THE PACAAS NOVOS WORK
The archer drew his bow tight, he would kill this white-skinned “wijam” (foreigner), he thought. After all, he was an experienced archer that could knock a bird out of the air! He could barely believe his eyes as it seemed that his arrow swerved around the target without harming the “wijam”. A second arrow harmlessly knocked the hat off Abraham Koop’s head.
The Pacaas Novos work is one of the oldest works of New Tribes Mission, now known as Ethnos. The work began back in 1956 when the first friendly contact with this people group was made. Many were afraid of these people as they were known to kill and eat their enemies, as well as being a nomadic people. The contact team included real men of God: Abraham Koop, Thomas Moreno, and Richard Solen, working together with the SPI or Service of Protection to the Indians in Brazil.
After some time, Canadians Royal and Joan Taylor started dissecting the grammar of the Pacaas Novos. Later on, Manfred and Barbara Kern continued the study of grammar and culture and then started translating Bible stories.
With the help of other key people, Barbara engaged in the arduous task of translating of God´s Word. Serious health issues led to Barbara returning to Germany to be hospitalized. She continued her work of translation up till 2022 when God took her home. Following her death, Manfred was able to attend the Bible dedication ceremony and handed out the New Testaments to the Pacaas Novos.
Barbara had been working on the Bible translation for a number of years when Tom and Claudeliz Ferrel joined the translation work along with others. Maria Teresa Mantovani, Valmir and Fatima Barros, Pedro Paulo, and Aparecida Santos are still in this work to this day.
Barbara would do the initial translation and send translated portions and grammatical questions over the internet to us through a program known as Paratext. The material in question would then be checked with our language helpers.
On the 26th of August 2023, the completed New Testament was finally handed over to the Pacaas Novos. Most of the initial 2,000 copies have already been distributed. In the future, the Old Testament will be translated as well