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June | 2013
Special 20th Anniversary Edition
His Pitch Was Simple & Partnerships Powerful
Katy Barnwell — A Trailblazer in Modern Bible Translation Jacob’s Quarter Catcher: Young Man With a Vision
God’s Word For Every Language — In This Generation!
Celebrating
20 Years
of Acceleration!
We’re celebrating all God has done to bring His Word to so many Bibleless people in the past two decades. Through strategic partnerships, innovative technology and creative methods He has allowed The Seed Company to step up the pace of Bible translation. This SeedLinks highlights some significant milestones. You’ll read how Seed Company founder, Bernie May, received a God-idea that boosted the work through partnerships. An early-on partnership with The JESUS Film Project gave new direction and opened doors into vital areas unreached by the Gospel. You’ll meet Dr. Katy Barnwell, who led the way. You’ll also meet Stephen Kindiki, one of our first national translators, and Mandowen, a pioneer in remote connectivity through solar-powered equipment and a satellite uplink. We dedicate this issue to you, our partners, who helped make these milestones possible!
His P I TC H
Was Simple & Partnerships
“W
Took S H A P E
ould you like the world to be a better place because
you were here?” That was a question a friend once asked Bernie May. “Yes, I would,” Bernie replied. “Well, what’s your plan?” »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Bernie didn’t have a plan. Fresh out of college and just married, Bernie and his wife, Nancy, had both recently surrendered their lives to the Lord. The question was still rumbling in Bernie’s heart when a Wycliffe Bible Translators representative at church talked about translating Scripture into every language in the world. The Mays were astounded at the number of languages in the world — and the number of people groups without Scripture. Bible translation was a wonderful opportunity, but not being linguists, they didn’t see how they could be actively involved.
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“Right now our greatest need in Peru is a pilot and a secretary,” the speaker said. The Mays looked at each other. “We’re not the missionary type,” Nancy said. “Maybe they won’t notice,” Bernie answered. “I can fly and you can type. Let’s help.” Two weeks later the couple was on their way. Arriving in Peru, Nancy was settling into an office and Bernie was flying linguists in and out of remote places along the Amazon River where they would learn a language and create an alphabet as needed. Then Scripture translation would begin. “I saw God’s Word bringing life transformation
and became convinced of the power of the Word for all people.”
Early Days Bernie began flying for Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS*) in 1954. Several years later he became president of JAARS. Expanding the aviation program to other parts of the world, Bernie had a front row seat to Bible translation. He then took the pilot’s seat of Wycliffe USA where he served as president for 12 years. “By 1990, Wycliffe was working in about 800 languages, with 3,000 still needing Scripture,” Bernie explained. “Entering 10 to 25 languages per year — it would take 150 years to get Scripture into every language! We had to do something different.” Wycliffe’s international board asked Bernie to find a solution. January 2, 1993, Bernie stepped out of his office as president of Wycliffe and moved into a space not much larger than a broom
B E R N I E M A Y | Founder of The Seed Company
God used Bernie’s decades of service as a pilot and in leadership at JAARS and Wycliffe USA to build a lasting foundation for Seed Company partnerships.
closet. Wycliffe had cleaned out the tiny room, given him a desk, a phone and a mandate: Launch an organization focused on acceleration through national-led Bible translations. The Seed Company was born. “I prayed all day asking God to show us how,” Bernie said. A thought came to him: Why don’t I find 10 Bibleless languages where there are national Christians who have skills to do the work — and partner with them? A plan began to take shape as he identified 10 projects needing translation and people who could oversee the work. He estimated each project would cost $100,000. Then Bernie began contacting people to invest in God’s work through a limited partnership. His pitch was simple: “You invest $10,000 a year for 10 years; at the end, you’ll have a copy of their New Testament and know you made the Scripture available to an entire language group.”
10 Years, 200 Languages “I was 60 at the time. I’d put in 40 years and was looking at retirement,” Bernie said. “But I prayed, ‘Lord, if You’ll give me 10 years, I’d like to help 200 new languages get your Word.’” When Bernie turned 70, he passed the baton to Roy Peterson. The Seed Company was working in 208 languages. “A lot has changed since those early days,” Bernie recalled. “When I flew the Amazon, there were no maps. We made our own. Our data processing system was a stack of 3 x 5 cards in a shoebox. Today we’re cloud computing. We thought there were about 1,000 languages in the world — there are more than that on one island in Papua New Guinea! “For the first time in history,” Bernie said, “we now have the communication tools, technology, Internet — there are no closed doors in today’s world. We can get there.”
A smile lights Bernie’s face when he talks about the Great Commission. “At the rate we’re going, we may be able to begin a translation in every remaining known language even sooner than we projected. “Of course, that’s not the end. It’s really the beginning — the Seed will be planted and growing as we take the whole Bible to every nation, tribe, language, and people …” (Revelation 14:6). What a plan! x
...................... Bernie’s wife of 45 years, Nancy, died in 1998. He and his wife of 14 years, Marian, live in Sun City Carolina Lakes, South Carolina. They have five children and 13 grandchildren. Bernie still flies and he and Marian are active in ministry. *Today, JAARS provides practical day-to-day support to help make Bible translation possible, whether that’s Internet access, lifejackets, or a flight to a remote village.
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Watch the video about Bernie’s amazing journey at seedlinks.org.
The first 10 people Bernie asked said yes. seedlinks
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Teacher, Trainer,
T R A I L B L A Z E R.
B
Katy Helps Bring GOD’S WORD to the WO R L D
orn in London just before
World War II, Katy Barnwell, her mother and sister relocated to the country during the Nazi bombing. Her father, an engineer, was in the army. After the war, he worked on bridge projects as Great Britain rebuilt. Neither of her parents expected their youngest daughter to spend her life building bridges of eternal hope through Bible translation. »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» During her university years at St. Andrews in Scotland, Katy reached a turning point in her faith. “I came to realize that if you were truly a Christian, nothing mattered in life except to follow the Lord,” Katy said. And follow Him she did.
Teacher: The ABCs of Mbembe Translation in Nigeria Katy was drawn to Bible translation when she heard a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators speak at St. Andrews. After earning her master’s degree she joined Wycliffe and went to Nigeria in 1964. She was assigned to the Mbembe Bible translation project. Katy and a colleague lived among the Mbembe people and learned the language.
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They developed a writing system, prepared literacy materials, and worked with mothertongue Mbembe speakers to begin translating the Scriptures. During her first furlough, Katy earned her Ph.D. at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University College, in London. Her thesis was a description of the phonology and grammar of the Mbembe language.
Trainer: Raising Up Mother Tongue Translators By the early 1970s, Katy began serving in management for SIL,* first in Nigeria and then in Africa during the 1980s. In 1989 she became international translation manager. The concept of training mother tongue speakers to translate was developing
rapidly and Katy prepared widely used early training materials. The Mbembe New Testament was completed in 1985. It was enthusiastically received and helped believers shun harmful traditional practices. Mbembe translators are now beginning work on the Old Testament. It’s a joyful time for Katy. The son of the first mother tongue translator she worked with has recently completed seminary coursework and another young man is getting his Ph.D. in linguistics. “So many promising young people in Nigeria … are committed spiritually,” Katy said. “It’s just a joy to work with them and see them developing and see their enthusiasm.”
Trailblazer: Meeting Immediate Needs for Bible Translation In 1999, Wycliffe and SIL administrators asked Katy to join The Seed Company to lead a key partnership. The move not only redirected Katy’s career, but changed the trajectory of The Seed Company itself. “We were exploring ways to partner with other organizations,” Katy explained.
The Story of K A T Y B A R N W E L L | Modern Bible Translation Trailblazer
The completion of the Mbembe New Testament in 1985 motivated many changes in Mbembe society. Some of the children from Katy’s time there became doctors and teachers, while others have continued the work of Bible translation.
“One of those was The JESUS Film Project (JFP),” which produced a film scripted from the Gospel of Luke. The JFP had the goal of producing the film in certain large languages that had no Bible translation. “There were reasons for that,” Katy said. “Most were in difficult areas.” JFP leaders also found when they attempted the film before Scripture was translated, serious communication errors crept in. “We studied the JFP proposal and realized we should not just help prepare the script, but prepare the groundwork for ongoing Bible translation.” The Luke Partnership was soon off and running.
The Gospel: Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood The partnership is a high-energy operation that accelerates Scripture impact. Trained teams affiliated with The Seed Company
work with language speakers to do the linguistic groundwork and train translators. Once the script is prepared, the JFP team takes over and does the recording.
Today, Luke Partnership projects are in 23 countries on five continents; 72 projects are complete, with another 72 underway. Potential impact: 71 million people.
Community screenings attract large numbers of people — men, women, children — both readers and non-readers. Follow-up after showing of the film makes Scripture available in audio and print and creates a hunger for more Scripture.
In 2013, Katy is still going strong. She trains others to meet the growing needs of local ministries for translated Scripture, now focusing on the training of consultants and other trainers. As she approaches her 50th year in Bible translation, Katy continues to plant the good Seed in fertile fields across God’s Earth. x
The Luke Partnership changed the course of The Seed Company by bringing it directly to the field, where the partnership sparked innovative change. Traditionally, Bible translation focused first on the entire New Testament. Through the partnership, The Seed Company focused initially on Luke, while also laying the foundation for translating Scripture to address locally defined needs. Often people have specific issues, such as trauma from natural disasters, disease or war. Translation can be coordinated to include Scripture that speaks specifically to these and other needs.
...................... *SIL, a Wycliffe affiliate, was founded by William Cameron Townsend in 1934 to train linguists. Now SIL International, the organization serves language communities worldwide as they build capacity for sustainable language development. SIL does this primarily through research, translation, training and materials development.
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Read more about The JESUS Film Project at seedlinks.org. Watch the film at jesusfilm.org.
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KENYAN Subsistence Farmers
‘The Richest People on EARTH!’
Small Beginnings, Big Results: S T E P H E N K I N D I K I | Tharaka Translator
H
ot winds whip at the cracked earth, stirring the dust on the eastern slope of Mount Kenya. Unlike the western side of the mountain, this area always seems to need rain. Local farmers wonder if their cotton and vegetable gardens will produce, and how they’ll feed their cattle, goats and sheep. Before they had Scripture in their language, many Tharakans prayed to the church’s God — but they hardly knew what to expect of Him. During those years, the Tharaka used a translation from a neighboring language, Meru, but understood little of it. Stephen Kindiki was teaching school when God showed him the need for Scripture in his language. “I knew God had given me the rare opportunity among my community to go to school. I prayed carefully and I was convinced that God wanted me to do the work.” The Seed Company partnered with Bible Translation and Literacy of Kenya, of which Stephen was a member, to complete the Tharaka New Testament in 2001. It was one of The Seed Company’s first 10 projects.
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Subsistence agriculture remains a challenge, but the Tharaka people have a different perspective on life now that they have Scripture they can understand. God’s Word in Tharaka has motivated many to follow Christ. It has brought denominations together that were once distrustful of each other and empowered women to study God’s Word themselves. In recent years, other significant changes have occurred, including a decrease in polygamy along with the recognition of the national law prohibiting female circumcision and the cessation of this practice among the Tharaka. Subsistence agriculture remains a challenge, but the Tharaka people have a different perspective on life now that they have Scripture they can understand. Stephen’s words still ring true from that glorious dedication day for the Tharaka New Testament. He thrust his Bible high for
God used Stephen Kindiki as one of the first mother tongue translators. He helped lead the efforts to bring the Tharaka New Testament to his people on the eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya. Today the Tharaka team is well along in the translation of the Old Testament.
all to see, and declared, “We are the richest people on Earth!” After 2001, Stephen followed his calling as a teacher and earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in South Africa. Today he teaches on the university level. Meanwhile, the Tharaka translation project has continued to progress and is now nearing completion of the Old Testament. Once, in the beginning phase, they were led by one mother tongue translator. Today they are led by a team of four very talented mother tongue translators: John Nguu, Onesmus Kamwara, Juliet Kariuki and Jonathan Musyimi, who hope to have the complete Tharaka Bible very soon. x
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Partner with the Tharaka people at seedlinks.org.
A D R EAM,
A Call of God … A New Testament for TH E
YAWA!
SmallBarriers, Beginnings, Results M AM N DAOW NW | EYawa Innovation Hurdles SavesBig Years of Work: N DEO N | Translator Yawa Translator
M
andowen had a dream. A bird perched in a tree in the rainforest said, “There is treasure at the base of this tree … take it back to your village.” Mandowen gathered up the gold and put it in his woven bag. It was so foggy in the dream, he could barely see the path. He could just make out a man ahead, leading him home. The next day, Mandowen pondered the dream as he worked in his garden at the jungle’s edge. Around noon, a little boy came running to find him. “A man in the village wants to talk to you.” That man was Larry Jones, a Wycliffe translator, who asked Mandowen to join the Yawa Bible translation team. “I understood that God was calling me to bring the treasure of God’s Word to my people,” Mandowen said. That dream sustained him during the work that was fraught with personal sacrifice and trials.
From High Trek to Hi Tech In the late 1930s, courageous believers trekked up dense jungle slopes to bring
the Gospel to the Yawa people on a remote Pacific island where traditional, animistic religion prevailed. In 1990, after four years of work by Larry and a team of eight Yawa translators, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke were published. Enthusiastic believers wanted the entire New Testament. But further translation efforts were hindered by spiritual warfare as team members endured illness, and one by one, most died. It was at this point that Mandowen was invited to join the work.
After a few hours of training, Mandowen was up and running. Halfway around the world, consultant Linda Jones was able to check Mandowen’s work by Internet. Mandowen began setting up in the village center where inquisitive neighbors came to watch. He translated passages of Scripture with them and asked for feedback. For months, the Yawa met together to ponder the meaning of God’s Word and to discuss how to best say it in their language. This was life changing for many!
Without electricity or telephones in his village, Mandowen had to travel a long, treacherous road to use a phone, or take a boat to distant islands to reach a consultant when it was time to check his translation work. If something didn’t change, the project would require many more years to finish.
June 28, 2011, the Yawa celebrated the dedication of their newly published New Testament.
In 2009, The Seed Company suggested long-distance consulting, and IT experts journeyed four days from the U.S. to Mandowen’s village. They installed a BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) satellite receiver, solar-powered generator and a specially configured laptop computer.
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As a trailblazer, Mandowen is the first translator to work remotely with a communications kit that has now become standard for Seed Company efforts in remote areas. x
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Your kids will love this! Mandowen is featured in the new Go Fish VBS video. Learn more at seedlinks.org.
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“I love this time in the history of the Church. There’s a new spirit of networking and partnering among
PARTNERSHIPS : people in this issue, like the Yawa team on a remote
T
Pacific island and the Tharaka team in Kenya. They range
people. There is still much to be done. As that work is done,
Partnering Effectively — The Seed Company’s field partnerships number more than 700. They include
he Seed Company is fast approaching its 1,000th
language helping bring God’s Word to more than a billion
from international, regional and national organizations
other organizations pick up on it and spread God’s Word
to local churches. These partners are in addition to our
broadly.
financial and prayer partners. Together, we can see God’s
Recently, I talked with a college student named Caroline.
Word reach every language in this generation.
She asked, “Is Jesus really the only way to God?” I quoted John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
5,526 PRAYER
Commitments COVERING
568 Translations IN PROGRESS * Join the army of prayer warriors today!
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No one can come to the Father except through me.” That led to another question. Again I answered with Scripture. After almost an hour of questions and answers, I asked if she saw the pattern of how I answered. She said, “Yes, you showed me the truth from the Bible.” I’m a fan of The Seed Company. Without their excellent work, it would not be possible in many languages to say, “This is what the Word of God says.” — STEVE DOUGLASS, President, Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru
700+F I E L D Partnerships
* In 65 countries on 6 continents. * Potential impact: 1.1 billion people. • Bible societies • Ministries • Churches • Many more
churches and mission organizations.” — Paul Eshleman
FASTER Together! W
hen The Seed Company started, Bernie May shared with my dad, Ken Taylor, the idea of finding people in their own language areas who could translate the Bible for their people. My dad said, “Bernie, this makes great sense to me. Go for it.” Bernie tells me the first major gift for The Seed Company came from Tyndale House. We look back over 20 years with great appreciation for all The Seed Company has done. You now have hundreds of languages where you’re working. There are still about 2,000 languages that need the Bible, and The Seed Company is playing a key role in making the Scripture available to these people. I leave you with this verse from Hebrews Chapter 4: “For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
T
he foundation for the fulfillment of the Great Commission is Scripture. We’re in the midst today of one of the greatest moves of the Holy Spirit that we’ve ever seen in the history of missions …. We desperately need the Scriptures translated into the heart language of every language group. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Most of us would never have come to faith if we had to learn another language to find Christ. I love this time in the history of the Church. There’s a new spirit of networking and partnering among churches and mission organizations. We’ve found it’s just more fun to work together for His kingdom than to build our own. — PAUL ESHLEMAN, Founder of The JESUS Film Project
Let’s continue making God’s Word available in all the languages of the world. Thanks for the good work you’re doing. — MARK TAYLOR, President of Tyndale House Publishers/Tyndale House Foundation
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Watch author Lee Strobel and Tyndale president Mark Taylor speak on the value of partnerships at seedlinks.org.
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M I L E S T O N E S. Through God’s grace and faithfulness, we’re celebrating 20 years of seeing God’s Word transform lives. As we join together and follow God’s lead, we expect the next 10 years to be the greatest decade in Bible translation history. Celebrating 20 YEARS
|
2001 |
T H E
S E E D
C O M P A N Y
“I am the light of the world.
Stephen Kindiki
and team complete the Tharaka New Testament in Kenya, one of the first 10 projects of The Seed Company.
1993 | The Seed Com-
2003 |
First trans-
lation consultant internships
pany is founded by Wycliffe
begin with Peter Kamande
USA and led by Bernie May,
of Kenya and ‘Naomi’ (pseud-
the first president.
onym) in a very sensitive country in Asia.
1999 | The JESUS Film Project, SIL International and The Seed Company form The Luke Partnership to translate
Roy Peterson, president of Wycliffe USA, becomes president and CEO of The Seed Company.
the “JESUS” film for people
2008 | First Oral Bible
2010 | The Seed Com-
Storytelling project starts,
pany begins Bible translation
focused on oral cultures,
in the 700th language, with
which make up more than half
the 10,000 Etulo people in
the languages still needing
Nigeria.
translation.
2009 |
First satellite
Internet communication station. This solves major logistical problems in Bible
groups without Scripture in
translation by making virtual
their own language.
communication between consultants and translators possible in remote projects.
2011 | The CrowdSeed pilot project in South Asia provides a model for involv-
2006 | More than two dozen Luke Partnership projects completed successfully; Luke Partnership expands to include many more languages.
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ing large numbers of people in Bible translation through crowdsourcing.
TM
If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” — John 8:12
Video/Audio Strategy for
the Least of These initiative,
Translation (VAST) pilot
ensuring 76 languages and
project, completed among the
270,486 people from margin-
oral Kaylar people of South Asia,
alized low-population cultures
cuts time in half for translating
will have God’s Word.
and scripting the “JESUS” film.
2012 | The Seed Company begins Bible translation in the 800th language with the Arnhem Land Partnership, led by local speakers of seven
The Consultant Development Program expands dramatically. The Ambassador Program
God calls 35 new Bible trans-
assists Seed Company partners
lation consultant interns into
who want to share with their
the program, exceeding our
peers exciting opportunities
goal of 23 by a wide margin.
2014 | 1,000th language translation projected to start.
2023 | We believe Bible translation could be underway for every people group in their own language.
to become involved in Seed
Aborigine people groups in
Company projects.
Northern Territory of Australia.
Investments of 103 churches and groups are doubled through
Future | When the 2013 | Eight consultant interns complete the Consultant Development Program, for a total of 20 since this 3-5-year academic program began; 16 new interns start
“Seed” of God’s Word is planted in every language, work will then focus on covering the Earth with His Word, to complete the entire Bible for every prople group. x
..................
the program by mid-April. 900th language partnership begins in early April among the Kumam speakers of Uganda.
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It’s Only the BEGINNING! ROY PETERSON |
M
ilestones and “firsts”
President/CEO, The Seed Company
Bastian is a Bible storyteller for his heart
Translators and consultants work together in different settings. Top: Roy and Rita Peterson study the results. Translators are diligent about every word.
light the path to where we stand today —
language, Abawiri, in Southeast Asia.
in awe of the possibility that the last words
Recently, he told a Bible story to a group of
occurring in every known language of the
of Jesus to His disciples will be fulfilled in our
children playing at his home with his children.
world as early as 2023.
lifetime. For that to happen, God’s Word must
The next day, a neighborhood mom asked
be available in the language of every people.
Bastian, “Did you tell Bible stories to my
Partnerships make that possible. Visionary organizations, mother tongue translators, investors, local churches, prayer partners — it takes us all — joining our skills, resources and prayers for the success of each translation project. During the past 20 years, God has given us innovative methods to get His Word rapidly into the hearts and hands of people around
child?” The child had run home and retold the story to his mom. Bastian was impressed. “When the stories are told, they can be retold in the community through the lips of the children!” he said. “Storytelling is a strength in oral cultures,” said one field coordinator. “Tell a story to three people — it goes viral, and 50 will hear it in a very short time.”
the world. He’s making it easier to spread
We believe these next 10 years will be the
the Word, from trained local translators
greatest decade of Bible translation history.
to creative use of technology. The timeless
Believers are multiplying. God is accelerating
method of storytelling is also being
the pace. The stage is set for exponential
employed to share heart language Scripture
growth and extraordinary Scripture impact.
in many cultures quickly.
I think we are going to see Bible translation
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For our part, The Seed Company is praying for partnerships in 2,000 languages in the next decade. Still, that’s not the end; it’s the beginning. Once every language has the “Seed” planted … the expansive work of saturation will begin, to cover the Earth with His Word: the entire Bible for every people group. What great joy it will be to cross that threshold together. Until He Comes,
Roy L. Peterson
Cross the Threshold With Us!
Connect. Support. Pray. Tell. Think how the truth and wisdom of God’s Word have touched your heart. Now think about the 4.9 billion people who don’t have a complete Bible. And the 209 million people speaking 1,967 languages without even one verse of Scripture! Join the race to plant God’s Word in every language on Earth in our generation. God is opening doors around the world! Walk through those doors with us and help local translators bring God’s Word to their people.
“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my
• Connect with a people group and local translators. • Support their work. • Pray for them. • Tell others — family, friends, pastors!
source of hope.” — Psalm 119:114
Find out more at 866-663-8377, or theseedcompany.org.
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Get Engaged! Connect in Prayer! Lord, give Your angels charge over translators and their families. Keep them safe. Renew their strength. Give them spiritual insight. May their hearts rejoice in anticipation of multitudes being transformed by Your Word in their language.
Pray & Support! Lord, may people rise up to financially and prayerfully support new translation efforts. Call passionate people to help bring Your Word to every people group.
Pray for Impact Now! Thank You, Lord, for eager church participation in Bible translation. We pray soon, “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God,” as people receive Your Word in their language for the first time.
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Do you have a passion for God’s Word?
Creative Ways to Engage in Bible Translation
1.
Techies take to the field. Join them & have a blast!
Wycliffe Associates (WA) partners with The Seed Company to provide technical support for a variety of projects. The following is excerpted from a SeedLinks interview with David Reeves, WA Technology Advancement Director.
Q: Please explain how Wycliffe
Associates helps provide technological resources for Bible translation.
A: In many places, local infrastruc-
ture doesn’t support reliable connections to the Internet. For example, in southern
Pray & Tell Others!
Mexico, our team helped a multi-language
Father, we cry out for Your Word to spread through every nation, tribe, people and language. May all know the wonders of Your love and find the joy of Your salvation in Your Word in their language!
“five-bar” (full connection) service through
Ephesians 1:15-23 • Matthew 28:19 Isaiah 52:10 • Revelation 7:9 Matthew 10:27
project move from poor cell service to cellular amplifier boosters. Others received small, portable satellite receivers the size of a laptop computer. We provide limited Internet access allowing teams to connect
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Satellite connections like those set up by Wycliffe Associates are essential lifelines for remote translation projects.
with their Bible translation consultant
computer, portable satellite communication
via email, chat and also backup their
terminal or cell amplifier, solar panel,
translation data.
battery and charge controller. We install
Q: What does it take to set up a
satellite connection?
A: Our Translation Acceleration
Kits (TAKs) include a laptop or netbook
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Are you looking for a way to impact lives around the world?
this equipment and teach mother tongue translators how to use it. In addition, our trainers teach them the IT skills they will need to be successful.
In South Asia, the team repaired and updated virus protection to allow 12 local
Jacob’s story inspired other
consultants-in-training access to essential
children and their families,
story-crafting software for Bible storytellers. In Nigeria, WA volunteer Dale Masser
including neighbors who don’t
spent two months providing tech support for translation workshops in two workshop
attend church.
locations. He installed and updated software, set up the portable satellite receiver daily, configured email and helped teams learn to use their equipment and software more effectively. This work is a big help to Bible translation.
Q:
How can someone with technical skills get involved with your team?
A: Look at the job opportunities list
on the Wycliffe Associates website under Technology Advancement for new openings. Opportunities range from two weeks to two years or more. We don’t send computer experts to lay brick. People have opportunities to invest their best skills in Kingdom work.
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» To find out how you can help, see Wycliffe
Associates www.wycliffeassociates.org/ministries/bible-translation-through-technologyadvancement.html.
2.
The Word of God with Brenton Brown
Jacob, 9, led a grassroots effort at his church to raise funds for the Cloudlands Bible translation in Mexico.
3.
Jacob filled up his “Quarter Catcher,” then stirred others to do the same! Find out how. Kim Fegley watched her 9-year-old son,
Jacob and his mom created flyers to distribute to their neighbors, asking for empty soft drink bottles or cans worth a total of 50 cents. From the initial collection, he garnered $132. Another round of collections brought in an additional $100. One man found a flyer in the bushes and contacted the church office. He contributed three bags of bottles! Jacob’s story inspired other children and
Jacob, bound from his Sunday school class
their families, including neighbors who
at Woodside Bible Church in Troy, Michigan.
don’t attend church. “When a child gets the
Youthful energy and world-changing vision
concept of being generous, they are all in,”
can be an explosive combination. “It was
said Patrick Rowland, family ministry pastor
so precious to see his eyes just beam,” Kim
at Woodside. “As adults, our generosity
said. “I knew right then that God had laid
involves a percentage, but kids will sacrifice
something on his heart.”
so much more.”
Jacob told his mom he wanted to help translate Bibles for the Cloudlands people in Mexico. Teachers had challenged their students to raise money for the project
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» Do you have a creative approach to
engage others in Bible translation? Email us at info@tsco.org to tell us your story.
by filling a coin container they called a “Quarter Catcher.”
“There aren’t many songs in the modern hymnal about the mystery of Jesus being the living Word of God,” said singer-songwriter Brenton Brown. That’s why he and fellow songwriter Andi Rozier decided to write Brenton’s new song, The Word of God. Recently, Brenton talked about his inspiration in writing and singing The Word of God, which is on his new solo CD, God My Rock. “Jesus is the ground beneath our feet,” Brenton said. “His Word called us into relationship with Him … and His Word will sustain that relationship.”
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» Go to seedlinks.org to watch Brenton’s
video and learn how you can get his new album.
seedlinks
| 15
JUNE 2013
PRAY FO R T H E
Has anyone told you today?
B O KOTO
You’re the apple of God’s eye. His favorite. Fully loved, wholly accepted. There’s nothing more, nothing less you could do to be so deeply adored by our Creator. This news is too good to keep quiet. Yet sadly, millions have never heard. They don’t know they have a loving heavenly Father whose arms are wide open to receive them. He gave His Son for them — who now lives to intercede for them before our Father. They can’t pick up their Bibles and hear God’s words whisper to their heart. They don’t have audio Bibles in their language so they can receive His words of assurance, encouragement and love. Many remain trapped in a world without hope, without promise … and without any expectation this will change. The secret of God’s unfailing love is hidden from millions … but hope is on the rise. Will you cry out for those still waiting?
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Speakers: 130,000 Project goal: New Testament and six Old Testament books Project start: 2012 Est. completion: 2019
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. — 1 John 3:16
Farming and mining provided basic income for Bokoto families. But recently,
In Him,
rebels toppled the government. Looting, crime and chaos followed. Some people reverted to traditional sacrifices in their
L a u r a G i s h | Manager of Prayer
fear and misery. You can help bring Bokoto people what they need most now: the assurance and hope of Jesus.
Sign up to pray: theseedcompany.org/prayer Call 866-663-8377, or visit theseedcompany.org/sl/pray to support this team in prayer.
ABOUT US V i s i o n : God’s Word transforming lives in every language in this generation. A Wycliffe Bible Translators affiliate
3030 Matlock Road, Suite 104 Arlington, Texas 76015-2934 Toll free 866-663-8377 Email info@tsco.org theseedcompany.org
M i s s i o n : To accelerate Scripture translation and impact for people without God’s Word through Great Commission partnerships.
C o r e Va l u e s : • Honoring God in all we do. • Valuing individuals and relationships. • Partnering effectively. • Encouraging creativity and innovation. • Managing for quality results.
Our Commitment to You: We commit to always maintain the highest ethical and financial standards. The Seed Company is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), and complies fully with their rules for Christian ministries.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the New Living Translation. © 2013 SeedLinks, The Seed Company, Arlington, TX, USA. All Right Reserved.