Wolrd Religion

Wycliffe Associates developed an app for androids….

http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/news/pressdetail.asp?id=614

Wycliffe Associates Launches Free Android App Offering Global Access to Bible Stories and Facilitating Future Bible Translation

(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, a global organization that empowers national Bible translators around the world, has launched a new, free app that makes Bible stories accessible to smartphone users worldwide.

Called translationStudio, the Android operating system app is available for download on Google Play .

“God’s Word in every language took a giant step toward reality as our translationStudio app was released for free download in the Google Play store,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “This is just the beginning of developing a tool that puts Bible translation within the reach of Christians worldwide.”

Earlier this year, Wycliffe Associates tested the beta version of the app with translation teams working in some of the most difficult and dangerous regions of the world for Christians. Their feedback has been incorporated into the current release.

The translationStudio app features “Open Bible Stories,” a set of 50 fully illustrated Bible stories. “Open Bible Stories” has been released under Creative Commons’ Attribution Share-Alike licensing, which allows translation into any language, anywhere, at any time, and by anyone—without copyright limitations.

“Open Bible Stories” currently includes a collection of 21 Old Testament stories and 29 New Testament stories and provides a chronological overview of God’s relationship with humanity, from creation to redemption.

“In the coming months, we will have ‘Open Bible Stories’ loaded in at least 50 gateway languages, enabling people who are bilingual in any of these languages to begin translating these Bible stories into their own language,” says Smith. “Once local translators have completed the ‘Open Bible Stories,’ they can easily make the transition into a full Bible translation program. The Open Bible Stories method actually fits perfectly into the culture of many language groups that have a tradition of storytelling handed down through generations.”

The Resource section of the app provides information on key terms and how to overcome translation challenges, intended to assist local translators in creating translations that are clear, natural, and accurate. In addition, collaboration tools enable any number of people to work together, online or offline, to draft and revise their work for the best possible result.

“We are also working to load English source text for the entire Old and New Testament that will be licensed to allow immediate translation into any language, without copyright limitations,” says Smith. “All of this is available at no cost to the local church or their translators.”

The digital format enables the Scriptures to be published immediately and at very low cost through the Internet or by sharing memory cards.

“This project is not finished. It is really just beginning,” says Smith. “We need technicians, app developers, trainers, and Bible scholars to share in maximizing the benefit of these resources to the global church. We need financial partners to include this strategy in their stewardship priorities as a blessing to the world. We need partners to lift this up in prayer, seeking God’s continuing wisdom and guidance for everyone involved.”

About Wycliffe Associates

Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates is a ministry that participates in Bible translation around the world. 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. Wycliffe Associate 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. Last year alone, 3,145 Wycliffe Associates team members worked to speed Bible translations in 71 different countries.

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Pray for the first draft of the Tengir language.

http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/prayer/prayerdetail.asp?id=4172

This video explains how BTAK’s are helping to revolutionize Bible translation in difficult areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCiaEg5Eskg

http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/involved/storypage.asp?id=223

“When I read the Bible, I don’t understand the words.”

Bringing the Scriptures to South Africa’s Deaf community.

“When I read the Bible, I don’t understand the words,” said young Xoliseka, a Deaf child from South Africa. Xoliseka is one of 600,000 Deaf people in that country who use sign language as their primary language.

“I am burdened for a full DVD Bible,” Xoliseka continued. “I would understand the words in sign language and be able to apply them to the written Bible.”

The Deaf are the largest language group in South Africa without their own translation of the Bible. Thankfully, through the support of generous partners like you, the South African Sign Language Project was launched last year to translate God’s Word into sign language and then record it on to DVD.

Ten Bible stories are already underway, thanks to dedicated people like Diane Lovell. This devoted wife and mother has a deep passion for the Deaf and has fully immersed herself into the South African Sign Language Project.

“The Christian life is about giving glory to God with everything that you are, out of great thankfulness that He has saved us,” Diane said. “The way He has equipped me to do that is to be involved in Bible translation . . . being part of cross-cultural gospel work where the Bible is being brought to people who haven’t heard it before.”

Please continue to bring God’s message of grace and salvation to Deaf children like Xoliseka.

Our BTAK’s are now being installed in remote locations of the Congo, connecting Bible translators and keeping them out of harms way.

http://www.wycliffeassociates.org/news/pressdetail.asp?id=611

Contact: Donn Hallman

Wycliffe Associates

714-222-5079

Donn_Hallman@wycliffeassociates.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wycliffe Associates Providing Technology to Increase Efficiency, Safety for Bible Translators in Democratic Republic of the Congo

(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, a global organization that empowers national Bible translators around the world, is providing tools to Bible translators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that enable them to harness current technology from remote areas and potentially accelerate their work by years.

Since it first began installing Bible Translation Acceleration Kits (BTAKs) in 2011, Wycliffe Associates has installed 197 kits in 25 countries for 295 language communities. Each kit, which costs $3,967, contains a small, portable laptop computer, along with a satellite communication terminal, solar panel, battery, and power supply.

“This year, our goal is to put 250 of these kits into the hands of Bible translators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and places like India, Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, and beyond,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “These kits will help continue the critical work of Bible translation even in the most hard-to-reach and dangerous regions.”

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where difficult travel and the threat of violence, kidnapping, civil unrest, and infectious disease put Bible translators at risk, the BTAKs not only make the translators’ work more efficient but help keep them safe as well. Through satellite communication, Bible translators in remote locations can connect with translation consultants hundreds or thousands of miles away in real time.

“The Bible Translation Acceleration Kit also increases accuracy because it connects translators with consultants and helpful resources more quickly,” says Smith.

There are currently 18 Bible translation projects underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than 77 million people speak 212 living languages. New Testament translations for the Mayogo, Logo, and Ndruna language groups are nearly complete after 20 years of work. The Ndruna translation team is working in one of the nation’s most violent areas.  Unfortunately, three members of the Logo translation have died during the course of the project.

Recently a Wycliffe Associates Technology Advance Team traveled 450 miles to deliver IT equipment for the start of a new translation—one that the Ngombe North tribe has been waiting 50 years for translators to begin. When the team arrived, the entire village came out to greet them, shouting, “Esengo! Esengo! Esengo!” which means “Joy! Joy! Joy!” in Ngombe.

In addition to supplying Bible Translation Acceleration Kits to translators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wycliffe Associates has also provided assistance to villages with water supply projects, which included drilling a 150-foot well and building a 5,000-liter water tower.

Volunteer construction teams have also traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the work of Bible translation through the renovation of offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, a library, housing, and the installation of solar panels.

About Wycliffe Associates

Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates is a ministry that participates in Bible translation around the world.  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 we can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart.  Wycliffe Associate 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. Last year alone, 3,145 Wycliffe Associates worked to speed Bible translations in 71 different countries.

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