Anchor Leg
That’s where we are, friends. We are in the last leg of Bible translation, which means that our generation has the incredible opportunity of seeing God’s Word translated for every nation, every tribe, every language.
Let me back up a little and explain.
Ty and I recently spent a weekend in the beautiful mountains in Utah, absorbing so much information at the forWORD Seed Company Event. For me, it’s hard not to feel close to God when you are surrounded by His breathtaking creation.
There was something extra here though. I have never experienced anything like it. Maybe you know what I mean? Without sounding delusional, it was like there was a palpable Holy presence filling that place. Plus, all of the people there were so incredibly nice. Ty said it was like being with all the Hebrews 11 heroes of faith.
Bible translation leaders from around the world came to share about what God is doing in the lives of the people that receive the Bible in their heart languages. What I thought was really amazing is that these leaders are natives to the areas they are overseeing. These native translators partner with The Seed Company to manage all the local translation projects.
We heard story after story about God transforming entire communities once they had God’s Word in their language. Many of these translation leaders have dedicated their lives to these projects.
One leader explained it this way, “the people did not know that God is their God until they heard His Word in their heart language.” I thought about this, and it makes a lot of sense. If someone from Italy came and spoke about God in his language, and I heard about God through a translator, I would not understand that He is My God. That He made me, and is so personal to me.
Of course Bible translation has been going on for a long, long time. Many incredible people have paved the way, and lost their lives in the process. The reason The Seed Company (and affiliates) are so close to finishing this huge goal is that they use a “common framework” model, which means that they focus on working with nationals or “mother tongue translators.” This has enabled them to progress rapidly and have completed over 1100 projects.
They had a gigantic map of the world printed and taped to the floor. Every morning there was a guided prayer time praising God, thanking God, and praying for the Bibleless people groups. It was powerful, and I pretty much left a weepy mess every time I went into the prayer room.
One of the speakers struck me with her story. I can’t tell you her name, where she is from, or any personal details, because it would put her safety at risk.
She is sharing God’s truths with people that regularly threaten her life. Can you imagine? And she still does it! She shared several stories of people who went from threatening her to encouraging her as God worked in their lives and they turned to God from their oppositional religion.
Her story was powerful, and I had the chance to thank her for sharing. Then I told Ty about it, and he encouraged me to get a picture with her. I was so embarrassed, but seriously right then she happened to walk by, so he went and asked her if she would take a picture with me.
I can’t share it with you, but Ty told her that we would print it off and pray for her with our son. You know what she said? She told us a story of a popular young minister getting to do things that he never dreamed of. He told her that the only way he was able to do these things was that his parents had prayed God’s will over his life. She encouraged us to do that with Mack.
I was flabbergasted. I mean, she’s a WORLD CHANGER, and she’s encouraging me to pray for my son?
Sometimes I think we mammas feel like the big, significant work is done elsewhere, but she reminded me that praying for our children is vitally important.
Later in the weekend, she shared more about parenting. She said that the number one thing that will provoke unbelief in a child’s heart is unrest in the parents’ hearts.
That was kind of like a gut punch. It’s not our own unbelief, but unrest that so negatively impacts our children. She encouraged us to let God take us to the deep places in our hearts, and there He will heal us and deliver us from our places where we are stuck. That is not an easy thing to do, right? It’s much easier (short term) to keep pushing through life as if we are fine. It hurts to allow God to dig up our mess, but it’s really the only way we will ever be free.
Then she closed with these verses:
“Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in glass the glory of God, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3: 17 - 18 NKJ
Ok do you know what part of that verse says in NIV?
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
I just about came out of my chair with excitement when I heard her reading that verse, because I knew that it’s our next t-shirt design!
Isn't God awesome?
This “Freedom T-shirt” will be a short-term pre-order focused fundraiser for The Seed Company.
That means that you will be able to pre-order it online through my website, and it will not be available after that.
My screen printer approached me about doing this project a few months ago. The goal of this sale is to raise as much money as possible for The Seed Company.
I’m so excited! I’m still working on the dates for that with my screen printer, but y’all will be the first to know the details.
I walked away from that weekend at forWORD feeling humbled and so grateful that we get to be a part of what God is doing in the world.
That’s one of the things I love so much about The Seed Company. If you support a project, they mail you (or email you) prayer updates.
You can also go to their website and there is a way to sign up to pray for a people group without donating. Plus they have an incredible quarterly magazine called CO: Mission that’s free and includes great information about their projects, plus seriously beautiful pictures. There are just so many ways to get involved, which is awesome.
The Heart Work Initiative has new updates and prayer requests. I would love it if you would take a moment to pray for these women and their communities.
Click on the link HERE, and then click on the tab, “Updates” and then the tab “Prayer Requests.”