Recently I (Chris) had the opportunity to participate in the CanIL (Canada Institute of Linguistics) Training Ride,which takes place every summer and raises funds in order to provide future CanIL students with scholarships. These scholarships fund the crucial training that translation workers need to complete before heading out into their positions in the Bible translation process. Lauren and I have personally benefitted from the generous scholarship and bursary program that CanIL provides so this was a great opportunity for us to give something back! I finished the 100km ride with my team of 5 in approximately 4.5 hours and all of the participants raised over $24, 000 this year for the training of Bible translation workers at CanIL! Lauren volunteered at the event by working at one of the rest stations handing out water and snacks to participants. She was at the 80km rest stop so the volunteer work that she did was very much appreciated by all of the cyclists participating in the 100km route! Overall, it was an amazing experience and I am thrilled that we were able to raise so much money for scholarships that will fund future Bible translators, ultimately aiding the mission of providing the Gospel for every people group in their mother tongue! It has also been exciting and encouraging to get to know some of our future colleagues over the past 7 weeks here in Langley. There is one man, with his wife and four children, who will also be moving to Mbeya, Tanzania (the exact same city as us!) in January 2016 and two ladies who will be moving to another city in Tanzania, also in January 2016. They are all members of Wycliffe USA and it has been an honour for us to hear how God called them into missions and Bible translation work. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of them over the past month and a half! We are so thankful that God brought us together for this time at CanIL to encourage one another as we all prepare for life overseas as missionaries. P.S. We are going to be sending out our summer newsletter later this week, so if you are reading this and want a copy please let us know!
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AuthorChristopher and Lauren Merke have joined Wycliffe to help fulfill the goal of seeing the scriptures translated into every language of the world! Christopher and Lauren live and work in Mbeya, Tanzania doing linguistic, language survey and vernacular media work. As a linguist, it will be Lauren’s responsibility to analyze and evaluate the linguistic and cultural data that is collected by language survey workers. Her role is very important because it speeds up the Bible translation process and makes translators for effective, ensuring the Good News of Jesus Christ reaches people as quickly as possible. Christopher will be fulfilling two roles as a language surveyor and as a vernacular media technician. As a language surveyor, Christopher travels to remote villages in order to gather linguistic and cultural data about various people groups and language groups. This is critical information, as it lays the foundation for Bible translation work through seeking answers to critical questions in the first stages of the Bible translation process. As a vernacular media technician, Christopher’s role will be to help translate various materials, such as the Jesus film and Christian radio programs, into other languages in Tanzania to ensure that the Gospel reaches as many people as possible. Christopher and Lauren are thrilled to be able to use the gifts that God has given them and would like for you to prayerfully consider partnering with them in this journey! Archives
September 2016
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