During this past year and a half, we have all had to get used to different ways of working, whether we are consultants, Bible translators or have other roles in the project. For me, as one of the newest members of the team, this has meant learning the job remotely and mostly online.  My family’s stay in Madagascar was cut short due to the pandemic and we were called back to Norway after only 6 months. It has been challenging working remotely, but for the most part we have been comfortable and sheltered from Covid.

For the Antakaraña team in the north of Madagascar, it hasn’t been as easy. They have had to work with uncomfortable facemasks in very hot and humid temperatures. They have had to get used to having their consultant with them on Skype and not in person, most often with a very poor internet connection. A new team member has been learning how to use the computer programs used for translation, mostly guided through the phone. They have dealt with illness, lack of rain, a team-member constantly falling asleep whilst they work, food prices rising to the extreme and the list goes on. But still, they have been eager to carry on translating the Bible. They have met as often as possible and they have powered through difficult passages and drafted as much as they could. I have enjoyed getting to know them a little during this past year and I really look forward to meeting them in person.

Curious about how they got involved I asked to interview one of them. Her name is Moanamary and she started working for the Luke Project (former name of TiBT) in 2009. Here is a snippet of her story:

When Moanamary became a Christian, she felt Jesus physically took her out of the darkness and into a place of light. “It was like I was lifted out of a thick dark forest and placed somewhere bright.” It was a life changing experience and soon her children and grandchildren followed her example. Though they still experience a lot of hardship, they now draw on support and comfort from God, and that makes all the difference. Moanamary has always been passionate about her language. She has felt frustrated when texts were read from the Bible at church, which she and others couldn’t understand. The church use the Bible translated into the official Malagasy language; a language very different from Antakaraña. Because of this many still don’t understand what Jesus has done for them, and that is part of the reason she is involved in Bible translation; to give people a better chance at understanding. “The Lord has revealed to us that He does not want any of his children to be lost. It was a very big deal for me when I experienced Jesus himself calling me to work in Bible translation. I couldn’t contain the joy I felt and still can’t find the words to express my happiness over this! I want others to experience the love Jesus has for them too.”

Moanamary feels strongly that Bible translation is the key to helping people find the living God. She talks about the joy she sees on people’s faces when something in church has been made clear to them in their mother tongue. They are now using the texts that have been made available in the Antakaraña language at church.

There is another reason why this work is so important. Moanamary talks about the future development of her people as a whole. Having their language written down means that children (and adults) can learn to read and write in their own mother tongue first, giving them a better chance of succeeding at school. Bible translation opens the door to so many opportunities for her people. It’s a win-win situation!