Reason to be Excited

Adam during a recent tech training trip to Madagascar

It’s not just because he’s my son that I’m excited.  But what is happening through the Technology Advance team of Wycliffe Associate—which now does includes my son, Adam—has got to be one of the cutting-edge, history-making stories in world missions today.

For years, Bible translation has been the passion of people we called “Wycliffe missionaries.” These faithful linguists labored away, sometime for 30 or 40 years, in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable to transform God’s Word into a new language.

Today, however, “Wycliffe” is the label for a whole family of global organizations dedicated to translation work. One of those is Wycliffe Associates. Known for years as the agency that mobilizes volunteers to assist others doing translation work, WA now is dedicated to accelerating Bible translation using people in all sorts of new and creative ways. The Technology Advance division is the newest thrust in doing just that. Let me give a few examples:

·         In the past two years, the WA Tech Advance guys have installed more than 70 remote satellite transmitters and countless cell-phone repeater units in remote geographic areas connecting tribal villages with language consultant resources continents away.

·         Tech Advance staff, including Adam, are being deployed to equip and train “mother-tongue” translators with laptop computers and then provide training on how to use translation software such as ParaText.  Without question, the computer is the single most effective technology tool speeding the translation process, yet many grass-roots workers have never even touched one before and need patient, caring help to get started.

·         Looking for creative ways to break dependency on U.S. funds and resources, WA’s Tech Advance group has spearheaded the formation of small, profit-making companies that will help sustain local communication and language experts in the future allowing them to complete translation projects in their own country without needing outside subsidy. Eight such companies have already been started and more are on the way.

·         Currently, the Tech Advance team is in discussion with creators of proprietary commercial software that has powerful new capability to provide computer-based translation for such things as websites and textbooks. If the partnership is successful, it could revolutionize the speed at which Bible translation could get done for the remaining languages of the world that need it.      

     Every time I get to hang out with some of the WA Tech Advance guys, I learn about something new they are working on to further accelerate Bible translation. For example, Adam is currently deploying some cool new solar panel units that are more powerful, stronger, and much more portable than anything before.

     So, I want to strongly encourage you to click on this link to Adam’s own personal blog and learn more about his work with Wycliffe Associates: 

      http://keepintouchadamsblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/friends_21.html

d    And, while you’re at it… please consider joining his personal support team. There are few ministry investment opportunities out there with more multiplicative power to accelerate Bible translation than the sort of thing Adam and the WA Tech Advance Team are doing today.

Another Tech Advance staff member providing training in Nigeria