This month of September looks a lot different for us this year. Ralf and us girls are separated for over two weeks because he went to the NTM center for the Sepik region for a translation check there. Maybe you think that this is not a long time, but for us this is pretty big because we are so used to working really close together every day and all day long. But as we have seen so many times, it is the harder times in life that become those precious and blessed times because we learn anew how much we can trust our Lord. He is indeed our strength and our joy!
The translation check this year was turned into a workshop, which means that several NTM Bible translators that work in different languages here in PNG came to together to check the Dinangat translation of Ephesians. Jill Goring, the translation consultant, came from the US to lead this workshop. She teaches important translation techniques as they are checking Ephesians together. They first spent 4 days together getting ready for this check, then 4 of our Dinangat translation helpers (Felix, Basa, Lukas and Jaspa) also flew there (1.5 hours flight) to be a part of the official check. For those who would like to know a few more details about the check read on, others just jump ahead to the next paragraph. 🙂
A check like that would unfold like this: Jill meets with Ralf and the 7 other translators plus the 4 Dinangat helpers at 8.30 a.m. every morning in the conference room. Lukas, one of our best Dinangat readers, then reads a paragraph in the Dinangat language of Ephesians. Jaspa and Basa then give back the content of this paragraph to Ralf in the Dinangat language. Ralf then translates this as simultaneous as possible into English. Jill and the other translators listen to that and check if Basa and Jaspa understood the text correctly and if the most important details came across. When they realize that some things were misunderstood or neglected, they investigate where the problem lies and try to correct the passage. Ralf then needs to write down those corrections and later change the text accordingly. Verse after verse deserves very detailed and focused work, for the goal of it all is that the tribal reader can read God’s Word easily and with clear understanding. For “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” 2.Tim.3:16
Please pray for Ralf as this time in W. is very overwhelming and exhausting.
Please also pray for the 4 Dinangat helpers that they would feel comfortable there on the missions center and work well as they help with the check.
Please also pray for Jill Goring who leads the workshop and for the 7 translators who each have their own translation that they work on in their individual tribal places, here are their names and tribes:
Dave Ogg – Simbari/PNG
JJ Rasmussen – Tribe in the Philippines
Ned Beall – Tigak/PNG
Chad Mankins – Tobo/PNG
Geoff Husa – Mibu/PNG
Tim Shontere – Yembiyembi/PNG
Lisa Kappeler – PNG
Thank you so much for your prayers, elli for the Schlegels.