Pg 1 of 4

Jamaican Creole Translation Project

Quarterly Report

Financial Year: 2011

Quarter: 1st (Oct—Dec)

By: Bertram Gayle (Project Co-ordinator) Date: 11th January, 2011

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 FY11 Q1

The following were achieved in the last three months:

• Completion of the 1st drafts for 2 Cor., and Hebrews.

• Continuation of the translation of Acts (15:33)
• Commencement of the translation of Romans.
• Production of 2nd draft for Eph., Col., & Phil., and submission of the same to our consultants — Exegesis,
Linguistics and UBS.
• Commencement of the 2nd draft for John and 1 Cor.
• One week consultation workshop with our UBS consultant, Dr Ronald Ross.
• Meeting with our linguistic Consultant, Jamaica Language Unit (JLU). The advanced draft of the manual to
guide translators with linguistic issues was presented. The need to revise the BSWI/JLU was also discussed.
• A series of local and int’l launches of Luuk Buk.
⇒ The local launches were facilitated by the Moneague/Claremount Ministers Fraternal, Bethel Bible Col-
lege, the Church of God and the Church of the Ascension. BSWI also had a Breakfast launch for Clergy.
These included heads of Church umbrella groups, heads of denominations and heads of prachurch organi-
sations. Over 50 persons were in attendance.
⇒ The overseas launches were held in the US (Brooklyn – East New York Seventh Day Adventist Church)
and in Canada (Ontario - York University and Revival Time Tabernacle Church).
• Meeting with Mr Paul Pinto in relation to issues relating to the audio recording of the Jamaican New
Testament.

Problems in reaching goals originally scheduled:

The second drafts for John, 1 Cor., and Rev. were not completed due to the rescheduling of project activities, ill
heath and a translator having to go on leave.

Other activities that took place:

• Lectures/presentations on the Project at Jamaica Theological Seminary and at the UWI.
• Media promotion of the project (Associated Press and local media interviews).

Project Goals and Activities Planned for the Next Three Months
The following are scheduled for the next three months:
1. Continue and complete the 2nd draft for 1 Corinthians and Revelations.
2. Continue and complete the 1st draft of Acts and Romans.
3. Begin the review of Mark and Matthew
4. Meet with our Linguistic Consultant, JLU, to be presented with the linguistic Manual proper and to review our
contractual agreement in light of the revised project schedule.
5. Meet with UBS Consultant
Pg 3 of 4

Quarter Pictures

Ms Leonie Samuels from Bethel Bible Luuk Buk Breakfast Launch for Clergy. Over 90% of
College, reading an impromptu poem re Jamaican church constituencies were represented. Each
the Jamaican Bible. of the over 50 attendees got a free copy of Luuk Buk.

Rev’d Paul Nelson, Assemblies of God. Thanking BSWI Church of God, Highholborn St,. Launch Attendees
for its Translation Programme and speaking of the poten- boast with their of Luk Buk.
tial value of the Jamaican Bible in his constituency.

Bethel Bible College. Students expressed much excite- Church of the Ascension (Anglican), Mona. Rev’d Stew-
ment over the college launch of the Luuk Buk Project. art hands a complimentary copy of Luuk Buk to Father
Mullings.
Pg 4 of 4

Project Impact: How Go’s Working in Lives Through the Project

The following is an impromptu poem by Ms Leonie Samuels, a second year student of Bethel Bible College. The
poem was written in response to a presentation on the project by BSWI at the said institution in Nov, 2010.

Patwa Baibl wat a sopm!

Baibl Sosaiyiti a di Wes Indiz mek it hapm
Mi eksaitid fi nuo se it iina fi wi langwij
Maasa Gad, wat a maiti an aasom privilij!

It kanek wid wi, mek wi andastan

It stor up wi imuoshan
Evri bwai, gyal uman an big man
Buot a yaad an iina farin lan

Paasn Sty uwat, Borcham, Tash an Juodiyan

Gad go wid unu, an huol unu han
Az unu obie Gad an chansliet di Baibl iina Jamiekan
Mie im bi unu gaid. Gwaan...galang!

Team Member Profile:

• Name: Jamaican Language Unit (JLU)

• Project Responsibility: Linguistic Consultant

The Jamaican Language Unit (JLU) is a Unit in the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy, UWI,
Mona. The JLU’s primary responsibility relates to standardising the Jamaican language. This includes coming up
with and promoting an official way of writing Jamaican and creating Jamaican words and expressions for concepts
that are not usually expressed in the language.

One of the qualities of a good Bible Translation is that it must sound natural. For this and other reasons, BSWI has
been working with UWI’s Linguistics Department from the very beginnings of its translation programme. Cur-
rently, the Unit is developing a manual that will help the Translation Team made important decisions regarding
issues such as how best to write the language, which words to use and so on. The Unit will also read through the
translation and suggest changes and or make recommendations. It will also test the translation for BSWI.

Prie Fi Wi / Prayer Requests

1. Praise God for all that we accomplished in FY11 Q1 and pray for the upcoming activities.
2. Please continue to pray for the leadership of BSWI in relation to coming up with a strategy to bring the
translation to the public, particularly to persons in inner-city communities.
3. We need to give serious consideration to the issue of testing the translation. Pray that we would work out
an effective strategy with JLU (and with Wycliffe Caribbean) when next we meet.
4. The project ends in just over 600 days! Pray that we use the remaining time wisely, that we face no unnec-
essary delay and that we be kept in good health.