Dear Friends,
The heart of My Father’s World is “to raise up generations of families who see the world through God’s eyes and live according to that knowledge.” Part of this vision is fulfilled in our commitment to help fund Bible translation around the world. During 2009 we continued to focus our support on translation projects in the former Soviet Union through the Institute for Bible Translation-Russia/CIS, the organization we (David and Marie Hazell) worked for during the eight years we lived in Russia. Newly translated Scripture portions were printed for seven languages impacting over 4.5 million people. In addition, new Children’s Bibles were finished in Lezgi and Tatar. To top off the year, a modern New Testament in Chuvash was also published.
Plans for 2010 look very exciting! The complete Bible in Tuvin will be printed this year. This is the first complete Bible, besides Russian, ever completed in a language spoken in Russia and Central Asia. New Testaments will be printed for the first time ever in Khakas, Tabassaran, and Buryat.
A Kumyk woman wrote to the Institute for Bible Translation saying, “Thank you very much indeed for the books you sent me, Genesis and Proverbs in Kumyk. I am reading and rejoicing and thanking the Lord with all my heart for these beautiful translations. Please pass on my gratefulness to those who have worked on the texts. May the Lord bless their hearts as they continue to translate the whole Old Testament. I praise the Lord for answering my prayers. I have long been praying for the whole Bible in my language. Please let me know how I can send support to your work. This is very important to me so I am eagerly waiting for your answer.”
Please consider how you and your children can join this Kumyk woman in support of Bible translation in 2010. Through God’s Word for the Nations you may adopt a specific language project that you pray for and contribute to regularly (Download a God's Word for the Nations brochure). Or you may give money for “the most urgent need.” Your contributions and prayers are an important part of even greater progress in Bible translation for people groups in Russia, Central Asia, and beyond. Tax deductible gifts are made payable to God’s Word for the Nations and sent to God’s Word for the Nations, P.O. Box 1259, Rolla, MO 65402.
To learn more about current translation projects go to the following links:
If you are interested in adopting a specific language project or receiving email updates on translation work, please contact God’s Word for the Nations at gwn@gwftn.org.
How exciting it will be when every person has the Bible in their own language!
For His Kingdom,
