This week we have one of our supported missionaries, Mary Gardner, with us. She's reconnecting with old friends and I hope making new ones. She works with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Atakpame in Togo. Her main focus has been to translate the New Testament into the Ife language. She'll be speaking at bothe services at St Silas' this coming Sunday.
Here's some information but her work as well as prayer points:
Launch Day for the Ife New Testament – 17th.
October 2009
After 18 years the final preparations are being made for this
event.
The cover of the Testament will be green with yellow
edged pages and a blue ribbon. As well as the New Testament it will contain an
overall introduction, an introduction to each book and a glossary and will have
600 pages. Although subsidised it will cost 100 francs approx. £1.20 or the
equivalent of 4or 5 big yams, or half a schoolbook for a child or 3 big loaves
of bread.
Pray for safe transport, trouble free clearance through customs
and good storage for the 12000 copies being printed in Korea.
Meanwhile what
of the translators?
Komi has been writing 12 Bible Studies for John’s Gospel.
He has also been upgrading his English qualifications in Ghana. It is hoped that
he will be able to go to theological College in Nairobi for two years to do an
MA prior to returning to Togo to take up a role as Translation Consultant for
the area and to work on exegesis of the Old Testament.
Edoh has worked on
the translation of a book on Trauma Healing. After Easter he led a workshop on
this.
The translators are also involved with radio programmes in Ife
.Topics covered included dealing with a funeral and sacrifice in the context of
the culture. Also on these programmes are some ‘call in’ programmes.
Edoh
also went on a 2 week ethno music workshop. Following this he led a workshop and
using scripture verses this produced 8 songs for worship. Further workshops have
also been organised. They cover teaching the Scripture, - Preaching, Reading and
Interpreting, Bible Study and Music.
Now that the Ife New Testament has been
written it needs to be produced in a format where it can be listened to.
The
prayer point for the translators is wisdom for the team to know what to focus
on.
Edoh is the printer and is often engaged on a print run of 4000 copies
for the insatiable literacy programme. He has serious back problems and is often
in a lot of pain.
Napo, is interested in the dictionary side of the work and
hopes to continue work on this.
At this stage of the work the SIL Wycliffe
side of the work is being transferred to a locally run ‘Christian Association
for Literacy and Bible Translation in the Ife language’ (CALBTIL)
Pray for
the work on this as it involves employment contracts and at least initially
handing over of funds until the local churches can fund it
The Literacy
Project
There has been a big increase in the size of the literacy project.
It used to have 200-300 students a year. Currently there are 260 classes with
6000 students. These cover three tiers. Basic, Basic + numeracy and thirdly
transition to French with input on form filling. Three men are full time with
the literacy programme. They are responsible for 7 areas. Each of these areas
has a zone co-ordinator, supervisors, teachers and students. Teachers are not
paid but the project costs a lot of money for materials and travel. Most of the
finance comes from Sweden for this. There is accountability and a lot of work
needed in dealing with the finance of this.
The team are currently exhausted
and this week 5th. May are away in retreat. Pray for refreshment and meeting
with God over this time. Pat, Mary’s colleague who leads the literacy team has
had news that her mother in the USA has been diagnosed with liver cancer. Her
father is also unwell. Pray for her in all this.
Mary Gardner.. On her return
in June Mary hopes to move into language consultancy work. This will involve
checking other language teams work and her work will mainly be in the Akebou
language. She asks prayer for provision in areas where she needs to learn
skills. Pray for Mary too as she would like to follow through some other
interests related to her work.
She gives much thanks for all that has been
done and for the dedicated team of men she has been working with. For their
commitment, their involvement in their local churches and their stand as
Christians in their families. She asks prayer for spiritual renewal for
them.
Pray also for the Building Project. It is helpful to have a place for
the literacy project to own in Atakpame instead of renting. Pray for finances
for this and that the needed supplies such as cement may be provided.
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