(Orlando, Florida, USA)—Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that involves people in the acceleration of Bible translation efforts, is working to repair and reopen airstrips in some of the most difficult-to-reach areas of Papua New Guinea to ensure that Bible translation efforts continue moving forward there.
“Air transportation—the lifeblood of support for translators—is at risk,” says Bruce Smith, president and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “In addition to repairs, we must reopen multiple airstrips this year to begin translation in languages that desperately need God’s Word.”
Located in the eastern half of the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea comprises an area approximately one-tenth larger than California and consists mostly of mountains and lowland foothills. The highest point in the country is Mount Wilhelm, at 14,793 feet. Bible translators can travel for as many as five days by boat and on foot to reach some language groups, while the same trip by aircraft takes as little as two hours.
But many of the remote airstrips are little more than clearings that cling to the side of a mountain or are surrounded by jungle. Over time, heavy rains and thick vegetation contribute to the deterioration of the landing sites, which represent a connection to the outside world for Bible translators working in relative isolation. Translators rely on aircraft for the delivery of food and supplies, as well as transportation for themselves and support staff. An air evacuation during health emergencies and natural disasters can mean the difference between life and death.
“A simple airstrip of grass, dirt, or gravel may not seem like a priority where we live—in places where sidewalks are neatly paved and the roads are well-maintained no matter what the weather,” says Smith. “But in the isolated villages of Papua New Guinea, an airstrip is a lifeline.”
Wycliffe Associates needs to raise $50,000 this year to carry out necessary repairs to maintain or reopen crucial airstrips in Papua New Guinea. The funds will be used to purchase mowers, shovels, wheelbarrows, airstrip markers and windsocks, and to deliver gravel. In addition, the funding will provide surveys and earth-moving equipment for new airstrips.
“Without the airstrips, translation within this country would cease,” says David Barton, an aviation partner with Wycliffe Associates. “Air travel within Papua New Guinea is crucial to get the task of Bible translation completed.”
According to SIL’s Ethnologue, there are 830 living languages in Papua New Guinea, representing 12 percent of the living languages on earth. About 200 Bible translation projects are currently underway, while 175 have been completed to date. At any given time, approximately 1,000 adult volunteers, translators, support personnel, and children are in Papua New Guinea in connection with the work of Bible translation.
Wycliffe Associates involves people in accelerating the work of Bible translation through their time, talents, and treasure. Because millions of people around the world are still waiting to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as they can to translate every verse of the Bible into every tongue to change every heart. The organization partners with nationals, mother tongue translators, staff, volunteers, and supporters to direct and fund these efforts, as well as provide logistics, networking, and technical support. Through a growing global network, Wycliffe Associates is striving to overcome local limitations of time and resources to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word in every remaining language that needs it by 2025.
In 2010, the organization mobilized 4,381 volunteer and staff members to accelerate Bible translation in some 59 countries. Additional information is available at www.wycliffeassociates.org or by calling 1-800-THE WORD (1-800-843-9673).