This may not look like exciting work... but it was! I was privileged to be a part of a "Proofing Party" on Wednesday morning. About nine or ten of us helped proof the format issues of the translation that is getting closer to being printed for the first time! Here are a couple of verses in the translation. Can you read it?
Neither can I! BUT the indians who speak the Northern Embera language in Panama and Columbia can, and they are eagerly awaiting their FIRST translation of the Bible in their heart language that has been in the works for THIRTY YEARS! How exciting is that!? For the first time ever, they will have a Bible that makes sense to them. A Bible with the TRUTH. The verse above is John 1:1 and following. They will be able to read:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God and the Word was God.
2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made.
4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
AND I got to play a teeny tiny part in helping them get this translation! So did you by your prayers and support of our family! If it weren't for YOU... I wouldn't be HERE to help! Thank you!!
You may ask... "What DID you do?" Well, I proofed the "Footnote Callers." That explains it, huh? Well, I don't know how easily I can explain it, but I will try. In the picture below, you can see the footnotes at the bottom. I'm sure you've seen them in your own Bible. I checked to make sure that the little letter that goes with the footnote was in the right place up in the verses, and I checked to make sure the correct scripture reference was next to the little letter down in the footnote. I also made sure that the little letter up in the verses wasn't touching any other characters. Okay... that doesn't sound very exciting, but REALLY... it was! Why? Because in a small way I was impacting eternity for all those people who would some day be reading this Bible in their own language. They will be able to read that passage in John chapter one and realize perhaps for the first time WHO God is... WHO Jesus is! This is something that will last generation after generation. What an honor to play even a tiny role in helping in the process! It was humbling.
Let me introduce you to Phil. Phil and his family live next door to us here at the JAARS center. They have been such a blessing to us! They have served in South America for many years with Phil doing IT work (computer stuff). Now they are serving here at the JAARS center still doing IT stuff. Phil took the work of the translators and formatted it into the pages you see above. I guess you can call him the typesetter. It takes so many different people and jobs to get a translation into the hands of those who need them! Is God calling YOU to use your skills, gifts, talents for HIS glory? Pray about it!
The finished product: The ENTIRE New Testament and about 25% of the Old Testament! Now it is ready for the next step! They are hoping to have all the corrections made and the pdf files sent to Dallas... then I think it will be printed in Korea. Please pray for a quick turn around with a finished product that honors God. You can also pray for the Embera people, that their hearts would be ready to receive God's Word in their language. 
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