Asia Pacific Common Framework Workshop

The American Bible Society (ABS) Global Mission have taken the initiative to organize The Common Framework Model (CFM) Workshop for Bible Societies in the Asia Pacific region where they are currently funding or hopes to fund translation projects.

The Common Framework Model (CFM) for Scripture translation and engagement that American Bible Society (ABS), UBS and major translation agencies in the world have a criterion for project development and funding support.

The agenda for the two days’ workshop covered:

1. Five Principles of CFM – How does this translate into actions

2. Orality – the significance and various uses of Orality in Scripture Engagement.

3. Capacity Building on Systems – Training National Bible Societies to enhance their operational skills

4. Review Current Translation Portfolio – Current and planned languages projects

4. Review Current Translation Portfolio – Current and planned languages projects

5. Scripture Engagement – Integration of SE as part of Bible translation.

The CFM two day workshop was funded by the ABS from 16 to 17 February, the workshop was hosted by the Bible Society of Indonesia.

Mrs Ledua Turaganivalu attended this consultation on behalf of the Bible Society of the South Pacific.

Participants of the South East Asia Common Framework Workshop
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Sunday School Workshop for Teachers

An informative workshop for Sunday school teachers was conducted by Mrs. Iva Teilai on 15 January at Naila village. The workshop was for Sunday school teachers that were going to use the Magimagi project Sunday School materials. A total of 8 participants were present at the workshop.

The second Sunday school workshop was held a week later on the 22nd of January. The workshop was facilitated by Iva Telai, Urmila Prasad and Susana Aropio.

The participants said that they have never been to a Sunday School Workshop and that they have learnt a lot even though they have been Sunday School Teachers for a long time. They were also surprised to learn that the Spiritual, the normal life in the village and the financial being of a person are all tied together to bring prosperity.

Sunday School Workshop facilitators. (Back L-R): Mrs Susana Aropio and Mrs Urmila Prasad (Front L-R): Mrs Eva Telai and Vakatawa Maika Naisilisili
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Trauma Healing Train the Trainers

An equipping session to train new facilitators for the Bible Society Trauma Healing program was conducted at the St Christopher’s Home in Nakasi (Fiji) on 9-13 January, 2017. Participants at the training included trainees from Davuilevu Theological College, Operation Foundation, Pacific Students for Christ, and the Bible Society South Pacific. Everyone were certified as ‘Apprentice Facilitators’ including the Bible Society Finance Administrator, Mr Isikeli Sila, saying, “The workshop was indeed an eye-opener for me in that
I can see now the importance of healing people of their hurts and past trauma otherwise their hurts can impinge their behaviour negatively.” The Fijian iTaukei translated Trauma Healing booklet is almost ready for use and the Society aims to run some workshops in three areas affected by Cyclone Winston namely, Dawasamu, Ovalau and Savusavu. The translation of the Trauma Healing book into the other languages of the Pacific is still in progress. The Society will be glad to work with interested churches and people who wish to know more about this Trauma healing program should you make contact.
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Proclaim the Good News through the Proclaimer

Partnership between the Society and FCBH (Faith Comes By Hearing) has continued to grow over the years. An early visit to the Bible House this year by FCBH International Language Recording Coordinator, Erik Stapleton, has helped both parties to plan together and engage in specific mission programs. The last recording done so far in the Pacific was the Kiribati Contemporary NT in last September. Just recently, Erik is planning to ship 138 mid-sized Proclaimers and 12 larger units to Kiribati in March. Talks are continuing on the recording of the New Testament in other Pacific Island languages.

The FCBH proclaimers by and large play a key role in proclaiming the Good News to a larger group of people when connected to a PA system or even the radio station. The latest product in the market to date is the newly built mid-sized Proclaimer that can proclaim the Good News in more than one language. The Society is therefore grateful for the provision of such important mission tools by FCBH through Erik, with the Fiji based proclaimers having the options of playing it either in English, Fiji-Hindi, or in the Fijian iTaukei language.

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MagiMagi Stretches to Fourth Community in 2017

Since the launch of the Bible Society’s holistic approach to community development under the MagiMagi project in January 2015, the start of this year saw the extending of the project into a nearby community, Naila village.
A total of 150 bibles and other scripture materials were distributed at the official launching of the program in Naila on Sunday 8 January, 2017. Now, the number of communities has risen to four within the Bau district of the Tailevu province in Fiji. The spiritual capital of this project has been focusing steadily on developing the children’s Sunday School curriculum and its application for the last two years. Discipleship programs has been also woven into this project and a special cell group manual recently published.
A Cell group leader sharing the Cell Group’s aims and approach for the month of February
With the ongoing support of the Bible Society of New Zealand, the economic capital and cultural capital are the other two key areas of focus in the program. The program is earmarked to be trialed out in a community in Vanuatu this year, which is part of the wider goal to bring this innovating program into the Pacific. This is in line with the vision of the Bible Society: “The Pacific to be Communities of the Word.”
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Tongan Bible Project Boosted

Tongan Church leaders serving as Bible translators in the TCOT project

New achievements continue to be realized on the Tongan Contemporary Old Testament (TCOT) project. The prospect of this ongoing work to be a success story in being the first Old Testament project in the South Pacific to be completed in the shortest time possible is quickly becoming a reality. Since the start of the project in Nukua’lofa after the first workshop in October 2015, there are only four Old Testament books left for drafting.

This is a show of true dedication and commitment since this group of translators converge at the Tokaikolo Catholic Centre in Nukua’lofa for bible translation work every morning until lunch time on every Mondays to Wednesdays. The review process is bound to start in March after the planned review workshop on 13-17 March, 2017.

This project is boosted further by the recent appointment of a key translator, the Rev. Dr. Ma’afu Palu, who is now a member of the Global Translation Advisor for the Asia Pacific under the United Bible Societies. In effect, he, as a Tongan native, now becomes the new Translation consultant of the project. The Society congratulates Rev Ma’afu for this great news and for being a first for BSSP.

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