Keith in Curacao: Women at Work

There are so few roles for women speakers in the New Testament that our partners at the Antillean Bible Society added two. 

One woman, a biologist by profession, came after work to record the chapter headings for the entire New Testament. In Papiamentu-speaking culture, the grandmothers are the storytellers, so this seemed particularly appropriate to the local recording team. 

Another woman read the book of Hebrews. She did an excellent job with what can be a difficult book. "Some people will understand that passage for the first time," one of the proof-listeners noted after one recording session. Thank God that many more people will hear and understand His Word.

Keith in Curacao: 100%!!!

One of the proof-listeners

The lady is smiling. The butterfly is smiling. We are smiling. This morning we finished the recording phase of the New Testament in Papiamentu!

Smiles from proof-listeners, readers, and recording team!

Now just to listen and approve each of the chapters in that New Testament!

Keith in Curacao: Listening to Ensure Hearing

The volunteers in the foreground here are proof-listening. They read along as we record to make sure a) the reader says exactly what is in the printed Bible; b) the reader says it correctly; c) there aren't any mistakes in the printed text.* They sometimes do this for two hours at a stretch. Tedious? Many do not think so.
"This is a great job, you know," one proof-listener told me after a two-hour session of Revelations. "It fills you every time. You read and you read. It fills you."
Thank God for proof-listeners, and thank God that His Word has impact, even in through a task like this.


*Proof-listeners find one in every New Testament recording project. So far, they've found a missing word and a switch in an apostle's name.

Thank God for Children . . . and For Volunteers!

This is the season of vacation Bible school clubs at home and abroad. 









A huge THANK YOU to all of you who invest in your own children and the children of others!

Photos from previous children's programs.

Keith in Curacao--CELEBRATION!!!

Why do these people look so happy?

Because today we reached the half-way mark of this recording project. We have recorded 50% of the New Testament in Papiamentu. 

We are rejoicing at reaching this benchmark. 

We've only been at it for 3 weeks. Keith has never made such progress on a New Testament recording before. 

A huge thank-you to all who have worked so hard to make this possible. 

And an even bigger 

PRAISE GOD!!

P.S. "These people" are A. Pepito Elisa, head of the Antillean Bible Society; Gwenny Emers, project coordinator; "John;" and in the last photo, the studio with its full compliment of workers.

Keith in Curacao--Hearing the Word

"John" reads really well.

He hears really poorly. 
So poorly that he could not hear comments from the proof-listeners or directions from Keith without taking off his headphones. 

If he takes off his headphones, his mic has to be readjusted all over again. 

So one of the proof-listeners moved into the recording booth with him to explain things at a level he could hear.



As you can imagine, this is not an optimal arrangement. Meanwhile, Keith got out a playback mic which he had never had to use before. Now everyone is back sitting where they usually do.
Except when taking a break, of course!

 

Keith in Curacao--Meet "Paul"

"Jesus" and "Paul" have the most lines in a recording of the New Testament. We had begun recording "Jesus" without knowing who would play "Paul." This became a chief prayer point for a whole week.

Dennis came as a proof-listener for "Jesus" that entire week. This was especially interesting since "Jesus" is Dennis' son-in-law. They worked together well, though.

During the course of that week, several more men came to audition. None of them were right for the part of "Paul," though. Either they did not have enough time or enough skill or a "Paul" sort of voice. Folks at the Bible Society had been saying that Dennis could do it. After the last audition, they asked him to consider it.

Dennis is well-known to the folks at the Bible Society. Several of his Christian novels are even for sale in the bookstore here. Dennis had originally planned to spend the summer writing his next one. But he was quite willing to consider "Paul." In fact, he was beaming when he came out of his conference with the Bible Society folks. Then he immediately went somewhere private to share the good news with his wife by phone.

Shortly after Dennis became a Christian, he ended up in the hospital for an extended period of time. He used the opportunity to read through the entire Bible! In the years since then, he has read the Bible through at least another 17 times. He has preached, spoken, and studied. Now he writes novels to illustrate spiritual truths. And today he read through the first two chapters of Romans. We thank God for "Paul."