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W o r d s f r o m R o y
Prayer is our
lifeline to
accomplish
Gods will.
Its our link to
the throne.
R o y L . P e t e r s o n | PRESIDENT
Every year at this time we gather around our tables for Thanks-giving Day and thank God for our many blessings in this greatnation. At The Seed Company, we give thanks for you and ourfaithful partners around the world. And as we do, we alsoare mindful to pray for people groups who are experiencing great turmoil.One of the greatest and most urgent needs on my heart is for the Word
of God to penetrate and shatter the darkness and violence that has ripped
families apart, generated unspeakable atrocities toward women and
children, and claimed more than 5 million lives in the eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC).
Having recently met with representatives of six partner organizations atthe American Bible Society in New York, it was clear that we share the
same concerns and want to do all we can to reach out to the aected
people. Thank God, Wyclie and SIL have made available Trauma Healing
Workshops to minister to devastated people. But we must do more. The
Scriptures say, He sent his word and healed them, snatching them from
the door of death (Psalm 107:20, NLT).
With your partnership, The Seed Company is actively involved in helping
translate Gods healing Scripture for 10 people groups in the DRC.
But at least 25 groups in the Great Lakes region of the DRC and neigh-
boring countries aected by the ghting do not have any Scripture in their
heart language. We realize that for people to have a thriving relationship
with Jesus and experience His physical, emotional and spiritual healing,
they must know His Word in their heart language.
Prayer is our lifeline to accomplish Gods will. Its our link to the throne.
The needs are urgent on many fronts. We are so thankful for our new Prayer
Director, Bill McCoy, who will be coordinating powerful prayer initiatives for
the DRC as well as expanding our prayer ministry in other areas. Bill will be
networking with existing prayer organizations and providing prayer requests
to mobilize strategic, eective and targeted prayer, which will do much to
destroy the works of darkness while making a powerful impact for Gods
kingdom. (Be sure to read Bills column in this issue youll be encouraged!)
We are so thankful for the privilege of serving the Body of Christ through
focused prayer eorts. And, we are so very
thankful for your partnership with us.
I pray Gods richest blessing for you and
your family during this holiday season!Cover: Lughulu mother holding
her baby close and treasuring the
newly translated Scripture she
received. Because of your gifts,
her child can learn about Jesus and
know Gods Word! (Story page 8)
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An enthusiastic Mama Singihad been serving as a localchurch small-group leader when
she started working with the Ada
translation team as part o the
Basera Cluster in Southeast Asia.
Soon though, it became difcult
to carry out both jobs eectively.
She would have to choose between
the two. e decision was tough!While translating verses in Genesis,
Mama began to understand what to
do. She realized God had promised
Abraham he would be a blessing to
all the amilies o the earth. Ater
much prayer and discussion with
her amily, Mama told church lead-
ers, I can only help a small group
o amilies as a group leader. I can
help churches, even hundreds o
amilies, through Bible translation.
Mama Singi would ocus her eorts
on translation work.
Such commitment is the rule
rather than the exception in this
Southeast Asian cluster project. As
mother-tongue speakers like Mama
Singi gain translation training and
experience, they will become valu-
able in helping neighboring groups.
Translators rom the Edo, Ada
and Ampere people groups are
working jointly on the New Testa-
ment while the Hua team is com-
pleting their Old Testament. And
ve national consultant interns
rom Kartidaya, the National Bible
Translation Organization (NBTO)
also are in training.
Working as a cluster, translators
and interns learn rom and assist
one another. ey share acilities,
personnel and available resources.
Kartidaya and e Seed Company
have great hope that this training
model will multiply to reach the
remaining 200 people groups in
this nation.
Your partnership in prayer andgiving is helping the people o
Southeast Asia receive Gods Word
or the very rst time! ank you.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A M u l t i p l i c a t i o n
S t r a t e g yorR e a c h i n g a N A T I O N
I can only help a smallgroup o amilies as a groupleader. I can help churches,even hundreds o amilies,through Bible translation.
Mama Singi, Southeast Asia
Join the latest phase of translation
among the Hua at
theseedcompany.org/project/hua-ot-im
seed l inks
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AGitin anyLanguage
Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace, good will
toward men!
What an honor! What a thrill it must have been orGabriel to announce that the Savior o the world had been born.
Gods messenger angel had waited 4,000 years to proclaim the
birth o Jesus and he brought the host o heaven with him as
they praised God, blasting the Good News through the heavenlies.
Imagine the reaction o the shepherds tending sheep and halasleep, when suddenly a bright ash shatters the darkness and
lights up the night sky with Gods dazzling glory.
Dont be araid! thundered the angel. I bring you good
news that will bring great joy to all people. Messiah has been
born today in Bethlehem, the city o David!
e messenger knew the tremendous impact o his declara-
tion. God had prepared him rom the oundation o the earth to
announce the arrival o the Savior o mankind Jesus Christ.Gods Word always brings light that pierces the darkness and
makes an impact. e watching shepherds ran to Bethlehem to
tell others the Good News they had heard.
Today, national Bible translators around the world are on
the same urgent mission to spread Gods Word to their people
group in a language they understand.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 | seed l inks
Gift-A-Verse lets
you and your loved on
continue to announc
the Saviorto peopl
who are still waiting
hear the Good News
Over 350 million
people are still waiting
for Gods Word to
pierce the darkness
of their world.
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Go To www.OneVerse.org Click on the Git-A-Verse link.Select e number o Git-A-Verse cards
you desire to give.
People groups you want to bless. e Git-A-Verse card design you preer.
Sign Up Fill out inormation. Order your cards by
December 10, and well printand deliver them to you beoreChristmas.
Or call toll ree 866-663-8377!
Git-A-Verse Cards or ChristmasA gift that will be remembered for eternity!
For more information or to order your Gift-A-Verse cards, go to OneVerse.org/gift.
A Gift-A-Verse card represents a life changing gift given in
honor of that special someone in your life. It is the translation of one
verse of Gods Word for a people without Scripture in their language.
For only $26, through Gift-A-Verse, you and your lovedones share Scripture with a Bibleless people desperately waiting for
Gods message of salvation and hope.
Its been over 2,000 years since that rst announcement and
still 350 million people wait for Gods Word to pierce the darkness
of their world. Together we are changing that, one verse at a time.
Gift-a-Verse cards are mailed directly to the purchaserwith an extra envelope. You can hand-write a special
message inside the card before re-mailing it in theenvelope provided.
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A translation o the Gospel inthe heart language o the people
can remove a cultural stigma anddraw many to Jesus.
In Mozambique, one Nyungwewoman a Christian elt thesting o rejection when her riendsreerred to her church as thechurch o those Changana people,a nickname that has carried thesting o rejection and a sense oexclusion in the community.
Now this woman has hopethat many will attend church andhear the Good News because thetranslation team has completedthe Gospel o Mark in the Nyun-gwe language. Finally, she cried,my people will stop using thenickname and come inside thechurch doors to hear Gods Word
in Nyungwe! e communityeven held a celebration or thecompletion o the rst transla-tion o Scripture in their language.
Translation work is ongoing sothe nearly hal- million Nyungwespeakers will have access to GodsWord. By 2016, the translationteam anticipates completing theNew Testament and portions o
the Old Testament.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
N Y U N G W E D E D I C A T I O N
Translation Removes Stingo Rejection
So now there is
no condemnation for
those who belong to
Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 (NLT)
6 | seedl inks
Though I was a believer,
there was no change in
my inner life. I couldnt forgiv
others. I told lies and had a
kinds of unspiritual thoughts i
my heart. Reading Gods Word
my inner life began to change
My faith has grown. Now mwork, my talk and my deed
are changing.
Manta translator-trainee,South Asia
B i b l e T r a n s l a t i o ni s Evange l i sm
Celebrating e Word in YawaSenat smiles, revealing rough,
red teeth streaked rom years ochewing betel nut and lime. Shoul-der-length hair rames his darkace like a lions mane. Clutchedin his hand is a tattered copy o a
New Testament portion that hehas careully covered in brownpaper. e Scripture he holds waspublished in Yawa, his SoutheastAsian language, in 1990.
I the reading is rom theNew Testament, explains church
elder Senat, and thatportion has been pub-
lished [in Yawa], I alwaysread rom it.
His ragile book bulgeswith bookmarks, sermon
notes and an order o worshiprom last April, June 20, hed readJohn 3:5 to open the service andpreached rom 1 Timothy chapter 3.For that same service, Senat[let] had asked translator Man-
dowen [right] or thewording o a pas-sage rom Hebrews,which had not been
published at the time.Soon Senat will have the
entire New Testament. e teamexpects to get the entire manu-script to the printer by the endo this year. Next Junes planneddedication will be Christmas allover again . . . when Gods Wordarrives in Yawa!
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One Dea congregation witnessed a markeddierence in their pastor as his preaching in Kenyan SignLanguage took on a special glow. George, a member o thecongregation, signed, We started noticing that his stories were
clearer and had very strong lessons. How come? we wondered.
Later we discovered our pastor had been watching theKenyan Sign Language Bible on DVD in his ree time. Sundayservices were never the same! ey have become more moving,interesting and touching.
e Seed Company has a vital partnership with Dea Opportu-nity Outreach to support Dea translators in Kenya. Since 2009these gited translators have produced translated Scriptures onDVD to minister to 200,000 Kenyan Dea people. ank youor your part in helping the Dea community receive Gods Word
in a remarkable way!
D E A F O P P O R T U N I T Y O U T R E A C H
Preaching Aglow
Take the challenge!Start the 28-day interactive
devotional challenge anytime!e 15-minute daily adventuresare great or personal study, am-ily devotions and small groups.
While growing in appreciationor Gods Word, you and yourchurch can team up with nationaltranslators rom a specic peoplegroup to help provide Scripture intheir language or the rst time.
Get started atblankbible.org
G O D S W O R D C H A N G I N G L I V E S
A R O U N D O U R W O R L D
The kids REALLY loved all the
OneVerse information and videos.
You guys did a great job!
Emmanuel Baptist ChurchAppleton, Wisconsin
Read more about these and
other projects around the world at
theseedcompany.org
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Children rom 50 churches raised$22,000 during Vacation Bible School(VBS) to und Scripture translation or theLughulu people o Tanzania! e 2010GoFish curriculum ocused on Puttingthe Bible back into Vacation Bible School, and included a missionscomponent about Bible translation rom OneVerse. Churches, parents
and students alike gave the program high marks.OneVerse and GoFish are now working onVBS curriculum or 2011. Watch or it!
Catching on to Bible Translationrough VBS
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Their First
SCRIP
A Lughulu village leader o another religion also
acknowledged the eect o Scripture in his language.
He said, I am very pleased to hear what you are saying
to the people it gives me peace.
In addition, community members are requestingliteracy classes so they can use the Lughulu Scriptures
more eectively.
Testimonies such as these have motivated neighboring
language groups to ask or help with Bible translation.
As a result, e Seed Company is now partnering with
local translation teams rom 12 languages to make
Gods Word available to more than 4.5 million people.
It was thrilling or the OneVerse team to hear and
see how portions o Gods Word are blessing the Lughulu
When Seed Company/OneVerse stamember Jill Monaco was accompanied by university
students Kellen and Amanda to visit several OneVerse
translation projects in East Arica, the impact o the
recently translated Lughulu Scriptures was evidentand creating a stir in the community.
For instance, ater the JESUS lm rom the Book
o Luke was shown in the Lughulu language, believers
began reaching out and praying or others. When they
visited their neighbors, Edina gave her lie to Jesus.
e Lord healed her, and her daughter came to Christ
that same evening! Edinas relatives were shocked! ey
had been expecting news o Edinas death, but instead,
they heard o a miracle.
br ings
One Book
to the
Lughulu
people
8 | seedl inks
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TURE
people. It was especially rewarding or Jill, Amanda
and Kellen to accompany Lughulu translators to a local
church, bringing the newly published Book o John.
When they stepped inside the mud-brick church
where purple, green and blue cloth anned out to coverthe expanse o one wall, they sensed the presence o
God. Woven strands o owers hung across the abric,
lending an air o dignity and reverence to the simple
structure. e crowd o believers swayed to the beat
o tall drums, a hand-made marimba and a variety o
shakers and rattles. While worshipping the Lord, the
people began spontaneously synchronizing their
bodies in a beautiul dance rhythm while their voices
were ringing out in clear harmony. For the OneVerse
Lughulu The majority of
Lughulu speakers, including
Christians, still live in fear of
spirits, rather than experiencing
the redemption and freedom
they could know in Christ.
Scriptures in their mother
tongue will oer believers the
tools for deliverance.
You can sponsor one verse for
the Lughulu people too! Visit
oneverse.org/project/lughulu
View the video online at:
theseedcompany.org/lughulu-visit
A Mounta intopE x p e r i e n c e
visitors, this was a mountaintop experience.
e pastors daughter sang a song that almost
brought me to tears without even knowing the words,
said Amanda. e words to the song were simply,
You are able. Kellen added, Having the Word o Godin their language meant the world to them. Bible
translation is so important; we must make it a priority
in our oering to missions!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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OneVerse team members Kellen,
Amanda (pictured upper left) and
Jill embrace the Lughulu people and
accompany translators bringing the
newly published Book of John to a
local church. (lower left).
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