Streams of Prayer for 4 March 2024
The Streams of Prayer for 4 March 2024, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
March 3, 2024 – March 9, 2024
Training
Many people with various areas of expertise are needed to translate the Bible in a clear, accurate and natural way. Training in Bible translation roles is therefore one of the seven Alliance Participation Streams. The skills are so important that many Alliance organisations regularly offer courses or training workshops, often in cooperation with other organisations.
We will pray for those who are teaching, the students, and the organisations and institutions that host these training programmes. We will ask God to provide instructors, administrative staff, finances, materials and equipment. Pray also for unity of purpose, excellent teaching and energy for learning, all of which result in well-equipped staff to serve in Bible translation movements.
Participants of a Scripture Engagement workshop in Lesotho. Photo: Jennifer Pillinger
Simply the story: Czech Republic
The team at Wycliffe Czech Republic will hold a course on oral sharing of Bible stories again this year called Simply the Story. Pray that the people who will benefit the most from taking part see the publicity information and sign up. Pray that each participant and trainer would be blessed and for wisdom, skill and opportunities to put new knowledge into practice.
Water safety training: Papua New Guinea
In November, the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association, in partnership with JAARS, conducted water safety training for language teams in Madang, Bougainville, and Milne Bay provinces. Praise God for the successful training of those who were involved. Under the tutelage of three personnel from JAARS, the teams learnt unique safety skills to apply while travelling. Pray that those who received this training will continue to put into practice the knowledge and skills learnt and that they educate their communities to apply them as well.
Online basic intercultural and linguistics course: Latin America
In 2023 the Basic Course on Linguistics, Phonetics, and Language and Cultural Acquisition was developed online with the participation of three different groups of students. One group of eight students completed the entire program. Two students from this group have applied to begin the International Course on Linguistics, Translation and Literacy (CILTA) in 2024 at Ricardo Palma University in Lima, Peru. In addition, nine Seed Company internship students completed the entire course program as well. Pray that God will guide each of them in their studies and calling as they serve in the Bible translation movement. Pray for God’s help in the challenges they will face as they put into practice what they have learnt.
Building capacity: Indonesia
One of the missions of PPA, the Bible Translation Centre of Minahasa Evangelical Church (GMIM) is to build up capacity among workers. A training course for future facilitators will be held from February to July. Participants include a few facilitators who are temporarily accompanying the team as well as translators who have the capacity to serve as facilitators. Together they represent PPA and other Alliance organisations in Indonesia. The training programme will include instruction in leadership, missiology, introductory linguistics, Bible translation principles and field orientation. Ask for good health for the speakers, participants and organisers. May God grant wisdom to the instructors, and bless the participants to learn well and enjoy all planned activities. Pray that the participants will be able to apply all they have learnt effectively.
Extensive training yields results: Cameroon
Three-quarters of the staff of Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) are undergoing training in various fields, to qualify them to serve more effectively. In January, five newly trained consultants were assessed for certification. In February five staff attended the Africa Scripture Engagement conference in Nairobi. CABTAL also responds to training requests from churches, seminaries and other organisations. CABTAL has just launched a new oral Bible storying (OBS) programme for 33 storytellers in eight languages. Previously, 15 CABTAL and SIL OBS facilitators and checkers were trained. In 2023, CABTAL trained 419 mother-tongue literacy teachers in several language communities. The teachers run 383 classes with almost 10,000 learners, 1431 of whom have received training certificates. Also, 1012 people have been trained in the various Scripture engagement strategies. To God be the glory.
Learning from one another: Netherlands
Pray for the two-day training programme that Wycliffe Netherlands will host in March on church-centric Bible translation, given by Unfolding Word. Pray that this will be a fruitful time in which the two organisations can explore ways to work together as partners.
At least two training categories: Ethiopia
In addition to workshops that train translators and staff, Wycliffe Ethiopia has two longer training tracks: Advisers Training and Masters Training. Advisers training takes place in person. Translation team leaders who are potential advisers come together from various language communities and other translation organisations. They take courses twice a year for four weeks in theology, Bible translation and linguistics. The objective of this program is to equip the students to be advisers for their respective teams. The other training category is translation training at the masters level, offered online. Wycliffe Ethiopia partners with an accredited academic institution to offer this degree programme, which seeks to enhance training for translation consultants. Thank God for all these efforts. Pray that God will help all of the students to apply what they learn effectively.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
Valrie McCarthy
Language Development Officer
Wycliffe Caribbean
7A South Avenue
Kingston 5
JAMAICA, W. I.
876 754 9334, 908 2970, 582 6592
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