We are excited to announce that Eric has accepted a new job as the lead software developer for the Sign Language Translation Tool (SLTT).
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P Y L E F A M I L Y
Transition from Wycliffe
April 2023
Dear Friends and Family,
We write this update with excitement and some sadness.
We are excited to announce that Eric has accepted a new job as the lead software developer for the Sign Language Translation Tool (SLTT). Over 350 different sign languages are used by Deaf populations around the world, and the vast majority of Deaf people have no access to a Bible in their language. Many Bible translation organizations have recognized this need and are beginning to work on video translations for these languages. To do this, they need a different type of translation tool. Eric has been asked to take over as the lead developer for one of the main software tools used to support these projects.
Sometimes people ask why Deaf communities can’t read a written Bible. Keep in mind that the writing systems in most languages represent the sounds of speech, in a language that is foreign to many Deaf people. Sign languages are generally the primary languages of Deaf people, who may learn written languages in the region as a second language. You can learn more about worldwide Deaf ministry at https://doorinternational.org/ and https://www.deafbiblesociety.com .
This change is exciting, but there are also things our family will miss. In this new job, Eric will be employed through United Bible Societies, which means that we will be leaving Wycliffe after decades of service. Eric joined Wycliffe in 2003 and is celebrating his 20-year milestone this year. I (Allison) joined in 2009, and I was connected to the International Linguistics Center (ILC) in Dallas before that as a graduate student. While we hope to remain connected to the ILC in some ways, we will be saddened to lose some of the Wycliffe community and services that have been a part of our lives.
We ask that you continue to pray for us, as many of our family’s needs will remain the same, and we hope that many of you will continue to support a Wycliffe ministry financially as well.
Our last day with Wycliffe will be April 30th. Please make plans by April 23rd to transition your giving to a different Wycliffe ministry.
We have several missionary friends we would love to recommend to you who could use additional financial partners. One family near and dear to us is the Longs. Matt and Carol Long served with Wycliffe Bible Translators overseas until they were forced to return to the U.S. for health reasons. The Longs now use their training and experience to equip future missionaries to cross language and culture boundaries. Carol teaches introductory linguistics and language learning courses at a training school in Dallas, TX, while Matt serves as an IT specialist, which includes working with the online course program. The school's online courses allow missionaries all over the world to receive valuable training without leaving their assignments. I (Allison) received my MA from this school and served as the alumni coordinator for a while.
Our three kids are close friends with their three kids, and their family has been a huge blessing to us. We watch each other’s kids, carpool to activities, and do homework together. In many ways, by partnering with them, you would continue to support our family in a very tangible way. You can connect with them here: https://wycliffe.org/partner/the-longs or e-mail donor_relations_orlando@wycliffe.org .
The Longs serve with Wycliffe by helping cross-cultural workers receive the training they need to serve. Please consider partnering with their family as you look to transition your giving from us to another cause.
A couple of other families we recommend:
Jason and Ashleigh Naylor have three young kids and are a sweet family dedicated to the work of Bible translation. Jason serves in software development and shared an office with Eric for many years. Jason and Eric even look a bit alike! https://wycliffe.org/partner/jasonnaylor
Ramon and Deb Padilla are based in Toronto, Canada, and have three young kids around our kids’ ages as well. They served on a translation project in Mexico, but, for health reasons, are now based in Toronto, a strategic location for connecting with people from around the world who have relocated there. This diaspora ministry can be an important way to move forward on Bible translation projects for groups that are otherwise in difficult-to-access locations. https://wycliffe.org/partner/Padilla
If you’d like to know more about other families you could partner with financially to support the work of Bible translation, please feel free to reach out to us.
THANK YOU for your partnership over the years and for the difference you have made around the world through your prayers, encouragement, and giving. We cannot express how grateful we are to all of you for your part in our work. We are excited to continue this work in a new way and hope to send out occasional family updates.
For future communications, please use the following e-mail addresses:
eric.d.pyle@gmail.com
allison.h.pyle@gmail.com
Eric’s cell phone: 469-386-8915
If you would like to send any final gifts to our account, please send them by mid-April (the 23rd at the latest). Also, it would be helpful to have a heads up if you plan to send a larger than usual amount. Thank you again for the blessing that all of you have been to our family over the years. It is hard to step away from Wycliffe, but we’re excited that we will continue to serve the same organizations and causes in a new way!
Please continue to pray for us, and let us know how we can pray for you! Please pray as we begin to learn American Sign Language (ASL) so Eric will be better equipped to communicate with people using his software! Pray also for Allison, as she is looking for some flexible, very part-time work she can do from home on the computer.
We are so grateful for your partnership with us!!
Also, we hope you enjoy the attached timeline of our 20 years with Wycliffe!
