Rejoicing greets launch of Wichí BibleNUEVA JUÁREZ, Formosa, Argentina — Some 500 Wichí people were present at a ceremony in Nueva Juárez on August 23 to witness the dedication of the new Wichí Bible. This event, the first in a series which ended with a ceremony in Buenos Aires on September 3, was opened by the Rt Rev Humberto Axt, Anglican Auxiliary Bishop of Northern Argentina. It was also attended by Marcelo Figueroa, General Secretary of the Argentine Bible Society, who expressed his pleasure at presenting the Wichí people with the first complete Bible in a language spoken by one of Argentina’s indigenous ethnic groups. Other guests at the launch in Nueva Juárez included Robert Lunt, who was responsible for co-ordinating the 20-year translation project, and Isidro Viltes, one of the translators. The Finnish Bible Society and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland were represented at the ceremony, as they are working with the Argentine Bible Society and the Anglican Church to produce literacy materials in Wichí. (WR 372/15 - 11.02) e-213 [September 16 2002] |