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Philippines Trip 2009
By Andy Stevens | October 17, 2009
In January 2009 I was part of a team of 17 which headed to Kiangan in the Philippines. We were sent out as representatives of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and our primary purpose was to facilitate a Pastors and Leaders Discover Seminar. The aim of the Discover Seminars is to encourage and educate local pastors and church leaders in the benefit of using the Bible translation in the local language. The pervading culture amongst pastors in the Philippines is that they have to use an English language Bible (which is seen as superior to the local translation), which alienates many people who have no or little understanding of English.
For me, being part of this team was really exciting, as I have a strong interest in cross-cultural mission, and I was keen to have an opportunity to experience first-hand the joys and challenges of working in another culture. Furthermore, I also have a passion for seeing people come to read and understand the Bible, and I felt that the purpose of this trip served this passion. I felt that we had a real impact amongst the pastors and leaders, who came to see the benefits of using the Bible in their local language. We were also blessed by the hospitality and encouragement of the people we were working with, and we were educated ourselves by their understanding and experience of the spiritual battle that we face as followers of Christ.
Overall, my time in the Philippines was a fantastic experience, and it was very valuable for me as I explore the possibility of long-term cross-cultural mission.