Wycliffe Bible Translators

Stepping out in faith: First steps

By Max Sahl  | Wycliffe Today Autumn 2024 Edition

This year, Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia celebrates 70 years of working with God to transform lives through Bible translation, literacy, community development and Scripture engagement. Hundreds of men and women throughout the years have been trained to support Bible translation projects in Australia and throughout the world. They have all served in unique ways. 

Wycliffe Australia has sent out people of vastly different backgrounds, from teachers and technicians, animators and accountants, to doctors and dog trainers. They have understood the need for people to access the Scriptures in the languages they understand best.

Despite their differences, these people all had something in common – their journeys all began with taking the first step. Taking that ‘first step’ can seem overwhelming but we don’t have to take it alone. Along with the prayers and support of other believers, short-term exposure trips can be a great way to experience God at work through everyday Christians who have already taken that first step of faith. 

The stories in this edition of Wycliffe Today showcase the experiences of people who have joined short-term trips to Bible translation projects in Australia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. We hope you are encouraged by their stories and pray that God will give you the wisdom and courage to take the next step in your own adventure with him, wherever and whatever that may be. 

Launch to Timor-Leste: Embracing people, culture and language

By John Tan  |  Wycliffe Today Autumn 2024 Edition

John and Remy Tan are Wycliffe Australia members based at the National Centre in Melbourne. They took a short-term assignment, spending six weeks in Timor-Leste to assist the office in Dili. John explains how SIL Australia’s Launch language learning and cultural awareness course prepared them for their short-term assignment. 

We found our ‘workation’ in Timor-Leste was a refreshing time with the Lord. I helped record and edit the books of Ruth and Mark in the local Mambae language. Remy led an in-house staff training session on record keeping and management. 

When you spend time with people from a different country and language, it helps to immerse yourself in their culture, and SILA’s Launch course was great preparation. At the end of our short-term mission assignment in Timor-Leste, our hosts reported that we connected positively with their team. They enjoyed our friendliness and willingness to learn their language, eat their food and sing their songs. I thought SILA’s summer Launch course prepared us well for this assignment. The four modules of the course laid the foundation for our positive service in Timor-Leste:

Language Learning

Most Timorese people know many languages, but they are more comfortable using their national language of Tetum Dili. While they practised English, we practised Tetum Dili by getting used to sounds over lunchtime conversations and attending church services. We added to our vocabulary by using ‘power-tool phrases’ like ‘how do you say … ?’ then reviewed everything by reading Scripture and a dictionary.

Language Awareness

As time went on, we learned to construct our own sentences, as we learned how to arrange noun and verb phrases and other words in the right order.

Phonetics

My assignment in Dili was to record two books of the Bible in the Mambae language. The phonetics training helped me listen for voiced and voiceless consonants, aspiration and plosives. This helped me know what to look for in the audio wave diagrams as I was editing.

Cultural Anthropology

I found it interesting to learn about the Timorese people: their worldview, mythology, geography and history. They also invited us to weddings and welcomed us into their lives. We felt embraced by the people and will treasure the time we spent in Timor-Leste.

Inquiries are now open for Launch 2025 enrolments.  Visit https://www.sila.org.au/courses/summer-school/ for more information.

MAD: An eye-opening adventure

By Deb Fox  |  Wycliffe Today Autumn 2024  

Wycliffe Australia runs MAD (Ministry, Adventure and Discovery) short-term trips that provide an opportunity to visit Indigenous Australian communities where Bible translation, Scripture engagement and gospel work is taking place. David and Lyn Wake, along with Lyn and the late Chester Street, have been bringing teams in a bus from Melbourne to a number of locations throughout Northern and Central Australia since the MAD trips began in 1998. They are always amazed by what God does to bring the teams together and reflect his heart for Indigenous communities to understand his Word in the languages they understand best.

This MAD trip was much like what I had heard from others who had done the trip before me. The first outcome for me was getting an in-depth understanding of the heart for reaching the Aboriginal communities with the good news of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the depth of relationship with fellow MADites, sharing with each other our journey of faith. I would certainly recommend this trip to others.

–Johann

Many times I was out of my comfort zone. It was eye-opening entering the first Aboriginal community in the sort of environment that ordinarily I would not have entered. Team leader, David Wake, made contact with the local pastor and was sitting with him. I decided to reach out and join the gathering. What I discovered was a pastor with a real heart for his people and their welfare. I discovered the challenges of getting appropriate health care in such an isolated community. We were able to pray for the people of the community and share our spiritual journeys. It was a wonderful experience that I am glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of. I would have totally missed what God had in store for me if I had not been able to go.

–Andrew

A highlight for me was to visit parts of Australia where less than 0.001% of the population has ever been, such as Canteen Creek. I loved connecting with the people there. We live in pristine houses with manicured gardens, yet we don’t know who our neighbours are or what our heritage is beyond a few generations. In stark contrast, Aboriginal communities are all about relationships. It was great to experience how Bible translation is helping people understand who God is and allowing his Spirit to effect change in hearts. The trip changed my perspective from a cerebral discussion about communities far away to a heart-warming experience and a deeper empathy for my fellow Australians.

–Stewart

For enquiries about 2025 MAD trips, please contact https://wycliffe.org.au/eventtype/mad/.

Photos: David Wake and Stewart Henderson

Thanks for your patience...

Waiting is hard, isn't it. But imagine waiting 2000 years for Scripture in your language! Thanks for your patience. And thanks for your generous support which will help bring the long wait to an end...