"I'll never forget this birthday,” Brian said Wednesday after the Ayacucho translation team threw him a birthday party. The translation team had been working all morning on Paratext 7 training, and it was time for their morning break. Ricardo, the translation coordinator, had invited Rachel and me to spend the morning at the Bible Society office so that we could enjoy the festivities. His wife bought a birthday cake and prepared a typical Peruvian coconut-flavored hot beverage. The day before was the birthday of German, one of the other translators, so the party was for both him and Brian. After a birthday song in Spanish, the guys got to blow out the candles and open presents. Brian received a beautiful and colorful Ayacucho wall-hanging. We then had a great time of fellowship around the table, enjoying not only the cake and drink, but even more so the fellowship of these believers. They commented that instead of getting older, the guys were that much closer to heaven. What a great visual for a Christian!
The team finished work for the day around 12:45, and we went to a typical Peruvian restaurant for lunch. For less than $2, we had a bowl of quinua soup, rice, salad, meat and juice. (After such expensive meals on other parts of our trip, we're loving these prices!)
With our stomachs full, our adventures for the day continued. One of the translators had hired a man from his church to take us sight-seeing in his van. So the driver, his wife and two daughters, Ricardo and his wife and daughter, 3 of the translators, Brian, Rachel and I set out. For almost an hour we steadily climbed to a small town called Quinua. Outside of the town there was an obelisk commemorating the Battle of Ayacucho. It was fascinating hearing the
history of the battle that claimed thousands of lives and ensured the freedom for all of South America. The obelisk, built in 1974 on the 150th anniversary of the battle, sits on a pampa or plateau. We were told that on the anniversary of the battle in December, thousands of people come to visit the pampa and see the battle recreated. On this day, however, we were practically the only tourists. Several times we were approached by local kids saying that they would sing for us. The translators had a great time asking the kids to sing certain songs in Quechua, then explaining the songs to us.
After seeing the obelisk, we drove into the town of Quinua, which is famous for its ceramics. We did some shopping, then stopped at the Wari Archaeological Complex. It really was closed for the day, but the gentleman let us into the museum to see the various artifacts of the ancient Wari culture. We didn't get a chance to visit the archaeological site because of the time, but instead headed back down to Ayacucho. It was gorgeous scenery, and as always, so interesting traveling with the translators and learning from them.
Brian ended his special day with a delicious trout dinner, then back to the hotel to read birthday greetings and make some phone calls. He appreciated so much all of your thoughts and prayers to make this a very memorable birthday! Donna
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Awesome Things about Ayacucho
- It is believed that a group called the Huari Culture lived in this area more than 15,000 years ago, even before the Incas.
- The Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 granted the independence for not only Peru, but all of South America.
- The city was first named Ayacucho, then San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga (St. John on the Huamanga Frontier), then La Muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de Huamanga, and finally in 1825 back to Ayacucho.
- The name Ayacucho has two possible meanings from the Quechua language: either death (aya) and corner (cucho), or purple (kuchu) and soul (aya).
- There are approximately 1-2 million speakers of the Quechua de Ayacucho language.
- Ayacucho has an elevation of over 9,000 feet and is surrounded by the Andes Mountains.
- Ayacucho is known for its 33 churches, which stand for all of the years of Jesus' life. That's why its nickname is "The City of Churches."
(P.S. it hails here.)
(P.P.S. it's hailing right now. It's really cool because it bounces off the roofs. hehe)
- The Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 granted the independence for not only Peru, but all of South America.
- The city was first named Ayacucho, then San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga (St. John on the Huamanga Frontier), then La Muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de Huamanga, and finally in 1825 back to Ayacucho.
- The name Ayacucho has two possible meanings from the Quechua language: either death (aya) and corner (cucho), or purple (kuchu) and soul (aya).
- There are approximately 1-2 million speakers of the Quechua de Ayacucho language.
- Ayacucho has an elevation of over 9,000 feet and is surrounded by the Andes Mountains.
- Ayacucho is known for its 33 churches, which stand for all of the years of Jesus' life. That's why its nickname is "The City of Churches."
(P.S. it hails here.)
(P.P.S. it's hailing right now. It's really cool because it bounces off the roofs. hehe)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Final Europe and First Mexico & Peru misc. stuff!!!!!
This is just some miscellaneous stuff that we picked up during our latest trips:
-We have been through airport security 15 times now. Outside of the U.S. you don't have to take off your shoes; in the U.S. you have to take off your shoes. Every time we have to take off our belts and sweaters and take our computers out of our backpacks.
-Coke Zero is really popular in Europe. About the only pop we would ever see is Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. No Mountain Dew or MelloYellow :(
-Inca Cola is a really popular pop in Peru. It tastes very good.
-Bread is served at almost every meal in Europe. One time in Turkey, we had a loaf of bread that could fit a football in it! It was huge and hollow inside.
-A lot of homeless cats roam the streets of Turkey. One time at a restaurant we went to, there was this one cat that jumped up on the chair next to us! It was very funny. :)
-There is no grass around Madrid, Spain. (well...almost no grass)
-There is this one department store in Lima named Ripley's. After seeing the prices, my dad said, "Can you believe it? Or not?"
-We never got lost in Turkey......but somehow we kept getting lost in Spain.
-There is a casino in Lima named Orange City. What a coincidence!
-Costa Rica has really good chocolate covered coffee beans. :) They give away free samples of them at the airport. But they are not so happy when you come back for more.
-We have been through airport security 15 times now. Outside of the U.S. you don't have to take off your shoes; in the U.S. you have to take off your shoes. Every time we have to take off our belts and sweaters and take our computers out of our backpacks.
-Coke Zero is really popular in Europe. About the only pop we would ever see is Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. No Mountain Dew or MelloYellow :(
-Inca Cola is a really popular pop in Peru. It tastes very good.
-Bread is served at almost every meal in Europe. One time in Turkey, we had a loaf of bread that could fit a football in it! It was huge and hollow inside.
-A lot of homeless cats roam the streets of Turkey. One time at a restaurant we went to, there was this one cat that jumped up on the chair next to us! It was very funny. :)
-There is no grass around Madrid, Spain. (well...almost no grass)
-There is this one department store in Lima named Ripley's. After seeing the prices, my dad said, "Can you believe it? Or not?"
-We never got lost in Turkey......but somehow we kept getting lost in Spain.
-There is a casino in Lima named Orange City. What a coincidence!
-Costa Rica has really good chocolate covered coffee beans. :) They give away free samples of them at the airport. But they are not so happy when you come back for more.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Travels
The last few days have been filled with final farewells and preparations to be gone for several months. They've also been filled with all aspects of traveling - early morning trips to the airport, waiting in line, boarding passes, counting suitcases, security check-points, crowded airplanes, hotel shuttles, and finding things to do during the flights (as you can see in the picture of Rachel).
We left Sioux Center Friday morning at 7:00 AM. The first flight was from Omaha to Houston with a short connection in Houston. It got even shorter when we left Omaha half an hour late. So we ran through the airport to get to the gate. But
because of rainstorms in Houston, our next flight was also delayed, so that was a relief. After a two hour wait, we were finally on our way to Mexico City and our stopover for the night.
A woman from the Mexican Bible Society had graciously agreed to store a couple of our bigger suitcases for the weeks we're in South America, so she and her sister met us at the hotel. After an enjoyable supper with the two of them, we went back to the hotel and called it a night.
This morning (Saturday) started early with the alarm going off at 4:30 and a ride to the airport at 5:00. Check-in took quite awhile, and finally at 8:00 we were on our way to Costa Rica. After a short layover in the San Jose airport, we were on our final flight to Lima, Peru. One more round of customs, immigration, baggage claim, and a ride to the hotel, and we finally were checked-in at 4:30. During the immigration process, the officer asked us how long we were going to be in Peru. Brian wasn't sure, so he asked me, but I had no idea! We consoled ourselves with the fact that at least we knew which country we were in! That may not be the case in a few weeks.
After resting a little in the hotel (the picture is of Rachel in our 8th floor hotel room), we w
alked to a busy shopping center for supper. We'll be here in Lima tomorrow as well, and then another early morning flight on Monday morning to Ayacucho to work with the Quechua de Ayacucho translation team. We're anxious to see how much they've progressed with their project since Brian's last visit in January. Thanks for praying for each of the translation teams and the incredible work they're doing. We also appreciate prayers for our continued travel and good health.
Take care, Donna
We left Sioux Center Friday morning at 7:00 AM. The first flight was from Omaha to Houston with a short connection in Houston. It got even shorter when we left Omaha half an hour late. So we ran through the airport to get to the gate. But
because of rainstorms in Houston, our next flight was also delayed, so that was a relief. After a two hour wait, we were finally on our way to Mexico City and our stopover for the night. A woman from the Mexican Bible Society had graciously agreed to store a couple of our bigger suitcases for the weeks we're in South America, so she and her sister met us at the hotel. After an enjoyable supper with the two of them, we went back to the hotel and called it a night.
This morning (Saturday) started early with the alarm going off at 4:30 and a ride to the airport at 5:00. Check-in took quite awhile, and finally at 8:00 we were on our way to Costa Rica. After a short layover in the San Jose airport, we were on our final flight to Lima, Peru. One more round of customs, immigration, baggage claim, and a ride to the hotel, and we finally were checked-in at 4:30. During the immigration process, the officer asked us how long we were going to be in Peru. Brian wasn't sure, so he asked me, but I had no idea! We consoled ourselves with the fact that at least we knew which country we were in! That may not be the case in a few weeks.
After resting a little in the hotel (the picture is of Rachel in our 8th floor hotel room), we w
alked to a busy shopping center for supper. We'll be here in Lima tomorrow as well, and then another early morning flight on Monday morning to Ayacucho to work with the Quechua de Ayacucho translation team. We're anxious to see how much they've progressed with their project since Brian's last visit in January. Thanks for praying for each of the translation teams and the incredible work they're doing. We also appreciate prayers for our continued travel and good health.Take care, Donna
Monday, October 5, 2009
Back in Iowa
We are back in Iowa for a few days between trips. It feels good to be home for a few days to worship at Carmel Church and see family and friends again. Although we're not sure about this 40 degree weather! It definitely changed seasons while we were gone.
This past week Brian worked with the Turkish Bible Society. The individuals who work there were incredibly hospitable to us as well as excited about the assistance Brian was able to give them. He worked with and trained four individuals on two different translation projects. The main project he worked on was a Kurdish translation. This New Testament was completed a few years ago, and now they're working on the Old Testament. The translators are hoping to finish it in the next 2-3 years.
Another translation Brian worked on was converting a Turkish text that had done over 300 years ago. This translation would be comparable to our King James Version and is still the preferred translation for many people. The text was not in a usable electronic format, so Brian spent several evenings converting it to Paratext. Now they'll be able to refer to both this translation and a newer Turkish translation while working on the Kurdish project. Also, it will be much easier to reprint it later in this format.
You may have noticed that while we were in Turkey we didn't give a lot of information about the work Brian was involved in.
Turkey is 98% Muslim with less than 1% Christian. Christianity is legal, but discrimination against Christians is relatively commonplace. One of the translators Brian worked with has been imprisoned 20 times in the past 25 years because his credentials say he's a Christian. He also was unable to get a passport for 5 years. Most of the people at the Bible Society office have had difficulty getting visas to travel to other countries. There is also discrimination against the Kurds. Until a few years ago, it was illegal to speak the Kurdish language. So please pray for the Turkish Bible Society and their situation. They also have many projects they would like to do, including a Turkish Children's Bible, and are hopeful funding will become available to complete them.
Our next trip is to Mexico and South America. We leave Friday (October 9) for one week in Peru, two weeks in Ecuador, and two weeks in central Mexico. Then around the middle of November we make our way down to Chiapas for a number of months. It will be good to be settled somewhere for more than a week at a time. And it will be even better being "back home" and working with the Tojolabal project once again after so many years.
As always, we appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we serve in the area of translation. We love your feedback and comments (hint hint!), so if there's ever anything you want us to write about, please let us know. Take care, Donna
This past week Brian worked with the Turkish Bible Society. The individuals who work there were incredibly hospitable to us as well as excited about the assistance Brian was able to give them. He worked with and trained four individuals on two different translation projects. The main project he worked on was a Kurdish translation. This New Testament was completed a few years ago, and now they're working on the Old Testament. The translators are hoping to finish it in the next 2-3 years.
Another translation Brian worked on was converting a Turkish text that had done over 300 years ago. This translation would be comparable to our King James Version and is still the preferred translation for many people. The text was not in a usable electronic format, so Brian spent several evenings converting it to Paratext. Now they'll be able to refer to both this translation and a newer Turkish translation while working on the Kurdish project. Also, it will be much easier to reprint it later in this format.
You may have noticed that while we were in Turkey we didn't give a lot of information about the work Brian was involved in.
Turkey is 98% Muslim with less than 1% Christian. Christianity is legal, but discrimination against Christians is relatively commonplace. One of the translators Brian worked with has been imprisoned 20 times in the past 25 years because his credentials say he's a Christian. He also was unable to get a passport for 5 years. Most of the people at the Bible Society office have had difficulty getting visas to travel to other countries. There is also discrimination against the Kurds. Until a few years ago, it was illegal to speak the Kurdish language. So please pray for the Turkish Bible Society and their situation. They also have many projects they would like to do, including a Turkish Children's Bible, and are hopeful funding will become available to complete them.Our next trip is to Mexico and South America. We leave Friday (October 9) for one week in Peru, two weeks in Ecuador, and two weeks in central Mexico. Then around the middle of November we make our way down to Chiapas for a number of months. It will be good to be settled somewhere for more than a week at a time. And it will be even better being "back home" and working with the Tojolabal project once again after so many years.
As always, we appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we serve in the area of translation. We love your feedback and comments (hint hint!), so if there's ever anything you want us to write about, please let us know. Take care, Donna
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sight-seeing
The last two days have been filled with sight-seeing for Rachel and me. Yesterday we spent the morning at the Archaeological Museum. It's amazing to see things that were around 2,000 years before Christ was born. We saw dozens of sarcophagii (the picture is Rachel standing in front of one of the largest), the Tiled Pavilion, and the world's oldest surviving peace treaty, carved in stone in 1269 B.C.
After all of that ancient history, we took a lunch break of bread and roasted corn bought from street vendors. Yum. Then we hit the Basilica Cisterns, begun by Costantin
e in the first century. The roof is supported by 336 pillars, all beautifully lit in the underground cavern.That night the three of us went for a walk to find a restau
rant for supper. Finding one isn't a problem, since this part of the city definitely caters to tourists. There are hundreds of restaurants within walking distance. You can't walk past a restaurant without someone "encouraging" you to look at their menu and have dinner there (Brian's learning all about this restaurant's menu). One restaurant caught our attention and interest when they offered a free appetizer plate (hey, we're still Dutch even though we're in Turkey!) The food was delicious, as was the traditional apple tea we enjoyed after the meal.Today Rachel and I took off again for more sight-seeing. I thought we'd hit Topkapi Palace first. This palace was built by the Sultan Mehmet II in the mid 1400's as his residence, seat of government, and college for soldiers. Unfortunately, several dozen tour groups also thought this would be a good time to visit the palace, so we constantly fought crowds of people. Despite this, the palace was incredible, especially the imperial wardrobe, jewel-encrusted dagger, and Spoonmaker's Diamond (all 86 carats of it).
After the palace, we found a place for lunch, then headed to Suleymaniye Mosque. On the way there, we walked through the Grand Bazaar. Or at least one tiny part of the Grand Bazaar (the picture is one of thousands of shops). The Grand Bazaar is one of the world's largest buildings, covering an area of over 3,000,000 square feet. We basically just stayed on one street so we wouldn't get terribly lost (as I'm good at doing). It was quite the place and just a bit overwhelmi
ng. After seeing the mosque, we headed back to the hotel. Our route took us to the outskirts of the Egyptian, or Spice Market. We decided to save this market for another day. So we hopped on the tram and got back to the hotel, tired but full of images of our day. Donna
Monday, September 28, 2009
Turkey!
Then yesterday we went exploring the town again. We had a better grasp of Istanbul now, so we kind of knew where we wanted to go. (only a little bit though.) Then we went walking around by the water. They had all kinds of things in little street side carts. There were things like popped corn, chestnuts, pretzels, fruit juice, and finally corn. Yes they have corn, they roast it and it smells really good! After looking around, we (mostly my parents) decided that we would go on a one and a half hour cruise. It was very fun! The boat was a two story one. It cruised around the Bosphorus. The rocking of the boat was very calming. For the first half of the ride, we were on the top part. The second part was in the bottom part, which was inside so it wasn't very noisy in there.After that relaxing ride, we went to a restaurant that had really good wraps! They had french fries in them!! I loved it. My dad got pomegranate juice. Wow!! It was kind of sour! Then we rested at the hotel for a while. We were fully charged then, so we went walking near the place we went in the morning. I had a very good supper, chocolate milkshake and a chocolate cookie, yum! My dad had an ice cream cone and a cinnamon-brownie sort of thing. We didn't have the healthiest supper ever. :) The best part of the day was that we didn't get lost. Yeah!!
TURKISH WORD OF THE DAY: Dur
Dur means Stop or halt.
Sentence:
The police told Brian "dur!" when he tried to climb the Blue Mosque to take a picture (just kidding!! We would never do that!).
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