Download the December 2014 Bean'sTalk with photos here.

Surprise news

The very first day of this translation workshop, Sumer got an unexpected phone call from home. His wife told him she had given birth to a baby girl. Obviously, they knew they were expecting a baby, but they weren’t expecting anything to happen until December. Sumer turned right around and traveled the 8 hours or so back home on the second day of the workshop. I wish we had a photo of his new baby daughter. She was born on her big sister’s third birthday. This photo is of another baby girl wearing a traditional frilly hat. After a couple weeks, Sumer hopes to come back and join us for the last two weeks of the workshop.

Words—and their emotional impact

On the surface, words strung together can appear very straightforward. Take the question, “You’re looking for a good life, right?” To a Quechua speaker that phrase is incredibly negative. It basically says to the hearer, “So you just came here to mooch, huh?” This is doubly offensive when you realize that generosity is such a high cultural value, and you’ve just accused someone of the opposite.

This same type of problem crops up in translation. Someone who knows a little Quechua wonders why sometimes we don’t translate using what seem to be the obvious words. Check the following example.

The angel Gabriel greets Mary

This workshop the New Testament group started a final read through of the Gospel of Luke. Immediately they came to Gabriel’s hailing Mary in verse 1:28. After greeting her he says, “The Lord is with you.” Sounds simple enough. The translations for three of the five Quechua groups have exactly that: The Lord is with you. The men representing the other two Quechua groups just shook their heads. No way! For them, this is too close to how people say someone is a woman’s husband. So, they changed the words in the translation to preserve more of the meaning. In those two translations, Gabriel ends up greeting Mary and saying something like, God is working in/helping you.

Praises and Prayer Requests

? Praise for all the safe travels God’s provided these thirty-plus years on narrow mountain roads. Pray for all of us Friday December 5th as each of us travels home after the workshop. Once again we’re ending a day early for elections. This time, there are run-off elections in many districts and states.

? Praise for Sumer’s new little daughter. Pray for him as he teaches his young family about God. Sumer has a tender heart and is always eager to learn God’s word.

? Pray for continued diligence as Mark works through the consultant check of all the Old Testament and wrestles with final decisions about how to express some key terms.

? Pray for Mark on December 19th as he speaks to the first graduating class of Equipping Servants International in Huánuco. This graduating class of pastors is completing a two-year mentoring program going through the book of Romans. One of our main supporting churches funds this ministry. We’re glad to have a tiny part in encouraging them.

? Praise: the books of Numbers, Job and Matthew changed color this month, and 78 of the outstanding issues have been resolved.

Enjoy a very THANKFUL Thanksgiving. There is SO much to be thankful about, including each of you!

Thanksgiving Day is a regular workshop day for Mark and the guys, but I will join with some other ex-pats here in Huaraz and eat turkey! Mark will show up after work and hopes there will still be food left.

Mark & Patti