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Gospel Films

July 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Faith Comes By Hearing presents about Gospel Films at EMDC

    Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) was at EMDC and presented on a new partnership that they have with the LUMO Project. Gospel Films are a ground-breaking, multi-language biblical resource that will transform the way people around the world discover, study, and engage with God’s Word.
    For the first time, the complete unabridged text of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have been faithfully brought to life in visual form by the LUMO Project. FCBH is combining this compelling cinematic portrayal of the life of Jesus with their word-for-word audio Scriptures in the languages of the world.
    Using the complete recorded audio Scripture greatly simplifies the process compared to the JESUS Film. The latter requires a lot of work to create a script based on the Gospel of Luke and lip-synch the recorded dialog (which often requires re-recording) so that it matches with the video. This is very time consuming and requires expensive audio/video editing software and experienced people. There are adjustments that have to be made due to the length of the audio for a section. The LUMO Project accounted for this and have different lengths of scenes to be able to accommodate.
    Both the LUMO Project and FCBH are freely sharing these videos* and allowing them to be distributed in many forms. They can also be embedded in or streamed to Scripture apps created using Scripture App Builder. It is exciting to see how these videos will impact the spread of the Gospel in many language communities where this might be the very first film available in their language. Try out the Gospel Films in the New International Version (1984).

*There are certain limitations on the distribution of some majority language versions in some regions. However, there are virtually no restrictions for minority language versions.

Filed Under: Content

Crossing the Finish Line

July 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment

  In early April, Chris traveled to The Netherlands for the Eurasia Media Distribution Consultation (EMDC). This is the conference that Chris has attended for the last 4 years which alternates between Thailand and The Netherlands. About half of the participants are on-the-ground language workers, church planters, etc. and the other half are either service providers (like Chris) or media experts/providers.
Similar to previous years, Chris spent the first four days assisting with the Mobile Apps for Ministry training track which help attendees learn about designing, developing, and marketing mobile apps. There were also sessions on using Scripture App Builder to create apps using their existing content (including video — see about Gospel Films). The days were busy with training, answering questions, and helping attendees with projects. The evenings were filled with preparation for releasing Scriptoria during the main part of the conference.
    When Chris left the United States, there was still quite a bit of work left to do. With the help of his colleague back in West Virginia, David Moore, they were able to complete changes necessary for the initial software release, deploy the new software to Amazon Web Services, and migrate all the projects (over 600) from the previous Scripture App Publishing Service to Scriptoria.
    While at the conference, Chris was able to talk with several organizations (like Faith Comes By Hearing) interested is using the service. We are now working with them to add their apps to the service and to develop features they will need to best utilize the service. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to use the skills you have given to provide more access to your Word to more of your people!

Filed Under: Language Software

Worth the Sacrifice

March 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment

We have been wanting to share this video for a while. It was recorded two years ago and at that time, they thought the Bible translation would be completed at the end of 2017 for the Kwoma* people.
    Chris contacted the translation consultant at the end of last year to get an update that we could share with you and see how we could pray for them and their team in Nigeria. The consultant shared with us that there have been setbacks that have delayed the completion (which is common when approaching the finish line). God is faithful though! They have recently completed the translation of the New Testament and hope it will be published early this year. You can learn more and pray for the Kwoma people (and others) in The Finish Line Africa 2019 prayer guide.
*name changed to protect the people

    Ben and Renee Kuwitzky — along with their four kids — live in Jos, Nigeria. Ben serves as a translation consultant working with Nigerian translators, helping ensure that the translation is being communicated in a natural and clear way. Renee serves on the care team while also homeschooling their kids. 
    Although living overseas has its challenges and difficulties, Ben and Renee believe it’s worth the sacrifice so that people can receive Scripture in their own language. And when they see people excited about God’s Word in their own language, they are once again reminded why their work is important. 
Wycliffe’s mission is to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by 2025.

Filed Under: Missions Tagged With:

Approaching the Finish Line

March 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment

   Prayer is vital for Bible translation to move forward and is especially critical during the final stages of the process. A pattern of increasing spiritual opposition toward getting the work finished often emerges. We see this even in software projects! Last year, we had some significant technical hurdles to overcome. We asked you to pray and God answered! Chris and his colleagues were able to reach that goal and receive valuable feedback from their partners.
    The finish line is quickly approaching for the release of this major upgrade to the Scripture App Publishing Service (now called Scriptoria) and we need your prayers again. This release is planned to be made during the Eurasia Media Distribution Consultation (EMDC) in early April.
    We have experienced some personal challenges over the past few weeks which has hindered progress for Chris. Michelle was very sick for a week with the flu (and still recovering) so Chris had to take care of her and the family and didn’t have much time for work. Then, Chris was in an accident which totaled the car. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Filed Under: Missions

A Greater Need

November 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

    As we celebrate the milestone of translated Scripture, we celebrate that God is accomplishing His mission through His power and through partnership. More mission organizations, churches, and Christian communities are becoming involved in the Bible Translation movement. There is known active translation and/or linguistic development happening in 2,659 languages across more than 170 countries.
    Because of improved accuracy in collecting information from around the world about Bible translation needs, and other factors, the number of estimated translation needs worldwide has increased. As of October 1, 2018, over 180 million people, using 1,879 spoken languages and 284 sign languages, are likely to need some form of Bible translation to begin.
    Translation need is not as simple as determining which languages do or do not have Scripture. Most of the languages with only “some Scripture” are in need of more, and even full Bibles undergo revisions from time to time. Find out more in the FAQ sheet. (http://bit.ly/2018-bt-stat-faq)

Scripture & Language Statistics 2018

Filed Under: Missions Tagged With:

A Greater Joy : Celebrating the 1000th New Testament

November 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

The Keliko of South Sudan have experienced displacement due to civil unrest and struggles. But in spite of their difficulties, they have relied on God to be their source of strength and hope. Recently, the Keliko dedicated their New Testament in Koboko, Uganda. Keliko was the 1,000th New Testament completed with the engagement of Wycliffe USA and SIL International — a primary strategic partner. Russ Hersman, Wycliffe’s Chief Operations Officer, attended the celebration and shared the importance of this milestone. Let’s rejoice with the Keliko who now have God’s Word in a language and form that speaks to their hearts!
    Wycliffe’s mission is to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by 2025.

Filed Under: Missions Tagged With:

A Great Opportunity

April 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

Chris has been the technical lead and primary developer for the Scripture App Publishing Service. Last fall, they started working with two partners, Faith Comes By Hearing and International Mission Board, to plan an update to the service in order to 1) support multiple organizations and 2) customize the process of publishing apps for each organization.
This would require a significant re-rewrite to a portion of the service. About that time, Chris’ organization applied to Every Tribe Every Nation (ETEN) for direct funding of certain projects including the Scripture App Publishing Service. A very generous grant was given by ETEN that has allowed them to sign a contract with DeveloperTown to design and develop the software that needs replaced. They didn’t have the staff to complete this work internally and this is a great opportunity to complete the work. Praise God for the resources and talents He has made available!

Logos
 
Discussions around a whiteboard during the initial design meetings at DeveloperTown in Indianapolis with people representing SIL International, Faith Comes By Hearing, Scripture Earth, and Kalaam Media in early April 2018.
Filed Under: Language Software, Missions

The Great Message

April 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

In 1981, while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cakchiquel New Testament translation, Billy Graham delivered a sermon about the importance of Bible translation in the context of the command that Jesus gave believers to come unto him and go into all the world. Be encouraged by the excerpt from his sermon.  One statement that stuck out to me:

Billy Graham on the Importance of Bible Translation
Filed Under: Missions

Significant Partnership

September 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

Chris has been the technical lead and primary developer for the Scripture App Publishing Service. The initial rollout of the service utilized a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) strategy which provides just enough features to satisfy earlier customers and provides feedback for future development. The service has been running for about a year and they have gathered valuable feedback for what needs to be done in the next release.
They have also communicated with other partners who have similar needs. Two of these partners, Faith Comes By Hearing and International Mission Board(IMB), have stepped forward to help with the future development of the service. IMB has a team in Bulgaria who they employ to fulfill different IT needs. Chris has been tasked to design the expansion of the Scripture App Publishing Service and train the IMB team to do the development. He will be traveling to Bulgaria to do the training sometime this fall. Please pray for wisdom for Chris to know how to design the system so that it can be effectively implemented by the Bulgarian team and be flexible for the diverse needs of many organizations.

Faith Comes By Hearing
IMB
Filed Under: Language Software, Missions

Searching for Significance

September 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment

This article comes from our Newsletter which comes out 3-4 times per year.  Sign up to receive in your inbox!

We’re excited to announce that Wycliffe’s most recent devotional, “Searching for Significance”, is now available as a 10-day reading plan on YouVersion! “Searching for Significance” focuses on the search for something more in our lives — whether you call it significance, purpose, or meaning. There’s an innate desire in each of us for our life to matter, and this devotional explores that desire from a biblical perspective as we dive into God’s view of our worth. You can explore more stories and videos about this topic at wycliffe.org/significance. We encourage you to read the plan on YouVersion and share it with your family and friends. It’s an easy way to engage them in a conversation about God’s view of our significance and worth, while also sharing opportunities for them to engage with Wycliffe. Start the 10-day plan today!

Filed Under: Missions
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