“I stayed up most of the night reading my new Bible”

 

This is the reason why we do what we do here in Sanford, to be part of the ministry of reaching people in remote locations of the world with the Gospel. In July, the missionaries working with the Dinangat people in Papua New Guinea were able to put all the translated Scriptures together that they have been working on since 2006. The published scriptures included major portions of Genesis & Exodus in the Old Testament with major portions of Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans & Ephesians; roughly 1,700 verses altogether.

The Dinangat believers couldn’t stop shaking the missionary’s hands and thanking them for giving them God’s Word in their own language. One believer told them, “When we got those Bibles, I was so happy that I wanted to cry.” Another believer, Jaspa declared the next day, “I’m really tired because I stayed up most of the night reading my new Bible. It was just so sweet I couldn’t stop.”

It is exciting to see the excitement that new believers have for the Word of God. How precious it is to them that they will stay up most of the night reading it. They have been without God’s Word & realize how treasured it is to have and be able to read it.

 “Now that the believers have at least part of God’s Word in their own language,” Ralf Schlegal, one of the missionaries explains, “they can feed on it anytime that they want to and hopefully by doing that, they will live more and more according to truth and will grow in their love for their Savior and in doing so, will glorify God through their lives.”

Please pray for the translation team as they are finishing up the books of Mark and 1st Corinthians, and starting to just begin translating 1st Timothy. Please pray that the believers will continue to be excited about God’s Word & strive to know Him better.