Maria’s father was once the town brujo (“sorcerer”). Many in her community don’t trust in God or modern advancements like medicine. So when Maria got sick, she followed the status quo, consulting shamans and believing they could offer her relief. But she found none.

Meanwhile, a translation team in her area was translating Luke into the local Ngigua language. When they encountered Maria and heard about her illness, they decided to share the story of Jesus healing the bleeding woman from Luke 8.

After hearing Scripture in her language, Maria gave her life to Christ—and soon after, many of her family members became believers as well! They still face spiritual darkness, battling even their own family history. But they are determined to follow the Lord and learn more about His Word.

A 94-year-old man in Zambia, nearing the end of his life, spent many days drinking in excess.

A friend told him that the Bible was being translated into his Shanjo language, so the elderly man walked over 18 miles to where copies of Scripture were being kept. After reading one, he was never the same. He abandoned alcohol altogether and committed his life to God.

His community witnessed his radical transformation, and now the people are asking for Scripture booklets to be sent to them. This man’s faith is testifying to the Lord’s goodness and opening doors for more Shanjo speakers to encounter the Word in their language!

When a team in Spain was filming portions of the book of Revelation in sign language, they discussed the importance of facial expressions.

“I can’t sign with a smile when God is pouring out His wrath on the earth and people are covered with boils and sores!” said Carmen, the signer. The team burst out laughing as she demonstrated the inconsistency of signing intense verses with a grin on her face.

“The Bible is not all ‘love your neighbor.’ There are moments of pain and judgment, sorrow and broken humility,” she shared. “The words in black and white in a hearing person’s Bible don’t show that emotion, but for us, as we sign the text, my face needs to show the emotion of the text.”

That emotion was felt deeply by the team. While they captured the extreme joys and pains included in Revelation, they were stopped occasionally, as Carmen was moved to tears by God’s Word.

When language communities receive Scripture for the first time, it’s a party. The Acacia people of Asia celebrated the arrival of their fully translated New Testament with songs, drums, dances, and a feast of rice, lentils, and pork. New Testament copies were carried in special bamboo baskets that are traditionally used for carrying gifts to the family of a newlywed bride.

“I will never forget this day,” a translation team member said, “because what I never thought could happen in my life has really come to pass.”

For a community that is less than 2 percent Christian, God’s Word is light in a dark place. One Acacia woman said their “culture and customs are very heavy and full of burdens, but the Lord tells us that if you have a heavy burden, come to Me, give it to Me … and I will carry all your burdens. We must decide to put all our burdens and worries upon the Lord.”

May the translated New Testament bring bright gospel hope to the Acacia people!

*Pseudonym

As Scripture is being translated into the Lembur language, local speakers are participating in the process, giving translators feedback on the text. This allows the community to experience the power of God’s Word as soon as possible. Here are a few quotes from people who have been impacted recently:

Tobias: “With this translation of the Bible into Lembur, I felt as if the Lord Jesus was right here calling me. The translation is really easy to understand, and that makes me happy.”

Yusuf: “These days, it seems like the Lembur language is disappearing, but this translation itself is evidence of God’s love for us. I’ve been weeping for several days with the realization that God loves us so much, He’s making this translation happen. We are hidden in the shadows of everyone else, but God knows us!”

Pastor Rince: “We are marginalized. But we are experiencing God’s love. This translation makes us feel that God is close to us. We experience God’s goodness and grace. It inspires us for what is ahead in the translation process.”