Peter Chiu is a native of Ghana, where he works with Wycliffe Bible Translators. He lives in New Longoro-Wenchi, where he coordinates the Deg Literacy Project for Wycliffe Bible Translators. The Deg Literacy Project holds classes in the many villages around New Longoro where his people attend classes to read and write in their mother tongue. Translation of the New Testament into the mother tongue is also on-going. As the people learn to read and write, they are ready to hear and read the Gospel in their mother tongue.

TRANSLATION

The work on translation always faces a lot of challenges and spiritual attacks.  It is therefore an area which needs constant prayer.  The Lord has been very good to the project during this past year.  Translation is done in various stages: Drafting, Team Checking, Reviewer Checking, Exegesis Checking, Consultant Checking, and Printing of Complete Books into Booklets.

In 2007 eight books were drafted, team checked, reviewed and exegesis checked.  Out of those eight books, five have been consultant checked and are ready for printing when funds are available.  At the time of this report, 80% of the Old Testament books are in rough draft; 75% are team checked; 75% are review checked; 70% are exegesis checked; and 60% are consultant checked.  We need extra prayer for people working in this sector due to spiritual forces against the provision of God's Word to the people.  We already have a complete New Testament. 

SCRIPTURE IN USE

This program was set up when we saw that most churches were using a foreign language like TWI in preaching in our churches.  To give the true meaning of the Word to our people, this sector was created.  We also have the Faith Comes by Hearing program.  We have recorded the entire New Testament on cassettes.  This program is working very well in all 48 Deg villages and in over 210 listening groups.  This has helped many Christians to come to know the Lord better.  Many listeners testify how they are helped by listening to these recorded tapes.  One testimony is by a blind man, Jacob Kojo Momo, who said, "Listening to these cassettes is like I can see and read by myself.  When the Word is read in English, not all of us understand its meaning.  When it is read in TWI, the readers most of the time make a lot of mistakes.  But when I hear it in Deg, I can hear the voice of Jesus and all the writers of the New Testament telling their own stories."

REVOLVING LOAN FUND, THE GOAT PROJECT

From time to time, Peter begins a new project to assist the poor people of his village. The Goat Project was instituted to help the poor women of the New Longoro Christ Apostolic Church be able to provide funds for their petty needs. Five women were chosen to manage the project. There are made up of a chairperson and vice-chairperson, one purchasing officer, who also acts as the treasurer, one caretaker and the secretary. Peter Chiu is the coordinator for the project. All these women are working in their various positions voluntarily. Funds were provided by Restoration Fellowship. This funding has helped tremendously, since the women could not have started it themselves.

Ten she-goats and one he-goat were purchased and shelters built to keep them from wandering about.Cost of the animals varied, depending on how big or old the goat was. Five of the goats were bought at $20 U.S. dollars each. Two were bought at $15 each, and the remaining four were bought at $12 each.

A shelter has been provided to protect the animals from intruders and the weather during the rainy season. Through they are yet to make profit, the project has been a learning point for goat keepers in the community to keep their animals confined rather than roaming in the free range method.

At the end of 2007, 20 goats were sold for 1,200 Ghana cedis.  This enabled the women's group to start a soft loan scheme.  Thirty women have benefited, each receiving 30 Ghana cedis.  This revolving fund will help other women benefit at the end of the year.  These women are now able to support themselves and provide for their children's education.  Additionally, four Senior HIgh School students are beneficiaries of funds accrued from the goat project.  

It has motivated the women in the church and also serves as an evangelical project. People have seen the unity in the church, and many are coming to know the Lord. A new convert, Mrs. Akosua Magdallene had this to say, "I am now with Christ, for I have seen Christ in the women of your church. They do everything together in love and unity. Your care for one another in the church is so wonderful that many people like me who never knew Christ will soon come to join you."

It has also helped to get most of the women to join the Deg Literacy classes to learn to read and write in the mother tongue, which is also aimed at Bible (New Testament) in the mother tongue.

CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH MINISTRIES

The Children's Ministry is to evengelize children within the community and the surrounding areas, to bring them to know Christ in the early stages of life.  They use drama, Bible memory verses and role playing.  This has contributed tremendously to church growth.

The Youth Ministry is comprised of students in Junior High School, Senior High School and the tertiary institutions.  They minister to their fellow students in their various schools.  Four of them have been secretaries and presidents of Scripture Union in their schools.

THE WAY FORWARD

The Church Youth are planning to move from village to village during the next holidays to evangelize in those villages.  There are many villages that are not yet reached for Christ.  The youth have earmarked these areas as ripe for the Word.

It is the aim of the church to help more women with the soft loan ministry when more goats are sold next year.

There are also plans to help an orphan boy who is doing very well in school to enter Senior High School next year.

PRAYER NEEDS

Pray for the leadership of the church, for unity and love for the church.

Pray for Peter to be filled with the Spirit to enable him to take good care of the Lord's flock which is in his care.  (The church has grown from 9 in 1995 to 145 current members.)

Pray for the youth who are propagating the Word in their various schools.

Pray that there will be enough funds to help sponsor the children who need to receive help from the soft loan ministry next year.

Pray that the youth are able to partner with the youth of Restoration Fellowship.

Donations to support Peter Chiu may be forwarded to:

Restoration Fellowship

264 Village Drive

Pagosa Springs  CO  81147