Dear Friends, It's official! The “Language Technology” department has been created in SIL International, making way for the promotion of high technology standards for Bible Translators around the world. In our last message, I (Doug) mentioned that I was traveling to the first meeting of language technology coordinators in Thailand to discuss this new department. The meeting was a success, and we now have representatives for each global region whose task is to identify and train language technology consultants. If you are pragmatic like me, you're probably wondering what problem this solves. Well, let me explain. There are many good tools being produced to help Bible translators, and new technology is offering many solutions to simplify their work—mind you, without eliminating the need for the linguists, the exegetes, and the translators. But what language technology can do is to reduce the grunt work for these specialists, allowing them to focus Spirit-filled minds on the decision-making and problem solving that computers can't automate. - We help them do this every time we sort through their volumes of language data and show them words that differ by only one sound. This helps them decide which letters to include in the written alphabet.
- We help them do this every time we underline probable spelling mistakes in the translation in red—without even a spelling or grammar manual for the language!
- We help them do this every time we automate the formatting and printing of a scripture booklet.
But we can't help them do this when we lack a network through which to deliver the technology and the training to the translators. As an official Language Technology department, we now have a structure and mechanism to train the trainers that will ultimately bring us closer towards Wycliffe's Vision 2025: to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025. Praise God with us for this strategic breakthrough, and please pray for the other area coordinators, that they can grasp how to best perform their new roles.
 Our oldest son Henry has now graduated from the International School of Ouagadougou and has left for college in the US after packing his belongings. He will be attending Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he will major in biotechnology. As part of a senior project this year, Henry got some hands-on biotechnology experience at the National Center of Malaria Research and Education here that was actually studying the DNA of mosquitoes in order to make better pesticides and anti-malarial medication. This is the kind of thing he sees himself involved in someday. Henry's heart is committed to the Lord and we pray God's blessing on him as he leaves our nest and embarks on his life journey.
Kevin recently gave us quite a scare. While at my parents' in New Jersey for a summer job, he came down with a very high fever and fainting spells. Since Priscilla and I are still in Burkina Faso, we had a three-way emergency medical consultation between us, my parents, and a tropical medicine doctor in Belgium to determine how to treat Kevin. Malaria was determined to be the cause, and providentially, Kevin had the medicine with him. Since U.S. hospitals have very little experience in tropical diseases, our family always travels with malaria treatment medication just in case. We praise God that 12 hours after starting the treatment, he was back to full health! We thank the Lord that this intervention took place in the nick of time, before the malaria got any worse. One more big news item: Priscilla has resigned from her position at the International School of Ouagadougou where she worked as the administrative assistant for the past three years. Her salary went to a fund that provides tuition assistance for Wycliffe families. We realized that there was no need to continue adding to the fund, since only our two boys will be receiving assistance next year. She has enjoyed the work, but it has been extremely time consuming. She looks forward to taking the summer off and then beginning new assignment with Wycliffe. Please pray for the Lord's leading concerning the role that she will play beginning in October. We are traveling to the US this summer to move our US belongings from Kentucky to Michigan and to set Henry up for college. Our schedule is tight, but we would like to see you if time allows. You can find our complete itinerary on our website: http://higbyfamily.com We can be contacted by phone: 616.499.3337 or send us an email! Partners in the Gospel, (Phil 1:5) Doug & Priscilla Higby
Praise & Prayer- Praise God for the malaria treatment on hand for Kevin and his quick recovery.
- Priscilla and Doug recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and thank the Lord for His faithfulness to them and their family throughout these years. With Priscilla's job over at the school, she is now able to travel together with Doug for the whole summer, the first time in 3 years.
- Pray for the regional coordinators for language technology as they discover how best to oversee technology training for Bible translation projects and how to mentor consultants in each region of the world.
- Pray for Henry as he embarks on his own to Calvin College. Pray for a good experience and for the Lord's leading in his life.
- Pray for Priscilla as she finally gets rest from her busy job at the school; ask for the Lord's direction for her next assignment.
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