With your help, God’s Word for the Nations continues to reach all tribes, peoples, nations, and languages with the Word of God in their heart language. In this effort we write you all to consider joining us this Christmas season with a special gift.
We hope your whole family is blessed by this incredible true story of Saleme’s encounter with the living God.
The Amazing First Encounter: Answered Prayer
In a remote African village, in a mud hut with a grass roof, there lived a young Muslim leader named Saleme. One day a Bible translator moved to his region and the local village chief asked Saleme to keep an eye on the missionary. He reluctantly agreed, not wanting to be defiled by the foreigner’s religion. But over time Saleme grew comfortable with the missionary. He even asked the foreigner if he could use his barrel to soak his rice seed to enhance germination. The missionary agreed. Saleme used the barrel twice to soak two batches of rice seed. There was one great difference between the batches – a missionary prayed for the seeds in the second batch! Months passed and Saleme began asking the missionary to pray for other things. When Saleme was asked why the sudden interest in prayer his answer was simple. “My first rice,” he explained, “produced a normal crop, but the second barrel of rice planted just a few days later produced six times the crop!”
The Proclamation of God’s Word by a Practicing Muslim
Soon the Bible translator gave Saleme the book of Genesis in a language very close to his “heart language.” Saleme was enthralled and began to proclaim God’s Word. While traveling on business, he went daily to the market and began reading Genesis out loud. Local Muslims gathered and Saleme told them, “If you want to understand God you need to hear this book.” Can you imagine — a Muslim publicly declaring God’s Word to fellow Muslims. Wow!
Set Free: A New Creation
The Bible translator continued to share about God with Saleme as they began translating Luke. The message found fertile soil and now Saleme is a new creation, a Christian — one of a handful of Christians among 70,000 of his people. Saleme’s heart is committed to reaching his people. Recently he encouraged the team to translate Galatians because of chapter four which discusses Abraham’s two sons – Isaac and Ishmael, one born to a free woman and the other to a slave. Saleme said, “You have to translate this book next. My people are sons of the slave woman and they are in bondage!” Saleme’s passion is to set his people free. Now that is the power of God’s Word in one’s heart language!
All people need God’s truth!
Your family can help. Together we can continue to invest in bringing God’s Word to Bibleless people everywhere. Here are some reference points to help you with your giving. An undesignated gift of $38 can underwrite all expenses to translate, print, and distribute one verse of Scripture in another language. For approximately $54 a month over two years an entire a chapter can be completed. Larger gifts of $4,000 or more can sponsor whole books! Will you consider an additional end-of-year gift for Bible translation today?
This is a tremendous opportunity to involve your children. Your gifts do something so tangible and so fundamental that they can picture it! They may even want to participate themselves and experience the character-building blessing of giving God’s Word!
