The last week or so Tim has been busy helping to prepare for our mission group’s biennial conference which begins on Friday. All of our members here in the Solomons will come together for 7 days of meetings which will include spiritual ‘retreat’, team reports, prayer and several days of business meetings.

Tim is the head of the ‘Advisory Committee’ for our group and has been putting together the agenda for the business meetings. This is a critical time for our group as we look for new ways to approach Bible translation in this country. Traditionally we have had missionary-translators who have come from their home countries and worked in one language group until a New Testament translation is completed. A slowing trickle of missionary-translators, and new computer and translation resources are challenging us to explore new strategies for helping to bring God’s Word to His people here in the Solomon Islands.

One exciting development in the past few years is the number of Solomon Islanders who are interested in doing translation themselves instead of waiting for a missionary- translator who may never come. These dedicated men and women are eager for the Scriptures in their mother tongue and want to learn to translate. While this is great news, we don’t have the personnel needed for the checking and editing of the translation before it goes to print. We are looking for ways of encouraging these national translators while ensuring quality Bible translation at the same time.

Please pray for a fruitful week, good discussions and God’s clear leading in our planning.