(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that involves people in the acceleration of Bible translation efforts, is helping to accelerate Bible translation in remote and dangerous countries by providing national translators with access to timesaving, and possibly lifesaving, technology.
The organization is providing Translation Acceleration Kits, which consist of a portable netbook computer, satellite communication terminal, solar panel, battery, and power supply. The kits allow national Bible translators to communicate and share files with translation consultants hundreds or thousands of miles away, eliminating delays caused by unreliable electricity as well as the need for time-consuming, difficult, and often dangerous travel. The kits, which run on solar power, enable translators to tune in to a satellite and get an Internet connection.
“Wycliffe Associates is committed to sending Translation Acceleration Kits into the field for faster, safer, and more efficient translation efforts,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates.
Each satellite Internet connection could speed the completion of a New Testament translation by an estimated two years.
“That means for every 25 language groups that have this technology, we can accelerate Bible translation by 50 years,” says Smith.
In Nigeria, where approximately 500 Christians have been killed and 100 churches burned in the last 12 months, Wycliffe Associates has connected 42 Bible translation teams in remote areas to the Internet. Nigeria has more than 300 languages without any current Bible translation activity—the most unreached language groups of any African nation.
And national Bible translators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), another African nation that also has been plagued by civil war, have requested Translation Acceleration Kits. Over the past 15 years, the fighting in the DRC has resulted in the deaths of more than 5 million people and the displacement of more than 2 million. Of the 215 languages spoken in the DRC, 120 of them are currently without any portion of the Bible.
The organization regularly receives urgent requests for Translation Acceleration Kits from Bible translators who live and work in dangerous and isolated areas of the world.
“Our brave partners in Africa, and other spiritually dark regions of the world, need us more than ever,” says Smith.
Wycliffe Associates involves people in accelerating the work of Bible translation through their time, talents, and treasure. Because millions of people around the world are still waiting to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as they can to translate every verse of the Bible into every tongue to change every heart. The organization partners with nationals, mother tongue translators, staff, volunteers, and supporters to direct and fund these efforts, as well as provide logistics, networking, and technical support. Through a growing global network, Wycliffe Associates is striving to overcome local limitations of time and resources to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word in every remaining language that needs it by 2025.
Last year, the organization mobilized 3,703 volunteers and staff members to accelerate Bible translation in 77 countries. Additional information is available at www.wycliffeassociates.org or by calling 1-800-THE WORD (1-800-843-9673).
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