Our Call to Bible Translation

In our last email, we talked about the great need for Bible translation and for consultants who can check the translations for accuracy before they can be published and used. In this email, we want to share how God has called us to serve in Bible translation.

A team working on a Bible translation

Our Call

God works in many different ways to call us and move us where He wants us to be. He often uses Scripture, inspiring stories, impressions, desires, abilities, and doors of opportunity to direct us.

“

Justine: I vividly remember when I first met a dear Christian who loved the Word of God like Psalm 119 describes. And I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life getting to know God like that and helping others do the same. As early as elementary school, I was traveling the globe through the mission biographies of Gladys Aylward to China, Amy Carmichael to India, Helen Roseveare to Congo and many others. Their simple faith and unwavering obedience continues to spur me on.

“

Harold: In high school, I distinctly remember the impression that God wanted me to give my life to Christian ministry because it went completely against what I wanted to do with my life. I had all kinds of interests I wanted to pursue, and I thought that serving in ministry would mean giving up those interests. But God finally changed my heart and led me to attend Bible college to prepare for ministry.

“

Justine: During college and the years following, I spent a semester in Cambodia teaching elementary school to missionary children, traveled to Zambia, and lived in Indonesia for 6 months where I nannied for a family who had just transitioned overseas.

“

Harold: After Bible college, I came to a period of life where I felt really lost—like a boat floating along in calm water, with no wind. It seemed like the lives of all my friends were taking off, yet I had no direction. But God used this time to humble me, and impress on me the desire not to be motivated by trying to “climb the ladder of success,” but, rather, to look for my calling in places where no one else is going, where there is a great need.

“

Justine: When Harold and I began to get to know each other in 2013, one of our first conversations was discussing a sermon on God’s sovereignty and missions and we quickly discovered we were headed in the same direction. After marrying, Harold and I took a global missions course and attended a Wycliffe translation and linguistics workshop in Dallas. While there, we became convinced that the gifts God has given Harold are uniquely suited to serve in translation work.

“

Harold: After hearing how millions of people were still waiting for a Bible to be translated in the language they best understand, God began to impress on my heart the “great need” for Bible translation. At the same time, I began to recognize that those interests I thought I would have to give up in order to do ministry were the very things God desired to use through me.

In 2015, this intersection of “great need” and God-given abilities prompted us to point the ship of our lives towards Bible translation, and God has been moving us along ever since.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9-10

How to Pray

• For bibleless people who are still waiting for the Scriptures
• Unity and camaraderie with the translation team we will be serving with
• An eternal perspective in spite of difficulty, trials, and unknowns
• Our children to understand the gospel and choose to follow Christ

Request a Prayer Magnet

If you are partnering with us in prayer, we would like to send you our prayer magnet. You can place it on a fridge or file cabinet as a reminder to pray for us and the work of Bible translation.

Request a Prayer Magnet

Next week, we will share specific ways you can help with Bible translation in “Special Edition #3”.

Because many are still waiting, Harold, Justine, A’zalea, & Andrew