter writes, “They were surprised to hear me read our language so well, and totally amazed that they could do a Bible study in their language. It became obvious to them that though they’d studied the Bible in English and Bislama in the past, studying in their own language was an entirely different matter. They were saying it’s like they were hearing it for the very first time!” Please pray for Pastor Peter as he continues to translate the Scriptures. Like the Pacific Bible facebook page to read Peter’s full report and get regular updates about Bible translation in the Pacific.
Photo and Text: Elyse Patten
March 28th, 2012 - by Elyse
In the far north of the nation of Laos, not far from the Chinese border, lies the province of Phongsali. A melting pot of ethnic diversity high in the mountains, many indigenous communities here live as they have for hundreds of years. Turning cotton into thread, washing clothes in the river, wearing beautiful traditional costumes each day and, of course, speaking their own unique languages. With over 82 living languages in Laos only 25 of them have some form of Scripture available. Dozens of minority language communities need a Bible translation, please pray for the people’s of Laos.
Photo: Ari Vitikainen
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March 21st, 2012 - by Elyse
Ready for a day’s work at sea, a small fleet of boats hug the shoreline of a fishing village in the district of Kilifi, Kenya. Edwyn Kiptinness, a staff member with Wycliffe Africa in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, tells a story of when he broke his leg and was forced to spend nearly a year in hospital. With nothing to do Edwyn read the entire Bible in a language related to his mother tongue. He became a believer, even though he had trouble understanding many of the foreign words in the translation. When a Bible translation project began in his own language many years later, Edwyn determined to support it however he could. He reflects, “God knew very well what He was doing. His plans are higher than ours, and His wisdom is higher than ours. I am indeed blessed by a broken leg. Thank the Lord with me and my people.” Read the full story on wycliffe.net.
Photo: UN Photo/Milton Grant
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March 15th, 2012 - by Elyse
Meet Eunice Kua, a Malaysian Chinese literacy specialist working in eastern Chad with the displaced Massalit people from Darfur, Sudan. Talk about cross-cultural ministry! Eunice says that her Malaysian-Chinese upbringing was exceptional preparation for her unique role here in Africa – just a glimpse of God’s great mission. Her team is producing books in the Massalit language and training literacy teachers, with an enthusiastic reception from the refugees. Eunice says, “When we invited 20 people for a work session, 40 would show up!” Read the full story on wycliffe.net.
Photo: Zeke du Plessis
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March 7th, 2012 - by Elyse
Sheltered from the heat of the day in a tent-house, a mother and her young child entertain visitors in Mali, West Africa. Although Islam is the majority religion in Mali, the secular government is welcoming to Christian NGOs and the need for Bible translation is being increasingly supported by Malian churches. There are currently two Bible translation projects nearing completion – Dogon with approx 600,000 speakers and Songhay, Koyrabora Senni with 430, 000 speakers. Please pray that these communities eagerly accept the Good News!
A number of other translation projects are underway, yet still 35 living languages in Mali have no Scripture available. Mali is currently experiencing a food shortage after no rainy season in 2011 resulted in a very small harvest. Click here to view prayer requests from Mali.
Photo: UN Photo/John Isaac
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February 29th, 2012 - by Elyse
Their vegetables have been sold at the market and these young women from the Krung ethnic group of north-eastern Cambodia have a long walk home to their villages. 20,000 Krung speakers, who have absolutely no Scripture available in their language, live in the Cambodian provinces that border with Laos. The vast majority of Krung people maintain their traditional ethnic religion with less than 1% that are known to be Christian. These women are representative of one of the most unreached peoples on earth. Please pray for the Krung people of Cambodia.
Photo: Ari Vitikainen
February 22nd, 2012 - by Elyse
Laughter and exuberant applause erupts from the congregation at a Sunday morning service in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The pastor, who normally preaches in Swahili, has just told a Bible story in their heart language – Nyanga. The importance of mother tongue communication is unmistakeable. Please pray for the work of the church in DRC.
Photo: Alan Hood
© Wycliffe Canada 2011
February 13th, 2012 - by Elyse
These brightly dressed young school students are at a celebration for their bi-lingual school in Southeast Asia. They’ve been given the opportunity to learn to read and write in their mother tongue and are doing much better with their schoolwork than students who are taught in an unfamiliar language. That is a reason to smile. Wycliffe photographer Marc Ewell writes: I try to see these kids like Jesus sees them - full of life and a bright future ahead. They remind me of innocence and help me to remember why I’m here. I want them to know Jesus, it’s just that simple.
Photo: Marc Ewell
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February 6th, 2012 - by Elyse
The steep hillsides of the Nepalese valleys are no deterrent for the hungry farmer. Thousands of narrow terraces line the fertile hills of Nepal, right up into the dizzying heights of cloud and mist. Culturally and linguistically rich, Nepal has 124 living languages – 80 of them without any Scripture available. For the last ten years, the National Nepali Language Preservation Institute (NNLPI) has been actively engaged in research and cultivation of Nepali languages. In May of 2009, NNLPI celebrated the completion of its first two New Testaments. A number of other translation and literacy projects are underway. Please pray for the church in Nepal.
Photo: Ari Vitikainen
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