The Front Door of Wycliffe

Part of a series focused on Wycliffe’s Discovery Center, 2 of 5.

“‘I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire’” (Matthew 3:11, NLT).

Did you know that there are more than 26 specific words meaning “to carry” in the Tzeltal language of Mexico? Or that the Mazateco people of Mexico can have conversations with one another through whistling instead of using words?

The Discovery Center at the Wycliffe headquarters in Florida is a unique, interactive exhibit that uses hands-on displays and multimedia to help visitors encounter people, languages, and cultures as never before. Moving through the exhibit, visitors can imagine themselves as Tzeltal Bible translators and try their hand at choosing which of the 26 forms for “to carry” accurately conveys the meaning in verses like Matthew 3:11. They can hear exactly what makes Mazateco whistle-talk work. As they marvel at God’s creativity in language, they better understand some of the challenges that translators face each day.

A walk through the Discovery Center gives people a feel for the work of Bible translation, the progress being made, and the everyday impact it has on people’s lives. They get to see what God is doing around the world and learn about ways they can engage wherever they are through prayer and giving, or even through joining the team.

• “We are the front door of Wycliffe,” said Visitor Services Manager Kathy Zoetewey. “We are often the first impression that people have of Wycliffe and we inspire them with the importance of the Bible and educate them that they can be a part of other people getting it.” Pray that visitors would be greatly impacted by what they learn at the Discovery Center, and pray that it would make a lasting impression on all who tour it.

Click here to learn more about Wycliffe’s Discovery Center, or point your web browser to http://www.wycliffe.org/discoverycenter/index.html.

The Discovery Center

Part of a series focused on Wycliffe’s Discovery Center, 1 of 5.

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9, NLT).

It’s no secret that Orlando, Florida is considered one of the most-visited cities in America. With over 51 million tourists a year, it’s a destination not only for Americans, but also for a constant stream of international visitors. Shortly after Wycliffe USA moved its headquarters to Orlando from Huntington Beach, California, in 1999, work began on the development of a fun, hands-on, educational tour facility that would engage the visiting public with the mission and vision of Bible translation. In 2002, Wycliffe opened the doors to the Discovery Center, and through it, Wycliffe’s guests and visitors often encounter a whole new world they never even knew existed.

• In the Discovery Center’s 10 years of operation, praise God that more than 136,000 visitors have learned more about the centrality of the Bible, how languages and cultures work as well as the history of translation, modern-day needs and techniques, and much more.
• Though the Center hosts many groups and bustles with a myriad of activities every week, the economic downturn of travel and tourism has slowed the increase in visitors. Pray that the Discovery Center will soon have even greater numbers of guests to serve.

Click here to learn more about Wycliffe’s Discovery Center, or point your web browser to http://www.wycliffe.org/discoverycenter/index.html.

Celebrating Two New Testaments

“‘No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house’” (Luke 11:33, NLT).

Various celebrations honoring the publication of two New Testament translations in related languages will take place in Mexico, June 20-22. The celebrated books are the San Jeronimo Mazatec and the Eloxochitlan Mazatec New Testaments. Dedication events will be held in the village areas. The main event, called Festival of the Mazatec Language, will also involve local schools. And some smaller ceremonies will take place in the nearby churches on those same days.

• Pray that the ceremonies will bring glory to God and will bless these two Mazatec communities.
• Praise God that His Word is now available to them!

Summer Linguistics Study Program

“Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge” (Proverbs 23:12, NLT).

SIL International, a primary partner in language development and translation, has offered classes on the campus of the University of North Dakota every summer since 1952.  An intensive summer program with full university accreditation, it is built around a close-knit community in which students, faculty, staff, and their families live and learn together. The program prepares people to work with local languages all over the world, specializing in linguistic research, literacy, language survey, translation, and other related fields. This year enrollment is fairly high with about 130 students attending, some of whom will be equipped to translate Scripture for Deaf communities.

• Praise God for raising up more people to serve in Bible translation!
• Pray for the faculty and students who attend this summer’s courses. Pray for excellent teaching, equipping, learning, and application of knowledge and skills gained.

The True Bread of Life

“The true bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world….Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty’” (John 6:33, 35, NLT).

This past spring, the Nahuatl people of Mexico celebrated the New Testament in the language they understand best. Petra Schroeder, a German linguist who oversaw the translation work, wasn’t able to be there, but several guests from Germany attended, one of whom was the Director of Wycliffe Germany.

It was a very emotional and meaningful celebration of many years of work. Several church leaders gave speeches and praise songs were sung in Nahuatl, but the emotional climax of the celebration was when the New Testaments were carried in. A young woman carried copies of the New Testament in a basket on her back, each book wrapped up in a tortilla cloth. When she arrived on stage, she handed the New Testaments over officially to a representative of each generation—children, teens, parents, and grandparents. The church pastors laid their hands on each representative and prayed for them—that they would read the Word of God and that it would become part of their lives. The Wycliffe Germany Director, Angelika Marsch, encouraged the people to enjoy this precious gift. Like their tortillas (a staple in their diet), just looking, smelling, or admiring the tortillas doesn’t satisfy one’s hunger. In the same way, we need to consume the Word of God daily, by reading and meditating on it.

• Praise God that the Nahuatl people have access to His Word in their language!
• Pray for each Nahuatl generation—that they would daily feast on the Word of God and be nourished by His truth, love, and grace.

Released From Shame

“Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” (Psalm 34:5, NLT).

The film, “Magdalena, Released from Shame”* tells the story of Jesus’ life from the viewpoint of Mary Magdalene and other women who followed Him. It portrays how Jesus values women and has been very effective in helping women meet Him. A translation team working in a sensitive part of Africa has drafted the film script in a local language. They hope to revise and test it with community members before September. By early 2014, they will need to find 12-14 speakers who are willing to lend their voices for the recording sessions.

• Ask God to lead throughout the entire process–finalization of the script; community testing; finding mother-tongue speakers for the recording; and performing clear and successful recording sessions.
• Pray that many people will come to know the grace and love of Jesus Christ as told through the viewpoint of Mary Magdalene.

*CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), distributes this film as a part of The Jesus Film Project. In partnership, Wycliffe and CRU are working to see these films made available in many language communities around the world.

Writers Workshop in Peru

“I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God” (Ephesians 1:16b-17, NLT).

This week, a training team in Peru is teaching a writers workshop for 11 pastors who are graduates of the Swiss Mission Bible School. These men represent seven different Peruvian jungle language groups. The workshop begins today, June 10, and will continue through July 2. Their training will aid in the ongoing production of literature in their languages.

• Pray that new gifts will be discovered and new skills developed in this workshop.
• Pray that God will use this as a growing experience in the spiritual lives of the pastors who are participating.
• Pray for wisdom for Celia, Carletta, Amador, and Claudia as they facilitate the workshop.