Gifts of Christmas by Sandi Somers

Our theme this month centres around gifts at Christmas. We shop for family and friends. We donate to charities in lieu of gifts to friends and family. We give to the needy and homeless. We give and receive gifts of Christmas music, warm hospitality, family times.

Going back to the beginning, we think of the gifts of the Magi to the Christ Child. And we are awed by the mystery of God’s greatest gift—Jesus who came to earth to bring us salvation.

The Gift of Bible Translation

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. Nelson Mandela

A few days ago I received a Christmas card from Wycliffe Bible Translators. It tells the story of the Bambalang people of Cameroon receiving the newly-translated book of Luke. When the people read it together in church, they burst out laughing.

The translator was shocked. “Oh, man,” he thought. “We’ve messed up…something’s wrong.”

He asked the pastor what happened. The pastor assured him that the laughter wasn’t from incorrect translation. Rather, in the verse where Joseph and Mary put baby Jesus in a manger, the translators now used the Bambalang word to describe a feeding trough for sheep.

“They laughed because they understood it,” said the translator. For years they had been hearing the equivalent of the word manger and didn’t know what it was.

“For the first time, really, the Scripture was theirs.”

They now own the words that give them life.

The Bible is the life-changing Word of God and is a cause for celebration as this language group and many others are now receiving it in their heart language.

Sometimes the heart language is a specific dialect of a major language and needs its own translation.

Take the First Nations Version (FNV). It is for the 90% of native peoples on Turtle Island (their word for North America) whose first language is now English, but who retain much of their vocabulary and unique world view. An English translation is being drafted for them.

Here is part of their Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. (The traditional First Nations names for Biblical characters and places are adapted from the original Hebrew and Greek.)[i]

1-2 When the time drew close for Bitter Tears (Mary) to have her child the government of the People of Iron ordered that the people be numbered and put on government rolls. 3 All the tribal members were required to travel to their ancestral homeland to register. 4-5 He Gives Sons (Joseph) and Bitter Tears (Mary) set out on a long journey to House of Bread (Bethlehem), the village of their ancestor the great chief Much Loved One (David)… 6 The time for Bitter Tears (Mary) to have her child was upon her! 7 But no place could be found in the lodging house, so He Gives Sons (Joseph) found a sheep cave where it was warm and dry. There she gave birth to her son. They wrapped him in a warm soft blanket and laid him on a baby board. Then they placed him on a bed of straw in a feeding trough.      The translation goes on to tell how spirit-messenger from the Creator came to the shepherds and told them about the baby, the Chosen One, who would set his people free. 13 Suddenly, next to the messenger, a great number of spirit warriors from the world above appeared giving thanks to Creator saying, 14 “All honor to the One Above Us All, and let peace and good will follow all who walk upon the earth.”

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life…The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63 NIV).

Bibles in major languages, dialects, Braille Bibles, even Bibles in sign languages are now available to many of the world’s peoples.

And still more peoples are waiting for their own Bibles. So desirous of God’s Word that years ago Chinese Christians created a prayer song.

Lord, send a Bible for that’s your gracious light.

True love and teaching and the bread of life.

I know for sure that your Word will lead me on,

Brighten the way all through my journey home.[ii]

Pray this Christmas that through this gift—this present of translation—God’s presence would become present to all the world’s people.

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[i]Adapted from Larry and Sharon Fjeldstrom  http://b5d29352f4cbb4f36764-64716aaac85f98c90d1d9176c94b76d6.r70.cf2.rackcdn.com/uploaded/g/0e2203317_1456949710_gm-newsletter-fjeldstrom.pdf

[ii] Paul Estabrooks and Jim Cunningham, Compilers. Standing Strong through the Storm. Santa Ana, CA: Open Doors International. 2004. P.127.

"I must be about my Father's business" by Connie Inglis

I've been thinking about this writing prompt for a few weeks now, wondering what to say about the business of writing. I have not been in the personal writing "business" for long. I've had a few pieces published and realize the importance of submitting your work, but I've never even thought about marketing. So what do I write that is blog-worthy?

Then the Spirit reminded me that my husband and I have actually been in the writing business all our lives, but not in the traditional way. What business is that you ask? The business of Bible translation and literacy work. 

Acts 13:1,2 in the Shatikha language of Myanmar

There is nothing typical about the process of writing, publishing and marketing the Bible for Bible-less people groups. But before the translation even starts, being a member of a faith-based mission requires raising support. In a lot of ways, raising support is like marketing--"selling" who you are, "selling" God's calling in your life, "selling" the work you are called to and "selling" the need for Bible translation. It's actually a tricky balance of sharing your heart with people but also listening to other people's hearts and praying that what you say strikes a cord in their lives. To be a missionary of a faith-mission these days requires trust in God first but it also requires marketing. 

Then the business of translation begins which takes training, takes study, takes language learning, takes working with a team of nationals and takes years of checking and re-checking with both the nationals and the consultants. It's a long-term commitment, an arduous business. That's what my husband does. 

Primer for the Ngochang language, Myanmar

My work in literacy has been less intense but also a necessary part of what we do. It's sort of the pre-publishing, pre-marketing work done before the Bible is printed. The literacy track within Bible translation can include:
- helping write an orthography if the language has not been written down
- making primers, picture books and transitional readers
- formatting books for publishing
- teaching the nationals to read and write, adults & children
- training nationals to become teachers and trainers themselves 

This list may not sound that difficult but remember, these books are not in English, the training is often not in English, the language itself may be written in non-Roman script (as in the Shatikha writing above), never mind communication problems with nationals in setting up workshops and finding appropriate trainees as well as a myriad of other cross-cultural contingencies.

From a Shatikha reader about rice-planting

Ambiguous? Yes. Demanding perseverance and flexibility? Yes. Seemingly impossible? Without God's guidance, YES! But "with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26. It is God's doing and it is God's work. My husband and I are mere servants to His glory in it all--because ALL the glory goes to Him. But I will say, it is worth ALL the training, the ambiguity, the sacrifice. I can't imagine a better way to spend my life.

There was also a verse that kept replaying in my mind. Luke 2:49: "And He [Jesus] said to them, How is it that you sought me? Knew you not that I must be about my Father's business?" And what was Jesus' business? Two chapters later Jesus tells us: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free." Luke 4:18

Powerful words--words for us all. Because no matter what kind of writing we're doing, if the Spirit of the Lord is on us and has anointed us in our writing, then that's what we should be doing. That's the Father's business for you and for me.
 
I had to close with this video of a language group receiving the Bible in their own language for the first time. Such emotion. Such love for God's Word. It grips my heart.
(www.worldteam.org. Filmed by Dianne Becker. Editing by Zach Ruble.)

My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing about, is me. And your commodity is you. Don't alter your voice to fit the subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize when they hear it on the page, a voice that's enjoyable not only in its musical line but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone: breeziness and condescension and clichés.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/599682

My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing about, is me. And your commodity is you. Don't alter your voice to fit the subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize when they hear it on the page, a voice that's enjoyable not only in its musical line but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone: breeziness and condescension and clichés.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/599682

My commodity as a writer, whatever I'm writing about, is me. And your commodity is you. Don't alter your voice to fit the subject. Develop one voice that readers will recognize when they hear it on the page, a voice that's enjoyable not only in its musical line but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone: breeziness and condescension and clichés.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/599682