Streams of Prayer for 15 May 2023
The Streams of Prayer for 18 May 2023, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
May 14-20, 2023
Generosity, Funding and Specialty Services
Community is at the heart of the existence of the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Serving together in community, we love, respect and honour each other. Our interdependence and interconnectedness create an environment where all Alliance organisations generously give and graciously receive. Sometimes Alliance organisations give financially. We also give in other ways including providing time, expertise and staff. We affirm each other for who we are and not for what we contribute or for the quantity of the contribution. Our primary goal is to glorify God together in Bible translation.
Alliance organisations engaged in the Funding and Specialty Services Participation Streams demonstrate community and encourage generosity through raising funds for operations and Bible translation projects and by sharing other practical skills within the Bible translation movement. Therefore, our theme encompasses these three interconnected areas: Generosity, Funding and Specialty Services.
Camp Wycliffe: Hong Kong, Thailand
Since 2006, Wycliffe Thai Foundation has been hosting Camp Wycliffe annually for young people who have a heart for missions. In recent years, they generously started to share this opportunity with other Alliance organisations. Wycliffe Hong Kong is one of these. The camp this year will take place from 20-27 May. On top of basic training in linguistics and Bible translation, participants will have the opportunity to taste cross-cultural living, listen to God’s Word as they reflect on their vocations, and serve through community projects. Please pray with Wycliffe Hong Kong that the right candidates will be led to join the camp. Pray also for continued blessing on their partnership with Wycliffe Thai Foundation.
Good local efforts: Cameroon
Language communities that partner in Bible translation with Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) are making remarkable efforts to contribute to the planned and ongoing programmes in their mother tongues. Rural and urban churches raise offerings and local language speakers make voluntary donations, especially community elders and leaders. Also, local interchurch committees help organise income-generating initiatives in villages so that people have the means to contribute financially to the translation of the Bible. Praise God for these various local efforts which testify to the commitment to missions of many of the local communities in Cameroon. Give thanks to God because these efforts, put together with the contributions of other partners, not only allow for the training of community translation team members but also help to acquire appropriate equipment to carry out the work.
Artificial Intelligence project: South Korea
Pray for a working group of the Global Bible Translators in South Korea. The group explores the possibilities of using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for Bible translation projects. Their pilot project seeks to render a draft of the Old Testament in the Dawn* language by using language data from the Dawn New Testament. Mr Lee, an IT specialist, is leading this working group. Pray that he will receive support from other IT professionals as he balances his full-time job with facilitating the AI group. Mr Lee also desires to develop a method for producing International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription from local voice data collections. Ask for the Lord’s favour as Mr Lee prepares and submits an abstract of the research paper to be considered for an upcoming Bible translation conference in the United States. Pray for wisdom, unity and support for the group.
*pseudonym
Growing funding: Hungary
Staff at Wycliffe Hungary are developing funding for translation in several ways:
- By the end of May 2023, people in Hungary have to designate which not-for-profit organisation they want to support with 1% of their taxes. Pray that many will choose to support Bible translation.
- Staff at Wycliffe Hungary are looking to find 25 key financial partners for projects funded by Wycliffe Hungary by 2025. Ask God to guide them to the people he has chosen and help them develop these relationships.
- Ask God to guide the leaders and the board as they discuss how to increase their number of partners and make funding a more effective part of Wycliffe Hungary’s ministry.
Assistance after cyclone devastation: Vanuatu
Two category 4 cyclones hit Vanuatu in the first week of March. Many village houses and crops were badly damaged or destroyed. Please pray for ongoing recovery as people rebuild homes and repair infrastructure. Craig and Darlene Farrow, Wycliffe New Zealand personnel serving in Vanuatu, give thanks for the financial aid they received to assist with buying rice and building materials for the local churches and communities affected by the cyclones. Praise God for the generosity of his people shown in this tangible way.
Water safety training: Papua New Guinea
The Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association language teams in the Madang Province and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville are preparing for a water safety training in June 2023. Tim McIntosh from JAARS will conduct the training to equip teams that rely on sea transportation. Pray for the two organisations as they work together on the details and logistical preparation. Pray that communication about the training will reach language teams that are in isolated areas so they can prepare to participate.
Expanding the fundraising department: Switzerland
The fundraising department of Wycliffe Switzerland is developing a circle of existing and new financial partners. Please pray for God’s leading for the partners and the department, so everyone can find their best fit in the work of promoting and resourcing work among communities that do not yet have access to the Bible in a language they can understand. In the next few years, staff want to significantly expand their fundraising capacity. They need God’s guidance on how to do that within the means at their disposal. Ask God to provide a director for the new projects department, who will oversee project partnerships overseas and fundraising in Switzerland. Always, Wycliffe Switzerland staff want to walk in God’s prepared ways (Ephesians 2:10) and not just follow their own “cool” ideas. Pray for God’s guidance.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
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Valrie McCarthy
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Wycliffe Caribbean
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