Sunday, August 14

Here's Aaron's report:

 

The translation team gathered again to work on peer review of Ruth. With individual translators drafting the text, we believe it is important for the translation team to come together to give a peer review. This not only helps to clean up the rough draft and give us more confidence of having a “good” draft to send to the exegetical check, but it also provides the translators a good opportunity to hone their skills and to learn from each other.

 

Our team consists of translators who each are leaders in their respective villages and each have many family and community obligations. When we come together, it is often good to assemble at a village that is not home to anyone on the team. This provides a separation from those regular obligations, allowing each member of the team to focus on the translation work at hand. It also gives visibility of the translation work to the hosting village. We want all the Lavukal people to have a feeling of ownership of the translation, to know what it going on so they can pray for us, and to be motivated to practically support the translators in their ministry.

 

One aspect of working together with this team is that they are hard workers and all very motivated to getting the text “right.” Some might call us work-aholics if they observed us in these work sessions. It is not uncommon for us to work 12-16 hour days. We usually shut down when the thinkers grind to a halt. We stop to attend church services and to eat. Otherwise we tend to work. From what we have heard from some colleagues, this is not a common trait. We are very thankful for the devotion of the Lavukal translators.

 

Currently the team is assembling together to do peer review and other translation work about every two to three weeks. We try to continue this pace whether the Choate family is in the village or in Honiara. Please continue to pray for the translation team. Each of us are growing in our respective roles and we are encouraged to see some obvious signs of spiritual growth in some of the translators as well.