Wycliffe Making Impact with Humanitarian and Literacy Effort to Circle the Globe by 2025

Contact: Jeannine Rhoden, 770-813-0000

ORLANDO, Fla., Mar. 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- In the middle of the "weakest spending environment that the U.S. economy has faced in 17 years," Wycliffe Bible Translators is pressing ahead with a billion-dollar Bible translation and humanitarian aid effort that will help the Easter story travel faster to ALL the world's language groups. With plans to start a Bible translation program in the remaining one-third of the world's language groups that still need one by 2025, Wycliffe will recruit 3,000 additional personnel. The organization is well on its way this Easter to circling the globe with scripture translation programs and the surprising and significant humanitarian benefits of literacy.

Even in the plummeting economy, Wycliffe received the largest single donation in its history last fall and earmarked it for its Last Languages Campaign, an effort to bring some 200 million people first-time access to literacy, life-saving health information and Bible translation over the next 16 years. Wycliffe understands that providing critical community development - literacy, the establishment of water purification systems, AIDS education, human rights and community empowerment - often starts in the strangest place: with Bible translation and the language development that is foundational to it.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

-May 15-19 Travel Opportunity:

On-site in Africa: Join a Wycliffe translation and humanitarian aid team as they travel to Uganda and Tanzania to provide literacy, healthcare, AIDS education and community empowerment. For more information, please see the travel itinerary and interview opportunities.

From the United States: Cover Wycliffe's translation and humanitarian efforts in Uganda and Tanzania from your desk with live broadcast interview opportunities using streambox technology via satellite or Internet, online interviews via Skype, or follow Wycliffe team members through daily blog entries and updates to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

-Interview Opportunities: Wycliffe President Bob Creson, Wycliffe's AIDS Education Program Coordinator Kathie Watters, Wycliffe translators, translation technology inventors and more

-Visit www.DeMossNews.com/Wycliffe for full press kit, high-resolution photos, graphics and more

Using new, high-tech translation techniques developed by Wycliffe personnel, the Orlando-based non-profit is translating the Easter story at three-times the pace of just a decade ago, representing a time savings of 125 years in reaching the remaining one-third of the world's language groups with no access to the Bible in their mother tongue.

"In the face of global economic turmoil, the work of Wycliffe continues to impact and transform minority language communities worldwide," said Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe Bible Translators. "In addition to Bible translation, our broad focus on humanitarian and educational issues is making a critical difference in lives this Easter."

Founded in 1942, Wycliffe Bible Translators exists to make the Bible accessible to all people in the language that is most meaningful to them. Comprised of 6,400 Wycliffe translators, linguists, aviators, humanitarian workers, educators and administrators, along with dozens of partnering organizations, Wycliffe is currently working in 93 countries on six continents.