Why does only ONE Indigenous Australian language have the whole Bible?

This is the question I sought to answer when speaking to young adults at a Wycliffe event in Melbourne recently. When I first found out that many Aboriginal languages are still being spoken, and only one has the whole Bible, I thought, "This is Australia! Surely we have the resources to do our own Bible translation?" Little did I know about the many challenges.

My answer went something like this:

1. Bible translation is slow

2. Aboriginal cultures are event orientated (not task orientated)

3. Literacy is low in remote communities

4. Languages in Australia have relatively small numbers of speakers

5. Languages are changing quickly

6. There are not enough trained linguists to work with each language

I forgot to mention that the Bible is rather long! But I also wish I spoke more about the many translation projects that are currently in progress, and how the Kriol Bible was completed due to the ownership of, and enthusiasm for, Bible translation by many speakers of the language.

To see the full presentation, click here: https://youtube.com/live/bjoucbF2qG0

Give thanks for the opportunity to share about the work with young adults in Melbourne. Pray that some of them will be inspired to join Wycliffe and other organisations that help people access God's word.