I am so excited about something that won’t be in my life anymore. Not because I don’t like it, but because I’ve finished it! Last week I finished translating the last lesson of our Sunday School curriculum into Xitsonga. I started this project over six years ago and finally have finished 212 lessons from A Beka Book’s elementary Bible curriculum. Earlier I had translated 32 lessons with Firm Foundations, a chronological approach from New Tribes Mission.
I usually spent three to four hours per week in translating a lesson plus review questions, then another hour or so picking out a memory verse for the week, making memory verse visuals, and practicing teaching the lesson. I am very excited to have some more time in my week now that this lengthy project is finished! I am also happy when I think about national teachers being able to use these materials in the future when we have hopefully moved on to another church plant.
Once at a college graduation I attended, a man was awarded an honorary doctorate for having written curriculum for eight semesters of a one-day-per-week seminar. I tickled my fancy, awarding myself with an honorary doctorate for finally finishing this accomplishment. 🙂 Not tooting my own horn, just enjoying finishing this “chapter.” Oh, the work missionary women do that will go unheard of, unsung, or unnoticed. (By the way, much of what I write could apply to pastor’s wives as well.) So share with me, are you working on any projects on your field right now? Have you finished any projects that excited you? I’d love to hear about it!
Decorating Valentine’s cookies at a Sunday School party
Ita Vita 
Congratulations on your accomplishment–to God be the glory! So glad he gives strength and wisdom when it is needed. Great job.! In Christ Kathy Mullins-Engelhardt
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 15:14:31 +0000 To: kathylacemaker@hotmail.com
Congratulations and thank you for letting God use your many talents for His glory.
Wonderful, wonderful news! What an accomplishment! And what a joy to free those hours for other tasks. Helen
Amy – You can toot your own horn anytime you want – you deserve it. 🙂 Thank you for serving Him faithfully; you are an amazing woman. What a wonderful accomplishment / work for our Lord. No doubt many people will be blessed by your hard work and perseverance!!! You ROCK! Here’s a thought: I bet you already have those “extra” 3 – 4 hours / week filled up!
Thank you! Yes, those hours are filled. 🙂
I am amazed. We’ve been in-country for 6 weeks, and I can barely remember greetings, much less envision translating anything!!! My I ask which grade level of the curriculum you used? There is need for something like that here. My degree is in Children’s Ministry, but I have never used Abeka’s curriculum. Thanks!
Hi, Jennifer! You will get there! Let me just encourage you to check with other missionaries there on your field to see if they have already translated materials. I found translation work a great way to practice the language every week when I got busy with little children. Also, I wrote a post on the Baptist Missionary Women blog about lots of different curriculum options and what different missionary women preferred here. I didn’t use a specific grade level from ABB, because some of the grade levels don’t list all of the series. For example, kindergarten wouldn’t do Life of Paul. If you buy one of the sets, the lesson book lists all the others in the series, so I just followed that list. However, if you ordered from ABeka, their order form would also list all of the sets. For your info, here are their sets: Salvation, Genesis (has 5 different sets called Creation, Adam, and Cain; Enoch, Noah, and Babel; Abraham and Isaac; Jacob; and Joseph), Moses (has 3 different sets called Moses in Egypt, Journey to Sinai, and Journey Through the Wilderness), The Tabernacle, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, David (has 3 different sets called Young David, David in Hiding, and David the King), Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Daniel, Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah, Life of Christ (has 5 sets called The First Christmas, Boyhood and Early Ministry, Jesus Heals and Helps, Later Ministry of Jesus, and Crucifixion and Resurrection), Life of Paul (two sets), Parables of Jesus (2 sets), and the Salvation Series. Hope that helps!