Christians Facing Persecution Ask Wycliffe Associates for Technology to Assist Bible Translation

(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates an international organization involving people in the advancement of Bible translation, has received requests from some of the most persecuted places in the world for Christians: Africa, Asia, and Indonesia for 1,525 computer tablets to aid in Bible translation.

The tablets play a valuable role in the MAST (Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation) methodology of Bible translation in which mother-tongue translators work in teams to simultaneously translate portions of the Bible. The result is an accurate translation of the Scriptures into languages that don’t yet have the Bible.

“I have witnessed the hunger and resolve of national Bible translators when they learn of the MAST methodology, equipping them to translate God’s Word themselves,” says Bruce Smith, President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates.

With the tablets, the translators not only can connect online, but they can work offline when necessary to help ensure their safety and protect their work.

The greatest translation needs are in areas of Muslim influence, where Christians face persecution every day. Tablets are essential for preserving translation work electronically, because paper copies can be easily destroyed if they are discovered.

In Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world, authorities are paying Muslims to move into some predominantly Christian areas and building mosques, making Christians a minority in their own villages.

In one region where Muslim authorities tried to establish a presence, the Christians already had the Scriptures in their language for 25 years.

“The Christians were unfazed,” says Smith. “They fully, deeply understood the Scriptures.”

At a cost of $300 each, the tablets are fully equipped with Bible translation software.

Smith says the Bible translators “will make any sacrifice, take any risk, to make Bibles available to their people in their own heart language.”

Wycliffe Associates has distributed 6,008 tablets in 67 countries to date. Currently there are more than 1,200 MAST Bible translations in progress worldwide.

About Wycliffe Associates

One of the world’s leading Bible translation organizations, Wycliffe Associates was organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators to accelerate the work of Bible translation. Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.

Because millions of people around the world still wait to have the Scriptures in the language of their hearts, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Wycliffe Associates is directly involved with speeding Bible translation by providing technology, training, resources, logistics, networking, expertise, volunteers, discipleship, church planting, and support. Wycliffe Associates staff and volunteers are currently accelerating Bible translations in 101 countries. For more information, please see www.wycliffeassociates.org.

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