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

Jamaican Creole Translation Project

Quarterly Report

Financial Year: 2010

Quarter: 2nd (January—March)

By: Bertram Gayle (Project Co-ordinator)

Date: 5th April, 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. biblehouse@biblesocietywi.org
w. www.jamiekanbaibl.org
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Project Activities that Took Place During FY10 Q1

The following were achieved in the last three months:
1. Completion of the audio of Luuk Buk
2. Completion of the first draft of 1 Corinthians and Revelation.
3. Individual reviewing of James (also edited), Galatians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians & Rev.
4. A back-translation was prepared for 2 Peter, Philemon, Titus and Jude.
5. Group review commenced on Galatians.
6. Launching of our website, ULR www.jamiekanbaibl.org
7. Ronald Ross, our Translation Consultant, was with us from 1st – 5th March. During his visit, he walked us
through our translation of 1 Thessalonians.
8. Meeting with the Jamaican Language Unit of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (JLU-UWI).
The aim of the meeting was to initiate discussions with the JLU-UWI with regard to formalising the
Unit’s role in relation to the Translation Project.
9. Initiation of discussions with Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH) with regard to the possibility of a partnership
which would see the audio production of the Jamaican New Testament.
10. Formalisation of an agreement with Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS). Three of its staff will serve as Pro-
ject Exegetes. We have submitted to the Exegetes the 15 books which are at the second draft stage. So far, 1-
2 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy have been reviewed. 1-3 John and 2 Timothy are in the process of being
checked.
11. Entering into a contractual relationship with a local multimedia company, The Creative Production & Training
Centre Limited (CPTC). The outcome of this relationship will be the making of a documentary entitled “The
Making of the Patwa Bible.” The documentary will be made in time for the UK launch of Luuk Buk (May
2010. We are also planning several North American “soft” launches.).
12. Hosting David and Susan Swafford for three days during the Spring Break. The couple supports the project via
The Seed Company. (See front page pictures)

Problems in reaching goals originally scheduled:

The first draft of Hebrews was not completed as the Team member responsible for translating the book is on a
seven month leave of absence. The Project Co-ordinator has assumed her role but has decided not to continue He-
brews due to translator style.

Other activities that took place:

Project presentations and promotions at UWI, in Churches, in Schools and on television (Love TV).

Project Goals and Activities Planned for the next Three Months
The following are scheduled for the next three months:
1. Complete group reviewing Galatians, and commence the same for Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians and
Revelation – and submit these books to Project Exegetes.
2. Translate 2 Corinthians, commence translation of Acts and review the first draft of John’s Gospel (The Bible
Society prepared the first draft a number of years ago.)
3.Meet with Phil Kenney of FCBH.
4.Enter into a formal agreement with JLU-UWI re the Unit’s role in the life of the project.
5. Continue discussions with our Translation Consultant for a two week workshop on Discourse Analysis.
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Project Impact: How God’s working in lives through the project

The following is a note the Swaffords sent to the Translation Team.
“Dear Friends,
I cannot really put into words just how much I enjoyed getting to meet all of you and seeing the work that God is
doing for his people in Jamaica. When Susan and I first considered the idea of visiting you, we intended to be a
help to you and offer what encouragement we may. However, in the end I think it was you who encouraged us!
Even though we finished our time in Jamaica at the beach, Susan and I both agreed that we would rather have spent
more time speaking with all of you and watching the Spirit change lives as you introduced people to the Word in
their own language for the first time. It was so amazing to watch the expression on people's faces as they heard
God speaking. It was so amazing to hear your stories of being against the idea of a Patois Bible to finally being the
translators! The videos we took of Lloyd and Jodianne telling their story are the best of our entire trip. Quite pow-
erful, actually.
.... The hotel that we had originally booked ended up being too far from the beach and not very clean, so we had to
change hotels. Through that process, we had a lot of interaction with the receptionists that eventually led to a con-
versation about why we were in Jamaica. We were able to tell them about the Patois Bible...One lady was excited
from the beginning, and the other, although initially skeptical, had a change of heart after hearing her friend read
the Lord's Prayer. I felt that this was one of those special times when God put us in a position to be his witnesses....
Thank you again for showing us how God is working around the world.
David & Susan”

Team Member Profile:

• Name: Bertram Gayle
• Project Responsibility: Co-ordinator
• Church Affiliation: Christian (Plymouth) Brethren
• Current Church-related Activities: Sunday School teacher, lay preacher, Bible
Study leader
• Education: Dip Theo. BA (Hons) Theology, MA Linguistics (pending)
• Interest in Translation: Bertram is a full-time member of Wycliffe Bible
Translators Caribbean and is a Bible Translation Consultant in Training. Bertram
states, “I really want to understand what God is saying and I understand best by
listening or reading what he has to say in my own language, Jamaican Creole.”

Prayer Requests:
1. Continue to pray that our Exegetes would review our drafts as per our schedule.
2. Praise God, our website is up and running. May many persons visit it (along with our blog) and find useful
information about the project.
3. Continue to pray for the upcoming launch of Luuk Buk: Pray for the Bible Society as it sorts out the logistics
relating to the launches – local and overseas.
4. Pray for a positive outcome of our meetings with FCBH’s Phil Kenney.
5. Pray for our Translation Consultant as he tries to sort legal issues relating to his retirement. With this out of
the way, he will be able to give more time to the project.

“Ef nobadi se dem a waak ina di lait, an iet dem breda an sista dem stil a waak ina daaknis.”
1 Jan 2:9
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LUUK 22:1-23
Juudas Sel out Jiizas
(Matyu 26:1-5; Maak 14:1-2; Jan 11:45-53)
1
Di alidie we piipl nyam bred wid out yiis an we
did niem Paasuova, did suun kom 2 an di ed priis an
di Laa tiich dem, did a chrai fain wan wie fi get rid
a Jiizas anda di kwaiyat, kaaz dem did fried a di
piipl dem. 3 Den Sietan go iina Juudas, we dem
kaal Iskariyat, im a did wan a Jiizas Twelv apasl
dem. 4 So, Juudas go a di ed priis an di tap man
dem we gyaad Gad ous fi taak bout ou im kuda sel
out Jiizas an gi im uova tu dem. 5 Dem glad so til
an pramis fi pie im. 6 Juudas mek baagin wid dem,
an im wiet fi di chaans, wen di kroud no de de fi gi
Jiizas uova tu dem.
Jiizas Laas Sopa Wid im Falara Dem
7
Nou di alidie wen piipl nyam bred widout yiis
did kom. Da taim de piipl did afi bon sakrifais wid
di biebi shiip dem we get pik fi di Paasuova alidie.
8
Jiizas se tu Piita an Jan se, “Go luk bout di
Paasuova fuud fi wi nyam.”
9
Dem aks Jiizas se, “ wich paat yu waahn wi fi
go luk bout it?”
10
Jiizas ansa dem se, “Az unu go iina di toun,
wan man we a kyari wan jog a waata wi miit unu.
Fala im go a di ous we im a go, 11 an tel di uona se
di tiicha waahn fi nuo we di ruum fi vizita de, we
im kyan nyam mi Paasuova fuud wid im speshal
falara dem?” 12 Im a go kyari unu opstiez go iina
wan big ruum we set op aredi. A de so unu fi fiks
op di fuud."
13
Dem lef an fain evriting siem laik ou Jiizas tel
dem. An dem luk bout di Paasuova fuud.
14
Wen di taim kom fi dem nyam it, Jiizas an im
apasl dem sidong a di tiebl. 15 Jiizas se tu dem se,
“Unu no nuo ou mi did wel waahn da taim ya kom
so mi kuda nyam da Paasuova fuud ya wid unu
bifuor mi sofa. 16 Mi naa go nyam it agen til mi
riich iina Gad kindom.”
17
Jiizas tek op di kop an gi Gad tangks. Den im
se tu dem se, “Tek dis an shier it op mongks unu
wan aneda. 18 Mi a tel unu dis mi naa go jringk
wain agen, til Gad kindom kom."
19
Jiizas tek op di bred, gi Gad tangks an brok it
op gi dem, an se, “Dis a mi badi, we mi a gi op fi
fuunu siek. Unu fi du dis fi memba mi.”
20
A siem so wen dem don nyam, im tek di kop
an se, “Da wain ya a di nyuu pramis wa Gad mek
wid mi blod we a go puor out fi unu. 21 Bot luk, di
man we a go sel mi out de rait ya so a di tiebl wid
wi. 22 It don disaid aredi ou di Man we Gad Pik a
go ded bot chobl fi di wan we sel im out.” 23 Dem
taat fi aks dem wan aneda, a wich wan a dem wuda
du dat.
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