Where will you be located?

We are located in Central Wisconsin and have the privilege of staying here for our ministry assignment. The Paratext software team works remotely from throughout the United States, Canada and London. This is the blessing of technology - we're able to reach the globe for Christ, from small town Wisconsin.

What will you be doing?

Darren was a software developer in the corporate world for over 13 years before he transitioned to use his skills, knowledge and the experience he gathered, to leverage them for the sake of eternity. Darren is thrilled to do what he loves - creating software that enables others to bring the Bible to those who have never had it in a language they understand best. Darren, along with his teammates, create Paratext - the world’s leading software application for Bible translation. Using Paratext, almost 3,000 Bible Translations have been completed and over 2,000 more are actively being translated right now! Christina will be primarily educating and caring for their five children, though she looks forward to using her education and experience to advocate on behalf of the Bibleless peoples.

What is your timeline?

In 2019, when we applied to Wycliffe Bible Translators, they surprised us with a unique opportunity. They had an urgent need for software developers and a grant that could pay us a salary to begin working with the Paratext team right away. This allowed me to begin working for Wycliffe as a temporary employee, while raising up a team of long term ministry partners to surround us in prayer and provide for our ministry through financial gifts, that go beyond the grant. We were praying we'd transition to full time Wcyliffe staff Spring 2021, after raising up our partnership team. Praise God He answered these prayers and we are officially on staff with Wycliffe Bible Translators!

Why is it important for people to have a Bible in their own language?

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela A heart language is the language that you think, pray, and dream in. It is also the language you understand best. Here is why having a Bible in a person's heart language is so important:

• Most of today’s Bibleless people have little or no formal education.
• Most live in oral cultures where storytelling in the heart language is the primary method of learning.
• People who know multiple languages find that a Bible not in their heart language, is hard to understand.
• When someone hears God's Word in their own language they understand God is a personal God. He knows THEIR language and speaks directly to their hearts through His Word.

Why is software development important in Bible translation?

We all use software on a daily basis. Any app on your phone, website you visit, or applications you use at work are all software that somebody like me, creates. In Bible translation, custom software dramatically accelerates the time it takes our translators to translate the Bible into new languages. It also helps ensure that every translation that is completed is accurate to the original languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, etc.) Lastly, it gives people from minority countries a much easier ability get involved in Bible translation, and helps us work together as a global church to bring God's Word to the nations.

What software are you creating?

I am creating Paratext the world’s leading software application for Bible translation. There are about 9,000 people around the world that use Paratext to translate the Bible from the original source languages to new translations - so everyone can have God's Word. Interested in seeing a high level overview of Paratext? Check out our "What is Paratext?" video! https://vimeo.com/472226946

What is the most helpful way to partner with you?

Thank you for considering partnering with us! Our Wycliffe ministry is dependent on the power of God and the partnership of his people. Here are the best ways to partner with us:

• Become a monthly or annual financial partner, by giving a recurring donation once a month, quarterly or once a year (Whatever works best in your budget). These gifts are given to Wycliffe Bible Translators, and then come to us in the form of a salary/paycheck.
• Become a prayer partner by commiting to pray for our ministry on a weekly basis.
• Become an advocating partner by sharing our ministry with friends, family, and churches and introduce us to people that you know, but we don't.

How close are you to being fully funded?

We are so excited to share that because of your generosity, we have reached our Wycliffe monthly ministry budget! Joining Wycliffe is an incredible journey and we're so thankful to be on it with you.

If the Paratext software is already "created", why are you still "creating" it?

We are constantly adding new features, enhancing current features, and performing maintenance on our software. Every 3 months, we ship out an update with the latest features. If you are curious, you can see what we just released at our Paratext website. New Features - I am currently developing a new way for people to create resources like dictionaries, handbooks, and commentaries. This will also allow our translators to use many awesome resources that already exist in the world, but are not currently available in Paratext. This is a critical feature for people who do not speak English to have more quality resources to help them translate the Bible effectively. Enhancing Current Features - We spend most of our time making our current features even better. This year we have spent time enhancing our collaboration tools as many translators were distanced from one another due to COVID-19. We are also making our Study Bible tools more effective, as Study Bibles are extremely helpful for people to better understand the Bible. Performing Maintenance - Just like a house or a car, software needs to be maintained and updated. We fix errors and issues with our software to ensure Paratext is working as it should and to help translators build error free Bibles. We also spend time making sure our servers and security are up to date with the latest standards.