GREEN, Peter and Betty

Originally from England, Peter and his first wife, Chris, joined Wycliffe Canada in 1972. They went to the Philippines in 1974 and worked among the Tagbanwa people, doing translation, medical and literacy work. The Tagbanwa New Testament, with 20% of the Old Testament, was published in 1992, and recently reprinted. Chris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and went to be with the Lord in 1997.

Betty was originally from Melville, Sask., but the family later moved to B.C. She and her first husband, Don, did pastoral work in Hay River, NWT, in the early ‘70’s, and then spent 13 years doing church planting and Bible school work in Quebec. Then in 1986 they did Bible school work in Mozambique. Don was diagnosed with ALS in 1993 and went to be with the Lord in 1997.

Peter and Betty met and married in 1999 and have five adult children and 11 grandchildren between them.

In 2001 Peter returned to the Philippines, this time with Betty. Peter served as a translation consultant and Betty as secretary to the Academic Affairs Director in the Manila office. In 2004 they moved to the island of Panay and became involved with helping a team of Aklanon people to complete the translation of the New Testament into their own language (Inakeanon), spoken by more than 500,000 people. Peter serves as the consultant, and Betty is involved in Scripture Engagement, making Aklanons aware of the translation that is being done, and helping them realize how much more meaningful and understandable it is in their mother tongue.

Betty and various volunteers now regularly produce over 70 different types of craft items, each one beautifully decorated and prominently displaying Inakeanon Scriptures. These are displayed at various venues, both religious and secular, and have proven to be very popular. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the demand.

The Inakeanon New Testament is in the last stages of being checked, and is expected to be printed and launched in 2020, in both print and digital formats, along with a dramatized audio version to be done in partnership with Faith Comes By Hearing. This will give the Aklanon people, and the hundreds of churches in Aklan, access to the priceless message of the Bible in the language that is most meaningful to them and which has the capacity to impact them on a deeply emotional level.