Imagine having a very
stressful day, full of anxiety about the future and burdens about past
failures. You can feel the tightness gripping your shoulders. You're
emotionally, mentally, and physically spent. So you go to your Bible to find
some solace, to let the words of God quiet your soul. But, upon opening your
Bible, you find that it's empty. The pages are blank. This is reality for
hundreds of millions of people.
Why are you doing this?
Well, if the above scenario
wasn't reason enough, there are other reasons. But if we had to pick a singular
statement that animates us, it would be Matthew 20:16: "So the last will
be first, and the first will be last." We want those the world has put
last, those who have been last to hear God's Word, to be put first. We want to
see them experience what can happen when God's Word takes root and saturates a
culture.
So where are you going?
Not overseas... yet. We are currently in the USA, working in the department of International Media Services
(IMS).
What does IMS do?
IMS seeks to answer a
question: How do you get the Bible to people who don't have a written language,
don't want a written language, or, even if they had a written language,
wouldn't prefer to use it? The answer: Put the Bible in visual or auditory
media that speaks to the hearts of the audience and is readily
available.
Media, really?
Yes, really. IMS puts the
Bible into media, which oral people groups can use wherever they are, in order
to hear or see God's Word in their language. It's very powerful. Examples of
this media include The Jesus Film or audio versions of the Bible or
ethnic music recordings or storytelling drama recordings, to name a
few.
What do you do for IMS?
In short, we help tell
the stories of oral people groups hearing God's Story and cast the vision
of what IMS is doing.
But... what about your health?
I guess the bottom line here
is that God has called us both individually. My job is to be obedient, not
question, doubt, or make excuses as to why I think I am not a good choice. Plus,
fear is not my god.
Who pays you?
Our income is raised from friends, family, and churches who desire to partner with us in our ministry.
When you say "partner", isn't that just sales lingo?
Great question. When partners give of themselves in prayer or financial support or moral support, they truly are partners or "fellow workers" (3 John 5-8). Furthermore, we really believe that partners like these are the ones deserving of the greater honor than the worker getting all the attention out in front (1 Cor. 12:23-24). What a beautiful principle Jesus established.
How can I become a prayer
partner?
Subscribing to our newsletter is the best way.
How can I become a financial
partner?
The greatest financial need we have is for recurring financial partnerships, be it monthly, quarterly, yearly, or however. The easiest way to give is
online through our Ripe for Harvest webpage.
What in the world is Bible
translation?!
The Bible was written in
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Therefore unless you speak these languages, the
Bible must be translated into your language in order for you to read it. Makes
sense, right? **
Why not just have the people
learn to read the Bible in English or another trade language?
A woman from Asia once said reading the Bible in the trade language was like eating a banana with the
peel still on. But it's also a matter of justice. Why does English or Spanish or Mandarin get to be the language with God's Word? Does God only speak the major languages? Renowned linguist Ken Pike has said, "Man's personal identity comes to fullness through expressing himself freely in his mother tongue. It is a burden ... to struggle with any other tongue. Should we deliberately force them to struggle to learn about Christ in our language simply because it is hard for us to learn their language? We are supposed to carry their burdens -- not make them carry ours. This was the mind of Christ."
Why not just use Google Translate?
To answer this question, a brief story will help. You see, Bible translation is not just a word-for-word
process. Doing so can actually distort the meaning. Sometimes you need to change
the words in order to retain the true meaning and message of Scripture. Bible
translation involves analyzing the context of the language and its culture.
What is the impact of Bible
translation?
Great question. Watch this
video:
Desmond Tutu once said, "If you want to keep people subjugated, the last thing you place in their hands is a Bible. There's nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible."
I have a question
Please ask us! You can email
us, aidan_dimartino@wycliffe.org // ricky_dimartino@wycliffe.org
** Taken from MaustsonToast
