sharpening the Sword

Greetings again from “down under (at least 5 degrees under the equator) and the other side”!

The last two weeks of March “roared by” like the proverbial lion! What a blur of activity! Not counting evenings and Sunday afternoons of work, the translation check involved 8-9 days of long hours in the office as Linda, Polas and I went over about 1200 verses with a ‘fine-tooth comb’.

Here’s how it worked, in a nutshell: I would read the passages paragraph by paragraph (and sometimes by verse in more difficult passages) in Tobo, then Polas would translate what he just heard into Pidgin for Linda’s benefit. Linda was there to ask Polas questions about what he heard to determine that the Scriptures communicated clearly, as well as accurately. Then we would make minor changes on the spot and also take notes for other minor changes needed to be made and re-checked with another helper later.

In the end, we were encouraged to see that most of the Scripture checked is ready. Some of my Tobo translation helpers and I will be going over some minor changes during the following weeks, and after those are made, we will have the green light to begin printing in a more “permanent” form portions of Genesis and Exodus and the entire book of Mark! We count it a privilege to be a part of seeing these portions of God’s Word get into the hands of Tobo men and women.

We also count it a privilege to have you standing behind us and with us in this task, which has implications not only for now, but for eternity, as the teaching of God’s Word transforms lives and adds Tobo people to His family for forever!

Thrilled to be part of His “forever family” with you,

Chad, Janeene & Elijah