Neighbouring clans help translate Bible

 By TIM SCOTT

SOMETIMES, answering the call to love thy neighbour creates an opportunity for remarkable teamwork and a chance to achieve what once seemed unthinkable. 

With only a week left before translators and literacy workers in the East Sepik village, of Rom-Bar, were to begin a Scripture use workshop, the prospect of having printed or recorded Scripture portions to use looked bleak. 

Circumstances had prevented the Rom-Bar translators from having the Book of Luke approved for publication and printed. 

When word of these difficulties reached translators from related Onnele languages, Goiniri and Wolwale, they decided to help their neighbours accomplish the impossible. 

In the true spirit of Christian brotherhood and teamwork, the Goiniri and Wolwale translators came alongside their Rom-Bar colleagues and worked together to finalise the Easter and Christmas stories.

The team was able to ask for feedback from Summer Institute of Linguistics translator Ben Pehrson via satellite. And in just a week, they were able to finalise and print the stories into booklets.