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Category Archives: BGAN

From Their Perspective

23 Aug

You often read about the excitement we feel when we deploy technology to accelerate Bible translation. But, have you ever wondered about the mother tongue translator’s reaction?

Recently, Mark Hancock, a member of our team, went to a South American country and installed a BGAN satellite for someone living in a remote region. Check out this video as he describes his reaction to this new tool. And, while you’re at it, check out the scenery, the house, surrounding this couple. We have so much, don’t we? Our colleagues have so little. It really is amazing.

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2011 in BGAN, Satellite, Video

 

Accelerating Bible Translation

05 Aug

I love technology, not for technology’s sake, but for some of the ways it enhances our lives and makes it more productive. Yes, I’m also aware that technology sometimes complicates life, like when your computer won’t work like is should, when your email is hacked and your system starts sending out embarrassing messages, or in my case, when I carry the phone but can never seem to get it out of my pocket in time to answer a call.

Here is a link to a video where technology DOES work. And, it not only enhances a life but it accelerates Bible translation too.Take a look at it and simply think of the context —

  • someone living deep in the jungle using a BGAN satellite terminal
  • sends an email with attached translation data
  • via a communications satellite located (I’ve heard) 22,000 above the earth
  • to a translation consultant located thousands of miles away!

What’s even more amazing is that the consultant can send the corrected translation data back the NEXT day as one would do with any email.

Formerly, sending and receiving translation data via the post, hand carry, or other methods would take days, if not weeks or months. One translation consultant said that sometimes he would not hear from one of his mother tongue translators for a year! And now the process can take as little as a day. It’s amazing.

I praise God for this new technology. Take a few minutes to watch these video and I suspect you will too.

Take a moment and watch Accelerating Bible Translation for the Jiru and Levering Technology

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2011 in BGAN, Satellite, The Seed Company, Video

 

Giving thanks for BGAN and Pidgin

30 Jun

Many of you know that Phil Harms, a Wycliffe Associates colleague, and I had an opportunity to visit the Mgbolizhia language project and meet John and Ike, two of the translators. I believe I can speak for both Phil and I when I say that we both left truly impressed with these two individuals. Both are so eager and willing to receive and learn more about this new BGAN* technology. And, unlike many interested in learning about technology for technology’s sake, these two Godly men are interested because it will increase the pace of the translation. Getting God’s Word into their language is what is first and foremost in their hearts.

These mother tongue translators had limited connectivity causing difficulty uploading their language data to consultants around the world. Listen carefully as they praise God for this new technology knowing they no longer have to travel long distances to connect to Internet and upload/download their data. Today, because of their new BGAN satellite modem, they can upload and receive data within minutes or hours. Gone are the days of having to wait days, weeks, and even months to hear from the translation consultant! We believe this technology will allow them to shave a year or two off their translation project!

Here is a video of their praise unto God. It’s a little lengthy but listen carefully to the words. (NOTE: John, the one on the left, sounds like he is saying “Bee-gads”. He is communicating “BGAN.” Ike, the one on the right, talks about Pidgin, a chat program that will enable him to communicate in real-time with people all over the world, not only to receive help but to give it.)

The second video is of John taking the BGAN configuration test. Notice how slowly he approaches the satellite modem and carefully proceeds through each step. A huge smile flashed across his face when he heard the fast beeping sounds indicating that he had successfully configured the BGAN satellite modem for use.

We praise God for this new technology but more so for His people. It was a great day for all involved!

  1. Interview with John and Ike.
  2. John and Ike’s final BGAN configuration test

*BGAN – Broad Global Area Network

 
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Posted by on June 30, 2011 in BGAN, The Seed Company, Video, Wycliffe Associates

 

Nigeria Trip Pics

24 Jun

Here is just a sampling of the pictures taken on my most recent trip to Nigeria. Additional photos have been uploaded to Google’s Picasa photo viewer (here) and even more photos from other team members will forthcoming in the future.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed the trip.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2011 in BGAN, Ken, Satellite, The Seed Company, Wycliffe Associates

 

News That Feeds the Soul

20 Jun

I recently received an email from a Seed Company’s colleague with an update on the BGAN satellite deployment activity. His comments and statistics were so exciting I decided to pass them on. I trust you will be excited to.

Ken

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Hello Connectivity Team,

Here is a brief summary of what we have been able to accomplish together so far this fiscal year.  Not everyone or any one group had their hand in each of these items. That’s part of what makes us a good team and makes these kinds of results possible.  I am constantly getting reports of immense gratitude from consultants who are now able to accomplish what they had always wanted to – helping their national colleagues build the Kingdom while they are not able to be present in the field.  God’s work is being propelled forward at an astonishing rate and you had a hand in it.  Thanks for all your effort.

98 – Total # of languages connected by our team in the last 8 ½ months.  These languages have 15.8 Million speakers.

Broken down:

  • 84 languages using 59 BGANs
  •   8 languages using 8 cell modems
  •   4 languages using 1 VSAT
  •   2 languages using 2 DSL connections

Other noteworthy accomplishments:

  1. Establishment of Pooled usage contracts (3) expected to save $53,400 in data charges annually.
  2. Setup and thorough testing of a VPN that restricts BGAN usage to only translation activities, estimated to save $120,000 annually.
  3. Quality training materials developed for preparing deployment specialists – 20+ trained already.
  4. Simplified user instructions developed in 7 languages to help Mother Tongue Translators and consultants use new tools.
  5. National IT colleagues from 9 countries trained to support BGAN technology.
  6. Internet Connectivity setup at the NBTT campus in Nigeria which serves 64 language translations.
  7. Many other translation organizations are now looking to us for assistance in using BGAN technology.  We are being followed.

There is still much work to be done, so don’t look back for too long.

To God be ALL the glory.

 
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Posted by on June 20, 2011 in BGAN, The Seed Company, Wycliffe Associates

 

Something’s missing!

17 Jun

I noticed that Ken tried to post a blog while in Nigeria, but only half of it has shown up. Apparently something went wrong while it was uploading because I’m sure he finished his thoughts before he sent it. But this is a great illustration of some of the things other missionaries and nationals must deal with on a regular basis in Nigeria and many other parts of the world. Sketchy Internet access.

Well, Ken is now starting his long trek home. He is on the road from Jos to Abuja where he’ll sit in the airport for many hours until his flight out at 11pm Friday night (5pm EST). He flies from Abuja to Frankfurt, Germany, waits another three hours and then flies to Munich where he has just one hour to catch his flight to Charlotte.

If all goes well, he will land here at 3:30pm Saturday afternoon. I will be waiting for him.

Afterall, it will be our 28th anniversary that day so who better to pick him up from the airport?

Thanks again for you prayers. I’m sure he’ll be writing a great update very soon for all of us.

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2011 in BGAN, Ken, The Seed Company, Wycliffe Associates

 

June 15th Nigeria Update

15 Jun

It was about 95 degrees out and we were hot and sweaty. My colleague, Phil Harms, and I packed our luggage in the back of a Toyota minivan and, with expensive satellite terminals and luggage piled high behind us and our driver and translation consultant in front of us, we proceeded out the drive. We were finally deploying BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) satellite terminals for the purpose of accelerating Bible translation. This is what the nine of us came for. The countless hours of preparation, the numerous weekly meetings, printing and sorting documentation, purchasing the materials, vaccinations, and all other miscellaneous preparations all led up to this moment. It was happening.

So why was I so nervous?

We were told that Phil and I were headed to southern Nigeria. Not “south south” Nigeria, as they call it, because this the area where the oil is produced and people are kidnapped for ransom. We were only driving “south”, a mere 11 hours away, and the translation coordinator would be coming to meet us.Abakaliki 800x600

Arriving at our first location and meeting our mother tongue translator colleagues, the Lord stilled my heart. The warm reception, the smiling faces, the eagerness to receive and use this new technology suddenly cast away all the fears, the uncertainty, the anxiety I was feeling.

I trained the mother tongue translators how to set up and use the BGAN while Phil worked on their computers, installing software and cleaning the system of viruses. The process went smooth and the translators were excited Mgobolizia BGAN testto supplement their local, sometimes unreliable connectivity for something more stable and dependable. They were incredibly excited, as much as we were. We repeated the process for the Mbolizia language project, the second village we visited. You can tell by looking at the smiles on the face in the picture below how thrilled they were to receive this new technology.

We arrived back at the NBTT (Nigerian Bible Translation and Trust) center and immediately received feedback that the program was a success. “This is fantastic,” a visiting translation consultant exclaimed. “I have already received an email from the translator with some attached translation text. In this past, this would have taken six months or more!” I’ve recorded another translator’s comments on video. You can view it here. It was working. I’m stoked!

God is using this technology to accelerate the Bible translation process and people all around the world are taking note, even CNN!

I returned to the US physically tired but mentally and spiritually exhilarated. The Lord is indeed using us and this new technology to complete his mission.

 
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Posted by on June 15, 2011 in BGAN, Satellite, The Seed Company, Video, Wycliffe Associates

 

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Dodging Potholes!

09 Jun
Nigerian Pothole (courtesy of “Travelblog.org”)

Here is the latest from Ken:

“It’s now 9:45 Wednesday evening and we just returned home from dinner. We drove 11 hours today from Jos to the south of the country in an area called Abapliki [Abakaliki]. The roads were quite interesting to say the least. Similar to what we’ve experienced in Mexico and Indonesia where people pass all the time, there is the added excitement of road potholes big enough to swallow an elephant. A little exaggeration, to be sure, but they make people go around them – at 30, 40, 50, 60 mph! So, when passing, one not only looks for oncoming traffic but for potholes as well. It was not uncommon to find us in the back flying from one side of the car to the other as the driver swerves from one side of the edge of the road to another. And I mean that in all sincerity. I never felt in total danger but there were times when my breath was taken away.

We were also stopped frequently along the way, either by the police or the military. It seems both were looking for money. At one stretch, we were stopped it seems every quarter of a mile. Each had the ability to question the driver, demanding paperwork, etc. We were told that they were primarily seeking additional food money, Indonesian style. Often times, they would ask who the white people in the back were and the response was, “missionaries.” That seemed to calm their spirits and each time we were told to drive on.

We arrived here and were met by Joseph, the pastor translator. He had arranged for us to spend the next three evenings in a guest house built by the Dutch. The area is very hot with high humidity so just placing my luggage in the room caused my shirt to be drenched. I took a quick shower and immediately began sweating as I came out of the shower!

The room is fairly nice though, has a fan, and even an air conditioner! I suspect they will turn it off though sometime during the evening. We’ve had to spray it for mosquitos and that smell is still hanging in the air.

We went to dinner with Pastor Joseph, the translator coordinator, John (who was with us in the car all the way here), and the driver. I had gari, their staple food. It’s a series of dough, half mooned shaped, that you pick up with your fingers, roll in a ball, and dip it in a bowl of what looks like spinach, other vegetables, with fish in it. I thought I had ordered fried rice and fish but got this  instead. Figure that one out! However, it wasn’t bad at all. I’m glad I tried it.

Tomorrow, I’ll train Joseph and another translator on the BGAN satellite Phil works on cleaning up his computer from the viruses, installs Thunderbird and sets up the email account, and installs Pidgin chat. Once that’s done, we’ll have Joseph try from scratch turning on the satellite and sending/receiving email.  We’ll eat at another guesthouse for lunch and dinner tomorrow and return to this guesthouse to sleep. Then’, Friday morn, we’ll travel /2 hr. to Niger and start training them. Saturday morning we’ll drive back.”

As I was writing this post I received a text message from him that said they had a long but good day setting up the BGAN for two translators that have been working 20-30 years. It was pouring rain but he was in his room. He asked that we pray for the sun to come out or else they would have to stay an extra day before driving to the next village. It is from 1/2-2 hours away (not sure, got two different memos about the driving time).

Tomorrow is a repeat of today, with training on the BGAN as well as cleaning up their computer. Then the next day, if all goes as planned, the long drive back to Jos.

Thanks for praying!

 
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Posted by on June 9, 2011 in BGAN, Ken, Satellite, Wycliffe Associates

 
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