Learning that LASTS

L = Learner Centered
A = Action with Reflection
S = Solving problems
T = Teamwork
S = Self discovery and self direction

The LtL workshop is an intensive course for people who want to improve their teaching skills for adult learners of various cultures, learning styles, experiences, and educational backgrounds. It is based on the work of teachers such as Jane Vella, Roland Walker, Paulo Freire, Malcolm Knowles and Kurt Lewin.

May 22 - 26 was an awesome week for us at BRTC as we successfully went through another learning that LASTS event. LtL is one of my favourite workshops because everyone who takes it goes back knowing very well that something is going to change in the way they teach.

At learning that LASTS, every participant always come alive at the end of workshop and appreciate their being at the workshop. At the start we always have their expectations posted and by the end, most if not all those expectations are usually met.

LtL = Dialogue Education = Adult Education and it means change

For me personally, it was particularly helpful because at the end, I was certified as a LtL lead trainer. This is a very good opportunity for me to continue to use my LtL skills and pass them to others.

Our May 2017 prayer updates and prayer letter

Consistency Checking with the Ngombale Project

This week I am working with the Ngombale language in the Western Region of Cameroon. They are nearly finishing their New Testament so I am training them on how to use some advanced features in ParaTExt software to run some checks to make sure that everything is done correctly. This involves:

Text checking to make sure that the message will be complete, communicate clearly, be free from typing mistakes, and be correctly formatted. These checks allow the teams to be sure that all the chapters and verses are present. This helps them to find typing mistakes such as incorrect verses, characters, punctuation, markers etc.

Spell Checking: It is important to correct any spelling mistakes so that the text will communicate clearly. This cannot be easily seen without the advanced use of this ParaTExt features.

Content Checking: Here you use Key Biblical Terms to check a variety of terms in your text. These checks will show you all the verses that contain a particular term or name and will help you see if you have been consistent in using the terms and also be able to record the term you use in your language.

Parallel Passage Check: The tools help the translators see side by side how it is rendered in the Greek and Hebrew Text and then looking at theirs, they can compare with other versions and this helps them make the right decisions.

In order to do all these properly, you must configure the fonts, keyboards, language settings and inventories. This is usually a very exciting moment for the translator because they easily find errors and correct them as their product is coming to an end. Usually they express to me that their NT or Bible will have been a mess without this process. This is a very painstaking exercise and can become very challenging especially if the typing was not done with the right keyboards and fonts. The team also need to begin this ahead of time else they think they are almost finished just to realise that they still have a lot to deal with. After the training, they will be working on their own and asking me questions where necessary and I will do a final check to see that everything has been done well before they go to typesetting as this process feeds the typesetting process.

LTCT 2017

The Purpose of Language Technology Consultant Training (LTCT) is to develop a base of competent language technology consultants and specialists to resource Bible translation and language development in Africa, by teaching relatively new tools and methods for performing common language software support tasks and by presenting specific problems that occur frequently and discussing their solutions from the combined experience of the group. The participant will gain tools and skills that will make them more effective as a language technology consultant or specialist.
his year we focused on Paratext 8 (for Bible translation), Bloom (for Literacy), Scripture App Builder, Reading App Builder, Dictionary App Builder (for making android apps), Regular Expressions (programming language for problem solving). Anki (for learning purposes). Planning a workshop (To plan and run workshops)

ITConnect & ICCM 2017

IT Connect is the time to encourage one another, renew friendships and our knowledge base. Discover resources
This is equally an exciting moment to be refreshed in the Lord as we return to His mission field in our different roles.

ICCM is a peer mentoring and peer teaching conference. We all have something we can learn from each other. ICCM is the time to open God's work and our technical knowledge base and examine how they work together to grow God's Kingdom.

As usual, it was exciting, challenging, encouraging and refreshing.

Be kind to one another

During our trip in the village, my wife was driving the vehicle to go pick up somethings and hit a neighbours dog. This dog they say is 20 years old and is really tired. Even to wake up from the road or even to eat it takes all the time. My wife just figured out that all dogs will be smart but she remembered to hunk. Right after she passed, she heard a sharp cry from the poor animal. Apparently, the front tire passed on the dog's tail. We pleaded with the neighbors to get some money even to have a veterinary doctor take care of the dogs but they said it is not necessary. The woman even said that this might help the poor dog to die but we really feel sorry for the poor dog. Anyway, we thought they will be very mad at us but instead they were so friendly. We give Glory to God in everything.
Here is the dog owner and the dog.

Overcoming life issues

While we were up country this Christmas 2016, I met a childhood friend (Henry) that we have been out of touch for several years and he is struggling with some issues in life. The good thing is that he came quite close to me and also opened up. We got engaged in discussing these things and I started challenging him on one major aspect. These were hard because although everyone knows about it in the community, no one will there talk about it. I challenged him to consider to stop smoking weed and he agreed and appreciated me for saying what no one has ever told him to do. The following day, someone who owed him paid with a huge quantity of weed! This is an enormous temptation. I encouraged him to bring this matter to God. To tell God that it is more than Him and that even though he wants to stop it, he is really struggling and God will surely make a way. I told him to throw it away or burn it but I do not yet know what he will do with it. He promised me that by the time I come, back I will see a change in his life. I reminded him the Scriptures on Matthew 11:28-31 "Come to me all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loats and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light"
This Scripture challenged and changed my life several years ago, pray that it will speak to the life of my friend Henry.