Pray for Peru

Please prayfor the training team in Peru as they prepare to teach a writers workshop for 11 pastors who are graduates of the Swiss Mission Bible School. These men represent 7 different jungle language groups. Pray especially for the 4 facilitators: Celia, Carletta, Amador, and Claudia. The workshop will be from June 10 – July 2. Pray that new gifts will be discovered and new skills developed in this workshop, and that God will use this as a growing experience in the spiritual lives of the participants.

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.

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. 

*a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America

ASHÉNINKA cluster project—PICHIS, APURUCAYALI, YURÚA/UCAYALI, SOUTH UCAYALI, PERENÉ languages; Peru; 42,000. This project will produce a full Bible in Pichis Ashéninka (the New Testament is a revision), as well as two revised New Testaments and two first-time New Testaments, each of which will include 15 percent of the Old Testament. Pray for Samuel, the primary mother-tongue translator, as he divides his time between an Amazon conservation project and the translation work. Ask God to give the translators and distant colleagues in the United States consistent opportunities to maintain good communication by phone and Internet. The ability to synchronize online while using Paratext, a software program, is very important. Pray for the timely completion of the consistency and consultant checks of the Pichis Bible and the reference language for the other four translations. Also, a consistency check of the exegesis and style of translation must take place across the cluster’s languages. Ask the Lord for re-established contact with mother-tongue translators from the other four languages; the geographic context of several of the languages is more remote and makes contact difficult. And finally, pray for pastors to put the translations into use among their congregations, and for the primary translator, Samuel, to follow God’s leading in implementing a small Bible school for training new young pastors.

QUECHUA, AMBO-PASCO; Peru; 90,000. The Ambo-Pasco Quechua translation team hopes to complete the New Testament by 2015. Due to health issues, part of the team moved to the United States and is now working remotely via Skype with the team members in Peru. Praise God for modern technology! Ask God to provide good health, consistent electrical service, and productivity during the long-distance sessions. One goal for their meeting time is to identify portions of the text that need improvement or adjustment. Praise the Lord for team members currently working in literacy, as their efforts will enable the Ambo-Pasco Quechua people to read the New Testament upon its completion.

CULINA; Peru; 400. The Spirit of God is moving among the Culinas, who are located all along the local river system. Praise the Lord that the portions of Scripture they already have are being read in most of the villages. After many years of efforts by multiple translation team members, this year will mark the end of the Culina translation work! The New Testament manuscript is being reviewed a final time to make sure it is just right. Pray for keen attention to detail. Pray that the Culinas involved will give helpful feedback. By the end of the year it should be ready for publication. Pray the project through to completion.

QUECHUA, EASTERN APURÍMAC; Peru; 218,000. Pray for the team members of AIDIA, a Quechua partner organization, who are planning a New Testament dedication event for April 20, 2013. This celebration will mark a major step toward their goal of translating the whole Bible. Praise God that the New Testament was completed and typeset in 2012. Pray that it will have great impact on people’s lives. Pray for wisdom as the translators move forward with the Old Testament.

The apostle John wanted to talk with fellow believers. In 2 John 12, writing in Greek, he stated that he wanted to talk "mouth to mouth". Some translations say "face to face". A few translations say something like "talk to you in person". And how would a Quechua speaker say this? The Margos area says "nose to nose." Over in Huamalies they say "forehead to forehead." Praise God for the richness of the languages He has created. Pray that translation teams will express things accurately, naturally and clearly so as to match the impact and meaning of the original.

Please pray for the Second Intercultural Missions Training Program for young people through the Alliance church in Peru. Pray for protection for the 70 young people from all over Latin America, who traveled to Peru for two weeks of missions training (January 5-16) and a week of missionary field experience (January 17-February 1). Pray that God will provide for the financial and other resources needed for the course.

Praise God for several Quechua women in jail who have been faithfully attending a Women of the Bible class. AWI* members finished teaching through the book, but are thinking about starting at the beginning again, since several women joined the class during the course of the teaching. Please pray that God´s Word would be a special encouragement to these ladies.

*AWI-Ancash Quechua partner organization in the Wycliffe Global Alliance