FIND A MENTOR

Anabel, born in Manaus in 1964, has been with YWAM since 1982. She began her ministry among the Sateré-Mawé people in the Amazon, helping revise the Gospel of Mark and sharing the gospel in remote communities. She later worked as DTS staff and director, leading evangelistic campaigns in Parintins. From 1990, she served in Indonesia, helped pioneer a YWAM base in Papua, and later led a team to establish YWAM in Timor-Leste. She has worked in education, construction, missionary training, and has taught in various countries. She currently serves in Southeast Asia as part of the regional eldership.

Betania serves with her husband, Paulo, working among indigenous peoples in the Amazon. She is involved in training, pastoral visits, and Bible translation. She is part of a team translating the New Testament into a Brazilian indigenous language and preparing a dialectal adaptation for an isolated group. She participated in a master’s program in Bible translation and applied linguistics with the University of the Nations and serves as an Oral Bible Translation consultant with YWAM Porto Velho. She and Paulo have a daughter, Chaya.

Bio Athanase is from Benin. He is married and has three children. He is training to become a Bible translation consultant with Wycliffe Benin. He specializes in biblical poetry, especially the Psalms, and teaches biblical Hebrew. He is a trainer in Oral Bible Translation and ethnomusicology based on the Psalms.

Chris, from Minnesota, did his DTS in Kona in 1999 and attended the School of Worship in Perth. He joined YWAM staff in 2001 and led the School of Worship in Perth and Newcastle until 2015. He now works with Everytongue, a YWAM Perth initiative focused on Bible translation, distribution, and church planting among Bibleless groups. He has led worship internationally for over 25 years and teaches in YWAM worldwide. He holds master’s degrees in linguistics and theology. He is married to Debi, and they have four children.

Daniel has served with YWAM Mexico since 2004 and pioneered the YWAM base in Morelia in 2014. He works in community development, Bible engagement, leadership training, and Bible translation. His academic background includes biblical studies, applied linguistics, and Hebrew, studied at the University of the Nations and the Whole Word Institute in Israel. He is supported by his wife and four children and has experience with orality and various language groups.

Suzuki is a missionary and linguist committed to Bible translation and the spread of the gospel, particularly among underserved language communities. He combines linguistic expertise with cross-cultural experience to translate Scripture while preserving cultural and linguistic meaning. His work helps local believers engage with the Bible in their own context. Suzuki’s work reflects his belief that access to God’s Word in one’s heart language is transformative.

Janvier is from Togo, West Africa. He is a missionary and mentor in Bible translation. He completed his DTS in 2014 in Togo and joined the missionary movement afterward. In 2019, he completed the School of Oral Bible Translation and studied at the Whole Word Institute in Israel, focusing on Hebrew and a master’s in orality. He did an internship with Wycliffe Benin, gaining experience in oral and written Bible translation consultancy. He also facilitates a Wycliffe Benin project translating the Bible into the Nago language in Sakété and serves as a mentor on another project.

Khanh is a Bible translation consultant based in Vietnam. He studied at DTS in Nepal, attended Baptist Seminary, and holds an MA in Classical Hebrew and Bible Translation Consulting. He began working in Bible translation in 2013. From 2022 to 2023, he served as Project Manager and National Consultant for the United Bible Societies, overseeing New and Old Testament translation projects. Since 2023, he has been responsible for quality checking in 14 active projects.

Luciano is from Brazil and has served with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for 26 years. He has worked with YWAM in Porto Velho (Brazil), Dondo (Mozambique), Worcester (South Africa), and Eswatini, where he led the base from 2011 to 2021. He is married and has two children. He holds a master’s degree in linguistics with a focus on Bible translation from the University of the Nations College of Applied Linguistics and Languages. His experience in various cultural contexts has shaped his approach to collaboration and team development.

Manoel is a Brazilian missionary serving in Southeast Asia since 2014. He founded Bejana Yang Baru, working to address Bible poverty in Indonesia through training, technical support, and Scripture engagement with local churches. He is a Consultant in Training (CiT) in both Oral and written Bible Translation, supported by Marcia Suzuki and Brad Willitz. He assists projects in five confidential languages, focusing on training, revision, and linguistic and theological support. He holds degrees in theology, linguistics, and a master’s in applied linguistics focused on Hebrew and Oral Bible Translation.

Marcia is a linguist, Bible translation mentor, and dean of the College of Applied Linguistics and Languages at the University of the Nations. She has more than 30 years of experience working with indigenous communities in Bible translation and cross-cultural linguistics training. She is the author of several articles and resources that support the global Bible translation movement. She also serves on the OBT Affinity Table of ETEN (Every Tribe Every Nation), contributing to initiatives that aim to make Scripture accessible to all languages and cultures. Marcia lives in California with her husband, Suzuki, and their daughter, Kanani.

to be updated

to be updated

Patrícia holds a bachelor’s degree in theology and a master’s in applied linguistics for Bible translation. She is a missionary affiliated with MEVA and Aliança and works as a Bible translator and consultant. She and her team are currently finalizing the New Testament translation for the Y language. Since 2012, she has mentored various oral and written Bible translation projects. Patrícia is married to Daniel Tivane, and they have three daughters. Together, they are also involved in evangelism, pastoral care, and Bible translation in Mozambique.

Raíssa works on Bible translation projects, both oral and written. She holds master’s degrees in applied linguistics and theology and serves on the international committee of the University of the Nations’ College of Applied Linguistics and Languages. Alongside her husband, Cleber, she is the mother of five children and has served as a missionary at the YWAM São Paulo base for around 20 years.

Salifou was born on 1973, in Sansanné-Mango, Togo. He holds a bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of Lomé (formerly University of Benin) and a master’s in Classical Hebrew and Translation Consulting with a specialization in Oral Bible Translation from Corban University (USA). With YWAM, he completed DTS, SBS, the Titus Project, Word By Heart, and Oral Bible Translation training. He is a certified OBT trainer with FCBH and serves as a Consultant in Training with Wycliffe Benin. He is also a professional French teacher for non-native speakers.

Silvana joined YWAM in 1993 in Brazil and later served with Strategic Frontiers in Colorado Springs. She pioneered the SOSM in Curitiba and was part of Frontier Missions leadership. After completing SBS and a postgraduate degree in Intercultural Anthropology, she focused on oral communities. Since 2010, she has served with the Oral Bible School in Porto Velho. She holds a master’s in applied linguistics with specialization in orality and mentoring. She has led and staffed OBT programs in Samoa and South Asia and currently serving as a mentor for the T language and observing the mentoring process for other 4 languages.

Youngshin joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 1989 and has ministered in about 54 countries, including Korea, Egypt, Switzerland, and Hawaii. She has led training programs such as DTS, LTS, and communication courses, and has been involved in pioneering efforts among unreached people groups and Uniskript initiatives. After completing her Master of Applied Linguistics in Bible Translation (MALIBT) in 2018, she began pioneering Oral Bible Translation (OBT) schools and mentoring OBT projects in various regions. From 2023 to 2024, she studied biblical Hebrew with the Institute for Biblical Languages and Translation (IBLT) in Israel.