Reason to Celebrate
“This morning I went to a factory where coconut soap products are made,” Martha Matzke recently wrote from the Solomon Islands. “A factory employee walked into the office where I was buying the soap and I realized I knew him from somewhere…. He said I knew him from the national prison. Sure enough, he was in the first literacy class that I helped start….”
Martha asked the man how his reading was coming, and he asked her when the Solomon Islands Pijin Bible would be completed. He proudly reported that he was still reading, and she was happy to reply that the Bible was scheduled for release on July 7th, 2008—the 30th anniversary of Solomon Island independence!
A Dozen years for Pijin Bible
The Solomon Islands Pijin Bible has been a dozen years in the making, and the translation team is thrilled that they will soon be able to celebrate the results of their labor. Recently, ten translators from various areas of the Solomon Islands met together for four weeks to make revisions to the text.
Not only did they have to scrutinize the Old Testament, but the New Testament had to be analyzed as well. Nearly 15 years has passed since the Pijin New Testament was released and the language has evolved considerably since that time.
The team’s main objective in the revision stage was to make sure the text was as clear and simple to understand as possible. Gerry Beimer, one of the workshop coordinators, said, “We believe that with the help received, we can produce a Pijin Bible that is simple, easy to read and understand, and also one which will be interesting, enjoyable, and at the same time challenging for readers.”
Faith Comes by Hearing
But it’s not just those who can read that will benefit from the newly translated Scriptures. Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH)* is producing a dramatized audio version of the Solomon Islands Pijin New Testament, so that those who are unable to read will also have direct access to God’s Word. The FCBH team is working hard to complete the New Testament recordings so that the finished CDs will be available at the same time that the Pijin Bible is launched in July.
There’s a great deal of excitement surrounding this recording, since it will be the first FCBH project for the Solomon Islands. Several professional readers have even agreed to help with the bigger reading parts. One team member is well respected as a soccer tournament announcer. He reads the voice of the Apostle Paul—the largest part of the New Testament.
The Proclaimer
The recordings will be available on CDs and personal MP3 players. Faith Comes By Hearing has also developed a special solar-powered player called a “Proclaimer.” This special device will play for 15 hours on one charge and can be heard by a large group of people, making it one of the best listening devices. As many as 300 people can gather around this player and hear the message of God’s Word.
Between the FCBH recordings, the completed Solomon Islands Pijin Bible, and the 30-year anniversary of their nation’s independence, Solomon Islanders have much to look forward to in 2008. Not only do they continue to enjoy political independence, but they’ll also be able to experience new freedom in Christ as they read and listen to God’s Word in their own language. That’s definitely a reason to celebrate!
*Faith Comes By Hearing is committed to putting every translation of the Bible into audio form, and to implementing Faith Comes By Hearing in every church or village in the world, so that all people, especially the 50 percent of the world who cannot read, can hear God's Word in the language in which they pray.
This story is by Matt Petersen and photos by Martha Matzke