Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Let New
Director
Named
JAARS
Receives
First Kodiak
Aircraft
& Eyes Listen Missio Dei in
Wycliffe aids Bible translation the Midst of
into sign languages for the Deaf. Uncertainty
Foreword
Summer 2009 • Volume 27 • Number 2
Word Alive, which takes its name from Hebrews 4:12a, is the official
publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Its mission is to
inform, inspire and involve the Christian public as partners in the
worldwide Bible translation movement. Give Me a Sign (Name)
Editor: Dwayne Janke Dwayne Janke
Designer: Laird Salkeld
P
Senior Staff Writer: Doug Lockhart
Staff Writers: Janet Seever, Deborah Crough
hotographer Alan Hood and I were with 15 African sign
Staff Photographer: Alan Hood
language Bible translators for only a few days when they
Director of Communications: Dave Crough
began brainstorming about us. They insisted that we have
Word Alive is published four times annually by Wycliffe Bible sign names—standard cultural practice for anyone who
Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Copyright
2009 by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Permission to reprint visits or joins a group of Deaf*.
articles and other magazine contents may be obtained by written Our Wycliffe colleague Harry Harms had finger-spelled our
request to the editor. A donation of $12 annually is suggested to cover names D-w-a-y-n-e and A-l-a-n for the translators, who were
the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. (Donate online or use
being trained at the Deaf Opportunity OutReach (DOOR) centre
the reply form in this issue.) Printed in Canada by McCallum Printing
Group, Edmonton. in Nairobi, Kenya. But that couldn’t replace a real sign name; one
Member: The Canadian Church Press, Evangelical Press Association. based on some important or distinct physical or non-physical
For additional copies: media_resources@wycliffe.ca
characteristic of ours. I had fears these young, fun-loving Africans
To contact the editor: editor_wam@wycliffe.ca
would want to represent my larger-than-average nose or my bald-
ing head. Who would want to get labelled with those names?
For address updates: circulation@wycliffe.ca
Fortunately, through consensus, they decided on representing
Note to readers: References to “SIL” are occasionally made in
Word Alive. SIL is a key partner organization, dedicated to training, something less embarrassing: my glasses and beard, a distinct com-
language development and research, translation and literacy. bination among this group. To introduce myself to other Deaf from
now on, I make a fist just in front and to the side of my eye, with
the heel of my hand pointing ahead and my thumb and index finger
outstretched above and below my eye. That’s the “glasses” part. Then
I open that same hand and rub my fingers down the side of my face.
That’s the “beard” part. My sign name is literally “Glasses-Beard.”
Wycliffe Canada Vision Statement: A world where translated
I felt more accepted by the Deaf having this sign name and they
Scriptures lead to transformed lives among people of all languages.
were always excited to see me use it, which I did for the rest of our
Translating Scripture, Transforming Lives
trip this past September. Still, it was difficult to really enter the Deaf
Together with partners worldwide, we serve indigenous people through
language-related ministries, especially Bible translation and literacy. Our world beyond a superficial level without
goal is to empower local communities to express God’s love in Word knowing the sign languages they speak to
and deed—for personal, social and spiritual transformation. Wycliffe Without knowing the sign share their deepest thoughts and emotions.
personnel currently serve globally in nearly 1,500 language projects for
languages that the Deaf A huge communication barrier divides us.
more than a half billion people. However, about 2,400 minority groups
still wait for the power of God working through their own languages. Similarly, it is very difficult for God’s
Wycliffe invites you to participate in this effort through prayer, service use to share their deepest truth in His Word to enter and impact the
and funding. lives of the Deaf, unless it comes in their
Canadian Head Office: 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Phone: thoughts and emotions, heart languages—sign languages. For this
(403) 250-5411 or toll free 1-800-463-1143, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
a huge communication reason, Wycliffe workers are on the cusp of
mountain time. Fax: (403) 250-2623. Email: info@wycliffe.ca
an accelerating effort to translate Scriptures
Cover: Estrella Camacho, Catalonian Sign Language Bible translator,
leads worship at a Deaf church service near Barcelona, Spain (see story,
barrier divides us. into the 200-400 estimated sign languages
pg. 24). Photograph by Alan Hood.
used by Deaf people worldwide.
In this issue of Word Alive, we take you
to Africa and Spain to see this cutting-edge translation work in
action. We also have stories about related efforts to: 1) develop
software to aid in sign language animation, 2) offer sign language
In Others’ Words translation training, and 3) determine the translation need in Asia
“. . . The Scriptures obtain full (by a Canadian).
authority among believers only I have no doubt that God wants many more names of Deaf peo-
ple in His Book of Life, just as He does hearing folks. And maybe
when men regard them as having
there will even be an extra column of information in that book . . .
sprung from heaven, as if there the
titled “Sign Name.”
living words of God were heard.”
—John Calvin (1509-1564), * To emphasize that Deaf cultures are distinct from hearing cultures, people often write “Deaf”
when referring to a linguistic-cultural group, and “deaf” for the audiological condition of
French theologian and reformer, people. This approach is used in this magazine.
in Institutes of the Christian Religion
6
Contents
Features
Articles By Dwayne Janke • Photographs by Alan Hood
18
Word into sign languages.
Departments
2 Foreword Give Me a Sign (Name).
4 Watchword W
ycliffe Canada Board
Names New Director.
35 Last Word M
issio Dei in the Midst of Uncertainty.
By Kirk Franklin
24 Corrections: For various reasons, several mistakes were made in the Spring 2009 issue
of Word Alive. Danny Foster actually coordinates training for translation projects in the
Uganda-Tanzania Branch of SIL International. In the page 6/7 photo, he is driving through
Lamadi, not Musoma. In photos on page 3 (top) and page 12, Foster is visiting Mikumi
National Park. Word Alive regrets the errors.
Wycliffe Canada
Board Names
W
ycliffe Canada is in a period of
transition, as current Executive
Director Dave Ohlson finishes his
Wycliffe,
Tyndale
W ycliffe Canada has reached an agree-
ment with Tyndale University College to
establish a linguistics program on its campus in
New Director service in November 2009. Establish Toronto. The agreement, signed in mid-February,
To provide leadership upon comple- enables Wycliffe candidates to complete many of
tion of Ohlson’s term, the Wycliffe Canada Linguistics their pre-field training requirements at Tyndale.
board of directors recently decided unanimously Program Wycliffe Canada Executive Director Dave
to appoint Don Hekman (left) as interim execu- Ohlson (below, right) sees the opportunity of
tive director. Don and his wife Martha have working with Tyndale as a positive step, especially since the pro-
been members of Wycliffe internationally for 37 gram will be offered in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with its
years and Wycliffe Canada for 21 years. highest population density in Canada.
“Don brings a rich diversity of experience and “This agreement is significant in that it is affording Christian
talent to this position,” said Hart Wiens, board students in the GTA the opportunity to take linguistics as a
chairman. part of their preparation, for potential missionary service, in a
Hekman currently serves as director of lan- Christian context close to home.
guage program services for the Americas Area of SIL, Wycliffe’s part- “The agreement can only enhance recruitment opportunities as
ner organization dedicated to training, language research, translation more students have the opportunity to explore what is happening
and literacy. The Hekmans are able to communicate in both official in the ministries of the worldwide Bible translation movement.”
languages of Canada, having lived in Québec for 15 years where they Tyndale President Brian Stiller (below, left) said the university
served in a language project with one of Canada’s First Nations. was happy partnering with Wycliffe on the new linguistics pro-
Wiens announced that Hekman will serve for two years, provid- gram, which
ing executive leadership as Wycliffe Canada tackles the major task will strength-
of updating its corporate bylaws to be in line with current realities. en both par-
“With the support of the Wycliffe family, he will seek to identify ties.
and nurture an expanding pool of leaders to ensure that Wycliffe “I think
Canada will continue to play a vital and effective role as a major Wycliffe has
partner in Vision 2025,” added Wiens. Vision 2025 is the goal of maintained
seeing Bible translation started in every language group still need- both its
ing it by the year 2025. spiritual and
intellectual
JAARS
Receives
J
AARS Inc., Wycliffe’s technical arm, has taken
delivery of its first Kodiak, a 10-seat, turbo prop
aircraft (below) capable of short take-offs and
authority,” he
said. “And I
think their
First landings using readily available jet fuel. affiliation
Just the eighth Kodiak made by Quest Aircraft with us will
Kodiak Company of Idaho (www.questaircraft.com), the accelerate
Kevin Gonsalves
D
travel to support Bible translation efforts worldwide. A new type of irectors and leaders from 12 ministries and organizations
plane is needed because of an in Bolivia have established “Bolivians in Translation and
aging fleet of JAARS aircraft Literacy” (BETA). The new agency was formed in November in
(primarily with piston-driven the city of Sucre.
engines) and the phasing out BETA has begun planning its strategy to mobilize churches and
of aviation grade gasoline. individuals throughout their South American nation.
“. . .We looked into the Creation of the new agency reflects the commitment of BETA’s
future of aviation for a safe, organizing partners for Bible translation and Vision 2025. Vision
Don Horneman
effective solution to our pas- 2025 is a goal initiated by Wycliffe Bible Translators to see Bible
sengers’ unique transportation translation underway in every language of the world still needing
requirements,” said David Reeves, JAARS president. “The Kodiak is it, by the year 2025.
well-poised to meet the challenging needs of the translation com-
munity in remote operations.”
A
properly. Cases of fever reported Wycliffe team has complet- need for Bible translation have gospel. . . . It doesn’t help to
by Kaan villagers in the distribu- ed research of languages been made and now leaders give someone a new jumper in
tion zone fell by 72 per cent from spoken by people groups spread must decide how to respond. Siberia if that individual is going
three months earlier. across thousands of kilometres The team discovered the need to collapse dead drunk on the
More than 3,000 sets of nets and of tundra in Siberia. for Scriptures (even those in street in –30 C. Rather give us
curtains have been distributed so The language survey efforts, Russian) to be presented in cul- God’s Word, which helps people
far by the Association Kaan Alpha based on library research, turally appropriate ways so they to escape from alcoholism.”
and Somerled Foundation. Their extensive networking and some have a real impact on lives.
goal is to get nets into every bed-
room, and curtains on every front
door and sitting room window. Spain’s
PROEL P ROEL, the Wycliffe organization
in Spain, is offering a master’s
degree to prepare students for service
already involved in Scripture transla-
tion. A new batch of students is cur-
rently studying in this year’s program.
Offers in Bible translation. PROEL is offering the training in
Advanced This past year 10 students graduated partnership with the applied linguis-
Linguistics from the program in applied linguis- tics department of the University of
tics, translation and literacy. Six are Leon.
Training
Word Count
500 Number of languages Wycliffe founder William Cameron Townsend
thought needed Bible translation in the early 1930s.
“There’s . . .
a small
percentage
of parents
that help
their deaf
children, to
allow them
to grow.”
When the altar call was given on that February day in 1991,
Paul accepted Jesus, whom he heard had died for his sins, as
Saviour. “I felt so much better.”
Paul grew in his faith by attending Bible studies and memoriz-
ing Scripture, but a thought began to nag at him.
“. . . I had education. I “In my life I understood that I had education. I could read, I
could write. But many of the Deaf people don’t have that privi-
could read, I could write. lege. They are not educated and they don’t understand. How can
I help them?”
But many of the Deaf Paul felt God calling him to minister to the Deaf. So, despite his
furious mother’s objections, he quit his electrician’s job. He began
people don’t have that teaching Deaf students about the Bible in their schools, where
he ate and slept, seeing this as a provision of God since he was
privilege. They are not unsalaried. Several years later, he took a salaried position with the
American missionary at his church and continued teaching.
educated and they don’t Paul had previously heard about a Kenyan
understand. How can I A DOOR friend’s desire to start a training centre in
to Growth Kenya, for a U.S.-based organization called
help them?” DOOR International. Founded in 1983, it is
a ministry dedicated to training Deaf leaders and establishing
indigenous Deaf churches (Deaf believers’ fellowships) around
the world. One of DOOR’s Deaf Christian Leadership Training
Centres, run and led by Deaf leaders and teachers, was started in
“We train
their people
in Bible
translation,
check the
resulting
translation
and train
some of
their people
to be [Bible
translation]
consultants.”
Deaf Bible translators serving with DOOR in Africa, like these interacting in
a workshop classroom, are working in the distinct sign languages of Kenya,
Ethiopia, Burundi, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. They come from diverse
backgrounds, such as tailors, carpenters, evangelists, artists and the jobless.
them to get a clear understanding.” Patrick Chanari, a young Deaf
Presently, Patrick studies the Scriptures and presents what he leader serving 50 Deaf in a
Kenyan congregation, is keen
learns in his sermons in KSL. But this is limiting. to see Bible stories finished in
“It is very important for us, as the Deaf, to have lots of stories, Kenyan Sign Language. Deaf
because we are storytellers. But where can we get the stories? Christians have scant resources
for evangelism and discipleship.
People are interested in learning the [Bible] stories, but we don’t
have any resources right now.”
Having a Bible translation in sign language on DVD will
change that.
“It will be very good—good, good, good!” he says emphati-
cally. “I want to teach other Deaf, so this would help me. If I had
this, I would watch it in my home. Then I would practise from
it, go to people and sign it.”
Paul says there are a few dozen Deaf churches averaging 30-40
believers each in Kenya, with its estimated “core” Deaf popula-
tion of 222,000. The “core” Deaf are those who were born deaf,
became deaf pre-lingually, or are deaf and non-literate. They will
never read a Bible, hear a sermon, listen to a gospel recording,
tune in to a Christian radio or television station, or watch and
understand the JESUS film.
“We are storytellers.
Unlike Patrick Charnari’s congregation, many Deaf churches
are in larger urban areas where the Deaf tend to congregate to
But where can we get
be with their own (see sidebar, pg. 11).
the stories? People are
Challenges Much work and many challenges still must
be tackled before the Deaf Church commu-
interested in learning the
Ahead nity grows to sizable numbers all over Africa,
equipped with sign language Scriptures.
[Bible] stories, but
Paul says DOOR is pleased to be working with Deaf Bible
translation team members from six nations on the continent
we don’t have any
(Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda). They
include tailors, carpenters, evangelists, artists, and the jobless, all
resources right now.”
with at least a primary school education. DOOR can pay only
small stipends to them.
DEEP Thinking
Beyond the challenges of actual translation technology coordinator). As a team they are Wycliffe’s “Translator’s Workplace.”
in sign language, there is even more foun- working on a project called the DEEP (named SIL Asia sign language coordinator, Harry
dational work that is still needed: providing after Deaf Christians’ desire to go “deep” into Harm, and Jojo Ninan (DOOR staff member
reference material for Deaf translators. God’s Word). from India, trained by SIL as a Bible transla-
Leading that effort is Stuart Thiessen (at “Hearing people have tons and tons of tion consultant), are assisting in develop-
right), a 37-year-old American husband and books as resources,” explains Stuart. “If they ment of the DEEP. They see the DEEP as an
father of two, who grew up in a Mennonite don’t understand what the Bible says, they important tool to provide the historical,
family and lost his hearing gradually—by pick up a book or commentary and read. But cultural, linguistic and descriptive details
age 18, he was completely deaf. the Deaf have nothing—no resources! needed to convey concepts to the Deaf.
His story is one of a dream delayed. “So our responsibility is to look at the “A sign language translation is part way
Ironically, Stuart (whose childhood hero was hearing resources, all the information and between a spoken language translation and
Wycliffe founder Cameron Townsend) was technologies and pictures and maps, and the a movie,” Harry explains. “There’s so many
once told by Wycliffe staff to forget about geography and history. We will convert all more details that need to be included in
his passion to do Bible translation because the resources needed for translation into sign sign language that are not included in most
he was deaf. Now he is a Bible translation language.” spoken translations.
consultant-in-training with Deaf Opportunity The planned first version of the reference “If they talk about the height of Goliath,
OutReach (DOOR International). material will be on DVD and/or the Web in they raise their hands up to a certain height.
Stuart is joined by two Deaf colleagues, American Sign Language. This will be trans- There’s more dimension [in sign language].
Mark Sorenson (DOOR staff member who has lated into Kenyan Sign Language, the working There’s less vagueness allowed, so you have to
taught DOOR’s 165 Bible story curriculum to language used at joint sessions among Deaf be fairly definite. If somebody walks down the
Deaf from 15 countries of Europe and Asia) Bible translators in Africa. The reference tools road, you indicate the distance that they walk.”
and Philippe Gallant (DOOR’s international will include such computer programs as
Feeling the rhythm of a drum to keep time, Deaf Bible translation team
members sign and dance at daily worship times during their training and
work sessions at the DOOR centre in Nairobi. They are trusting that many
more Deaf will join God’s family as His Word goes forward in sign language.
challenging, however, to make a large, hearing-based organiza- people that can coordinate so the Deaf are the leaders of the proj-
tion like Wycliffe “Deaf friendly,” says Hunt. It may be best to ects but the hearing people are there to support what the Deaf want
second these workers to Deaf-run agencies, such as DOOR to see happen.”
“We know of about 230 [sign International. “We’ve got to find the right This will include providing administration and getting resources
way to empower the Deaf.” for sign language projects, such as: funding, translation materials,
languages] at the moment
Wycliffe could use 30 couples and/or indi- training and translation consultants. It is estimated that the world-
and we are expecting over viduals in a fairly short time. This includes wide effort will need at least 50 Bible translation consultants to spe-
400 in total.” hearing personnel who Hunt says must know cifically check work done in sign language.
a sign language “really fluently” and have exposure to the Deaf
as a basis to succeed on the field. 3D Solutions
“We need people in a whole range of services. We need Beyond getting personnel, there is the challenge of how to present
people who . . . are going to be able to work with Deaf groups, translated Scriptures in sign language, says Hunt. While the stages
to empower them to do their translation,” says Hunt. “We need in sign language Bible translation are generally similar to those for
spoken languages—drafting, exegetical work, community test- One is the account in Exodus, when God tells Moses at the
ing, and consultant checks—the formats are different. burning bush: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf
Text in translations for spoken/written languages can eas- or mute?” (Exodus 4:11 NIV)
ily be changed on a computer screen. However, sign language “For the Deaf,” says Hunt, “it is so important for them to
translations ultimately must be done on video, explains Hunt. know that God made them, to realize that they weren’t just an
“We need people who . . . Correcting and editing such a presen- accident.”
tation is time consuming and techni- The second passage is Jesus’ healing of the Deaf man in the
are going to be able to work
cally difficult. New Testament (Mark 7:31-35). Christ took the man aside by
with Deaf groups, to empower
In addition, some videotaped sign- himself, a unique approach among all of Christ’s miracles per-
them to do their translation.” ers who present translated Scriptures
“For the Deaf, it is so important formed on people.
may not be accepted by all Christian Deaf groups (Protestant vs. “One—Jesus had time for the
for them to know that God
Catholic, for example). Other Deaf signers, living in countries Deaf person. That’s very important,”
with sensitive political or religious situations, do not want to be
made them, to realize that explains Hunt. “Two—he took him
pictured for fear of suffering persecution. they weren’t just an accident.” away from the crowd. When Deaf
To deal with these technical and social challenges, a team at people are among crowds, they are really confused. It is impor-
JAARS, Wycliffe’s technical arm, has been asked to create special tant that they can come away and be separate.
software used with inexpensive equipment (see related story, “These two stories give the Deaf a sense of value. They are
pg. 28). It will visually capture the movements of Deaf persons valued people.”
signing Bible translations and transfer them into 3D animated And if God values the Deaf, He certainly wants to speak to
characters. them in their heart language.
“We want this to be a tool that anybody in a Deaf community
can use,” says Hunt.
Not An Accident
Ultimately, though, Bible translation in sign language is about
more than techniques and strategies. It’s about providing
Scriptures to help the Deaf understand the special place that
God holds for them in His heart. Hunt points to two specific
Bible passages.
s the rays of the late afternoon sun cast their orange- Using this writing system in these projects goes back to when
A
tinted light on a neighbourhood park in the city of Steve and Dianne began doing language survey in Spain. The
Castellar del Vallès, near Barcelona, local families are research ultimately determined that there are two sign languages
celebrating a day off. Here, in Spain’s proud north- in the country that need Scriptures: LSE, used by an estimated
eastern region of Catalonia, it’s “Fest Major,” a mid- 56,000, and LSC, used by 24,000.
September holiday. Steve and Dianne, from Seattle, Washington, and Shelby,
With Beatles music wafting through the warm air, kids and North Carolina, respectively, were redirected to Spain after
some parents are scaling climbing walls, spinning hoola-hoops, meeting each other in the Mexican Sign Language project in
jumping on inflatable air trampolines and playing with an 1992 and later marrying. Their early work in Spain involved
assortment of retro wooden tabletop games. Wycliffe’s Steve visiting numerous Deaf clubs to gather signs for a 200-item
and Dianne Parkhurst are here too, with their two young sons, word list. They recorded them on paper using SignWriting. The
Spencer and Alex. Parkhursts found little initial interest among the Deaf to help
Strolling around the activities, the elder Parkhursts can’t resist them with Bible translation, but plenty of fascination with learn-
the juggling area. They grab bowling pins, throwing and catch- ing the writing system that the Deaf said looked “like Chinese or
ing them in flashing, side-lit rhythmic circles, sometimes with Egyptian hieroglyphics or something.”
serious, concentrating faces, sometimes with giggles. Steve is
quite good at it; Dianne (at right) is even better, having learned Signwriting Eventually the Parkhursts were asked by the
to juggle long ago from a fellow student studying linguistics at Classes Spanish Deaf Federation to develop a curricu-
the University of North Dakota. lum and teach SignWriting, seen as useful for
This fun opportunity near the Mediterranean coast pretty much training sign language interpreters and others. The couple spent
symbolizes what the Parkhursts do in real life. Steve and Dianne seven years focused on teaching the writing system to about 300
are juggling involvement in not one, but two sign language Bible Deaf and hearing people. These students could read the text fairly
translation projects in this European country: Spanish Sign well after 30 hours of class time.
Language (LSE) and Catalonian Sign Language (LSC). But the Parkhursts eventually learned about some of the
In fact, since arriving 14 years ago, they have juggled a string obstacles to widespread use of SignWriting among the Deaf. In
of new, experimental activities that have served to inform Spain, the Deaf did not gain enough fluency in the system to
Wycliffe’s wider sign language efforts around the globe. feel comfortable writing it. SignWriting is also difficult to do
“Our project is a ‘guinea pig’ project,” says Steve. “We try on computers because it is limited in use to older software or
things and if they fail, then we tell other people why they failed.” web-based technology. There are some
More on the Web: To learn
hang-ups about how “foreign” the sym-
more about SignWriting, visit
Bookish With apartments that have no air condition- <www.signwriting.org>. bol-based writing appears compared to
Workplace ing and not a lot of extra room to work, the the Roman alphabet. SignWriting is also
LSC translation team meets the next morning seen by some Deaf as politically incorrect; an attempt to push a
in a most unlikely place: smack in the middle of the Història hearing culture’s high value of writing a language onto the Deaf
book section of the cool, spacious Castellar Public Library. But “oral” culture.
since they interact entirely in sign language, Steve, Estrella [es- “It’s worked very well for us,” adds Steve. “We’re the only
TRAY-ya] Camacho and Rut [Root] Roldán don’t have to worry team that’s used it, though.” Generally, other sign language Bible
that patrons will complain about them being noisy to “shhhhh”- translation projects are non-written from the outset, using video,
ready librarians. photos or line drawings.
Sitting in front of two laptops at the corner of a table, the trio
is having an animated discussion about the translation Estrella The Living in Madrid, the Parkhursts continued to seek
and Rut drafted of the Book of Esther. Bible text in Spanish fills Nacho ways to kick start Bible translation. Recognizing the
the computer screens while black, drop-down windows show the Factor need to work with the Catholic Church in such a
LSC translation in SignWriting, a system of writing sign languag- Catholic country as Spain, the Parkhursts developed
es using visual symbols to represent hand shapes, movements early contacts with key people in the Church. One of those peo-
and facial expressions. ple was Jose Ignacio Bonacasa (“Nacho”) in Madrid.
Estrella Camacho must function outside of her preferred Deaf world—in the surrounding
hearing world in which she lives. That includes doing errands like grocery shopping at
the corner store, using whatever motions and hand gestures necessary to communicate Word Alive • Summer 2009 • wycliffe.ca 29
to those who don’t know sign language.
The Deaf identify most with the customs, habits, thought patterns,
values and language of their Deaf world. David Roldán (in beige
shirt) and his wife Estrella (extreme right) are no exception. As Deaf
Christians, they are eager to lead their Iglesia Evangélica (Evangelical
Church) Deaf home Bible study and share some fellowship afterwards.
“Now with this opportunity, maybe I could use some of that abil-
ity and mix it with animation. I think that would be wonderful!”
T
his year marks the tenth anniversary fall of a series of empires. While most have dis-
of Vision 2025 (a call to action initi- appeared, their influence continues and affects
ated by Wycliffe to see a Bible trans- mission strategy from western nations, which
lation in progress in every language send resources, and non-western nations, which
that needs one by the year 2025). The world receive resources.
certainly looks different than it did 10 years ago. The dignity and identity of all peoples. We are
Even so, we are called to faithfully serve God in all made in God’s image, but sin often blocks
the midst of uncertainty. an understanding of this fact. An indicator of
Many people, if they know of Wycliffe Bible shalom is when people live with “just, peaceful,
Translators, know the Wycliffe organization in harmonious, and enjoyable relationships”3 with
their own country (such as Wycliffe Canada). each other and with God. However, shalom is far
Or, if they know something of Wycliffe’s founder from communities affected by poverty, illiteracy
Cameron Townsend, they may think of Wycliffe and other significant social and spiritual concerns.
as an American sending organization. However, Much mission work is best described as ‘Task
Wycliffe International (WBTI) has become an Partnerships’ because the task is the priority.
organization comprised of 48 “member” and However, we desire to move our practice of mis-
29 “partner” organizations (in Africa, Asia, sion to be integral. The Micah Network defines
the Pacific, the Americas, and Europe), bound integral mission as the “proclamation and dem-
together by a common commitment to serve in onstration of the gospel.”4 Integral mission is
advocacy and action to see God’s Word translated, focused on ‘Kingdom Partnerships’ because the
accessible and in use in Kingdom of God is the priority. We do our part
every language community to plant the seed or water it, but it is “only God,
We desire to see the Holy that still needs it. who makes things grow” (1 Cor 3:7, NIV).
Our biggest challenge These are indicators of some of the rapidly
Spirit transform the lives of is to discern how to best changing social, political, cultural, economic
those we serve in rapidly participate in the missio Dei and religious environments in which we desire
(the mission of God). As to see the Holy Spirit transform the lives of
changing environments. we do so, we are affected by those we serve.
key global challenges and These are daunting times and we value your
opportunities: partnership as we work through them. You play
The changing face of the Church worldwide, an important part in all of this through your
including attitudes, strategies and involve- interest, prayer and support. And for that, we
ment in mission by people of all nations. From say “thank you!”
Romania to the Philippines, people of more
nations are beginning to participate in Bible (Endnotes)
1 D Barrett, T Johnson and P Crossing, ‘Missiometrics 2008: Reality
translation beyond their shores. Checks for Christian World Communions’, International Bulletin of
The growth of the Church in Africa, Asia, Missionary Research, January 2008.
Central and South America. As the Christian 2 Ibid
3 B Myers, Walking with the Poor (1999), Orbis Books.
faith is losing its welcome in parts of the West, it 4 www.micahnetwork.org/en/integral-mission
is finding new homes in the Global South where
91 per cent of new Christians are found1. New Kirk Franklin is executive director of Wycliffe International.
global plans for mission are now initiated and led
by Christians of the Global South2. As this occurs
we want there to be “complete unity” (John 17:23)
between the Church of the Global South and the
West as a witness to the watching world.
The lingering effects of colonialism. The past
five centuries have been marked by the rise and
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