Stephen has been working with the Wedau and Topura translation teams, translating God’s word into their closely related languages, since 2007. The Wedau team are working on a fresh translation to replace the now hard-to-understand version dating to early last century. The Topura team are labouring to bring God’s word in their language for the first time.

Since 2005 the teams have been participants of the VITAL project held at the SIL Regional Centre in Alotau, Milne Bay. Three times a year they come to live and work together with up to a dozen language groups, to wrestle with translation and learn how to promote mother-tongue literacy in each of their communities. In 2016 they hope to publish Mark, Acts and Old Testament selected passages.

Stephen has been a regular visitor to Wedau and Topura, assisting the teams with translation checking and researching and collecting language data. Other times, he has assisted with Translator Training Courses both in Alotau and Ukarumpa in the Eastern Highlands, and has been a visitor at SIL Australia’s Training school teaching up and coming translation advisors. Stephen counts it a privilege to be using his God-given skills to help so many people in so many ways.