Let us bring God's Word to all people in their heart language
 
 
 
Posted On: 07/12/2010 | Posted By: TWFTW


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.

Posted On: 07/01/2010 | Posted By: TWFTW
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.

Posted On: 04/01/2010 | Posted By: TWFTW


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

Posted On: 12/02/2009 | Posted By: TWFTW

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.