IXIL NEW TESTAMENT COMPLETED--August 2008
Thanks to Ray & Helen Elliott's translation work which began in 1950's - Pastor Andrés Velasco Brito,Dwight & Sue Jewett, David Henne, Sharon Rosenwald, Ixil Translation & Literacy/Scripture Use TeamsSee Timeline of Translation
Although we officially closed the Literacy/Scripture Use office, Benito has dedicated a small area in his home for office use in the promotion, distribution, and storage of New Testaments and for Ixil reading lessons. This is another huge step in toward the Ixil people "owning" the New Testament. Jacinto travels to outlying villages to distribute the New Testament. Frequently, he has to walk for 5 to 8 hours to get to a village. He is so responsible about his selling the New Testaments that he apologized to me for taking time to evangelize and explain the Gospel to the people he meets. I, of course, told him that is exactly what we want to happen and is really more important than selling. This is the man who originally thought we might be doing something wrong in translating the NT into Ixil. Now he says, "All my people need to read and own this!"
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NEBAJ IXIL NEW TESTAMENTS ARRIVED IN NEBAJ JUNE 10th!!!
you that made this New Testament a reality!
DEDICATION - August 12, 2008
It was a great celebration! The first Wycliffe translator Ray Elliott and
34 of the Elliott family, including all 8 children and many grandchildren, attended.
See Photos of the Arrival of the New Testaments
Now the people and children of Nebaj can read and hear God's Word in Ixil.
There were no believers in 1953 when Ray and Helen Elliott arrived . .
.now there are over 300 Ixil-led congregations with more than 25,000 believers.
| Carlos, the Light & Life School Director (Principal) , says, "Uma't
yolb'al uva' la itx'ol ve'te', as a'e' la eq'on katikat kuxhtu'. U
chusb'ale' tu ka'va'l yolb'al a' ni tokkat ile' uva' la itx'ol u
talintxae' iyolb'ale', ti' tab'ita', itz'ib'ale', as isik'lele' ka'va'l
unq'a yolb'ale'."
(Translation) "Learning
one language is not sufficient. When the children learn to speak,
understand, write, and read two languages, they'll have many more opportunities in life. The methods and techniques I learned will work with the children, and I intend to use them. If we do apply these methods, we will see results in the children's learning." My dream for the future,"says Carlos is that every child will have his own copy of the New Testament in his heart language,Ixil.
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| Benito reading to his family |
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| Here are the boxes of the Nebaj/Ixil New Testament |
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There were no believers in 1953 . . .now there are over 300 Ixil-led congregations with more than 25,000 believers.
Blessings on all those involved ~Elliott family, Andrés Velasco, Jewett family, Sharon Rosenwald, David Henne, Phil Leckrone, Ernie Didot, exegetes and Greek scholars; fluent Ixil speakers and careful proofreaders; language learners and cultural adapters; Bible Story and Sunday School materials developers; literacy and literature specialists; school builders and teachers; pastors and leaders and their trainers; church-goers and skeptics; missionary-kid teachers and missionary uplifters; community developers, reforesters; micro-loaners; helpers for civil war victims; peace makers and war reconcilers; Mayan language and culture preservers; supporters and support personnel; typists and keyboarders; typesetters and formaters; printers, binders, packers, shippers and customs agents . . . And most of all, Bless the Lord !
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"When people are evangelized in their own language, they understand better. The Word of God becomes part and parcel of the person. In short, the Word is indigenized." Rev. James R.K. Muramba
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