Oh, how we have prayed—and continue to pray—for Bible translation around the world. And we have prayed so often—continually—for MAST facilitators going around the world training national Bible translators. Training them to use the MAST Bible translation strategy—Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation—enabling national Bible translators to do the work of translating themselves, more rapidly and accurately than ever before.
We have also prayed for nationals who have been trained to be MAST trainers and leaders. These fully equipped national MAST trainers and leaders are training men and women to translate Scripture into their own heart languages. These national MAST trainers and leaders willingly go to neighboring countries and train more nationals in the MAST strategy of Bible translation.Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:10-15 (NIV)
Yes! We thank you, Lord God, for your awesome gift of Jesus Christ and for the Word that speaks to us and tells us of your love and forgiveness because Jesus Christ obeyed your every word—even to death on the cross.
As we have prayed, our Lord God is preparing the answer! The answer to our prayer is for MAST leaders to reach those language groups in countries where we, the foreigners, cannot go. And even if we could go, our every step and contact would be observed and questioned, suspicion aroused, most likely resulting in kidnapping and even imprisonment.
The Lord God has the answer for those hundreds of requests for Scripture—Scripture in the heart languages—that are pouring in from Muslim and communist controlled parts of Asia! His wondrous answer: twenty highly qualified Asian ministry leaders who live and work in Asia. They move around freely. They arouse no suspicion!
Wycliffe Associates has the funding to send just three Asian translation leaders! But my dear friends, twenty leaders are ready to go!
Please pray with me that Wycliffe Associates will soon have the funds gathered to send all twenty Asian ministry leaders! The leaders of this strategy are calling it “River of God”—a river that flows with life and abundance. This team will rush to the nations bringing the good news—the awesome opportunity for people to know God, to read His good news, in their own heart languages.
Praise God with me for His marvelous divine provision of these Christian leaders at the ready to take God’s precious Word to people living in some of the most difficult and troubled areas of the world.
You must realize that even Asian Bible translation leaders are taking a risk simply because they are Christians. Because they are enthusiastically helping other believers to get the Bible into their own languages. The evil one is being cast out of places where he has reigned for centuries. Spiritual warfare takes place at every MAST workshop—especially in these difficult places. So, pray. Pray diligently. Pray continuously as Scriptures are being translated daily somewhere in the world.
Just a few weeks ago there were two New Testament dedications in a country in Asia. One group of translators asked us to help them develop a strategy to reach other language groups in the area around their villages. Another group is anxious to begin translating the Old Testament so they will have the whole Bible.
In this Asian country, eight translations of the New Testament have been completed in the last three years. There are still 200 more language groups that need Scripture! Please pray with me for these 200 language communities in this one small mountainous country with no Scripture—with no good news!
Please ask God to truly bless our partnership with the “River of God” Asian Bible translation leaders. Please pray that God will supply all the funds necessary to send these twenty Asian leaders to the language communities pleading for help. Help to do their own Bible translation.
Together we pray for and look forward to that great day when there is a Bible in every language of the world.
