WordsforLife
Winter 2015/
Spring 2016
WordsforLife 1
wycliffe.org.uk
2 WordsforLife
Welcome
Light is essential for life. It is a crucial part of God’s creation. Without the light
that comes from the sun, nature could not function, plants could not grow, and
humans could not survive.
But there is another form of light that is also essential for life ‘to the full’
(John 10:10 NIV) – and that is the living word of God. Our theme verse for
this issue (see facing page) from Psalm 119:105 highlights how the Bible is an
essential life-giving light that directs us and illuminates our path.
The vision of Wycliffe is that God’s word should shine brightly in every
language, so that all peoples can know and experience the transforming light
that comes from deeply engaging with the Bible in the language that speaks
into their hearts, minds and souls.
In this issue of Words for Life we explore the importance and meaning of this
vision. We will hear from some of those who have been working for many
years to enable the word of God to shine as brightly as possible throughout
the world. We will also hear from others so inspired by this vision they have
recently dedicated themselves to Bible translation. And I hope that we will be
drawn to pray that the transforming light of God’s translated word will shine
ever more brightly into lives and communities throughout the entire world.
Alfred Thompson
Editor
E: [email protected]
In this issue…
P4 The big picture
P6 Heart language
P12 Some highlights of 2015
P14 Funding transformation
P16 Translation and transformation
P20 The wisdom of experience
P23 New members
Pray…
December Big picture, Language D, Christmas, World 2016
JanuaryWycliffe 2016, Iraq, Heart language,
Scripture engagement
FebruaryNew and retired members, Cambodia,
Wycliffe Global Alliance, Siberia
March
Burkina Faso, India, Bandial NT, Easter
Wycliffe Bible Translators,
The Clare Charity Centre,
Wycombe Road, Saunderton,
High Wycombe HP14 4BF
T: 0300 303 1111
E: [email protected]
Northern Ireland Office:
The Mount Business Centre,
2 Woodstock Link,
Belfast BT6 8DD
T: +44 (0)28 9073 5854
E: [email protected]
Designed and produced by
Wycliffe UK Ltd. is a charity
registered in England and Wales,
number 251233 and a charity
registered in Scotland,
number SC039140.
WordsforLife 3
Photo: Søren Kjeldgaard
The big
picture
Wycliffe cares about people: Evening sunlight
shines on boys playing football in Mozambique
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Why does Wycliffe
Bible Translators
exist? Perhaps the
answer is obvious: to
translate the Bible
into every language?
But in fact our
concern goes deeper
than translation alone. Our passion is to
enable all peoples to engage with the Bible
for themselves.
Wycliffe exists because we care about people.
We long to see individuals from every ‘tribe and
language and people and nation’ engaging with
the Bible for themselves. That is why translations
are needed.
We want people to engage with the Bible because
it is the word of God. By his Spirit, God is
speaking to people through what he has written
to us, so that anyone who takes the Bible’s
message to heart is led by God to faith in Jesus
and strengthened by him for lifelong discipleship.
It is not enough for people to have a Bible of
their own: we long for them to listen to its
message because we believe this remains one of
the primary ways that God changes lives today.
But for them to listen, reliable translations are
necessary. So we exist to enable all peoples
to engage with the Bible in their preferred
language—a language which speaks to their heart.
We are not an organisation primarily motivated by
linguistics, translation, or literacy. We care deeply
about those things because we care about people.
We are well known for translating the Bible
and teaching people to read, but those are our
methods, not our ultimate goal. Our goal in Bible
translation is to see lives transformed as people
engage with what God is saying in the Scriptures.
Wycliffe Bible Translators exists to
enable all peoples to engage with
the Bible in a language which
speaks to their hearts.
that we can run linguistics, translation, and
literacy programmes in our own strength. But
our focus on serving people means we are kept
dependent on God, for we cannot soften hard
hearts to enable people to hear God’s word,
neither can we open blind eyes to the light shone
in Scripture so that people see Christ. Only God
can bring this crucial change which we long to
see happen in communities around the world.
And so everything we do must be soaked in
prayer. We pray that God would enable our
work, but even more that he would use our
work to change the lives of the people he
cares so much about.
This is why we are so thankful to God for
our supporters. Everything Wycliffe does is a
partnership between you, our supporters, and
the translation teams around the world. The
work is enabled by your giving, providing for
translation projects around the world. But it is
made effective through your prayers, as God uses
translation to shine the light of his word, and the
light of Christ, into people’s heart.
James Poole, Executive Director
of Wycliffe Bible Translators
Photo: Elyse Patten
It is this desire to see people engage with the
Bible in their heart language which makes the
rest of our work both necessary and urgent.
One consequence is that Wycliffe’s work must be
built upon prayer. Humanly speaking, high levels
of technical expertise can give the impression
Wycliffe’s work is built upon prayer: A boy prays
in a church in Cape Town, South Africa
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Photo: Heather Pubols
Goma Mabele and his wife Jeanne
Heart language
‘God used his word to change me’, recounts
Lukas Posia, a Gwakatike literacy worker in
Papua New Guinea. He goes on to explain
that ‘when a person reads the Scriptures
in his own language, he understands the
word in his own heart. Men and women will
understand if we use their language.They
will really understand about Jesus Christ. In
English, John 3:16 is not meaningful to me,
but in my own language it is very clear. It is
full of meaning.’
The living word of God is – as the theme verse
for this issue of Words for Life from Psalm
119:105 describes – a light which directs us and
shines on our path. And the light that comes
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from engaging with the Bible can transform us
as well as the communities around us – as this
magazine’s centrepiece illustrates.
This is why a central part of the Wycliffe Bible
Translators UK vision statement is the desire for
all people to be able ‘to engage with the Bible in a
language which speaks to their heart’. When the
Bible is filtered through people’s second, third,
fourth or even fifth languages, it is inevitable that
its light is dimmed and its power to transform
is reduced. But when the Bible is encountered –
In my own language… it is full
of meaning
Photo: Taylor Martyn
People can actually begin to
absorb what the Bible says into
their hearts
Dr. Andy Alo
Rev. Jean David Modibale and his wife Bettina
especially for the first time – through a person’s
mother tongue or heart language, its transforming
light can shine into individual lives and the lives of
communities in extraordinary ways.
Goma Mabele, a Bible translator from the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), says that
seeing the impact of God’s word in his Mbandja
community makes all the time-consuming work
and difficulties of Bible translation worthwhile.
People in his community now ‘understand
forgiveness,’ Goma explains, ‘they understand...
that they need to love one another.’ He
continues: ‘People need the word of God in their
language, because that goes straight to their
hearts... It’s very important work for the wellbeing of the souls.’
In another part of the DRC, the Rev. Jean David
Modibale, speaking about the importance of the
Mayogo translation, noted that: ‘So often people
are Christian in their heads, but what they know
in their heads doesn’t reach their hearts. Their
heads and hearts are separated by a thick skin
of culture. However, when the Bible comes to
them in their mother tongue, that skin is pierced,
and people can actually begin to absorb what the
Bible says into their hearts; their lives begin to
change and they will see how to act on what God
teaches them in his word.’
The realisation that ‘the word of God was the
true light people needed for an everlasting joy
and life’ was what inspired Dr. Andy Alo to
become a lecturer in the translation department
of the Africa International University (AIU)
in Nairobi. ‘Many people may be multilingual,’
Andy says, ‘but their level of knowledge in those
languages is not as deep as the knowledge they
have in their mother tongue. The word of God is
more successfully communicated when it’s done
in the native language.’
Andy also observes that ‘if you want to go deep
into the knowledge of the word of God you need
also to use a language that can help you go deep
into your thinking and into your feelings.’ This
is why translation into a language which speaks
to people’s hearts is so essential for allowing
the transforming light of God’s word to shine as
brightly, and to go as deeply into our thinking and
feelings, as Psalm 119:105 shows us God intends.
A short video about the impact
heart language Bible translation
is having in Kenya can be found
online in Words for Life Extra wycliffe.org.uk/wflextra
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Photo: Marc Ewell
Praying for Bible translation
around the world
Wycliffe Prayer Diary
‘Everything we do must be soaked in prayer,’
writes James Poole, the Executive Director of
Wycliffe Bible Translators, in this magazine.
Prayer is the foundation on which all the work
of Wycliffe is built. Over the next four months
we will pray that God will further enable the
work of Wycliffe around the world and, even
more so, that God will use the work of Wycliffe
to transform individual lives and communities
as they engage with the light that comes from
encountering the Bible in their heart language.
You can sign up to receive these prayers as
either a daily or weekly email at:
wycliffe.org.uk/subscriptions
December
A number of articles in this edition of Words
for Life have explored the ‘big picture’ vision
of Wycliffe for all peoples to be able to know
the light that comes from engaging with God’s
word in their heart language. We will begin
this prayer diary by praying some ‘big picture’
prayers thanking God for all he is doing
through Bible translation, and also asking God
to further bless and inspire the work of Bible
translation now and in the future:
■ 1 Thank God for giving us the Bible and
that it directs us and shines a light on our
path (Psalm 119:105).
■ 2 Pray that the light that comes from the
Bible will shine brightly throughout the
whole world.
■ 3 Pray that the Holy Spirit will breathe life
into the words of Scripture for those who
read the Bible for the first time today.
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■ 4 Pray that as individuals and communities
around the world encounter the translated
word of God they will be transformed in
ways that only God can bring about.
■ 5 Ask that God will help us and inspire us to
persistently and consistently soak everything
we do in prayer rather than relying on our
own strength.
■6
Pray that the resurrection power of
Christ will bring healing and restoration to
broken communities around the world.
Call to Prayer
■ 7 Pray that all Wycliffe members will be
able to keep focused on the ultimate goal of
seeing lives transformed through the Bible –
especially when deeply immersed in the detail
of their day-to-day work.
■ 8 Praise God for the ongoing generosity
and faithfulness of Wycliffe supporters, both
financially and prayerfully, in their partnership
with Wycliffe members and projects
throughout the world.
■ 9 Thank God that this year Wycliffe has had
the financial resources to support a significant
number of translation projects throughout
the world.
■ 10 Pray that in the coming year Wycliffe will
be able to further increase its financial support
for Bible translation projects currently being
supported and will also have the resources to
support even more projects.
■ 11 Pray today for a particular Wycliffe member
you know or are aware of. Ask God to bless
and encourage that person today.
■ 12 Ask God that more people will be
inspired to commit to ongoing financial
and prayerful support of a specific Wycliffe
member or project.
■ 13 Ask that God will give James Poole wisdom,
inspiration, energy and grace as he leads
Wycliffe in the coming months.
The sun rises over the ocean in Cape Town,
South Africa: We pray that the light of the word
of God will also shine in every language
1 December – 20 December
The translated verse for this issue (page 2)
was from the West African Language D*. These
prayers come from the Language D* and
related Language E* translation teams.
■ 14 Praise God for the successful teamcheck and community check of four recently
completed translations of Old Testament
(OT) books in Language D*.
■ 15 Pray for for the drafting of Isaiah, the
only OT book remaining to be translated
into Language D*. Also pray that the eight
OT books remaining to be drafted in
Lanaguge E* will be completed as scheduled
during 2016.
■ 16 Please pray that the Language D and E*
Christians who have been ex-communicated
by their families/communities after accepting
Christ, will be able to find new homes among
other Language D and E* Christians.
■ 17 Ask God that the Language D and E*
projects will be able to find a donor to
support building a Christian rehabilitation
centre where Christians who have been excommunicated will be able to stay for a time
for spiritual nurturing and healing.
■ 18 Pray that the Language D and E*
mother tongue programme for primary
schools which began in 2015 will be
successful and will ensure many readers
of the translated Scriptures.
Photo: Rodney Ballard
■ 19 Please ask God that the Language D and
E* projects will be able to get funding to buy
a four-wheel drive vehicle in order to be able
to reach some, as yet unreached, remote
areas within the vast project area.
■ 20 Thank God that a new translator has
recently joined the team and pray for her
as she adjusts to her new role.
*Language D and E are pseudonyms
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Photo: Janeen Michie
In the Philippines a Christmas star lights
the darkness of a street at night
Christmas week is an opportunity to pray through
a series of verses about the birth of Jesus, our
Saviour. While we think and pray about these
verses we can also reflect on how the Bible translated into our language - is the primary
way we know about Jesus’ birth and what a
great privilege this is, even though we often
take it for granted.
■2
1 ‘But the angel said to her, “Do not be
afraid, Mary; you have found favour with
God.You will conceive and give birth to a
son, and you are to call him Jesus.” ’ (Luke
1:30-31 NIV) Thank God for Mary’s courage
in accepting and believing what God had called
her to do. Pray that we may be as courageous
in hearing and following God’s calling for us.
■2
2 ‘An angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in
her is from the Holy Spirit.” ’ (Matthew
1:20 NIV) Thank God that Joseph was prepared
to go against the norms of his society in
believing that his fiancée was pregnant through
the Holy Spirit. Pray that we may also have
the courage to follow the Holy Spirit when he
leads us in ways that are counter to the norms
of our culture.
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■ 23 ‘For nothing will be impossible with
God.’ (Luke 1:37 ESV) Praise God that nothing
is impossible with him - even bringing about
our redemption through Jesus. Thank God
that things that seem humanly impossible - like
translating the Bible into every language become possible with and through God.
■2
4 ‘So Joseph also went up from the
town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to Bethlehem… He went there to
register with Mary, who was pledged to
be married to him and was expecting
a child.’ (Luke 2:4-5 NIV) Thank God for
watching over Joseph and Mary as they
travelled to Bethlehem. There is a lot of
travelling involved in Bible translation,
sometimes to dangerous and remote places, so
pray for safe travel for all Wycliffe members.
■ 25 ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son
is given, and the government will be
on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’
(Isaiah 9:6 NIV) Praise God for the birth of our
Saviour and for the wonder of the incarnation.
Pray that we may never lose sight of the
miracle of God coming to earth and all that it
means for us and the world around us.
■2
6 ‘Wise men from the east came to
Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has
been born king of the Jews? For we saw
his star when it rose and have come to
worship him.” ’ (Matthew 2:1-2 ESV) Thank
God that the wise men recognised that the
light from the star signified the birth of King
Jesus. Pray that many people will recognise
the light of Jesus as it shines through the Bible
when they read it in their own language.
■2
7 ‘An angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take
the child and his mother, and flee to
Egypt, and remain there until I tell you,
for Herod is about to search for the child,
to destroy him.” ’ (Matthew 2:13 NIV) Early
in his life Jesus was a refugee. Pray that God will
be with the many refugees in our world today.
Ask that the peace and comfort of God may
surround them.
Call to Prayer
A satellite picture of Earth
21 December – 10 January
As 2016 begins we pray for various departments
within Wycliffe in the UK and their plans for the
coming year.
Photo: NASA
■ 4 Please pray for wisdom and energy for
the Personnel team as they support over
300 active UK members in a wide range of
assignments around the world, along with
their families (around 164 under 18s and
undergraduates), not forgetting the
UK-based staff!
This week we pray big prayers for the world
during 2016:
■ 28 Pray that wars will cease and God’s
peace will reign over the earth.
■2
9 Pray that all peoples will come to know
the living God.
■ 30 Pray that God’s healing will restore those
in pain.
■3
1 Pray that the light of God’s word will
shine like the sun around the world.
January
■ 1 This New Year’s Day pray for new
beginnings of the kind only God can
bring about.
■2
As the period of the Global Goals /
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
between 2016-2030 begins, pray that God
will use these goals to encourage health,
education and literacy throughout the world.
■ 3 Pray for God’s blessing upon a country,
region or people group close to your heart.
■ 5 Pray for wisdom for the IT department in
knowing how to deal with the problems that
come their way so that they can concentrate
on the longer term projects that enable
people to do their work more efficiently.
■ 6 Pray that the Communications team will
communicate passionately and accurately
what God is doing around the world through
Bible translation.
■ 7 Ask God for this to be a year of focus, unity
and prosperity for the Church Engagement
(CE) team - that the whole team would focus
on key strategic goals, that they would be
united in the adventure, and that the Lord
would bring prosperity for us as the team
partners with churches across the UK
and Ireland.
■ 8 Pray that the Lord would guide the CE
team as they continue to engage individuals,
churches, universities and schools throughout
Ireland. Pray God would help them to make
new contacts with churches especially in the
Republic of Ireland.
■ 9 Pray for the Scottish CE team that it would
be possible to run a First Steps course in
Scotland in the spring. Pray also for energy
over the coming term as they travel around
Scotland to meet with churches and students.
■ 10 Pray that the work of the Communications
and Church Engagement teams would
encourage and inspire the local church to
be passionate in their mission.
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Some highlights of 2015
Photo: Tim Robinson
Celebrating the Ncham Bible dedication
Scripture dedications
Completed New Testaments or full Bible translations are always a main highlight of the Wycliffe
year! A completed translation is the result of many years and hours of dedicated work. This year
there have been a number of completed translations that Wycliffe members were involved in, some
of which are pictured here.
1 Ncham translator Samuel with some of the new Bibles 2 The Bandial New Testament
3 Celebrating the Bandial New Testament 4 Holding the Ncham Bible
5 On stage at the *Husa dedication (*pseudonym) 6 On stage at the Bandial dedication
Photos 1 and 4: Tim Robinson Photos 2,3 and 6: Romain and Marianne / Wycliffe France
1
2
3
4
5
6
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Photo: Hannah Huber
The participants of the Two Week Stint
relax at Crussol, near Valence in France
Two Week Stint
For the third year running the Two Week Stint took place in France. Twelve participants – from
eight countries, four continents, and six mother tongue languages – took part in bilingual
workshops geared towards students and young people interested in exploring more about Bible
translation and working with Wycliffe. Find out more about the Two Week Stint in 2016
at: wycliffe.org.uk/twoweekstint
Wycliffe stand at GOfest
GO Festival
New office in Belfast
The Belfast office moved to The Mount in
June. From this new space the Northern
Ireland based team will seek to communicate
the importance of Bible translation to a wide
variety of churches and people.
GOfest 2015 was a great success! The Wycliffe
team was one of the key partners at the UK’s
largest annual mission festival where it was
great to see many mission agencies working
together to promote mission. This was the last
year GOfest was at Bulstrode, but it will be
continuing in a new location in 2016. Listen to
the talks from 2015 and find out more about
GOfest 2016 at gofestival.info.
Church Engagement team expands
This year the UK Church Engagement team welcomed Ricky
Ferguson (left) as the Northern Ireland team leader and Josh
Oldfield (right) as a student worker based in Scotland.
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Funding transformation
The British-based supporters of Wycliffe
are a fantastic and generous group. I know
this, not just because I see the response
from you when we write in relation to
a specific need, but because I see the
dedicated, resolute support for the 415
or so UK members and a range of
language projects.
In our last financial year (October 2014 –
September 2015), in addition to the ongoing
committed funding for members, we will have
given over £400,000 in particular support of
specific projects, providing for salaries, IT support,
translation consultants, training and much, much
more. Prayerfully, we are making plans to increase
the amount we give, and the number of projects
we give to, in subsequent years.
14 WordsforLife
Photo: Romain and Marianne / Wycliffe France
Reading the Bandial NT in
Senegal for the first time at
the dedication – a project
that Wycliffe supported
In fact, you are so generous that even when we
don’t ask for money, you give. It’s not just your
reaction to appeals, and donations in response
to our publications that count, but also all the
one-off, special gifts that come in as a result of
a church’s gift service, someone’s work bonus, a
lump sum received upon retirement, or a legacy
that’s left from a supporter’s promotion to glory.
Every gift contributes
All these gifts – both small and large – add up and
each of them contributes towards the impact of
this work. An alphabet developed in a community
can bring the first shoots of education to that
community. A writing system allows for wider
communication and the preservation of a social
history. Scripture portions encourage the church
and enable Bible study groups to form. The
New Testament strengthens the church,
equips the ministers and allows churches
to be planted.
Our motivation for Bible translation
extends beyond the physical publication of
printed books or the distribution of audio
Scriptures; it is the desire that people and
communities would be transformed through a
relationship with Christ Jesus.
We know that engagement
with Scripture is the most
significant catalyst for that
relationship to flourish, so our
work has purpose; but we also
know that salvation is a gift
of God, ‘lest any man should
boast’ (Eph 2:8-9).
Ernest Kenga shows his
joy at the dedication
of the Oku NT in
Cameroon – a project
that Wycliffe supported.
So please continue to give
and be generous because
the light that comes
from Bible translation
has a wonderful impact
on the lives of individuals
and communities. But don’t
let your giving get in the way of
your praying. When all the studying, writing,
printing and publishing is done, it is God’s
Spirit breathing life into those words that
brings about the greatest lasting impact.
Phil Prior
Photo: Alan McCormick
Funding can, and often does, have a
direct impact on the transformation of a
community. And yet there is a limit to what
funding alone can achieve.
Don’t let your
giving get in
the way of
your praying
We’d love to connect you with a member or project so that you can support
them prayerfully, financially and through encouragement on an ongoing
basis. You can find out more by using wycliffe.org.uk/connect
Or you can call our Response Centre on 0300 303 1111
(or +44 (0)1494 569100 if calling from outside the UK)
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A Kurdish solider
The latest report from both Iraq and Syria is that
God’s word is spreading and being welcomed. In
both countries there is a sense of opportunity
and openness for the work of the Spirit and the
spread of the word.
Iraqi Kurdistan
The UN reports that there are 3.2 million
internally displaced people in Iraq. Many of
these people have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, along
with 250,000 Syrian refugees. International
organisations and the regional government have
been struggling to support these huge numbers
of homeless people through recent harsh winters
and summers in camps and makeshift homes.
It is not an ideal situation for beginning a new
life, since in many cases there has been a lack of
adequate health services and a lack of education
for children. These pressures on services along
with electricity and water shortages, dramatic
rent increases and significant delays in salary
payments are also causing problems for many
permanent residents of Iraqi Kurdistan. Morale
is low, and in recent months, well over 10,000
Kurdish residents have risked money and life to
flee to Europe. While the majority of the Kurdish
Region is enjoying safety, the need to defend its
borders from ISIS is ongoing and continues to
cost lives.
■ 11 Pray for the Kurdish Regional Government
and international organisations to acquire and
steward the necessary resources to provide
for the region. They need wisdom and courage
to make good decisions in these difficult times.
■ 12 Pray for people to find new ways of making
money to support their families. The upheaval
of people leaving for Europe seems to be
drawing new seekers to the house churches.
■ 13 Pray that in this time of openness God’s
word will go out boldly and clearly and be
welcomed by more and more people. Pray that
God’s word would also continue to spread
among soldiers and provide hope.
People in need in Iraq (not just in Iraqi Kurdistan)
According to the UN there are 8.6 million people
in need in Iraq. Many are living in sub-standard
temporary housing and have lost family members.
Everyone has experienced trauma, and many
people (especially children and Yezidi women) are
still in captivity, held as slaves or child soldiers
of ISIS. Some have escaped or been bought back
with cash. There is a limited amount of trauma
care being provided using various approaches,
including Scripture-based trauma healing. For
further information see: unitedbiblesocieties.
org/news/helping-iraqs-christian-refugeeswho-cant-leave-iraq/
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■ 14 Pray for Jesus’ light to shine on those
imprisoned in dark situations. Ask for healing
and revelation of God’s love and cleansing
power for those who feel broken and defiled.
■ 15 Pray for Scripture-based trauma healing to
be received well and impact many. Give thanks
for the work of the Spirit among the displaced.
Some are beginning to put their hope in Jesus.
■ 16 Much of Iraq is dominated by ISIS.
Residents in such areas who have not fled are
subject to the strict regime where even mild
A Kurdish solider greets
an older woman
forms of dissent are punishable by death. Pray
for those living under or as part of this regime.
■ 17 Ask for freedom in their hearts and minds
to be able to discern between good and evil
and to love what is good. Ask for a way out for
those who are forced into doing evil.
■ 18 Pray for believers to be faithful and wise
and to honour the Lord in whatever way he
directs. Ask for miracles that will show Jesus’
power and authority and turn hearts to him.
■ 19 Pray for families in our partner organisation
Aramaic Bible Translation who are
immediately and painfully impacted by events
in the region. These families have the papers to
leave the country and have refused to do so at
risk to their lives in order to encourage other
Aramaic background families who cannot leave.
They feel that God has a place and a purpose
for them in these countries and are deciding
to stay (and some are even returning to the
region from the US and other countries) in
obedience to God’s calling on their lives. Pray
for their safety. Pray for their words and deeds
to encourage those they live with, that they
will be light and salt in desperate situations.
Call to Prayer
11 January – 24 January
■ 21 Pray for those who decide to leave, that
they will find safety, food and shelter. Pray that
among their fellow travellers, they will connect
with those whose lives demonstrate the life
and love of the Saviour. In the mass migrations
are people of all backgrounds.
■ 22 Pray that God will use this time to touch
hearts and lives and make life-long friendships
that would otherwise have been impossible.
■ 23 Pray for children caught in the crush, that
their lives, minds and hearts will be protected
from trauma and despair.
■ 24 Pray for those who have given welcome,
food, rest and shelter as well as a home
and haven to those who have had their
lives uprooted. Pray that God will bless the
generous. Let the Spirit be our guide as we
keep crying out in prayer.
The Arabic ‘N’
(nun) which
signifies ‘Christian’
■ 20 Pray that those places that are swelling with
refugees will have sufficient food, electricity,
water and other resources.
WordsforLife 19
Over the last year, three Wycliffe members have retired
after dedicating many years of service to bringing the
light of God’s word to people without the Bible in their
heart language - although ‘retirement’ is often a more
theoretical than practical concept for Wycliffe members!
Over the next few pages we hear about their inspiring
stories of working in Bible translation:
Margaret Landon with
her co-worker Trudi
Pleis outside the Toussian
project office
Margaret Langdon
(member 1970-2015)
Having once been mistaken for a Bible college
student and then challenged to consider it, at
work the next day I found Matthew 7:7 stuck
on a cupboard – ‘Ask and you will receive…’
Similarly my call to Wycliffe came unexpectedly as
I waited to talk to a Wycliffe member – ‘Arise for
this is your task …’ (Ezra 10:4)
My early experience in the early 1970s at the
newly opened Wycliffe Centre at Horsleys Green,
was typical of my later life. I started on my knees
grappling with piles of literature to be sent
out to interested supporters; later volunteers
came in to help out. I graduated to chief cook
for conferences after I volunteered to wash up;
fortunately in those days conferences were not
too sophisticated. My vast experience gained
by helping out in the student shop qualified me
to take on the book-keeping in Ghana when I
arrived there in 1973.
Later in Ghana I worked on the linguistics of
the Mampruli language, and set up a literacy
programme for the Konkombas. Then I spent
some years ‘in the wilderness’ in England,
working in the library and helping my father
through the last years of his life, before a change
in direction to Zaire (now the Democratic
Republic of Congo) where I helped with general
administration and the Ngbaka project. I spent
Margaret Langdon’s first
prayer card in 1970
22 very happy years in Burkina Faso from 19892011 setting up literacy programmes for the
Karaboros and the Dogosés and then finally
getting into Bible translation with the Toussian
people following the death of a colleague. In 2011
I moved back to Ghana to help Pat Herbert with
the final stages of the D g Bible.
My latest job appears to be caring for my brother
who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I have
moved into an area of Glasgow where they say
64 different languages are spoken. How can I be
of service here?
Margaret’s advice for new members: The one constant has been change!
I have found that God gives unexpected gifts. I believe he has given me
the ability to do most things adequately, although not brilliantly, and in most
jobs he has given me joy. ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might …’ (Ecc - 9:10)
20 WordsforLife
Gillian and her friend and colleague
Con in Canada in 2010
Gillian Story
(member 1959-2015)
I think my time with Wycliffe is best summarised
under four headings: the four places where Con
Naish and I have spent most of our time. We’ve
been involved in two language projects and those
involvements alternated with two periods in
which we’ve been consultants with members of
the North America branch, me on the linguistic
side working within one language family, and Con
in translation with teams scattered between
Florida and northern Alaska.
■ Angoon, Alaska, US Tlingit language. 1959-1970
■ Goodlow, northern British Columbia, Canada.
1972-1979
■ Rae-Edzo, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Dogrib language. 1979-1987
■ Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 1987-2010
I started in Alaska, as the north had had an
attraction for me for a long time, so when
Wycliffe was beginning work in Alaska, it
was natural for me to express an interest
in that opening.
The two language projects, in Alaska and RaeEdzo, were very different experiences. For one
thing, Angoon Alaska is roughly the same latitude
as Inverness in Scotland and the coastal climate
there was not much different from what we
were used to in England. Rae-Edzo, on an arm
of the Great Slave Lake in northern Canada, has
winters in which there might be snow on the
Gillian Story’s passport
picture from 1959
ground continuously from October till May and
in which temperatures could sometimes drop
down to -40 C (same as -40 F).
The people were very different. Friendships
came much more readily among the Tlingit
than among the Dogrib.
Unfortunately, the Tlingit language was spoken
fluently by only the older people and for that
reason in respect of translation we only worked
on the Gospel of John and did not stay to do
more. In the Dogrib assignment as it turned
out we worked mostly in literacy. The
translation of the Dogrib New Testament
was guided to completion by colleagues who
followed us there.
Gillian’s advice to new members: Cut
down on the baggage - literal and
figurative! Figurative baggage? For
example, that the non-local translator
goes to ‘do’ the translation. Though
it is realised these days, I think, that
the real translators need to be the
local speakers who have a degree
of control of the language and
culture that the non-locals will
hardly ever have.
At the time of going to print we heard the sad
news that Con Naish had passed away.
WordsforLife 21
Mary and friends in Ghana
Mary Steele
(member 1959-2014)
I suppose many children think and dream about
what they will do when they ‘grow up.’ I was no
exception. I felt I would like to do something
worthwhile, something that would still be there
after I had gone.
I decided to take nursing training and then go on
to do midwifery training, so that I could serve as
a nurse in a mission hospital. In 1946, I started
training as a nurse in Belfast and then I went to
Glasgow to do my midwifery training. As the end
of the training was approaching, I came across an
ad for nurses to serve with the Grenfell Medical
Mission, which was dedicated to serving the
medical needs of the Deep Sea Fishermen who
fished the waters along the coasts of Labrador
and Newfoundland in Canada. I applied and
was assigned to a nursing station on the south
coast of Labrador, situated on an inlet which by
coincidence was called St. Mary’s Harbour.
After three years serving with the Grenfell
Mission, I came back to the UK and heard of a
need for nurses in a Church of Scotland hospital
in South Africa. I responded to that call and spent
a very enjoyable time in South Africa. It was while
there that I became aware of the need for Bible
translation and had my call to that work. On an
outing one day we visited a team who were doing
Mary receiving her MBE in 2006
translation into one of the languages in South
Africa. I thought to myself, ‘What a wonderful
work that is!’ I hadn’t realised before that the
Bible hadn’t yet been translated into so many of
the world’s languages.
I then went to attend Bible school in Glasgow.
There I found several students who were
members of Wycliffe Bible Translators, which I
had never heard of before. But as soon as I heard
about the work of Wycliffe I felt that that was
what I had been searching for all along. I also
discovered that Wycliffe held a training course
for Bible translators every summer in the south
of England. So I took the course that year and
at the end of it applied to become a member of
Wycliffe. At that time they were planning to start
work in Ghana and, to my delight, I was assigned
there. During my fifty-three years serving in
Ghana, God has given me the privilege of being
involved in the translation of two complete Bibles
– the Konkomba Bible and also the Bimoba Bible.
Mary’s advice for new members:
Remember that God has promised
that his ‘word will not return unto
him void, but will accomplish what
he pleases, and prosper in the thing
whereto he has sent it.’
(Isaiah 55:11 ERV)
A short video about Mary Steele’s work can be found online in
Words for Life Extra – wycliffe.org.uk/wflextra
22 WordsforLife
The last year has also brought
the excitement of new
members joining Wycliffe.
Here they tell us about how
God has led them to become
members and about their
plans for the future:
New members
Phil and Tany Prior
I remember watching, seven years ago, a video of
George Cowan (which you can see at wycliffe.
org.uk/wflextra) speaking passionately about
the riches he enjoys in having such complete
access to the Bible. He also talks about the
challenge that comes with that: if the Bible means
so much to him, shouldn’t he want the same for
everyone else? That video spurred me to want to
play a part in sharing the biblical riches I enjoyed.
My professional background was in marketing so
I was given the opportunity to lead the Wycliffe
UK Communications team and help raise
awareness of the need for Bible translation.
I had recently become engaged, was full of
enthusiasm and ready to volunteer.
Seven years later I’m now married to Tany and
a father to Amy and Sophie. Experience has
been added to my enthusiasm and my volunteer
status with Wycliffe has been replaced by
employment. But now, as a family, we find God
leading us on to become Wycliffe members,
rather than employees. As a member I’ll be
working with the Wycliffe Global Alliance,
applying my skills, experience and enthusiasm in
helping the organisations of the Global Alliance
to communicate with each other and the public.
All Wycliffe members need to be supported in
prayer and financially by a team of supporters,
so as a family we find ourselves speaking to
churches, friends and groups (sometimes sharing
that George Cowan video), asking if others would
enable us to serve in this way.
The joy of working with the Wycliffe Global
Alliance is in the fact that we are truly a global
network of organisations working in partnership.
This partnership is built on good communication,
so my priority will be to help the organisations
communicate with each other and raise
awareness of the 1,500 language projects Wycliffe
is involved in and the 180 million people without
the Bible in their heart language.You can read
more about us at philprior.co.uk
WordsforLife 23
Helen Fisher
My name is Helen Fisher. I live in Chesterfield
and I currently work as a children’s Speech and
Language Therapist in the NHS. After enjoying
trips to Africa with Tearfund and Compassion, I
felt that I would like to do some kind of Christian
service overseas. As I explored God’s possible
call of serving with Wycliffe, I attended Wycliffe
events, (First Steps, The Next Step, and the Two
Week Stint) and felt led to apply. My church
has been very supportive and encouraging of
my application. I plan to do some cross-cultural
Marie South
It started - no, not with a kiss as the hit song goes
- but with a little pink book given to me whilst
still at junior school. Page after page contained
renditions of John 3:16 in different languages,
together with an explanation that multitudes
still could not access the Bible in a language
they could really understand. I was shocked and
hooked! I knew that I wanted to be involved in
the Bible translation task.
Fast-forward more than thirty years: I have
completed education, served as a short-term
Lizzie Poole
When researching gap year opportunities I came
across Wycliffe’s website. I’ve always enjoyed
languages and the information about linguistic
work sparked my interest, especially when it said
that people with mathematical backgrounds often
make good linguists! I was drawn to Wycliffe’s
website again and again, reading accounts of how
people groups who have the Bible in their mother
tongue are given a sense of worth and how, most
importantly, they can more easily come to a lifechanging understanding of the gospel.
I did a study year abroad in Poland in order to
gain experience of a different language group. I
loved learning Polish, discovering patterns in the
way it worked and comparing it with English and
24 WordsforLife
training in spring 2016 and then go to
Redcliffe College in July 2016. I then hope to
go to Nigeria in 2017 to be involved in Scripture
engagement. I take for granted that I can read
my Bible daily in my heart language and it would
be an honour and a gift for me to be part of the
process that enables someone one day to have
the Bible in their heart language.
As I begin my journey with Wycliffe, I am excited
about going on an adventure with God in which
I learn to trust him without boundaries. I am
thankful that God promises to give me strength
assistant with Wycliffe, thrived and survived
through a career as a pharmaceutical statistician
and volunteered with Wycliffe Global Alliance
partner, MissionAssist. Out of the blue, a friend
invited and challenged me to consider (again)
applying to serve through Wycliffe. The rest, as
they say, is history.
Having left paid employment I am now preparing
for a UK-based role with one of Wycliffe’s
partner organisations SIL Eurasia Area, which
serves many places in the Muslim world. Right
now, I am building relationships with those whom
God may be calling into prayerful and financial
Spanish. This, along with attending the Wycliffe
and Me day in 2010, made joining Wycliffe seem
a real possibility. I then worked as a ministry
apprentice to gain experience of full-time
ministry. I went on The Next Step conference in
2012 and in praying and talking with my church
leaders was encouraged to apply. I was accepted
in February 2015.
Currently, I am studying at Redcliffe College
which partners with Wycliffe and SIL to provide
the academic training. This runs until December
and I hope to begin my initial assignment in
early 2016. After an 18-24 month period on the
field I will return to Redcliffe to complete the
MA in Field Linguistics. The details are yet to
be confirmed but I expect to be working on a
linguistic project in Tanzania.
to do all things. I am looking forward to learning
together with the people I meet. My life has
been changed, because I know in my heart from
reading the Bible that God is my father who loves
me and sent his son Jesus to die for me so that
I can be forgiven and have eternal life. My prayer
would be that the lives and hearts of people I
may meet in Nigeria will similarly be changed and that will be wonderful!
partnership with me. Next year I will be leading
a team helping individuals involved in language
programmes to develop their consultancy and
leadership skills.
As I start with Wycliffe I have three major hopes
and dreams: that I will get to know God better,
that I will experience true partnerships with my
new work colleagues, and that I will be able to be
a true partner with those who support me, so
that together we can enthuse and share in what
God is doing through his translated word around
the world.
Wycliffe members do not receive a
salary; instead, they rely on raising
support from friends, family and
churches to enable them to follow
their calling to work with Wycliffe.
If you would like to support one
of these new members financially,
prayerfully and through encouragement
please go to wycliffe.org.uk/support, or
you can call our Response Centre on
0300 303 1111 (from outside the UK
call: +44 (0)1494 569100). We will
take your contact details and ask the
member in question to contact you.
Thank you.
WordsforLife 25
Promoted to glory
Count on us
Mick Foster
Wycliffe in the UK in 2015
Mick Foster died on 12th October 2014. He
and his wife, Margaret, joined Wycliffe in 1968
and worked as translators and linguists in
Papua New Guinea with the Timbe people.
The Timbe New Testament was published
in 1988. The family returned to the UK on
home leave in 1990, and after a period in the
UK where Mick was Assistant Director of
Communications, Mick and Margaret moved to
Saint Petersburg in 1994. Mick worked over
the next 20 years as a translation consultant
and trainer for several language projects in
Russia, working consistently to pass on his
expertise and experience to others, with
humility, gentleness and good humour. He is
survived by Margaret and their two sons, John
and Duncan.
6 births
3 weddings
Leslie Pride
510 people in total
Leslie Pride and Kitty Dadswell were both
accepted as members in 1956. In 1959 they
married in Mexico where they carried out the
first survey with the Chatino people. Later
they settled in Tataltepec De Valdez and in
1981 the Tataltepec Chatino New Testament
was dedicated. They continued to work in
Mexico, focusing on literacy and Scripture use
and working on the Chatino Old Testament. In
1998 they returned to the UK and in 1999 they
joined Wycliffe Associates UK where they were
active in the Easy English Programme. They
continued translation checking and archiving
Chatino oral text. In 2001 they retired from
active service but still made occasional visits
to Mexico. Their vision continued to be that of
seeing pastors reading and using the Chatino
Scriptures, and of young people learning to
read Chatino. After a short illness Kitty died
on 12th July 2010. On 14th January 2012 Leslie
married Betty Forshaw, a former colleague
from their days in Mexico. Betty was invaluable
in caring for Leslie during his illness until his
passing on 6th February 2015.
■ 4 15 members, including 9 members
in training and 96 retired members
■ 33 volunteers
■ 15 employees
■ 9 board members
■ 38 honorary members
26 WordsforLife
Call to Prayer
25 January – 7 February
On page 6 we explored the meaning of having
the Bible in people’s heart language:
■2
5 Pray for Lukas Posia and the Gwakatike
literacy project in Papua New Guinea.
Ask that God will bless the work of this
project today.
February
This week we pray for our new and
retiring members:
■ 26 Ask God to give Goma Mabele strength,
wisdom and endurance as he works on
translating the Bible into the heart language
of people from the Democratic Republic
of Congo.
■ 27 Pray for Rev. Jean David Modibale as he
teaches the Scriptures – that God would use
his work so that the word of God reaches deep
into people’s hearts and transforms their lives.
■ 28 Pray for Dr. Andy Alo and the important
work of the translation department of the
African International University (AIU) in
Nairobi. Ask God to be with the students
as they learn about translation.
■ 1 Pray that Marie South would make
good transitions: from industry to Bible
translation; from a bustling work-place to
home-based working; from serving scientists
and patients to serving language workers
and communities.
■ 2 Pray that the Scripture engagement
team that Helen Fisher will join in Nigeria
may know God’s guidance, wisdom and
protection as they seek to share the good
news about Jesus.
■ 3 Pray that as Phil and Tany Prior seek
prayerful and financial support to serve
with the Global Alliance, they would point
people to God and what he’s doing through
the Bible translation movement. Also pray
for Tany, Amy and Sophie when work takes
Phil away from home - pray for health, safety
and security when they are apart and happy
reunions when he returns.
The prayer module Encountering God’s
Word, which encourages prayer for Scripture
engagement throughout the world is now
available from: wycliffe.org.uk/fpmodules
■ 29 Pray for God’s Spirit to open hearts and
minds, so that those who read or hear the
Bible in their heart language will accept the
truth of who Jesus is.
■ 30 Please pray for Scripture engagement
workers around the world as they seek to
encourage people of every language to engage
with the truth of the Bible.
■ 31 Ask God that his word will touch people’s
hearts in many languages around the world
today and that lives will be transformed.
Photo: Rodney Ballard
Engaging
with the
Bible
■ 4 Praise God that Lizzie Poole has had
a good start to training and a smooth
adjustment back to full-time studying. Pray
for her ongoing support-raising as her start
date, to some extent, depends on this.
■ 5 Give thanks to God for the residence in
which Gillian Story and Con Naish are living
in Lindfield, Sussex. Pray that they may be salt
and light among the staff and fellow residents.
■ 6 Pray for Margaret Langdon as she cares for
her brother who has Parkinson’s and as she
seeks to serve God in her new home
in Glasgow.
■7
Ask God that as Mary Steele continues to
travel to Ghana from time to time that she
will be a blessing – and will be blessed – in
all that she does.
WordsforLife 27
■ 9 Praise God that some literacy classes have
now developed into Bible study groups.
Thank God that for the first time, the Bunong
created new songs of praise in their own
traditional music style, using both modern
and traditional instruments.
A Cambodian boy
balances a tray
of food
Photo: Ari Vitikainen
■ 10 Ask God to give the translation team
perseverance, joy and wisdom as they finish
drafting and checking the final parts of the
New Testament in two different scripts.
The cover image of this issue comes from
Cambodia, where God is doing exciting things
through Bible translation. This week our prayers
and praises come from the translation teams
working in the Central Mnong (Bunong) area
of Cambodia:
■ 8 Praise God that more than half of the
Central Mnong (Bunong) New Testament is
now in print and more than 1,000 Scripture
portions have already been sold.
The Wycliffe Global Alliance is a network of
around 120 organisations around the world that
serve the Bible translation movement.
■ 15 Pray that together we would be sensitive
to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
■ 16 The Alliance’s communications team
provides support to these 120 organisations
around the world through providing practical
resources and training. Pray that the Alliance
would serve well and be sensitive to the needs
of different groups.
■1
7 The Alliance communications team is changing
to better serve these organisations, this means
new relationships and new challenges. Pray that
the team handles change well and that members
of the team listen to each other and support and
encourage one another.
■ 18 This communications team is looking
to develop video resources that can help
28 WordsforLife
■ 11 Pray that God will guide the translation
project through the next step of typesetting
the New Testament.
■ 12 Pray for the continued successful
production of audio recordings. Last year
people were excited to receive the recorded
Gospel of Luke on mp3 players made available
to them below cost.
■ 13 Pray that the Holy Spirit will transform the
Bunong people (pop. 27,000) as they listen to
and read the available Scriptures.
■ 14 Pray that the Bunong people will overflow
with love for others as a result of God’s love
for them.
supporters capture the vision of the Bible
translation movement. Pray for this global
team to work well together and that God
would protect them and their equipment.
■ 19 The team manages a global website with
most content made available in at least five
languages. Please pray for the technology that
makes this website possible and for the small
team that maintains and updates it.
■2
0 In May 2016 the leaders of all the Wycliffe
organisations will gather together for a week
to pray, encourage one another, celebrate
and look to where God is leading us. Please
pray for this gathering.
■2
1 There are a number of very small
organisations within the Alliance. Pray that
God would strengthen and encourage them,
enabling them to serve their local churches.
Call to Prayer
8 February – 6 March
Photo: Marc Ewell
Siberian moon
Bible translation work among the people of
Siberia continues:
■2
2 Pray for these minority people groups in
Siberia to be open to the word, for their hearts
to be prepared by the Lord to receive his good
news: Chukchi, Dolgan, Khanty, Even, Evenki,
Koryak, Nanai, Nenets, Nivkh, Udighe and Yakut.
■2
3 Pray for the work that is being planned
and carried out amongst these people groups
– working on the translation of a set of audio
Bible stories, and other Scripture materials.
■ 24 Many of the ethnic languages spoken by
these people are endangered. Pray for wisdom
and guidance to know how best to implement
language development and documentation
activities, which are a powerful way to
demonstrate that God cares about them, their
culture and their languages.
■ 25 Pray for the political and economic situation
in Russia, that it will not affect travel and visa
applications in a way that hinders the work.
■ 26 Pray for greater local involvement and
ownership as well as good collaboration with
partner organisations.
On Page 20 Margaret Langdon told us about
some of the projects she has been
involved in:
■ 29 Pray for the Konkomba translation
project as recently an interim committee
was established to see how the project
could be revived. Pray for wisdom
and inspiration for the members of
this committee.
March
■ 1 Ask God that the Konkomba people
would embrace the revived project and
that committed and dedicated people will
come forward to fill the vacancies that
have been advertised.
■ 2 Pray for the health of the translators
involved in the Toussian project and that
they will be able to complete the New
Testament in the near future.
■ 3 Ask that God will provide many other
opportunities for the leaders of the
Toussian project to serve him after the
publication of the New Testament.
■ 4 Pray for funding of the Old Testament
translation so that the Toussian can have
the whole Bible in their language and that
the translation will lead to many Toussian
people becoming Christians.
■ 27 Pray for spiritual growth, health and
protection for everyone involved in the work,
especially as most of the teams have to travel
to villages in isolated locations and the harsh
climate makes travelling difficult.
■ 5 For the Dogosse project, pray for the
final steps of the translation process
before type-setting (ie harmonisation,
references, glossary, footnotes, and
corrections) and pray for the dedication of
the Dogosse New Testament during 2016.
■ 28 Pray for the new workers who are
preparing to join some of these teams:
especially for those in need of more financial
support, and for those in need of more clarity
as to which steps to take and when.
■ 6 Pray that the Dogosse people who are
reading the Dogosse Scriptures, watching
the JESUS Film and listening to audio
recordings of the Bible, will be open to
the light of God.
WordsforLife 29
Photo: Elyse Patten
A rickshaw drives along a busy street in India
The vibrant country of India is the second
most populated country in the world with over
1.2 billion people, of whom 27.8 million are
Christians. It is a country with 447 languages,
of which 237 have no Bible translation. Wycliffe
has recently published a new prayer module
about Bible translation in India, from which these
prayers are taken.You can download the full
prayer module, which can be used personally,
with a home group or in a church prayer meeting
from: wycliffe.org.uk/fpmodules
■ 7 Praise God for recently published portions
of Scripture (Luke and Titus) in the ‘Kw’*
language and ‘Kd’* language. Please pray that
the message of the Lord would spread rapidly
and be honoured by all who read them. (2
Thess 3:1 NIV)
■ 8 Thank God for the speakers of the ‘Kn’*
language and that they now have access to the
gospels of Mark and Luke, as well as the book
of James. Pray that God will give them the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation to know him better
as they read God’s word (Eph 1:17 NIV).
■ 9 Praise God for the translation training course
at Serampore College. Thank him for each
of the students who have already completed
training and pray that they are able to impact
their language communities for the gospel.
■ 10 Thank God for the current students
training in translation and ask God to help
them complete their studies well. Also pray
that potential students will find the finances
needed to study.
■ 11 Oral storytelling is an important part of
Bible translation in India: A young bride was
thrown out from her home because she
was childless. Too ashamed to return to her
30 WordsforLife
parents, she wanted to die by suicide. But
she heard a storyteller recite the account of
Hannah’s prayer, and has instead learned to
bring her needs to Jesus. Pray that many others
will find Jesus through Bible storytellers.
■ 12 Pray for the 15+ Indian consultants-intraining who are learning to check crafted Bible
stories for accuracy and naturalness. Pray that
they will receive insight and guidance from
God’s Spirit in their checking work.
■ 13 Wycliffe India is working hard to put translated
Scripture into audio format. Please pray that God
will provide all the necessary resources and voices
for each audio Bible recording.
*All language names are pseudonyms for security reasons
On page 12 we saw pictures from the
Bandial NT dedication. Georges is working to
encourage people to engage with the Bandial NT:
■ 14 Pray for the right people to be recruited
for Georges’ team for a campaign going from
village to village to promote the sale and use
of the Bandial Scriptures. Ask God for wisdom,
patience and strength for Georges as he puts
together and leads this team.
■ 15 When Georges became a Christian he
explained to his father that there were certain
cultural practices he could no longer participate
in. His father was upset and refused to talk to
Georges about his faith. Now, many years later,
Georges’ father’s heart has softened to the
gospel and each time Georges visits he stays up
late into the night listening to audio Scriptures
with his father. Pray for Georges’ father to allow
the light of the Bible to shine into his heart.
■ 16 Georges coordinates audio Scripture
listening groups, encouraging the leaders. Pray
that obstacles to this work would be overcome
and that these groups would enable many
people to engage with the Bible.
Mary Steele, on page 22, tells us about the
Bimoba language Bible which is now being
revised and reprinted:
■ 17 As the Bimoba Bibles are completely
sold out there is an urgent need to print
more copies. Pray for the translation team
Call to Prayer
that Mary is helping as they revise the
translation before reprinting.
7 March – 31 March
■1
8 Ask God to give the Bimoba translation
team wisdom, insight and accuracy as they go
about their revision work. Pray for the health
of the translators and their families.
Jesus has overcome the world and that there
is nothing that can separate us from his love
(Romans 8:39).
On page 21 Gillian Story told us about her
involvement in the Tlingit and Dogrib
translation projects:
■ 23 ‘I have given them your word’ (John
17:14 ESV). Praise God that Jesus was the
Word who became flesh for us (John 1:14).
■1
9 Pray for the few remaining Tlingit speakers
and that the translated Gospel of John will
shine into their lives.
■ 24 ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ (John
18:36 ESV). Praise God that his kingdom is so
much more than this world can contain. Pray
that through Bible translation many people will
come to know and experience the Kingdom of
God in their lives.
Photo: Heather Pubols
■2
0 Ask God that the translated Dogrib New
Testament will continue to encourage Dogrib
Christians in their faith.
■ 25 ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30 ESV).
Thank God for Jesus’ suffering and death
on our behalf.
■ 26 ‘Since the tomb was close at hand,
they laid Jesus there’ (John 19:42 ESV).
Praise God for our salvation through Jesus’
death and resurrection.
■ 27 ‘The stone had been taken away from
the tomb’ (John 20:1 ESV). Thank God for
the joy of the resurrection and all that it
means for us.
The cross on a wall of a church in
the Democratic Republic of Congo
Easter is an especially meaningful time in the
Christian calendar. These Holy Week prayers are
based on verses from the Gospel of John. It is
primarily through having the Bible in our heart
language that we have come to know the living
meaning of the Easter story in our lives.
■ 21 ‘Your sorrow will turn into joy’ (John
16:20 ESV). Praise God that, as Jesus taught
us, our sorrows will turn into joy. Pray for
anybody known to you in a period of sorrow
at the moment - pray that our Lord will bring
joy out of their sorrow.
■2
2 ‘Take heart, I have overcome the
world’ (John 16:33 ESV). Thank God that
■ 28 ‘Peace be with you’ (John 20:19 ESV).
Pray that the peace of Jesus may be known
throughout the world.
■ 29 ‘As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you’ (John 20:21 NIV). Ask that we
may be willing to go wherever God sends and
leads us.
■ 30 ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:22
ESV). Thank God today for the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
■ 31 ‘These are written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God, and that by believing you may
have life in his name’ (John 20:31 ESV).
Praise God that the Bible was written so that
we would believe in Jesus. Pray that through
Bible translation many more people will come
to believe and have ‘life in his name.’
WordsforLife 31
Wycliffe Bible Translators
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