Sunday 29 April 2012

Paratext in Parakou!

The translation team has just got back from a training course held in Parakou on the use of Bible translation software called Paratext. It was an inspiring few days! The new (to us) software is a programme which makes it possible to open on one computer screen several different versions of the biblical text being translated (the Hebrew/Greek, French translations, English translations …) with a window in which the translation is typed. Settings can be controlled so that the text is immediately formatted ready for printing, which is very helpful.

We have only had the elementary training so that we can do the basics. Once we have some experience using it we're hoping to carry on with more training, as it is in fact very complex software with very useful applications!

A few photos (thanks to my colleague Dodi Forsberg):


The other wonderful thing about the training course was a few days away in the relative cool of Parakou. At home we have “lows” at night of 30°C and during the day the temperature goes above 40°C. So it was lovely to have cool nights and to even be in an air-conditioned room for our training!

Sunday 8 April 2012

fire and flames



This is a common sight in dry season. People set controlled fires to prevent wild bush fires from sweeping through inhabited areas. This photo was taken from our kitchen window, the wall in front of the flames being our new wall-around-the-property-compound.


This is also the time of year when the flame trees come into bloom - what a feast of colour!