You are here

“It’s like a big Bible study...”

By Lindsay Parkhill, NRCC Support Worker

bus trips from Nungalinya Accommodation to AuSIL offices in Palmerston;Goluŋ translates WangurriBepuka & Djotja translate Warramiri

After the annual 'OurWord' refresher in Darwin, Berribob and Elizabeth flew to their Manmoyi homeland in the stone country South East of Jabiru, with the Gospel of Mark firmly in their sights. The focus of their translation is Manmoyi Kunwinjku.

Already lively telephone conversations are planning a mid-year meeting at Jabiru, when the rivers go down, to download the work in progress. They are using a laptop put together by Stuart Cameron, a translator and technician from AuSIL.

Wendell Flentje leads fellowshipBerribob and Elizabeth were chosen by the families to take on this work, but they have a backup of experienced language workers, from old ladies 'doydoy', to uncles and aunts who live permanently at Manmoyi, and have done for generations. During the Wet Season this place is inaccessible, and its isolation makes for good translation time. We look forward to following up phone conversations with a visit together, as soon as the roads are passable.

"It 's like a big Bible study," says Gamarrang. "We talk about all the words. I want to work in my other languages now that I can see how easy 'OurWord' is: my father's language from Rrembarrnga way, 'walem', to the South. Now we know how
to work this program we can see possibilities, big possibilities."

Yurranydjil & Nyäluŋ discuss the Dhuwaya & Djapu draftsPray for the families at Manmoyi. Pray also for the Maung team on Goulburn Island as they work with ' larla Hinch' (Heather Hewett). Their goal is to put together the Gospel of Mark for the centenary of Warruwi, Goulburn Island in 2016.