My middle daughter, a granddaughter, and I all have quilt projects. We all have had them put away in containers because of major moves. Once settled, it still takes time to pull out the project, choose to pick it up again, and work toward completion. It is wonderful to finally finish a quilt. It represents many hours of diligently, painstakingly, stitch by stitch putting it together with love until the last stitch is in ,and it is done. It’s worth a celebration.
When I think of teams of national Bible translators working on translating the New Testament books into their languages—I think about each translator working verse by verse, hour my hour, painstakingly, diligently, over many days, weeks, months and even years.
For some teams, they nearly complete their New Testament and suddenly tragedy strikes! One team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had 10 translators die in floods. And we’ve received a devastating report of national Bible translators murdered by Islamic terrorists.
Recently, the loss of crops and farm animals dying have caused hunger and famine. It takes extra time just providing their families with food. The physical cost is too great to continue translating so the translators put Bible translation aside.
Then the teams have great difficulty trying to start back up. New team members need training. Equipment lost in floods. Homes and all belongings burned to the ground by terrorists.
So much tragedy! We now have the opportunity to bring aid, new equipment, training, and encouragement to get New Testament translations completed. So, my dear prayer partners, we have much praying to do.
National Bible translation teams are pleading for help—not to build houses. They plead for help so they can complete their Bible translations—they want God’s Word for their people. God’s Word in the people’s heart languages.
Friends, this is much more than stitches in quilts. This is people’s lives at stake. People who have waited expectantly for the Good News in their own language—only to have it stalled and incomplete.
We have given aid and help to many villages following floods and terrorists’ attacks. We were able to do so because people have given to our Emergency 911 Fund. And that helped many families just to stay alive. But just staying alive didn’t provide their people with God’s Word in their heart languages. Their work has eternal dividends—translating the Bible in their own language must continue.
Please pray over the above paragraphs. There is so much pain and horror in the world. Please add your own concerns for the persecuted national Bible translators. Please ask God to give protection and peace for all who need Him right now.
