November 8, 2019 Keyboard software aids in language preservation By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories An international software firm developing smartphone keyboards specifically designed to write in traditional languages is helping people protect their language. The project, called Keyman, allows people to type in one of more than 600 different languages, most of which are majority languages. A majority language is one spoken by large groups of people such as English, Spanish, or Mandarin. Keyman has been developed by not-for-profit company SIL International, and lead software developer Marc Durdin said it was created in 1993 originally for the Lao language. “We had people in other parts of South-East Asia discover the program and ask to adapt it to other languages, then we made it more accessible,” he said. “But as we started to expand out into other languages, we made it more language agnostic so that it would provide the resources to allow you to adapt it to a language, but not actually have any language knowledge. “So it’s not me producing keyboards for all these languages, it’s the communities producing keyboards for themselves.” Durdin said Keyman relied on “language champions” to put their language forward to be digitized. “There’s a tool called Keyman Developer that you can use to create a keyboard layout,” he said. “. . . We’ve had 500 to 600 people contribute keyboard layouts for different languages.” Read the full story at ABC Australia Posted in Bible translation Previous Next

March 15, 2022 Ukraine Response: Wycliffe Poland By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories As of this week, more than 60 per cent of the people fleeing Ukraine have come to Poland — more than all other European countries combined. That is 1.7 million refugees and counting, coming to a neighbouring country of 38 million. Loading supplies bound for western Ukraine. Across Poland, this means a constant flow of people into every city or town, with every church and NGO part of the effort. “Any church, any organization that has any capacity to host refugees, they do it,” said Agnieszka Domagala, director of Biblijne Stowarzyszenie Misyjne (BSM), also known as Wycliffe Poland. “It’s everyone. Every town is co-ordinating and trying to co-ordinate help. But there are also a lot of bottom-up initiatives. People are just volunteering. Giving clothing, shelter. Warm meals. Picking up people from railway stations. So it is an amazing, amazing volunteer movement.” Speaking via Zoom from her church in Wroclaw, Agnieszka’s Internet connection was unstable because it is being used by so many people staying there. Her attention is necessarily split right now between her part-time role as Wycliffe Poland’s director and serving at the church where her husband is a pastor. The church initially thought it could offer 20 beds. That quickly grew to 60 families or singles now under their care at the church, plus about the same number who have stayed there temporarily and then settled around town or in nearby villages. “We have a crisis center, so people can stay in the church and live here and we co-ordinate everything — food, clothing, schooling, medical help,” she said. “Everything you can think of. The church is used as a place to stay, and also as a transit place because there is a constant stream of refugees. They stay for one or two days, or even for a few hours to have a warm meal, and then they go further, like to Germany or to other places in Poland. Or some stay longer. “It’s not only us, but other churches we know in Poland are doing the same,” she said. “And different organizations are doing the same. So it is a united movement. People think, Where can I give my hand? And then we just do it. “This is how the situation more or less looks everywhere in Poland. We are trying to find accommodations for people and then connect them with their food supplies, medical supplies, doctors and any help they need. We are very busy. Our days are long.” From an article by Jim Killam, Wycliffe Global Alliance. To learn more about the responses of Wycliffe Poland and other Wycliffe organizations to the crisis in Ukraine, visit wycliffe.net . Posted in News and updates Previous Next

January 11, 2023 Son of Man or “pumpkin child?” By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories A completed New Testament could be published very soon for the Rangi language community of central Tanzania. Even as a final read-through of the whole New Testament was recently done, local translators continue to put the text through a battery of careful checks. One of those checking sessions revealed a startling error. The error was discovered by a team member working in literacy and other ministries, not translation. But when Emilia was asked to review the translation of John’s Gospel, she agreed. “I look especially at portions of text that the translators marked for review,” says Emilia, “but it also helps to read the surrounding verses.” “Emilia . . . immediately made a big difference,” says Emmanuel Mwankosole, team leader for SIL* Tanzania’s Dodoma Region office, where the Rangi team works. In chapter six, in a verse that was not flagged for her to check, Emilia found a significant correction that was needed. In the phrase “Son of Man,” she spotted a concern over the Rangi spelling of the word for “man.” “In the text,” Mwankosole explains, “the word written for ‘man’ was actually the Rangi word for a type of pumpkin!” Because the spellings are very similar, this error had been easily missed through several careful checks, even by the translators themselves. Team members are praising God for His work through Emilia and their team, to protect His translated Word. As work moves forward to complete the remaining checks and changes, they request prayer for every detail — the process of publication and printing, planning the community celebration, and organizing distribution of the completed Scriptures into Rangi churches and homes. * SIL is Wycliffe’s key field partner Participants at this orthography workshop in 2022 helped make significant improvements to the Rangi writing system. (Photo by Paulo Modamba) Source: SIL Tanzania Posted in Bible translation Previous Next

January 24, 2023 “Chameleon” technology aids in sign language translation By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories When I was two years old, my parents discovered I was Deaf. With Christ at the centre of our home, it wasn’t long before they found a Deaf church for me to attend — ensuring I had access to God’s word at a young age. By the age of seven, I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, thanks partly to this community of Christian signers. A passage from Mark’s Gospel, translated into Catalan Sign Language using early avatar technology, is presented at a Deaf church in Barcelona. Photo copyright Wycliffe Global Alliance. In my work with the global Deaf community, I’ve discovered that less than two per cent of the Deaf identify as followers of Jesus. But new technology offered by Wycliffe Bible Translators and their global partners is trying to change that. A new form of motion capture technology can now transform the way we present Scripture to a person who is Deaf. Dubbed “Chameleon” by its creators, the technology features a digital avatar, or animated character, who signs the Bible to the viewer. Sign language Scriptures are delivered in a video format, with someone signing the translated message in the appropriate sign language. The Chameleon technology captures . . . Read the full story by Adan Burke at CBN News Posted in Bible translation Previous Next

December 7, 2021 Wycliffe Canada leads software development to speed Bible translation By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories An international team of 12 organizations including Wycliffe Canada and its partner OneBook are providing linguists, consultants, exegetical advisers and software specialists to develop a new software tool: The Bible Translator’s Assistant (TBTA). The software has potential to speed access to God’s Word among minority language groups, without sacrificing quality or accuracy. Additionally, it provides initial exegetical insights (critical explanation or interpretation of the text) and produces a working draft of the Bible directly into the focus language of the project. Spearheaded by Prescience Labs, a Wycliffe Canada initiative focused on developing creative and imaginative approaches to challenges facing the Bible translation movement in this time of unprecedented change, the software aims to reduce the time it takes to draft translations of Scripture for remaining language groups without God’s Word by up to 40 per cent. Five language groups are already using TBTA in its current form, with encouraging results. Two additional pilot projects are set to begin in 2022. “What is good is that, so quickly, it is already in our language,” says Pastor Dino Abuque, who serves with a translation team in the Philippines. “It’s not like before when we had to think in Tagalog, and then wonder how to say it in our language . . . it was a long process. Not like now, where right away it is in our language! We just have to make it sound like we speak.” How it works There are two main steps to implementing TBTA. Create specially designed digital templates for each book of the Bible. These templates are developed to capture the original meaning of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Once these templates are produced, they can work with any analyzed language. Analyze target language and input information into TBTA. Once templates are available, staff analyze a target language to gather important grammatical information, such as sentence structure and parts of speech, as well as the lexicon of all the words that are found in the Bible. This information is entered into TBTA and applied to the templates to create the draft of each book of the Bible. Key benefits Promises to reduce the time needed to complete translation for nearly 1,900 language groups still waiting for God’s Word in the language that best serves them. Gives language groups more ownership in Bible translation, by reducing the educational requirements needed to engage in the work. Addresses the biggest bottleneck in Bible translation: the lack of qualified consultants. In recent field trials, TBTA has been shown to meaningfully reduce a consultant’s workload. In the future, TBTA could be used to help create libraries in minority languages like health booklets, literacy tools, or advocacy materials. Field tested In the Philippines, a team of local translators recently did experiments with the drafts of Jonah and Ruth that were produced in their own language using TBTA software. TBTA has the potential to help many translation teams around the world, like this one in Cameroon’s Ndop Plain. Photo by Natasha Ramirez. Roger Stone, a translation consultant and facilitator with Wycliffe’s primary technical partner, SIL, worked with the language group on their translation. He explained: “Having an exegetically accurate and a grammatically correct clear version to translate directly into their language, helps local translators pass the difficulties in exegesis and translation, and enables them to immediately use their skills to produce an excellent translation of the Scriptures. “I observed that while the local mother-tongue translators were working through the draft of Jonah, they could revise for naturalness without me needing to be there. I also observed that . . . they felt the freedom to search for the most expressive terms that made the draft rich and meaningful. They were able to give all their attention to naturalness issues, because the meaning of the text, in their language, was already clear. This is why I’m so enthusiastic. . . . It seems the perfect fit for [this] team, and for other teams like them around the world.” The full development of the TBTA system will take about five years. This is the man-power equivalent of translating only one and a half New Testaments. Wycliffe Canada’s David Duncan serves as the project leader for TBTA with OneBook. David and his wife Neva joined Wycliffe in 1996, serving Bible translation by providing computer and software support for members and their national co-workers. David has also served as a OneBook project liaison, connecting with national translation partners in Kenya, the Philippines and Indonesia. To learn more about David Duncan and his work with TBTA, visit his profile page . Posted in Bible translation Previous Next

June 25, 2019 Philippines language group dedicates New Testament By Samuel Ko Back to all stories This past April, the Romblomanon people of the Philippines dedicated a translation of the New Testament in their language. The Romblomanon people number about 106,000, living mainly on the several islands which comprise the province of Romblon in central Philippines. Although most claim to be Christian, traditional animism and witchcraft still influence the lives and practices of the people. On Romblom Island, church and community groups celebrated the arrival of the Romblomanon New Testament with a parade through town. Visitors and members of participating churches held banners and waved the new Bibles while marching together. More than a dozen foreign visitors attended the event, including representatives from Wycliffe’s office in Singapore. Phyllis Rappa, a former secretary with Wycliffe Singapore, played a key role in the translation project before her death in 2017. Rappa began working in the Romblomanon project in 1993. Two years later, she was joined by Rence and Pauline Law from Hong Kong. They all worked alongside local translators on the team. Following the dedication event, Bibles were available for purchase and volunteers helped people to download digital apps for reading the translated Scriptures. Source: Wycliffe Singapore website Posted in News and updates Previous Next

September 26, 2024 More than an adventure By Ruth Richert Back to all stories Four young AIDIA staff members travel deep into the jungles of Peru to train Sunday school teachers and their students “We think of missions as being emotional and adventurous, but I actually realized just how sacrificial it is. And you know, how hard it is.” L-R: Judy Vedia, Betsabé Villegas, Ana María Villegas and Shendy Quispe share a cathartic laugh after an emotional interview. Betsabé Villegas and three of her coworkers are gathered around a table in the AIDIA offices in Abancay, Peru on a sleepy Saturday afternoon. They’re describing their recent trip to the remote Pastaza communities in the Amazon Basin to train Sunday school teachers and children. It’s a journey that affected each of them deeply. Later, as the sun begins to set, the four young women will laugh and joke as they gamely pose for photos on the street outside the compound. But for now, the mood is somber, and more than one face is streaked with tears. Beyond both the sacrifice and the adventure, missions is about God touching hearts. AIDIA’s Vision Betsabé, her sister Ana María Villegas, Judy Vedia and Shendy Quispe all have different roles at AIDIA—from teaching to accounting—but like all staff at AIDIA, part of their job includes visiting the field. “The vision of AIDIA is always to get out to the communities and to get to know everybody,” says Ana María. Field visits are essential for training and supporting community members, but they come with hardship and sometimes risk, particularly for young women. “We knew about the risk, but we know that God is always with us. He’s always there to protect us,” says Ana María. Their trip to the Pastaza region was a potent reminder of how much they need that protection. The Northern and Southern Pastaza communities are scattered along the Pastaza river in the Amazon basin of northern Peru. The villages are desperately poor and isolated, with little internet access or cell reception, and limited electricity. There are no roads in the area, so all travel must happen by boat or plane. Translators from both language groups have moved to the larger town of San Lorenzo to work on Bible translation projects. But the communities they left behind are still desperate for support and encouragement as they wait for the translated Scripture. The journey to Southern Pastaza A view of peque-peques (dugout canoes) at the dock in San Lorenzo, the town where the Northern and Southern Pastaza translation teams work. Betsabé and Judy went to the Southern Pastaza community of Alianza Cristiana. After taking several flights, they arrived in a regional centre where they were forced to hire a peque-peque—a dugout canoe with an outboard motor—because the speedboat was not in service. During the 26-hour journey, it became clear that the boat had a slow leak, so the women took turns bailing it out, neither of them sleeping for longer than 15 minutes at a stretch. When they pulled into shore for the occasional bathroom break, they were immediately swarmed by thousands of mosquitoes in an area known for malaria and dengue. “We kept reminding ourselves that we wanted to see the children and teachers. It motivated us,” says Betsabé. Traveling to Northern Pastaza While their friends were traveling on the river, Shendy and Ana María made their way to the Northern Pastaza community of Andoas Viejo. While their journey was perhaps less physically grueling, they experienced intense frustration and anxiety as they spent several uncertain days waiting for the arrival of the small military plane that would fly them to their destination. At one point, they had no other option but to accept a ride back to town with an oil patch worker, a situation they knew had ended in assault for other women. But “there was no other way to get out of the airport,” says Shendy. “So we accepted the ride and prayed to the Lord.” They were comforted knowing that many people in Abancay were also praying for them. Challenges in both communities When the two pairs finally arrived in their respective destinations, they were distressed by what they found. Many people lacked enough food to eat, and their pets were starving. Clean water was in short supply, and disease was rampant. Many children showed signs of stomach worms and other health issues, and the surroundings were very dirty. Alcohol abuse was widespread, and people seemed to lack the energy to try to improve their own lives. Emotional and spiritual health were also in upheaval. Even though the community of Andoas Viejo has a strong Catholic presence, Ana María and Shendy found that the residents were often confused about how they should live and even what was true, because they didn’t have the Bible in their own language. “They don’t understand the doctrines and so they’re really open to whatever anybody tells them because they don’t have any way to sort it out for themselves,” says Ana María. The women were asked to preach in the local churches—a surprising request in these patriarchal societies, and one that speaks to a desperation for spiritual food. Judy praying with children in the Southern Pastaza community of Alianza Cristiana Joy and hunger for God’s Word But despite all the sadness and challenges, it was thrilling for the women to see how excited the children in both communities were to learn about Jesus. Shendy and Ana María were nervous at first when they counted 97 children at one session. “However, the children’s behaviour was exemplary,” says Shendy. “What struck us the most was that they did not make a fuss, but attended all lessons with great expectations.” The Sunday school teachers were also greatly encouraged by the training, and begged them to return. When it came time for the women to leave the communities of Alianza Cristiana and Andoas Viejo, everyone shed tears. “We loved each other so much that we cried like babies when we told them goodbye,” says Betsabé. “We said, we’ll either see you in heaven or we’ll be back soon.” We all want the same thing As they reflect on the trip, each of the women acknowledges that the time they spent in the communities was difficult. They remember never visiting the bathroom without their partner for protection, not having enough water to drink, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by sadness. But all four believe it is profoundly important to visit the Pastaza communities again. Betsabé and Ana María would prefer to travel with their soon-to-be husbands for safety, while Judy and Shendy are willing to visit again even as singles. They know how great the need is and the difference that God’s love and God’s Word can make in these communities. Southern Pastaza children complete a Sunday school lesson. “The most important thing we learned is that even though the place was so different, we’re all really the same, and we want the same thing: to know God better and to grow,” says Betsabé. “That’s the beautiful part.” ∎ AIDIA (pronounced idea) is a Bible translation and development organization based in Abancay, Peru. Originally established to translate the Bible into Eastern Apurímac Quechua and to minister to Apurímac mountain communities, AIDIA is now working in multiple languages across Peru. Wycliffe Canada supports several of these projects, including the Northern and Southern Pastaza translations. Posted in Bible translation Previous Next

June 20, 2019 Accept the Planted Word By Samuel Ko Back to all stories “. . . Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21 NIV). For generations, Cusco Quechua men in southern Peru have considered it their right to sexually abuse women and young girls. The practice has been tolerated in the culture for so long, that most men minimize the depravity of their behaviour and its impact on the wives, daughters and granddaughters of their remote mountain communities. Furthermore, Quechua women have felt powerless to confront such deeply-entrenched attitudes and actions. In recent years, a Wycliffe Canada partner organization in Peru has been hard at work, actively distributing the Cusco Quechua Bible and promoting the use of mother-tongue Scriptures. The indigenous organization has also produced a powerful, Scripture-based video to confront the pervasive immorality within the culture—that extends even to the Church. At one gathering where the video was shown to church denominational leaders, initially the men denied that sexual abuse was a cultural problem until one man finally stood and said, “Let’s be sincere and honest about this: who hasn’t sexually assaulted someone?” All was quiet. Not one leader could say they were innocent. Then one brave man stood up. “I need help,” he admitted. He then went to the front, where the group prayed for him and for one another. As a first step in facing their past sins and the physical and emotional wounds they had inflicted on others, the men asked for forgiveness from Jesus, the One who was waiting to heal their brokenness. Like the Quechua church leaders, every Christian can be tempted to hide their sins, or justify ungodly actions because “everyone does it.” But if we are sincere about following Jesus and obeying His Word, we must face the darkness within us and the consequences of our immorality. As God’s Word is planted in our hearts, it frees us from sin’s deadly grip and empowers us to walk in His light and truth. Lord, thank you for the light of your Holy Word. Help me to accept the truth it reveals, even when it means facing up to the pain and shame of my past actions. Thank you that forgiveness, healing and restoration are available to me through Christ, along with grace to seek forgiveness from those I’ve wounded. Posted in Impact Previous Next

February 12, 2021 Chadian language group dedicates New Testament By Wycliffe Canada Back to all stories After numerous delays, the Guerguagui people of Chad have finally received the New Testament in their language, Guerguiko*. Community members dedicated their New Testament on Dec. 28 at an event in Moukoulou, in the Guera province of Chad. The dedication had been delayed on several occasions and only just avoided another lockdown in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, that began in January, but the persistence and patience of the Guerguagui people has finally been rewarded. For the Guerguiko-speaking community, finally being able to handle the printed New Testament is a joyful—and literally “hands-on”—moment. “Today, the dedication of the New Testament gives me great joy,” said Rateigna Terap, a member of the Guerguiko translation team. Translation work first began on the New Testament 28 years ago. Although the printed New Testaments arrived in Chad at the beginning of 2020, a series of events—including the current pandemic—caused the dedication and distribution launch to be delayed. The event was attended by nearly 2,000 people and included singing, dancing, speeches, presentations and food. Highlights included the singing of some new Scripture-based songs by the choirs, and public readings from the Guerguiko New Testament. Several hundred copies of the printed version were sold, and the app version was also available for those with smartphones. *According to the Ethnologue database, the language has been known as Mukulu, but that name properly designates only the principal village in the language group and its speech. Source: wycliffe.org.uk Posted in News and updates Previous Next

November 25, 2024 Prayer Point: Wycliffe Thai Foundation By Ruth Richert Back to all stories Wycliffe Thai Foundation partners with Thai churches to further Bible translation, literacy and the use of translated Scriptures throughout Southeast Asia. The Isan Oral Bible Translation project, sponsored by Wycliffe Thai Foundation, is moving forward in Thailand. Located in the northeast of Thailand, the Isan region is home to a unique language and culture, and the local church is looking forward to having Isan-language material available for evangelism and discipleship. The beginning of a new translation project is an exciting time, but one that is accompanied by challenges, both practical and spiritual. Prayer support is essential. A local farmer harvests rice in the blazing sun near Nong Khon Kaen village, Isan. Photo: Derryl Friesen In Bangkok, members of Wycliffe Thai Foundation are encouraging their churches to pray for the Isan people and for this new project. Sometimes, this includes holding prayer meetings at their churches. When Wycliffe Thai member Jay shared a prayer meeting opportunity with her friends Aat and Pla, and their daughter Yobo, the family became very excited, even though attending would be a challenge for them. Pla is very weak and cannot walk unassisted. But when the family learned that the prayer meeting would take place on the third floor of the church, they were undaunted. Aat declared, “Don’t worry, I will carry my wife up to the third floor. We want to come. We want to pray for Isan people!” A pilgrim in Isan offer incense and prayers to a giant serpent statue. Animism is widespread in this region. Photo: Derryl Friesen On the day of the meeting, Aat followed through on his promise, and carried Pla to the third floor. The family stayed for the full prayer meeting, and at the end, Pla said, “I love Isan people. I love the Isan language. I am very happy that I can come and pray for them. We will come next time!” Please join us in praising God that Thai Christians are praying for the Isan people and for other unreached people groups in their country. Pray that Christians worldwide would join them in prayer for unreached people. Would you like to receive regular prayer updates and requests from our field partners? Sign up for prayer emails at wycliffe.ca/pray/ Worshippers enter a church in Nong Khon Kaen village, Isan. Local Christians are excited about the Isan translation project. Photo: Derryl Friesen Posted in Engaging with Scripture Previous Next