Category Archives: Bible Translation

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I Know What Poverty Is

Pictures taken by all Wycliffe Discovery Teams (2006-2008)

Bible poverty is a devastating problem hitting people around the world. It is more than 340 million people. That’s nearly one-third of the world’s language groups that do not have one verse of the Scripture in the language that they understand the best in their heart. In a previous post of mine here, I discussed a movement working to end Bible poverty, with organizations and actions that can make a big difference in people’s lives – spiritually, physically, economically and culturally. How having the Word of God can chane every aspect of our life, community and the whole world.

I know what poverty is. I know the feeling being hungry and have nothing to eat. I know how desperate people feel when they need something but they cannot afford to get it. I know, because I’ve been there, my family has been there and I used to live in a country where I can see poverty every where I went, every single day. I’ve seen these people only sleep under the Flyovers, Bridges, sleeping on a piece of cardboard at the sidewalk, or if they can they build a shelter out of cardboard. They are hungry, cold and try hard to find something to eat. I’ve seen kids digging in a trash can just for a food. I’ve seen a mother would take her baby and sing on a bus just to get some cash to buy her baby food. How could I ever forget those faces?

It’s not a fair life for them. It’s injustice. It’s not what God wants to see. It’s not what we wanna see.

If you ask them what would make their life better, they would say a good job, more money, able to go to school and food. That would help them feel better – think that having all of what they desire would give them a better life. Even though they would get every single thing they want, they are still going to lose their souls, Jesus said in Mark 8:36-38. They need God’s word, they need to know that they have eternal life with Christ. They need to know that above all, they need Jesus Christ, who can change their life, spiritually and physically.

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It Is Not A Job

“Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:7, NLT).

Language and translation workers in Senegal, Africa, are longing to serve the Church and see people come to faith in Jesus Christ. In a statement that certainly echoes the sentiments of missions workers throughout the world, a staff member working in Senegal wrote:

“We are so aware of the temptation to be merely ‘doing the job’ rather than serving the Kingdom of God. Pray for strong relationships among the people with whom we are working. We want to guard against this becoming just another job. Ask the Lord to keep us fresh for His use.”

Resource: Wycliffe Pray Today blog

Yes, it is not just a job, not just a life routine of someone. It’s a calling, a desire, a passion that God put in each heart of who He has called to this job. I know it’s easy for us to get trap in our every day routine because we do it every day with our own strength and power. But it won’t be if we do it for God, ask for God’s hand over us and ask for God’s Holy Spirit to empower us to do our job every day. That’s the important things. As we pray for the Senegal translation team, we also need to pray this pray for ALL BIBLE TRANSLATORS and MISSIONARIES in the whole world.

Would you join me to pray for them today?

Please visit Wycliffe Pray Today blog and subscribe for their prayer news update and we can support them in prayers every day. More than just prayer, you also can get involve directly in the work of Bible Translator by supporting this ministry financially and even join their team. Also please visit Wycliffe website, follow their Twitter, and Facebook Page for more information to get involve with the ministry of Bible Translation, bringing the Word of God to every people, in every language in the world.

May God be glorify and until the whole world heard of the Good News!

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Supporting Vision 2025 Through Prayer

There is an African proverb that says, “one arm cannot surround a baobab tree.” Just as it takes a number of people to surround one of these gigantic trees, it will take the prayers of many to reach the last languages with the Word of God.

Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partners around the world are committed to Vision 2025—a desire to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025. Humanly speaking, this vision seems impossible. But the impossibility of it drives us closer to God, seeking His face, and in prayer, lifting up all aspects of this mission.

In 2002, the executive director of Wycliffe Global Alliance underscored the importance of prayer in the Bible translation task when he stated that “prayer is our greatest strategic response and our greatest resource.” In agreement with his declaration, all Wycliffe organizations renewed their resolve to model and prioritize prayer.

  • Ask God to call great numbers of prayer partners to faithfully support the Bible translation movement.
  • Pray for wisdom and creativity for Wycliffe USA’s Prayer Ministries team as they seek to promote and grow prayer programs, all while keeping costs low. Pray for resilience for staff conducting research to glean current information and prayer needs from around the world.

Below is a list of ways that you can join hands with us in prayer.

Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project

Commit to pray for a Bibleless people group. Today there are more than 2,000 languages still waiting for access to God’s Word in their own language. Through Wycliffe USA’s Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project you can sign up to prayerfully lay the foundation for a translation program to begin in one of these specific people groups.

Intercessor

Learn more about and pray for the worldwide work of Bible translation through the Intercessor, a bimonthly prayer letter produced by Wycliffe USA. It features specific prayer requests that will inform and direct your prayers for major strategic needs facing Wycliffe and its partners. Read it online, download the PDF, or sign up to receive it by mail or email; explore the options here.

The Finish Line

The Finish Line, an annual publication (also available online) lists Bible translation projects around the world that are nearing completion—those that are within three years or less of finishing. This is often when translation teams are faced with significant challenges and sometimes setbacks leading up to the completion of a Bible translation. We know that Satan will do everything he can to stop the spread of God’s Word, but we also know that we are called to rally on the battlefield of prayer. Click here to access the 2011 edition of The Finish Line.

Vision 2025 Prayer 24×7

Consider being part of a global community praying around the clock for Bible translation. Can you imagine an unbroken conversation with God about the work He has given us to do, and keeping that conversation going until Vision 2025 is fulfilled? Vision 2025 Prayer 24×7, a program of Wycliffe Global Alliance, invites churches, prayer groups, and individuals to join together and support Bible translation in prayer, every minute of every day. Sign up for a weekly time slot to pray at https://pray24x7.vision2025.net/.

Pray Today

And of course, invite your friends to this blog to read daily, current prayer requests related to the work of Bible translation! Together, with our prayers encircling the ministry of Bible translation, we know that God will do great things!

Resource: Wycliffe Pray Today Blog

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Preserving Cultures

Please take a moment to watch this short video about the preservation of cultures as an effect of Bible translation.

Cultural identity is strengthened and preserved through Bible translation

Translated Scripture is not the only benefit from a Bible translation program. Language assessment and development, literacy work, and the production of print and audio/visual materials in the local language—all parts of the Bible translation process—provide a number of community benefits.

One benefit is cultural preservation. When an alphabet is created for a minority people group, and their language is developed, speakers of the language have the tools for survival—a way to preserve their culture. Their history can be written and therefore documented. A dictionary and other books can be produced. Their ethnic identity can grow as they gain more confidence interacting with other people groups. And their written language can be recognized by their country’s government and speakers of majority languages.

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Where Is The Bible Translation Needed?

Locating the areas of greatest Bible translation need.

It’s one of the first questions that must be answered, and its answer must be constantly reviewed and updated: just where in the world is Bible translation even needed? 

Current estimates by the Wycliffe Global Alliance* suggest that around 340 million peoplespeaking 2,078 languages may have a need for Bible translation to begin. Many of these language groups are small minorities living in areas dominated by different, more prevalent or official languages. Others may in fact be very large people groups but live in areas that are difficult to access.

In particular, Wycliffe has identified three areas of the world that contain the greatest numbers of translation needs. They are Central Africa and Nigeria; Mainland and Southeast Asia; and Indonesia and the Pacific islands.

Make no mistake, though much of the world has already benefitted from Bible translation, it is still needed on a grand scale!

  • The exciting news is that we’re experiencing the greatest acceleration of the global Bible translation movement that the world has ever witnessed! The number of languages still waiting for Scripture is dropping. Pray that this momentum will not slow down and ask God to continue to grow the resources needed to accomplish this work.
  • For Central Africa and Nigeria, pray for unity across organizational partnerships as many local and international groups must work together to accomplish the work of Bible translation. French-speaking personnel are also needed to work in the Francophone region; ask God to send more workers to this area.
  • For Mainland and Southeast Asia, pray for the protection and encouragement of translation personnel who often work in sensitive areas and sometimes in isolation. Prayfor creativity in the distribution of finished Scripture.
  • For Indonesia and the Pacific islands, pray for safety in travel as many translation teams must navigate throughout this large rugged and remote region. Pray for efficiency in gathering language data and wisdom in planning translation programs.

*Wycliffe Global Alliance, partners in Bible translation

Resource: Wycliffe Pray Today Blog