Translating the scriptures
has been part of our ministry since
the beginning of our work
in Cauyunan. Progress though has been very,very slow because it has been just one
of many ministries we have been involved in.
In Cauyunan:
- During
initial stages of evangelism, we preached the Gospel and
sometimes we were teaching up to 7 or 8 times a
week.
- Each
bible lesson had to be painstakingly written down and checked
with language helpers as we were still on a steep
learning curve in our
language learning.
- Medical
work consumed many hours, both day and night.
- The
young believers needed much encouragement, discipleship and
teaching.
- We
were compelled by the poverty and needs all around us to help as
we could and so we built a corn mill and asked God
for cattle and for
fruit trees which were distributed amongst the
churches.
- Extensive
outreach started and our work load just snowballed.
In Lapoc:
- By
the time the Lord moved us to the Lapoc area in the year 2000, we
had portions of Genesis, Exodus and the Gospels
translated as well as
the book of James and part of the book of Acts and
Ephesians but it
was seriously in need of revision and so we began a
big revision project
which took several years.
- In
2009, we were on Home Assignment in Ballina and it was our heart’s
desire to see if we could not make some good
progress on the
translation while away from all the other ministry
needs that
constantly face us when we are here in Lapoc. We
were able to
complete the whole book of Luke that year which is
14% of the New
Testament!
- This
has inspired us and we feel before the Lord and in fellowship
with leadership, that it is the right time in our
ministry to put aside a
season to focus on finishing the translation of the
New Testament.
Big Push On The Translation
After Home Assignment:
We hope to begin the big push to complete the
Tala-Andig New Testament
at the beginning of 2015, which will be when our
home assignment ends.
Ballina will be our base where we do most of the
work but twice a year we
will make trips back here to Lapoc to check the
translation with language
helpers
and to visit the churches.
Based on our experience before with the book of Luke, we believe we can achieve about 15% or more a year and so we are thinking that possibly within 3 years, we could have the translation completed.
This is also very timely for us as a family because Jubab will be in Gr. 11 then and needing to make decisions about his future and we want to be with him and to see him established in the path God has for him in his life before we leave him to return here to Mindanao.
Please keep this in your prayers and look forward with us towards the completion of the Tala-Andig New Testament. It is a really big job before us……God is ABLE!!
