What gets you excited when you work with others in Bible translation? I get excited about seeing the Word of God touch the lives of people and communities in a way that makes these communities visible to the world. To me, Bible translation is not only spiritual—though that is the most important aspect—but also a matter of social justice, which is itself spiritual in a different way.

What is your consulting philosophy? A consultant is part of the team and not the owner of the translation project. The consultant serves as a facilitator, mentor, and encourager—almost like a "paraclete" figure. The goal is to help the team grow in their work while respecting their ownership of the translation process and their cultural perspectives. A consultant is a helper, but also a learner. It is a two-way street.

What translation resources do you really value? I value Paratext—it is the greatest tool ever. I have been in Bible translation for 35 years, first as a translator and later as a consultant, and I have seen Paratext grow in its scope and possibilities.

I also highly appreciate SLTT (Sign Language Translation Tool) in our work with the Deaf community in Sign Language translation. The handbooks and translation notes provided to teams are invaluable because they focus on key translation issues.

Additionally, I value ongoing interaction with other consultants and learning from others through journals like Notes on Translation and The Bible Translator, as well as discussions in the Bible Translation Google Group.

How do you share your translation discoveries with others? I share my insights through various channels, including:

• Bible Translation (BT) networks

• Translation conferences

• Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) meetings

• Personal correspondence

• Articles in journals and books

• Lectures and presentations to churches, particularly in the Americas

• Teaching and mentoring of translation teams and consultants

Can you share about a time when you realized you were wrong and what you learned from it? I often find that the translation team is right about their own processes, and it is crucial to give them time. I have learned that the pursuit of uniformity in style and key terms is not always ideal. The Bible itself contains different styles, and different authors have distinct focuses and emphases.

More flexibility is needed in allowing translation teams to follow their intuition about their language. I have found that some communities do not always prefer a dynamic-equivalent translation, as poetic elements can be lost in more idiomatic renderings.

Of course, this realization came years ago. Today, there is more awareness of these aspects in translation work.

What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation?

• Give attention to both the source language and the target language—including cultural issues and modes of reception.

• Think multimodally—don't let any one translation approach dominate.

• Listen, listen, listen to the community. Each community has its own preferences.

• Do not position yourself as the ultimate authority on the text. You are part of a team, and the community ultimately has the final say.

• Decisions should be taken in agreement with and in consultation with the translation team.

• Linguistics is important—but not enough. Cultural and theological awareness is also essential.

Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee. From my mentors, I have learned to be flexible, to pay attention to the human side of things, and to be people-oriented rather than purely process- or goal-oriented—while maintaining balance.

From a mentee, I have learned that Bible translation is complex and that experienced translators often take many things for granted. It is important to articulate our reasoning and to listen to the new generation of translators.

What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? Churches are the primary stakeholders in Bible translation. Ideally, they should be leading translation efforts. However, Bible translation is a complex task that requires specialized training.

The church must be at the center of decision-making, but pastors and those called to translation ministry need proper training in this area. We owe it to the Word of God and to the people groups we serve to ensure high-quality translations—while making sure the local church is not excluded from the process.

What would you say to young/aspiring translators?

• Study your own language deeply. Even as a native speaker, you do not fully know its richness until you dig deeper.

• Translation is not just about finding key term correspondences. It is both a science and an art—it requires creativity.

• Allow the Holy Spirit to use your God-given talent.

• Remember, you are part of a community. Don't become just a bureaucratic translator.

• Let your language sing, dance, exhort, and speak to the hearts of your people.

Any other comments? We are living in exciting and challenging times. Bible translation has always been about Scripture engagement, and it is important to bring together the different elements of the Bible Life Cycle—from translation to publication, from literacy to church engagement—so that God's Word can continually become incarnate in every generation.

Bible translation today involves technology, technical research, culture, language, multiple platforms and modes of communication, and deep cooperation on many levels. Ultimately, it is about transformation.

There is a great need for:

• First-time translations

• Sign Language translations

• Oral Bible Translations (OBT)

• Study materials in various languages

• Our work is not just about words on a page—it is about making the Word of God fully accessible and alive for every people group on earth.