How did you get interested in Bible translation? In 1975-76, I went to Zaire (now DRC) to serve as a volunteer teacher to missionary kids. I lived next door to the national Bible translator of the Giphende language, who had also been assigned to tutor me in the basics of his language. I was fascinated with the language structure. During my short 10 month stay, I had the opportunity to visit four Bible translation teams. On the third visit, I was told that Bible translation was the most wonderful vocation that one could be engaged in. 

At the fourth team in the capital city of Kinshasa, I asked the Bible translation consultant what was required to become a consultant. John Ellington (Bible Society) explained - a PhD in either Linguistics, Bible, or Anthropology, and a good grounding in the other two. That was a little awesome for a 21 year old who did not yet have her BA. Nonetheless, the seed was planted, and I decided to major in Linguistics at University.

What is your consulting philosophy? The basic tasks of consultants are training and quality assurance, buttered with a good dose of encouragement. I try to help the translation teams to find their own errors, and to build up their capacities, providing tools and resources as needed, right within the checking session. 

What translation resources do you really value? I don't know that I have a special preferred translation resource. All the manuals, Paratext with its dictionaries,Logos Bible Software resources, which includes Translators Workplace, Bible versions, Hebrew/Greek interlinear, the interlinearizer. The interlinearizer helps me take a peak directly into the language. 

How do you continue to grow as a consultant? Working in a variety of settings with new languages, translators with a variety of personalities, and different organizations. It pushes me to learn and adapt to each new situation. As I work with a team, whenever I encounter a translation that does not fit my expectations, I explore the exegesis, inquire about the language structure and semantics of the receptor language, and as needed, pursue further research on the meaning in the source language.  In some cases, I write up my findings and share it with others. 

How do you share your translation discoveries with others? MAP Online, Academia.edu, translation conferences, workshops, and simply sharing my resources with thumb drives. In addition to developing my own resources (Bible background, Hebrew Discourse Analysis),  I also have had the privilege to make contribution to resources being developed for Bible translators: Semantic Dictionary of Semantic Domains (SDBH), Key Terms of the Old Testament (KTOT) and Translators Notes.  

Can you share about a time when you realized you were wrong and what you learned from it? I have occasionally realized that I gave wrong advice to a team, or that I have found that I have missed something important while checking. This quite upsets me when I find out, but I do share it with the team right away, and we work at improving the translation together. I found very early that no single consultant catches everything in a translation, even the most seasoned. And each consultant has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. It is so important to have humble collaboration. 

What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation? My road to becoming a translation consultant was very long and rugged. What kept the vision before me was the deep conviction of the Lord's call for me to be a translation consultant some day. Don't jump for the opportunity simply for status, etc. Be sure of the Lord's call, because it is that conviction that will keep you when the rough times come. 

Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee? One of my mentors (Krijn van der Jagt, Bible Society) told me - if a team is well trained in understanding the scriptures, they will more likely produce a good Bible translation. Technique in Bible translation is of little effect, if the translator does not fully understand the text to translate. This has been my guide in resource development ever since, to help translators understand the text before them.

What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? Contexts are so many and varied that it would be difficult to make a single statement about the matter here. Where there is a church, and as much as they can be part of the translation process the better. They are the motor that moves it ahead, decision making, financial input, technical expertise, etc. There are more and more cases where expertise is being built up within language groups. I think though it is a false division to make between Bible translation organizations and "Church", especially when the organization is a national organization, and the experts are members of the churches whose languages are involved in Bible Translation. This is how things are here in Burkina Faso. Church members are part of the board (of ANTBA), and our consultants and exegetes are pastors of churches and teachers in Bible institutions. 

What would you say to young/aspiring translators? Be sure of God's call in your life. That will take you through all the highs and lows of the profession. And He will lead the way. 

Any other comments? I want to thank the Lord for two people who did not let my dream die. First of all my husband, Daniel Kompaoré, who, as the first director of ANTBA sent me to my first consultant training, directed by none other than Dr Katy Barnwell, in Côte d'Ivoire (circa 1996). I had become content as a linguistics consultant, Daniel pushed me to nurture my dream. And then fifteen years later when my efforts to become a consultant seemed to have met a dead end, Katy invited me to help out in Nigeria, and the rest is history.