On the Road with Andrew: Germany V

Andrew tours his German office with director Juergen Pauli and his wife Brenda. (Click to enlarge)While in Germany, Andrew paid his first visit to his year-old ministry office in Birkenfeld/Nahe. Here plans are under way to launch a Charis Bible College. 400 interested Germans attended the Bible college meeting with Wendell Parr during the conference in Karlsruhe. More than 100 filled out information cards for both the school in Birkenfeld/Nahe, and the start up school across the Swiss border in Baden. From the level of interest it seems possible that other schools will soon need to be started in the major cities of Germany.

German born CBC Colorado student Gabriele Weismann points out the various dialect regions of Germany. (Click to enlarge)The conference concluded with wonderful reports. One lady was born without an ear. After prayer, her normal ear was blocked and she reported that she could hear through the ear that was not there. Another woman rose from a wheelchair. She left the meeting walking. The evidence of God’s love for the German people was not in short supply in Karlsruhe this year.

Next stop: the ministers' conference in England…

Filed Tuesday October 25, 2011 by AWM Media Operations Manager, Stephen Bransford.

On the Road with Andrew: Germany IV

Marco Shulze translates Texas slang for the German speaking audience. (Click to enlarge)How do you say “…fall apart like a $2 suitcase…” in German? Not only do you have to translate the words, you must be sure that you transmit the meaning. “Fall apart” in American slang does not mean the same thing in German, French, Dutch, Hindi, Sinhalese, or Chinese. Nor does a simple word translation convey the meaning of “a $2 suitcase,” which is something cheap that breaks up under pressure.

This is the challenge faced by all translators who attempt to put “Andrew-isms” into a foreign language. It is one thing to translate in writing, with time to edit and correct every syllable. It is quite another challenge to accomplish this work while standing on the stage, live, flying by the seat of the pants, so-to-speak. Andrew thanks a group of translators in Germany for their work on his books. (Click to enlarge)(Come to think of it, how would you say “flying by the seat of the pants” in German? Someone might think you had a GPS in your hip pocket.)

This was the kind of problem Marco Shulze had to solve many times while translating Andrew’s messages in Karlsruhe, Germany. Thankfully, he had prior experience. He had translated for Andrew two years ago. But on this occasion, he did so well, and received so many compliments, that Andrew asked him to be his “voice” for the planned German language Gospel Truth TV programs in the future. These programs are only now in the planning stages

Judith Forgoston displays the favorite titles of German-Swiss readers. (Click to enlarge)Judith Forgoston drove from her hometown of Baden, Switzerland to the meetings in Karlsruhe to report on the great changes since she left to attend Bible college in Colorado Springs in 2005. When she left Switzerland no one had heard of Andrew Wommack. Now he is well known. His books are displayed prominently in many bookstores and people are talking about the teachings. The book translation efforts of Will Graham and his army of translators worldwide, is making a surprising difference in places such as Baden.

Filed Tuesday October 25, 2011 by AWM Media Operations Manager, Stephen Bransford.

On the Road with Andrew: Germany III

Andrew meets Pastor Anwar Fazal of ISAAC TV, Pakistan. (Click to enlarge)Perhaps the biggest surprise of our German conference was to meet the man behind a little known Gospel Truth TV broadcast from Lahore, Pakistan, Pastor Anwar Fazal. This man and his TV station have become a “phenomenon” in Muslim Asia and the Middle East! After a humble 2004 beginning on a local cable system, his 24/7 Christian station is now carried by Asia satellite 3, with a huge coverage area including all of China, India, North Africa, Australia and the Middle East. See www.isaactelevision.tv for the full story.

Meeting to discuss translation issues for Gospel Truth TV worldwide. L-R: German ministry board member, Klaus Gruber, translation AWME IT manager, Aaron Roach, German ministry office director, Juergen Pauli, German media buyer, Thomas Hettinger, Anwar Fazal of Isaac TV Pakistan, AWME director, Will Graham, and Media Operations Manager for Andrew Wommack Ministries, Stephen Bransford. (Click to enlarge)Years ago, Pastor Fazal began to carry Andrew’s Gospel Truth daily program in English, free of charge. He did it because of Andrew’s message. A few months ago a broker threatened to replace Gospel Truth with a paying programmer. Pastor Fazal intervened. “Some people just think in business terms,” he explained, “I am a minister, I see with eyes of faith. We need Andrew’s teaching on Isaac TV. In fact, I have studied his teachings in English, and I teach his lessons to the TV audience in Urdu and Hindi. So even though Andrew’s programs are not available in these languages, at least the people hear of God’s unconditional love and grace from me.”

Filed Tuesday October 25, 2011 by AWM Media Operations Manager, Stephen Bransford.