Download the PDF of this letter with photos here.
Team review
A faithful Beans’talk reader recently asked us to clarify if we were doing Bible translation for five Quechua languages or just one. That is not a dumb question! We need to re-view occasionally what we are doing.
Yes, we are working on five different Quechua Old Testaments simultaneously. When we have our workshops two men from each of the five language areas meet to-gether to work. Below is a photo from our most recent workshop. The guys made their signs so you can tell which language area they represent. They are named from left to right in each pair, or top to bottom in the case of the Margos-Yarowilca-Lauricocha Quechua team.
Encouraging feedback
In between workshops, Pedro, who is part of the South Conchucos translation team, vis-ited a church in his provincial capital. It is a formal church with set readings of Scripture. He was asked to read the Scripture passages for the day. Pedro read in Quechua from both the Old and New Testaments. LOTS of people came up to give positive comments afterwards. Even the head of the denomina-tion came up and said: “That’s really great! You should come here every week to read.”
Right to my “heart”
After the Margos New Testament was re-corded last month, Felipe was assigned to listen to the recordings one more time to be sure that everything was recorded correctly. “This is SO good!” he exclaimed. “It goes right to my heart” (literally…to my lungs). I could just listen and listen!”
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Is God lost?
The word seek has an intensity and purpose-fulness to it. In English we can say things like: Seek your fortune…Seek your dreams …Seek God.
In Quechua the word seek strongly implies that what is sought has become lost. So, pairing the word seek with fortune, dreams or God just doesn’t make sense.
How then should we translate verses like Psalm 69:32, which say “seek God”? Depending on the context, we have used words like obey, pray, trust, and worship.
Mark sometimes is tempted to go ahead and use the word seek and let people struggle through it. But native Quechua speakers in-sist that in their language it doesn’t work.
Our goal is that readers and hearers correctly understand the message of the Scriptures. God isn’t lost. So, for now, we are sticking with obeying, praying, trusting and worshiping. Not a bad message, after all.
Prayer and Praise
• This Saturday, April 23rd, Mark will speak to a group of pastors here in Huanuco about transla-tion. A burning issue many have is why the Quechua translations don’t look exactly like their traditional Spanish translation. Pray for open minds and hearts.
• Easter Sunday, Mark will be giving the message in a local church in both Quechua and Spanish. Pray for those who may be visiting that morning for the special service that they might under-stand what Jesus has done for them.
• We are very excited about the month ahead. We will be in Ohio/Michigan for the month of May. Eric graduates from Miami University (Ohio). Andy will still be at C-17 training, but Rachel will drive up with our grandsons. I’ll get to meet little Matthew! Emily will visit us the same week that Rachel and the boys are with us. Plus, Mark’s siblings have planned a six-day retreat in Michigan for Mom Bean’s belated birthday celebration. What a treat!
Thank you SO much for your prayers, encouragement and support.
Mark and Patti
