"The Bible Translator who Changed the World"
Nearly everyone on the planet has heard about the influence of people like Mother Teresa and Billy Graham – but let me tell you about one of the most influential British Bible translators in church history, who has gone almost unnoticed. Outside of the Bible translation world, few people will have heard of her, but within, she was considered to be a legend! Katharine (Katy) Barnwell died a few days ago, aged 87, having spent much of her life serving Christ using her linguistic skills. Upon completion of an MA in English Language and Literature, Katharine began her linguistic studies with SIL in 1960. She then served with SIL as a linguist in Nigeria, and became a trainer of local translators, as well as an international Translation Coordinator.
She was an exceptional Bible translation consultant and also a beloved friend and advocate of TWFTW. For over 25 years Katharine worked closely with TWFTW teams, pouring her wisdom, passion, and expertise into projects across Africa. She developed training programmes, mentored countless translators, and revolutionised approaches that underpin much of modern Bible translation work. Her methods have shaped thousands of projects worldwide, and her influence lives on in the Scriptures now being read in the heart languages of millions of people. Her work with The Jesus Film Project alone has touched more than 300 million viewers, while her training and advocacy continue to ripple out through so many of Bible translation projects worldwide.
During her many years overseas Katharine often endured difficulties and trials as she worked to help translate the Bible. “Katharine was no stranger to peril. Six times she was robbed at gunpoint, twice stormed by armed robbers. She fled a civil war on foot and upriver without documentation. On one occasion, she and a team of translators were robbed of several laptops at gunpoint by a group of marauders in Nigeria. She endured constant threat from terrorists and constant danger from malaria. She was known to forego food and sleep so that others might eat and have a warm bed”.
We praise God for Katharine and the impact she has had; for her perseverance and humility, and her desire to see people read God's Word in their heart language. Whilst we mourn this earthly loss, we thank God for her incredible life and lasting legacy.
Five Weeks To Go!! 'Sinai for Sena' Update:
Sponsored climb of Mt Sinai & Mt Catherine
In last month's newsletter the "Sinai for Sena" campaign had just been launched; a sponsored climb/walk that I'm aiming to do in early November to raise funds to buy 10,000 Bibles for the Sena people of Malawi. THANK YOU muchly to all who have contributed, or as they say in Sena, "Ndapereka takhuta na manja mawiri". It's been exciting and encouraging to see those donations coming in on a daily basis, and I very much appreciate you digging deep into your pockets to help fund this cause. As well as providing copies of God's Word to the Sena people for personal use, and use in the churches, the Sena Bible also happens to be the 'textbook' that is used by our literacy coordinators to teach people to read and write in over 100 literacy centres in Malawi!
Where are we at now, I hear you ask?! The total cost of printing 10,000 Sena Bibles comes to £48,000 (£4.80 per Bible), but with half of that cost already covered by TWFTW UK, I'm seeking to raise the balance of £24,000. We started raising funds six weeks ago, and after week 5 we were able to mark the first milestone, reaching a third of our target - £8,000. We're now at week 7 of the campaign, and we're very nearly at the halfway point with £11,294. With only five weeks to go, the push is now on to try and raise the rest, although the campaign will stay open for a few weeks after Sinai, until Nov 30th. If you'd like to get involved, we'd be extremely grateful if you'd consider adding a few Bibles to our current total! Even a single Bible, because it is the breathed-out Word of God, can have a profound and life-changing impact on its reader - for His Word is able to make someone "wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ" (2 Tim 3:15).
Over the next five weeks there will be regular updates on our Facebook & Instagram pages - so if you'd like to be kept in the loop, please check out our social media pages.
Website Page with details of different way's to donate: https://www.twftw.org.uk/sinai-for-sena
Or, for the 'GoFundMe' link, just the button click below! THANK YOU!
Laughter at the Lambyan Launch! NEW VIDEO.
If you cast your mind back a few months ago to the May edition of the newsletter, you may well remember seeing the above photo. It was taken at the launch of the Lambya Bible in Chitipa, northern Malawi, back in April, and is one of the favourite photos of the year...so far! The caption I want to use for this photo will be familiar to those who are long-term footie fans - "Just look at his face"!! So said the football commentator Barry Davies as he watched Francis Lee score a cracker of a goal for Man City against Derby back in 1974!
Well, just look at the face of the guy in this photo! That's what it means for someone to receive their own copy of God's Word in their heart language. And thankfully, there are more of those smiles to come! As you'll see in the prayer points below, it looks as though next year is going to be very busy for Bible launches. With translation projects complete, our Publications team are currently working on 30 New Testaments and full Bibles, so we should be seeing many more smiley faces, as well as lives impacted and changed for Christ.
Our Media department has produced a 5 minute video of the Lambya launch, so if you want to see a few more smiles, click on the link below.
Out & About Diary Dates for Oct/Nov:
3-11 Oct: Annual Leave – Holiday in the sun....hopefully!
12 Oct: Ebenezer Chapel, Yatton Keynell, Wiltshire(am)
17-19 Oct: IllumiNations Bible Translation Conference, Surrey
2 Nov: Koinonia Evangelical Church, Andover(am)
7-12 Nov: Sinai for Sena sponsored climb – Egypt.
Praise & Prayer Points:
Answered Prayer! Praise God that all appointments last month went very much to script, with safe & uneventful travel. Bible teaching opportunities were plentiful with the Oak Hall trip to Greece as well as Corsham Baptist men’s weekend away happening within a 2-week period!
Please continue to pray for all aspects of the ‘Sinai for Sena’ project arrangements. Praise God for the many generous donors who have already given, and pray that we’re able to raise what’s needed to provide 10,000 Bibles for the Sena people of Malawi.
Please pray for the family of one of our TWFTW colleagues, William Majani, who tragically lost his life in a car accident while traveling in Tanzania last month. William was our Regional Training Coordinator for the whole of the Southern Africa. Pray for his parents, his wife & children as they grieve this loss.
TWFTW Publications Team is rather busy! They have over 30 New Testaments and full Bibles in the process of publication. This is great news! Pray that the team will be strengthened to handle this significant work and that it will be completed with accuracy and efficiency.
One of our translators working on the Gurbet project for the Roma people of Serbia & Croatia, Goran, is recovering after a 9-month battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Please pray for his full recovery. Praise God that the typesetting of the New Testaments for the Chergash, Arli & Gurbet projects is expected to be finalised soon. Thank you for your prayers!