The 2018 Semester Starts Soon
On January 19, the 2018 semester begins. The enrollment is a milestone for JCBT–the largest number with the greatest diversity of countries and languages in one class! A quick look at the stats for 2018 demonstrate the bold work that God is doing in this season!
We have always been blessed over the past 22 years to serve many committed and talented Bible translators, consultants, and teachers who came to Jerusalem to gain valuable insights for a deeper and natural understanding of the Hebrew Bible Text. In the end, millions worldwide through these students alone will benefit from a better translation into a mother tongue.
This year is no exception and represents an advancement!
The 15 students accepted for 2018 come from nine countries, and are engaged in translating into at least ten languages:
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Suau in Papua New Guinea;
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Chichewa in Malawi;
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Delo & Adele in Ghana;
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Ache & Nandeva in Paraguay;
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Two languages from the Former Soviet Union
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Mongolian in Mongolia; and
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A majority language in East Asia.
Indirectly, many other languages will be impacted in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana through this year’s translation advisor and Hebrew teacher. We are grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to serve translation work worldwide in the Jerusalem Center for Bible Translators.
How We Can Pray!
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Pray for the many applicants who did not have enough mastery of Beginning Biblical Hebrew to participate–that they will be able to obtain the help needed to advance their Hebrew skills for a future enrollment in 2020.
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We urge you to pray for our 15 students who have two weeks to prepare for their arrival in Jerusalem for the five-month course. This experience for them will be both life-changing and also a challenge for the five-month separation with their families.
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Also, please continue to pray for visa issues. At this writing, we face three visa obstacles needing our prayerful attention: (1) getting an approved visa sent to the Israeli Embassy in Paraguay, (2) altering the timing of departure from Israel in July for two students because of a passport issue, and (3) reversing a visa denial for a talented translator from Malawi (even though visas for Malawi tourists can automatically be obtain at the airport upon arrival in Israel).
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Finally, pray for the staff and instructors as they work through the logistics of the largest class ever and the development of a modified curriculum to be introduced this year.
Help Support Two Students
Two students this year lack the full amount of funds for their fees:
Rev. Maxwell Chiwoko, from Malawi. Having worked as the original language editor and reviewer—in both Greek and Hebrew–on the contemporary Chichewa Bible Translation project, Rev. Chiwoko is now married to Alice and teaching Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Josophat Mwale Theological Institute, a division of Nkhoma University. He summarizes his calling:
“God gave me a noble task of helping his servants have the key toward a better understanding of His Word…knowledge of the language in which the original writers of the Bible were speaking.
Rev. Chiwoko receives a monthly teaching salary of US$160—barely enough to meet basic family needs—that will stop when he attends the program at JCBT. He has raised some funds; but not nearly enough to cover all the needed expenses.
Rev. Ozumba Emmanuel 
—from Nigeria. Rev Ozumba is a priest of the Lutheran Church of Christ and currently the Chaplain of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria. He is in training to assist translators in several Bible translation projects in Africa—especially in Nigeria—where there is a great need for expert assistance.
—from Nigeria. Rev Ozumba is a priest of the Lutheran Church of Christ and currently the Chaplain of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria. He is in training to assist translators in several Bible translation projects in Africa—especially in Nigeria—where there is a great need for expert assistance.Having struggled under financial hardship to earn his fees for his university studies—without having received financial assistance—he is trusting God for the support needed to complete his studies at JCBT in Israel. Thus far, he has personally raised about a third of the fees needed.
You can join with us to help raise the funds lacking for these two qualified students. To help them receive the needed education at JCBT, you can give to the “Scholarship Fund” at JCBT designating the gift to either one or both of them.
This will be a tremendous blessing to both Rev. Maxwell Chiwoko or Rev. Ozumba Emmanuel Nicodemus individually; but, more importantly, is the blessing given to all the people groups they will serve over the years to receive a quality and natural translation in their “mother-tongue”!
How to Donate to the Scholarship Fund
By clicking here, you will be directed to a page with details on how to donate and designate donation for “Scholarship Fund.”