Search Results

by David and Sharon Tan In 1382, John Wycliffe (1330–1384), the Morning Star of the Reformation, completed his English translation of the Bible, 135 years before the start of the Reformation. However, his life and work influenced other “reformers”, including Martin Luther. Wycliffe, a professor of philosophy and Master of Balliol College, Oxford, strongly believed that the Scriptures were the only reliable guide to the truth about God and that everyone should be able to read it for themselves. For his work of translation, he was posthumously declared a heretic by the Roman Catholic church, his bones exhumed and burned, and the ashes cast into a river. You say it is heresy to speak of the Holy Scriptures in English. You call me a heretic because I have translated the Bible into the common tongue of the people. Do you know whom you blaspheme? Did not the Holy Ghost give the Word of God at first in the mother-tongue of the nations to whom it was addressed? – John Wycliffe, responding to his accusers. Martin Luther (1483–1546), lauded as the Father of the Reformation, was the translator of the most influential and widely-used German translation of the Bible. His journey of reform began with his personal experience of the grace of God. He initially hated the word “righteous” in Rom 1:17 — “The righteous will live by faith.” When he later understood “that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith”, he described it "as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open". Luther’s 95 Theses strongly opposed the practice of selling indulgences, which he felt was contrary to the doctrine of justification by faith alone through God's grace. The 95 Theses went viral; translated from Latin into German and reproduced using the latest technology of the day (the printing press), it spread throughout Germany in two weeks; translated into other European languages, it spread all over Europe in two months. A phenomenal speed in those pre-digital days! Declared a heretic, Luther went into hiding. Realising that many Germans could not follow the disputes because they were unable to read the Latin Bible, Luther translated the Bible into German. He said, “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.” His translation influenced the spread of Protestant Christianity and other vernacular translations of the Bible throughout Europe, including Tyndale’s English translation which formed the basis of the King James Version of 1611. Of the approximately 7000 languages in the world today, many do not have the Bible available, or only just portions. Although there are about 2400 Bible translation projects in progress, there are still about 1800 people groups where there is as yet no work to translate the Word of God into a language that speaks to their hearts. An example of the transforming work of heart language Scripture can be seen in the Bahlzao* people group in Asia. Although a few Bahlzao people came to faith after hearing the gospel in the national language, their understanding is limited. A lady told the translators after hearing Genesis 1-3 in the Bahlzao language: “I have been a believer for four years, but I never really knew this. If you have more of this, please give it to us.” Many, especially the elderly and those in rural areas, cannot understand or are unreceptive to God’s word in the national language. However, once Scripture portions and songs were made available in the Bahlzao language, believers reported that their relatives and friends were eager to hear more, and lives were being transformed. One man shared, “Uncle says that there are just so many things that make complete sense, that are so good. I was amazed at the change there is in him. Seeing the change in him, I see clearly how powerful God's word is to cause people to grow.” The goal of Wycliffe Bible Translators is to provide the Word of God in the heart language of every people group that needs it so that their lives can be transformed. Please continue to pray for this crucial work of translation and transformation (reformation). If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. – Nelson Mandela

by Jamie Jamie* attended Camp Wycliffe, a stay-in introductory programme run by Wycliffe Thailand in May 2016. The experience obviously inspired her because she left on a 6-month attachment in another Asian country in early 2017. During this period, she has been attached to the Alpine Meadow* (AM) project, enjoying an up-close-and-personal view of a real language project, and also helping out in various ways. She sent back an account of some of her early impressions: Language learning As for any new person in the field, one of the first things she has had to do is to learn some of the local language. She embarked on learning the AM language from a local person, and since there is no established “course” or textbook, she had to plan her own lessons! She reports, “It’s a steep learning curve but it’s going great!” Sheep or cat? She is also sitting in on some of the translation sessions, and gives an example of some of the issues that crop up: “At the time of writing, we are trying to separate ‘sheep’ from ‘goats’ (Mt 25:32-33). In the AM language, the word for ‘sheep’ and ‘goat’ is the same, which is causing a bit of a problem!” To complicate matters, in some AM varieties spoken in other countries, there is a different word for ‘sheep’ – but unfortunately it translates to ‘cat’ in the local AM variety! Singing in the heart language Music is a big part of Jamie’s life, and she is thrilled to report that five worship songs in the AM language were recorded recently, two of which are original compositions. It is always wonderful for any people group to be able to worship and sing in their own heart language instead of the national language which many may not understand perfectly. She also participated in a workshop on recording and editing audio files together with workers from other language groups. This will be useful for making audio recordings of scripture, stories and testimonies etc., which are very important for the AM group because many are not literate in their mother tongue. Here’s an English translation of part of an original AM song (written by a local person): Even though the tears don’t stop falling, Child, don’t you cry, Child, don’t you cry. Abba Father is leading you, The road ahead will be better, Will be better. Anyone can serve! The needs in any language group involve much more than language work. She notes: “It’s been really interesting to learn about all the possible ways to serve. Some of the foreigners are working on the language, but others are involved in other things like teaching English, music, sports, running businesses, and working among different minority people groups and different age groups ranging from kindergarteners and special needs children to college students. There are so many ways to serve and so many needs to be filled, and every time I learn about one, I think of someone I know who could fill that need!” She tells of a foreign English teacher in the local college. Apart from just teaching lessons, she also hangs out with students, sometimes one on one, and also organises movie nights and games nights at her house. And also, once a week, they play frisbee and everyone is invited. Students can join in and practise English and also enjoy good clean fun (instead of going out drinking or playing computer games). She says, “Anyone can serve; you don’t need any specialised training, just turn up/participate/make friends/let your light shine.” * Not real names

by Jane Doe I have just returned from a five-week stint in South Asia, a place I never dreamed would become so indelibly etched in my heart. The workshops were a beautifully jumbled flurry of activity. Mother-Tongue Translators (MTTs) had come from four separate language projects to have their translations checked and to attend English classes. At the same time, a number of foreigners had come to attend the first Translation Consultant Development Workshop (TCDW) in the country. Translation workshops I was surprised to see just how much happened at a translation workshop. Obviously, translation was a big part: MTTs brought their translated portions or stories to be checked by consultants for clarity, accuracy, naturalness and acceptability. These translations had already been checked within their communities. There was a lot of academic work. MTTs had classes every day to help them grow in their faith and become better translators. English was taught so that they could use English translation tools and resources. Some of the them were working toward academic degrees in translation awarded by a local university. These credentials will equip them for future life even after the translation work is complete. The workshop provided leadership training. The MTTs organised and facilitated many components of daily life such as the morning storytelling devotions and team reports. They also took charge of Sunday services, Testimony times and Fun Nights where everyone could laugh, dance, and de-stress. The community of the workshop was a safe place to practise and develop useful leadership skills. MTTs leave workshops with many tools for translating the Word into their language and to effect transformation in their communities. They carry back booklets of the work they have done, storybooks for literacy projects and community development, and the intangible skills to be leaders in their families, churches and villages. God equips his people and sends them out, armed with his Word. It is beautiful. My role in the TCDW When I first agreed to help at this workshop, it was to help teach Semantics. Great, I thought, I could put my Linguistics degree to work and it was an area I could succeed in. But shortly before the workshop, I found they already had enough people to teach Semantics. Would I be interested in helping as a Translation Advisor in Training (TAT) instead? What was a TAT? No one had a clear description that I could understand, but I agreed anyway. A TAT was a new role, and I was a guinea pig! In essence, the TAT’s role was to help clean up the translation in a pre-check so that the consultants, who were often under extreme time pressure, could quickly identify the most important issues. This would speed up the translation process. After all, the goal was to get the Word out there! An important part of that clean up was to make sure that the back translations were consistent with the MTTs’ language. The MTT’s translation would have been translated into the national language and then into English to make it accessible to English-speaking consultants. With so many languages in play, the potential for confusion was high. Often we would find that something had been lost in back translation! It was a steep learning curve for me. God pulled me out of my comfort zone to a place He could succeed in using me. Then, a few weeks in, some of the students needed help writing their project essays and I was thankful to be able to help, but now clearly knowing it was not in my own strength. Some thoughts I was continually struck by the closeness fostered by the community at this workshop. Every person there had known loss, loneliness or isolation in some form. Even so, as hard as we worked – and we worked hard! – the workshop was a place of spiritual renewal and encouragement for individuals spread thin in their responsibilities at home. Last October, my husband was posted to a South Asian country and I followed him there. This was not what I wanted to do. I didn’t know anyone there and found the culture extremely difficult to adjust to. Now I see that if not for the struggles and growth I encountered in moving to another country, I would never have been prepared for the time at this workshop. In fact, after meeting other brothers and sisters from my new “home country” at the workshop, I find I can love it more. God is softening my hard, selfish heart. He is also showing me what true discipleship looks like. Who in their right mind would go to a dangerous place with harsh living conditions to work their fingers to the bone for nothing? It just doesn’t make sense without God. But after five weeks, it was so incomprehensibly rewarding that I didn’t want to leave. And if God calls me back, how can I say no? Jane Doe is a little crazy. She has long had an interest in Bible Translation and has volunteered with Wycliffe Singapore for a number of years. Last year, she followed her husband to the exotic region of South Asia. Since writing this, she has been invited to help at the workshop again, and she has said “Yes!”

Every culture has its own customs and beliefs which govern major events such as death, birth, marriage, festivals and more. Many believers fear the loss of their cultural identity if they break with cultural tradition. Church leaders and cross-cultural workers often need to help the people they serve evaluate cultural practices and make godly choices. The Culture Meets Scripture (CMS) workshop helps believers uncover a culture’s assumptions and beliefs, and equips them to make godly choices when cultural practices clash with Scripture. Participants learn ways to explore the root reasons for a culture’s practices, and then examine them through the lens of Scripture. Three WBTS members attended a CMS workshop in Klang in July 2017. The workshop was conducted by Joanne Shetler, who was a Bible translator of the Balangao New Testament (Philippines) and is now a Scripture Engagement (SE) Consultant, and Amy West, who has a background in intercultural studies and anthropology, and is a Senior SE Consultant. From L-R: Amy West, Jo Tan, Sally Ong, Joanne Shetler The presenters used the illustration of a yam plant: in any cultural practice, the observed actions are only a small part, like the above-ground parts of a yam plant. Unseen are the underlying purposes, beliefs, assumptions, values, fears, needs, etc., which are like the swollen tubers buried in the soil. The presenters introduced techniques which can be used to examine any cultural practice in order to understand it better and transform it in a way that honours God. In some cases, however, a believer might have to reject a cultural practice if it is in contradiction to God’s Word. Joanne Shetler told a story from her time in Balangao, showing how it can be necessary to break away from a cultural tradition: There was a pastor whose son was beaten up by a youth from a neighbouring village. In that culture, a failure to take revenge was considered shameful. However, when the pastor met the youths at the police station, he broke with his culture by refusing to demand vengeance (which the Scripture teaches is God’s prerogative), but forgave the youths and preached to them instead. The father of one of the youths was so taken by this that he invited the pastor to his house for a meal, and over the meal, the pastor was able to share the gospel. A wonderful example of the impact of Scripture on a culture!

By Reenie Go to the people, live among them, learn from them, love them. Start with what they know, build on what they have: But of the best leaders, when their task is accomplished, their work is done, the people all remark, “We have done it ourselves. - attributed to Chinese sage, Lao Zi Wycliffe’s focus is life transformation through God’s Word. However, in cases where a community is not yet interested in Bible translation, or the language team needs a valid reason to live among the minority people in a closed country, a gateway project can help raise awareness and open closed doors. Community development (CD) projects which offer practical help are tangible ways to demonstrate love and build relationships with a community and local officials. When they experience such care, they are more likely to be open to God’s love and eventually desire to have His word in their language. Language teams may start CD projects to address specific community needs such as health education, agricultural improvement and income generation. This type of work requires many skills and specialties in a wide range of areas such as health, agriculture, water purification, education and business. As a result, language teams often need the help of other volunteers who can provide such skills. The aim of the CD specialists is to encourage community members to get involved in the projects along with the foreign volunteers. This also serves to increase their confidence and capacity to work together to reach their own goals and meet their own needs. CD workers hope that community leaders will eventually be able to take over the work, adapt strategies to meet their community needs, and seek outside help only when needed. Read about the experience of the Jin language project in Asia, illustrating how CD can be closely integrated with translation work. If you would like to find out more about opportunities to partner language teams to serve such communities, please contact Wycliffe Singapore. “These people are so kind. They came all the way to our place to help us. They have sponsored one of village girls for a heart operation and now she is well.” - Jin village head These words were spoken by the village head at one of the village meetings held to discuss the clean water project for their village. Each family in the village pledged to contribute labour and the smaller pipes for the water project while financial resources and the larger pipes were supplied by believers overseas. This glimpse of the love of Christ through meeting their felt needs marked the beginning of a good relationship with the community. A few years later, a few villagers accepted the Lord and a small house church was formed. Later, when government officials warned the villagers not to associate with us, the villagers fearlessly told the government officials, “Without them, we would not have clean water to drink.” And, the local believers continued in their faith in the Lord. Praise the Lord for His sustaining grace! Over the years, the CD projects we have worked on include: Education: Sponsoring school and living expenses of children from poor families, up to university level if they qualify. Our hope is that higher education will lead to improved living conditions and higher standards of living. From time to time, we also visit their families to care for and encourage them. We also raised funds to build a school dormitory. Water: Providing clean water to over 30 families. Biogas: Contributing materials to build biogas systems for the individual homes in partnership with the local government. Human and animal manure is converted to fuel for lighting and cooking. Medical: providing medical care through the local hospital for the sick, both non-believers and believers, who are poor and in need of help. We bring them for medical checks and treatment, care for them, and pay their medical expenses. Handicraft: Purchasing handicrafts from the villagers to provide them with another source of income. The handicrafts are sold overseas and the profits channelled back to help the poor and meet medical needs. Micro-enterprise: Helping to start businesses such as rearing animals and selling street food. The current focus is to help local church leaders and believers to earn a living while being involved in ministry. Deepening Relationships CD work has helped us build trust relationships with the Jin people and has widened our network among them. Besides giving us the opportunity to share Christ with them, it has greatly helped the progress of the translation project. The medical ministry in particular works closely with the local church leaders and believers. This relationship makes it easier for us to partner with them in checking and improving the translation and the promotion of heart language scripture use. Many of the Jin who have come to know the Lord have been using the translated Bible stories and songs. They need more Scripture and songs in their heart language to grow strong in the faith, and the CD projects have made it possible for us to live among them and provide such materials to them.

by Grace Tan Imagine this: Jesus has a lao bu (“mother” in Hokkien) who sets out to take charge of him after hearing reports that he’s seow (“mad” in Hokkien). We heard this story at the Bible Storytelling Workshop on 9, 10 & 13 May 2017. And, yes, it’s there in the written record (Mark 3:20–21, 31–35). For many of us, the word lao bu instantly linked Jesus’ mother to the many worried Chinese mothers who try to do what’s best for their children. And at the end of the story, when Jesus didn’t do what his mother wanted, many of us were offended at his response – though we tried to excuse his behaviour, since he’s our Lord. Wycliffe Singapore has run the Bible Storytelling Workshop before. But this year, for the first time, we practised telling stories to each other in our heart languages – Singlish, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Indonesian, etc. – as well as English and Mandarin. In doing so, we experienced the shock and impact of hearing God’s Word in a homely context. One participant shared, “I think we were all wowed when we heard the Bible in our own dialect and languages. It felt like ‘home’. It felt like ‘This is do-able.’ Suddenly it felt like I have something to say beyond ‘ni how.’” During this workshop, we had a taste of three methods of crafting Bible stories. Once the story was crafted, the next step was to act it out. In Teochew, English and Singlish, three groups acted the story in Mark 4:35–41 about Jesus calming the storm, to the immense enjoyment of all. We also practised doing inductive Bible studies on the stories. On the last day of the workshop, we tackled a non-story: Philippians 3:1–4:9. We crafted segments of this passage, then we put it together, with tellings in English, Mandarin and Singlish. Hearing the whole passage spoken was powerful for us. One participant commented, “When I heard chapters 3 and 4 of Philippians being presented to us, I was extremely moved. It suddenly clicked, I understood and could feel what Paul must have been feeling for the church. It all felt so real, like God’s Word was shooting straight into our hearts.” A workshop participant, CY, used the storytelling method only two days after the workshop ended. CY knew an elderly lady who was unreceptive to Christianity because she thought it was a western religion. However, when CY and her friend visited the old lady in hospital, she agreed to listen to stories and testimonies and she let them pray for her, all in Hokkien. They visited her regularly, and CY was able to share stories of Jesus’ miracles, the Prodigal Son, and some Old Testament stories. During those few weeks of sharing, as the elderly woman learned more about God, her heart was softened towards him. Touched by the Word of God, she eventually accepted Jesus as her personal Saviour and Lord before she passed away in June. This workshop really demonstrated the power of God’s spoken Word in the heart language. As a participant said, “This is a basic skill/lifestyle that needs to be put into the hands of every child of God, not just Sunday School teachers or leaders.” May all of us use this wonderful tool for the glory of God. The storytelling goes on! If you would like to join a storytelling group and practise your skills, please contact us.

By Coral Forty years ago, in December 1976, Coral, the first Wycliffe member from Singapore, began her training in Sydney. To mark this milestone in ministry, she shared some of her thoughts and experiences at a celebration event held in her church, Fairfield Methodist Church, and also at the WBTS Annual General Meeting. After 40 years, one question she is frequently asked is: “Would you do it again?” Her answer is unhesitating: “Yes, I would, all 40 years! The boss is good, and the ‘pay’ is good. Our heavenly father is a good boss, and the church and other supporters have stood behind me.” Her journey began in November 1976 when she graduated from Bible College. Less than two weeks later, she was on her way to Sydney for linguistics training. During “jungle camp” (an orientation camp for new missionaries) in Papua New Guinea (PNG), she met Liisa, from Finland, and thus began a friendship that developed into a 24-year partnership. At the time, Coral was deciding between PNG and the Philippines as possible places to work, and she recalls being discouraged from selecting PNG as it was considered “too tough for Asian women”! House in the village; working with the Mauwake Despite this, she and Liisa decided to partner and work together on a translation project in PNG among the Mauwake people. In April 1978, they moved to Moro village. The day before they moved, they experienced a spiritual attack – Coral stepped on a nail which penetrated one inch into her foot. However, she still decided to move to the village. In retrospect, she says that maybe she should have waited till her foot had healed. The outhouse was, in her words, very “out”, and she required the help of two persons to support her there and back! She spent the next 24 years working on translating the Mauwake New Testament (NT) and teaching literacy classes. Apart from that, she also trained PNGeans from other language groups to do translation, acted as a translation consultant. Over the years, she has amassed a wealth of anecdotes about her life and work among the Mauwake! In 1997, the Mauwake NT was finally completed and typesetting was about to begin. Again, the devil made his displeasure known – Coral suffered such a severe asthma attack that she had to be evacuated to Cairns in Australia. One good thing that came out of that was that the Singapore office has since required every member in field to buy medical evacuation insurance! The dedication of the NT was held in 1999 in the village. Remembering that day, Coral said that rather than feeling joyful: “That day, I wept. The Lord reminded me that there are so few people who love him there, and care about his word.” When asked when she intends to retire, she replies, “I don’t know!” Her current plan is to continue to work for another two or three more years, and help two or three more teams until they finish their NTs, and train some of the senior translators to be consultants. Coral’s 40 years in ministry is truly a wonderful testimony of God’s goodness and a great encouragement for those who come after her. To God be the glory!

A mother, her muscles tensed and straining, carries a heavy load of vegetables from her garden. A father, his eyes keen and searching, joins the hunt for a wild boar. Children, though still young, are learning what it means to work hard. This is Papua New Guinea (PNG), where perhaps 85 percent of the population depends on the land around them for food, shelter, and income. And yet, just over the mountain, lies Port Moresby with its skyscrapers, its hotels, its shopping centers, its clubs, and its busy streets. Papua New Guinea’s people face an incredible diversity of opportunities and challenges. They always have. The people’s history stretches back many millennia. Over thousands of years, groups of people learned to survive together, reaching an island and settling there, or finding a high valley and making it home. Archaeological evidence indicates that Highlanders developed agricultural techniques at about the same time that the better-known Middle Eastern civilizations were learning how to master their own food supplies, half a world away. As the people spread out, adapting their ways of life to the conditions they encountered, their languages changed dramatically too. Today, Papua New Guineans speak more than 800 languages, many as different from each other as English is from Chinese. Such a diversity of languages and cultures offers a rich heritage in a changing world, but it also leaves the citizens, the government, and the church to grapple with needs for multilingual education, healthcare, natural resource management, and conflict resolution. Most of PNG was reached by Christian missionaries in decades past, and many of the people have accepted Christianity. But syncretism and fear of evil spirits remain strong in many places, often because the people do not have God’s Word in a language they can understand deeply. The door to Bible translation is wide open in PNG. Christians from all over the world have contributed to Bible translation in the country, and God’s Word is available in more languages here than in any other nation in the world. The Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association (BTA) and several other organizations continue working in languages all around the country. Even so, the remaining need is staggering.

David Tan, Director of Wycliffe Singapore, prays for our city state. We thank God for: His grace, protection, and provision for over 50 years of Singapore's existence the many who have given of themselves to build this nation into a multi-lingual, multi-racial, and multi-religious society that enjoys peace, progress, and prosperity. the missionaries who brought the good news to this land many years ago. His grace and mercy that has enabled many Singaporeans to come to know you and establish your church in Singapore. As Singaporeans, we confess that: We have often failed to acknowledge God's sovereignty over our country, ascribing our growth and successes to our own human efforts. We have not always fulfilled our calling and responsibilities as citizens, in not being salt and light in our society. We have embraced pragmatism and materialism as our idols. We pray for Singapore: To truly become a more just and equal society, where there is true love and righteousness. To become a place where the poor and the vulnerable are remembered and helped. For the Singaporean Christians to be salt and light not only in this land, but also to the lesser reached nations in Asia. To be a blessing to the least-evangelised nations and peoples around it. To be a servant leader that facilitates the emerging missions movement in Asia. For the Christians here to be faithful and willing to step out of their comfort zone to serve in missions. We would like to thank Wycliffe Global Alliance for the creation of this prayer video.

By Pearle At the age of 32, Pearle left Singapore to serve in South Asia. She shares with us how her journey really began long before she realised, and how God led her step by step into the mission field. 1. Can you introduce yourself, where have you been serving and for how long? Hi, my name is Pearle*. I have been with Wycliffe serving in South Asia since Nov 2013. 2. What led you to the mission field? I grew up in a multilingual family. When I was a teenager, my family moved from Hong Kong to Singapore. For a long time, I struggled with my identity and found it challenging to have to study and express myself using English, which was a foreign language to me. That gave me a little taste of the kind of struggles and challenges probably faced by the minority language groups. Because of that, the minority language groups always have a special place in my heart. God first put the desire to be involved in Wycliffe’s work in my heart through an issue of Yi Jing Xing back in 2001, when I was about to enter university and was seeking God’s purpose in my life. That issue called for people to participate in various roles to bring God’s word to the unreached people groups in their heart languages. I was challenged by the call. From my own experience, I know that people’s lives can only be transformed and set free if they know who the true God is by knowing His Word. So, I prayed and responded to God’s call that night. However, it wasn’t until 12 years later that I set foot on the mission field and started serving. Looking back, I recognise that God has His good plan and good timing to equip me mentally, emotionally and spiritually for my serving in South Asia. 3. Why did you decide to work with literacy and multilingual education? I actually knew nothing about literacy and multilingual education (MLE) for children when I first got interested in Wycliffe’s ministries. My passion and burden in adult literacy and multilingual education for children among the minority groups grew over time. I used to think that I must become a Bible translator in order to be involved in Wycliffe’s work. So, I thought I might have mistaken God’s call when I realized my strength is more in applied linguistics. After completing my studies, I asked for a short-term mission opportunity to explore other areas of Wycliffe’s ministry to be certain of God’ call. It was during my 10 weeks in Bangladesh that God introduced me to Wycliffe’s work in literacy and multilingual education, and helped me realise that this is where I can fit in with this big Kingdom project picture. God has a good plan for each of us. He subsequently gave me an opportunity to work in a local adult literacy programme to gain some working experience. During those years, I kept in touch with Wycliffe members serving in multilingual education and joined their work for short trips so as to familiarise myself with this area of ministry. South Asia contains many minority language groups who still live in a dominantly monolingual environment. They have limited access to the Scriptures and education in a language they can understand. When I heard that South Asia has a great need for this area of ministry, and I had a chance to visit to see the needs first hand, I decided to go to South Asia. 4. What are some challenges that you face in your work? I work with multiple language groups in our literacy and multilingual education ministries. We often face unpredictable changes due to weather, local political and social situation and resource constraints. Also, each group or even individual has their unique worldview, culture and ways of thinking and doing things. That calls for humility, patience and readiness to embrace uncertainties and approach matters with an open heart and mind. It also requires me to understand the unique needs of each group and be flexible so that I can contextualise our ministries to fit their contexts and support our local partners more effectively. It has been a great learning experience for me thus far to realise my own shortcomings and witness how God is working in my life and also in the country to accomplish His purpose. All our projects are in the remote areas with challenging terrain. Landslides and road closure is frequent especially during monsoon season. Besides, people are engaged in subsistence agriculture and animals raising. This narrows the window period when we could visit them, conduct training workshops or implement literacy classes. It also urges us to learn to be sensitive to God’s leading and grasp the opportunities when they come, take each step in faith and trust God to lead and open doors even when we do not necessarily have all the resources we need at that moment. 5. What are some encouraging moments in your ministry? There is a parent representative who joined our ongoing discussions and workshops for a new multilingual education programme. He did not have a chance to go to school when he was young, so he picked up simple reading and writing skills through friends after he grew up. At the closing of our first curriculum workshop, he shared with us excitedly that for ten years, he had been dreaming that one day his children could learn well and his illiterate wife could also read and be involved in their children’s education. As he heard about the multilingual education programme, he was very excited because finally he saw that his dream was not a wishful thought but it could come true. He has been participating actively in our subsequent material development workshop. It touches my heart to see that God answers this parent’s heart desire and enables him to be part of the team that contributes to the programme and make his dream come true. Most of an adult bilingual literacy programme participants are women who have received no or very little education previously. Many of them were not only illiterate, but they also could not understand or speak the national language. Because of that, in the past a lot of them did not dare to mingle with people from other language communities. They also did not know how to access public health service because they could not read to access information on the posters and pamphlets. It was encouraging to see them speak with confidence in front of a crowd at the end of the literacy programme, that they not only picked up basic reading and writing skills, but also found their identity and were empowered to express their thoughts confidently in front of people. We also saw many minority language group children in our multilingual education programme blossomed and integrated well into the mainstream national language medium education system as they grew up. That was a drastic contrast from the timid young children they once were, who could not understand or speak the national language when they first came to school. It reminds me that each of them is created uniquely in the image of God and they are precious in God’s sight. And this is what we would like to see – people finding hope and experiencing transformation and wholeness in their lives physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and spiritually. 6. What would you tell someone who is thinking about missions? When I first started thinking about missions as a late teen, I was impatient and eagerly wanted to start the journey and go to the field as soon as possible. Over the years, I have come to realise that actually the journey started from the moment I was born (Ps 139:13-16). It is good to look back to our past and discover what God has been doing in our lives through our family, our studies, training and life experience to get to know ourselves. You would be surprised to see how God has used every moment of our lives to mould us and equip us to become who He wants us to be and be ready for the purpose He has set in our lives (Eph 2:10). To run this journey well, we need companions and supporters to come alongside us. So, share your thoughts with your pastors and people who are spiritually mature and know you well. They can journey with you to ascertain God’s calling in your life and when is the right time to go. If you have already developed specific interest and burden for a people group, a place or a type of ministry, start a conversation with people involved in those areas to find out more information about the field. I find it helpful to be able to go on several short-term trips (e.g. a few weeks to a few months) to expose myself to cross-cultural living, start building relationships with people, and develop a realistic picture of life and ministry in the field. This would also help you know yourself more in the process – your strengths and weaknesses, blind spots, concerns, your limitations – to make informed decisions and thrive in the field for long term. 7. How can we pray for you? I will start my second term of assignment from April 2017 and continue with my existing ministries. It is my desire to widen and deepen my relationship building with both international and local friends. Pray for me to find a good balance between work, rest and relationship building and keep a close walk with God. I would appreciate your prayers for me and my colleagues to have wisdom and good understanding to support our local partners, journey with them and build them up effectively too. Thanks! *Names have been changed for security reasons