Happy New Year from the McLeans! As we look back on 2012, we have many reasons to give thanks for God’s grace and goodness.
In April, after 28 years of committed teamwork, the new Hakka Bible was published. Mary Beth and I flew to Taiwan to participate in special celebrations and to visit Hakka churches and friends. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) dedicated the Bible at its annual General Assembly meeting and used the occasion to inaugurate a Year of Hakka Mission. We joined other members of the translation team at an ecumenical gathering of 1300 Hakka Christians where we praised God for the new Bible and asked God to use it to help renew Hakka churches as they share the Gospel in their own communities and around the world. In June, Mary Beth and I attended the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) which also praised God enthusiastically for the new Hakka Bible. Two Hakka churches in the Toronto area were excited to learn about the new Bible, and invited me to come and share with them. About 5000 copies have been sold in Taiwan and a few other countries. In July back in Taiwan, I joined 30 Hakka readers to tape the New Testament in audio format. It will be available free online in 2013 through Hosanna–Faith Comes by Hearing.
Since the Hakka Bible has been translated, I’ve been assigned to a new role in on-going partnership with the PCC, the PCT and the Bible Society in Taiwan. In May 2012, I began serving as a Translation Adviser with 4 indigenous Bible translation projects in these languages: Amis, Bunun, Drekay and Paiwan. I visited 3 of the translation teams in the summer and fall. Each team consists of gifted pastors and elders who are eager to finish translating the Bible into their own mother-tongue. Bunun and Paiwan Bibles already contain the New Testament and Short Old Testament, so these teams are translating remaining portions of the OT. The Drekay NT was published in 2000, so this team is working hard to translate the entire OT. The Amis Bible (NT & OT) was published in 1997; this team is planning to make some revisions to their NT, Psalms and Proverbs. Last year I attended two excellent United Bible Societies workshops for Translation Advisers in Bangkok and Jakarta where I received further training that is helping me assist these 4 indigenous translation projects. I also resumed my role as one of the editors for the BST’s Mandarin Chinese Union Study Bible. We hope to publish Genesis this spring.
May God bless you and yours throughout this New Year, and enable you to be a means of God’s loving care and encouragement to all those around you.
Peace, joy & love from,
Paul and Mary Beth
