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Wycliffe Associates, a ministry that has been accelerating the work of Bible translation around the world since 1967, will be in Hays Friday, Nov. 2.
Those interested in learning more about Wycliffe’s work are invited to a complimentary banquet from 7 to 8 that evening in the Black and Gold Room of the Fort Hays State University Memorial Union.
While the banquet is free, reservations are required by Wednesday, Oct. 24, to Mark Thowe, local banquet coordinator, at 785-483-8589 or [email protected].
Noel Davis, Wycliffe’s south central director, said, “God is working amid civil unrest, tribal wars, spiritual warfare, and persecution against Christians to advance Bible translation faster than ever before.” Davis will be speaking at the banquet.
With more and more regions of the world presenting very real dangers to Christians and Bible translation efforts, Wycliffe is using technology to protect mother-tongue Bible translators—those who have been raised in a particular country and are native speakers.
This initiative, called Tablets for National Translators (TNTs), places basic computer tablets loaded with Bible translation tools and other applications into the hands of mother-tongue Bible translators, including those who live in high-risk areas.
“A Bible in their hands is like a target on their backs,” said Bruce Smith, Wycliffe president and CEO. The computer tablets, however, enable these translators to work discreetly and safely and to back up their work online for safekeeping. The tablets also allow for secure online collaboration with other translators and consultants who monitor each other’s work to make sure the translation is accurate.
Tablets for Translators is accelerating the progress of Bible translation in conjunction with Wycliffe’s Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation (MAST) workshops. These workshops teach a “pioneering new method to Bible translators,” Smith said, “which results in translating books of the Bible in parallel faster than ever before, while maintaining the highest levels of accuracy and quality.
“This groundbreaking technology, together with MAST, cuts years off of Bible translation,” Smith said. “Tablets for National Translators turns years into months.”
There are currently 7,097 languages spoken in the world. Wycliffe has Bible translations in progress in 3,703 of those.
Davis said another 2,000 people groups have no written language. Wycliffe is using Bible Translation Recording Kits to produce the Bible on small cards that fit into a cell phone, so that people can hear the word of God for the first time in their own language.
Wycliffe has a goal of having a Bible in every language in the world by 2025.