Doesn’t Stop Here
by Tomoko Taguchi
Philippines
Day Before Dedication Day
Doesn't stop here
Boisterous, blusterous, higgledy-piggledy, unrelenting, rowdy and loud. These words describe the noisy environment of the courtyard the day before the Matigsalug New Testament dedication ceremony. Children ran around, playing and laughing and screaming to their hearts’ content while others busily decorated the stage in preparation for the big day. The superficial noisiness contrasted with the deep contemplation of one man.
“…I want to see them transformed… it's not just about reading and having the Bible. I want to see transformation [in] their lives…” said Tano Emboc, one of three main Mother Tongue Translators (MTTs) for the Matigsalug Bible translation project.
Tano Emboc
Emboc was joyful about the completion of the Matigsalug New Testament, and also confident that this was not yet the completion of God’s work amongst the Matigsalug people. Emboc recognized that the New Testament translation was “just a means to transformation” for the Matigsalug people.
Matigsalug New Testament Dedication Day
On the day of the dedication, 8:50AM (roughly) witnessed the beginning of a vibrant parade toward the covered court – a parade that was accompanied by a tradional beat drifting from the back of a truck. Dance troops, Wycliffe personnel and guests, and Matigsalug Christian Association (MLCA) Board of Directors were just some of the excited people ready for the morning’s events.
Upon arriving at the covered court, several Matigsalug people adorned various guests with long, hand-made, beaded necklaces. Then some sat and some stood as the MCs, Rosalyn (Rose) Lacubay and Tano Emboc (Matigsalug MTTs), launched into the official ceremony. The opening prayer was offered by Pastor Bernard Paundag, the MLCA coordinator, who spoke in the style of a chant. This was followed by the Philippine national anthem, conducted by Pastora Josephine Langgote.
The ceremony consisted of various speeches, words of Scripture, prayers, dance presentations, cultural music, and songs of joy. During the ceremony, both Robert Hunt and Jeffrey McGriff, co-translators and co-supervisors of the Matigsalug Bible translation project, addressed the crowd.
Ceremony
In his speech, Robert Hunt recounted the initial stages of the translation work. When he and his family first moved to the area and began to learn from the Matigsalug people, they learned that the Matigsalug were embarrassed by their ethnic heritage because other people mocked them for who they were. What was perhaps most nightmarish for the translators was the Matigsalug people’s embarrassment of their language. Hours before the ceremony, Hunt – with tears in his eyes – spoke of the complete change in the Matigsalug people’s attitude regarding their singing and dancing. “…and [when you] realize how much they hated it all before, you’ll know that God did an incredible miracle.” Robert Hunt was convinced that the completion of the Matigsalug New Testament was only possible because God’s hand had rested faithfully upon it.
As the ceremony came to a close, the Matigsalug New Testament was dedicated to the Lord in prayer. Afterwards, a crowd formed around the table of people who were selling the newly published New Testament.
Awesome work
The End… of the Beginning
Some people have the misconception that the completion of Bible translation work is the finish line. It is… and it isn’t. There is certainly a sense of finality in that the hard work that went into translating the New Testa ment Scriptures is completed. However, the Old Testament has not been fully translated. And even when it is, God’s work amongst the Matigsalug people will not yet be finished. His mighty and awesome work will continue on as His Word is brought alive in the local church and in many Matigsalugs’ lives. And Tano Emboc’s desire for transformation in the Matigsalug people’s lives is spot on with what God desires for the all people.
Listen to audio recordings from the celebration:
John 3:16 in Matigsalug
Traditional Matigsalug drum beat
Prayer chant
View a video: Matigsalug Scripture Celebration
Photos by Tomoko Taguchi
Download images from this story
Tomoko Taguchi served as a Communication Intern in June-July 2011.
不會停留在這裏
奉獻禮前夕
以舞蹈慶祝新約聖經的誕生
喧鬧、吼叫、混亂、忙碌、吵鬧、嘈吵……這些都是用來形容馬迪沙格語（Matigsalug）新約聖經奉獻禮舉行前一天的情形 —— 庭園內洋溢著熱鬧的氣氛。小孩盡情地到處跑、歡笑和尖叫，一些人忙著為這個重要的日子佈置舞台。周遭嘈雜的聲音與一位弟兄的沉思形成強烈的對比。
這位名叫恩博坦（Tano Emboc）的弟兄說：「……我不單希望看見他們擁有和閱讀聖經，更希望他們的生命被神改變。我希望看到他們生命的轉化……」馬迪沙格語聖經翻譯團隊共有三名主要的母語譯經員，恩博坦是其中一位。
一方面，恩博坦為馬迪沙格語新約聖經翻譯完成而歡喜，但另一方面，他相信神在族群中的工作並未完結，他深知道聖經只是叫人生命得轉化的途徑。
母語譯經員恩博坦
新約聖經奉獻禮
奉獻禮舉行那天，大約早上8時50分，一群充滿活力的族人以列隊巡遊的方式走向庭園。傳統的音樂節拍在一架貨車的背後響起，伴隨著他們巡遊。舞蹈團隊、威克理夫聖經翻譯會人員和其他來賓，以及馬迪沙格基督教聯會（Matigsalug Christian Association, MLCA）的一眾董事，都興奮地期待早上的活動，他們只是眾多參加者的一部分。當他們到達庭園的時候，幾名馬迪沙格族人把長長的手製珠鍊掛在來賓的頸項上。然後，有部分人坐下來，也有部分人像主持人蘭庫巴（Rosalyn Lacubay）和恩博坦那樣站起來，一同正式揭開這個慶典的序幕。MLCA的統籌主任巴恩達（Bernard Paundag）牧師以吟咏的方式帶領祈禱，而蘭高特（Josephine Langgote）牧師則帶領會眾同唱菲律賓國歌。
奉獻禮上，有形形色色的演講、經文選讀、禱告、舞蹈表演、傳統音樂及歡樂的歌曲。馬迪沙格語聖經翻譯團隊的譯經員享特（Robert Hunt）及督導麥格（Jeffrey McGriff）向群眾演說。
享特回顧早期聖經翻譯工作的各個階段。當他和家人最初來到這裏認識馬迪沙格族時，發現他們對自己的民族感到羞恥，原因是他們經常被其他民族取笑。最令譯經員震驚的是，族人竟羞於使用他們的語言。奉獻禮前一個小時，享特一邊流眼淚，一邊談到族人對自己民族的歌曲和舞蹈的看法已經完全改變：「如果你明白他們從前是多麼討厭這些文化傳統，你就會知道神施行的神蹟何等偉大。」他深信神一直以祂的恩手覆庇他們，馬迪沙格語的新約聖經才可以誕生。
慶典上
接著是麥格分享，他的妻子瓊（June）有一次想用馬迪沙格語稱讚一位女士的裙子很漂亮，卻說成稱讚她屋外的廁所很美麗，隨即惹來哄堂大笑。說罷，他便轉到更深入的話題。
他迫切地請求馬迪沙格族人接受耶穌為他們唯一的救主。他以族群裏一個被患有狂犬症的狗隻咬傷的女孩，比喻未得救贖的靈魂。他用馬迪沙格語說：「那些不相信耶穌基督的人，雖然看起來很健康，像那個小女孩一樣可以到處走動，但其實死亡的權勢正潛伏在他們的心靈裏。」他邀請馬迪沙格人選擇耶穌裏的永恆生命，不要選擇神永遠的審判。
奉獻禮將近完結時，眾人同心祈禱，將馬迪沙格語新約聖經獻呈給神。之後，群眾圍著售賣聖經的工作人員，要購買這本剛剛出版的新約聖經。
一名婦女展示她的母語聖經和詩集
完結……是新的開始
有些人誤以為聖經翻譯完成就等於到達終點。那是終點……卻不是終點。要翻譯完成整部新約聖經是非常艱辛的，的確會予人一種完結的感覺。可是，馬迪沙格語舊約聖經翻譯仍未完成，神在馬迪沙格族群中的工作也未完。隨著神的話語進入本地教會及本地人的生命裏，祂的大能和奇妙的工作必繼續延展。神渴想整個馬迪沙格族經歷生命的轉化，恩博坦也是如此期待著。
聆聽慶典上的錄音：
馬迪沙格語的約翰福音3章16節
馬迪沙格族的傳統鼓樂
禱告
收看影片： 馬迪沙格語聖經慶典
攝影／文字：田口朋子
下載本故事圖片