The Prayer Partner Letter is a publication of Pioneer Bible Translators.

Prayer Partner Letter

December 2014

Dear Prayer Partners,

Stephen is a missionary with Pioneer Bible Translators serving in East Africa. In a recent newsletter he wrote the following article with this intriguing title.

God’s Word — Drawing Us Near, Erasing Our Fear
There is nothing like seeing how people react to God’s Word in their own language for the first time. Sometimes people take it in and want to respond immediately to what they are hearing. Sometimes they immediately reject it because it conflicts with everything they’ve heard and their hearts were not ready. Sometimes they take it in, it touches them, and they just aren’t sure what to do with what they’ve heard. We especially see this when the translation team takes out each book of translated Scriptures into the surrounding communities to see how people are understanding and receiving the translation. It is a great opportunity to watch God’s Word do just what it says it does, impact people’s lives.
One of our national Bible translators recently shared this testimony with me: “When I went for field testing of the book of Acts, there was one day when I sat and checked the book with one older man of a different religion. As we were reading through Acts, we came to a point when he suddenly did not want to continue any more. He said, ‘That’s enough. I don’t want to hear any more about Jesus.’ God’s Word was beginning to touch him, and I think he was afraid of what it was doing. A few days later, a Christian friend there in that village called me and told me that this man who had refused to hear any more about Jesus, had now begun going to church.

On another day, I met an older man of a major world religion who was also touched by what he read that day about Jesus and his followers. This man was obviously very intrigued by what he heard and had many questions. Ever since that day, this man has been going to church and was baptized recently.”

God’s Word has this powerful way of moving people beyond their fears to draw near to the One who has touched their hearts.

Pray for these two men and the others who have been touched by these community readings.

Pray not only that God will protect them from any possible persecution but that He would guard them from Satan’s schemes and use these men and others to draw their communities into a relationship with Him.

Praise God that the great truth of Hebrews 4:12 continues to be confirmed as people come in contact with the Word of God which is sharper than any two edged-sword, penetrating even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Thanks for your prayers,
Gerald Denny
Care Department Director
Pioneer Bible Translators