Brian and Helen in Vermont
Brian and Helen recently moved to Vermont after 32 years of service to the people of Papua New Guinea. Join us at this web site for recent news and events in our lives, as we now serve the entire world as consultants with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Helen Barely Makes It Home - March 2020
As Brisbane Airport and then Singapore Changi closed right and left, Helen manages to escape being stranded, by literally travelling in circles! After about 4.5 days of travel, she is safe and finally home. Please take a moment to thank our Lord for His guidance and provision. Directed Steps: Psalm 37:23-24 Welcome Home Sign: Jericho VT. March 25th
Helen
Helen continues in her role as a physician, offering services as a medical consultant. She works on medical policies for Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL (our partner organization).
She also returns to Papua New Guinea yearly for training of medical practitioners and for consultations, mostly in the area of pediatrics.
Brian
Brian has taken on a new Com-munications position under SIL's (our partner organization) Language Technology group. Specialized software tools in Bible Translation and Literacy Work, need representation to various other non-profit organizations in the world. Often these tools are freely available to all, yet many do not know about their existence. He will also help with mobilization efforts to attract college age graduates by sharing the excellent opportunities to advance God's Kingdom through applied software technology in the computer sciences.
Together
Meanwhile there is ample opportunity to serve our community in beloved Jericho Vermont, where we live. And we are delighted to fully participate in our home church, Jericho Congregational. We presently co-labor with others on the JCC Missions committee serving 18 other mission organizations at this time.
Wycliffe Annual Report 2019
God is Moving around the World
Hear from John Chestnut, the President of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA on the progress made in Bible Translation, last year. This is part of Wycliffe's annual report. (2:20 min). Click Here
Wycliffe Celebrating 100 Years of a Vision
Cameron and Elvira Townsend worked with the Kaqchikel people of Guatemala
SIL Executive Director, Michel Kenmogne
(Cameroon), receiving Townsend's Bible from
daughter, Grace Townsend-Goreth
In 1919 a young man named Cameron Townsend had a vision: for the indigenous people of Guatemala to be released from the spiritual, linguistic and socioeconomic oppression that he had witnessed as
he traveled through their country as a Bible salesman.
Townsend believed that the people of Guatemala needed access to the Bible, education, and other possibilities, in their own languages—rather than in Spanish—in order to experience freedom from
this oppression. In 1919, Cameron and his wife, Elvira, began learning the language spoken by the Kaqchikel people. They later established elementary schools and a training institute, and
translated the New Testament.
Since 1919, the seeds of this vision have grown into a global movement. On 22-23 November, 2019, SIL International invited 60 leaders from 20 Wycliffe and other partner organizations to Antigua,
Guatemala, to celebrate what has been accomplished over the last 100 years, and consider together the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
One memorable moment saw Townsend’s daughter, Grace Townsend-Goreth, presenting SIL Executive Director, Michel Kenmogne, with her father’s copy of the Kaqchikel New Testament. Another highlight
was hearing Guatemalan partners share how the work begun by Townsend continues, now led by Guatemalans: in translation, university-level linguistics training, and the creation of Scripture use
materials in local languages.
‘Coming to Guatemala is about recommitting ourselves to the task Cameron Townsend began here’, observed SIL Board member Paul Opuku-Mensah. ‘The same passion, the same commitment that the first
generation brought to this vision must be the same one that informs our decision to go forward, both as individuals and collectively.’
- Submitted by Kate King, ED Communications Team, SIL International
SIL is a partner organization with WBT; Cameron Townsend founded both organizations
Wycliffe Public Statistics for the Year 2020:
Approximately 1.5 billion people do not have the full Bible in their first language. At least 7,000 languages are spoken or signed around the world. More than 2,000 languages still need a Bible translation started. About 170 million people still need Bible translation work to begin in their language. Work is being done in more than 2,600 languages worldwide and at least 1,900 of these projects involve Wycliffe Global Alliance partners.
Number of languages waiting for Bible translation by regions of the world:
- Americas — 123
- Europe — 64
- Asia — 870
- Africa — 643
- Pacific — 415
Source: Wycliffe Global Alliance, October 2019