Wycliffe.net: Prayer Items feed

Training for managers: Germany

2012-05-16T13:03:00Z

Language program managers are skilled in helping translation and literacy projects move steadily toward their goals. But, if they are to be effective, they need to be life-long learners. Please pray for a training event that will be held for language program managers, 21-25 May in Germany. It will be attended by 15 participants and 4 staff working with projects in various countries of Europe and West Asia. Ask for wisdom, good health, and stamina for Margaret, the workshop leader. Pray for staff as they finalize the training modules; participants as they complete tasks in their current locations in order to be away for a week; safe travels for all; and significant learning for each person.

A wall of rainforest

2012-05-16T00:00:00Z

Through the InFocus programme, churches in the UK partner directly with language projects in Africa and Asia. wycliffe.org.uk/infocus

Banen, Cameroon: The Banen people live in two main areas, separated by almost impenetrable rainforest, which makes communication between them slow and difficult. Pray that literacy classes will be established in the more remote area and that churches there will enthusiastically embrace the translation project.

Reviewing with excitement

2012-05-15T00:00:00Z

Through the InFocus programme, churches in the UK partner directly with language projects in Africa and Asia. wycliffe.org.uk/infocus

Bagwere, Uganda: Several books of the New Testament have been published in the Lugwere language, and others have been drafted and are being checked by a consultant. Pray that the Lugwere speakers who review the draft translations will be excited to see God’s word in their language and will share their enthusiasm with their communities.

A growing team

2012-05-14T00:00:00Z

Through the InFocus programme, churches in the UK partner directly with language projects in Africa and Asia. wycliffe.org.uk/infocus

Weera*, Kenya: A young man joined the Weera team in January to adapt an existing translation into the related Weera language. He is doing translation training before going to the Weera area, where he’ll work with the one local Weera translator. Pray for good working relationships.

* pseudonym

Heart-felt hope: Cameroon, Chad

2012-04-27T21:30:00Z

Mary Pearce has coordinated 25 colorful posters based on the linguistic discoveries of Chadians during "Discover Your Language" Courses for a presentation at the World Congress of African Languages in neighboring Cameroon, August 20-24, 2012. Minority groups, who see their languages being eroded by contact with majority languages, are becoming enthusiastic about linguistics as a result. However, the promised funding for sending 10 young Chadian linguists to this conference has not materialized. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funding before May 15 for these 10 Chadians to attend this conference, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Flexibility in decision-making: Global

2012-04-27T17:05:00Z

Please pray for wisdom and discernment for SIL International's Global Publishing Services management team as they make financial decisions based on a recently tightened income and expense budget. They are concerned about accomplishing the publishing ends of SIL and Wycliffe, while also paying partners for their services, website fees, printing, promotion, archiving and the distribution of materials. The Lord has a plan.

Storying: Chad

2012-04-26T12:44:00Z

A storying use workshop was held in the Guera region of Chad from 18-20 April 2012. The workshop trained people from six language groups to train others to run storying circles in their communities. In a storying circle, people learn to tell oral Bible stories in the local language. The communities concerned all have churches, although some are very small, with only few members. Pray that the participants will be successful in training others to use the oral Bible stories effectively in their communities. Pray that the stories will help Christians to grow in their understanding of their faith.

Audio-visual Scripture: Central Asia

2012-04-25T14:42:00Z

Scripture in audio-visual formats can be more accessible than in print form. A Christian worker reported that a local woman called to thank her for the gift of Scripture on DVD. She said it was exactly what she had wanted. Although she doesn’t have time to read, she and other women listen to the DVD while they work at home making carpets. Another family reported that when they wake up in the morning, they put on the DVD and listen to the New Testament. Later they sit and read along with the Pentateuch on the TV screen. Pray that the Holy Spirit will use the Word to bring about repentance, faith and hope in these listeners.

Nearing completion: Mediterranean

2012-04-23T12:56:00Z

A translation of the New Testament is approaching completion in a language of the Mediterranean region. Consultants are currently checking drafts of the Epistles. Pray that the checking will go smoothly and result in better accuracy and clarity. Pray for the editorial committee as they make plans for a volume of Old Testament selections. The leader of the translation team is struggling with health problems and sharp criticism from some quarters. Ask God to grant him strength, health, perseverance and peace.

Comprehensive project: Mediterranean

2012-04-23T12:48:00Z

A team has been working for several months to develop plans for all the remaining Bible translation needs across the Mediterranean region. They hope to design structures that will facilitate strategic planning with partners and equip all those who wish to share in the work of translation. Pray that the right people will be identified to fill the leadership, administrative and technical roles in this large project. Pray that all the agencies involved will work cooperatively with each other, partnering in new ways so that each people group in this region can have God’s Word in the language that speaks to their hearts. May God be glorified as His people work together in unity.

Urgent prayer: Tanzania

2012-04-23T00:00:00Z

On Friday evening, on his way home from church in Mbeya, Tanzania, Edmund Mwanawalaya was attacked, savagely beaten, robbed and left unconscious in the street.

Edmond is part of the Safwa translation team. This Thursday, with his fellow translator Amon, they were due to begin the process of checking the book of Acts with John Macaulay, a translation consultant from the UK.

Please pray for Edmund, that he would recover fully from his injuries. For his family and colleagues, who are obviously concerned for him at this time. And for the Safwa translation. It is not unusual for Bible translations to be faced with obstacles at key moments in the process, so please pray for the work of the Safwa translation team.

Strategy Formulation tool: Global

2012-04-21T05:10:00Z

From April through December, a development team is hard at work on a project to devise a tool that will allow others to find out a given language's vitality. Such a vitality scale will aid communities in knowing which language would be best to achieve their changing social, cultural, political, economic and spiritual goals. The team leader writes that the team is willing but is overextended and spread over thousands of miles. Pray that God will remove obstacles and that the team will have wisdom to know what the next steps should be and how to do them.

Applied Anthropology conference: Kenya, Mozambique, USA

2012-04-21T05:06:00Z

After some anthropology meetings in Dallas, Texas, two members of the Africa Area team continued on to Baltimore, Maryland to give papers at the Society for Applied Anthropology conference. Presenting the papers was part of these two anthropologists' professional development plan in order to become consultants. Praise God, the papers were well received and the experience was very positive. It is inspiring to watch these consultants-in-training grow in their abilities to lead and teach others in the complex cross-cultural context of Africa. Pray that God will continue to work through them and their unique skills in their countries of ministry—Kenya and Mozambique.

Anthropology essential follow-up: Global

2012-04-21T05:01:00Z

The SIL International Anthropology office in Dallas, hosted two meetings in March. One was the Global Anthropology Coordinators Consultation. It included the International Coordinator and the four Area Anthropology Coordinators from Africa, Eurasia, Asia, and the Pacific. Also attending were several Dallas-based Senior Anthropology Consultants. Praise God for the opportunity to plan and collaborate on issues like strategy, research, resource development, consultant training, and multicultural teams. The meeting was a first of its kind for SIL's anthropology community. It demonstrated SIL's commitment to building more effective ways of working as a global organization. Praise God for a productive and encouraging meeting.

Good results: Nigeria

2012-04-21T04:58:00Z

Mike Rueck reports good results from language survey trips conducted by teams of expatriates and Nigerians: "From six trips in the last two years, two languages have started Bible translation projects: Koro Wachi and Obanliku. We can also count twelve other active Bible translation projects among languages we have surveyed since 2006, including Nyankpa, Obe Irungene, Nkem-Nkum, Iceve-Maci, Kamuku, Mbula, Maya, Jarawa, Eda, Fali, and Kirya-Konzul. We praise the Lord for this progress made in seeing that all peoples have access to Scriptures in the language of their hearts!”

Fruitful sociolinguistic survey: Nigeria

2012-04-21T04:32:00Z

Mike Rueck reports lots of good news: "Our language survey* team has made six survey trips to survey 10 different languages, with interns taking the lead for the first time on two of them…Summary reports are distributed from two surveys, awaiting my final review from two others, and in draft for the other two. Three new Nigerian interns joined our survey team as well as two Americans, one on his way to Sudan. And new data and more accurate maps have been submitted for the next edition of the Ethnologue, due out next year.”

*Language surveyors help identify which languages have the most urgent needs, as well as which dialect(s) of those languages would be the best basis for developing literature.

Rapid Word Collection workshop: Ghana

2012-04-21T04:15:00Z

A Rapid Word Collection* workshop took place earlier this year and a good start was made toward a Buli dictionary. Pray that God will provide opportunity in terms of time, funds and personnel to see this project to the next step: collecting more words, sorting out homonyms, and writing complete glosses or definitions. Besides the obvious outcome of a dictionary and/or thesaurus for the Buli language, people in this project hope to produce a video that will be a tool to encourage other language groups to begin dictionaries.

*Rapid Word Collection means that dictionary workshop participants are led to think in terms of semantic groupings of words in their languages instead of words in isolation. For example, if one asks, how do you say 'dog', only one word is gained. But if one asks, 'Name all the four-legged animals you can think of,’ several words are contributed.

Teachers urgently needed: India.

2012-04-20T14:24:00Z

Many missionaries have to decide whether to stay on the field or to return to their home country for their children to get a good education. Hebron School provides an excellent international primary/secondary education for the children of parents from many mission agencies all over Asia. There is an urgent need for at least 13 teachers in many key subjects for 2012/2013. Please pray that God will provide these teachers soon.

Audio New Testament: Africa

2012-04-18T09:49:00Z

A translation of the New Testament is nearly completed for a major language, the mother tongue of several million speakers in Africa. The first trial version audio New Testament was recorded and distributed in February. About 20 copies were given to different groups for final testing. Pray that the team will get good feedback so they know how to modify the recording for best comprehension and impact. Pray that the sound quality of the new and old tracks will match well. The team hopes to make the New Testament available in solar-powered audio Megavoice units. May the hearts of many people be prepared to receive God’s Word.

Team leader: Africa

2012-04-17T13:39:00Z

Marc is the leader of a team translating the Scriptures into his mother tongue. He has many responsibilities and travels often. His absences are not easy for him or for his young wife and children. Pray that Marc would be wise in planning his schedule, that his time with the family would be refreshing, and that the Lord would bless them as a family with deepening faith.