Canadians have played a key role in funding the work of Bible translation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through its Race to 2025 adventure fundraisers (see Word Alive, Spring 2010). 

Since September 2010, 27 teams of four, comprised primarily of college students from across Canada, have competed in four weekend events. The teams raised $118,000 to further language survey, Bible translation and Scripture use initiatives in DRC—including trauma healing workshops. 

After reading the book, Healing the Wounds of Trauma, a pastor in northeastern Congo began teaching it to the members of his congregation. Last February, he attended a training workshop to help him share the materials more effectively in his home region. A portion of the money raised from Race to 2025: Congo will help fund trauma healing workshops in the area, as well as translation and printing of the book in several languages. 

In addition to funds raised by participants in Race to 2025: Congo, generous corporate sponsorships provided bursaries for approved student interns. Tim Lipp, who has participated in two races, won a scholarship to attend Wycliffe Canada’s training program at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in Langley, B.C. 

He plans to study at CanIL this summer, before leaving for DRC to research Bible translation needs there by doing language survey. Another racer, Rick Olney from Millar College of the Bible in Pambrun, Sask., attended CanIL last summer and is currently in DRC doing language survey. 

DRC is in one of three regions in the world with the highest Bible translation needs. About 120 of the country’s 215 living languages still have no Scripture translations and many of those do not even have an alphabet or writing system. 

To learn more about Race to 2025, visit www.wycliffe.ca/raceto2025.

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