Wycliffe Associates help Bible translators stay out of harm’s way

Posted by admin Latest News Monday, March 28th, 2011

Orlando, FL—Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that involves people in the acceleration of Bible translation efforts, is working to give Bible translators a safer, more effective option to dangerous travel by providing Translation Acceleration Kits.

Consisting of a small, portable netbook computer, a satellite communication terminal, a solar panel, battery, and power supply, the kits enable Bible translators in remote locations to communicate with translation consultants through a satellite connection.

“This new satellite technology is a safer and more effective option, especially in dangerous regions of the world,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “I believe this new technology is a must—especially in places where terrain, violence, or civil unrest hinders translation efforts.” Smith points out the technology can not only save lives, but change lives.

National translators, who work in remote regions of the world where travel is dangerous due to civil violence or difficult-to-navigate terrain, often put their lives at risk to work collaboratively on translation projects. Wycliffe Associates has identified some 300 locations worldwide where Translation Acceleration Kits can be used to enhance Bible translation efforts while helping to reduce threats to the translators’ personal safety.

Such locations include Nigeria, where religious complexities, corruption, and language barriers make travel difficult and dangerous, and Papua New Guinea, where the terrain includes both mountains and jungles that present numerous challenges to reaching translation centers for training courses and checking translation.  Just recently, Smith and a team of Wycliffe Associates volunteers installed kits for 24 national translation teams in remote locations in Nigeria. The language communities these teams serve amount to more than 4.3 million people.

Wycliffe Associates is currently raising funds to provide Bible translation teams with the Translation Acceleration Kits. The cost of each kit is approximately $3,500.

Wycliffe Associates involves people in accelerating the work of Bible translation through their time, talents, and treasure. Because millions of people around the world are still waiting to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as they can to translate every verse of the Bible into every tongue to change every heart. The organization partners with nationals, mother tongue translators, staff, volunteers, and supporters to direct and fund these efforts, as well as provide logistics, networking, and technical support. Through a growing global network, Wycliffe Associates is striving to overcome local limitations of time and resources to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word in every remaining language that needs it by 2025.

In 2010, the organization mobilized 4,381 volunteer and staff members to accelerate Bible translation in some 59 countries. Additional information is available at www.wycliffeassociates.org or by calling 1-800-THE WORD (1-800-843-9673).