saved by grace, coder by calling
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We are really encouraged to see that Scripture App Builder has been used to make over 2,600 apps, now representing more than 2,000 of the world’s languages.
While recently talking with a potential partner, Chris was asked: “Why did you get involved in missions?” He described the different stepping stones in our journey to missions. One that stuck out this time was a quote from a message by David Platt at Together for the Gospel 2012. In the middle of the message (at 18:09), David Platt said:
God involves us in His mission
not because He needs us
but because He loves us and, in His mercy,
He has invited us to be involved in His sovereign design
for the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Thank you, Lord, that you love us and invite us to participate in what you are doing to accomplish the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Thank you, Lord, that technology can be used to speed the translation and distribution of your living Word to the unreached people of the world.
One of the most important things that’s needed to complete Bible translation projects is something many people take for granted: internet access.
As more and more people around the world translate the Bible for their own communities, a strong and reliable internet connection provides training and consulting opportunities to keep the work moving forward.
Learn how satellite internet technology like Starlink is helping deliver Scripture to people faster than ever before.
Wycliffe’s mission is to serve with the global body of Christ to advance Bible translation and work together so people can encounter God through his Word.
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.
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.
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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)
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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.
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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!
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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:
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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.
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