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French, German, Twi, Kiswahili, Bulgarian, Romanian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Korean--these have been the languages of the ATN World Weekly broadcast nearly every weekend since April 2002. Through the miracles of technology, these languages were made available by phone from locations in Europe, North America, and Korea. Where did the translations actually originate, and who have been the faithful "voices" for the languages you have enjoyed? Here is a behind the scenes glimpse of this unique translation service afforded the Adventist church each weekend through Adventist Television Network.

For the French language, the translator has been Pr Daniel Latchman, Youth Director of the Quebec Conference in Canada. Originally from the beautiful islands of the Indian Ocean, he first translated for ATN in 1998 for the first satellite event broadcast from the continent of Africa. Since then he has translated for many ATN broadcasts. Pr Daniel travels a lot, and the ATN modem traveled along in his suitcase. Many Fridays found him using a phone in a hotel or church office somewhere in North America. When asked what motivated him to "go the extra mile" for this unique project, Pr Daniel replied, "It is my duty. I always think of those who need to hear the messages in the French language, and I'm happy to share my gift of translation." In addition to Daniel, his brother Gerard at times assisted with French translation from the General Conference, as did Pr Jose Elysee, French "It Is Written" speaker in Montreal.

Establishing a good phone connection with Bulgaria and Romania sometimes proved a challenge. Nevertheless, Br Nikolai Gerogiev of Gabrovo, Bulgaria, and his capable team, church lay leaders and pastors Tomanov, Marinov, Kolev and Simeonov, along with Sr Tsoneva, faithfully managed translation from a tiny church office. Praying often over their patched-together equipment, this team translated the ATN broadcast every week.

In Romania, Union President Pr Adrian Bocaneanu took responsibility for weekly translation, first from their media centre and later from his home once the ATN modem was installed there. This arrangement allowed his very capable daughter Sara, a busy university student, to share the translation work when Pr Bocaneanu was traveling.

German viewers enjoyed a variety of translation voices from three locations in Germany. From the ATN modem at the Charlottenberg church in the centre of Berlin, Hannelore Koch and Claudia Adams, along with Christopher Wilde, Andreas Bochman, and Klaus Schmitz provided translation. From a second modem at Stimme der Hoffnung, the German media centre in Darmstadt, responsibility rotated among several, including media centre director Br Matthias Mueller. A third ATN modem located in Hamburg provided Br Rupp, former president of the North German Union, the opportunity to assist (even in his retirement). Of this venture Br Rupp wrote, "Friday December 12 has been my last translation for ATN on a regular basis. Thank you and your team for whatever has been done so far to provide listeners in the German-speaking areas of Europe with ATN Weekly. It has been a rewarding, interesting, and inspiring adventure. I am very glad of having participated."

Russian translator Sr Luda Melnik, formerly from Moscow and currently involved with her pastor husband in a church planting project for Washington State in the USA, summed up the feelings of many of the translation team, "Translating each week has been such a blessing to me. My spiritual life has been enriched by this programme. I have been encouraged and really am thankful for the opportunity."

Translating for the Twi language of Ghana, Pr Isaac Boateng worked from the Ghanaian Columbus church he pastors in Ohio. He appreciated the sermons, receiving good ideas for his own preaching, sometimes five or six sermon ideas from one sermon. Occasionally he phoned Ghana to see if people were listening and was encouraged that they were. Speaking for many of the translators, he commented, "I found the weekly broadcast very useful in my own ministry."

From an office in the seminary building at Andrews University, Pr Robert Tuvako translated weekly into the Kiswahili language. Pr Robert, from Tanzania, is at Andrews studying for an MDiv degree. His schedule was so tight that often he would come to translate immediately from a night shift at work. Yet Pr Robert found the ATN Weekly broadcasts inspiring and a welcome connection to his homeland.

ATN lacked Korean language translators until the Korean Union Conference Personal Ministry Department accepted the responsibility. Once their modem was cleared through customs, after a lengthy delay, a team organized by Pr Jason Yoon and including Pastors Um, Choi, Yang, Han and Park capably translated each Sabbath afternoon. Additionally, each week the Korean translation of the ATN World Weekly was uploaded and shared via the KUC website.

Portuguese translation alternated between two continents. First, Pr David Bravo translated from his Portuguese church in Southern California. Then Pr Roger Esteves (originally from Portugal) assisted for a time from the campus of Southern University in Collegedale, Tennessee. Several months ago, the Portuguese translation shifted to ADSAT in Brazil where each Friday a complete multi-voice translation is made. ATN World Weekly is played as many as 27 times during ADSAT's 24/7 broadcast to South and Inter America.

The last of ATN's languages, Spanish translation was coordinated by Jose Romero, Associate Communication Director of the Inter-America Division. Initially, from the new division office Br Romero's father faithfully served as the primary translator. More recently, the Spanish language translation utilized a Houston, Texas, location. Pr Carlos Turcios organized translation with multi voices, utilizing male and female translators for each broadcast. "When we first invited Maria del Rosario Morales, a member of neighboring Texas City Spanish Church, to join our multiphonic translation team, she was reluctant. With great trepidation she finally agreed to give it a try. Today, eighteen programs later, she gives her testimony: "I have been blessed beyond all expectations. I joined the translating team at Gulfhaven church believing that I would be rendering a service to Jesus. While that is true, and my basic motivation was to serve my Savior, I now realize that God had a blessing in disguise for me. The opportunity to be on the cutting edge of Adventist world news while translating for "Adventist Newsline" has given me a world view of God's last church in prophecy. So, I ask, was that a service... or a blessing?"

Pr Carlos comments, "Maria del Rosario's testimony summarizes the way we feel about translating for ATN these past few months. [My wife] Gloria and I count it a real privilege to have been used... or rather been blessed of God in this endeavor."

Though the ATN team eagerly supports the new 24/7 direct to home service of Hope Channel International, it is with regret that ATN closes this chapter of weekly translation broadcast. We are indebted to the faithful translation team for their consistent help in the demanding task of simultaneous translation. On December 11, the ATN Executive Committee recorded an official vote of appreciation to these translators for their invaluable assistance.

ATN Translation service has been made possible by the capable technical assistance of Marcelo Vallado, Randy Schornstein and Reini Bleich of Adventist Media Productions, a wonderfully skilled, patient, and supportive crew. We thank them all for being such a great team! Kudos also to Marilyn Mead of AMP and Bob Beckett in Tennessee who have every week faithfully provided a transcript of the entire programme. Many thanks to all involved in production (around the world), post production, and editing, including staff at the ATN Centre at the GC, and to Kevin Emmerson and Sheridan Adams at AMP for compiling the 90-minute programme. Web posting has been provided by Errol van Eck in South Africa, and Hosford Web service in Michigan. Finally, thanks to Carolyn Kujawa for cheerfully editing the ATN Weekly Advance.

When you realize that ATN viewers listening in Bulgaria were getting a translation from a translator sitting in Bulgaria watching the program being broadcast by ATN, simultaneously translating through a digital phone connection, the translation received in California over 6700 nautical miles (10,000kms) away and the language encoded with the video picture, uplinked to a satellite over North America, turned at an earth station in Florida, to another satellite, received by another earth station in London, turned to NSS7 over Europe and heard in Bulgaria…. all this happening with barely a one second delay, it is indeed a marvel! And this simultaneous broadcast translation resource of ATN offered solely by the Adventist Church every week for nearly two years is indeed amazing.

We thank God, and we thank the translators and the technical and production staff for making this possible.