The ripple effect of Scripture engagement
By Helen Sahl | Wycliffe Today Spring 2024 Edition |
So much of what we think and say and how we interact with one another has been influenced by the Bible. Phrases such as ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ and ‘salt of the earth’ have become part of our everyday vernacular. Many people in Australia no longer realise the impact Bible translation into English has had on our society. Yet what we see in modern Bible translation projects is a powerful ripple effect that creates lasting change among communities.
Kim and Annie Colich are a couple I met while I was a teacher in Papua New Guinea. The Colichs were working on the New Testament for about 20 years in the Tami language. They did not feel like they were close to completing the translation but Annie thought ‘We’ve done a lot of translation work. It’s not ready to be published yet but I’m going to take what we’ve got and start a women’s Bible study’. She sent word around the village and the women began meeting together.
Annie gave them pieces of paper with the translated verses written on them in Tami. The women would listen intently during the teaching times. Hearing the Bible verses read aloud in their own language was so exciting! Many said ‘Oh, this speaks to my heart!’ They would gather around the fire in the evenings with family and friends and share what they were learning, applying the truths of God’s Word to their lives.
Aikiba is one of the women who attended the studies. Her husband, Angham, was angry and abusive. After years of living in fear of him, when Aikiba heard God’s Word being read in her language, her heart filled with joy. She began taking the verses she received from the Bible study home with her. Aikiba started showing her husband the written verses but he would grab them away from her and throw them on the ground. Yet one day, he took the paper and read Scripture in his mother tongue for the first time. His heart was ready to encounter the Living God, and he asked her, ‘Do you think I could attend this Bible study?’
The next week, Angham sat quietly at the back of the group of women and listened to the Scripture verses being read. The words began impacting him and he realised that he needed to turn his life around. Aikiba saw her husband become a new creature in Christ right before her eyes! The whole community recognised that Angham was a changed man. Angham later shared with Annie:
I felt like I was the man in the Bible with the evil spirit who lived in the graveyard, and when I met Jesus, my chains fell off and I was free!
Angham wanted others to know that Jesus was the reason for this change. Later, he even became the coordinator for the Tami Bible translation project. Many people in the village are coming to a new understanding of the power of God’s Word and its ability to change their lives.
Annie’s countenance was glowing when she told me how one life transformed by God’s Word can create greater change in the world, and for eternity. Annie shares:
If this was the only ‘glimpse’ of what the Lord did in my 33 years among the Tami, it would be worth it all. But it hasn’t been the only one! We have seen so much evidence of God at work, particularly as a result of the Scripture Engagement courses we have held in the Tami villages. His Word really does change lives!
School partnership bearing fruit
Jeremy Dover
By Jeremy Dover, Head of Biblical Studies at Waverley Christian College
Wycliffe Today Spring 2022
Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia has partnered with Waverley Christian College in Melbourne since 2019 to support staff and students in understanding the Bible in a deeper way. Our Biblical Studies program, like that of many churches, has a strong biblical theology based on the central gospel message of sin and salvation. There is often a gap in students’ understanding of biblical truth and its application in everyday life.
We want to help students understand that the Bible can be trusted, that its words are inspired by God, and that they can trust in God’s plan of salvation for their lives. Wycliffe Australia is helping us to teach students to read the Bible in greater depth and find richer meaning because they trust the words and the reliability of their translations.
Wycliffe Australia is helping to train Year 7 students to use their Study Bibles to read, engage with and understand God’s Word. As part of their training, students explore the introduction of Bible books to give context, the cross-references that point to other Bible verses explaining that section and the commentary notes that give richer insight into Bible themes. Over 200 Year 7 students completed the program this year.
Ewa McMaster and Helen Sahl teaching one of the Biblical Studies units.
Helen Sahl attended the graduation and presented certificates, encouraging the students about the work of Wycliffe and the importance of having the Bible in the languages that speak to our hearts. We pray that this will help them experience the true character of God as he reveals himself in the Scriptures.
Please pray:
- for Waverley Christian College’s Biblical Studies program – that students will engage with God’s Word and respond to God’s plan of salvation
- for the Biblical Studies teachers in this ministry
- that the student cohort will inspire young people to rise up and be trained for the harvest field.
Leaning on God to light the way: Introducing Max and Helen Sahl
Wycliffe Today – June 2019
Max and Helen have been on quite a journey since they first met. These former Queensland teachers are Wycliffe members who have lived in Papua New Guinea for 20 years. Their adventures have included a short stint in professional rugby, moving to a new country, raising a family, serving in a variety of roles, several near-death experiences and establishing a new training program for local translators. They are now living at the National Centre for Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia where Max is the CEO. Come and meet the Sahls.
What was it that first inspired you to become involved with Wycliffe?
Max: Before we went to PNG, we had no idea about Wycliffe or SIL. When we first heard about the need for teachers to educate mission kids, we simply followed God’s call. We thought we would only be there short-term. When we arrived, we didn’t know much about Bible translation . . . but it was almost impossible not to catch the vision. I went from being a PE teacher to Principal of the Primary School and High School to overseeing the training program for the Pacific Institute of Languages, Arts and Translation (PILAT) and now stepping into the role of CEO for Wycliffe Australia. I would never have imagined that for myself but God obviously knew what he was doing!
Helen: During our time in Ukarumpa, we saw people’s lives changed, both at an individual and at a community level, through the power of the gospel. But the gospel is only effective when the people can understand it. Our eyes were opened to the physical, spiritual, educational and emotional needs surrounding us and we developed a heart for making God’s Word clear for all people.
How did your sports career help in that transition?
Max: I was a professional rugby league player in Queensland. My team won the grand final in the biggest sports event in Queensland at the time. This helped me to connect with my new community in PNG, as rugby league is the biggest sport in PNG and most of the people barrack for the Queensland State of Origin team.
Helen: Our experiences as PE teachers also enabled us to spend time with people in more informal ways. Max has hiked the Kokoda Trail and four times has hiked Mount Wilhelm, the highest mountain in PNG. A strong endurance for hiking helps to support translation teams by sharing the Jesus Film with remote villages. Teaching Missionary Kids was a big part of our lives as we worked in PNG and we loved the opportunities to input into their lives.
What was it like overseeing the training program for PILAT?
Max: This was a real highlight of my time in PNG. The Pacific Institute for Languages, Arts and Translation was set up to train Papua New Guineans for Bible translation, literacy and other language development work. It involved taking a huge risk but it was worth it. The program welcomes translators from all villages – the languages literally come to you! The people are hungry to learn but they are geographically isolated and educationally poor. They often make incredible sacrifices to get there, taking a boat, bus and plane. But we’ve found a real synergy in training local translators which is gaining momentum with the local churches. Last year, nearly 500 people attended courses at PILAT.
What are some of the biggest adjustments you’ve had to make going to PNG and now coming back to Australia?
Max: There is a massive cultural shock when you first move into a third world country. It can be very difficult to know where to invest with your giving and your personal social justice program. There are just so many needs.
Helen: It was hard being away from extended family and friends but transitioning back into your home country can be just as difficult. When you’ve been exposed to communities lacking food, water and basic needs, hearing about first world problems in Western media is very grating. Experiencing the hardships other people go through on a daily basis has put things into perspective for us.
Your journey has involved a great deal of change. What does this new transition mean to you?
Max: There are many transitions in life. It can feel a bit overwhelming – but you learn that God always turns up. You need him when you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. You need to pray for supernatural wisdom. One of the most challenging things as I move into this role will be to also transition the organisation. We need to be looking for new ways to do the same job in a new world. I think we also need to be more respectful of the minorities we are working with and to ensure that we are listening to the churches and enabling them to be more involved. Partnerships with other Global Alliance organisations will also be a big focus as we work with other agencies interested in Bible translation.
Helen: I also love the idea of enthusing people in the task of Bible translation. But I know that this won’t come without its own difficulties. This transition is exciting because we are relying on God to show us what he wants for the future of Wycliffe Australia. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a verse we try to live by: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight (NIV). When you surrender your will to him, trust and make yourself available, he lights the path ahead.
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