Tanya’s

Times
Summer 2020

Serving in South Sudan with Wycliffe Canada

Zooming On! Prayer Points

 For the new
government in South
Sudan. Pray for
While most of the world has been introduced to Zoom for the first time during this
reconciliation, healing
pandemic, SIL (Wycliffe’s field work partner that I work with) has been using it for a and peace and for
number of years for meetings, as we are often working with people spread around wisdom for the new
the globe. However, I have never spent quite as much time “Zoom-ing” as I have government officials as
over the past 6 months! Like much of the world, my work and social life have they take up new roles
become quite virtual. and can help put an
end to the
With the appearance of the first community transmitted cases of COVID-19 in Juba in intercommunal
early April, our SIL office and compound was closed up for several weeks while our violence that is
management team and leadership gathered information about the situation and prevalent.
planned for options for how we could continue to live and work, while keeping
everyone as healthy as possible.  Floods, locusts and a
pandemic have all hit
Thankfully, South Sudan hasn’t seen the high number of infections that other South Sudan at the
countries have been experiencing, but handwashing, physical distancing and mask same time. Pray that
wearing have become normal for me and my colleagues. I consider myself privileged there can be a harvest
to be able to work from home—I have a desk, electricity and internet– while I know and that people will be
many others even in Juba don’t have the se same options to stay at home and still able to replace all that
provide for their basic needs. was lost in the floods.

I’ve planned for potential projects and activities for the coming year (via Zoom), have  The Tennet New
had a number of meetings related to a new part time role (see page 2 for that) Testament was
(again, on Zoom!), and have enjoyed connecting with folks working in education supposed to be
dedicated and
more widely via several informative webinars (you guessed it— on Zoom!). In my
distributed in April. Pray
personal life, I still join my Saturday afternoon Bible study group (by Zoom!), and
for the community as
connect with my church in Calgary (also- Zoom!), and met my professors and fellow they make new plans
students with whom I’ll be studying with in September (all on Zoom). for that celebration.
In order to keep the work of language development and Bible translation going, our  I travel to Canada on
office here has been slowly opening up. Rooms in the guesthouse and conference September 9. Pray for
rooms have been converted into office space, allowing for more distancing between health and good
co-workers. Meetings that would normally happen in the conference room have connections on the
been done outside, under the shade, and have been limited in the number of people way.
meeting together. Of course, we have had to postpone some of our planned
activities, but it’s amazing how much we have all still been able to accomplish
through some careful planning (both on and off line) and flexibility.
Virus Awareness
Even while working from home, I’ve been able to continue to serve various language communities by
coordinating efforts to translate more health related materials, in partnership with a consortium of NGOs called
the ‘Health Pooled Fund’. They designed the materials and got local artists to illustrate posters and leaflets with
more information about why it’s important to keep physical distancing and wear a mask, and how to keep hands
and home clean to help stop the spread. Many of the messages that are being developed are useful not just for
preventing the spread of COVID-19, but also to prevent the spread of other common diseases here such as
cholera and typhoid. We received a lot of positive feedback from communities and NGOs in the health sector on
the first set of posters (and accompanying radio messages) which were produced in over 30 South Sudanese
languages. It was the first time health messages had been produced and distributed in so many languages, and
funders, community health workers and NGOs have now seen some of the benefit of reaching people in their
own languages. More importantly, people in those communities have seen the value and worth of their
language to convey important and potentially life saving messages. It’s not just English that can be used for
important messages!
I’ve been meeting and interacting with other SIL colleagues around Africa (via Zoom, of course) to share
resources and ideas for how we can use our expertise in language development and translation to help people
stay healthy. SIL International has been working around the world to help with health messaging in hundreds of
languages under the motto, “Spread the word, not the virus”! You can see a database of COVID-19 related
materials, see examples of materials in various languages, and find out more on the SIL website.

New Part-time Role

During several Zoom meetings with various literacy & education personnel in SIL and our Africa Area leadership, I
was asked to fill the role of Literacy & Education Domain Team Leader for Anglo-Lusophone Africa. Since we like
acronyms, I am now the “SIL L&E DTL ALA”. This is a role that has been vacant for a very long time, but one that
is key to ensuring a good communication flow from the work “on the ground” in the mainly English speaking
parts of Africa, through to the Africa Area leadership and then on to the SIL Global level. Having a person in this
role will help to ensure that literacy & education personnel have access to needed training and professional
development, and will be able to help make connections between people, projects and funders. While the team
of people engaged in literacy & education work is fairly small, we are spread over several countries (from Nigeria
to Ethiopia, and down to Southern Africa!), and having someone to facilitate and support connections amongst
us all is important.
So, I agreed to take on the role. As of August 1, I have been spending a portion of my work time as the Domain
Team Leader. Of course, I’m still working out exactly what that looks like… but it seems like I need to get a new
headset for all the Zoom meetings that I see in my future!
Going Digital
those together with the text and pictures to make
While access to smart phones and a good data
several “talking books”, which he has been sharing
network is still relatively rare outside of the capital
around his community via Bluetooth and WhatsApp.
city in South Sudan, over the past few months I’ve
Of course it’s not a solution to getting reading
been learning and experimenting with making some
material into the hands of the entire community,
digital books. SIL’s Bloom Reader makes the process
but it’s one strategy to get reading materials out for
pretty simple, and allows for the app and books to
some people to access. The plan is for people in
be shared between phones using a BlueTooth
Juba, especially, to share around the stories and
connection, even when there is no internet
available. Johnny, a colleague from the Laarim read them together with their families. We have
also produced some of the books with both the
community, had made recordings of himself reading
mother tongue and English, which can help people
some of the books in his language before COVID-19
to improve their English (which is needed for higher
came. So while working at home, I was able to put
education) as well.

Planning for the Future

Since our fiscal year begins on October 1, we do our planning for the coming year in August and September with all
the language communities that we’re working with. This year was no different. Though we normally all sit around
a table in our conference room, this year we enjoyed the open air under our “tukel” roof. Thankfully the rains have
so far held off, and it’s been quite comfortable meeting al fresco. We have heard reports of people learning to read
for the first time, and of people being encouraged by newly translated Scripture portions. There are lots of verses
to be translated, books and apps to be made, and writers to be trained in the coming year.
 Contact Me!

Wycliffe Back to Canada

4316 10th St. NE
As I mentioned before, I’m headed back to school! Once again, there
Calgary, AB
will be a lot of Zoom and virtual interactions involved. Unfortunately,
T2K 6K3 there is no “in-person” component to the program for the foreseeable
future, as originally planned.
PO Box 628200
Orlando, FL But as so much of my life and work are virtual at the moment, plus
schools in South Sudan are still closed and my work with the Ministry of
32862-8200
Education has come to a standstill, this seems like a good time to stick
Home Address:
with my “original” plan and come and hang out in Canada for a few
months. By “hang out” I mean: continue with all my zoom meetings for
151 Valley Ridge Green NW
my various work roles, continue to help with mother tongue book
Calgary, AB development (by email and app!), help develop a website for the work
T3B 5L6 that SIL is doing in South Sudan... Plus, take a few courses from the
tanya_spronk@sil.org University of Toronto!
trspronk@gmail.com So I anticipate a more-than-full work schedule over the coming months,
but will enjoy spending my off time with my parents and family, and
www.wycliffe.ca catching up with folks in Alberta through to Christmas. At the
www.sil.org moment, my plan is to come back to Juba in January. But if nothing
else, this year has taught us all to be a bit flexible and hold our plans
loosely, trusting that God will guide us, in his wisdom.
I am booked to leave Juba on September 9, and should be in Calgary
about 36 hours later, where I will enjoy 14 days of (hopefully) peaceful
and healthful quarantine before emerging into society again!

Thank You!
Once again, I want to say thank you to each of you who has supported the
work of language development, literacy and Bible translation here in
South Sudan. These past few months have not been easy for most
people, as we all make adjustments and changes of plans, and face an
uncertain future in many ways. I do feel blessed and encouraged by so
many of you who have continued to support the work financially, through
prayer and through emails and keeping in touch. I hope that this
newsletter gives you a little glimpse into what that support has been able
to accomplish in the lives of the people here in South Sudan. Many have
been “extra” generous at this time, too, which has gone a long way in
helping to provide masks and handwashing stations, as well as to help our
South Sudanese staff with some extra expenses due to rising costs of
transportation and basic food goods.
For those of you in Alberta, please do be in touch in the Fall, as I’d love to
catch up in face-to-masked-face! Peace, Tanya
Veggies get delivered to our
compound, and I’ve had more time
to be a little creative with my meals.
Zane (the cat) has not had much of a
change in lifestyle.

Rainy season has brought a lot of

flowers and plans to our compound!

I’ve spent some of my free time

working on a quilt. Mural on a wall
in Juba (photo from twitter, not
from me!)