成人快手

Good morning.听 Today I'm thinking about Jacques.听 With a name like that he ought to be French.听 In fact,听 he lives in West Africa in a country that was once a colony but which for many years now has been proudly independent.听

Jacques is a translator which sounds simple enough.听 But Jacques has set his face to translate scripture into his own mother tongue which is definitely not French.听 Jacques is a natural speaker of one of the countless tribes in the great continent of Africa.听

His first problem was that the language had never been written down.

So, Jacques and his team began to compose an alphabet - painstakingly listening to sounds and forming letters that could become the symbol of each vowel and consonant.听 Then the work really began with words then sentences taking shape.听 With computer, pen, and paper, the ancient language has slowly emerged on to the page.听 So far, it's taken eight years.听

From small beginnings, there's now a literacy programme for the whole community.听 Some are learning to read and write for the very first time.听 On the back of literacy has come new possibilities for teaching about health, agriculture and business.听听 Knowledge is giving new opportunities to live full lives.听听 At last, Jacques is now able to read some of the greatest writing the world has known in the language he dreams in.听听听

So, Heavenly Father, we thank you for men and women who are dedicated to feeding those who hunger to read and write.听听 We thank you for dedicated teachers of our children who give them the skills both to read and reflect on what they've learned.听 Give them patience, we pray, and help us to honour and treasure holy texts - more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold.听听 Amen.

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