Why do we love working at Grace International School? Besides being a support to staff from 26 countries, and parents who work out of the Chiang Mai "hub" into 17 nearby countries, this Wycliffe story shows it all:
Imagine boarding a plane in Dallas, traveling four days on 15 flights far into SE Asia. Journey into lush mountains by truck, on a deeply rutted, muddy, slippery road with landslides. Eventually find a small Yawa-language village nestled in a valley.
Meet with church leaders; ask if anyone preaches from Yawa Scripture “portions,” over the past 20 years. “Elder Sefnat does all the time,” they’ll say. Sefnat shows you two small, worn books—translations of John, Acts and nine Epistles. His dated sermon notes and un-published handwritten verses are guarded inside.
Stop at a thatched-roof home; ask if anyone reads from Yawa Scriptures. Everyone will point to bearded, old Grandfather Bertasar. “He read to us this morning,” they say. “He told us how to apply it to our lives, too.”
Walk to this remote village church—without electricity or phones—find Andowa reading from a solar-powered laptop. A dozen people cluster closely around, listening to a new passage in Yawa. These volunteer reviewers enthusiastically discuss it, to improve awkward/unclear sentences; he revises. Then, with special software, he logs onto the internet to send and “syncs” his draft.
Halfway around the world in Arlington, Texas, Wycliffe translator Linda Jones will awake tomorrow, sync her computer and read Andowa’s revised draft. She’ll verify the meaning isn’t altered and send suggestions.
This is how final Yawa New Testament revisions occur, because of a new geo-stationary satellite, circling the equator since early 2009. Two weeks later, IT specialists from Wycliffe’s The Seed Company brought the laptop and small satellite device to the village, showed Andowa how to connect and use OurWord software for translators, created by Wycliffe’s John Wimbish.
Andowa and Linda have worked together 17 years. But when she and husband Larry moved away to lead more translations, Scripture drafts travelled by mail and hand-carry packets. Even with infrequent visits, God always helped them progress. But for final revisions, they felt blocked.
“We didn’t see how to finish without greater community involvement,” Linda said. “It looked impossible. I couldn’t stay long, and they couldn’t come here.” Then came the satellite—with IT specialists—to set it up! A few maintenance problems with equipment and satellite connection were repaired by IT remotely. One faulty part was hand-carried out and repaired, leading to 10 weeks without communication.
But soon, their New Testament will be printed, as Yawa people prepare for a June 2011 dedication! Elder Sefnat, Grandfather Bertasar, and translator Andowa are waiting, with dozens of reviewers and relatives. God’s Word is reaching yet another people-group—isolated, but not forgotten by the Creator who loves them all. He has conquered space and distance to have it done.
Warmly, President Bob Creson of Wycliffe USA
