(Orange, CA) - As dawn breaks across the African plains, women from the village of Ruiru collect their jugs and walk to the edge of the settlement to get their daily water. The well at the Ruiru Conference Center not only supplies its guests with pure drinking water but also provides the local women with an accessible water source. The center has grown into an important resource for the nearby village and also meets the needs, both financial and spiritual, of Wycliffe Bible translators that come to Ruiru for refreshment and collaboration.

The Ruiru Conference Center was established in the early 1990s to provide regional support for Wycliffe Bible translators working on language translation in Kenya and surrounding countries. Utilizing the center's guest accommodations and conference facilities, Wycliffe translators gather for training and debriefing for various language projects. The center also provides translators an opportunity to fellowship with one another and offer understanding over the hardships of working in remote villages among unfamiliar cultures.

Through the development of the conference center and the adjoining woodshop, Charles Maithulia, general manager, hopes that Ruiru will be able to provide significant financial support for the work of Wycliffe Bible translators. Since Kenyan churches are still learning the need for translating the Bible into tribal languages the financial situation limits the Bible Translation and Literacy's (BTL) expansion into new languages and completion of current translation work. The support from the Ruiru Conference Center is helping to alleviate the current burden allowing BTL to continue its work in Kenya.

Wycliffe Associates will be involved in the future developement of Ruiru Conference Center through financial contributions and by sending volunteer teams to participate in the construction work. Ground breaking for a new guesthouse is scheduled for the end of August. Wycliffe Associates is a ministry that supports Wycliffe Bible Translators through construction, volunteer programs, and practical help. For information on Wycliffe Associates,  call 1-800-THE WORD (1-800-843-9673), or long on at www.wycliffeassociates.org.