This week at ViBi, we finished up the last major revision work on Matthew 1-10. All that remains is to make sure the revisions were properly edited, run some consistency checks on key words and phrases, and determine a few more name signs.

 

Just did some quick addition and found that our Bible translation video on YouTube has been getting attention. Genesis, Jonah and Ruth have been broken into 103 segments for YouTube publication, and the total hits for all of them is well over 1,000. Jonah chapter 1 was top with 294 hits. Second was Genesis 1:1-5 with 110. Take a look yourself at http://www.youtube.com/user/vibideaf.

For three weeks, it’s been 12-13 hour days of either interpreting in Japanese Sign Language or trying to decode meaning from signing in languages I barely understand. This interspersed with weekends in Kansas City with church meetings, hospice vigils, and a funeral. A major loss for our family, particularly for Mary Esther.  Pray for us as we seek to grieve well and also keep up with the work that needs to be done in the coming weeks.

 

The training in Dallas at the Wycliffe center was well received, and gives our whole team a broader base of information on translation theory, linguistics, and planning skills to incorporate into their work. We look forward to see what results it will bring in the weeks, and even years, to come. One immediate result is that planning for the worldwide sign language Bible translation effort spurred our Japan team on to some new looks at how to organize our own work. The two places in Japan where Deaf people are most interested and involved in translation are Tokyo and Yamagata—too far to commute to a central location. The Kansai area, even farther away, seems to be opening up as well. We’re exploring ways to re-structure the project so we can use our limited funds and scattered personnel most effectively. We’ll also be looking at ways to re-structure our translation processes to improve the quality and speed of translation.

 

Work continues on Matthew 1-10, and I need to do final proofing and budget adjustments for a grant application we hope to send in soon.

Mark is in Dallas for the next three weeks, along with three Japanese Deaf people from ViBi. With us are Deaf translators from Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Finland, and the U.S. First is BT2009, a major Bible Translation conference, which runs from Friday night until Tuesday. Saturday was pretty intense. Mark was the only JSL interpreter for back-to-back workshop and general sessions all day. Today (Sunday) was a bit of a break, but Monday and Tuesday will be non-stop again, so pray for clarity and stamina. After that will be two plus weeks of training workshops aimed specifically at Deaf translators. We’ve already seen wonderful learning and cross-pollination of ideas between the translation projects, and look forward to more to come.

 

Pray for stamina for Mark; even when he's not interpreting, he's still working hard to decipher the mix of international sign and ASL (American Sign Language) in which all the Deaf participants are communicating. Pray too for breakthroughs in translation skills and vision for our Deaf team, and all those attending.

 

Thank you for praying. The international conference on Scripture Engagement was both exhausting and refreshing at the same time. The sessions themselves were all incredibly enlightening, both the large group gatherings and the smaller topical workshops. Then Deaf group interaction with the material brought it together with our particular situations in the Deaf world.  Pastor Matsumoto came away with a whole new vision for connecting the Deaf community of Japan with the Word of God—ideas for how to bring the Living Word to life in a living Deaf community using the JSL translation. Much of the day I was either interpreting English to JSL (or reversed when Pastor Matsumoto was talking), or struggling on the margins of international sign and ASL (American Sign Language) while the Deaf group was alone.  In addition to that, we thank God for opportunities to interact with funding organizations.

 

That was the exhausting and exciting part. At the same time, though, we were encountering the Word in new ways in our own lives, not just thinking about how to engage others. Temporary though they were,  our mini-communities formed around the Word in various contexts brought connections that were particularly refreshing. The Holy Spirit worked through the Word of God and the people of God to bring me personal healing and renewal, and again, I thank you for your part in prayer.

 

This was a truly amazing week. We accomplished more than we dared hope.  We set out to work on a comprehensive plan for the various Sign Languages in Asia that need translation work, and in the process, the Deaf participants went on to form an ad hoc group to take responsibility for the promotion and development of SLBT (Sign Language Bible Translation) work in Asia.  ViBi will serve as the interim Asia office until a group of five Deaf people from China, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Japan chosen by the participants meets again in January. We have a good start on the comprehensive plan, and are putting systems in place for continuing the work.

 

Please pray for me.  Last week‘s meeting took a huge toll  between late nights,  interpreting, working to follow conversations in Sign Languages related and unrelated to Japanese SL, and transporting people unfamiliar with Japan. Life has not slowed down much since then either. The comprehension check for Matthew is going full swing every day, and we have two guests (Japanese Deaf Pastor and Korean Deaf missionary to a restricted access nation) staying overnight part of this week.  Next week we have a Deaf couple from Costa Rica stay with us.  Life is not always like this, but every once in a while it happens, and we need extra strength. Thanks so much for standing behind us.

 

After weeks of bulging inboxes of e-mails and countless webcam conferences, it's finally happening. Ten leaders interested or engaged in Sign Language Bible translation (SLBT) from seven countries will be converging on Japan to join ViBi leadership in planning Deaf Bible access in Asia. Our aim is to lay the groundwork for the creation of a comprehensive plan for SLBT in all of Asia, including a funding proposal.

 

Pray! With all the time, energy, and funding that has already gone into this endeavor, we want these next four days to be the crux of something new. Beginning with arrivals and someone to meet each person coming, there are seemingly endless possbilities for things to go wrong. Pray that everyone will make it, sleep well, and be ready for the first day. Pray that we'll find ways to communicate in the various Sign Languages we're using. Pray that we will find a way to begin building a solid plan that includes all of the Sign Language Bible needs in Asia. Pray above all that the Holy Spirit with fill us with wisdom and unity, that what comes of this meeting would surpass our dreams. Bible translation needs in the Asian Deaf community have gone unnoticed for years--its time to start moving.

 

Some who have supported us for years and know our commitment to Japan's Deaf might be wondering:  How does this all fit in with ViBi's needs and goals for Japan's Deaf? The way I see it is this:  The  main thing keeping ViBi from really moving quickly is insufficient funding. Since ViBi's strong Deaf leadership and committment to excellence and innovation have already positioned them as world leaders in SLBT, they are sure to be part of any funding proposal that is made. Funding ViBi's translation needs will meet the needs of Japan's Deaf, while at the same time showing the way and providing resources for other Deaf groups in Asia and beyond.

Praise God!! We just received word last week of long-term funding that will enable us to hire one new full-time worker. This is a huge answer to prayer, and we thank you for being a part. Pray for wisdom now as we make decisions soon as to who we should hire, and re-adjust our budget. Also, do keep praying. We still have one more request out that will be decided soon. It could, in the best case, enable us to hire a full team of six and finish translating the whole Bible in 10-12 years.

 

September 9, Sign Language translation leaders from across Asia will arrive in Japan. Our task is clear, to move as far as we can toward a comprehensive Sign Language translation plan for Asia, and then appoint a smaller group to finish the task and report back to the larger group. By March, we need to determine all the Sign Language translation needs in Asia and come up with a comprehensive plan for meeting those needs, including a budget to present to major donor organizations.  ViBi is partnering with SIL International Asia area, who is providing funding, know-how, and logistical support for these meetings. This is a major strategic opportunity that could provide a breakthrough in funding not just for Japan, but for Deaf people all across Asia, but it comes at a very busy time. Pray for us as we plan and prepare.

 

Praise God!  When pastor Minamida went overseas, it was to minister, but while there, he was ministered to in return. One of the workers there has used podiatry and massage to reach out to others, and was able to provide relief to Pastor Minamida for the arm/shoulder/neck condition that has been hampering him for so long. Pray for his continued healing. Maybe it’s not what Jesus had in mind when he said “it is more blessed to give than to receive”, but our outreach to Sign Language Bible translation in other countries seems consistently to benefit our own project.

 

While Mark was in the U.S. for the funeral, and Pastor Minamida, our translator, was in China, work continued unabated at ViBi. Ms. Yano, our new translation helper was on the webcam almost daily with Pastor Hori. He would explain what the passage meant, and she would sign it. Working together, they recorded Matthew 11-25, and edited all the best takes of chapters 11-20 together into a seamless first draft. Praise God for these wonderful additions to our team, and pray the we fill find the funding to continue working with them.

 

While you're praying for funding, here's another prayer opportunity. September 9-12 we're partnering together with SIL to host a meeting of representatives from the various Sign Language Bible Translation groups and donor groups operating in Asia. Our aim is to come up with a comprehensive plan for the region that will include funding for the various projects, including ours. The window of opportunity is a small one, and we need to work fast. Pray that the many details and schedules of the people we hope will attend will come together. 

Thanks for all the help—and so quickly too. Consensus so far seems to be that Jesus was fairly young, anywhere from toddler to five-ish, but probably closer to the younger end of the spectrum. Here is an answer that summarizes the details quite well. If anyone has something to add (or debate), this should be a great place to start.

Here’s a quick question for anyone who’s interested:

 

How old was Jesus when he came back from Egypt to Israel with Mary and Joseph?  (Matthew 2:20) The Greek could be anywhere from infant (not likely) to pre-puberty. Any other evidence one way or another? Archelaus is a clue, but without a bit of research, I don’t know how he relates to the timeline, particularly the slaughtering of the innocents. I read a novel once in which Jesus was six or seven coming out of Egypt, but don’t know the sources involved.

 

Why do I ask? Well, commentaries and even translator’s handbooks often don’t answer the kinds of questions that come up in Sign Language translation. SL translation is visual. In natural signing, as often as not, action is shown, rather than told about. So when Joseph  “takes the child “ in draft one of our JSL Matthew, the signer briefly takes on the role of Joseph looking down at a child in his arms. The way he holds the child would be very different depending on the age—past a certain age, he wouldn’t likely be holding the child at all. In draft one, Jesus looks very much like an infant. That didn’t seem right to me, but I would like to have more information on it if possible before discussing changes.

 

Pastor Minamida and Ms. Yano have experimented with several ways of working together to increase speed and quality of  translation work. Their first draft of Matthew 1-10 is the best ever, and corrections edited in to make draft 2 have gone very quickly. Ms. Yano works quickly and well, has great Sign Language instincts, and is a huge boost to the project. Pray that we will find the funding to keep her working with us.

Mark  leaves on Sunday for Bangkok, where the United Bible Societies are holding their Triennial Translation Workshop. Mark and Pastor Matsumoto will be participating in the Sign Languages Working Track. Pray that their work will help release interest in and  resources for Sign Language Bible translation throughout the world.

 

The Short Version

Praise:

·         Hong Kong was a whole different kind of challenge, but good results. More later. Thanks for praying.

·         Had a wonderful three days of mutual encouragement with Japan pastors and missionaries at annual meetings in northern Japan. Back home now.

Pray:

·         Tomorrow is ViBi (JSL Bible translation project) annual board meeting.

·         After the board meeting, we're celebrating the completion of Genesis! 

·         A national newspaper reporter wants to come to the celebration. Pray that she will be able to come.

 

More Details:

 

Tomorrow is ViBi (JSL Bible translation project) annual board meeting. We're also having a celebration of our finishing the translation of Genesis.  In addition to being a  wonderful opportunity to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness, there is a chance that a reporter from Asahi Shinbun, a major national newspaper, will be attending. She is the same one that was so impressed with the Wheelchairs of Hope project and wrote a great article on it. Pray that she will be able to come, and also that God will be working in her heart

Praise God for another milestone! On Friday, Pastor Minamida signed the final word of Genesis. It takes a whole phrase to say that one word in spoken languages—essentially a dramatic depiction of the-(sarcophagus)-lid-closing-with-finality (over Joseph’s body). A long, long way from “in the beginning, God created.” Like the history relayed in this pivotal book from Adam to Joseph, our project has had its ups and downs in the years it took to do the translation. There was the brilliant but unworkable translator that had to be dismissed after working for over a year just on the first five chapters. There was Pastor Minamida’s ongoing battle with “signers syndrome” that had him out completely for several months, and working two hour days for another half year. But now with the lid closed on this latest chapter, perhaps we are getting ready for a great deliverance.

 

We are seeing hints. 1) There is a good possibility of new funding that would be just enough to support a full-time translator in addition to Pastor Minamida. We find out for sure in August, but have already started looking. 2) We have been invited to apply for funding to another group that seems interested in a substantial commitment.  (Remember, we’re still praying for $3M, hiring the dream team, and finishing the whole Bible in 10-12 years!)

 

In the meantime, we’re having to re-decide what to translate next. It was going to be Matthew, but now we’re thinking that if we get the new full-time translator, this would be best left for them, as they would be able to work more quickly, and starting out on narrative-heavy gospels might be easier as well. With Pastor Minamida working on shorter epistles, he would be free to spend time training the new person without delaying a long-term project. We’ll be making these decisions in the following days, so pray for wisdom.

 

Pray also for Ms. Kuwahara, our full-time office staff person. She has been plagued for months now with chronic colds and headaches, and is missing a lot of work. Having her gone for three of the four recording days put a great strain on the rest of the team.