The fruits of much labor (May 2016)

If you have been reading our newsletters

You know that I have been focusing on two major goals during this past year.  After these months of work, this is a season of encouragement and fulfillment as both of these areas are ready to impact the work of Bible translation.

Knowing where translation is needed

Dereje Tilahun (Ethiopia):
“The Bible is my life. I cannot live without the Bible.”

The first area has been completion of a new and much needed change in how we understand the need for Bible translation among the languages and people of the world.  Christians have been stirred for centuries by Jesus’ invitation:  “Go and make disciples of all nations.”  But as many believers and missions have sought to honor this calling by bringing the Scriptures to every tongue, tribe, and nation, they have often been handicapped by inadequate information about where they are needed and what they should do.  After a year of co-leading a team in evaluation and planning, we are ready to share a much richer and more functional description that will help Wycliffe Bible Translators and other mission organizations more effectively partner with local churches, knowing where translation is needed and what kind of work must be done.  You have heard the expression, “The devil is in the details.”  In this case, I am convinced that God is in the details and the Holy Spirit will use this information to enable Christians to be more productive as they translate God’s Word into the languages of the world.

Translation in Africa:  This map displays a dot for every language community that has a current translation program. We are finding that good information is changing the way we work, through shared information, making decisions based on shared knowledge, planning together, and avoiding duplicate or competing efforts.

Changing the way we do missions

collaborate verb col·lab·o·rate \kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt\  to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do something of shared importance