WORLD REPORT, June 1998

“Now we are true Christians, worshipping God and reading His Word in our own language. We have come to realise that we are special, one of the races which God created. How can we ever thank God and thank you enough?”

Greeting people is nothing unusual in the Chin Christian communities. What is unusual, however, is the fact that the leaders had prepared a long list of churches for the translation team to visit and where I was invited to preach.

My first reaction was: How would I be able to accept all these invitations when I needed to give my full attention to the task of checking the Falam Bible translation? Secondly, I wondered why so many churches were suddenly interested in hearing me speak – I had worked among them for almost 20 years in the 1960s and 70s, and nothing similar had ever happened then!

Two weeks later I discovered the answers to my questions. The first invitation I accepted, along with my fellow translation committee members, was from a group of churches in the nearby village of Hmun Tha, meaning ‘Good Place’. The Presbyterian, Baptist and Independent churches had prepared a feast for us, followed by a worship service. And it was during this worship service that the ‘mystery’ was revealed to me.

One of the elders came to the podium and said: “We the Falam Christians have been enslaved by the domination of the languages of nearby racial groups for at least forty years. We had never imagined it possible to have the Bible in our own language. We had accepted that reading the Bible in the languages of other ethnic groups was good enough for us.

“But when the Bible which Dr Hre Kio translated was made available to us in 1992, we discovered the wonderful richness of reading God’s Word in our own language. It was so good that we could not stop! We now look back and realise that the Bible freed us from the ‘slavery’ and domination of other ethnic groups.

“Now we are true Christians, worshipping God and reading His Word in our own language, and we have come to realise that we are special, one of the races our God created. How can we ever thank God and thank you enough?"

I was overwhelmed. I never expected anything like this. The Falam Bible had liberated people from domination and slavery! That was their experience and they had expressed it to us emphatically. Neither did it stop there: the Chairman of the service announced that we should all stand up to pray – and that we should express our individual thanks to God for his wonderful gift of the Falam Bible, asking him to bless the revision committees as they continued working on this project. As the several hundred worshippers stood up and prayed, many raising their hands or shouting at the top of their voices, the church building seemed to shake! I was speechless. I could only say to myself, “Look at what the Lord has done through His Word!”

Another invitation we accepted was from a church in the village of Pyinkhung Kyi, six miles from Taungphila, our base for Bible checking. I remember visiting this church 27 years ago in 1971, when the village was made up of about 50 houses, and the church building had a thatched roof with bamboo walls. Now there are 170 houses and the church is a splendid, well-planned, modern build- ing accommodating 500 worshippers. The tithes and contributions have increased tenfold, and the congregation continues to grow. And one of the main reasons for the healthy state of this church is the Falam Bible.

When we arrived there, hundreds of Christians greeted us with specially-composed songs and placed garlands around our necks. Non-Christians stood by and gazed at us with curiosity, and the entire village seemed to be alive with excitement. The church leaders expressed their gratitude to us for making it possible for them to read the Bible in their language. Then they asked me to tell them the story of translating the Falam Bible, because they acknowledge that the Bible is the source of their spiritual strength.

I told them how, in January 1974, I started to translate the Bible into Falam. Working an average of 12 hours every day, including Saturdays, I completed the Old Testament in five years.

Combining the translation of the New Testa- ment with studying for a PhD in the USA was extremely difficult and resulted in the project having to be prolonged for six-and-a-half more years, during which time I had to undergo stomach surgery three times.

One of the most depressing parts of the 12 years of translation occurred in Atlanta, USA, in 1985, when I received a telegram from Myanmar with the sad news that all the Falam Bible manuscripts had perished in a fire when the Falam Baptist Headquarters was engulfed in flames that night.

The work of my hands for 11 years and 8 months had gone up in smoke in 30 minutes! This was such a painful experience and so hard to bear that I went straight to our bathroom and wept – for the first time in my adult life.

However, the Lord did not leave us hopeless. Without anyone knowing, the typist of the Falam Bible had kept a copy of all the manuscripts in a box at his home, so all the texts were safe and complete. When I heard that news I jumped for joy, shouting “Hallelujah!” – also for the first time in my life. After six years of preparing the manuscripts, the Bible was printed.

And so the congregation of Pyinkhung Kyi church came to know some of the highs and lows of translating the Falam Bible. The Christians in this area have devised a plan whereby those who can afford to buy a Bible contribute financially for those who cannot afford to buy one. So far they have collected about 200,000 Kyats (US$ 32,000), which will buy more than 1,330 Bibles. These Bibles are then given free of charge to the poorer members of the community.

That was Sunday, February 22. The next day I took a bath at a house in Taungphila. As I was leaving, I noticed a lady standing near the door, with a bag on her shoulder and money in her hand.

The hostess of the house told me that this lady wanted to speak to me, and Nu Cong Theu herself uttered timidly that she had been waiting for an appropriate moment. Then she held out her hand and offered me the sum of 200 Kyats (US$ 32). I knew that this money would be of great value to her and refused to accept it. But she insisted, making it clear that she would be disappointed if I did not.

I knew there must be a story behind this gesture, so I asked her to tell me. And, with deep sadness in her eyes, Nu Cong Theu began to talk.

“The work of my hands for 11 years and 8 months had gone up in smoke in 30 minutes! This was such a painful experience and so hard to bear that I went straight to our bathroom and wept.”

In 1992, her only child, a daughter, had died unexpectedly of malaria at the age of four. Nu Cong Theu was devastated. The pain of losing her only child, and knowing that she could not have another one, was too much for her. No-one, not even her husband, could console her, and she ‘lost’ her mind.

She wandered around the village not knowing where she was, unable to recognise her own house or family. Neither did she care about her health; nothing mattered in life now, and the only certainty was death.

Then another unexpected event happened. Although still in a state of confusion, Nu Cong Theu listened and seemed to understand as her friends reading parts of the Falam Bible to her.

At that point in her story, Nu Cong Theu took her Falam Bible out of her bag and wrapped her shawl around it. “This is the Bible that has completely transformed my life!” she announced.

n Nu Cong Theu with her precious Falam Bible

Nu Cong Theu could not read much. She never went to regular school, but learned to read a few lines so that she could sing Christian songs and learn some Scripture verses by heart. As her friends continued to read the Bible to her, Nu Cong Theu’s mind ‘returned’ and she began to feel a strong desire to read God’s Word herself.

And so the process began, slowly and falteringly, day by day, week by painful week. Her friends helped her learn to read the Bible, and after a year she could read more and more passages. Now she was returning to normal, and after two to three years the joy and peace in her heart was unbelievably strong! Now, she said, she could not control her wish to see me, to give me this sum of K200 as an expression of her thanks to me for translating that Bible into her language.

I was overwhelmed by her story, and greatly touched by this gesture. I told her to thank God, not me; but she insisted that she would be very disappointed if I did not take the money. So I accepted her gift of K200, and later put it in the offering plate for the Lord’s ministry.

Nu Cong Theu is as radiant as any Christian I have ever met, and I am delighted to know that the Falam Bible has transformed her life. To me, she is a person who is full of life and hope.

I took a photograph of her (shown above) clutching her Bible, which she takes with her everywhere she goes. Reading God’s Word is her daily spiritual food and she enjoys telling others what the Bible means to her.

My trip to Myanmar in February 1998 was very special, and I do not think I will ever forget it. I realise with deep joy that the Falam Bible is having a greater impact on the lives of the Falam Chin Christians than I had ever dreamed of. It has brought many Christian denominations together in unity; liberated others from ‘slavery’; strengthened the spiritual health of many churches and transformed the lives of individuals. What I saw in Myanmar was more than I could have asked for or imagined.”

Dr Hre Kio first translated the Bible into Falam from 1974-85. This was published in November 1991 and the distribution began in February 1992. So far, about 25,000 copies have been distributed among the estimated 100,000 Falam speakers. (WR 331/21 - 6.98) [PHOTOS]

FIJI, South Pacific — Murray Frew is Distribution Coordinator for the Bible Society in the South West Pacific and he navigates around the many far-flung islands taking Scriptures to the islanders.

Last year he sailed to the Buena Vista and Sandfly passage area of the Ngella Islands taking a team of youngsters from New Zealand and Father Jimmy, the senior priest from the Church of Melanesia who needed to make arrangements with the village chiefs for the instalment of a new bishop.

Visiting three villages a day, stopping for 3-4 hours in each to allow the youth group to present drama, songs and a Scripture program, Mr Frew then distributed Scriptures to the islanders. Spending the night in a local village, the team experienced true Solomon Islands hospitality, culture, food and village life.

The trip was most successful, and the South Florida and Bole passage area was also visited. On another trip to the coast of Guadalcanal another team from the Howick Community Church in New Zealand accompanied Mr Frew and ministered to the islanders.

This area is very rugged with steep hills and many rivers, high rainfall and rough seas. The local people do not receive many visitors so our team was able to have an effective time of sharing God’s Word there. Both areas have asked for return visits, Mr Frew said.

Returning to the Guadalcanal region, the Marau Sound, and then on to Malaita, the most populated island in the Solomons, Mr Frew was able to open a new Bible base at the provincial capital of Malaita, Auki. “Some people that inhabit the Central and Southeastern areas of the island still worship ancestral spirits and some worship sharks, believing that human spirits inhabit them,” he said.

It is not a prosperous region, with shifting subsistence farming and barter economy prevailing: some people still use shell money, and facial tattoos are common. The Solomons are experiencing a severe financial crisis, rapidly rising costs and people without the means to buy goods. “Please pray for the work that is being done to get the Word of God to these people,” said Mr Frew. “They still ask for Bibles to be taken to them, even if there is little money to pay for them.”

A visit to Marau Sound, followed with a team who played instruments and sang, and a 4-day Bible seminar was organised with the local people.

“The people in each village, where we stayed for about three hours, were most welcoming and really appreciated us bringing the Word of God to them. We praise God for his hand upon this work,” said Mr Frew. (WR 331/22 - 6.98)

FIJI, South Pacific — The Bislama Bible has been undergoing its final proofreading and is soon into its publication stage.

The Cook Island Revised Bible project is progressing well. UBS Translation Consultant Dr Nigel Statham writes: “I checked thoroughly all but two chapters of the Book of Hebrews over four and a half days, and was delighted to find that the accuracy and style of the translation continues to improve . . . and that much more extensive revision work is being done than previously.”

The churches in Western Samoa, through the sponsorship of the Samoan Council of Churches (SCC), have decided to proceed with a Samoan Study Bible project. A translator and three reviewers were appointed last year and work is proceeding on the Old and New Testaments.

However, the main translator, the Rev Kiliona Mafaufau, has had to leave the project for further study in India, and the Rev Fepai Kolia, Secretary to the SCC, has taken over.

The Tuvalu Study Bible is almost completed with the final work being done on the Cyclopedic Index. Financial problems have affected the work, but thanks to the British and Foreign Bible Society, extra funding has been found to finish this project.

Due to be launched this year is the Rotuman Bible. BSSP Missions Coordinator Takayawa Mateisuva visited the island last year and set up a Mission Group in prep aration for the new Bible’s release. “Rotuma has rich soil, unblemished vegetation, and beautiful lagoons and beaches. The Rotuman islanders are eagerly awaiting their first Bible,” Mr Mateisuva said in his report.

Vanuatu has a new Bible Society bookshop opened officially last year in Port Vila, to supplement the one opened earlier in Luganville, Santo. BSSP Co-ordinator Jack Ruben hopes this will make it easier for the people of Vanuatu to have access to the many available Scriptures. (WR 331/24 - 6.98)

Commending those who brokered the peace agreement in New Zealand, he called upon the nation to pull together as one people, despite the diversity of cultures and languages. He said that people may be “proud and independent” but they were “able to listen and learn, to put morality and Christian principles and the national interest ahead of selfish regional pride and get on with the job of fixing what has gone wrong in our beloved country.”

He was referring to the nine years of struggle between independence movements on Bougainville Island and the government, which was sparked off over the closure of the Panguna mine in 1989. And in an open letter to the people of Bougainville, Prime Minister Bill Skate refers several times to the Bible.

In a public confession of the mistakes made by past and present governments, Mr Skate says “sorry”, asks for forgiveness and then quotes 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face . . .”

He then exhorts people to forget the past, quoting Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! . . .” and asks the people of Papua New Guinea to look at what God is doing now "in giving to us, as one people, one country and one nation a new hope and a new future." (WR 331/25 - 6.98)

“What surprised me as I increased the offer, was that they refused to sell the Comics for their cost price! I had to go considerably higher before I began to see the hesitation in their eyes.”

An outside research agency would have been too costly, so a request was made to the UBS, whose Research Officer Jon Jeffery agreed to lead the research in April this year. Mr Jeffery also agreed to train the PBS staff in research methods, to allow them more scope in developing future Scripture publications.

The main area of difficulty was identified as a drop-off in two of the Society’s main products: Portions and Bible Comics. There was definitely the need for action, but should the products be altered, and in what way, or should they be abandoned?

The Bible Societies of India and Indonesia also sent representatives and a team of 12 people began to assess the nature of the problem and design a research proposal. A Focus group method was used, except for children under 14, who were interviewed in pairs or trios. The groups interviewed included book- shop managers, school pupils, university students, lay workers, nuns, pastors, priests, and members of the general public. People of both sexes were drawn from different areas, town, suburbs and countryside, from different religious confessions and from different social environments.

The problem with the Bible Comics was that they were not easily available, and not seen as comics, but rather, as historically accurate booklets with excessive detail, and they were felt to be too old fashioned and too up-market, despite their low price.

Teenagers, who had been the main target audience, were just not interested in them, but they were well received by children aged 6-12 as well as by women in rural communities, who probably had reading difficulties.

While the Protestants preferred them to be in English or Tagalog and liked the cartoon style of the Words of Wisdom series of children’s Bible stories, the Roman Catholics preferred more realistic pictures and appreciated the text in local languages. In rural areas the local language was also more popular.

It was obvious that changes in distribution methods as well as changes in the actual products were needed if sales were to be improved. It was also realised that many PBS products were not known by either Christians or the general public; again, adjustments could be made to marketing and distribution methods.

Mr Jeffery recalled one experiment: trying to buy back the Bible Comics he had given to some children who had taken part in the research.

“At first they were surprised at how little the Comics cost,” he said. “Then, when they had had the chance to handle and enjoy them, I offered to buy back their new Comics.

“What surprised me however, as I increased the offer, was that they refused to sell the Comics for their cost price! I had to go considerably higher before I began to see the hesitation in their eyes and knew that the money was becoming the greater attraction.”

Although Mr Jeffery supervised the project and trained the participants, the actual research was carried out by the staff representing the Bible Societies of India, Indonesia and the Philippines. These Societies now intend to conduct similar research to address other problems. (WR 331/26 - 6.98)