OUR HISTORY - It all began in Guatemala. In 1917, a young American named William Cameron Townsend arrived in the Central American country to distribute Spanish Bibles among the Cakchiquel people. But he quickly discovered that most of them did not speak or understand Spanish. Nor did they have a written form of their own language. OUR HISTORY It all began in Guatemala. In 1917, a young American named William Cameron Townsend arrived in the Central American country to distribute Spanish Bibles among the Cakchiquel people. But he quickly discovered that most of them did not speak or understand Spanish . Nor did they have a written form of their own language. Townsend abandoned his attempts to sell Spanish Bibles and began living among the Cakchiquels. He learned their complex language, created an alphabet for it, analyzed the grammar, and translated the New Testament in the remarkably short span of 10 years. God's Word Over time, Townsend came to the conclusion that every man, woman and child should have access to God's Word in their language. He had no idea there are more than 7,300 languages in use around the globe. But that knowledge wouldn’t have deterred Cameron Townsend. With other like-minded colleagues, he founded "Camp Wycliffe" in 1934 as a linguistics training school. He borrowed the name Wycliffe from the pre-Reformation hero, John Wycliffe, who first translated the Bible into English. Organizations Born By 1942, Camp Wycliffe had expanded to form two organizations, Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL Global ). The subsequent need for support services later led to the founding of JAARS, Wycliffe's partner for technical services. Today, SIL and Wycliffe partner with national Bible translation organizations, other like-minded agencies and church denominations worldwide to translate God’s Word , promote literacy and encourage the use of translated Scriptures . While tremendous progress has been made since our founding more than 80 years ago, it's estimated that more than 29 million people , speaking 985 languages , still need Scripture in the languages that serve them best. Your partnership in this vital ministry helps transform lives—for eternity.

Literacy Global Back to all projects Overview When people read Scripture in a language they clearly understand, it reaches their heart and becomes part of their daily lives. That’s why literacy often goes hand in hand with Bible translation. When local churches also gain access to translated resources like Bible studies and devotional materials, they grow and thrive spiritually. Literacy also strengthens the wider community. It helps preserve and develop previously unwritten languages, creating ways to record oral history and storytelling. It supports better health and hygiene practices and helps families improve livelihoods through sustainable skills. In a rapidly changing world, literacy opens doors to education, economic opportunity and a better future for the next generation. Your partnership is key Your gift to the Bible Literacy Fund helps ensure critical needs are met quickly and effectively, so more people can read and understand God’s Word for themselves. You can give with confidence, knowing your support is helping individuals, families and communities grow in faith and build a stronger future. $0 $0 Remaining Need: of $60,000 Current phase: 2025-2028 GIVE NOW PRAY Facebook LinkedIn Your gift will help: Classics Memoirs Historical Fiction Download the latest update Due to the sensitivity of the region this project is located in, please contact development@wycliffe.ca for the latest updates on this project. CONTACT Read the story here Previous Facebook LinkedIn Next *Our funding commitments to Bible translation projects are made in 3-year cycles and include regular checkpoints with our field partners to ensure mutual accountability. For greater transparency and a more accurate picture of the scope of our projects, the amounts below now reflect the remaining need based on the entire 3-year funding commitment for the current phase of each project.

Africa HAJIAN, Nora Hailing from Canada’s Yukon Territory, Nora serves with Wycliffe’s key partner, SIL, in Tanzania as a lexicography (i.e., dictionary) specialist in 2019 shortly before COVID-19 appeared, and spent much of her first term working from home in Canada. In 2021 she returned to East Africa and joined SIL Tanzania’s newly-formed remote office in neighbouring Rwanda, where she continues to do lexicography work and other linguistic tasks for Tanzanian language communities who desire to see the Word of God written in their own language. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=78 Previous Next

‎ KNAUBER, Martin and Beate Martin and Beate are from Germany and have been members of Wycliffe since 1982, the same year as they got married. Since then their family has grown to four children and nine grandchildren . . . and counting 🙂 In 1988 they went to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to live among the Dawawa people, where they began their ministry as linguists and Bible translators. Their work started out as a traditional project with language work, translation, literacy and later teachers’ training. Beate also did a lot of medical work in PNG as a licensed nurse. In 1998 they completed a hymn book and in 2003 they celebrated the dedication of the Dawawa New Testament. Over the course of their ministry among the Dawawa, they founded 7 local schools and were blessed to witness a tribal conversion in 2016, where the entire language group came together to publicly renounce spirit worship and dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. After the dedication of the NT, they served as regional directors of East Papua where they also started a multi language project in 2005. In 2007 the Knaubers took on a new assignment to head up the NT translation for the Hutterite people in the USA and Canada. Martin and Beate continue to be involved with the translation of the Dawawa Old Testament and currently conduct their work among the Dawawa and the Hutterites from Abbotsford, BC. Martin’s main role is currently that of an International Translation Consultant and Beate also serves as a Certified Christian Conciliator. In this role, she conducts mediations for families and churches, but mainly teaches seminars in Biblical Conflict Resolution in Canada and other countries around the world. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=370 Previous Next

Americas HAASDYK, Jeremy and Judy Jeremy, Judy, and their two daughters are currently living in Langley, B.C. and working at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL); Jeremy as director of finance, and Judy in community life. They are very excited to be involved in training and equipping the next generation of translation workers. Jeremy and Judy are MKs – “missionary kids” who both grew up in Africa. Judy’s parents worked with Africa Inland Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Jeremy’s parents served with Wycliffe in South Africa. They met at Briercrest Bible College while completing undergraduate degrees, Jeremy in biblical studies and Judy in TESOL. From there they went to CanIL (at Trinity Western University), were married, and earned master’s degrees in linguistics. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=76 Previous Next

Americas BUCKSHON, Cindy Born and raised in Langley, BC, Cindy joined Wycliffe Canada in 2012 as the graphic design manager. In 2016, she began working with the global communications team for SIL Global. In 2024, Cindy graduated from a 3D modelling and animation program and is now working as an animator and 3D modeller with the SIL Global Media Services department. Cindy works remotely from Calgary with a small team from Texas, North Carolina, and Manitoba. They are creating a series of short films based on Paul White’s The Jungle Doctor Picture Fables , which teach the gospel message and core Christian principles. The animation team’s vision is to have these fables translated into many languages worldwide. Cindy is excited to use her design, art and animation skills to create meaningful content that has a global reach. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=43 Previous Next

Americas SALKELD, Valerie Since Valerie and Laird Salkeld joined Wycliffe in 2001, they have held a variety of roles. Valerie has served in the prayer ministries department. Her vision is to provide spiritual enrichment to Wycliffe members in Calgary and across the globe through weekly chapel time, retreats, days of prayer, intercession and spiritual direction. “We cannot give what we do not own,” explains Valerie. “Like the Israelites in the desert who didn’t have a written word (individually), they relied on coming together to observe practices to remind them of who they were and what their mission was. Spiritual formation prevents us from becoming a business of translation; our jobs are fulfilled from a passion for the Word in our lives, which validates us to encourage formation in the lives of people in other language groups.” Valerie says she believes in Bible translation because she has seen what has done in her own life. “I love the vision to see a world where translated Scriptures lead to transformed lives among people of all languages, because the Word of God is so vital for transformation in my own life.” Before transitioning to a volunteer role in 2016, Laird spent his career in the communications department as a graphic designer and the department’s director. Laird also played a lot of table hockey during his tenure at Wycliffe, winning the league championship five times. This brings him great pride and joy. Laird has a heart for Bible translation because he sees “so much valuable information” contained in the Scriptures, which he is convinced is best understood by someone in their own language. “My heart for Bible translation has changed, and not changed,” explains Laird. “It has changed in that I am far more informed and realistic about how this work is done and the complexity of it. It has not changed in that I am as passionate as the day I first learned about this work God does through Wycliffe. “I like to think my marketing and communications role transformed some people’s perception of Bible translation and Wycliffe. I know I was transformed as I acquired a realistic view of my role within the larger work; a realism that has served me well in order to get one what matters most.” Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=141 Previous Next

‎ LEBOLD, Randy and Anita Randy and Anita are originally from Ontario and have served with Wycliffe Bible Translators since 2000. They served in Indonesia, where Randy worked as a language surveyor. They now use this language learning and field experience in their current assignment with Wycliffe Canada’s training partner, the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in Langley, B.C. Students at CanIL receive the training required for work in Bible translation and language related ministries. Randy is currently an assistant professor at CanIL. He teaches a number of courses and is chair of the undergraduate linguistics program, which includes the tasks of advising students and providing leadership to the program. Randy’s responsibilities also include professional development for the teaching assistants in the linguistics program, leadership training opportunities for the students, and staff development. Randy has completed a leadership training program with Arrow Leadership. He is currently working on his PhD in educational studies. Anita is passionate about supporting CanIL and Wycliffe as an administrator and leader. Her main role at CanIL s director of strategic enrolment management. In this role, she recruits, advises, and takes care of the admissions functions for six training programs, and helps incoming students as they make preparations to study at CanIL. She and her team are constantly seeking further opportunities to connect with academic, church and other communities to share the heart and vision of Bible translation and how to be trained to serve. Anita is also passionate about team building, leadership development and mentoring. Randy and Anita have three energetic boys. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=103 Previous Next

Africa GROVE, Dan and Melody Dan grew up in Brampton, Ont. and Melody in Campbellton, N.B. They were married in 1988 and worked in ministry in Canada for a number of years, including six years in a Baptist pastorate. The Groves joined Wycliffe in 1996 and began working in Cameroon, Africa in January 2000. They were asked to begin the project that is called the Ndop Cluster in the fall of 2002. This cluster consists of 10 languages, nine of which had no alphabets when they began. A New Testament was completed in the 10th language in 1993, but it was not used much because mother-tongue literacy was almost non-existent in that village. Melody homeschooled their three children from 2001-2012. In the Ndop Cluster, her focus is literacy. The literacy team first taught people to create materials for people already literate to learn to read and write their own language. They helped groups make reading primers for those who did not go to school and trained people to teach these materials. Two Cameroonians (Daniel and Emmanuel) were trained to supervise new teachers. In 2013, the team began using a mother-tongue school program in a primary school in Bambalang (for class one through four). Along with Emmanuel, who is now the literacy co-ordinator for the cluster, Melody has helped the teachers acquire teaching skills and learn to use the program. They have seen encouraging results in teachers and students. In 2016, two more schools began the program. Melody helps train teachers, mentor Daniel and Emmanuel, and produce literacy materials. Church groups are encouraged to include literacy in their weekly meetings, so more people in the churches will be able to read the translated Scriptures. Dan began working on the basic linguistic study in Bambalang in 2003. He quickly transitioned to co-ordinating the work of the cluster as other missionary team members joined the project. He was involved in the training and mentoring of translation teams in the seven languages currently in the process of translation. Dan continues to co-ordinate and supervise the work in the cluster, with much of his time now involved in co-ordinating, budgeting and planning. He is also continues mentoring a co-worker and is involved in Scripture engagement projects (Luke film and Scripture audio recordings), along with regular meetings with the different translation teams and Inter-church committees. The Groves have three children: Caleb (soon to marry Courtney), Samuel (married to Laura), and Anna, who is finishing high school. Support our ministry GIVE NOW https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E341555QE&id=75 Previous Next

Our Vision - A world where translated Scriptures lead to transformed lives among people of all languages. Our Mission - Ending Bible poverty by facilitating the translation of God’s Word among minority language communities worldwide. Wycliffe Canada’s mission is to end Bible poverty by facilitating the translation of God’s Word among minority language communities worldwide. Our vision A world where translated Scriptures lead to transformed lives among people of all languages. Wycliffe in 60 Seconds from Wycliffe Bible Translators on Vimeo