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Wycliffe Singapore wishes everyone a joyous Lunar New Year filled with abundant blessings! 🍊🧧 May your year be filled with joy and love. This festive season, let's spread kindness and share the love of Christ with those around us.

Stories from the Field, 2 January 2024 Speaker: Albert Fung Albert Fung, Director of Wycliffe Taiwan, began by affirming that God’s Word is the cornerstone of missions, and that Bible translation (BT) will always be needed. However, he also pointed out that the traditional approach of recruiting people to serve overseas in projects which focus mainly on BT is not the only way for Wycliffe organisations to do missions. Albert highlighted that Wycliffe Global Alliance’s statistics showed that there were 3,658 languages with at least some scripture out of a total of more than 7,000 languages in the world. As the number of languages with some scripture only grew at the rate of about 50–70 languages a year over the period 2008–2023, and Bibles will need to be revised over time as languages change, it is certainly true that BT is a never-ending ministry. However, the number of people who have joined Wycliffe Taiwan to do BT in recent years has declined. Albert gave some reasons for this: Language extinction: the spread of majority languages “suffocates” aboriginal (ethnic minority) languages. Also, many of the remaining language needs are in difficult-to-access places. Localisation of BT: early Wycliffe missionaries not only translated the Bible, but also trained and equipped locals to do translation and literacy work. Increasingly, new BT projects are being undertaken by locals. Awakening of ethnic identity: in Taiwan, most of the aboriginal communities are well able to worship and study the Bible in the national language. The focus has switched to making audio recordings of already translated scriptures in order to preserve the language and identity of the communities. Albert shared Wycliffe Taiwan’s newly worded vision statement explicitly includes scripture engagement and life transformation as well as translation. He went on to outline Wycliffe Taiwan’s local and overseas ministries. [Note: the names of the ministries reflect the shape of Taiwan island!] Local “sweet potato” ministry Wycliffe Taiwan focuses on language preservation. From 2019 to 2023, it partnered with United Bible Societies and Faith Comes By Hearing to produce audio Bibles for the Tao, Amis, Tsou and Rukai aboriginal peoples. An audio Bible for another aboriginal language, Kavalan, is under consideration. Some speakers of another aboriginal language, Siraya, want to revitalise their language (previously declared “extinct” by UNESCO). They intend to use texts of Matthew and John which were translated 400 years ago to produce songs and textbooks to teach children the language. Wycliffe Taiwan is considering helping them to use AI to translate other books of the Bible. Upcoming event: Wycliffe Taiwan plans to hold a second Tour de Formosa in 2025! This is a 7-day, cross-island bicycle ride to raise awareness of Wycliffe Taiwan’s ministries, especially its ministries to aboriginal communities. For more information, see below. Overseas “kiwi” ministry Cross-cultural and language training: Members of Wycliffe Taiwan are accompanying seminary students (3 families) who are on a one-year course overseas. They will support the students in cross-cultural adjustment and language learning for eventual service in missions. Ministry to refugees: Wycliffe Taiwan is discussing with refugee organisations how its members can partner with them by drawing on Wycliffe’s accumulated expertise in cross-cultural adjustment, language learning, literacy, trauma healing and community development. Prayer items: Thanksgiving for the 4 audio Bibles that have been completed for the Tao, Amis, Tsou and Rukai aboriginal peoples. Pray for manpower and resources for future recording projects. Pray for Wycliffe Taiwan as they plan to help the Siraya people preserve and revive their language that has been declared extinct. Pray for the first batch of seminary students who are on a one-year programme overseas accompanied by members of Wycliffe Taiwan. Pray that they will be well prepared for the mission field. Pray for Wycliffe Taiwan as they explore partnering with other organisations to minister to refugees overseas. About the speaker: Albert Fung has served in various fields, including 7 years in the Cibarut (Africa) project. He has 20 years of national and international experience in various Wycliffe and related organisations. He has been the director of Wycliffe Taiwan since 2015 and practises dentistry on a part-time basis. Tour de Formosa in Taiwan 21 Feb 2025 (Mother Tongue Language Day) Take part in a bicycle ride across Taiwan, from south to north. Over 7 days, covering about 500 km, riders will visit aboriginal groups along the way, greeting them in their languages. Share about Wycliffe’s ministries with people you meet. Bicycles can be provided for overseas participants. There will be a vehicle for riders to get a lift if they need one! Get on our mailing list to be notified when details are released! Or watch our Events page.

As dawn broke in Kulawi District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, to the casual observer it might have seemed like a normal Monday morning. It was anything but, however. Here, in one of the district’s remotest villages, over 500 people had gathered in the local church, taking time out of their busy lives to celebrate a moment of huge significance. After 12 years of translation work, today the Moma New Testament was being launched – and many in the community wanted to be there to witness this historic occasion. The sense of anticipation had been growing. One of the Moma Bible translation team commented: ‘Many have been asking when the New Testament would be finished. Now, finally, it is!’ What the Moma speakers said at the launch event summed up the impact that Moma Scriptures have already had – and the impact the Moma New Testament will have: ‘People understand the Scriptures better; they understand grace. Some people who were involved in occultism have stopped because now they understand the Scriptures.’ ‘People prefer to hear the Scriptures in Moma. They are more interested than when they hear them in Indonesian.’ ‘We had a sermon in our church in Moma and all the songs were in Moma. People loved it!’ ‘Our old people understand Moma better than Indonesian. Also, many people in our community have a low education level, so they understand Moma better.’ The groundwork had been thorough, as the translation team had involved the Moma community in reading Scripture in their language. Several years of literacy work had been done in the schools, enabling the next generation of Moma speakers to learn, hear and read their language. Thirteen primary schools had participated in a ‘Local Content in Schools’ project, which Julia*, who serves with Wycliffe in Indonesia, had spearheaded. As part of this project, these schools had access to over 60 reading books in the Moma language. The impact on the community has been clear. Use of the Moma language in public situations has increased significantly. With the Bible translation team being at the centre of developing and promoting the language, the church has played a key role in spreading the use of the written language beyond the classroom. ‘Previously, the children were only taught using Indonesian in children’s church. They like being taught in Moma,’ said one person. And a primary school teacher noted: ‘We held a Moma reading competition. Adults had to read aloud a full chapter of the New Testament, children a few verses.’ And as the church has adopted Moma into its services and practices, so the impact of using the language that speaks to people’s hearts most has become obvious. The Moma are gaining a greater understanding of Scripture, and lives are being changed. Now that the Moma finally have their New Testament in their own language, hopes are high for a long-term impact – an impact that will stretch across all generations of the Moma community, and far into the future. The Moma New Testament was launched on 24 October 2022. The Moma community numbers over 10,000, and comprises 25 villages in Kulawi District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. *name changed for security reasons Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe UK

19-25 August 2023 Nestled between active volcanoes, Tomohon is a city on the Minahasan peninsula of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, just a few kilometers south of the provincial capital, Manado. It is also the location of the headquarters of GMIM, the Evangelical Christian Church in Minahasa. The Minahasa (also known as the Manado) people are the largest ethnic group in that region. In August, Simon Wan of Wycliffe Singapore, Ps. Desmond Soh and Bro. Kasim Ong of Bethany Evangelical Free Church, and Ps. Kenny Lee of Ambassadors for Christ Singapore (AFCS), visited PPA-GMIM (The Bible Translation Centre of GMIM) to explore how they could partner with them to provide training and other resources. One of the main goals of the trip was to observe part of a Minaku Project workshop. This project is currently crafting Oral Bible Stories in Bantik, Pasan and Manado Malay. These will be shared in Story Fellowship Groups and also used to teach the Bible in churches. As Bethany EFC has been supporting this project, the translation teams were happy to demonstrate how they craft an oral Bible story. The first step is to do an exegesis of the text to understand and internalize the story. Then, they share what the story means for them personally. This process enables them to craft and recite the story from memory to their fellow villagers. The Bantik and Pasan teams demonstrated storytelling from the passage on Peter’s reinstatement (John 21). Ibu Ayu of PPA also shared about the next phase for the Minaku Project. An interesting side visit was to the Tomohon Extreme Market, a famous market selling all sorts of vegetables and meats, including exotic meats such as rats, cats, bats, pythons and, until a recent ban, dogs. Not a sight for the squeamish! The Singapore visitors were able to provide some teaching: Ps Kenny preached at a GMIM church service and Ps Desmond preached at a revival meeting. The Singapore team also conducted a session on Discipleship for 30 members of GMIM’s Youth Wing. The theme of the meetings was "Being a disciple in order to disciple others". Many responded to the altar call to grow in their walk with God, and we pray that the Scriptures in their heart language will play a significant part in this. By the end of the visit, the Singapore team had gained a much better understanding of the Minaku project and the needs in the area. Some of the ideas might include short-term teams to visit the project and serve the churches and communities in the area, and the provision of theological training to PPA. Discussion is ongoing, and we hope that these plans will come to fruition in the near future!

Whose loving aunt preserved the line of David? 2 Kings 11:2 – [Jehosheba] stole [Joash] away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. King Joash of Judah (reigned 835–796 BCE) was hidden by his aunt, Jehosheba, in the temple for six years to protect him from his murderous grandmother, Athaliah. Jehosheba and her brother, King Ahaziah, were children of King Jehoram, a descendant of King David. After Ahaziah died, his mother, Athaliah, made herself Queen and ordered the massacre of the royal family. Jehosheba took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and hid him and his unnamed nurse in the temple. When Joash was seven, Jehoiada the priest, Jehosheba’s husband, revealed the boy king’s existence and instigated the Athaliah’s overthrow. King Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” while Jehoiada lived and advised him. For more about the later years of his reign, see 1 Kings 12.

Today there are more than 350 known sign languages around the world, representing more than 70 million people. Only 2% of the global Deaf community are estimated to have been introduced to the gospel, with only American Sign Language (ASL) having the full Bible. But God is on the move in new and exciting ways among the global Deaf community! In April 2023, a milestone was reached in Deaf Bible translation when more than 170 Deaf leaders representing more than 50 sign languages came together for a consultation. At this consultation, 49 countries were represented on behalf of more than 95 churches and organizations to ask themselves the question: “How do we address Deaf Bible translation needs across Eurasia and start a translation project in every sign language still needing it within the next three years?” This consultation was an opportunity for Deaf leaders to come together and collaboratively discuss how to address these remaining language needs in their surrounding communities and countries so that all people can encounter Jesus in a language and format they clearly understand. The Complexity of Language At this consultation, there were a minimum of eight interpretations happening simultaneously. If you’ve ever been in a multilingual setting, you’ve experienced the need for translation simply to understand basic conversation. Perhaps you have served as an interpreter, helping communicate back and forth between two or more languages at the same time. At this consultation, there were a minimum of eight interpretations happening simultaneously — American Sign Language, Russian Sign Language, International Sign, Arabic Sign Language, Polish Sign Language, Bulgarian Sign Language, Swedish Sign Language and English (verbal) — just to lay a foundation for any additional group-led interpretation so that all participants could understand the presenters and surrounding conversation. For hearing communities, interpretation requires a back-and-forth dynamic. You hear someone say something, pause to process and repeat it aloud in another language. The conversation is like ping pong, volleying back and forth between the different languages. Sign language is a visual language, and therefore interpretation is simultaneous between the input and output of the conversation. An interpreter is seeing the signs and interpreting them into a secondary sign language at the same time. This complexity alone is something that the average hearing person can’t begin to truly fathom! But praise God for each one of these participants and their dedication to pursuing the conversation, even in the midst of such a complex language setting. Empowered by God “We’re just here to encourage you. You are the movers and the shakers.” Adan Burke is a sign language partnership specialist at Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. His life was changed when he encountered Jesus through Scripture in a language and format he could clearly understand: ASL. Today Adan plays a vital role in Deaf Bible translation. As one of the leaders and organizers of this consultation, Adan had the privilege of not only seeing God’s hand at work in the months leading up to the gathering but also in the months following. When sharing about the consultation, one of the key moments Adan highlighted was a group discussion around the “how” of Deaf Bible translation. It can be easy to assume that a partner organization such as Wycliffe USA is the one empowering others to do the translation work, but that’s not really true. “It’s not us-empowering, but God-empowering,” Adan shared. Adan shared with the group, “We’re just here to encourage you. You are the movers and the shakers. It isn’t us empowering you; you are able to see God empowering you. God did that and He moved, and He’s going to continue to move.” Over the consultation, the group coined a phrase and a corresponding sign from these discussions: “God-empowered.” “It’s not us-empowering, but God-empowering,” Adan shared. “The sign for ‘empowerment’ comes from just that: me empowering you and implying that I have the power, I have the control and I am the one that is now relinquishing it to you. But that’s not the case in this situation. We have to be very intentional about making people aware that it’s not me, it’s not us. It’s God empowering us!” This is a beautiful representation of the true heart of Bible translation: It’s not about us empowering each other, but is instead about God empowering us to see His name made known among the nations. In many ways, this milestone in Deaf Bible translation is just the start. All around the world, more and more Deaf leaders, churches and organizations are coming together and asking themselves the same question: “How do we address Deaf Bible translation needs in our community and surrounding regions?” The answer is that we can only do this when we’re empowered by God. Because when He is at the center of our efforts — and when we intentionally lay aside our differences in pursuit of a common goal — we can trust that God will move! Reproduced with permission from Wycliffe US

40th Anniversary Celebration, 7 October 2023, Bartley Christian Church Wycliffe Bible Translators (Singapore) Limited was registered as a company limited by guarantee in 1983. Over the past 40 years, Wycliffe Singapore’s members have served overseas in language projects all over Asia as well as Africa and North America. Office staff and volunteers in Singapore have provided administrative and member care support to members, and have also engaged with churches and individuals in Singapore to mobilise and recruit workers and supporters for missions. Beyond these, Wycliffe Singapore actively participates in collaborative initiatives with other entities locally, in the Asia-Pacific as well as globally. Our distinguished keynote speaker was Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon who shared about the importance of providing Scripture in the “heart language” to all people, including the weak and marginalised. He also movingly recounted how even he, highly educated in English as he is, feels the warmth of God’s Word in a deeper way when he hears Scripture in Tamil, his own “heart language”. Other highlights: A panel discussion where three experienced Wycliffe Singapore members answered questions from the floor. L-R: Facilitator Patrick Lee (Board member), Daniel Jesudason, Tony Chan, Kwan Poh San. The launch of Called by Grace, Led by Grace, a memoir by Kwan Poh San, who served in Bible translation for 45 years until her recent retirement. With Poh San, L-R: James Wong (Board Chair), Charles Ho (Executive Director), Simon Wan (Associate Director, Church Engagement). Watch the full video here: Life In Translation - The Story of Kwan Poh San A video sharing by Philina Ng, who is the Mainland Asia Area Literacy & Education Coordinator. After 10 years of service in promoting literacy and multilingual education, she likens her role to a “bridge”: linking minority communities to the wider society, enabling other missionaries engaged in Bible translation and literacy to enter these communities, and bringing these communities closer to seeking God. In her current role, she focuses on building up more national workers to be bridges for their own communities and neighbouring ones. And no anniversary celebration would be complete without a shared meal! To God Be the Glory!

Wycliffe Singapore wishes everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! We give thanks to God for the many opportunities and blessings as we carry out our ministries at home in Singapore as well as in many countries around the world, including celebrating our 40th anniversary this year! We look forward to what God has in store for us in 2024! Let us continue to pray for those who do not know of the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming. We pray that they will be able to hear this message in their heart language this year, and that their lives will be transformed. Pray that Wycliffe Singapore and other Christian organisations will continue to be faithful in carrying out the Great Commission. May God’s peace reign in every heart this Christmas season.

4 November 2023 Wycliffe’s World Day of Prayer is held in November each year. It is where we give thanks for the ways God has answered the prayers for the various ministries of Wycliffe organisations worldwide. We also pray for the ongoing work, the people involved, and for lives to be transformed through God’s Word that is translated into their languages. This year, we looked back and gave thanks for the dedication of the Ambonese Malay New Testament, and God’s faithfulness to the Ibaloi people. We also gave thanks for God’s provision to Wycliffe Singapore; the events attended and the people we’ve met over the year. Join us to pray for: People Praise God for the people we’ve met through several events and conferences. Pray that God will open doors for those who have expressed their interest in serving in missions, that they will know their calling and be connected to the right mission agency according to their specific calling. Pray that God will continue to touch peoples’ hearts and that more people will step out in faith to serve in missions. Work Praise God for the work that has been done in the field, and for His provision to the various people groups. Pray for the communities who have received God’s word in their heart languages. Pray that they will hear God speaking to them and that they will be the salt and light in their communities. Pray for those who take up internship opportunities with Wycliffe Singapore to gain a deeper understanding of the ministries. If you would like to receive updates on how you can pray for Wycliffe Singapore and language projects, do consider signing up for our weekly e-newsletter!

How will the Messiah be like a “refiner’s fire” or a “launderer’s soap”? Malachi 3:2: “But who can endure the day of his [the Messiah’s] coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” [“fuller’s soap” in some versions] What does the imagery of a “refiner’s fire” or “fuller’s soap” tell us about the Messiah? Refining is the process for removing impurities from metal. Metal would be heated at a high temperature until it melted. Impurities in the metal would rise to the surface and then be skimmed off and discarded. Launderer’s or fuller’s soap was a cleaning agent used to wash and whiten cloth. This caustic alkaline paste was made from wood ash and mixed with oil to make soap. Both the refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap refer to the judgement and purification that we will experience when the Messiah comes again – it will not be painless (high heat, corrosive substance), but it will refine and cleanse. Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”