Sometimes we talk about Bible translation so much that it becomes nothing more than a story or a concept. We forget the challenges inherent in the Bible translation process and how the Bible in the mother tongue has the ability to change lives.

So, here’s the challenge… Stop for a moment and consider how difficult it would be teach national co-translators living in fairly remote locations around the globe Bible translation principles. Or think through the process of how to teach people who are one generation or two removed from the stone age to use the computer to translate the Bible. And what about the challenges of having the translation checked by translation consultants living thousands of miles away when electricity and the Internet is scarce or non-existent? Below National translators from remote regions of Papua New Guinea learn to use a computer and satellite modem to do translation and interact with consultants in real-time around the globe. Having never touched a computer before, they learned to use the simple programs and connect to the internet via satellite in less than 2 weeks, practicing just over an hour a day.

And just for fun watch the faces of the people when they connect their computer to the sat phone and upload their data to someone half way across the world!

Technology is changing the face of Bible translation and it is the work I (Ken), and you, our team, are currently involved in. We thank God for the privilege!