After three years of hard work, not made any easier by the Covid pandemic, the seven language groups of the Simar Cluster Project were able to dedicate the translated Gospel of Luke and the Jesus film in each of their languages in August 2022.
This project could not have been completed without local churches and translation organisations working together, with financial and other support from donors. The local churches and denominations contributed translators, workshop facilities and food; translation organisations contributed expertise to train the translators and to check the quality of Scriptures produced. The teams met four times a year for three-week workshops, and returned to their home regions between workshops to test the translations and promote the use of the translated Scripture, while preparing for the next workshop. During the pandemic, when movements and meetings were restricted, the teams continued to work on Zoom, despite poor internet access and other IT issues. It is a great testament to God’s grace and their hard work that they were able to complete the project!
For the teams, the completion of the Gospel of Luke and Jesus Film is just the beginning. A website has been set up for each language to make the materials available more easily. Over the next year, they plan to help the local churches put these materials to good use. They will also make plans to begin translating the rest of the New Testament. Some of the mother tongue translators, having received training and experience, may even facilitate translations for other groups who also need the Scriptures in their own languages.
Here are a few photos and a video from the dedication ceremonies in some of the local churches.
During the Mabete* dedication, a line of dancers welcomes the translation team at the gates of the church, rice baskets slung across their shoulders. It is a harvest dance, depicting the seasons of sowing, reaping, and threshing grain. At the end of the line is a young boy who gathers the harvest into his basket—symbolic of how the Mabete* people are reaping the fruit of the translation project. And just as rice is harvested to feed the community, the Word of God will be distributed to feed the church.
* Not the real names
Wycliffe Singapore’s R200 Programme has raised support for the Simar Cluster Project since it began. If you would like to contribute towards a project, or would like to find out more about R200 Programme, please contact us.
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