Lebanon (MNN) — Horizons International’s Executive Director Pierre Houssney explains there is a huge need for translating Christian resources into regional languages in the Middle East.
Translating Into Regional Languages
George’s friend contacted him after visiting the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. saying that he found the original Arabic Translation that Georges oversaw and launched in the early 80’s! (Photo/caption courtesy of Horizons International via Facebook)
Houssney says the Great Commission is about bringing the good news of the Gospel to all tongues and nations. This work requires colossal amounts of translation, and the translation work needs to happen on a cultural level and a heart level. This means balancing both trade and heart language translation efforts.
This is because translations of Christian resources and the Bible need to go beyond a literal translation. The translated content should reflect the glory of God and be compelling to the readers and listeners.
“What we find is that there are many organizations around the world that have wonderful curricula and Christian materials, but they don’t have the capacity to get that material into a form where it can impact people that are in other nations,” Houssney says.
Horizons International’s Dedication to Translation
Horizons International is using its Middle East Center for World Missions in Beirut, Lebanon to fill this gap. The ministry wants to translate Gospel materials, Christian materials, Bibles, audio Bibles, JESUS Films, evangelistic materials, and discipleship materials into the regional languages.
(Photo courtesy of Horizons International
Already Horizons International has crafted teams and picked content producers to head up translation efforts for multiple languages. The ministry is also working with a larger community to accomplish the task, although Horizons International translates its media projects in-house.
“We have, really, the only known Christian Kurdish language dubbing studio in the world, that we know of. So, this is already happening, and we actually have run out of qualified translators because we have so many materials that we’re wanting to put into the Kurdish language,” Houssney says.
Now the ministry is offering Kurdish literacy classes to equip local Kurdish believers (and nonbelievers) to become more literate and assist in the translation process.
Next Steps
Do you have curricula you would like to translate? Reach out to Horizons International to explore a partnership for translation efforts. To contact Horizons International, CLICK HERE.
Praying hands (Photo courtesy of Milada Vigerova via Unsplash)
Another vital way to support Horizons International’s translation work is through prayer.
“[Be] praying for more partnerships to occur, praying for more shared infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa to make it easier so that the materials can get to the end-user,” Houssney says.
Pray for God to shape individuals for translation work and outreach. Ask God to protect Horizons International, and this crucial work, too.
Want to support Horizons International financially? Click here to help resource this ministry.
Header photo by João Silas on Unsplash.
