What is your consulting philosophy? When working with a translation team, I feel that I am surrounded by a group of experts in their language, culture, and other things; we are coming together to help God’s word come alive. And although I cannot remember the source, I was influenced by an article some year ago which argued that a good role for a consultant is to be a spare tire, helping the team when needed to achieve their goals.

What translation resources do you really value? I am very grateful for all of the valuable resources in Paratext and TW Logos.

How do you continue to grow as a consultant? By bumping into interesting consultants and interesting articles.

Can you share about a time when you realized you were wrong and what you learned from it? While working with a team, a certain verse looked fine to me, and so I said, “That’s okay.” A member of the team became excited and said, “What do you mean? How can that be okay? That is not okay!” That experience helps me to remember that the entire team is checking and working to make the best translation possible. 

What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation? Be patient and be fond of learning things like linguistics, anthropology, Biblical languages, and other things.

Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee? While the list is long, mentees from the host cultures often point out cultural items that are easy for me to miss.

What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? It seems that people who regularly gather around the Word of God would like others to have the same privilege. And while we have many things to do, considering working with the church as a low priority may not be helpful.

What would you say to young/aspiring translators? You are in a good situation to learn. Be flexible as you do so, and continue to look to God for strength and guidance.