On completion of a 8 week stint in OT consultation in Ethiopia, I once again stand in awe of the grace of God - giving physical strength for very strenuous work, health in a culture not one's own, guidance and wisdom by His wonderful Holy Spirit ... where does one stop? His mercies are truly new every morning.
 
Ethiopia is a fascinating country - Huge, her people hospitable and hard working, a God fearing people whose influence on society is felt in the low crime rate. I find working with the teams absolutely invigorating. They have a commitment and perseverance that astonishes. Chatting to one of the teams about the obstacles they face in certain areas, and sort of wondering aloud how they will be able to do it, the only remark was "We will never give up!" - God bless them.
 
Coming from a culture where we name our children after parents or movie idols, I find their names intriguing:

Adani - Save
Andinet - Unity
Degu - He is cheerful
Gizadchew - Let him rule
Miskana - Praise
Salaam - Peace
Tesfaye - He is my hope
Tessema - He is heard                                        
 
In working on Proverbs the Aari team came up with the following dynamic equivalent for Prov 5.15 - 18. The Aari's do not have individual cisterns. These verses mean nothing to them, as everyone drinks from communal springs. In Aariland however, each man has a specific tree where he is the only one allowed to put his beehives, it is a criminal offense to take honey from another man's tree or to put his beehive in that tree.

15. As you put the beehive on your own tree, and as you eat and enjoy the honey, let it be your own tree.
16. Can it be that you can put your beehive on another person's tree?
17. No one should put his beehive on your tree, it should be yours alone.
 
Nel Claassen

The concept of redemptive analogies is credited to Don Richardson. In two books, Eternity in their hearts (1981, 1984, 2006) and Peace Child  (1975), he describes how stories and practices in pagan cultures often illustrate aspects that are essential to the Gospel. These stories and practices can then be utilized for the presentation of the Gospel. God has embedded the truth in strange places!

“The key God gave us to the heart of the Sawi people was the principle of redemptive analogy – the application to local custom of spiritual truth. The principle we discerned was that God had already provided for the evangelization of these people by means of redemptive analogies in their own culture. These analogies were our stepping-stones, the secret entryway by which the gospel came into the Sawi culture and started both a Spiritual and a social revolution from within.” (Peace Child [Regal, 1974], p. 10)

Here is a redemptive analogy from Ethiopia.

Among the Maale there is a man called a “Maale Master”, who acts as “asylum-person”. Belonging to a tribe of priests, he helps to appoint the king and is like a high priest.

When a murder has been committed, by accident or pre-planned, he hastens to the accused, in order to prevent war between the clan of the murderer and the murdered. He sends messages to the two clans promising that he will organize reconciliation, and that therefore no revenge should be taken. He warns them that, if they disobey, people of both clans will die. 

He summons the two clans to a meeting, where he separates them into two groups. A lamb is cut in half, and strung up in a structure specially built for the occasion. The two groups pass through the dripping blood, walking from one side to the other. By this act, they are reconciled. There is no more talk of revenge and no fighting. They are totally reconciled. The message is that ‘killing each other for whatever reason is wrong.’ By this ceremony, even the murderer is completely absolved.

The analogy is obvious: 

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed, … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Pet 1.18, 19)

Paul points out that God reconciled us to each other and to Him through the cross (Eph 2.14-16).

Veroni Kruger

Diplomas and Certificates were presented to the students by Dr Regine Koroma, TWFTW International Training Director.

A total of 39 students received a Diploma in Bible Translation, and 7 students received Certificates. The diplomates represented 23 different languages of Ethiopia. Most of them were from existing Bible translation projects and a few of them were from possible projects in the near future. Twelve of the diplomates were from SIL Ethiopia translation projects whose training expenses were covered by their respective translation projects.

Click here to read the full article.

Tessema Wachemo and his team in Ethiopia juggle all thirteen translation projects – some doing drafting, team checking, field testing and yet others being consulted on - all of it simultaneously.

TWFTW thanks everyone for the diligent prayers and financial contributions as the Gamo, Gofa and Dawro New Testaments have finally been type-set by The Seed Company (TSC) in the USA. The teams are currently doing final proof reading after which the manuscripts  will be returned to TSC to be sent to the printers. TSC and the Bible League USA (who partners with TWFTW) will take care of the publication.

Scripture portions in seven languages were dedicated and distributed to the local people. For some of them, such as the Sheko and Shenasha, this was the first written material ever in their languages. The people responded with great self-confidence and pride to have such wonderful resources “in their hands and hearts”. People from government, the community and churches attended the ceremony, which afforded everyone a chance to mingle with each language group.

Interpretation by the AFM Atteridgeville of Ps. 150



Antoinette van der Meulen, a consultant from TWFTW, went to Ethiopia to check TWFTW’s translations. Following is an excerpt from a personal letter...

"One day, long ago, when I met a Bible translator for the first time, I asked her so many questions that she eventually said, “You don’t trust me”. Now I have to ask myself the same questions. It is an art to be able on the one hand, to translate the Bible so flexibly that it sounds natural in the target language and on the other hand, to convey the meaning honestly and accurately. Fortunately the translators have the necessary combination of respect and creativity to overcome this tension. It is refreshing to read the Bible through their eyes. Interesting idioms arise and they are touchingly glad about their redemption. Photos that I took in Israel in 2007 helped to illustrate places and objects. It is also amazing to see what photos and information one can find on the internet. So often the reaction was, “This is amazing!” Here and there words or names simply had to be changed. For example, Bethesda which means, in Amharic, “a kick on the head” J. This was replaced with the Hebrew (as quoted in Greek) “Beethzatha”, which completely satisfied the translators. Some difficult concepts for translation were “grapes”, “altar”, and “silver” which are unknown to this specific group. But time and again a solution was found. Ebenhaeser.

Prayer request:

That the Lord will call people to do consultations. I don’t understand the extreme shortage of consultants. There are, after all, people in the world who have a good knowledge of Greek and/or Hebrew who could help.

Click here for the complete letter from Antoinette van der Meulen.

Launching of the Maale New Testament in Ethiopia.


What will we be doing over Easter?

The bees were playing when Jesus died.

One Ethiopian Bible translation team translated “At the time of day when the bees come out to play, Jesus died.”

People of this particular tribe tell time by events in the natural world. Bee-keeping is one of their main occupations, and so three o’clock in the afternoon to them, is the time when the activity of the bees changes from what seems to be purposeful, work-directed, to seem to be playful. It is the time of day when the bees seem to buzz around the hives, rather than flying directly from and to the hives.

In a sense the whole world was “playing” as Jesus died, oblivious to the greatest work in the history of the world being done in behalf of all people.

This weekend, as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, many people will be “playing”. In countries where the Easter weekend is still honoured by public holidays commemorating the events, many will flock to places of recreation and relaxation. In many countries Easter will pass as an event on the church calendar, with hardly any interruption of business activities.

What will you be doing over Easter?

Let’s take time this weekend to contemplate the greatest event that ever occurred on this earth: The Son of God dying that our sins may be forgiven, and rising from the dead, so that we may be justified. Surely the magnitude and significance of that event warrants our thanksgiving and adoration?

And as we play, let our playing be as Spurgeon once said, “holy inaction and consecrated leisure.”

Véroni Krüger

A Golf event was held at a Country Club in Vereeniging, South Africa.

40 Players paid R250 each to participate, and were invited to sponsor a hole for R1000. It turned out to be a very cold, rainy and windy day but golfers are brave! R51 000 was raised for Bible translation work in Ethiopia.*

It was a great and enjoyable day, playing together to help bring God’s Word to all people in their heart language.

Thank you to all who participated.

* The Word for the World is involved in 12 translation projects in Ethiopia. You help to translate the entire Bible into the heart languages of 12 people groups!   

Would you like to organize a fundraiser for Bible Translation?

Please contact us at info@twftw.org.