The need is urgent, as mother-tongue Bible translators are ready to translate the Scriptures for those who have been waiting for generations to have the Bible in their own language.
“They’re more than ready,” says Bruce Smith, President
With the organization’s innovative MAST (Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation) method, Bible translations that once took years now can be completed in a matter of months. MAST is a collaborative translation method in which mother-tongue translators are assigned a portion of Scripture, which they draft and then check using an eight-step process. During a pilot MAST workshop, mother-tongue translators were able to complete an average of 34 verses per day.
Computer tablets are used in conjunction with the MAST methodology and serve as an important tool for mother-tongue translators. In addition to helping translators work with speed and accuracy, the tablets digitally store and protect each day’s translation work, protecting it from being seized and destroyed by local authorities.
The technology also protects the translators themselves in places where traditional missionaries are forbidden and where Christians are at risk of severe persecution or even death for simply carrying a Bible. Computer tablets allow translators to continue their work discreetly, at any time and place.
“Tablets are a crucial tool, making a vital difference in Bible translation,” says Smith.
Wycliffe Associates can provide the tablets loaded with translation apps at a cost of $300 per tablet.
To date, Wycliffe Associates has distributed 5,293 tablets to mother-tongue translators in 67 countries. More than 1,250 Bible translation projects have been launched using MAST.
