The Excitement of Discovery
DAK Ministry Update, June 5, 2015
AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE
View from the mountains of Judea towards the foothills, plains and the Mediterranean Sea reflecting the evening sun.
Dear Friends,
There is no greater joy than to instill the excitement of discovery into those learning the scriptures. Along with that comes my (Anne) own excitement in learning new things and developing resources for translators and Bible students. These last six months have been full of such opportunities:
Discovering the Land of the Bible
In the first two months of the year, students at the Apostolic Mission Bible school learned the stories of the Bible in connection with the historical geography of the land, from the time of Abraham to King Herod. Now the 15 Powerpoint presentations that I have developed for these classes are now being requested by the Home for Bible Translators for the francophone program they are planning for 2016. What motivation to continue improving these resources!
My recent visit to Israel (April 17 — June 3) also helped me to discover new vistas and information. Just a few of the highlights - Shiloh, Nazareth, the Jordan just north of the Dead Sea, traces of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, the salt flats of the Dead Sea and the (breathtaking) winding road up the Scorpion Ascent in the middle of the desert! These few experiences will help me improve my historical geography resources.
Discovering the Meaning of Hebrew Words
A number of years ago I caught the excitement of discovering the fuller meaning of Hebrew words when I joined the Key Terms of Biblical Project. That project is no longer functioning, but it sparked a desire in me to pass on this passion to francophone translators, who have limited resources. During the OT selections workshop in Congo in March, I was able to do just that. On the last day of the workshop, translators excitedly presented the results of their research on the Hebrew words which English translates as covenant, 'bow down', adultery, covet, etc. and they gave their own suggestions for translation. Now the Bible Translation Conference 2015 (Oct) in Dallas, Texas has just accepted my proposal to present a paper on how we can train translators to both do their own research on Hebrew words as well as contribute towards a future Biblical Key terms dictionary for translators. What great motivation to improve my materials!
Discovering the Meaning of the Hebrew Text
The main reason for my being in Israel these last weeks was to teach the 'Discourse Analysis of Biblical Hebrew' at the Home for Bible Translators. Students from Africa, Russia, and the U.S. learned about the functions of verb forms, the distribution of nouns and pronouns, the manner of Hebrew argumentation and the wonders and intricacies of the craftsmanship of Hebrew texts. Our study of various texts led us to reflections on interpretation and translation issues. The students' excitement of discovering the structure of their chosen texts was clear during their oral presentations in class. Now I want to pull together my lecture notes and develop them further for possible use at a later date.
Back home
So nice to be back home with family, interact with each one. I am travelling so (too?) much this year. But we are planning that Daniel accompany me to the Bible Translation Conference in Dallas in October, and hopefully also see my parents in Canada. Dates and travel to be confirmed.
ANTBA (the Burkina National Bible Translation Association) is asking me to take some leadership in helping to coordinate new research, training, and development department there. While the details about how all of this will come about are still on the drawing board, we are in the excitement of visioning the possibilities. And maybe it will help me stay at home a little more.
Finances
We have had a good start this year with moneys spilling over from a large donation of the previous year, a nice honorarium for my services in the Congo, and a new monthly donor. We are so thankful. While we have not reached our top financial goal, we did receive one quarter of our yearly goal in the first five months of 2015. We are thankful too that those who request my services outside of Burkina pay for the travel, food, and lodging.
Prayer and praise
- We praise God for all of the opportunities for ministry in translation and Bible teaching and ask your prayers for insight as I continue to prepare materials, grade papers, and prepare for the next Congo workshop in August.
- Continue to pray for ANTBA, for wisdom for the board and the new director as we move ahead in new directions.
- Praise God for relative calm in Burkina despite the political fervor. Pray that nothing get in the way of a smooth transition to a stable government in October.
- The violent activities of the Muslim extremists in Africa and the Middle East continues to be on our minds and in our prayers. We pray for peace, protection, and transformed lives through this horrible time.
- Finally, we praise God for perfect health for Daniel during my entire time in Israel, after giving us all a scare while I was at my workshop in the Congo (in March).
God's blessings to each and every one of you in your various activities.
Anne and Daniel Kompaoré
Sharing God's Word through teaching, pastoring, and Bible translation
Commission to Every Nation and Mennonite Mission Network
Email: agkompaore@gmail.com, danielkompaore@cten.org; Skype: annegk1
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For Financial information and status please see
CurrentFinancialStatus.pdf or
contact Anne.