(Photo courtesy of Clive Dara/Flickr)
USA (WYC) — [EDITOR’S NOTE: This Wycliffe Associates press release underscores the need to protect their translators. Learn more about this organization by clicking here.]
Wycliffe Associates has launched a new initiative called “Tablets for National Translators,” placing technology into the hands of national Bible translators who live and work in the most dangerous and hostile regions of the world, where Christians are targeted for severe persecution by extremists.
“A Bible in their hands is like a target on their backs,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “These believers live in regions so hostile to Christianity that sharing the gospel, working on Bible translation efforts, and even carrying the Scriptures can trigger intense persecution.”
Through Tablets for National Translators, Wycliffe Associates is placing computer tablets loaded with software applications for translation work into the hands of national translators in strategic locations around the world. The tablets allow national translators and local believers to be inconspicuous while enabling them to efficiently work on Bible translation projects.
“Tablets and smartphones are such a part of today’s culture that no one scrutinizes what people are doing on their personal devices,” says Smith. “Tablets for National Translators provides us with an incredible opportunity to equip local translators and church members in countries closed to the gospel to continue God’s work safely.”
More than a dozen tablets have already been issued to national translators in the Middle East, and Wycliffe Associates hopes to distribute 500 tablets to national Bible translators in strategic locations around the world, at a cost of $300 per tablet.
“I believe that tablets are a vital tool for a new generation of Bible translators and nationals who have a passion to share God’s Word with their people in their heart language,” says Smith. “The number of tech-savvy translators just waiting to begin the work of Bible translation is astonishing.”
Of the 6,901 languages spoken in the world, there are over 4,000 languages that need a Bible translation project started. A Bible translation is currently in progress for 2,195 languages, while 1,023 languages in the world have at least one book of the Bible. Wycliffe Associates is striving to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word in every remaining language by 2025.
About Wycliffe Associates
Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work–harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.
Because millions of people around the world still wait to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Last year, 2,544 Wycliffe Associates team members worked to speed Bible translations in 66 different countries.
This is so very exciting!
I am looking for Dr David Cathey. He was guiding tours and handing out bibles in Turkey, the last I heard about his whereabouts. If you have a contact for him, please give him my contact information. My husband, John, gave him a laptop computer to use in Turkey many years ago. Thank you for any help you can give me and God Bless your ongoing work. Carol