Pg 1 of 4 Bible Society of the West Indies (BSWI)

Jamaican Creole Translation Project

Quarterly Report

Financial Year: 2010

Quarter: 4th (July—Sept)

By: Bertram Gayle (Project Co-ordinator)

Date: 11th October, 2010

Gad Wod iina fi wi Langwij

The Translation Department, BSWI, P.O. Box 146, 24 Hagley Park Plaza, Kingston 10, Jamaica, W.I.
t. 1(876) 926-2772; f. 1(876) 926-0334. e-mail. jamiekanbaibl@biblesocietywi.org
w. www.jamiekanbaibl.org
Pg 2 of 4

Project Activities that Took Place During FY10 Q4

The following were achieved in the last three months:
1. Near completion of 2 Corinthians and Hebrews
2. Continued translation of Acts.
3. Four (4) local launches of the Luuk Buk Project over a period of three Sundays in August.
The audio files are available on the British and Foreign Bible Society’s website and are can be downloaded from
iTunes http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/products/1273/49/first_patois_bible_gospel_of_luke/

Problems in reaching goals originally scheduled:

1. The Luuk Buk breakfast launch for clergy was postponed for a later date, due to the significant number of
church leaders being off the island for the summer period.
2. The second drafts for John, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Revelation were not completed due to the
rescheduling of project activities.
Other activities that took place:
1. Media promotion of the project.
2. Hosting of two Translation Workshops – the Wycliffe Caribbean and BSWI staff members respectively. The
aim of the workshops was to equip our colleagues with information that would help them serve as better am-
bassadors of the translation project.
3. Presentation on the project at a local Kiwanis Club.
4. Sharing the translation with children living in a remand centre.
5. Telephone meeting with FCBH to clarify & explore some issues re the audio production of the New Testament.
6. Meeting with the Jamaican Language Unit (JLU) in which the unit made a presentation on its first deliverable
as per the BSWI/JLU contractual agreement – the development of a manual which guides the lexical, ortho-
graphic and stylistic choices made in the translation process.

Project Goals and Activities Planned for the next Three Months
The following are scheduled for the next three months:
1. Breakfast with heads of denominations and leaders of major para-church organisations on 6th October.
2. Meet with our Linguistic Consultant, the JLU, to review our contractual agreement in light of the revised pro-
ject schedule.
3. One week consultation workshop with UBS consultant, Dr Ronald Ross.
4. A series of North American Launches for our Luuk Buk Project.
5. Commence the second draft for the following books: John, 1 Cor, Eph, Colossians, Philippians and Revelation.
6. 2nd Nov- meeting with Mr Paul Pinto, the personnel who produced the audio of Luuk Buk. We are at that stage
of the project where we are contemplating how to act in terms of the audio recording of the NT. We have two
options - go with Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH) or to contract a local company.
7. 9th Nov - a presentation on our translation project to staff and students of Bethel Bible College.
8. 14th Nov - Luuk Buk Launch at the Keswick Convention, organised by a local Ministers' Fraternal. Lloyd
Millen, one of our translators, will be the night's speaker. His message will be delivered in Jamaican Creole.
9. 23rd Nov - a presentation on Bible Translation with special reference to JCTP at Jamaica Theological Seminary.
10. 26th Nov - a presentation at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on Issues relating to the Standardisation
of Jamaican Creole, with special reference to the Jamaican Creole Translation Project.
11. 28th Nov – Luuk Buk Launch at Highholborn Street Church of God, Kingston, Jamaica.
Pg 3 of 4

Project Impact: How God’s working in lives through the project

The following was related to us by Zaid, a volunteer with Wycliffe Bible Translators, Caribbean.

Reading the Jamaican Bible in Church for the first Time

“Recently, I was responsible for chairing Sunday morning worship at my home church. For that service, I had a
desire to do something very different, unexpected and risky because that’s who I am (yea, I’m a little rebel at heart
-lol), so I decided to read from "Di Buk a Luuk" - Luuk 6:17-23 to be exact.
I was a little timid at first, because I did not know how the church would receive the Jamaican reading, but who
cares (!!!), something came over me and I just read the word of God in my heart-language. Of course, not being
used to reading Jamaican, I stumble a bit over some of the words! The church laughed and I was teased about my
Jamaican being so close to English. Some even said I need a lesson in Creole! One should not see this as a nega-
tive reaction; however, persons were simply poking fun at my ability to read the text like a “real Jamaican”! In
fact, the reading was well received by the church! I know it was because the congregation applauded when I read
the text. One person informed me he needed to get his own audio copy of “Di Buk A Luuk.” It was a most joyful
experience!
I am in full support of the Jamaican Creole Translation Project, and I will use every opportunity I get share from
the translation and to promote it as much as possible.”

Team Member Profile:

• Name: Wycliffe Bible Translators, Caribbean (WBTC)
• Project Responsibility: Providing Personnel

• Bio: Wycliffe Caribbean traces its history to as far as January, 1993, in Trinidad and Tobago. WBTC is part of
the Wycliffe Bible Translators International (WBT Int’l) family of organisations. Wycliffe believes the world-
wide Christian Church is responsible to evangelise and to disciple the nations. Wycliffe, therefore, exists to assist
the Church in this task. In particular, Wycliffe Caribbean believes it is called to assist the Church in the Carib-
bean to mobilise its people to obey and be part of the Great Commission. For example, in an attempt to recruit
250 Jamaicans for the Mission field by 2012, WBTC is implementing effecting training / recruitment pro-
grammes. These programmes include camps, presentations, workshops and seminars.
In addition to partnering with BSWI, by providing a Co-ordinator for the Jamaican Creole Translation Project,
Wycliffe Caribbean is committed to give attention to the following issues that relate to the translation of the
Scriptures into Jamaican Creole. WBTC will,
1. Test the draft translation for comprehension/understanding in different locations in Jamaica
2. Develop with JLU and other stakeholders a strategy to help Jamaicans read and write Jamaican Creole.

Prayer Requests:
1. Praise God for all that we accomplished in the July to September quarter.
2. Pray for all the activities scheduled for the next three months (October to December).
3. Please pray for the leadership of Bible Society as they think through ways to bring the translation to the pub-
lic, particularly to persons in inner-city communities, many of whom only speak Jamaican Creole.
4. Continue to pray for Jamaica, particularly our government and the security forces. The rate of crime and
violence continues to decline. Also, remember those who suffered great loss as a result of some recent
flooding.
Pg 4 of 4

LUUK 4:1-13
Di devl chrai fi mek Jiizas du rang

(Matyu 4:1-11; Maak 1:12-13)

1 10
Aafa Jiizas get baptaiz, di Uoli Spirit tek aafa ya so. Kaaz it rait dong se,
kanchuol a im an mek im go iina di dezot.
'Gad wi tel im ienjel dem
2
Im did de de fi faati die an fi di uol taim, di
devil chrai aad fi mek im du rang. Nou, Jiizas fi tek gud kier a yu.
did onggri kaaz fi di faati die im nehn nyam 11
Dem wi kech yu so dat yu no lik op
notn.
yu fut pan rakstuon.'”
3
Di devl se tu Jiizas, “Ef yu a Gad pikni, tel
12
Jiizas ansa im se, “ It rait dong se, ‘No
da rakstuon ya fi ton bred.”
tes di Laad we a yu
4
Jiizas ansa, “It rait dong iina Gad buk se,
Gad.'”
man kyaahn liv pan bred wan”
13
5 Aafa di devl don chrai fi mek Jiizas du
Di devl kyari Jiizas op a wan taal taal
rang, im lef im til im get wan neks chaans.
plies an bifuo im kuda kwint so, im shuo im
aal di konchri dem we de iina di worl. 6 Im
tel Jiizas se, “Mi wi gi yu powa uova aal a
dem konchri ya an aal a di nais sitn we kom
wid dem, kaaz mi get dem an mi kyan gi
enibadi mi waahn. 7 Ef yu worship mi, aal a
it a fi yu.”
8
An Jiizas ansa im, “ It rait dong se,' yu
mos worship di Laad we a yu Gad an a im
wan yu fi sorv.'”
9
Den di devl kyari Jiizas go a Jeruusilem
an mek im tan op pan di taalis paat a Gad
ous. “Ef yu a Gad pikni,” di devl se, “Jomp
BIBLE SOCIETY OF THE WEST INDIES
24 Hagley Park Plaza
P.O. Box 146, Kingston 10, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 926-2772, Fax: (876) 926 - 0334
E-mail: biblehouse@biblesocietywi.org
www.biblesocietywi.org