Juliet’s phone rings, again.
It’s yet another person calling just checking to make sure they’re definitely going to be able to purchase a Bible in their first language. “They are anxious,” Juliet says. “They’re concerned we’ll run out.”
A translator for the Tharaka New Testament, Juliet joined the project as a secretary. “Back then we didn’t have computers,” she smiles. “The drafts were done on typewriters.”
God Speaks to Juliet’s Soul
“The Scriptures helped me to know more about God,” Juliet says softly. “I was telling God as I translated the Scripture, ‘God, speak to my soul,’ and He did! I could really hear God speaking to my life. I would get revelations as I translated.”
She leans forward and continues, “Especially when I was translating the book of Second Kings, I learned from the Scripture that the kings who trusted upon the Lord, they won the battles, but those who did not, their enemies overcame them.”
With tears of gratitude, Juliet says, “The Lord has done so much for me. It’s not necessarily material things, but he has given me peace of mind. I’ve been going through many challenges in this life, but the Word of God always encourages me. God has helped me to understand that regardless of whatever happens, his love for me is sufficient.”
A Long-Awaited Dream Comes True
Juliet’s phone rings again.
The Bibles are stacked from floor to ceiling in a room across the hallway from Juliet’s office—waiting. No one will receive their brand new Old Testament, freshly printed in the Tharaka language, until after the dedication ceremony.
After assuring yet another person eager for the new translation of the Bible, she says, “They’ve waited a long time to have a complete Bible.”
The New Testament in their heart language was translated and distributed to the Tharaka people in 2002. They have been hungry to have the Old Testament ever since. Finally, the long-awaited, highly anticipated day arrives. On June 13, 2019, they celebrated the arrival of the Old Testament as well. They now hold the complete Tharaka Bible in their hands.
Juliet’s excitement is visible and contagious. “I’m eagerly waiting to see my community growing spiritually in the knowledge of God. I’m hoping to see almost every pastor using the [Tharaka Bible]. That would be my joy.”
