Translation and Linguistics Archives - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

3 Ways to Pray for Translation Ministries

7 Ways to Pray for Translation and Linguistics Ministries [July Prayer Focus]

Millions of people around the world can't read the Gospel in their own language. Let's pray for translation ministries around the world. Photo by TEAM

Jun 01 2021

It’s a Monday night, and 15 Kwong men eagerly fill a small classroom, waiting for the opportunity of a lifetime. Tonight, they’re going to study the Bible — in their own language. The Kwong tribe first received the Gospel in the 1950s, but getting a Kwong Bible translation has taken much longer. Local pastors struggle to teach from Bible translations in other languages they barely understand. And for most Kwong believers, those sermons are the only biblical teaching they get. But for nearly 30 years, a team of local believers and TEAM missionaries has been painstakingly translating God’s word into…

A group of men in Chad work on a Bible translation project

Bible translation is rarely about simply replacing one word with another. Bible translators share some of their trickiest challenges and how they overcame them.

Jan 29 2020

The journey of a TEAM Bible translator begins long before the first word of Scripture is written down. It includes undergoing extensive training, cultivating cultural sensitivity and navigating the possibilities of a difficult climate or an unfriendly reception. And once the translation work begins, each language project has unique challenges all along the way. For example … … After 10 long years, still searching for just the right word for “hope.” … Discovering two very different words for “God.” … Realizing that your recommendations as translation consultants don’t go over too well with the translation team. So, what’s a Bible…

God gives us special gifts for a reason. So how can He use someone with a love of languages?

Mar 20 2019

Jaya was the daughter of a pastor. She went to a Christian high school. She’d grown up reading the Scriptures — and yet, she didn’t know what most Scripture meant. Because there were no clear Bible passages printed in Jaya’s mother tongue. So when she read the Scriptures, she only understood a fraction of what was written. Jaya needed Bible translators. Jaya needed Grace and Keith McCune. Made for Bible Translation Jaya’s predicament is one that tugs at the heartstrings of Grace and Keith. As TEAM missionaries in the Philippines, they help translate Scripture into heart languages throughout Asia. “The…

Millions of people are still waiting for a Bible translation in their language. Will you pray for Bible translators as they fill this critical need?

Mar 04 2019

Down through the years, written communication has served as a vital way to spread knowledge. Even God chose to deliver His message of salvation primarily through the written word. But what if you didn’t have His written Word in your language? How would your relationship with the Father look if you couldn’t study the Scriptures for yourself? How would you even understand what He’s like? There are about 2,000 language groups who grapple with that reality today. That’s why missionaries around the world serve through translation ministries. It’s hard work, but the long-term payoff is immeasurable. This month, pray with us…

Missionaries Mark and Diane Vanderkooi have labored for over 25 years to bring Bible translation to the Kwong people of Chad. But the work is far from over. Photo by TEAM

Jul 20 2017

“Come, follow Me, and I will make you killers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) No, that isn’t an excerpt from a new zombie-themed version of the Bible. But it was — ever so briefly — part of a (unpublished) Kwong translation of the Book of Matthew. “They don’t have a particular word for ‘fishing’ in [Kwong], so they just say, ‘I’m going to go kill fish,’” explains Mark Vanderkooi, a TEAM missionary to the Kwong people of Chad. In over 25 years of translation work, Mark and his wife, Diane, have repeatedly learned that creating a literal Bible translation is much…

Short-term missions isn't one size fits all, but here are three lessons I learned on my short-term missions trip to Greece.

Jan 12 2016

Short-term missions isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every trip is different. Every person is different. But when I traveled to Greece this past summer, I learned three important lessons that likely apply to anyone considering being a short-term missionary. It will be harder than you expect. Yes, there will be the planes delayed, luggage lost and miscommunication, but these won’t make or break your trip. When I was called to step out of my comfort zone and go on this trip in the first place, I reached points where I doubted this was what I was supposed to be doing, and in those moments…

Operation Joshua aims to give every Greek family access to the New Testament.

Dec 28 2015

How many Bibles do you own? Two? Ten? As I am writing this, I have a Bible sitting next to me on my desk, a Bible app on my phone and an Internet full of websites that can pull up a Bible in seconds. I so often take for granted having the inspired Word of God at my fingertips at any time. But for so many around the world, easy access to Scripture is simply not the reality. You might immediately think of an unreached tribal community or a rural village. You probably do not think of Greece. One of the…

Tag - Translation and Linguistics

3 Ways to Pray for Translation Ministries

What Does a Bible Translator Do When. . .

‘If He Made Us to be a Nose, He Wants Us to Sniff’

Why Translation Work is Vital for Kingdom Growth [March Prayer Focus]

60 Years Without the Bible

3 Things I Learned On My Short-Term Missions Trip

How Many Bibles Do You Own?