The Bible Translator's Assistant

Most of the languages in the world without a Bible translation are minority languages with few resources. The Bible Translator’s Assistant is a cutting-edge software to help bridge that gap. Developed by Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada in collaboration with partners like Wycliffe USA, The Bible Translator’s Assistant (TBTA) is speeding up Bible translation!

The Bible Translator’s Assistant (TBTA) is able to combine grammar analysis of a language with templates of books of the Bible and create an initial translated draft. The software can be used with any language that has been analyzed to work with the program. Local translators then polish the draft through a variety of team and community checks.

Language communities who have used TBTA report that it reduces the overall time and cost of translating a Scripture up to 40%. This means an Old Testament could be translated in only half the time or an entire Bible translation could be completed in 12-13 years rather than the average of 20 years! Praise God that he continues to bring his Word to the peoples of the world so their lives might be transformed. This is what we are a part of in the "big picture" of Bible translation. That is a thrill to me!

Translators at Work, Story and Photo: wycliffe.org/blog/posts/innovation-for-minority-languages-the-bible-translators-assistant

Thank you for your continued faithful prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry. The member finance tasks have been going well and I've enjoyed the mental challenge of completing them. The member care opportunities are beginning to expand as we have better access to information to keep in touch with our members.

There were a couple of delays for my move, but everything is now in the new house. There is still some sorting and rearranging to do, but I'm settling in and things are functional. It's beginning to feel like home. I'm so thankful for help from family and friends/partners/small group folks. The whole process has been such a gift to me. I'm in the stages now of finding gas stations and grocery stores and the post office and a hair salon and... you understand. :-) Once again, I am aware of and grateful for your prayers as I begin to find routine for this chapter.

I'm Moving!

So much has happened in the last month! God has been answering your prayers as I have been learning some complicated tasks for my member finance role. It will take some time to execute the routine smoothly for these tasks that will come up each month, but I am trusting that the Lord will help me become better at it with practice.

God has also answered your prayers about housing for me. I had not intended to move this quickly, but I closed on a new-to-me home on Wednesday. Lord willing, I'll be moved in before the end of March!

Almost Home Sweet Home

I shouldn't be surprised. You all have prayed so faithfully over these years and God has moved when the time was right in so many situations. I look forward to beginning to settle into new patterns of life soon.

My family and I are grateful for your continued prayers as we work through things for Mom's estate. All is going well. It all just takes time. Thank you also for your prayers for my continued service with Wycliffe. There are some exciting possibilities that are about to open up in the member care part of my role... but there will be more learning to do there, too!

God is on the Move!

Around the world, people’s lives are being transformed as they encounter Jesus through Scripture in a language and format they clearly understand. But Bible translation today looks very different than it has in the past. Today, local believers and churches are not only asking for God’s Word, they are taking ownership of the work, too. As the global Church has increased vision of and ownership in the work of Bible translation, there has been an unprecedented level of growth and impact.

Through Global Partnerships (a multi-organizational collaboration), Wycliffe Bible Translators engaged with almost 500 new languages in 2022. This was a significant increase from the 150 new languages engaged in 2020.

This exponential growth is bigger than any of us. Bible translation cannot be done without God’s hand at work in the lives of people joining together through prayer, giving, personnel resourcing and local ownership. Through your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry, you are a part of what God is doing around the world! Thank you!

Story Source: wycliffe.org/blog/posts/god-on-the-move-accelerated-impact-through-bible-translation-today

Personal Update

I am so grateful for the many faithful prayers and encouragements the Lord provided before and after Mom’s passing (Dec 22). God has been gracious to bring the right people to help at exactly the right time for each step of this journey.

To answer questions that seem to be in the minds of many, I plan to stay in Indiana now. Though I loved Florida and the people I know there, my family is here and it is time to be near them. And, with all that I know now, Lord willing, I hope to work until I am 70… and then, I hope to volunteer both with Wycliffe and at Faith Church, as long as I am still helpful and able!

For previous updates, see my Google group.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Think of it -- this year, there are communities hearing and reading and seeing the story of Jesus' birth for the first time in a language they best understand, all because of Bible translation. Your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry have been a huge part of bringing the Good News of great joy to all people. Thank you!

Dr. John Chesnut serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. John and his wife, Kelly. wish to bring you Christmas greetings!

For a personal update, please visit my Google Group page.

A Day in the Life

Your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry are a part of the larger picture, as together we ask God to bring his Word to the marginalized people of the world. Wycliffe Bible Translators partners with many other organizations, working together in Scripture translation. A representative from one of those partner organizations, the Deaf Bible Society, joined us in a prayer meeting recently. I learned much from this video in which she's the "hearing" person.

October is the start of the new fiscal year for Wycliffe, which means all the new missionaries I am working with need revisions to their ministry budgets, to align them with new costs. Since they are in the time of initially asking God to provide through the generosity of individuals and churches, it's important that they have an accurate budget in mind. It's been fun to work through a new app on our HR site to get those budgets completed. I've had opportunity to touch base with each new coworker assigned to me and see how we might help them. In the other part of my role, we continue to celebrate colleagues as they reach their anniversaries with Wycliffe. I'm encouraged as we recognize the faithful legacy of so many.

Thank you for your many notes and prayers for Mom and me as we do life together. We seem to be in a time of one step forward; two steps back. Each day is the same and yet can be very different. We're grateful God has written all our days in his book before they ever came to be. We rest in that truth.