Highlights of 2024:
Our neighbor, Jean-Clement Mutomoa, is the director of the Agronomy department at Shalom University. He and his wife, Aline (also an agronomist) took us to see the agronomy campus where they have plantations of pineapples and different kinds of bananas, and a large pond where they are raising fish. Clement has a vision for helping people improve how they farm and fish.
We had a translation consulting workshop online, with participants in Bunia, Kisangani, Isiro and Goma, and one in the United States. It was a great way to exchange ideas and be in touch.
We had a translation consulting workshop online, with participants in Bunia, Kisangani, Isiro and Goma, and one in the United States. It was a great way to exchange ideas and be in touch.
Douglas and Bagamba organized their annual Mother Languages Day conference in February. Douglas presented the results of strategic research they have been doing on how the Omi New Testament is being used in the community.
Jennings worked with the Nyali translation to check the books of Ruth and Jonah. A consultant-in-training, Reverend Nyamutale, worked with us. Here, he is showing the translators how to change something using Paratext software. It is important to keep training new translation consultants to keep up with the growing need, as more languages start translation. A wonderful problem to have!
Dr Ezua teaches Old Testament at Shalom University. His house is adjacent to one of the camps for internally-displaced people (IDP) who have fled militia violence in their home area. He has an essential and holistic ministry to people in the camp: he started a church there that the residents are building; he advocates for them with the government and NGOs; negotiates lower school fees for the children; pays for medical needs; counsels the children not to go begging in the streets of town; has people to his home for meals, etc. He is a true hero!
Our friend Bob Yossa runs a ministry for elderly and other vulnerable people in Bunia, for whom there is no "safety net". He and his team visit and take food and other help to elderly retired pastors and widows every Friday, and do a special fundraiser at Christmas to buy them new clothes.
Anna and Patrick Larochelle are missionaries with Serge mission. They provide free healthcare for people in two IDP camps outside of town by running clinics in the camps and paying for care at CME hospital. We've heard that health outcomes in the camps are greatly improved since they started these clinics.
Through Anna, we heard about a primary school for displaced children that had lots its funding when their patron, a member of parliament, lost re-election and stopped supporting them. Jennings started working with them to find funding, and they were able to finish out the school year and start up again in September!
Liz Stinard visited from Senegal to lead a workshop on Spiritual development. It was a welcome opportunity to focus on our relationship with God and how we can grow.
Jennings taught Bible Translation Basics at iDELTA, a three-year course for African translators, literacy workers, linguists, surveyors and Scripture engagement workers. She was meant to assist veteran teacher (and textbook author) Margaret Hill, but sadly she passed away just before classes started.
She had a wonderful group of students from Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan, and Malawi.
She had a wonderful group of students from Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan, and Malawi.
Each country had a cultural night with special food and presentations
iDELTA was held on the beautiful grounds of Dimesse Sisters conference centre in Karen
Checking Mark with the Bila translation team. Having a projector means we can all look at the same thing at once, which is helpful.
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