Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper and our host on this program is Pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor at Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these 25 minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We'd invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. There are two services, the first at 08:45AM, the second at 10:45AM.
We have Japanese and Korean translation available during the 10:45AM service, and that's also when we live stream at hbcguam.org. hbcguam.org. This week, we're back in our series, Love Is, part six this week from I Corinthians 13:4-8. Let's begin today's Harvest Time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton. Hi, pastor.
Hey. Hafa adai, Chris. I have loved this series that we've been in, now for this will be the sixth week. It started way back in January. We took a little break in between, but we're back at it, this week again.
You know, when we started, I, in January, I mentioned that I wanted to do a deep dive, serious, pretty comprehensive study on what the Bible means when it talks about love. And in fact, if you were there or if you've listened or watched those messages from before, I asked you to go on a tour with me. And we laughed early on about what the Harvest tour bus would look like. But just go on a tour, grab your stuff, get on the bus. We're going to stop along the way at the definitions of love and look at them and talk about them and find the history of the word and discern what it means for us practically.
And so it's been great. I've had so much feedback from those who are attending and what they're learning, the ways that it's impacting us as we relate to other people. And so if you haven't been with us, it's not too late. You can pick up right where we're at. You could go back and watch or listen, but come this Sunday, you're gonna love the time together.
Our church family is warm and friendly, and I think you're gonna sense God's presence. And I know this, you're gonna hear the word, and the word changes our lives. It's alive. And so we'd like to invite you to come and join us this Sunday. We're recording this session in the first week of March.
We're going to actually air it a little bit later, but we're recording it now because we're in the middle of our missions conference and have some very special guests with us on campus that are sharing their burden and God's calling on their lives in some areas of mission. And so today in the studio we have Dr. Hye Ree Park with us. Dr. Park, thank you for being here with us.
Thank You for invitation.
Hye Ree is a missionary, a Bible translator with a group called Bibles International. Bibles International is connected with Baptist Mid Missions. And you've been with BI since 2011 Right?
It official 2011.
Okay.
And came to work as a volunteer consultant 2010.
Okay. So with BI longer than that. I wanna ask you about that in just a minute. But you grew up in South Korea. Right? Tell us about growing up there and how God used how God called you to himself.
Yes. I grew up in a Christian home for generation, Christian home, and we are farmer, farming family, and my parents were busy raising five children. So what they emphasize is church and school and work, three area. And because they are poor farming families, they were not able to afford any other other things. But they emphasize just church, Bible and going to church and serving at the church.
So growing up at church at church, I I memorized verses and joined and doing different things at youth group and Sunday school and choirs. Learning about God and the Bible helped me to to grow later on. Actually, I accepted Christ later on in my life. I did all the church activities and events. I joined the events. But later on, I truly met Christ because the church is setting in Korea. We are we are more holistic, what, totalistic. It is not
Holistic?
Holistic, not individualist. They do not ask about your individual faith. They call about a cult, so called, but I didn't remember having specification about how about you Yeah. need Jesus. Yeah.
So we assume because my parents were church leader, they assume that I'm a good good Christian, good a good student, and then I got good quiz score and then I was good at memorizing. So they thought that I was good and no problem, but I was get I got that question when I was in Israel. But all those Bible learning help me to understand and then make good background information for me, founding foundational work for me.
What were you doing in Israel? Was it some continued education?
I finished my education in agriculture, so I wanted to be a farmer. So I was in Israel to con to learn about more techniques about how to do organic farming. And there, yes, I attended. I work at the kibbutz and then working in the kibbutz on the farm. No. Actually actually, I ended up working at the kitchen.
In the kitchen? You went to study farming but worked in the kitchen.
Right. That's how god led me and then study a little bit of Hebrew.
Yeah. So you went to The States, for education. Did you know I mean, you felt God's calling. Did you know what God was calling you for?
I was I just went to study Bible. I didn't know that there is a school, Bible College, because in Korea, we do not have it. So I just call I prayed for Bible study, Bible school. And then when I saw the application form for Philadelphia College of Bible, I thought the God's answer. So I said, wow.
There is a Bible College. So and I applied right away and then I I submit and then I got a invitation. I so I went to 1998, so that was beginning. And at that time, because I just had a desire to study Bible and I saw the many pastors in India, they do not have education. I thought probably at the end of the time, maybe I can go back to India because the the one who gave me the invitation, the application form was in the Indian missionary Okay.
Who was serving in India, the Korean missionaries who was who was serving in India. Okay. So because I have a connection, there are lots of ladies and students. So I was thinking that maybe I could help those admission ministry over there, but that was the beginning.
Was that a hard decision for you, Hye Ree? I mean, you talked about the plan all along was to go back and be part of the family farm. You that your family, I think, had helped you train for that. Was it a hard thing to say, I'm not going back. I'm actually gonna pursue spiritual calling?
Yes. It was I was sorry and sad, but I prayed about it and there was some sickness. I had experienced it. And also, I after I came back from Israel, I worked about six months and then I work hard from morning to pay off what I've what I've learned and also think out of thankfulness, I work hard because I saw my mother's, also not feeling well at the time. Mhmm.
So I worked night and day helping driving trucks and the the harvesting vegetable and the packaging and then delivering to the market and working on the farm during the day. So I work about six months, I got a back ache. So so that put me to the hospital.
Oh, really?
Yes. So that and then also there is a I couldn't make money because at that time 1997, 1998, there we are organic farm as a organic farming business, we are doing well. Okay. So I could I could make money, but I have that desire to study Bible again. So I was praying for God's will and direction and and then, yes, I share my mother.
What did your family think?
I think at that point, I think they accepted.
They saw it too?
Yes. I yes. I think they accepted how because it it was I'm the only one. And then I I think by God's grace, I I think my father I there was a five children or five siblings, and I'm the only one. And somehow, God has worked, so that's only I didn't expect that my father would do would send me here and there, but that was God's appointing and opening hard and, yes, God worked out all the details and so that I could go and study in The USA for fourteen years.
Yeah. You're mentioning that many years of study of the Bible, you thought maybe going back to India, but not really sure what that would all look like. God, of course, knew. He knew how he'd gifted you. He'd known the the abilities that he's given you and how he's gonna use you, but you didn't know that yet.
Yeah. I didn't know that on the way that step by step, I just went to just desire to study Bible Yeah. And hope that help out the one that I saw needs that I saw in India
Right.
In the mission fields. So just desire for Bible and then needs in mission field. And then the first school, that teacher told me that I see you have a language ability capacity. Why don't you go for the Hebrew study for the Hebrew study? Mhmm.
So I went to Bob Jones for nine years and on the way that I met the Bible translation, missionaries and co work work workers who are working in the Subashiva, the other missionary candidates. So they encouraged me. There are lots of work in the in India Mhmm. And there are needs in bible translation. So and so that's a step by step.
And when I was finishing up my specialist in bible translation that my teacher recommended introduced me to Bible International and also helped me to write a dissertation on translation of problems in proverbs. Mhmm. And so so that that could also prepare my way and education as well.
So God led you to this field, this ministry of Bible translation, Bibles Internationals in Michigan, their home officer in Michigan. What do you mean by Bible translation? What are you doing? Are you obviously, you're trying to translate the Bible, but how does that work?
We at Publishing there are different philosophy that that each organization does. And for Bibles International, we do the we we partner with the national translation team and national team knows their own language, but they have a desire for God's word in their own language and they do not have adequate reliable Bible translation. So they they they come to partner with Bibles International and Bibles International for help from the beginning of language research to do the translation work and publication of the Bible real real copy in their in their local language in their hand. And as a Bible translation missionary, I will work I work in that part. I participate in expert in biblical language and linguistics and and any other help.
So that Bible translation team, National Bible translation team to finish from the beginning from Genesis through the Malachi and also New Testament revision as well. I'm because I'm I'm talking out of the perspective of old testament Mhmm. Bible translation consultant. Mhmm. And then so meanwhile, also supporting I'm not the translator, but I'm supporting, partnering with the national the translation team because I do not know the language.
Some group, they some missionaries, some organization, they learn the language for themselves. But for Bible International, we partner with national translation team because they know the language better, they know the how naturally say and express the meaning and concept. So we work with them, but we are helping them to because we have more resources and training. I measure about fourteen years of school and also one more edition of school in Israel. So we have a more resources and training as a consultant.
So we are helping them to understand the Bible language, lens, and then how the this original Bible text means in in Hebrew and Greek so that national translation team knows the meaning, what it meant to what it meant when God said to the Israelites so that national team could understand and and then update their translation draft. Yes.
Great explanation. That was really good, Hye Ree. Thank you for that. Maybe if I can just double down on a couple things there. So for those that are listening, you probably caught the idea that Hye Ree's had fourteen years of education.
And what that means is that she's got graduate level degrees in several disciplines that help her be a significant aid with the national training team. So she has advanced degrees in Hebrew, so the original language, probably some Greek and Aramaic too, but Hebrew is her specialty. She's got advanced level degree in linguistics, so how languages work and how the translation process works. And then degrees also in theology. So the translation of the Scriptures is not just words, we're trying to communicate important concepts.
And so her theological foundation is really critical in the consulting. So she called herself a consultant for these national teams, walking along beside them, helping them in the whole process so that I'm literally just a pastor or a key leader in these languages that would know the language well, but would have none of that other background. But we could put a team together, BI could put a team together where she could lead them through that process and the end result is just this very readable, understandable, accurate, consistent translation. And I love the philosophy. I love the picture of that.
And the other thing that means, Hye Ree, for you, versus like a lot of people might understand translation the way that you described. Other groups would say they're going to move to a specific village or area, learn the language, translate it, along with some help, but translate it on their own. And many Bible translations have gone about that way. A lot of old missionary heroes, that's how they did it. Was really the, you know, maybe the only way back in the day.
But what's happened now is that there's, we can take somebody like Hye Ree, who really has so much specialized training, and she can be a part of multiple translations. So instead of one person, sort of one translation for their life. My uncle actually was a missionary with Wycliffe and invested his life in Columbia, planting a church and seeing the Gospel grow in one translation, but it was his whole life work for a New Testament among the Muenanis. Well, the process that BI is going about, Hye Ree, right now I think you're involved in six?
I work different thing, mainly two Okay. Two main ones. Myanmar and Thailand. Okay.
Two main translations. And then she does
And then and then depending because I'm US based consultants, I go also Africa and also work with projects in America, South America as well.
Are you still working in Haiti as well?
Haiti, not
So much turmoil right there. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Okay. 2009.
Yeah. Anyhow, you can take, somebody as gifted as Hye Ree and she's now involved in multiple translations. And over the course of her ministry life, she'll have an opportunity to, along with those national teams, complete, see them dedicated, and then have other projects. It's it's really fantastic. Can you tell us, we're gonna run out of time fast. Could you tell us about the Akha translation in Northern Thailand? And I love that translation, and I'd love people to hear about it.
For Akha people language group, there are groups in in China and also Myanmar and Thailand, Laos in Vietnam. And each each they they live in mountain area and but mainly right now we are working with main Thailand group because they have a facility and they can facilitate all the other groups. And right now we are checking second chronicles.
How many Akha people are up in those mountain villages? Do you know?
I they said in China, depending on which which organization check, there's a million to 2 million Mhmm. And five fifty thousand people, Myanmar and Yeah. Yes. About another million in five area in The USA as well.
Yeah. It's such an interesting thing even sociologically because, we Americans see people in terms of nations and continents and not necessarily in terms of ethnos or ethnicities. So the Akha people are a people group that have lived in that mountain region of north of those countries. But over time, the countries have formed their own barriers, their, you know, their own borders. But the Akha people are still connected, but now they're in, you know, they're in different countries even though they're one group together.
So, yeah, I think that's amazing. And there's some challenges because over time how diverse that group is, their language just changed some and so you're trying to find a commonality for one translation.
Thank you. Thank you for pointing out the issue. Yeah. Akha main translator is trying to incorporate those inputs from each language groups from China, Myanmar and Laos and Vietnam. So that this Bible when we are able to finish that would be accepted by all five language groups.
But that's very challenging I see because of the COVID also that prohibit force to travel for them to travel. But we are trying as much as I I see that the main translator is trying hard and organizing that call I can the organization that promote Akha project and also script. One of the issue is, as you know, each group, each area, they build their own kind of a special way of terminology and also recently also they also developed some of the linguistic features as well. So that's one of our problem at this challenge that Akha team right now have. But we see that Akha script that we that we developed, Akha team developed is best script with not using the tonal marks, the carrots and those marks.
And I think this script is best and we are hoping to promote. And then everywhere, the good translation lasts Yes. And the people wanted to read and then that autography that academy developed would would prevail. So we are we are we have a hope, but language takes time over. So we are patiently reading God's word and then academy is promoting scripts and then with a new autograph bible verses scriptures with a new autography that we are having.
But we believe that God would use it and bless it and because that is not for just this generation, for Thai people, Thai akha, but also Chinese akha and every every people can use it with the new technology, especially with the AI that coming up and all the technology, the IT matters going going in, I think that there is a hope and there is a benefits. So we are we are hopeful that God will use this Akha Akha file.
It's an interesting process, you know, in a in a people group like the Akhas, where they do not have much written writing at all, not many books. So in those settings, the languages change very quickly. That's the reason, you know, through the different areas, the languages change so quickly, because there's not a standard everybody's looking at. But the truth is that even sociologically, a scripture that is accepted by the whole group can help formalize and establish the language so that it doesn't change as rapidly. So, yeah, it's really fascinating, the whole piece of that.
Hye Ree is also working, in, in Myanmar, where there's a lot of turmoil, happening. Anybody that's watching the news knows that. But you're working with Hakkain language in that area too, and that's progressing, that translation?
Yeah. That we are progressing well. We are thankful. I imagine yesterday. Yes.
2020, I was here. We are in Deuteronomy, and right after we have COVID. So there are many projects that shut down in Myanmar, especially in some area, but by God's grace, Hakka team, we were able to secure some of our devices when when on our last meeting. So they were able to carry from Yangon to their places to have, the Internet accept acceptor receptor. So we are able to continue, and now we are Deuteronomy and Joshua and Judges and now we are checking.
We finished all historical books and we are doing the Psalms Psalms checking now. And Lord willing this year, we hope to have the Psalms and Proverbs published.
That's fantastic, Hye Ree. I love that. Just real quick, we only got a minute here. Could you tell me about the churches in the locations that you're working? I know they're all very diverse, but Mhmm. Just are the churches healthy? Are are you optimistic about the future of the church and among the Akka and the Hakkain? Anything you could tell us about that.
One of the for me because I'm working with Hakka people with the church I can meet. Mhmm. And then I have a special time 2018 when I visited with the Genesis trial edition. And one of the church situation is because of the liberally church movement, there are lots of charismatic movements are so prevalent in the area. So we need a good Bible Bible and Bible training.
And especially right now, the problem is because of the COVID and after that also military civil war situation. So people are so down and because they are living just living day by day because when they they do not know when what what will happen. Bombs are overnight, the shooting was going nearby and unexpectedly, the the bullet came through the house and husband perish just overnight. So those kind of situation so it is difficult. So so I I think that I we are praying that God would work even through this situation, the worst situations that God would work through and purify the church.
And and then is especially as they humble through all, you know, as you know that when there are trials, when there are sufferings is a good opportunity for God's side to work in their hearts and lives and churches. And funny funny story that the pastor mentioned that there was missiles and bombs are dropping and there's blasting
Mhmm.
And they're destroying the buildings and graveside and then ladies out of pure heart, they are shouting, hallelujah. So that so that that's the their heart and also they are where they are, you know, for regional mind you will run away. Yeah. But out of pure heart they are as they see they are asking God, hallelujah and God would help. So we are praying that having good Bible and good training that God they would have sound doctrine and faith built on God's knowledge and the the God's church would Christ church would more secure, not not waived by long doctrine, not waived by emotion, but through truth.
So I we even difficult, we are praying whenever we have a workshop, we pray morning and evening. Even sometime we stop. We had to stop the workshop. So they because pastors, translators, they cannot read. They cannot focus on checking session because they are because new start keep coming even though we need to work but because it's so desperate because their families are back.
So when they are distracted, we need to I I had to call for time of prayer when but we are hope we know that God would use even this situation, this civil war situation. It is a war situation. And when we are leaving last Wednesday, I left twenty six. I I said goodbye at seven 7PM. We do not know whether we see again or not. Yeah. So we say, give big bow bow and say goodbye and Yeah. We will miss you.
Yes.
And then we commit all things. Amen. Yes. All things to God and do just keep reminding ourselves. We do our God's work. This is God's work. God's word. God want us to have this work. We'll do our best And God even yes. God would work and I have a hope and then I'm sure God has a hope and God has a plan for even suffering people in Hakkain Mountains.
Amen. Thank you, Hye Ree. Thank you for reminding us the need for our brothers and sisters all around the world, but specifically in Myanmar, believers in Christ, trying to live for for Him, who are facing, you know, even now, as we're talking, we we don't know, you know, the turmoil that's happening, particularly up in those mountain regions. So praying for them, praying for the church reminded me of Psalm one nineteen one thirty says, the entrance of your words gives light. And this is what we believe that the scriptures have significant impact in the darkness of the worlds that we're in.
And so that's our prayer. Thank you, Hye Ree, for being willing to, serve in this vital area. We're thankful to be, part of your partner, your support team, praying for you and asking God to continue to use you, that the the words of the scriptures would give light in powerful ways to places like Myanmar and Thailand and and the the places that God calls you in the years to come. So thank you for joining us today.
Thank you.
And thank you for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, at this point in the program, we always wanna invite you to join us at Harvest at services at Harvest Baptist Church. Two services on Sunday, 08:45AM and 10:45AM. There is Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45AM service. That's also the service we broadcast live on 88.1FM and KHMG.org. We hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.