Rose,* who grew up in a family who followed the majority religion of the Jari people in Eurasia, was always interested in spiritual things. Around age 15, she says, “I thought of devoting myself more and more to God through my family’s religion, since I didn’t know anything else.”
The “JESUS” film was broadcast on a local channel around that time, and Rose was captivated. “I became fascinated with the main character, Jesus,” she says. At the end of the movie, she prayed the believer’s prayer.
How Rose Learned that Jesus Is Real
A couple of years later, while she was still trying to understand the concept of salvation, Rose remembers a miracle occurring that confirmed her faith.
Rose and her sister prepared dough to bake bread, but rain had moistened all the kindling. After trying repeatedly to start a fire and getting only smoke, her sister gave up and went inside. But Rose remembered what she’d learned in the film:
“I stood there by the oven and recalled the movie character, Jesus. I asked him to make fire for me, if he was really alive. I struck one match, and a great fire appeared in the oven!”
With that confirmation, she continued seeking God and gave her life to Christ while attending university. In 1996, she received her first Jari Bible. To her disappointment, the translation was lacking. She struggled to read and understand it, but it was too difficult.
Rose Joins the Effort to Translate God’s Word for Her People
Then Rose heard a new Jari translation was in progress. She was eager to meet with the team and share her ideas on improving the translation. And in 2001, she was thrilled to accept the call to join the team, where she served for more than 15 years.
Rose entered Seed Company’s Consultant in Training program in 2017 to become an exegetical specialist.
“I am so thrilled to understand the Word of God better and how to apply it in life,” she says.
In addition to mothering three children, she mentors seven women. She completed her internship last year and now has the opportunity to work with Bible translation teams from six neighboring language communities.
And that’s only the beginning.
*pseudonym
