Rikou of Timor
(see article and pictures in current SeedLinks!)
$0 funding needed thanks to OneVerse and the Atlanta Passion Conference. The 100,000 Rikou people live on the eastern end of the island of Rote in a country that has been troubled by political and religious unrest for the last several years. European traders introduced the people of this island to Christianity in the 1700s, but the Rikou people still do not have God’s Word in their own language. Pastors use the Indonesian language Bible in church services, but without understandable Scriptures, professing Christians lack the foundational truths that lead to practical applications for Christian living. The community formed a team and initiated Scripture translation in their own language. They translated Gospel of Mark, and published it after a thorough checking process. This first book of Scripture in the Rikou language was dedicated in a community celebration in December of 2004. The team is now trained and ready to move ahead with a full translation project.
- At a recent TSC Workshop, two Rikou translators learned to use OurWord Software on a laptop computer. Thank God for this helpful tool for mother-tongue translators and for those who helped test and improve the software.
- Pray that additional mother-tongue translators will be encouraged by the technology and will learn to use the software when it soon becomes available to the translation community around the world.
- Pray for insight and wisdom as they work together to revise their Scripture drafts and then begin translating Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.