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by Jason & June Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalm 36:5) Anticipation and Trepidation “Mummy, when will we be leaving for Canada? Will it be tomorrow?” our five-year-old son asked when we saw Jason off at the airport last June. “Not yet, you’ll have to sleep another 60 times or go to church another eight Sundays, and then we’ll be on the plane and join Papa there.” His eight-year-old sister did understand how long this was. The children couldn’t wait to begin the great adventure ahead. For us parents, however, anticipation alternated with varying levels of trepidation. We knew some of what lay ahead: Jason had finished a two-year course at a local seminary and was embarking on an MA in Linguistics at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL). June had resigned from her job, we had student visas, our support-gathering progressed, and flight tickets were booked…. First signs of God’s provision! Yet, many things were not entirely clear. Jason had to take a prerequisite course in linguistics while finding an affordable car, a suitable flat, basic furniture, and a school for the children — all within eight weeks. June had to single-handedly pack up ten years’ worth of home and family life, tie up loose ends at home and work, look after the kids, as well as prepare them for the upheaval ahead. The bigger picture also elicited mixed feelings. Uprooting the family was a big decision — what if the studies didn’t go well, or the kids couldn’t cope … what if we had to come back? Our home in Singapore was to be someone else’s place. We found ourselves having to reframe our understanding of “home” and intentionally convey to our kids that home is where we are as a family, wherever God leads us. All too soon, June and the children were bidding farewell to family and friends at the airport. Photos were taken, hugs given, tears held back. The kids played hide-and-seek with their friends as if it were just another play date — only that this was to be the last one for a long time to come…. Thank You, Lord! Alone in Canada, Jason juggled coursework with preparations for the family’s arrival. The first big challenge was finding a flat in an unfavourable rental market. Jason and his classmates prayed for one another in their daily phonetics class. One day, a classmate from Hong Kong fed this concern to his network of Chinese friends. News came that a Chinese lady was seeking a trustworthy tenant for her basement flat. One hour later, the rental agreement was signed. What an answer to our prayers, and what a relief! Unlike Singapore, schools in Canada are assigned by precinct. Our flat is a five-minute walk from a popular school, but we had missed the deadline for a place. Yet, as it turned out, there were a few vacancies and our children were virtually the last students to be admitted. Another big thanks item on the prayer list! Indeed, we learned that there is only so much we can prepare for. We have become much more aware of our dependence on God’s provision for everything we need—and when He answers our prayers, we are humbled by His goodness. God is good and He is sovereign! Embracing a New Season, a New Home We arrived in the middle of summer, the perfect season to transit from sunny Singapore. The children loved being able to play outside without sweating profusely! They learned how to cycle (on the road), and could walk in the forest, see farms and cattle, stables and horses. In many other ways, we saw how God paved the way for us. Which child would not want blackberries in the garden, friends next door whose parents sold ice cream and cotton candy in the summer, less than six hours of school every day with two recess breaks, and no exams at all? Things are literally great: “Wow, these mountains are higher than Bukit Timah Hill!” (Son). We attend a welcoming, international church and a cell group that even has a member from the country where we intend to serve. It is not all smooth sailing, though. We are increasingly becoming aware that not everybody in the family has fully arrived, and fully embraced the new home. While one child fits in smoothly, the other struggles with making friends and finding acceptance. It is a challenge for everybody involved. We are learning that culture shock also happens when almost everything goes well. Our heavenly Father knows that and we trust that He will help all of us to settle in fully. Studying Against Injustice We are reminded daily that we are here to prepare for Bible translation: the courses are interesting, the assignments challenging. While Jason studies full-time, June attends some relevant classes and also connects with parents from the children’s school. It is great to be able to share with others about the need for God’s Word in people’s heart language. Some friends are puzzled about our mid-career switch. As the father of one of our kids’ friends told Jason, “From being a materials engineer, you are now becoming a ‘soul engineer’.” Recently, during a message at CanIL, we realised that not having the Bible in one’s heart language is not merely a need requiring compassion — it is an injustice. An injustice because people are deprived of God’s Word in their heart language. And so, while plowing through morphosyntax, phonology, tone analysis, semantics/pragmatics, intercultural training, etc., we recognise the privilege of preparing to play our part in God’s plan to speak to people’s hearts. June & Jason are currently in Canada where Jason is pursuing an MA in Linguistics at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in preparation for Bible Translation in Southeast Asia. They have a daughter (9) and a son (6) who are having their first taste of cross-cultural living.

Interested in missions but not sure how you can serve? At the Missions for Everyone event in March, participants had a glimpse of the wide range of opportunities to serve in missions. It was an eye-opener for many. Three broad areas were introduced: Language-related roles such linguists, translators, surveyors and literacy specialists all contribute to giving people groups the scriptures in their heart languages and, if necessary, teaching them how to read. Participants were introduced to the foundations of translation – language assessment (surveying who speaks what, where, how many), language analysis (grammar, sound system, writing system), cultural studies and training co-workers. They were also told about literacy programmes to help people learn to read and write in their own language. “... [I learnt] how critical it is to use the heart language, arts and culture in discipleship.” EthnoArts specialists are needed to make use of the traditional artistic expressions of a people group to reach them with the gospel. Those with skills in visual arts, music, dance or drama can serve by working alongside communities to create artistic works in the art forms of that people group to effectively communicate God’s message and transform lives. The workshop leader shared that every culture has its own unique art forms which communicate meaning. When they worship God using their own instruments and art forms, they are both touched much more deeply, and also better able to reach out to their own community. So rather than expect people groups to adopt western music and art forms when they become Christians, we should help them use their own art forms to worship God. "I am educated more about how translation work is done and how arts can help ethnic communities..." Professional skills of many types are needed to provide essential support functions for field projects. There is much more to missions than just sharing the gospel! One of the greatest needs is for people with management, administration, finance, teaching or IT skills – whatever skills that God has gifted you in, there is a need waiting for you to fill! The speaker shared that although his background was in IT, he has worn many different hats in his over 15 years in the field. He spoke about holistic missions, which includes meeting the needs of communities for things like clean water and education. Participants were grouped by their skill areas (eg. business, IT, teaching, finance etc.) to discuss a case study, and saw how their expertise could make a difference in the mission field. "I got to understand more of the variety of needs present in the field that ... that requires partnering and sharing of resources." Altogether, about 50 people attended, and 15 indicated an interest to find out more. In fact, one young lady was has already arranged to go on a 3-month attachment overseas beginning in May!

Wycliffe Singapore will be participating in this year’s GoForth conference! Look out for: Keys to Cross-Cultural Communication (Workshop A4) Dr David Tan, Executive Director of Wycliffe Singapore, will discuss the skills needed to be a good cross-cultural worker. This workshop will give you a perspective of how to observe a culture, and equip you with a set of practical tools to gain an “insider's” view of another culture. Multilingual Education for the Minorities (Workshop C7) One of our members with many years of experience in literacy and multilingual education will discuss how to contextualise educational programmes and curricula into a local context. This workshop introduces some ways to break through the language barrier in reaching out to nationals through education. Cross-Cultural Communication Experiential Learning (Workshop A14) An opportunity not to be missed! Participants will be given some tips on how to learn language and culture, and then get to try them out with some foreign language speakers. You will also be able to visit a “market” and have a “meal”! WBTS Booth Wycliffe Singapore will also have a manned booth at the conference. Do drop by to find out more about our ministries. See you there! Find out more at: http://goforth.org.sg/

When we were heading out to the field, we were asked by more than one person, “How are you going to educate your kids? How will they go to school?” A major deterrent for families considering missions and a common cause of missionaries’ premature return from the field is concerns about their children’s education. It is a challenging issue, but many missionary families have found solutions with support from others in the Christian community. Some families start off by sending their children to local schools in the country of service for a few years, so that children can learn some local language and make friends. However, the children also need to be prepared for their eventual return home. For families serving in cities, international schools may be an option, although the fees are often prohibitively high. For families serving in remote locations, the options used to be either homeschool or boarding school. However, in recent years, less-traditional solutions have emerged. Learning Centres Homeschooling can be a challenge for some families. Where there is no international school within reach, some families have joined forces to set up learning centres, which are essentially small, less formal schools. Setting up a learning centre enables families to share resources, remain in the field longer, and frees the parents to spend more time on their ministries. One such centre in a small Asian city serves 16 children (aged 6–11 years) from nine families. The centre has a teacher and a teacher’s assistant, and parents help out where necessary. The teachers have to be flexible to cope with multi-grade classes as well as a multicultural student mix. In addition, the teachers have to be creative and resourceful. Such schools have a warm, family feel, and children benefit from close attention from the teachers. Although the teachers may seem to be quite isolated, they can call on a supervisor (located elsewhere) at any time, and there are also opportunities to participate in conferences and retreats to meet and share with others in similar situations. And they are always much-loved and highly-valued members of the community! Modular Schooling Some parents homeschool for the earlier years, but feel ill-equipped to cope at higher levels, especially in Maths and Sciences. An innovative solution to this has been pioneered in some areas for older students (grades 7–12) — modular schooling! Students receive intensive instruction for one week a month in a central location, and also get to participate in group activities with other teenagers. For the rest of the month, they study at home while supervised by teachers via email. Parents may have to help supervise too, at least for the younger students. One such centre in an Asian city currently has 4 teachers who teach 22 high school students and 11 middle school students. (High school and middle school students attend during different weeks.) Students learn to be very independent. Some may travel up to 12 hours by bus or train each way, and one student even flew in from a neighbouring country! During the week of school, students stay in apartments with “dorm parents”, and evenings are spent on group work, board games, movies and other activities. This is a very important factor for teenagers who might otherwise have limited social circles. Even including travel costs and dormitory fees, modular schooling is more affordable than international or boarding schools, with the benefit that students continue to live with their families while getting a good education. Modular schooling is dependent on having dedicated teachers who are not just good instructors but also enjoy spending time with teenagers, and have a desire to serve families in the field. Administration and IT skills are also needed to support these programmes. Teachers should have a teaching qualification and be experienced in teaching Language Arts, Maths and Sciences up to “Advanced Placement” level (higher-level courses similar to ‘A’ level). Family Tutors Homeschooling significantly reduces ministry time for one or both parents. Some families are blessed to be able to have a family tutor who lives with them for a year or two and takes over part or all the homeschooling so the parents are able to spend more time on their ministries. For example, Grace has lived with Peter and Susan in a small Southeast Asian town for the past two years to help homeschool their young sons in their home language. This enables Susan, especially, to spend more time on their main ministry. Susan says, “Homeschooling my boys for three years as well as doing ministry took a toll on my health and I felt constantly overworked.” Another challenge is the many unavoidable interruptions like visitors and local events to be attended. Tutors will not be interrupted as much. The boys also get greater exposure to their home culture which will help them with re-entry when they return home. Besides teaching, Grace conducts music, craft and play sessions with the boys and also handles preparation and administration tasks related to homeschooling. She gets some exposure to the ministry through helping out with a local song team and digitising literacy material. So besides becoming a much-appreciated member of the family, she plays a role in the family’s ministry! Susan would love to see more tutors willing to live with families or set up small schools in remote areas like theirs. She says that there is a need more missionaries in their area, but most families will not consider it once they realise that there is no school there. Opportunities to Serve Teachers in the field often serve for a minimum of one or two years, although some feel called to stay for longer periods. There are always positions waiting to be filled. If you are interested in helping missionary families remain on the field, or want an opportunity to see missionary life up close, consider volunteering as a teacher! Some of these positions will not require a formal teaching qualification, but the person must be able to interact with children, work well with the parents, and be willing to serve. Find out more about how you can serve.

“Language surveyor? What’s that?” Zoe has had to answer these questions more often than she can remember. In 2014, she attended TOTAL It Up* (Taste of Translation and Linguistics) in Dallas, Texas, a five-day course designed to be an intense but fun introduction to Bible translation. Convinced of the vital role of language survey, she immediately signed up for a six-month survey course. For the past few years, she has been serving in an Asian country, collecting language data from various unreached people groups for language teams in the field. Language surveyors play a very important role in Bible translation and language development work. They pave the way by going into the field to collect data about the languages and how they are used. Analysis of the data collected yields invaluable information for strategic planning of language projects such as the vitality of the language, who speaks it, what contexts it is used in, and which dialect is understood by the greatest number of people and hence has the widest reach. A surveyor typically collects lists of words for common objects, actions, relationships etc. from several data points and compares them in order to determine how similar the languages are. Finding respondents who can speak clearly (they need to have most of their teeth!) and are willing to take the time can be a challenge. The surveyor records stories and texts from the different data points and tests intelligibility by finding out how well people at one data point understand the recordings from another data point. The extent of multilingualism and other information may be collected through participatory methods, questionnaires, interviews and observation. The Ethnologue, a database of information about every known language on earth (there are currently 7099 known living languages) published by SIL, includes information about location, dialects, population, literacy rates, writing systems etc., much of it contributed by surveyors in the field. Zoe says, “It’s not just an academic exercise.” She elaborates that there are millions of speakers of these little-known minority languages, and many of these people cannot hear word of God in a language that speaks to their hearts. This makes them unlikely to be receptive to the gospel message. More than that, many of these minorities feel ignored and unvalued, and to have someone from outside reach out to them and show an interest in their language and culture is a great boost to their self-respect. Zoe tells of an experience in a remote village where a lady gripped her arms and was so welcoming, saying that no-one had shown interest in their culture before. They had also never encountered Christianity before. Speakers of minority languages which have yet to be surveyed usually live in remote and inaccessible areas. Getting to them often requires long hours of driving along narrow winding mountain roads or hiking. But the scenery along the way can be breathtakingly beautiful! Zoe says that those who like to travel off the beaten track and are naturally curious about other cultures are ideal for this role, as long as they are also able to manage the extensive recording and data analysis required. She also warns that a willingness to try new foods would be an asset! The experiences are not always comfortable, the work can be long and tedious, and finding suitable respondents is not always easy, but it is rewarding to be one of the first outsiders to visit a place. She remembers collecting a wordlist one summer in a house with a corrugated metal roof which became like an oven by the end of the day and, on another occasion, a man who laughed at many of the words on the wordlist, which made it a very long job! Food offered to idols What is her motivation to continue? She says that since many Christians in Singapore are blessed with so much, we should be willing to bless others in turn. She also realises that many depend on the data she collects, such as translators who need to select a reference dialect to work in, or evangelists and church planters who need the translated materials for their outreach and discipleship efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to reach the millions who have yet to hear the gospel because of the language barrier. That’s what keeps her going! Zoe has a background in IT and youth work. In 2013, she became a member of Wycliffe Singapore and now serves as a language surveyor in an Asian country. * TOTAL It Up (Wycliffe US) has been replaced by Explore Bible Translation. Other programmes are also available.

What comes to your mind when you think of missions? Perhaps you’ve imagined yourself sharing in far-flung corners of the world or translating the Bible into a minority language or ministering cross-culturally in a foreign land. However, there is an oft-neglected side of missions — the less “exotic” roles that are crucial in ensuring that missions is done well. One of these essential areas is human resource (HR) management. Jo is the current Personnel Coordinator of Wycliffe Singapore, dealing primarily with the mobilisation and care of workers from Singapore. She finds “interacting with members and their supporting churches, providing member care, and helping them administratively” the most rewarding parts of her job. Wycliffe Singapore currently has about 40 members serving overseas and receives about 50 enquiries from interested parties annually. Katherine receiving a long service award. Katherine was Wycliffe Singapore’s Personnel Coordinator from 1992 till 2005 but now serves as trainer, mentor and consultant for personnel officers of Wycliffe organisations in the Asia-Pacific area. Katherine points out that HR work in the missionary enterprise is to be an advisor, friend, critic, supporter and broker all at once. Responsibilities range from processing candidates, communicating with church and field, recommending training and pre-field preparation, on-field member care and dealing with re-entry needs. The job spans the entire missionary career from the initial enquiry to eventual retirement. It is no wonder then that deep relationships are forged with candidates and other stakeholders in this process of journeying together. HR personnel play a key role in facilitating the dialogue between the missionary, the field entity and the supporting church. This includes understanding church policies, the needs on the field as well as the expectations of key stakeholders. Issues such as budgeting and financial support, children’s education, further training, retirement planning, home assignments etc. all come under HR! These discussions begin before the missionary leaves for the field, continue through his period of service, and extend through the re-entry period, with the nature and emphasis varying according to stage of life and circumstances. In these conversations, HR personnel are able to offer the benefit of their experience. Before a candidate can leave for the field, HR personnel guide the him/her through the screening process, identify training needs, and advise on support and other issues. Such equipping and care of members continue throughout the missionary’s service. HR personnel make a point to travel overseas to visit missionaries on the field to provide care and support, and also to meet leaders of field entities to foster good working relationships. And when the missionary returns to Singapore, whether for home assignments or for good, HR personnel are again on hand to advise and help with re-entry issues. HR work in a missions agency is a calling just like any other missionary service. For missionaries, the support of HR personnel is invaluable in sustaining their ministry. Without these dedicated people behind the scenes, it would not be possible to send out and support a missionary well!

by Sharon Tan “Tell me how to celebrate Christmas,” Ruth said. She had been a believer for only a few months, so this would be her very first Christmas and she was eager to celebrate her first Christian festival. Would she need to get a tree? Where could she get the special food that was not available where she lived? We had told her the Christmas story from the Bible, but she could see that the modern Christmas portrayed on TV was very different from that night in the stable! Ruth’s request made us stop and think. In the first 300 years after Christ, his birthday wasn’t even celebrated. In the centuries since, many Christmas traditions had been borrowed and adapted from pagan feasts linked to the winter solstice. Outside the church, the modern Christmas has almost completely lost any religious references, becoming an excuse for partying, eating and over-indulgence. Should we teach Ruth to celebrate Christmas just as we did in Singapore, with a tree, gifts, carols and turkey? Or be purist and tell her to avoid anything “non-religious”? It seemed rather spoil-sport to tell her to keep to only the religious Christmas traditions. On the other hand, it seemed silly to encourage her to adopt all the western trappings of Christmas, especially as many of the food items and traditions were unfamiliar in that culture. The question was: how could Christmas be contextualised for this people group? After some thought, we told her that Christmas was a celebration of Jesus’s birthday, and asked her to tell us how birthdays were celebrated in her culture. “That’s easy,” she said, “We’ll invite friends over for a meal!” In that place, every winter meal was a hotpot meal, so deciding on the menu didn’t require much thought. And since it was a birthday, and having western-style birthday cakes had already become quite commonplace, it was decided that we should have a birthday cake, complete with candles! The food settled, we suggested that the party would be a good opportunity to share the Christmas story with her guests, so she asked us to tell the story, interspersed with a few carols (translated, of course), before the meal. Instead of decorating the room with auspicious symbols and banners, we bought some tinsel and decorations and hung them on the walls. And of course, each child there was given a small gift, and told that we were celebrating God’s gift of his Son that first Christmas in Bethlehem. We have celebrated Christmas in many parts of the world, with many different types of food, but that was the first time we had a Christmas hotpot meal!

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!”