Northern Translation Brief 05Oct2016

Our Dear Partners,

Thank you for your prayers for us during the past several days: Norma Jean and I have been in Kingfisher Lake, northern Ontario with the Oji-Cree Bible Translation team, conducting an on-site workshop there. Since translating the very first verse of their translation project less than 18 months ago (read about that here: <link>), the team has completed 2478 verses of the Bible in first draft. Of these, 464 verses have been checked and reviewed by their entire team, and 404 verses are back-translated and ready for a consultant-check.

progress-chart-sept2016We began each day singing a hymn from the Cree hymnal together, and reading a devotional on the Oji-Cree scripture text that they would be “team-checking” or “back-translating” that day.

dscn2168The team learned and practiced preparing and formatting the printed Sunday scripture readings that are used in their church each week. They learned some more advanced skills in translating names, flora & fauna of the Bible and major Biblical terms using the computer database tools designed for Bible translators.

In a nutshell, we taught and practiced translation procedures that the Oji-Cree team asked us to teach and practice–giving them what they needed as they needed it.

Our travels up north here from down south was delayed by a day because the little plane could not land on the gravel strip at Kingfisher Lake last Tuesday morning in the fog. So after an unplanned stopover in Sioux Lookout, we came back and landed last Wednesday. But we thank God for His help and grace to accomplish all He wanted to do with the team during the days we had together.

windham-to-kingfisherLord willing we fly all the way back home to southern Ontario on Thursday, October 6 (three planes, six airports, 1100 miles, 12 hours, two time zones, one Canadian province).

Thank you for being an essential part of this work, and helping the Oji-Cree to have better access to God’s Word in their own language.

Blessings, Bill and Norma Jean

Fall moose hunting harvest, Kingfisher Lake 2016

Fall moose hunting harvest, Kingfisher Lake 2016

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4 thoughts on “Northern Translation Brief 05Oct2016

  1. Hi Bill and NJ,
    So excited on all the work you completed this last trip. It is so great that you have a good team working on the Bible for them.
    We will keep you in prayer as you go to Wisconsin and for NJ as she presents her ESL material. I taught some Chinese people at NAC for a few years with ESL and loved making new friends and helping them navigate in the States.
    God bless you with great health and wisdom and joy in serving Him for us.

  2. Enjoyed the pictures. The dehavilland beaver took me back to 1965 when I flew in one to an small settlement North of Fairbanks to help a Wycliffe translator family bring in firewood for upcoming winter.

  3. Pingback: Northern Translation Brief Fall 2016 Partnership Tour Summary | Bill & Norma Jean Jancewicz

  4. Pingback: Northern Translation Brief: Kingfisher Lake Translation Checking | Bill & Norma Jean Jancewicz

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