Reaching the Unreached

00:00
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
I thought that everybody is rich it by the language. And so I felt comfortable that everything is done during these three years. When I get exposure to the grassroots people, especially the different small groups who have their own vernacular, these people have no other way of hearing the word of God. 

00:24
Rich Rudowske
You welcome to the essentially translatable podcast brought to you by Lutheran Bible translators. I’m Rich Rudowski. 

00:35
Emily Wilson
And I’m Emily Wilson. 

00:37
Rich Rudowske
And today we are going to talk with our good friend Ethiopia programs director, Dr. Berhanu Ofka. Before we talk with him, we’d like to remind you that you can get essentially translatable podcast directly delivered to you on whatever platform you use by subscribing on audible or Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, all the places, or going to slash podcast. You can subscribe there. We would love to make your life easier by being sure that content is available to you whenever you want it. 

01:11
Emily Wilson
Yeah, and you can check out past episodes really easily now, like all of them from its inception. So enjoy. Happy listening. 

01:21
Rich Rudowske
So Dr. Burhani was here in our newly equipped studio to talk with us about his life and work in Ethiopia. And he is the former general secretary of the largest lutheran church body in the world, the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Makanijesus, and currently serves as Lutheran Bible translators programs director for our Ethiopia programs. And those programs are an innovative partnership with the McCannie, Asus Church and the seminary to train and build up Bible translation advisors. That’s kind of the equivalent to what was our entry level missionary work here in LBT, and then to send them to do language work in Ethiopia through the department of Mission and Theology and even out into the world. And so just sort of by comparison, right now, Lutheran Bible translators has 57 missionaries that we’ve sent all over the world. 

02:20
Rich Rudowske
This program that’s happening at the seminary right now that will send missionaries out as they graduate over the next couple of years, currently has 35 students in there that would all be equivalent to LBT missionaries. 

02:32
Emily Wilson
That’s awesome. And as you’re listening to this interview, I want you to imagine as Dr. Afka is speaking, he really paints a picture of his story, his experience with scripture, and just what life is like in the ethiopian context. He really just embodies this passion for God’s word in your own language. And so just sit back, relax and bask in the storytelling. 

03:06
Rich Rudowske
We are here with Dr. Berhanaovka, the Ethiopia programs director for Lutheran Bible translators, and the previously served as general secretary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Makana Jesus. And great to have you with us in the studio. Dr. Berhanu, thank you. 

03:21
Emily Wilson
Welcome. We’re so thankful that you’re here with us and able to join us in person and what’s quite a trip in the middle of all of the COVID precaution world. And we’d love for you to be able to share a little bit about your background with our audience. So you’ve been a Christian most of your life, but it wasn’t necessarily the environment you grew up in. So what were the regional religious beliefs in Ethiopia at the time growing up? 

03:52
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Well, I was born in rural Ethiopia. My parents from farming parents. And their religious worldview was syncretistic, partially adapted traditional african religion and also claimed to be Christian, Orthodox Christian. So they used to do both practices. Once in a year or occasions they go to orthodox church. When they baptized me, they have me baptized as a child. But most of the time they adhere to african traditional religion. They worship of different kind of spirits. They believe that there are spirits in trees, rivers. And when something beyond the control happens, like Lorraine when the rain stops or natural Jada asters happen, they pray to that spirit. Okay, the ladies in the village get together and carry the branch of tree and sing and go to the river and give homage to appease that deity. They say it, Rachel. 

05:08
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
They go and put that and then honor that deity. They keep doing for a month. By the end of the month they celebrate that occasion under victory. And under a victory the men also join them. They kill animal and shed blood and give that blood also to that deity. And think that the deity gets satisfied. They think that the deity take away the rain. And now when they do that, they expect that the spirit is satisfied and the rain will come back accidentally. Sometimes they get rain after that celebration. And I joined them and I used to practice all those practices with them. And they have also other practices, ladies, separately. Do my mother used to celebrate spirit cult? No. As at once in a year. Those days they call the village, they make a feast at home and call the village elders ladies. 

06:28
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
And the ladies use drums in horror of that spirit. And they do that and they sing. And then while in the midst of that practice my mother gets posted with evil spirit and lose her mind and act like angry spirit. So at that time the elders, my father with the village elders come and beg. Then the spirit expresses anger and say, I did that to the family. I killed that person in the family. I did that this and that and tells about misphon shoes in the family. Then they beg the spirit to appease and to lowest anger then the spirit on my mother used to say, now if you do this and that or dedicate animal to him or kill animal for him, he will stop doing that. So that’s what they were doing before in my pre christian practice. 

07:37
Rich Rudowske
So how did your family or you become christian or evangelical? What was that like? And what happened to change those beliefs? 

07:48
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
When I was elementary school student, I lived in that community. But after completing my elementary school and we had to go to city area, two of my friends joined Bible school in that city. Because of academic reason, they didn’t make the high school grade. 

08:11
Rich Rudowske
Okay. 

08:12
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
And economic reason also. They couldn’t cover their cost. So at the Bible school, the missionaries pay them and they joined Bible school without knowing Jesus. They just went and start studying Bible. And I used to visit them while I was going to high school in that city. Just our friendship continued. And I used to visit them. And one day during my visit, I went with an eyeglass. One of them was interested in that eyeglass. And if you give me this eyeglass, I’ll give you Bible. 

08:48
Rich Rudowske
Okay? 

08:50
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Then we exchange it. 

08:52
Rich Rudowske
Okay. 

08:52
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
And then I started reading the Bible and tested good for me. And they kept reading and reading and I liked it. Then the other time I went, this eye grass is good for me and you can remain with your Bible. That’s the Bible I throw, which got connected to the church. Then after keeping on reading the Bible, there was a church, a lutheran church in that city. They directed me to go to that church and start worship, practicing christian worship in that church. So gradually I started coming to church and reading the Bible. And through that gradual process, first I myself connected, get connected to the church. On the top of that, there was a special occasion when faith made sense, special sense for me through radical compression. And from there on I became serious about worshipping and sharing my experience to other people. 

09:59
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Then I shared that to my friends, to my brothers. And when they were impacted by my witness, that’s why my parents were not happy. And they were very angry about changing their way of ways and joining another practice. Then they begged us, don’t come here, don’t come to my home. I’ll give you all what you need at that city. And they thought that as disturbing their face. Only our elder brother, who was a local doctor, injected people, is not trained. But he didn’t join us. So we kept on praying around the cattle burn without bringing to home. Every night we stay at cattleburn and burn fire and pray there. And village children and young people like us come to us. But the grown up people say no. If it’s really worthwhile, their parents have to accept that religion. 

11:15
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
And waited up until our parents accept it. One day our father went to farm place and was bitten by snake. And they carried him home and they asked him for help. And our eldest brother who wouldn’t join us, I tried to help them by giving him pencil injection and other medical help he could do. Then they were about to collapse. And at last they said, could you call those children who talk about Jesus? Let me try. Jesus or die. Then they called us to pray for him. We didn’t as such know at healing camps or this could work. Then we knelt down under his bed and started praying. Then while people were praying, the whole poison went. And he said, oh, rather I’m now healed. From today on, no more worship of idol, no more spirit cult or practice. 

12:27
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Jesus has come to our home and told everybody then. So from that moment all the neighborhood joined and became filled of evangelism. And then sooner the church was planted in that area. 

12:46
Rich Rudowske
Wow. 

12:46
Emily Wilson
It’s amazing. 

12:47
Rich Rudowske
Let me try. 

12:48
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Jesus or die. 

12:51
Rich Rudowske
That’s astonishing. 

12:53
Emily Wilson
Powerful. 

12:53
Rich Rudowske
Yeah. 

12:54
Emily Wilson
And that he was glorified in all of that. 

12:57
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yeah. He went throughout his days from that day, every evening. Usually in traditional family, they wash her foot and then eat meal and go to bed. Okay, so it doesn’t have its foot wash up until prayer is. Then. Once we changed our patient from that evil. Now we shouldn’t stop because it could come back to us. So they warn us, come on, do the prayer. So you used to make a family prayer and it was after that he let his foot washed and then dine and go to bed. Up until the day of his days. Even on the day of these days. At the end of his life. At that time I was minister and I took him to my home. 

13:57
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
He was sick and living in one of the room and said in the midnight he called me, said, oh, who are these people dressed with white clothes, herring, cross were around me singing. Even they thought that’s the song they sang. Please call them. It was midnight. I was at midnight and I thought that it’s a vision. And I said, no, this time no one is there and don’t have to call them. They have just left here. Then in the morning I took him to hospital and he died at lunchtime. So went up to the end practicing that. 

14:45
Rich Rudowske
And your mom also then became Christian? 

14:47
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yes. That is good. Our mom didn’t join us early when our dad declared that he changed his face to confess Jesus. She was not happy because the spirit on her didn’t let her do that. Usually when we make family prayer, she hides somewhere. She used to hide somewhere, but one day accidentally she forgot and sat in the middle of us while were praying. Then while were praying, singing, the spirit on her started behaving. And then she fall down from chair and we prayed for her. And the spirit was cast out from her, telling all about practices she was doing and how we was forcing her to do that. After she was delivered from the spirit, she also joined us after her days. 

15:55
Emily Wilson
Praise God. 

15:57
Rich Rudowske
So is traditional religion like this still present in Ethiopia and the rural areas. 

16:02
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Or other places among non christians, among traditional those who practice tradition african religion, there are very few. Now evangelism has gone far and now they are minority. 

16:15
Emily Wilson
Okay, so is it more challenging to share the gospel in those kinds of contexts where they’re still practicing traditional religion? 

16:25
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yes and no. They need something that parked their life. Powerful witness. Like, powerful witness when somebody share what has happened to him personally by encountering Jesus, they may not be satisfied with just theoretical telling them. Because we have our God and you have your God and why do you want us to change our religion? But if a practical life experience is shared to them and something that they don’t find in their practice, then they submit themselves and start following. So most of the means of evangelism is through life sharing life experience. Since Christianity in that context is first generation Christianity, everybody has something to tell, a story to tell how he turned it back to Jesus. So if he tells that story to somebody who didn’t join, then it’s easy way of winning comfort. And the other is by casting our demons. 

17:38
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Usually people are sick and there are not hospitals in the countryside. And when we really come for prayer. So some of the things causing that sickness are demonic spirits. So in that gathering of christians, when they pray, then the devil scream and then they are delivered from sickness and join the community. 

18:04
Rich Rudowske
It’s pretty amazing. Yeah. I didn’t remember from this story before that the way that you got connected to the church was that you traded this Bible for a pair of glasses. But what Bible was it in your language? 

18:19
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
In Amarik? 

18:20
Rich Rudowske
In Amharic. 

18:21
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Amarik is my second language. Yeah. Because at that time Amariki was more popular than. Of course, my first language is Romo, but we use Amarik at school. And that Bible they gave me was also in copy. 

18:39
Rich Rudowske
Okay, you mentioned that English isn’t, so that’s not even your second language. Now maybe it’s the third language. Yeah, so talk about the impact of when you can read scripture in your own language and interact with God’s word in your own language instead of a second language or a third language. 

19:00
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yeah, I started with that Amaric book and the letter the romocopy was also there. It was translated by in 1880s, in 80, 90s by honestmous, a man called honestmas. So I started also reading that. So I found it more communicative field for me, more understandable, more touching for my life because I have to cross cultural bridges and others always think, but when I read the Bible in my tongue and my original language, it makes understanding very easy. And so I started using my automobile Bible copy. 

19:50
Emily Wilson
That’s wonderful. So can you share a little bit about the linguistic diversity in Ethiopia? There’s over 80 languages, is that right? But not all of them have scripture in their own language. 

20:05
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Well, they are to study 85 plus, they say 85 plus languages. But so far the Bible, full Bible has been translated into eleven of them and three are underway. Some of them are supported by LBT. For example, three of them are now, there is support of LBT in them console and Kambata and Hadiya Bibles. And when they are finalized, maybe a couple of years or this year, some partially this year, Konso may be in the coming year. So when they are finalized it may come 14. And there are 27 New Testament under translation, not all finalized. And also about 23 Old Testament works. And in the program I am engaged now we are totally about 25, but it includes sign language. So if you include sign language, maybe about 25 languages we are working on under the church with the acmy. 

21:24
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Some of them were started but not abandoned due to lack of resource and some lack of. Also missionaries who started and went. So now we integrated and are operating to enhance the completion of those bibles. 

21:42
Emily Wilson
It’s wonderful. So with the church, the evangelical church. McConaughey Seuss, you served as general secretary, so could you share a little bit about the expansion that happened during your time serving as general secretary? 

22:00
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yes, in the ECMO, in the church, I served as the senior president first and in two different. The seniors president in our context is like district president and eight years each in each for 16 years during part of it is during the communist time. And then the other scenario was during this change during the government that come after the communist government. Then I moved to United States for study and lived here for ten years working as a missionary at large under the District of Ohio. At the same time went to school to Fort Wayne Theological Seminary. It is after that tenure that I got called back. I was challenged because I was elected in my absence, after having been ten years away. So that made me to change my mind and go back and serve the church. 

23:16
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
So I did the service for two election years, which is a ceiling. And that means for eight years to the general secretary. And one of the very effective and important work done during that time was implementing strategic plan in evangelism, work that involves the communicants in witnessing of the gospel and addresses also some critical gaps in the church. So that has contributed a lot to the numerical growth of the church and growth on the aspects of the church. And I give high value to that. Has contributed also towards expanding the training centers, Bible schools and seminaries, and produce more ministers. For example, in that strategic plan, that institution envisioned to reach out to 30 million people in five years. During the first five year, and for many it seemed very ambitious, because that never happened in the history of the church. 

24:32
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Sure, but the strategy was simple. When it unpacked, ECMI at that time had 5000 members, 5 million members. 

24:42
Rich Rudowske
5 million. Yeah. 

24:43
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
And then we took only 3 million of the five, leaving children and people who are not in the position of witnessing. So we assumed that the strategy assumes that every member witnessed to two people in a year. So if that is done, then the objective is met, because two times 3 million is 6 million and by five years to make 30 million. But when we unpacked and told the members, they said, this is easy, why do you keep us one year? They can to do it in a day. So let’s make that a minimum and go ahead and do two in a year. Then that created great motivation. And the strategy of also controlling was also very effective. It has four tires to get to the congregation. The field of the work is congregation, parish, synod and church. 

25:55
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
So on all these tires every month we hear oral report of the achievement. Every quarter they come with written report at every level, first at the congregation level. And then the cluster of congregations is district, cluster of districts is synad. And we discuss about achievement of the previous quarter and look at the extract of the next quarter, and discuss and solve problems, and then encourage each other. It is that way that it went. And by the end of the first five year, when the work was evaluated by an external professional, though we didn’t meet what we intended, it was transformational. Yeah. When were doing conventionally, the growth of the church was 3%. That strategic plan brought the growth to average growth in those four years to 8% which means the 3% 136,000 a year, and the 8% is 560,000 per year. 

27:18
Rich Rudowske
Yeah. So a big goal. Even if you don’t reach the big goal, you still achieve big things. With God’s grace and help, of course. 

27:26
Emily Wilson
I’m now going to challenge my congregation. Two people at minimum. 

27:32
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
You have a whole year. Yeah, I know it’s simple, but people don’t do it. It can do even in a day. They are not compelled to make them believe, but share their experience. It’s up to the Holy Spirit. 

27:47
Emily Wilson
Exactly. 

27:47
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
To change their heart. 

27:49
Emily Wilson
Trusting in that. Absolutely. So how has the church responded? You shared a little bit about the partnership of the McConaughey Seuss Church with Bible translation programs, but just kind of curious how that dynamic of the church responding to 85 plus languages among its members and how does that impact the way the church interacts with people of different language backgrounds? 

28:17
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Well, the church has from the beginning the conviction of or about contribution of Bible translation to mission. That’s how the missionaries also started when they came, and missionaries through centuries who came to the country. We had translation as one of the strategy to reach out people, because the Bible has been only known in Giz for up to 1980, the first half of 1918. And even those who are owned, who you claim to own the Bible, the orthodox people, they hold the Bible, but common people cannot understand that language. It’s only the Bible of the scholars and people who are educated in geese. So because of that, missionaries who come at different time find the translation, and making the Bible accessible to everybody was one of the priority. 

29:31
Rich Rudowske
Just over three years ago, the church. 

29:33
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Had signed an agreement memorandum on that understanding. 

29:36
Rich Rudowske
There it is. 

29:36
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yeah. 

29:36
Rich Rudowske
With the Lutheran Bible translators and the seminary and the church’s department of mission and theology. So talk a little bit about that partnership and what the plan is for that. 

29:48
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Then. When the LBT joined this initiative three years ago, of course, the official signing was three years, but the starting was far before that. In 2012 or 2011, when a coordinator of Bible translation in the south or West Synod directly contacted LBT and direct contact. Through direct contact, LBT support starts extending there. Then based on that practice, LBT work is nationally recognized and partnership agreement was signed first with the memo of understanding with the seminary to train ministers, especially in the practice. The local ministers doing their training have no training skill and translation skill and have no biblical language. They only know the language of the people and that they do so to cover to address that gap. That gap is found as a critical need. 

31:04
Rich Rudowske
Sure. 

31:05
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
That because of that training of students in translation skill and biblical language is found a priority. It’s as a result of that some students seminary agreement was signed between seminary and LBT and students were admitted and started training there. Now the first group that consisting of 15 students have completed their third year study and deployed for practical study to the sites. And the second years are also about 20 students enrolled and started there on the second year. So the first argument was made with the seminary and even to encourage that work since the transition work in Ethiopia is something that would continue that may not stop very soon, up until all the languages, the Bible translation started and the unreached language are reached. So another scheme that supported this translation was devised to solve the problem of resource sharing. 

32:33
Rich Rudowske
Yes. 

32:33
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
So that is a building, a big project of building that generates income and who generates income for this translation work was devised and then started after having getting resource for necessary resource for the building. And it was started at the beginning of last year and the plan was to finish it was at the beginning of this year and planned to be completed by the end of this year. But due to Covid and other political instability in the country, it is in a good process, but may go additional two months, two, three months to the end completion. 

33:26
Rich Rudowske
Sure. 

33:27
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
So that is what is being done from the seminary side. And thereafter another agreement, cooperation partnership agreement was signed between the church and LBT at higher level. And the that includes both what is done in the seminary and at the church side. The Department of Mission and theology of the church is in charge of the translation work activities done under the church or the 25 projects we say. So this agreement signed between LBT and the church includes these projects, seminary trains and give over to the DMT to deploy them to practical work. And so the later argument will include both activities Albert is doing in the whole church. And it’s as a result of that now we switch it to devising strategy of adding more efficiency to this work, identifying critical needs and critical problems. And that is being finalized now. 

34:58
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Strategies at work is for the next ten years. 

35:03
Rich Rudowske
Yeah. So this is now a second major strategic plan that you’ve had a part in helping put together. Why is it that you think strategic. 

35:12
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Plans are so important for the legislation work doing things strategically very important, because unless things are critically studied, operations are critically studied, and what we are envisioning to achieve is clearly put on paper addressing those problems coming on the roadmap on the way to get to goal efficiency will not come because all the needed resources and manpowers and whatever what are needed, are not anticipated and considered. So it will cause bottlenecks for operation. So if things goals are set, it increases motivation and makes people accountable and also enables people to join hands and act. Even relationship with donors and implementing church and donors and all the stakeholders responsibility would be defined and create transparency of working. So it’s very helpful and very effective for managing things effectively. 

36:33
Emily Wilson
So what’s been the most encouraging or exciting development in your work with Lutheran Bible translators? 

36:40
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yeah, during all these years I have been involved in the leadership of the church, be it in the senior level or general secretary. I’m far away from this reality. I only get report of a yearly report of church growth. And I thought that everybody is reached by the language on use. And so I felt comfortable that everything is done. But during these three years when I went down, because I was far structurally from the grassroots, but when I went get exposure to the grassroots people, especially the different small groups who have their own vernacular, I thought they know Amarik oromo or other language in their area. But I realized that unless somebody interprets and interprets from our language, other language, tell them they have no other way of getting in the south. 

38:05
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
The strategy they used was they send people from consul or other place to Amai or Ali to speak the word of God to them. But these people don’t know their language. They need another interpreter from the community. Those in the community don’t know the language of the person sent. So there was great communication gap between them. So these people have no other way of hearing the word of God. That’s what I realized through this process. And the other example is once went to the workshop of the minority groups in Asusa area in the western part of the country who have been working on oral Bible translation. The language is not yet developed. And those guys told us they know Oromo, Oromifa, though they are from that clan. 

39:14
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
After having experience converted and knowing Jesus themselves, they went to witness to their people and they spoke to them in Oromo. But they said, what are you saying? Then they said, if he is really God of us, our God, he would have spoken in our own language. So this is a God of the Oromos, go away. And didn’t give her ear. And then what they did was they went and orally recorded the Bible in their own language and brought to them, oh, now God speaks to us in our own language and head and converts came joining church. So there are so many similar examples like that impacted my view about the minority groups who we have not done, we think we have done it. But people say ecmy is big church, but there are people whom we have not considered in our ministry. Right. 

40:29
Rich Rudowske
And so Bible translation opens the, opens. 

40:32
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Door to that and that’s what impacted me much and changed my perspective. 

40:41
Emily Wilson
So how can we be praying for you and your ministry in Ethiopia and for our listeners to better support you? 

40:49
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Yes. One is, of course, for every mission, operation prayer is very compulsory. Yes. And the one is to share this information to churches, Christians in the United States and elsewhere share these achievements with them and also request them to also join this initiative through their prayer, earnest prayer and also sharing sources. Because this community are backward and they are not developed as people here. And translations involves many things, people paying salaries of people who are involved in the translation material needs, for the translation and training of translators and equipment, all those needs cannot be met by the community target community. 

41:59
Rich Rudowske
Right. 

41:59
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
So because of that, support is very essential and support of Christian who are blessed with material, with the material property, material resource. Some are blessed with material resource, some are blessed with spiritual resource. It’s not only giver and receiver they can share also they can share those who are blessed with. They can come and see how rich they are in the spirit and how rich they are in their spiritual need, a spiritual life. But these people may lack, they may lack material resources and they can exchange those gifts. It’s life changing work. These people who have very serious need get their prayer support and resource support, their problem is solved. But when this powerful work that God worked among these people is heard, it also impacts life. It does. 

43:05
Rich Rudowske
Absolutely. 

43:05
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
That’s wonderful. 

43:06
Rich Rudowske
Yeah. Thank you so much for your time with us today for your ministry in Lutheran Bible translators as the programs director in Ethiopia. And it’s been great talking with you today. I appreciate it. 

43:17
Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Thank you very much. Yeah. 

43:22
Rich Rudowske
The thing I really love about this conversation with Dr. Burhanu is when you think about getting involved in God’s mission and missionary work, we think in terms of lots of people and big movements. But then you think about all those people that are individuals and how just the work of God in just one individual’s life can turn a hinge that has so much impact. And that’s really what we hear in Dr. Rohanu’s story. 

43:48
Emily Wilson
Right. Trading glasses, wear a Bible, how God is at work in those very simple interactions and how he might be moving in your life as you’re able to share scripture. So always take encouragement, everyone, whenever possible, share God’s word. And in which case, I want to encourage you all with the seminary program that has been mentioned. You can be involved in supporting the seminary students going through and becoming translation advisors. You can put God’s word in their hands and just increase the vision and the reach by visiting lbt.org myseminary. 

44:35
Rich Rudowske
What a great opportunity to get involved in a really important future direction of Bible translation as this church body becomes more equipped to engage in Bible translation, both right there in their country and even around the world. Thank you for listening to the centrally translatable podcast brought to you by Lutheran Bible translators. You can find past episodes of the podcast@lbt.org slash podcasts or subscribe on audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Lutheran Bible translators social media channels on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Or go to lbt.org to find out how you can get involved in the Bible translation movement and put God’s word in their hands. The essentially translatable podcast is produced and edited by Andrew Olson. Our executive producer is Emily Wilson. Podcast artwork was designed by Sarah Lyons. Music written and performed by Rob White. I’m Richardoski. So long. 

45:29
Rich Rudowske
For now.