Language Technology Consultant Training (LTCT) 2018 Report

The vision for Language Technology Use (LTU) is to multiply Bible translation effectiveness through language technology training and support.
The Purpose of 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.
For this reason, ten language technology workers from Anglo-Lusophone Africa got together at the BTL Center in Kenya from April 16th to 25th 2018 with four facilitators and two guest from LSDev and NRSI. The 9 days spent together saw a lot of teamwork and collaboration, coaching, mentoring, learning and growing as we all worked together on how to use, train others, solve practical problems and provide practical field support to Bible translators and language developer workers.
In 9 days, we covered over 40 sessions focusing on Bloom, ParaTExt, Scripture App Builder, Reading App Builder, Dictionary App Builder, HearThis, Keyman, Logos, Regular Expressions, Problem Solving and Planning/teaching a workshop. Returning students taught all the FLEx sessions during this workshop and did a very good job.
Every morning we took time to share and pray for every country represented. Participants were able to review the previous day’s lessons before beginning a new day as a way of re-enforcing the lessons.
Everyone had a good stay and left very happy, ready to use, promote, and help others to use LT in their context to speed up the work of Bible translation and language development.

Kejom NT dedication

Training Babanki (Kejom) Bible Translators to do back translations easily using Paratext software. This will facilitate consultant checking of their Scriptures...
Three years later, their New Testament is ready. During the dedication on Saturday 28th April, the Babanki people are told that the real translation work has just started! They were exhorted to take every advantage of the precious word of God by owning it, reading it, meditating on it and above all, putting it into practice so that truth of the Gospel should shine in their daily practices.
On the 7th of February 2009 during the dedication of their Gospel of Luke, the Pastor who spoke on that day challenged them for having several "country sundays" when the almighty God has only one. He went further to say that if they do not abide by the standards of God, the community will not advance in many ways... It is alleged that later on, the country sundays were reduced. This time, the Ethno Arts team of CABTAL, worked with the community who came out and challenged themselves to leave behind the man made gods and look up to the one true God who now speaks to them clearly in their own language.
Their Fon personally appreciated CABTAL, SIL and Wycliffe USA for empowering them to develop their language. He is ready to learn to read and write Kejom language. Praise the Lord for using different men and women to accomplish this project. Some lost their lives in the process; may their families see this fruit as a blessing and enjoy it all the days of their lives.

ITD, ITC and ICCM

April 5-6: We had the face to face yearly IT Discovery meeting in Nairobi Kenya.
IT Discovery Purpose is to research information technology issues for the benefit of Bible translation workers in Wycliffe and SIL Africa Area and related Bible translation organizations.
The group's role is to work together to discover the key area issues, and develop practical recommendations that address the means to implement solutions. This might mean commissioning others to do specific research tasks in information technologies that will expedite the work of Bible Translation and Language development in Africa and the world over.

April 7-10: We had IT Connect Conference English:
IT Connect is the annual gathering of IT Staff serving SIL International, Wycliffe and Alliance Organisations in Africa share best practices, find ways of helping one another to overcome challenges and to learn from one another. The whole idea is to collaborate, learn, grow and teach one another so as to expedite the work of Bible Translation and language development. It is always a time of great spiritual refreshment.

April 11-14: International Conference on Computing in Missions (ICCM) Africa
The International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM) is an annual informal gathering of women and men who have a common interest in computers and mission. We share a vision of cooperation for effective use of technology, bringing the Gospel to every nation. ICCM Africa. The gathering this year brought staff staff from several countries for spiritual refreshment, and sharing technological knowledge to advance the work of the great commission.

We are thankful for this time spent together. We go back ready to serve the Lord with renewed energy and ready to work together as a team with the Holy Spirit operating in us as the operating system.

Mushroom Mushroom Mushroom

At this time of the year, Lilian is always looking forward to one thing from up country - that is mushrooms because this is the season for this precious stuff. She knows her to prepare and can this in airtight containers and we enjoy them even when mushrooms are no longer in season. On our way to the village, we bought some for my Mom who also sees it as a delicacy since such stuff do not grow at all in our area. We were very lucky to meet these young girls selling on our way back in the late evening. Lilian could not resist buying and I could not resist taking a photo. I look forward to eating it one of these days in its natural state. Praise the Lord for providing all these for us for very little cost.

Funeral of Mama Margaret Kerka Ngong

March 17 was the day we finally laid to rest the mortal remains of our Mother Mama Margaret Kerka Ngong. Eventhough we have a lot of pain in our hearts, this is equally an opportunity to celebrate her life. She has been a wonderful person over the years and has touched many lives. This was quite evident by the crowd that turned out to bit her farewell. The Lord was so gracious and held the rain so that nothing disturbed the funeral. The Lord was so gracious to us to drive safely from Bamenda to Kimar and back.