Short term computer specialists help Bible translation

Brazil (MNN) — Thousands of Christians all over the world spent time on short term mission trips this summer. Many of them weren’t preachers, evangelists or church planters. Many were technicians like Americans Steve Granz and Aaron Schiffer. The two recently traveled on a short term trip to Brazil with JAARS , an organization that speeds Bible translation by providing quality services for Wycliffe Bible Translators and others.

Grants and Shiffer traveled to Brazil to help Bible translators with their computer needs. Granz says he learned a lot about missions on this trip. “A missionary is not just somebody who’s a pastor going out to evangelize people. There are also missionaries who are going out to support the people who are evangelizing or going out and translating the Bible. You have people that are doing construction, maintenance, technology, (and) computers.”

Schiffer and Granz helped people with many computer needs in Brazil. Schiffer helped a missionary who’s been working on a tribal translation all her career and was frustrated because of a computer glitch. Shiffer says this technical help he provided could make an incredible difference. “It just hit me that, here’s the Word of God that this woman has been spending so much time on and it’s on this computer. And, here I am just doing this repair. I’m like the repairman and that is basically what we were doing. We’re part of this greater thing.”

JAARS has short-term mission needs in Mexico and the Philippines. If you would like more information on volunteer opportunities with JAARS, go to http://www.jaars.org , or call 704-843-6150 or 1-800-890-0628.