The Panao Quechua people of Peru are learning more about praising God. Translation team leaders Terry and Karla Smith give thanks that as the Psalms are being translated and taking form, people are interacting with the message and learning to praise. They recently concluded one good Psalms workshop and another was held May 13-15. Pray that the translations and studies of the Psalms will touch the hearts of the Panao Quechua people, and that they will begin to experience the joy, safety and life found in God's closeness, as opposed to seeing Him as distant and disinterested.
Pray for the Solos translation team (currently 11 members) as they prepare for their first Translators Training Course. This will be held from May 29 to July 4. Also, pray for Larry Doyle as he acts as mentor to this large team. Pray that God will give wisdom to each member as they learn to work together in the translation process.
Early in May, Marcus Pewudie and Andy Ring began a consultant check of the remaining Lelemi* Old Testament books. Marcus is located in Accra, Ghana, and Andy is in the USA. Pray that the technology will work well as they work via Skype. With God's help, the whole Lelemi Bible will be ready to typeset this year. Andy also needs to write up information he gathered about cluster projects**. Pray that he can finish an initial document before his next trip. From May 30 to June 29 he will do Bible translation consulting in Nigeria. Andy and wife Kate write: "Thank you for your love and prayers. We rely on God's answers."
Praise God for the Leaders Moving Forward event in early May for the Southern Cone.* An event leader writes: "Our expectations have been surpassed at this event! One participant said: 'God is using this time to renew me, speak to me and confirm my call to be a cross-cultural missionary. I can only say, thank you!'" There were 23 participants from five countries, representing 13 organizations. It was a vital time of interaction among leaders who influence the Bible translation and mission movements in this part of the world. Pray for continued encouragement as they work together.
Pray for Tevita and the staff of the Bible Translation Organisation of Tonga as they prepare to host a banquet in the last week of October 2013. They plan to invite the Prime Minister of Tonga as well as various politicians, business executives and church leaders for the purpose of raising awareness and gaining support for Bible translation as a ministry option for Tongans. Please pray for wisdom as they prepare and that God will prepare the hearts of those who will attend.
Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz are translators working on the Naskapi Bible translation in Quebec. They were invited by the Naskapi Development Corporation to choose persons for positions as "Naskapi Language Specialists-in-training" to help them with translation projects. Bill interviewed, then hired four, nicknamed the "Fabulous Four" because they have made tremendous progress during their probationary period of employment. They have received some grammar and literacy training, and are now each working on a book of the Old Testament. Pray for these new candidates as they continue to learn the skills and art of crafting a translation of the Bible into their own mother tongue.
Praise God that Nico Daams and Edmond Teppuri could work together on remaining questions for the Nukumanu New Testament. Continue to pray for Edmond and his family -- for God's protection as Edmond finishes this final part of the translation and for God's guidance as he plans for the future. Pray for Paulus Kieviet as he does the typesetting in Holland.