Category Archives: Bible Translation
What is MAST?
What is MAST?
Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation is an innovative method of Bible Translation. Motivated by the local church, translators, pastors and lay people gather together and can draft large portions of Scripture in a short amount of time. Watch the short video above and it will explain the process in a clear way. God’s Word in the mother tongue brings joy to the heart to those that have received it. Unfortunately, many still lack God’s Word in their mother tongue and have been waiting for too long. This Bible translation method is generating excitement and joy and hopes to reduce and even eliminate that wait!
Ken departs next Tuesday to help support another workshop teaching this method. He’ll be in Papua New Guinea for several weeks working with a large group of people. They will be translating 51 Bible Stories into Tok Pidgin so that they can be uploaded to an open web site. This site will make the Truth of God’s Word available in a new way to a larger audience.
Thank you for being a part of this wonderful process.
****As of today, two colleagues that are supposed to accompany Ken on this trip still have not received their visas! We need a miracle to get them there! Please pray for Ken July 28-August 18.
Extreme Bible Translation!
Wycliffe Associates Supporting Underground Bible Translators Targeted by Extremists in the Middle East and Central Asia
(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, through their Scriptures for New Frontiers initiative, is supporting local Bible translators living in the Middle East and Central Asia, where there is a widespread, deadly presence of extremists.
Over the past year, 11 of the 28 Bible translators living and working in this region have been reported dead or missing.
“While we mourn those who were lost, we are committed to continue their work, supporting national translation teams in this part of the world,” says Bruce Smith, President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates.
In this region, nearly 1,000 languages—representing 280 million people—are without the Scriptures. Bible translators need technology, training, and resources to translate the Bible as quickly and effectively as possible.
Extremist groups are free to operate and are systematically wiping out Christian minorities. Some Christians have been abducted and interrogated in an attempt to force them to renounce their faith, while others have been beaten, jailed, and put to death.
“Given the realities of the world in which these translators live and serve, some people might think the best thing they could do right now is to go into hiding and lay low for a while,” says Smith. “But that isn’t their plan at all.”
Translations of the books of Genesis, Luke, and Acts have already been completed by some and are ready for production and distribution.
The Scriptures for New Frontiers initiative provides open-source Bible translation technology, training to support national-led translation efforts, digital Scripture distribution, and resources to empower local underground translators.
“The church is growing rapidly in these countries through the sharing of God’s Word,” says Smith, “even through means such as God revealing himself to non-Christians in dreams.”
Smith says these Bible translators want the Scriptures to be distributed by every possible means, and they “want an audacious number of printed copies, which reflect their conviction that everyone who speaks their language needs to have God’s Word.”
Wycliffe Associates is currently raising $300,000 to equip these local translators with the technology and training they need to work more safely.
Of the 6,901 languages spoken worldwide, only 531 have a full translation of the Bible. A Bible translation is currently in progress for 2,195 languages, and 1,023 languages in the world have at least one book of the Bible. Wycliffe Associates is striving to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word into every remaining language by 2025.
About Wycliffe Associates
Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.
Because millions of people around the world still wait to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Last year, 2,544 Wycliffe Associates team members worked to speed Bible translations in 73 countries.
***This post was copied in its entirety with permission from wycliffeassociates.org.
http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/news/pressdetail.asp?id=637
The Most Precious Tea
What is it?
“It’s tea,” my husband explained. “Open it.”
The unassuming plastic bag encased layers of tissue paper. “Tea? Where did you get it? What’s the story?” I asked.
Ken had just returned from a country in Asia. After spending several weeks working with eight different communities, translating portions of Scripture into their mother tongue, it was time for closing ceremonies. Each of the western participants were handed a plastic bag of dried tea leaves.
When children are born in this country, the parents go out and pick tea in honor of this child. It is dried and kept until they get married. At that time they give it to their adult child. It is a very special ceremony with lots of meaning to it. The bag of tea that Ken received was decades old! It was a very rare and special gift to receive this aged tea.
Decades old tea leaves
I carefully opened the bag. Pulling back the tissue paper, I expected to see large, black dried tea leaves. Instead, I found teeny, tiny light-colored leaves connected to tips of long stems.
We get our first glimpse
We crumbled the tiny leaves into a tea filter while we boiled the water. I took out a family tea-pot and we pour the hot water over the filter. We waited impatiently with our visiting guests and watched as the water slowly changed colors.
The tea was green! This was green tea! I wondered if I’d even like it since green tea is rather an acquired taste. After an appropriate brewing time, we poured out the first cup of tea.
Yummy green tea!
Each of us breathed in the aroma. It was a beautiful aroma that matched the color. Our guest took the first sip and her eyes lit up. She deemed it “delicious”! I poured a few more cups and we all took a taste. It WAS delicious! The tea had a full-bodied, velvety taste on my tongue. It needed little to no sugar and was tasty just on its own. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it before.
What a joy to receive such a special gift! For the giver, it was necessary to give a gift proportionate to the gift of getting God’s words into their Mother Tongue! Thank you for your part in allowing us to serve these wonderful people.
Print On Demand
The Bible Translation task has so many components to it! From finding people to do the work, training people in translation principles, teaching people to read in their own language, and checking there are so many areas where there can be a “wall” which keeps people from receiving God’s words in their own language.
David Lin and his Nigerian Team
Ken works on a tech team that covers a multitude of technology solutions aiding and facilitating Bible Translation. One of the newest areas of work is called “Print on Demand.” When Bible translation teams finish a book of the Bible, they are quite anxious to get the text into the hands of local pastors and the congregations for both reading and checking. In contrast to waiting until the entire Bible is translated and printed, there is a greater degree of buy-in ultimately increasing the possibility of Scripture acceptance because the church is engaged early in the process.
Print on demand (POD) room
Although the POD setup has one or two computers, printers, laminators, creasers, binders, 3-hole punches, and staplers, it still has a small footprint and easy to maintain. Printing portions of the Bible can be done on a copier with basic binding.
Print on Demand (POD) is now being deployed in a number of countries to aid in their printing process. This equipment allows translators to easily copy and bind a book up to 1.5 inches in depth. Not only are portions of the Bible getting to the local church faster, the equipment is also being used so that local translators can be self funded by printing for other groups.
The finished product!
David Lin, a Wycliffe Associates tech team member, recently deployed POD equipment in Nigeria. Ken traveled there many times, teaching Bible Translation software. 120 Bible translation projects are in process with more than 500 more to go! Nigeria is a large country with many languages and so it is one of the countries that we are focusing on.
As soon as the equipment was set up, they were handed a flash drive with some immediate copying needs:
3000 copies of the Minor Prophets in the Tarok language!
2000 copies of the book of Luke in the Etulo language!
250 copies of a full color 14 page booklet for a graduation ceremony held that afternoon!
Please pray for these gifted workers as they embark on this new endeavor.
Your prayers and gifts are enabling us to participate in giving God’s words to language groups all over the world.
Joy in the Word
When was the last time you couldn’t wait to get your hands on your Bible again? Or when was the last time you picked up God’s Word with real enthusiasm and eager anticipation?
On October 14 of last year, the Sokarek people of Papua New Guinea received God’s Word for the first time in history in their own language. How would you have responded if you were them? How did they respond?
May I encourage you to watch this short 3 minute video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYLiBnk1_M0) and give attention to how the Sokarek people receive their newly translated Bible. They march with pride into the village holding their New Testament up high. Some sit still, reading their new Bible with serious and purposeful intensity. I can’t help but wonder about my reaction to my approach to God’s Word each day. Watch and see. I believe, like me, your heart will be moved.
Ken
It’s Arrived!
Ken and I just returned from our second trip to Long Island, New York this month. What a glorious time we had with two supporting churches. Central Presbyterian Church, in Huntington, was Anne’s home church. We enjoyed getting to see friends from years ago, attend a birthday party and speak to an adult Sunday School Class. The long weekend culminated with us taking the train to the city to see the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Many people lost their lives from my home “neck of the wood”, specifically the son of a woman I always sat next to in choir. It was good to close out that time in our history.
Our second trip was to South Bay Bible Church in East Moriches. This was our second time to visit this church. From last year to this year, they have more than doubled in number which meant that we spoke twice on Sunday morning! This church has a group of people who meet daily (DAILY) at 7:00 am to pray for the church, its members and the community. I’m guessing this is a huge part of why they have grown. We felt so loved by both community of believers.
So…what has arrived?
During Ken’s portion of our update, he mentioned a new app for the Android phone. This app has 51 Bible Stories on it with wonderful accompanying media. It was created for bilingual translators. Here’s how it was recently introduced!
(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, a global organization that empowers national Bible translators around the world, has launched a new, free app that makes Bible stories accessible to smartphone users worldwide.
Called translationStudio, the Android operating system app is available for download on Google Play.
“God’s Word in every language took a giant step toward reality as our translationStudio app was released for free download in the Google Play store,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “This is just the beginning of developing a tool that puts Bible translation within the reach of Christians worldwide.”
Earlier this year, Wycliffe Associates tested the beta version of the app with translation teams working in some of the most difficult and dangerous regions of the world for Christians. Their feedback has been incorporated into the current release.
The translationStudio app features “Open Bible Stories,” a set of 50 fully illustrated Bible stories. “Open Bible Stories” has been released under Creative Commons’ Attribution Share-Alike licensing, which allows translation into any language, anywhere, at any time, and by anyone—without copyright limitations.
“Open Bible Stories” currently includes a collection of 21 Old Testament stories and 29 New Testament stories and provides a chronological overview of God’s relationship with humanity, from creation to redemption.
“In the coming months, we will have ‘Open Bible Stories’ loaded in at least 50 gateway languages, enabling people who are bilingual in any of these languages to begin translating these Bible stories into their own language,” says Smith. “Once local translators have completed the ‘Open Bible Stories,’ they can easily make the transition into a full Bible translation program. The Open Bible Stories method actually fits perfectly into the culture of many language groups that have a tradition of storytelling handed down through generations.”
The Resource section of the app provides information on key terms and how to overcome translation challenges, intended to assist local translators in creating translations that are clear, natural, and accurate. In addition, collaboration tools enable any number of people to work together, online or offline, to draft and revise their work for the best possible result.
“We are also working to load English source text for the entire Old and New Testament that will be licensed to allow immediate translation into any language, without copyright limitations,” says Smith. “All of this is available at no cost to the local church or their translators.”
The digital format enables the Scriptures to be published immediately and at very low cost through the Internet or by sharing memory cards.
“This project is not finished. It is really just beginning,” says Smith. “We need technicians, app developers, trainers, and Bible scholars to share in maximizing the benefit of these resources to the global church. We need financial partners to include this strategy in their stewardship priorities as a blessing to the world. We need partners to lift this up in prayer, seeking God’s continuing wisdom and guidance for everyone involved.”
We’re pretty excited about this particular tool we now have! Thank you for your support in making it possible!
Today is Bible Translation Day!
This story and photo comes directly from http://www.wycliffe.org.
Wycliffe’s Founder Cameron Townsend
Did you know there’s a day set apart worldwide to honor the work of Bible translation? Well there is, and we’re excited to tell you about it!
In 1966, Wycliffe founder Cameron Townsend first shared an idea with Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, his friend of several years.
“September 30 is St. Jerome’s Day,” Cam said. “He’s the first translator of the whole Bible. I thought maybe we could get the House and Senate to pass a resolution calling for the president to proclaim September 30 as Bible Translation Day.”
Harris liked the idea and agreed to propose the resolution in the Senate. Soon Cam received word that the resolution passed!
On September 30, 1966, a ceremony was held to proclaim that day as Bible Translation Day. Since the Apache New Testament had only recently been completed, Cam decided they should present that translation as part of the ceremony. Senator Harris presided, and Cam arranged for Britton Goode, the Apache who had helped the translators, to present the Scriptures to him and Congressman Ben Reifel. A Sioux Indian from South Dakota, Reifel had witnessed firsthand the impact that owning the Bible in her heart language had on his mother, who spoke only broken English and used the Sioux Bible to teach her children about God.
Several people gave speeches that day, including both Senator Harris and Congressman Reifel. Cam’s speech was, as always, one that left the group in attendance encouraged and inspired.
“We are making history. By God’s grace and with His help, we are taking part in a tremendous enterprise,” said Cam, as he began his speech. “The enterprise is Bible translation; the goal is hearts changed by God and disciples equipped to lead others to Christ. But before any translation can be done, before any change comes in a heart, we must overcome physical and language barriers.
“The language barrier is difficult to overcome. But it must be done. The Holy Spirit, speaking through John says, ‘After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:9, NIV). We believe God has called us to help make this verse come true. …
“This is not an impossible task. If it were, God would not have given it to us. But it is difficult. It takes hard work, dedication, perseverance, and commitment. Teachers at Wycliffe’s schools have helped thousands of students learn translation and literacy principles, but we lack people who are willing to go. Many don’t realize how Bible translation is still needed around the world.”
In the years since Cam first started Wycliffe, 518 language groups have received the entire Bible and 1,275 have the New Testament in the language they understand best. Additionally, over 1,500 Bible translation projects are currently in process.
Today, Wycliffe continues to carry on the tradition of celebrating Bible Translation Day. With unwavering focus towards the unfinished task at hand, Wycliffe seeks to pursue the goal that Cam so eloquently laid out in his speech — that of bringing the translated Word of God into every language that still needs it.
Where it all started…
The Ken Haugh Family-August 1990.
It was 1990. Ken walked by a Wycliffe Bible Translators table with this sign on it: “99 Computer Positions Available Now.” It was the start of a decision that would change our lives. By that August, we had joined Wycliffe and haven’t looked back!
Information Technology (IT) positions are still available. If you are someone who loves computers or if you know of someone who might like to check out those positions and see fit they are a good fit, keep reading. There are three good opportunities for you.
Check-IT-Out
Have an interest in computers, software, and field system engineering (power and wireless communications)?
Would you like to learn how up-to-date technology is used to support Bible translation globally?
Be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend an upcoming Check-IT-Out conference to discover how God is using technology to give every tribe, nation, and tongue His Word, for His purposes. Come early to learn how JAARS provides practical day-to-day support in many areas, to make Bible translation possible. Non-techie people enjoy the conference, too!
September 26–27, Check-IT-Out Fall 2014—Early registration discount ends August 27. Spend an action-packed time in North Carolina with others passionate about God and His Word. Meet IT staff, translators, and hear about innovative progress and vital opportunities in the US and overseas.
March 20–21, Check-IT-Out Spring 2015—for singles, students, and couples, Friday afternoon through Saturday night. The optional Thursday pre‑conference includes a visit to the Billy Graham Library, smokehouse BBQ, and an ice cream social.
July 5–10, Check-IT-Out Vacation 2015—Includes a fun program for children ages three months and older, while adults are in morning sessions. Afternoon options include swimming, a picnic with IT staff families, flights in a helicopter or small plane, a ride on our 4WD training course, and free time to rest, explore the area, or meet individually with IT staff.
checkitout.org includes more information, media, and links to some of Charlotte’s many interesting attractions. Don’t Miss Out, Register Today!
Photo Update
Ken’s food table this week.
Our Indian colleagues testing the software.
Ken shares the pros and cons of the different software choices.
A colleague sharing his experience of using the software.
Ken Visiting the Taj Mahal.
The Haugh Herald 