‘We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ ACTS 2:11b (NIV)The date of Pentecost (6 June 2022) was chosen for the launch of the Chinese language version of the Wycliffe Australia website.

The new website opens opportunities for Chinese speaking congregations to discover more about Bible translation.The team consisted of Wycliffe Australia members Wen Lee Kuan, Ming Fang Strickland and John Tan, Wycliffe Australia Board member Fai Peng Chen, and a Wycliffe representative for the Chinese diaspora in Australia, Jessie Wei.

Jessie says the website is a helpful tool for Chinese congregations: Chinese is the second largest population in Australia (other than the native English speakers). If we communicate with Chinese people in their heart language, we can better serve and invite them to be part of God’s mission, grow in Christlikeness and invite them to be part of extending his kingdom.

To view the Chinese language website, go to: zh.wycliffe.org.au

In January 2022, Wycliffe member and SIL International translation consultant Keith Benn organised and led the Wycliffe Australia Study Tour of Israel. With many participants from Africa, the tour was aptly named ‘K2K’: Kilimanjaro to Kapharnahum.

The group faced a number of challenges, including many of the visas arriving at the last possible moment and half the group testing positive to COVID. Despite the setbacks, the tour enabled international translation consultants and trainees to see the Holy Land and understand more about the history, geography and culture of biblical times to help them in the accuracy of their translations. As many participants shared, the Bible truly came to life during the trip.

You can read more about this tour in the Autumn 2022 edition of Wycliffe Today: wycliffe.au/hotel-quarantine

National Training Event (NTE) is a nationwide event for Christian university students to attend Bible talks, make friends, and learn more about potential cross-cultural opportunities.

Wycliffe Australia has maintained a good relationship and long-running presence at the event, holding elaborate and interactive stalls in the main area for mission organisations called the ‘Act Now’ arena. In 2022, the theme for NTE was ‘Identity: Made for More’. The Wycliffe stand included interactive items that tied in with the theme, including a selfie frame with hashtags about Wycliffe Australia.

Wycliffe’s country of focus was Vanuatu, with the area transformed to resemble a tropical oasis. Ross and Lyndal Webb were two of the eight people representing Wycliffe. Their experience as translation consultants in Vanuatu provided opportunities to interact with Ni-Vanuatu words and phrases.

Ross shares: Having had opportunities to meet many university students during the year at various conferences, it was great to see them again and have the chance to continue the ‘translation conversation’ as they briefly entered the Wycliffe world.

Wycliffe Australia’s Story the Bible workshops are designed to help church leaders, cross-cultural workers and Christian believers learn how to take a Bible text and craft a story that is simple, accurate and memorable (SAM). Experienced Bible storytellers facilitated the course in 2022 in a number of different locations throughout New South Wales and Queensland. Ken was a participant who attended the Story the Bible workshop held in the Sunshine Coast over a weekend in October. He was pleased to gain new skills for sharing Bible stories when opportunities arise.

Ken shares: This course was exceptional. I can think of no skill more important than sharing the gospel through story. If we don’t use it, we will lose it.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. PSALM 133 (NIV)

Lindsay and Lola Fairhead have been serving as Prayer Coordinators for Wycliffe Australia since October 2020. The Fairheads are passionate about working in partnership with other people and organisations to mobilise prayer for language groups throughout the world. These partnerships have enabled them to gather more information for prayer profiles that explain specific prayer needs for language communities in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region.

Lindsay shares: When we stepped into the role, we sensed the Lord saying to reach out and see what others are already doing [in the prayer space]. We wanted to complement the work, rather than duplicate anything. Forming relationships and connections has been such a blessing.

Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia made a number of new connections and strengthened existing partnerships throughout 2022.

To join the Papua New Guinea hour of prayer on Thursday nights, sign up at wycliffe.au/pray-png

Ambonese Malay was originally a trade language in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands but it is now spoken by around two million people. In September 2022, the Ambonese Malay New Testament was dedicated. David and Lilian Saxby are translation consultants who say it has been a blessing to witness the excitement and sense of ownership that church leaders exhibit when they play an active role in the translation process:

The Ambonese Malay New Testament dedication was sponsored by a major church denomination here in Ambon. They are very involved in the process and we are grateful for that. They often have deeper insights into how things work which is important for translation projects.

For information about this dedication, read the latest edition of Wycliffe Today at wycliffe.au/making-a-way

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. I COR 12:27 (NIV)

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! ROMANS 10:15b (NIV)

As followers of Jesus, we all have a unique part to play in sharing the good news of the gospel. Bible translation plays an important role in the Great Commission but it is not the end goal. Ultimately, we want people to understand God’s love for them and what it means to live for him.

At Wycliffe Australia, our mission is to ‘work in partnership with the church in making disciples of people from every language group through Bible translation into vernacular languages’. We do this by promoting the work of Wycliffe and its partners; advocating for the needs of language groups; recruiting, empowering and training people to join the Bible translation movement; and networking with others to provide the necessary resources that enable Bible translation to take place.

What a joy it is to see so many unique people, roles, locations and stories working together to ensure that God’s story is shared among every nation, tribe, people and language! Be encouraged as you read about the impact God’s story has had on language communities in 2022.