Checking of Yamap & Malei books complete
September 26, 2024 -
Quality checks completed for books in 2 languages
Steve returned from Papua New Guinea on Monday and has this to say about his work there:
I'm feeling a happy sense of completion that the quality checking for the gospel of Matthew in the Yamap language finished well on September 6th and the quality check of Exodus in the Malei language finished well on September 20th.
Steve and the Malei team at work checking Exodus. The screen in the corner is connected to a computer so the translators can view and discuss edits and improvements as they are typed. Both teams did amazing work and persevered during the four weeks of working with me. We thoroughly went through each of these translations verse by verse, sentence by sentence, and found a significant number (literally hundreds) of improvements which have been implemented and will make these translations more accurate, meaningful, and effective in their languages. I've written positive reports to their project coordinators, giving my approval for these Scriptures to move ahead toward being published.
The first few weeks of my time in PNG were extremely wet. So much so that a nearby river caused a bridge to collapse the day before my arrival, interrupting vehicle traffic and making it a little difficult to get to Lae town from the airport (usually 45 minutes away).
Thankfully, God kept us all safe and healthy during these productive days. There were eight other language groups (about 40 other people) working at this translation facility. We all enjoyed good fellowship and special times of devotions and worship each morning.
Carol Jean attends a team-building event
I've been busy with my colleagues on Wycliffe’s Global Workforce Services team. Last week we gathered for three days at a team-building event in Orlando. It was great to meet the people I work with over Zoom, especially after a recent reorganization of three departments into one team. We work together to attract, retain, resource, and support needed personnel to “advance Bible translation so people can encounter God through His Word” (from Wycliffe’s mission statement).
Celebrating 70 years
We met up in Minneapolis upon Steve's return from PNG. Today we'll go to Wisconsin to help Carol Jean's parents (David and Joan Michaelson) celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. If you know them and are in the area, you're welcome to an open house at East Balsam Baptist Church in Balsam Lake, WI, on Sunday, September 29th, from 2-4 p.m. On Tuesday, we'll return to Florida to continue our Wycliffe work.
Praise God...
- That the quality check for the Yamap gospel of Matthew and the Malei book of Exodus went well.
- For safe travel and good health for Steve while he was away.
- For Carol Jean's parents' 70 years of marriage. They're still able to live in their own house at the ages of 91 and 94.
Please pray for...
- God’s Word to reach deeply into the lives and hearts of all the people in their language areas who will now hear God speaking clearly to them in the language that they understand best.
- A special celebration for Carol Jean's parents' 70th anniversary and good health as they continue on.