As we enter a new year, we reflect on 2020 and thank God for the many ways He worked in and through us this past year. Though there were challenges for everyone, there were many joys and opportunities to see God working in the midst. We're so grateful God has surrounded our ministry with fellow believers that treasure God's Word and desire to see His kingdom expand. What a privilege that God allows each of us to be a part of bringing His Word to those that don't yet have it! Thank you for being our teammates, our encouragement and a joy in this mission- it's an honor to serve the Lord with you.
Throughout this last year, I (Darren) created the "Paratext Resource Editor," which helps our translators get important resources like commentaries, dictionaries and handbooks. There are many translators who do not speak English and as of today, most our resources are in English. This will allow all our non English speaking translators (which are many) to have more resources in their own language. This project has gone really well, and I'm looking forward to releasing it to the world soon.
As I worked on the Paratext Resource Editor, I mostly worked independently, but in 2021, I will be shifting my focus back to working alongside my team members. I'm excited to share more in the coming months, about each of the major projects we are working on, as we have a full year of work laid out for our team. I will also be transitioning from my current role as a "Software Developer" on the team, to the "Paratext Development Manager" when we reach 100% of our ministry budget. I will still be developing the Paratext software, but also mentoring and training my fellow developers as they grow in their own walks with the Lord and abilities as software developers. I cannot overstate my excitement for this transition as it blends my love of creating software and helping other people grow!