Brother and sister translate the Bible living under an authoritarian regime.
Caleb’s* response when offered a Bible in the national language was one of reluctance. “That book is dangerous,” he said. “I heard it will change your life.”
But as he watched his sister Debbie* translate Scripture into their people’s minority language, he decided to help, despite the risks of doing so in a country under an authoritarian regime. Because the government has realized they can’t stop the gospel, they are doing what they can to alter it—to strip away its meaning and align it with their own ideology.
The perversion of truth makes the need for accurate and clear Scripture translation critical.
That’s why Debbie and Caleb’s work is so significant. They’re not just translating words—they’re bringing light to a region that, as a project leader describes, is “in spiritual darkness,” where the true gospel of Jesus Christ is forbidden.
Among the 80,000 speakers in this language group, Debbie is one of only 30 known people who have professed faith in Christ. She has been on a journey of reconciling belief in Jesus with her identity as a minority. Others have told her that she can’t remain in her culture and be a Christian. But thanks to encouragement from a translation project leader and time spent studying Scripture, she’s learning that Jesus came to redeem people within culture, not remove them from it.
As Debbie grows in her understanding of the Christian faith, she’s persevering in Bible translation, which is opening up conversations about the good news of redemption with those who share her cultural identity, starting with her family.
Change looks slow. Caleb hasn’t professed faith in Jesus … at least not yet. But his response when asked to help with translation shows willingness. He’s interested in what the Bible says and wants to ensure the translation accurately explains the call to follow Christ. Project leaders pray that he would hear Jesus speaking to him—that he would experience just how much the book he’s working on can transform his life.
Join project leaders in praying for the salvation of Caleb and others in this language community. And learn how you can intercede for ongoing prayer needs in the Bible translation movement.
*Pseudonyms used to protect Bible translators in sensitive regions.
