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Heather Hewett: It was really wonderful to come to a place in our work where Alan Canavan our Consultancy Check- er was able to say “it is completed and it is ready for printing”. It all started 5 years ago, I remember the joy of sitting on the verandah at Warruwi with the support of Lindsay, my wiwi and having the ladies come and work when they had the time. At first it was a struggle to find the right front translation, we tried Djambarrpuyŋu and then Kunwinjku and finally the Top End English Front Translation proved to be the one that worked for us. The final 2 months when we all worked together in Darwin were hard, we had to work so quickly and it was amazing to see how far we could push ourselves but also the work was exhausting! At first it was myself, Rosemary Urabadi, Sandra Makurlngu and Mally McLellan. At the end the others arrived: Alan Canavan as our consultant checker, and Jonah Walamaka and Renfred Manmurulu as the community checkers. There was so little time, it felt cruel!

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Mally, without her experience and her persistance we would have been lost—she’s been through it all before! I was impressed by Alan and Mally’s depth of insight and understanding of the Gospel of Mark. Working with Sandra and Rosemary is a privelage, they are both leaders in their family and community. Their willingness to find the time to give to the work of translation is a blessing. Sandra is a spiritually hungry person, she strives for deep biblical understanding. Rosemary is a careful thinker and translator who just keeps going, she collaborates with others in the community The whole team from AuSIL and Warruwi: Mally McLellan, RenfredManmurulu, Heather Hewett, Jonah Walamaka, Rosemary Urabadi, Alan Canavan, Glenda Leach, Shirl Pearson, Sandra Makurlngu, Ray Leach, Randall Pearson and John Miller from the Seed company whenever she comes accross a passage she has concerns about. After 2 months in Darwin there was such a strong sense of fulfillment and joy at the completion of the work. We can praise God, rest and spend time committing to the other areas of our lives before returning to the work in the new year. Get Ready: Maung audio, Printing and 100 year Celebration On the day of the Consultancy check completion, Paul Eckert from Bible Society was in town for the Coordinate Reference Committe Committee meeting so the whole Maung team could get together and start discussing what the Gospel of Mark will look like.

Rosemary Urabadi: We want an artist from Warruwi to do the front cover and some of the pictures inside. Paul has suggested that we go through the text and think where a picture would explain a passage that is difficult to understand in words. Immediately, Heather knew where a picture was needed. The story of the paralytic man being lowered through the roof of the house—this had been a difficult passage to imagine and then translate. We need to think about which font and what size. Also, we want more than just the Gospel of Mark: The Lord’s Prayer, the Communion Service and the songs that we have in Maung should also be included. A very generous donation was given for this work from the Church of Christ in Horsham Victoria and this gives us such flexibility in what we can achieve. Sandra Makurlngu flew to Darwin in July to record the Maung Mark with Lucy Rogers.

Lucy Rogers: It was great spending the week working with Sandra she is delightful and so efficient. We quickly got into a routine of recording a section and then listening to it to pick up any errors and ensure all the words were correct. We aimed for 4 chapters a day and had no trouble achieving that. There were a few technical difficulties at the start getting the batteries to charge but prayer and problem solving soon fixed those issues and we worked well as a team. I think that God was really in it. There is still some tidying up to do and people still need to decide what format will be most useful but it was a very productive week.

Sandra Makurlngu: It was nungmalal, kamak! When I started the work I thought it was hard and I had a sore throat but then it got easier. Then as I was going through I was thinking of those children who can’t read Sandra Makurlngu, Mally McLellan, Paul Eckert, Lindsay Parkhill, Rosemary Urabadi, Heather Hewett Lucy Rogers and Sandra Makurlgnu Maung now, but now they can hear it and listen to it. As I was going, the whole thing helped me understand the words that Jesus was speaking. How he called his disciples and how they listened and followed him. He told them to go out and tell his word. It is these same words that he is speaking to us and to this generation. It was a struggle for him, but then it all worked out. The 100 year centenary of the curch on Warruwi Goulburn Island is being celebrated in June 2016 so we are aiming to dedicate this work then.