NEWS FROM THE EBERHARDS
Dear family and friends,
It’s been a busy few months. In February, as always, we launched the 26th edition of the Ethnologue. But this year we also launched the new Ethnologue website, which not only continues to serve missions, research, and governments, but also provides
more access for the general public. Check it out at: https://www.ethnologue.com/.
I’ve also been writing…I’m presenting papers at a couple of linguistics conferences this spring. First off is the Philippines. I leave Saturday for a 3-1/2 week trip, trying to tackle 4 different tasks! I’ll be in the southern island of Mindanao where I will first work with a local university to update data on the languages of Mindanao for the Ethnologue. Next I will give one of my papers as the keynote speaker at the Linguistic Society of the Philippines, as well as presenting a couple of other talks. From there I will spend a week in Davao City on the other side of the island, where we will put on a Journey training for SIL colleagues, followed by a Journey workshop for 4 minority communities from Mindanao. As you may recall, the Journey workshops help locals assess the vitality of their own languages, and help them explore what can be done to develop them if needed.
Then I head to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to catch up with our SIL language surveyors who will be in international meetings there. I plan to finish my time in Thailand hammering out a rough draft of a new research paper that I am co-writing with my colleague, Stan Anonby. This new research, based on some survey work Stan just finished in Sulawesi, Indonesia, should provide some solid evidence of how many of our New Testaments are being used by the language communities, and if they are not being used, investigate why that is so. This research promises to be helpful to all future Bible translators who want their translations to be used.
In the summer I have two trips planned. The first, early June, is a quick trip to Brussels to present another paper at a linguistics conference on language acquisition. I hope to get some feedback that will help me finalize my research on a very rare language
acquisition pattern in some minority language groups that I have been studying for several years now. This could then inform missionaries working in such groups, helping them understand whether or not the youth will eventually be speaking the traditional
language.
Mid-June to mid-July will see me in Brasilia, Brazil, for my annual Sociolinguistics class for young Brazilian missionaries training for cross-cultural work. Late summer or early fall, there is a trip to Guyana in the works for another data gathering event. So, it’s a
good thing I like to travel! Julie plans to stay at home and tend the garden!
A side note from Julie: Yes, it’s spring and I’m coming alive. I LOVE the warm weather and being outside. Recently we were able to attend a “house concert” of one of our daughter’s favorite writer/musicians, Andy Squires. He mentioned how his church had had a devasting event happen, and as a church they spent a year in mourning, in lament. He had written songs through that period, but as they were coming out of the year, he wrote a song, “Cherry Blossoms.” There’s a line: “In winter I believe you, in
springtime I see you.” As our literal spring is coming into full bloom, yes, I can see God. But I’m so thankful that in our literal or metaphorical winters, He is there. I must believe. I must continue to believe, even during the darkest winters. Spring is coming. Thank you for continued interest in our work. We are grateful for you.
Dave and Julie Eberhard
Addresses:
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Email: [email protected] Orlando, FL 32862-8200
Dave: 859-351-8455 Julie: 859-797-2299
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