Barry will be setting off on his hand cycle on 8 Aug and hopes to finish the 1000 mile hand cycle ride on 30 Aug. Julia and Timothy will be riding with him, as well as a supporter and a friend from London. He has raised £10,000 pounds so far, but has a goal to raise £100,000 to start 5 new Bible translation and literacy projects.
I am a paraplegic, 48 years old, and from 8 to 30 August 2011, I will be handcycling from Lands End to John O'Groats (1000 miles!!) through the entire length of UK (click here to download Barry's route map) to raise funds for Bible Translation and Literacy projects in Africa, India and Eastern Europe. I also am raising funds for printing of the Sena Bible in Malawi.
Cycling 1000 miles by hand is pretty tough, but so is not being able to read.....! By sponsoring me 1 pence per mile, you can sponsor two literacy teachers for 1 month; or purchase 20 literacy primers!!
By sponsoring me 1.5 pence per mile (i.e. £15) you could pay for one verse of the Bible to be translated in an unreached language.
1000 miles by hand is pretty tough, it demands perserverence and will-power. If each mile represented a people group without any scripture, even cycling double the distance would not be enough! There are over 2000 languages without any scripture or writing system, this is pretty sad.......! Lets perservere and be determined to help each group start a Bible translation project by 2025! By sponsoring £1 per mile you can sponsor 1 Bible translator's annual income. Or buy 200 Sena Bibles for free distribution in Malawi.
The Journey:
Barry Funnell was disabled in an accident 28 years ago, but this has not held him back! He will be hand cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats (over 1000 miles!!) starting on 8 August 2011 to raise funds for the charity The Word for the World. He will be cycling 50 miles a day, and will be speaking at various venues along the route about his life experiences and the charity The Word for the World. People will be welcome to join the cycle in their area.
As a 19 year-old second year dental student, Barry fell from a gym hall roof, which resulted in total paralysis from the chest down. Although traumatic, the accident was a turning point for the better in his life. He went on to qualify as a dentist in a wheel chair, married Julia, but then gave up his lucrative career to go to Malawi, Africa, to translate the Bible for an unreached people group in a record ten years. He did this because of his passion for the disadvantaged and marginalized peoples of the world.
Although he suffered more than 20 bouts of Malaria, and left Malawi chronically ill with severe kidney damage, he went on to study for a Masters degree in socio-linguistics. He and his family then went to Tanzania for five years where he started ten new Bible translation projects, all of which have completed the New Testament.
He, his wife, and three children now live in the UK, where he is the CEO of The Word for the World UK. He travels frequently to the various literacy and Bible translation projects in Africa and India as a consultant.
The Charity:
The main aim of TWFTW is to help marginalized people of minority language groups to become more developed both spiritually and educationally. We train and empower nationals to do linguistic analysis of their own language (which is usually only a spoken form), and to translate scripture. They are also trained to develop literacy materials and start literacy classes among their own people. Once the nationals have been trained in our accredited diploma in Bible Translation, which offers computer skills, intercultural communication and linguistics, they can be enrolled in a third year level BA course at university. These nationals can then secure good jobs and are often involved in training and coordinating other language development projects. ??????There are still 2200 such language groups where the writing system is totally undeveloped and not even one verse of scripture has been translated! Networking with other like minded organizations, it is our aim to have each of these 2200 people groups engaged in language development by 2025, and have the full Bible translated in every world language (7000) by 2050.
The Fund raising target: £100,000
The low levels of literacy trap people in poverty. Lack of education is holding them back! Wheels for the Word will transform their lives through unlocking the door of education. The funds raised by the Wheels for the Word hand cycle challenge will go directly towards language development, training nationals, scripture translation and literacy work in these marginalized people groups. TWFTW will take only a 5% administrative fee. All people who donate, no matter how small, will receive a daily up date on the hand cycle event, either on Facebook or mobile phone, and a book with colour photos and a summary of each day’s highlights once the cycle event is completed is planned.
Online giving can be done through the Dove Trust at www.charitygiving.co.uk/barryfunnell, or funds to sponsor Wheels for the Word can be sent to our three TWFTW support bases (addresses below), who have annually audited accounts:
The Word for the World UK: Registered charity 1098498; 40 Queens Crescent Clapham, MK41 6DA, United Kingdom
Email bfun@twftw.org
Tel 01234 309710; +44-750-892-0602
The Word for the World South Africa: PO BOX 36329, Menlo Park, 0102, South Africa
Email enslin.lottering@twftw.za.org
Tel +27-12-460-9615
The Word for the World USA: PO Box 26363, Colorado Springs, CO 80936-6363, USA
Email info@twftw.org
Tel +1 (719) 594 2052
Let us bring God's Word to all people in their heart language
