Ketning of Southeast Asia

15,000 speakers. Their name means “people of the valley of the sun.” The mountains of this remote area are heavily jungled and quite steep. No roads have been built nor do navigable rivers flow into the area. Villages range in size from about 50 people to more than 500. Early evangelical efforts began among the Ketengban in the mid 1970s. Until that time, they had been animists, venerating ancestors, participating in revenge killings, exercising “black magic,” and practicing cannibalism. Today, because they have the New Testament in their language, about 75% of them are Christians. Now there are no obvious animistic practices, syncretism or cults known in their community. Project Goal: 40% of OT Using communication technologies to provide consultant feedback for a remote language, experimenting with techniques that could revolutionize the process of Bible translation.

  • The two Ketning teams recently translated 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Nehemiah and Ezra in first draft. They’ve also finished translating books that they started earlier, and now only Ruth remains. Pray for time without distraction for the translators.

  • Pray for discernment as the teams work from the national-language Scriptures to make their own mother-tongue translation.

  • One translator is now again in the language area for the full month of July. Pray that he can achieve his objectives during his July trip. Pray for him as he strives to keep pace with processing the drafts of God’s Word in Ketning.

  • Pray that all technical equipment will function well.

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