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Wycliffe Canada • Fall 2002 Honour Thy Father Pastor Chadwin Mak has always urged Toronto’s Chinese Christians to engage in cross-cultural ministry— even his own daughter Janfer. ALSO: Looking to Distant Shores A Change of Direction Reality Check c o n t e n t s Fall 2002 • Volume 20, Number 3 Connecting you to Bible translation F e a t u r e s Articles by Doug Lockhart | Photographs by Dave Crough (except as noted below) Relationship building led Wycliffe’s Garland and Mavis Hoel to encourage Edward and Diane Tong (above) to invest their lives in Bible translation. (See related article, page 10.) Now also Wycliffe Canada members, the Tongs believe God is calling them to help train nationals in Central Africa. The Tongs possess a wealth of skills. Diane worked at IBM for 16 years in various positions, including personnel and project management. Edward has a master’s degree from both Tyndale Seminary and the Canada Institute of Linguistics. d Quoteworthy “The Bible is the constitution of Christianity.” —Dr. Billy Graham, Evangelist Honour Thy Father Pastor Chadwin Mak has always urged Toronto’s Chinese Christians to engage in cross-cultural ministry—even his own daughter Janfer. Open Hearts, Open Doors Toronto pastor Joe Kok applauds a growing interest among Chinese churches to reach all peoples with the gospel. The Relationship Builders Garland and Mavis Hoel lead a Wycliffe team to mobilize Asian Christians and others in multi-ethnic Toronto—one step at a time. By Dwayne Janke e Focus Cover story p a r t m e n t An introduction to this issue Word Watch Eureka! Bible translation news from around the world The challenge and impact of translating God’s Word Word Alive, which takes its name from Hebrews 4:12a, is the official publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Its mission is to inform, inspire and involve the Christian public as partners in the worldwide Bible translation movement. Director of Communications: Marilyn Henne Editors: Dwayne Janke, Dave Crough Staff Writers: Janet Seever, Doug Lockhart, Deborah Crough Design: Laird Salkeld 2 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca s Wycliffe Canada • Fall 2002 Cover HonourThy Father Pastor Chadwin Mak has always urged Toronto’s Chinese Christians to engage in cross-cultural ministry— even his own daughter Janfer. ALSO: Looking to Distant Shores A Change of Direction Reality Check Toronto pastor Chadwin Mak and daughter Janfer represent a growing movement in Canadian Chinese churches to reach out to other ethnic groups around the world. Janfer is a Wycliffe Canada member serving overseas. Whose Job Is It? By Dwayne Janke M Marett Geroux was working on a music major Photograph by Dave Crough at a Bible college a year ago when Derryl Friesen, a Wycliffe representative, presented a seminar on Bible translation there. The student Looking to Distant Shores f o c u s Led by Pastor Paul Wang, a vibrant Burnaby church partners with a Wycliffe missionary headed for Asia. Moved to be Messengers A Change of Direction Convinced of the need for Bible translation, a dedicated B.C. couple is helping involve more Chinese churches in the task. Dr. Peter Wang’s dramatic career move two decades ago symbolizes today’s shifting perspective in Canada’s Chinese churches. Note to readers: References are made in this magazine to “SIL” (normally shortened from the full name “SIL International”). SIL is a partner organization of Wycliffe, dedicated to training, language research, translation and literacy. Word Alive is published four times annually by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40062756. Printed in Canada. Copyright 2002 by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Permission to reprint articles and other magazine contents may be obtained by written request to the editor. A donation of $10 annually is suggested to cover the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. (Use the reply form in this issue.) Member: The Canadian Church Press, Evangelical Press Association E-mail Word Alive editors at: [email protected] E-mail address changes to: [email protected] was bent on a musical career. Three days later, however, she changed her degree to linguistics. Marett’s heart was gripped by Derryl’s computer printout of the world’s 3,000 Bibleless people groups, which he left behind to be stretched across the wall of the school’s cafeteria. “I could continue playing the piano to entertain people,” she recently told Derryl. “But I decided that day I wanted to do something significant with my life.” The young woman is answering Christ’s Great Commission to reach the world with God’s Word. It’s not Wycliffe Bible Translators who must ultimately do the job, but God’s people like Marett and those who will partner with her. Sometimes, as we apply the command of Matthew 28 to our contemporary setting, we can get confused about Christ’s actual intended audience. Was His charge to spread God’s Kingdom directed at mission organizations, parachurch groups and large ministries? No, Christ first gave these crucial instructions to His followers. He was asking His body—the Church—to go into all the world. That hasn’t changed in 2,000 years. In this issue of Word Alive, we give you stories about individuals, groups and churches getting a vision that they are the answer to fulfilling the Great Commission. This includes Bible translation and related tasks. Even more interesting is that these people are Chinese Christians in Canada. Awakening to their unique role in global missions, these brothers and sisters are part of the broad ethnic Church in our multi-cultural nation. Whether you’re Chinese or not, you will likely identify with many of the ways God has challenged their beliefs, tested their hearts and guided their steps. How appropriate: God’s people from all over the world, in Canada, going into all the world, from Canada. Wycliffe Canada Vision Statement: By 2025, together with partners worldwide, we envision Bible translation in progress for every language that needs it, thereby empowering all peoples to use Scripture, establish churches and disciple believers. Canadian Head Office: 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Phone: (403) 250-5411 or toll free 1-800-463-1143, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. mountain time (Francophone: sans frais 1-877-201-1123). Fax: (403) 250-2623. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.wycliffe.ca. To find the Wycliffe office nearest you, visit our Web site or call 1-800-463-1143. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 3 Honour Thy Father Pastor Chadwin Mak has always urged Toronto’s Chinese Christians to engage in cross-cultural ministry—even his own daughter Janfer. by D oug L ockhart P hotographs by DAVE CROUGH “Following Jesus Without Dishonouring Your Parents.” That was the Sunday sermon title recently at Milliken Gospel Church near Toronto. It’s the kind of message you’d expect in a church led by Pastor Chadwin Mak. As Milliken’s senior pastor, Mak encourages Chinese youth to honour their parents as they follow God’s leading. At the same time, he challenges parents to release their children into the Father’s hands. “In our Chinese Christian families, we always put high expectations on our children to be medical doctors, engineers, accountants—all kinds of higher careers,” he says. “I have had the same thoughts, but I told my children, ‘When you pray for your future, for your career . . . open your heart. Ask God that if He calls you to full-time ministry . . . you will be willing to consider that option.’ ” All three of Mak’s children got the message. His youngest daughter Janfer is a Wycliffe Canada member assigned to language survey in North Eurasia. Her two siblings and their families are also involved in cross-cultural work overseas. Janfer, who graduated in 1998 from Wycliffe’s training program at the Canada Institute of Linguistics, now serves in North Eurasia as part of a research team helping to determine language-related needs, including translation. (See Word Alive, Spring 2000 for related coverage.) Pastor Mak and his youngest daughter Janfer enjoy a lighter moment together at Milliken Gospel Church in Markham, Ont. They both exhibit mature Christian character that brings honour to their heavenly Father and builds up His Kingdom. 4 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca Early Training me to use for your kingdom?’” After graduating from Queen’s University in 1994, Janfer studied for two years at Ontario Theological Seminary. During a summer break in 1995, she also participated in Wycliffe’s short-term Discovery program, visiting Papua New Guinea to learn more about Bible translation. In this, her father’s influence was clearly evident. “During their high school and university years, I always encouraged our children to go on a short-term mission,” says Pastor Mak. Pastor Mak and his wife Freda taught their children early to develop their personal walk with God. To help them, Mak devised a daily regimen that included studying the Scriptures, taking notes and asking plenty of questions about what they were reading. “Our family had regular family devotions with praying, reading the Bible and singing . . . that started when we were very young,” Janfer recalls. “I didn’t always enjoy it at the beginning, but now I look back and I see the value of . . . ingraining that love for the Scriptures.” Mak also provided his children with plenty of missionary biographies and invited visiting missionaries home for dinner. And, Janfer recalls, her dad insisted that each of his kids attend the Urbana missions conference in Illinois. “I went to Urbana because Dad paid,” quips Janfer. “He sent in my application and he said, ‘You’re going.’ So I went. “I didn’t want to go, but it really was the first time I thought about missions and realized I could be involved.” At the 1990 Urbana event, a Wycliffe member’s testimony stirred the 18-yearold student’s heart. Then, two years later at a missions conference near Vancouver, Janfer met Wycliffe’s Dr. Peter Wang (see story, page 24). Wang encouraged her to use her skills to further God’s kingdom. “I was studying linguistics in university, so that’s when I started to pray, ‘God, is linguistics something you want “God’s kingdom is so great, so big, so wide. We need to rethink our contribution. . . .” – Pastor Chadwin Mak Challenging the Church Courtesy of Janfer Mak Mak has been urging his kinsmen to be involved in cross-cultural missions for much of his adult life. In his native Hong Kong, he worked with Western missionaries for many years During the summer of 2001, Janfer visits with local villagers as part of her language research work in North Eurasia. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 5 to distribute gospel literature. Moving to Toronto in 1974, he became associate director of a ministry to students, Ambassadors for Christ. In 1987, Mak joined the Toronto office of the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelization (CCCOWE), a worldwide movement that helps motivate Chinese churches “ Ask God that if He calls you to full-time ministry . . . you will be willing to consider that option.” – Pastor Chadwin Mak to be involved in world evangelization. “Pastor Mak is a humble man,” says Toronto pastor and Wycliffe Canada board member Joe Kok. “He is respected as one of the leaders of Chinese pastors in the Greater Toronto area, and throughout Canada. He sets a good example for me as a true servant leader.” Since becoming senior pastor of Milliken Gospel Church in 1996, Mak has prayed that God will open the eyes of Chinese parents to world need and encourage their children to follow their Father’s leading. “I always tell them, ‘Don’t worry about your children’s future. They have a life purpose to follow the Lord, to live for the Lord; He will take care of them.’ “If you honour God, God will honour you . . . that’s a biblical principle. If you still have fear, then that means that you don’t have faith in the Lord.” Mak says that for many Chinese Christian families, materialism often stands in the way. “Chinese parents are used to supplying so many material things for their children. They give cars and all kinds of things, but they don’t think of the spiritual stuff.” He believes a lack of missionary vision has its roots in history. “When foreign missionaries came to China, they helped us to know the Lord and form local churches. But they didn’t help our people to realize we have the opportunity, the responsibility to respond to the Great Commission. Courtesy of Janfer Mak Living testimonies to the faithful upbringing by their parents, Janfer (left, holding niece Amy) and her brother and sister enjoy a brief reunion during Christmas, 2001. All three are involved in overseas cross-cultural work. 6 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca “World evangelization, world missions—those are new terms to our Chinese Church.” Mak wants these terms to become part of the Chinese Church’s everyday vocabulary. “The Chinese live in a small corner,” Mak says. “We don’t know the kingdom. God’s kingdom is so great, so big, and so wide. We need to rethink our contribution. . . . “So in my ministry, I’ve tried so often to help myself, my family and my church, and also the Chinese as a whole . . . to open our hearts and our eyes, to gain momentum to go into world missions.” From all appearances, the movement to evangelize all nations is gaining momentum among Canada’s Chinese churches. That can only bless the Father’s heart. Atop Toronto’s CN Tower overlooking Lake Ontario, Janfer (holding brochure) says goodbye to newfound friend and Wycliffe colleague, Diane Tong (see photos, pages 2 and 10). Meeting for the first time earlier that day, the two quickly connected—and so they should. They are on the forefront of Chinese Christian churches in Toronto sending out their own to work among minority language groups overseas. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 7 Open Hearts, Toronto pastor Joe Kok applauds a growing interest among Chinese churches to reach all peoples with the gospel. J Joe Kok believes God is challenging and broadening the traditional view held by many Chinese Canadian believers—that China or the Chinese themselves should be the sole targets of missionary outreach. “The focus is beginning to change,” says Kok, who serves on Wycliffe Canada’s board of directors. “It’s no longer just China, but all the world. Secondly, it’s shifting from reaching ethnic Chinese, to reaching all peoples. “I’m not saying we’re there yet, but we’re opening up,” explains the senior pastor of Zion Alliance Church in Markham, Ont. Kok says this new outlook has been influenced in part by the leaders behind a missions movement known as the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelization (CCCOWE), based in Hong Kong. The movement draws together Chinese leaders from around the world, through conferences and consultations. The organization aims to instil vision for world evangelization and strengthen local churches. “These global leaders . . . have a big heart for the world,” says Kok. “They are talking about going into all the world.” Kok, who first left Hong Kong in 1973 to study at the University of Waterloo, also credits a new generation of Chinese missionaries. “They are the people who really influence by sharing their call and ministry with the Chinese churches,” he says. “They are involved in cross-cultural missions and some of them are involved in Bible translation.” Business as usual—checking dates on their electronic calendars during a lunch meeting, Joe Kok and Garland Hoel, Wycliffe’s eastern regional director, arrange a future meeting in Canada’s largest city. With a population of almost five million, the Greater Toronto area is home to a major concentration of the country’s Chinese churches. Their involvement is crucial to finishing Bible translation worldwide for at least 250 million people. 8 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca BY DOUG LOCKHART PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE CROUGH A Life-changing Invitation Kok’s involvement in Bible translation began shortly after he returned to Hong Kong in 1986 to join the pastoral staff of his home church, North Point Alliance. Shortly after arriving, he was introduced to a leader from SIL, Wycliffe’s partner organization, who asked him to help inform Hong Kong’s churches about the need for Bible translation. For the next eight years, Kok helped introduce Wycliffe to local pastors and other church leaders. Initially, the SIL leader, Kok and a small team of volunteers began by mailing out copies of Wycliffe’s U.S. magazine, In Other Words. “I licked a lot of stamps,” Kok says with a chuckle. “We held meetings but we didn’t know much [about Wycliffe]. After about two years, somebody came to us and said, ‘I want to be involved in Bible translation and join Wycliffe.’ We just about fell off our chairs.” “We were hardly ready, but God had clearly been working.” Although Kok and other volunteers struggled to get organized, eventually they established the Wycliffe Hong Kong office with help from other Wycliffe organizations in Asia and the Pacific. They also received training in church relations. As well, Kok participated in SIL’s Asia Area meetings, where he interacted with colleagues and expanded his knowledge of both SIL and Wycliffe. Kok was serving as chairman of the Wycliffe Hong Kong Council in 1994 when family circumstances led him and his wife Prisca to return to Canada with their two daughters. Settling in Markham, he became Zion’s senior pastor in 1995. Kok joined Wycliffe Canada’s board of directors in 1996. Whenever possible, he works with people like Garland Hoel, director of Wycliffe’s eastern regional office (see story, page 10) and Wycliffe Hong Kong director Wayne Leung, to help build relationships with other Chinese church leaders around the country. “One reason I’m committed to the board,” Kok says, “is that it gives me an opportunity to keep on nudging, keep on encouraging [Wycliffe] to build these relations.” “God is already calling Canada’s Chinese Christians to Bible translation.” – Pastor Joe Kok As Wycliffe looks to the future, Chinese churches figure prominently in its vision to accelerate the pace of Bible translation. Through the Asian Diaspora Initiative, Wycliffe leaders are seeking ways to involve at least 2,000 more Asian believers during this first decade of the new millennium. As part of the Asian Diaspora leadership team, Leung works to help mobilize Chinese believers in Asia and in Western countries. While Kok supports this strategic initiative, he also believes Wycliffe faces some huge challenges in implementing the vision. “I’d like to see more resources made available for this initiative. The opportunities are there . . . but we also need to use different approaches when communicating with ethnic groups.” At a recent board meeting at Wycliffe Canada’s Calgary headquarters, Kok (at right, arms folded) helps shape vision for Wycliffe’s future ministry. The former Wycliffe Hong Kong council chairman brings to the table both an Asian perspective and a gentle, caring heart for the people with whom he works. Kok says his role as a board member gives him opportunities to encourage Wycliffe Canada to involve more Asian Canadians in Bible translation. Building Bridges Those different approaches include communicating in Chinese, using both printed materials and videos (see our Web site at www.wycliffe.ca/videos). But Kok believes the best way to involve more Chinese believers is through building relationships. “We can talk about strategy but we must have people who are committed to building bridges to the churches and potential candidates over a long period of time. Then we will see a lot of fruit.” So far, Chinese Canadians account for less than three per cent of Wycliffe Canada’s 450 members serving around the world. While Kok would be thrilled to see that percentage grow, he sees another priority. “My prayer is for the Chinese Church to slow down. We’re very activity-oriented,” he says. “We need to slow down and feel the pulse of the Father, so that we will know His desire for the world and for us. “God is already calling Canada’s Chinese Christians to Bible translation, but they need prayer and encouragement.” Joe Kok is helping build bridges between Chinese churches and the Bible translation movement and he speaks to both from a shepherd’s heart. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 9 The Relationship Builders I Garland and Mavis Hoel lead a Wycliffe team to mobilize Asian Christians and others in multi-ethnic Toronto—one step at a time. If Garland and Mavis Hoel are known for anything, it is the huge effort they put into building long-term personal relationships. The couple is gifted at formally and informally networking with God’s people here at home to further Bible translation worldwide— something they began doing as Wycliffe representatives in Edmonton in the early ’90s. Experience has taught the Hoels that these days people can’t be rushed into joining the Bible translation movement. 10 B y D wayne J anke PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE CROUGH | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca “People want to get to know you; they’re going to check you out. They dance around the perimeter for years,” explains Garland, currently Wycliffe’s eastern regional director. “I can think of a couple that went to the field in 1999. We started relating to them when they were students in 1991.” This personal and patient approach—showing God’s people one step at a time how He may be leading them to involvement in Bible translation—has proven especially helpful to the Hoels in their current assignment. They serve at Wycliffe Canada’s eastern regional office in multiethnic Toronto, where thousands of Asian Christians put more stock in relationships than in “10 easy steps and here we go.” In working with the Chinese Christian community there, for example, the Hoels came to realize that young people are faced with their parents’ expectations: get a good education, find a well-paying job and look after them in their old age. Joining a missionary organization like Wycliffe just doesn’t seem to fit their cultural perspective. “So it can be a long process,” says Garland. “I admire these young people that God is calling from the Chinese community, for the way they show respect to their parents, and the way that they trust the Lord to help their parents understand. Sometimes it means that they have to hold back a number of years before they actually get going.” But gradually, God is working— through the Hoels, the seven office staff in Etobicoke, and several others in campus ministry—to encourage Chinese Christians into Bible translation. “Six years ago, we didn’t have any Asian members from Eastern Canada,” recalls Garland. “Now we have 14 who are actually members or are in the application process. So that’s a start.” Toronto is home to some 120 Chinese churches, 130 Korean congregations, 50 Filipino churches and many The World in One City In a recent issue on Canadian’s multicultural diversity, Canadian Geographic magazine called Toronto “the world in one city.” Statistics lend support to it being arguably the most multicultural city on earth. • 50% of the city’s population is foreign born. • Torontonians come from 169 countries and speak more than 100 languages (Chinese [Cantonese] leads all foreign languages). • Toronto has one-quarter of the nation’s immigrants. • Toronto’s visible minority population is greater than all of the residents in any Atlantic province, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Source: Canadian Geographic magazine (Left) At a Toronto area restaurant, Garland and Mavis Hoel reminisce with friends Edward and Diane Tong. God has used their relationship, which began about seven years ago, to encourage the Tongs to invest their lives in Bible translation. They look forward to their overseas assignment in Central Africa. “We have to have some people who are willing to go cross-culturally,” says Edward. other South Asian Christian groups. The Hoels are excited about the potential to mobilize many more non-Caucasians. In fact, they see multiethnic, multiracial involvement as a key part of God’s vision to reach the world. “We believe that just as the gospel is for everyone from every tribe and nation and people and language, so the task of Bible translation needs to be shared by those who have been redeemed from every tribe and nation and people and language,” explains Garland. “I guess that’s one of the things that keeps us here in Toronto. We have many representatives here from so many of those backgrounds.” The Hoels yearn to spend more time hosting Asian believers in their home, meeting them in restaurants, joining them in their churches and getting acquainted with their pastors. “That’s really where the productivity comes from,” explains Garland. “The frustration is that we have very few labourers, especially from those ethnic communities who can represent Wycliffe in their own communities.” As Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos and Indians are mobilized and do field work, however, they will be available to return to Canada at times to reach their own people with the Bible translation challenge. In the meantime, the Hoels are also training and orienting Asians in It will take more than mirrors to multiply Wycliffe’s small contingent of staff and volunteers at the eastern regional office. Together, they work hard to keep up with the growing requests for information and face-to-face contact from inquirers in Toronto’s Christian community. Hoel prays for more co-workers to enable the team to address the overwhelming opportunities and to handle an ever-growing workload. Toronto to work as lay representatives for Wycliffe. “We’re a little frustrated sometimes, but we see God moving,” says Garland. “We believe there’s great potential here, and we’re starting to see results.” Help Wanted Wycliffe Canada’s eastern regional office operates out of a 2,200-sq.-ft. office in Etobicoke, Ont. Seven people there handle a variety of activities. They oversee or do Wycliffe representation in Eastern Canada, promote the need for Bible translation, handle inquiries and applications, distribute media, and relate to Wycliffe workers returning from the field. More staff is needed to serve in this crucial part of Canada. For more information, contact the office: #4, 14 Steinway Blvd. Etobicoke, ON M9W 6M6 Phone: (416) 675-6473 E-mail: [email protected] | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 11 Looking to Dist Led by Pastor Paul Wang, a vibrant Burnaby church partners with a Wycliffe missionary headed for Asia. L Last January, Pastor Paul Wang and other leaders at the Evangelical Chinese Bible Church (ECBC) in Burnaby, B.C., gathered around one of their own to commission him for missionary service in Asia. Although the church has sent out many young people on short-term missions, this particular ceremony was notable because Oliver “O.J.” Gamache is neither Chinese, nor a long-time member of the church. Furthermore, ECBC has pledged to provide 50 per cent of Gamache’s required financial support on the field—a percentage any missionary would consider more than generous. This unique relationship began about two years ago, when leaders at ECBC felt led by God to support Bible translation as part of their missions program. To that end, they contacted the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL), Wycliffe’s training program in Langley, B.C. “We were particularly looking to support a Bible translation project in Asia,” recalls Paul Wang, ECBC’s senior 12 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca pastor, “simply because Asia is close to our hearts. When we met with [CanIL Director] Mike Walrod (see page 20), he highly recommended O.J. to us.” At the time, Gamache was completing a master’s degree in linguistics and exegesis, and preparing for a language assignment in Southeast Asia. Later, he was introduced to Pastor Wang and other church leaders. “I was very, very impressed with his solid commitment to the Lord,” says Wang. “He knew at that time what the Lord wanted him to do. After that first meeting, we said, ‘Thank you Lord for [leading us to] O.J.’ ” tant Shores B y D oug L ockhart Dave Crough Building Relationships After identifying Gamache as a potential missionary partner, ECBC created a flexible internship program for him that included teaching a Sunday School class, sharing his testimony and joining the young adults’ fellowship. Meanwhile, he even managed to stay connected with his home fellowship (the Evangelical Free Church in Fort Langley, B.C.), prepare for his move overseas and teach a grammar course at CanIL. “The internship helped us—the whole church—to get to know him,” says Wang. “I believe that before we send a With a missionary vision already established in his church, Pastor Paul Wang is thinking beyond the present. “As we consider our vision for the next 10 years,” he says, “we want to help advance the cause of frontier missions. Where there is no gospel, no Bible—our hearts go out to these areas.” | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 13 (Below) Who’s next? These young friends of Gamache’s from Evangelical Chinese Bible Church (ECBC) in Burnaby, B.C., could represent the congregation’s future missionary force in long-term, overseas service to those without God’s Word in their heart language. © www.craigpulsifer.com (both) missionary out, we need to know who he is and he needs to know us. “We don’t want him to be just another name. When we pray for him, we want to pray for someone who is close to our heart.” As for Gamache, he says the people of ECBC received him with open arms. “They were very welcoming and supportive and generous,” says the 27-year-old Wycliffe Canada member, from Quadra Island, B.C. “Every time I attended ECBC, I was warmly greeted and I felt like part of the family.” The church commissioned Gamache during a Sunday service this past Jan. 20. Since then, Gamache has completed a field orientation course in the Philippines and is now beginning national language study in Thailand. In the future he will study the language of a Bibleless people group in Southeast Asia and eventually help them translate the Scriptures into their language. Much has happened in Gamache’s life since the January commissioning service at ECBC, an event that Pastor Wang says sent a significant message to his congregation. “It was a visible and powerful picture for our church, including our young people. It says we are serious about frontier missions. “The church is excited because . . . someday, we will be part of putting in the hands of these [unreached peoples] a copy of the Word of God.” Wang is hopeful that Gamache’s obedience to the Lord will inspire others at ECBC to get involved in long-term, overseas missionary service. “We will not stop with O.J.,” he says. “This has just whetted our appetite for more.” (Right) Pastoral staff and elders at ECBC pray over Gamache at his commissioning service on January 20, 2002. Pastor Wang emphasizes the importance of the church’s personal relationship to Gamache. “We don’t want him to be just another name. When we pray for him, we want to pray for someone who is close to our heart.” A Heart for the Nations As an intern at Burnaby’s Evangelical Chinese Bible Church (ECBC), Wycliffe’s O.J. Gamache soon discovered that God had linked him up with a church solidly committed to advancing the gospel, in its own neighbourhood and around the world. Founded by former senior pastor John Sun in 1972, ECBC has since grown to include three branch churches in nearby Coquitlam, Richmond and Surrey, with a combined attendance of about 1,600 people. Since the early ‘90s, the church has been reaching out to the growing influx of 14 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca Mandarin-speaking immigrants and visiting seamen from Mainland China. “We have seen such a tremendous [spiritual] hunger among the seamen,” says Senior Pastor Paul Wang. “Last year alone, the Harbour Ministry team saw more than 330 decisions for Christ. Since the ministry began about four years ago, team members have shared the gospel with almost 3,000 Chinese sailors, about a third of whom have prayed to receive Christ. But even as the people of ECBC reach out to those around them, they are mindful of the many nations still unreached by the gospel. “As we consider our vision for the next 10 years,” says Wang, “we want to help advance the cause of frontier missions. Where there is no gospel, no Bible—our hearts go out to these areas. “The Scriptures talk about people on distant shores worshipping the Lord, so [frontier missions] is an important goal. We want to venture out with other organizations that are also doing frontier missions . . . and Wycliffe is one of them.” Convinced of the need for Bible translation, this dedicated B.C. couple is helping involve more Chinese churches in the task. Moved to be BY DOUG LOCKHART | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE CROUGH 16 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca S Sharon Leung used to think that missions began—and ended—in her own back yard. Whenever she heard missionaries or pastors speak about reaching out to other nations, she told herself there were plenty of needy Chinese people all around her in Burnaby, B.C. “I really wasn’t into overseas missions at all,” she says. “I thought it was a waste of money, time and effort to send people abroad.” But Sharon’s attitude began to change two years ago, after she and her husband Jolland attended a missions banquet at a Vancouver restaurant. There, a visiting Wycliffe missionary spoke about his 16 years of ministry among an unreached people group in South Asia, helping translate the New Testament. “As he shared about his work, I was really moved and touched by the Lord,” Sharon recalls. “I realized that I was privileged, because from the first day I came into contact with Christianity, I had access to a Bible that spoke to me in my mother tongue. “I had never realized that there are so many people out there who are still without a Bible in their language.” The Bible had little meaning to Sharon until she became a Christian more than 20 years ago. Born in Hong Kong, she moved to Toronto in 1973 and married Jolland, a fellow Hong Kong immigrant who had become a Christian through the ministry of Sharon and Jolland Leung recognize the importance of networking. They see their role of connecting God’s people in Vancouver with God’s heart for Bibleless peoples worldwide as not only urgent, but strategic. Messengers | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 17 Pastor Sam Chan (holding Bible) greets members of his congregation. With his church located in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown district, Chan and many other Chinese pastors minister to increasing numbers of Mandarin speakers. Like the Leungs, Pastor Chan also demonstrates a growing passion for Bible translation and cross-cultural missions. Billy Graham. The couple moved to Vancouver six years later. Although Sharon hadn’t yet received Christ, she agreed to attend church with Jolland so they could make new friends. They began attending one of the city’s oldest Chinese churches, Vancouver Christ Church of China (VCCC), which celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2001. “ We felt we needed a new missions focus . . . to adopt people groups that don’t have the Bible in their own languages.” –Pastor Sam Chan Eventually, Sharon saw her need for Christ and was baptized in 1981. The couple later began attending a sister church in nearby Coquitlam, and now attend another sister church in Burnaby. A Church at the Crossroads Pastor Sam Chan, senior pastor of VCCC, supports the Leungs’ growing passion for Bible translation and crosscultural missions. Prior to joining the pastoral staff in 1988, Chan and his wife 18 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca served as missionaries in Europe. “For many years, our church has been supporting missionaries [to the Chinese] and sending people out,” says Chan. “But last year, our mission program seemed to come to a crossroads. The Lord led us to believe that the last hurdle to the gospel . . . is the unreached people groups. “We felt that we needed a new missions focus, and that is to adopt people groups that don’t have the Bible in their own languages.” At the time, Sharon was a member of the missions committee at Burnaby Christ Church of China. “The Lord really inspired us about the direction we should move,” she says. “The missions committee had been operating for about 14 years, but all that time we had been focused on the Chinese people. We had never been involved in any cross-cultural missions.” While VCCC and the Coquitlam church are now researching unreached peoples and seeking God’s direction, the Burnaby Christ Church of China has already set their sights on a specific people group. Part of the church’s annual missions budget has been earmarked to support a Wycliffe literacy project in South Asia—led by a graduate of Wycliffe Canada’s training program, the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in Langley, B.C. A New Vision The missions banquet that impacted the Leungs was organized by Vancouver lawyer Bill Lim, who chairs CanIL’s board of directors. “Sharon and Jolland were very much touched by what they heard at the meeting,” Lim recalls. “They brought the news back to their group of churches and started to get involved, get excited about [partnership with] Wycliffe. And because of the wonderful work that Practising law is Bill Lim’s day job. He’s been doing it for 24 years in B.C. As immediate pastpresident of the Vancouver Chinese Christian Business and Professional Association, Lim knows how to live and act out his faith among the Chinese business community. But it’s his 27 years of service as the official translator for his pastors (Mandarin into English) that have given him a strong affinity for Bible translation and have led to his subsequent involvement with Wycliffe. Lim is chairman of the board of directors for CanIL, where Wycliffe offers its training program. Sharon and Jolland did, I invited both of them to serve on the CanIL board.” From that platform, the Leungs eagerly share both the need for Bible translation worldwide and the many ways Chinese churches can participate, through prayer, personal involvement and financial giving. “This was a new vision for us,” adds Jolland. “We saw that there are two directions for outreach. One is to do evangelism among the people around you, and that is what our church has been doing. “But now we are realizing there are also ‘unreached peoples,’ and without external help, they will never hear the gospel.” At a busy intersection in Burnaby, B.C., a core group of staff and others involved with the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) wait for the traffic lights. CanIL, where Wycliffe offers its training program (see next page), is also waiting for a green light to fully proceed with construction of its new facilities. To speed this along, it’s important to raise awareness of just how crucial good training is to prepare translators, consultants and literacy workers to serve indigenous people groups. On this night, Marlene Evangelista, CanIL director for public relations (far left), and Bill Lim, chairman of the CanIL board (centre left), helped coordinate a monolingual demonstration by CanIL representatives at a missions awareness meeting. Dr. Mike Walrod (centre), CanIL’s director, used his linguistic skills to quickly begin learning an unfamiliar language (Mongolian) through basic interaction with Oyuka Sambalhundev (far right), a linguistics student and Wycliffe member from Mongolia. (Below) Serving comes naturally to Jolland Leung, here acting as the table host at a dinner gathering in Burnaby. It’s often the case for the Leungs that sharing a meal is a message—a message of friendship and deepening relationship with those newly interested and also those already involved in missions. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 19 At a busy intersection in Burnaby, B.C., a core group of staff and others involved with the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) wait for the traffic lights. CanIL, where Wycliffe offers its training program (see next page), is also waiting for a green light to fully proceed with construction of its new facilities. To speed this along, it’s important to raise awareness of just how crucial good training is to prepare translators, consultants and literacy workers to serve indigenous people groups. On this night, Marlene Evangelista, CanIL director for public relations (far left), and Bill Lim, chairman of the CanIL board (centre left), helped coordinate a monolingual demonstration by CanIL representatives at a missions awareness meeting. Dr. Mike Walrod (centre), CanIL’s director, used his linguistic skills to quickly begin learning an unfamiliar language (Mongolian) through basic interaction with Oyuka Sambalhundev (far right), a linguistics student and Wycliffe member from Mongolia. A Crucial Need Close By The Leungs are especially motivated to talk about an urgent need nearby—a new building for CanIL, which offers Wycliffe’s training program. The institute’s current facility on the campus of Trinity Western University (TWU) in nearby Langley, B.C., serves about 100 students per semester, in a cramped and rundown building that’s ill-equipped to meet the growing interest in linguistics among TWU’s students. Motivated by the 3,000 remaining language groups globally that still need Bible translation, CanIL’s board of directors approved a building program two years ago called Beyond Price. Its goal is to construct a new $4-million facility on TWU’s campus as soon as possible. (For more details, visit CanIL’s Web site at www.canil.ca/beyondprice or call 604-513-2129.) Whenever they get the chance, the Leungs visit Chinese churches and challenge them to be involved in training young people. “It’s the Church’s responsibility to carry out the Lord’s Great Commission,” says Sharon, “but organizations like CanIL are actually helping the Church to do the work.” With help from Chinese churches and others, pledges toward CanIL’s planned facility reached the million-dollar milestone this past February. The Leungs are hopeful that many more Chinese churches will participate, and help equip a new generation of young people to further translation of God’s Word. “It’s really up to us to challenge them because we’re Chinese,” adds Sharon. “We have the resources, and we have the people. The Lord is touching the hearts of other people too, not just Jolland and me. “What we do is just sowing and watering, and it’s up to the Lord to make the seeds grow. 22 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca (Opposite, upper left) Interacting with an inquirer, Jolland Leung paints a mental picture of CanIL’s need for new and expanded facilities. The picture he paints is a working reality (above) for CanIL staff such as Dr. Keith Snider (centre, at desk), a professor of linguistics. Snider, in discussion with one of his students and teaching assistants, shares his “office” space with another faculty member on alternating days. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 23 BY DOUG LOCKHART PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE CROUGH I In 1978, Peter Wang left his parent’s Vancouver home to study at the University of Alberta (U of A) in Edmonton. Like many Chinese young people, he understood the weight of cultural expectations as he started down the path that would lead, ideally, to a successful career in medicine. Blessed with a keen mind, he relished the challenge, applying himself to his studies with the same enthusiasm that marked his growing Christian faith. On campus, Wang soon linked up with other Christians to study the Scriptures and pray together. Sensing that God was calling him to missionary service, he gave himself gladly to leading Bible studies and encouraging his fellow believers to prepare themselves for future ministry. “During my second year at university,” Wang recalls with a smile, “there was a big missions conference at Urbana (Illinois). I told the other Bible study group members they needed to go there to find out if God wanted them involved in missions.” His friends did go to the high-profile missions event and God did speak to them—but the message was for Wang. “They talked about it among themselves on the trip, and they decided that God was calling me to Bible translation. “I took it seriously . . . and God helped me grapple with that [call].” Sensing God’s Leading Wang sensed that the Lord was behind his friends’ challenge. From his youth, he had been the one called on to interpret the pastors’ sermons from Cantonese into English or vice versa. In Sunday School and among his Christian friends at university, he had also demonstrated a gift for teaching from the Scriptures. 24 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca Dr. Peter Wang’s dramatic career move two decades ago symbolizes today’s shifting perspective in Canada’s Chinese churches. Even before Wang graduated from the U of A in 1982, he knew what he had to do. Like another man named Peter who laid down his fishing nets to follow Jesus, Wang decided to put Bible translation first and use his medical skills whenever possible to further that ministry. In 1983 he married Bernice, whom he had met at the Vancouver Chinese Alliance Church (VCAC) as a teenager, and after completing his family practice residency and working briefly, they joined Wycliffe Canada. Since then, God has led the Wangs into avenues of ministry they never imagined. In many ways their lives reflect a similar change of course that’s evident in many Chinese churches across the country. Where previously, Chinese churches have focused on reaching other Chinese with the gospel, many are now beginning to reach out to other nations as well. Furthermore, many of these churches are recognizing that they can play a significant role in completing the work of Bible translation. First Steps The Wangs were the first Chinese Canadians to join Wycliffe. Their commitment took them from Vancouver to Dallas, Tex., in 1985 for linguistics and translation studies at SIL’s international headquarters, then on to Mexico for field training. In 1987, backed by prayer and financial partners from VCAC and other churches, the couple and their infant daughter Tiffany Rose settled in a remote area of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines. There they joined SIL staff members Dick and Betty Elkins to help translate the Scriptures and promote literacy among the Matigsalug people. Travelling to speak at a missions conference in Vancouver, Dr. Peter Wang, seen here beneath Lions Gate Bridge, relishes the chance to visit his Canadian home. Wang and his family now live in Orlando, Florida, where he directs strategic planning and information technology initiatives for Wycliffe U.S.A. These initiatives, carried out with partners both within and beyond the worldwide network of Wycliffe organizations, significantly influence how the Bible translation movement adapts to new challenges. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 25 Wang poses with a Matigsalug chieftain and his wife at Sinuda village, Mindanao, southern Philippines in 1988. Although having to leave their work with the Matigsalug people was an unexpected development, the Wangs are encouraged that through the ongoing effort of other colleagues from other missions and from Wycliffe, dozens of small churches have been started. The people are eager to learn to read the newly translated Scripture portions. Because the Matigsalug lived in rustic conditions, Wang could have easily spent much of his time treating people with tropical diseases or other maladies. But he and Bernice were determined to focus on Bible translation and teaching people how to read the translated Scriptures. While Wang was occasionally tempted to use his Westernstyle medical training to help the villagers, it didn’t happen. “It seemed like God prevented us from doing that,” he recalls. “The people were animists, and I think the Lord wanted us to demonstrate the power of prayer so they would see He cared about them more than the spirits they worshipped did, and was willing to answer their prayers without the need for animal sacrifices or medicines from a shaman.” Courtesy of Peter Wang Bernice Wang (far right) holds son Timothy outside a local church in Mindanao in 1989. All the Wang’s care and medical background did not prevent malaria-infected mosquitoes from biting Timothy. Born with an enzyme deficiency, he could not take common antimalarial drugs containing sulphur. The Wangs made the difficult decision to leave the area to which God had surely led them—one not made by simply referring to a missionary training manual. But God made no mistake in first placing them there and preparing them for enriched future ministry. 26 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca Ironically, God used a medical problem in their own family to prepare the Wangs for a new direction in ministry. In 1988, their son Timothy was born with an enzyme deficiency, which they did not discover for 10 months. Only then did they learn that the anti-malarial medication they had been giving to both children could have been fatal to Timothy if it had contained sulphur. Providentially, they had been giving them the only one that didn’t contain the ingredient. Today, the Wangs believe God delayed the occurrence and discovery of Timothy’s disease to give them some critical field experience and the Matigsalug people the chance to receive His Word. The Lord also used these circumstances to redirect the Wangs into another area of ministry. Dean Schauer Courtesy of Peter Wang “Wherever God is working, we’re going to ask Him, ‘How do you want us to get involved?’” The doctor is in: Wang discusses challenging information technology issues with other key Wycliffe U.S.A. staff. Wang helps to diagnose systemic organizational problems and works with others to prescribe strategies to overcome them in order to accelerate Bible translation. From Software to Strategy In 1991, the Wangs took up new assignments in Dallas. There, Peter immersed himself in developing computer software to aid in Bible translation. The same year, Bernice gave birth to the couple’s second son, Trevor. While in Dallas, Peter also completed studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, earning an M.A. in Linguistics in 1992. Since joining Wycliffe, Wang’s role has changed significantly. Where initially he applied himself to hands-on translation of the Scripture, today he serves at Wycliffe’s U.S. headquarters in Orlando, Fla., as vice president for strategic planning. He also serves the American organization as a liaison to Wycliffe International, helping evaluate the “big picture” of translation efforts worldwide to better coordinate the deployment of —Dr. Peter Wang To maintain relationships, Wang (right) catches up with Pastors Paul Choy (left) and Matthew Wong from the Vancouver Chinese Alliance Church. The result of this bonding is evident. “Every time Peter visits, he inspires us to love God’s Word,” notes Pastor Wong. “It’s also a blessing . . . taking part in sending the Word to people who still do not have their own Bible.” | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 27 prayer, personnel and financial resources. While it’s a ministry filled with complex challenges, sometimes it’s as basic as helping Wycliffe missionaries find ways to work together more effectively. In some respects, he says, his role isn’t all that different from practising medicine. “You could say I help diagnose the systemic problems . . . and determine the prescriptions needed to build stronger, healthier ministries.” Wang’s pastors at VCAC recognize the unique gifts he brings to his leadership role in Wycliffe and how God is using those gifts to further Bible translation. “We applaud that,” says Pastor Matthew Wong. “Even though we don’t always know what Peter does every day, we recognize that he has leadership qualities, that God has given him the ability to pull things together. He can plan, he can think, he can do things well in God’s work.” At VCAC, it’s clear the Wangs are considered part of the family. “Peter has been a blessing to us,” adds Wong. “Every time he visits he inspires us to love God’s Word—and that 28 | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca helps our church in many ways. “It’s also a blessing to think we are helping fulfil the Great Commission, taking part in sending the Word to people who still do not have their own Bible.” Opening the Doors Much as the Wangs have seen God change the course of their lives, pastors and elders at VCAC have also been led by the Lord to move in new directions by opening themselves up to non-traditional methods and models. Since its founding in 1968, the church had focused on reaching out to Vancouver’s Cantonese-speaking Chinese population, and to their own young people who spoke English and identified to some degree with Canadian culture. But about seven years ago, leaders at VCAC saw the need to adapt to Vancouver’s shifting demographics by reaching out to the growing numbers of Mandarin-speaking immigrants from Mainland China. “We started as a Cantonese-speaking church,” says associate pastor Paul Choy, “and then we added English-language ministry. We also started the Fraser Lands Church . . . and now we have a philosophy that we open our doors [to everyone], even eliminating the word “Chinese” from our [church] sign. “We want to welcome everyone. We’re trying to open ourselves and welcome other ethnic groups to come, because the gospel is for all nations.” “This is the movement of God, I think, across North America,” adds Peter Wang. “You can see the parallel with Wycliffe. We used to think, ‘We’re the organization that does most of the work of Bible translation.’ But now our business cards identify us as ‘partners in Bible translation.’ “Bible translation is not just a vision for Wycliffe. This is a vision for the Church. Anybody who wants to get involved in this work can be, and you don’t have to be in Wycliffe. The important thing is that God is working . . . and we’re going to be partners with whomever He has brought together. “Wherever God is working, we’re going to ask Him, ‘How do you want us to get involved?’ ” (Above) Wang launches the missions conference at Burnaby Alliance Church. The theme is “The Unfinished Task.” (Below) Like father, like son. Stephen Wang (foreground) greets members of the congregation, as does his son, Peter (background). For both, the real focus is about giving honour to their heavenly Father. (Left) In March 2002, Wang was the speaker for a weekend missions conference at Burnaby Alliance Church, a sister church of Vancouver Chinese Alliance. Here Lorraine Yuen, a member of the pastoral staff, introduces Wang to a young man (centre) who is interested in linguistics. Wang has long understood that God does not arrange merely chance meetings. Ten years ago, at another missions event, he was introduced to a young woman also interested in linguistics and Wycliffe—Janfer Mak (see story, page 4). | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 29 wa t c h New Dinner Drama Set in Asia Asia will be the backdrop for the newest Wycliffe Associates dinner theatre drama, beginning this fall. Sunong: The Right to Machatan portrays the experiences of a brilliant young Buddhist in Asia and a Canadian couple that serve as linguists. It is a fictionalized story First Translation Republished Kenneth and Evelyn Pike on the field (Oaxaca, Mexico) with their first child Judith, 1941. based on true circumstances and reflects new approaches in Bible translation. The drama, which includes a cultural meal for audiences, starts September 9 in the western provinces. For details and reservations, call 1-800-708-2476. Wycliffe members are helping to multiply mission efforts in Latin America. They are equipping personnel from Latin missions who want their own missionaries to have cross-cultural and linguistic training. Steve and Cathy Marlett coordinated an international team of people who taught anthropology, cultural empathy, second language acquisition, phonetics and introductory linguistics to 22 trainer-students from 11 countries. Thanks to the intensive four-week course in Bolivia this past November, the participants (below) can now teach the courses back in their own countries. The training session was held in partnership with COMIBAM, a Latin American missions mobilization organization. A second similar course is scheduled with more trainer-students from additional countries expected. word from around the world Bible translation news Word Alive Wins Awards Word Alive magazine and staff have received three “Higher Goals in Christian Journalism” awards for 2001 from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA). Photographer Dave Crough’s cover image of Buddhist monks in Cambodia (Fall 2001) won second place in the “single photo/candid” category. The same issue received a fourth-place “single theme section/issue” award for its focus on Bible translation and literacy in mainland Southeast Asia, by Dave and Deborah Crough. Word Alive was also given fourth-place recognition for “publication redesign” by then designer Roy Eyre. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca So opens a prayer among Brazil’s Apinaye people, (right) before they read God’s Word publicly each week. Since the arrival of their New Testament in 2000, a group of Apinaye meets on Saturdays and Sundays in Helping to Train Trainers The first complete New Testament translated by members of Wycliffe Bible Translators has been partially republished. Mark’s Gospel in the San Miguel El Grande Mixtec language of Mexico was reprinted because the New Testament was out of print. The Mixtec Scriptures, translated by eminent linguists Kenneth and Evelyn Pike, were first published in 1951. Original printing plates for the New Testament were no longer available, so Mark had to be keyboarded, formatted, newly illustrated, checked and revised. After 50 years, the spelling of words also needed updating due to orthographic revisions. 30 God. Here we A Bible “Hello are to read Your talk Reader’s on paper. It’s good that we have it in Prayer our own language.” their village school. They take turns reading God’s Word aloud, after one of the older men opens with prayer. “We had done many bad things but Your Son Jesus came down and died to pay for our badness,” continues the prayer in Apinaye. “It’s good that You sent Him to us. Now we are going to read Your talk on paper. Help us obey it. We want to follow you. That’s all.” The Apinaye people number just over 1,000. Making Marine Travel Less Perilous Thanks to a new product developed by JAARS, Wycliffe’s technical arm, boat travel for more than 150 Bible translation and literacy teams working on islands in the Pacific and elsewhere is now safer and less stressful. The Emergency Rescue and Water Safety Kit (below) contains portable electronic communications and position indication equipment, as well as life jackets and survival tools. Leif Engkvist, a translator in Papua New Guinea, is grateful for the kit. “It means a lot to travel on open water feeling safe. Trade and banana boats have drifted for days, weeks, even months on the open seas before help came.” With the new equipment, travelling in such boats is not as dangerous, he says. W “We have a legend that someday someone with white skin will drop down from the skies to bring The challenge and impact of translating God’s Word God’s words to us. Finally you have come!” You may have heard stories like this, but rarely do they happen. Most of us don’t receive that kind of response when God sends us to a small ethnic group to serve in Bible translation. Take, for instance, our first overwhelming language-learning experience among the Southeast Asian island people we serve. We stayed with a host family who were having a peace ceremony because someone had tried to kill their son. The whole village camped out in front of the house. This went on for almost a week, with the killing of buffalo and other rituals. Most of the time, the men were intoxicated. Many of the people were continually in the house, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Everyone was eager to teach us the language. Unfortunately, the adults were missing most of their teeth so it was difficult to hear a correct pronunciation of their words. If we didn’t understand the first time, they repeated a little louder, thrusting their faces closer. They all agreed that the first phrase we must learn was, “Don’t worry, I’m not a headhunter, I’m a good guy.” This would prevent children from running away in fear of us. After two weeks, we were sick with malaria, and parasites were a problem for our children. Physical things, though difficult, have not been our biggest problem, however. A major obstacle is that while a church is already established, the people don’t know the Lord. They claim to be Christians but live in fear of the spirit world. For example, one of our co-translators, Memis—a 33-year-old youth leader from a different village—came with us to a village where we had once lived. The next day he said, “My baby was sick all night. I think someone from the village we visited cast a spell. The married son of the family we visited has not been able to have children. Maybe he is jealous.” To these people, a spell is the first explanation for any problem. One night we watched our neighbours go out for the evening. Puzzled, we saw them leave a big pressure lantern on top of their table and take only B y J ohn and S ylvia C hristensen , with A nne - louise F erverda a pop can with a candle in it to light the way. “The bright light of the pressure lantern,” they later explained, “keeps the evil spirits out of the house while we are gone.” It is discouraging that the people are still not really excited about what we’re doing. All that often sustains us is sheer obedience to the Lord’s call. Over and over, we have seen the Lord work when we were at the end of ourselves. Finding a language assistant to work with us seemed impossible. In desperation, we cried out to God. Right after we prayed, a lady approached one of us with a complaint. “My husband is mad at your husband because he won’t ask him to help with the work.” Laird Salkeld e u r e k a ! Reality Check We didn’t even know who her husband was! With praise in our hearts, we said, “Well, we’ll rectify that!” This man has worked faithfully with us as an excellent language assistant for more than a decade. From a human perspective, we wish we had more to show for our time and effort. Yet during this time, we have learned to walk with God in obedience and look to Him alone for results. John and Sylvia Christensen are members of Wycliffe U.S.A. who work in a Bible translation project in Southeast Asia. (About 40 per cent of the New Testament is in the hands of the people with whom they work.) Anne-Louise Ferverda and her husband Pierre are U.S.A. members, serving as support workers there. They teach English, do project funding reporting, and writing. | Fall 2002 | www.wycliffe.ca 31 Deliver to: If undeliverable, please return to Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE, Calgary AB T2E 6K3. Return postage guaranteed. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40062756. Printed in Canada. Get a handle on Bible translation… …with Wycliffe’s new ceramic mug! Our non-glare, black-finish belly mugs are now available to regularly remind you of the need for Scripture translation worldwide. Use them as conversation starters to share the vision of Bible translation with friends over coffee, or give them as gifts. Each mug includes the Wycliffe logo and “Partners in Bible Translation” slogan on each side, and our Web address on the bottom of the cup. $16 each, plus GST and $6.00 shipping per cup. To order, use the reply form in this magazine (ignore the form’s usual postage and handling information for this item only). Indicate your inside mug colour preference: blue or gold. There’s more where that came from . . . Wycliffe Canada’s media resources office offers a wide range of books, videos, interactive CDs, gifts and stationery. To see a complete catalogue of these products, visit our Web site at www.wycliffe.ca and click on “Wycliffe Store.”