The Martyrs Memorial at Dhaka University, commorating the 1952 protests.

The day has been celebrated since a UN resolution in 1999, but the history goes back much further. In 1949, Urdu was declared the national language in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Bangla (Bengali) speakers, eager to maintain their own linguistic identity, protested. Mother Language Day’s date comes from the crisis point reached on February 21^st 1952, when students involved in a protest were killed by police. Their deaths are remembered in Bangladesh on this day every year.

Bengali is now one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. But many languages communities, whose languages are not used as widely, still suffer discrimination and oppression. International Mother Language Day calls for respect for all languages:

‘Mother languages, along with linguistic diversity, matter for the identity of individuals. As sources of creativity and vehicles for cultural expression, they are also important for the health of societies…. Mother language instruction is a powerful way to fight discrimination.’ Unesco Director-General speaking last year.

Photo from Unesco

This year’s theme for the day is mother-tongue education.  Most people can’t learn to read and write in a language they don’t know; not providing education first in the mother-tongue before in secondary languages prohibits many people – usually those speaking minority languages – from advancing in literacy and other education.

People’s heart languages are central to culture, community, education and identity. All Wycliffe’s work seeks to promote the use and love of people’s own language, whether through Bible translation, literacy work, mother-tongue education programmes or encouraging use of the Scriptures in the mother-tongue.

We want to celebrate mother languages in practical ways. Find out how you could join Wycliffe in supporting minority languages around the world.

“English is the most dominant global language ever. So why are we at Desiring God doing so much work to translate our resources into other tongues? Why not just spend the same amount of time, money, and effort teaching people to read our English resources rather than doing the hard (and sometimes messy) work of translation?”

So starts Tyler Kenney’s recent post on the Desiring God blog. It is an important question, and especially important for Wycliffe as an organisation which prioritises translation into the minority languages of the world.

Translation is embedded in Christian history. From the very start, as the apostles wrote of Jesus’ ministry, they translated his words into Greek as they wrote, and those words have been shared since then in translations. In fact, translation is even more fundamental – as Kenney points out, “Jesus’ incarnation was an act of translation, and translation work is the means by which he will be incarnated into every language and culture.”

If you have wondered about why translating the Bible for people speaking all languages is important, we hope that these resources, as well as Kenney’s article, will help you to be encouraged by the great work of translation that God has done (through his son Jesus) and does (as his word becomes accessible to people around the world).

• Eddie Arthur, Executive Director of Wycliffe — ‘Why not teach everybody English?’ (video)
• SIL International, Wycliffe’s key translation partners – Linguist Creed affirming the value of all languages.
• Eddie Arthur, in our magazine Words for Life – ‘Why translate the Bible?’

Convinced that translation is worth it? Partner in sharing God’s story.

Reactions have been very encouraging. One boy completely changed his behaviour when he saw that Jesus meant business about loving one another. A mother is using the lessons of Jesus to teach her children obedience. A Bible school trainer is using one of the book’s themes, the names of Jesus, to teach his students about Christ’s character. Sunday school teachers tell stories with accuracy. A little boy recounted word-for-word the story of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus. Village leaders are using the teaching to help them settle disputes. Seeing Jesus’ love for children, pastors have a new heart for the kids in their communities.

The village of Anadana saw all these changes and more. About 20 adults and children from the nearby village of Kakoupre walked the 10 km to Anadana to see the picture book for themselves. They liked it so much they kept coming back and brought others with them, up to 40 people. An evangelism campaign was done in Kakoupre and over a hundred came to faith.

The people asked Pastor Benjamin to help them start a church in their village so they wouldn’t have to walk so far. So now this shepherd divides his time between two flocks.

The New Testament in Sola is to be dedicated in June of this year. Chances are Pastor Benjamin will need even greater reinforcements when that happens.

*Story from Lois Thar. This story is also featured today in Call to Prayer, Wycliffe’s bimonthly prayer diary.

The Yama people had traditionally practiced their faith in the national language, but over the past 20 years, the New Testament has been translated into Yama. Why has it taken this long? The work was done mainly by Andowa, the Yama translator, and advisor Linda. The problem: Linda lives in Texas, on the other side of the world.

Recently, as Bob saw, the way Andowa and Linda have done translation has changed dramatically:

In this very remote village, where there is neither electricity nor phone service, translator Andowa sits at a laptop computer. A dozen people cluster closely around him, listening as he reads aloud a Bible passage in Yawa. The volunteer reviewers enthusiastically discuss it, looking for ways to improve awkward or unclear sentences. When they‘re satisfied with the way it sounds, Andowa revises it on his computer. Then, since his specially-designed software has a send/receive function, he logs onto the internet and “syncs” his draft.

Halfway around the world in Arlington, Texas, Wycliffe translation advisor Linda Jones will get up tomorrow morning, sync up her computer, and read the draft that Andowa has revised.

Since Bob’s visit, Andowa and Linda have completed the New Testament in Yama: it was dedicated last year. The same satellite technology helps translation teams in remote locations around the world to progress with the translation of the Scriptures.

Wycliffe and partners are working together to see the Bible translated into languages of all peoples. Find out how you could be involved.

Story from wycliffe.net. Photo by Linda Jones.

Waangar was one of the mother-tongue speakers who was involved with the New Testament translation. But after the translation was dedicated, she didn’t just take it easy. She wanted more people to hear the Bible in her language. So she taught herself how to record audio programmes: she got the recordings broadcasted by the local radio station, the first ever radio programmes in the Djambarrpuyngu language.

Children wave flags as part of the Djambarrpuyngu dedication

But she saw more opportunities. People around her shared music files on their mobile phones, she noticed. Soon, she was sharing Scripture recordings with people, phone to phone.

Some people train to do roles like Waangar’s in Bible translation, specialising in sharing the Bible so that people can interact with it in new ways. Waangar met one of these specialists, and together they edited the Luke film, already dubbed into the Djambarrpuyngu language, and created a shorter, Christmas video, available for people to watch on their phones.

They made more films. Waangar produced one about Jesus calming the storm. She thought it was particularly pertinent for people experiencing turbulence in their lives. She saw first-hand the impact of this video when her neighbour described the enjoyment of it in their household: there was much debate among the children about who would get the phone as they loved watching the videos before bed, and had soon memorised it word-for-word. The neighbour told her make more films.

The whole language project committee is now committed to sharing the New Testament with the community using new media, like phones. Waangar is one of many around the world passionate to share God’s story with her people in the language they understand best.

Give the Story by helping people to interact with Scripture in new ways.

This story also appeared in Call to Prayer, the prayer diary of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Thank God with us for this tremendous spread of his word.

This is part of a press release published on the Wycliffe Bible Translators website. Read the whole release and download pictures from the website.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NIV).

How should Galatians 6:2 be translated in the Konni language of Ghana? The text says, “Carry each other’s burdens….” In the Konni language, there are five different words for ‘carry’: ‘mili,’ carry on the back; ‘dogi,’ carry on the hip; ‘vigi,’ carry on the shoulder; ‘pogili,’ carry in front of you; and ‘chii,’ carry on the head.

"Chii" - to carry on the head

To best answer the question, a translator must dig deeper and ask, “What do Konni people carry on these different places?” ‘On the back’ is always a baby; ‘on the hip’ is always a small child; ‘on the shoulder’ is usually a piece of firewood or a hoe; and ‘in front of you’ is something light. ‘Chii’ is the right word to use because they carry their heaviest burdens on their heads.

Translators and consultants on translations constantly work hard to find the right words for the job. A lot of work, though, becomes worth it when people open up God’s word to hear his Story in their own language for the very first time. Find out more about what you could do to get involved.

This example is from Wycliffe USA’s prayer blog. Find it here: wycliffeprayer.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/finding-the-right-word-2/.

The BBC have been writing about the immense stress many feel at this kind of move, on the back of Brookfield Global Recruitment’s recent report:

“[It] indicates that 62% of all refusals to accept an international posting are family related. They include a range of issues; children’s education, family adjustment, partner resistance, partner’s career, host location, quality of life, lack of practical support and personal security.

“… 34% of expatriates return from assignment prematurely because of family concerns.” Rebecca Marston for BBC, bbc.co.uk/news/business-16789231.

The missionary motives of any relocation, like those of Wycliffe workers, do not automatically remove any of these struggles. But through years of experience, we have learnt a few tricks to smooth the way.

Wycliffe’s training programme, ETP, offers training in adjusting to life in a new place, including language and culture-learning techniques.

A long-term move overseas may not be right straight away; programmes like One-to-one (six months to two years of service with Wycliffe abroad in a non-language role) can help to prepare people for more long-term moves.

As well as having hundreds of teachers working in schools and homes around the world to educate missionary children, Wycliffe also helps families to make informed and supported decisions for families, including children’s education.

On top of this, every Wycliffe worker has a network of prayer supporters: dependence on God is central to every move.

Have you thought about your next move? Find out more about what roles you could do with Wycliffe, in the UK or further afield.

This video, from Bible Translation & Literacy Kenya (BTL), our Kenya partner organisation, speaks about some of the work already going on and how vital it is for churches to get involved in God’s mission.

“Though we have a ministry that takes long time, lots of money, we have a calling to ensure that we fill that part in the body of Christ, that each and every man and woman be able to hear God’s word in their heart language, that they may embrace God as their Father, their God. I think if we call certain things as ‘basic needs’, I think that should be the most basic need for every people.“

In the last 30 years, BTL have completed 6 New Testaments and are currently involved in projects in 14 languages. Find out more about BTL and their ‘Run for the Bibleless’ on their website.

Through partnerships with national Bible translation organisations and churches worldwide, the global partnership of Wycliffe organisations want to see a project for Bible translation started in every language where one is need by 2025, because we believe the Bible is a basic need.

It takes a lot of work and a long time to reach that stage. Even if a finish line is in sight when the project takes off, unexpected battles and spiritual attacks on workers nearly always slow things down. It’s part of the reason that the celebrations are so moving. But the last few furlongs can be the hardest, and projects nearing completion desperately need prayer supporters cheering from the side lines.

Wycliffe in the US have published the most recent list of projects nearing the finish line (in the last three years before a New Testament completion). In it, you can read entries like this:

“BUROK; Africa; 45,000. A French-educated Burok pastor says, “I’ve studied the Scriptures in French for several years, but these passages in Burok go right to my heart!” Praise God for the team’s excellent headway with the project—typesetting for the Burok New Testament took place in August 2011. Pray that God will protect the translation teams, their families, and their equipment from spiritual attack, especially as they turn the project over for printing.”

This prayer resource can help you to be a prayer supporter for these communities who need the encouragement. Find FinishLine on Wycliffe USA’s website.

If you’d like to join in praying regularly for Bible translation around the world, you can receive our daily prayer diary by post, email or rss feed. Get Call to Prayer.