Dynamic Emergence of Language
“For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” —Revelation 5:9
Languages (or tongues) are not static. According to worldatlas.com: “There are about 7,099 languages spoken in the world. This number is constantly increasing because new world languages emerge every day. These languages are dynamic and living.”
Although WMP currently prints in over 350 languages, we are continually adding new languages, and/or revising languages of booklets already in print. Many of our 25 titles still need to be translated into more of our existing languages. The decision at any one of these levels depends on many factors – starting with one of our major distributors making known the need.
Our distributor in Bolivia is eager for us to publish The Way to God booklet in Plautdietsch (Low German). As production of this new language progresses it is interesting that we might hear a dialect of this language spoken by the Amish and Mennonite people around us. WMP is located among one of the largest Amish/Mennonite communities in the United States.
Mike R., a distributor in the Philippines, reported: We had “15,000 Cebuano [booklets] and Gospel materials. We have distributed most all of them to pastors, missionaries, crusades and true Christians leading Bible studies in the rural homes and inner cities alike.” He concluded with, “Hopefully WMP is printing some more Cebuano as we speak.”
Cebuano and Tagalog languages (spoken by a majority in the Philippines) have updated versions of the Bible that are well-accepted and widely used. As per our distributor’s request, these languages are slated for production, but WMP wanted to revise the booklets first before reprinting them. It was an exciting moment and answer to prayer, when final corrections for Tagalog and Cebuano came back from the field just weeks before going into production.
Our Bible Study on John is available in 16 languages, and is an excellent Bible study for new believers and for discipleship. There is much demand to have this Bible study translated into more of the languages we produce. Alexis H., of Youth for Christ Benin, included these comments as she placed an order for more copies: “Just last Saturday, while following up with a new believer in Christ, I was promising to teach her how to study the Word of God when she brought out your Bible Study on John mentioning how to study the Bible. She has learned a lot about the book of John by reading and answering the questions.”
Recently a distributor asked us to produce booklets in the Birifor language of Ghana. To accommodate this type of request, WMP must first determine the “viability” of a new language, of revising booklets, or of expanding translations of some of our booklets. Viability is based on many factors. There typically needs to be a well-accepted, conservative translation of the Bible or at least New Testament in the requested language (we do not translate the Bible), and a willing volunteer translator able to convert non-Scripture wording (such as titles). We also look at the number of speakers and literacy rate for the candidate language. Finally, we must be able to obtain permission from the copyright holder to use their translation.
If viability cannot be established, we would encourage the use of our literature in a language the people group might also speak. In this case, the people group that uses the Birifor language is comparatively small. We may still do the translation, but we would likely make it available online only. This has already been done with The Way to God in Belarusian and Help from Above in Ojibwe.
Once viability is established, the booklet is formatted with the accepted Scripture and wording provided by the volunteer translator. The draft document is meticulously reviewed many times, being sent back and forth to the field two or three times; checked by the translator and WMP to ensure that wording, punctuation, diacritical markings, etc. are accurate. Months (sometimes years) later, the printed booklets emerge from the bindery, packaged in our 10-pound boxes, and ready for shipment.
Through these efforts many are drawn to Christ by the truly living, dynamic, and unchanging Word of God in the ever-emerging, energetic, and dynamic common languages of the people.
[Every donated dollar provides for the production of 28 powerful Scripture booklets for people around the world in their own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,800 people; $1,000 will impact 28,000 people who need to have hope in God.]
Meet the Team
Scarlet F.
Bulk Mailing Specialist
Because my home church has always supported and given to WMP, I have grown up knowing about it. One of the highlights of my youth was attending the yearly dinners with my grandmother. My own salvation experience gave me the desire to work for a Christian organization, making an impact and helping do God’s work.
Before working here, I volunteered on the bindery. I started full-time work in June as the Bulk Mailing Specialist. I prepare the monthly newsletter, Prayer and Praise letter, and Prison Inmate Newsletter for mailing. This involves working with mailing lists, sorting, and barcoding addresses. It also involves relating to and working with the volunteers each month who help stuff the newsletters into envelopes. I enjoy their friendly faces and I am very appreciative of their work. I also like working with Christian staff in a Christian atmosphere.
When I am not working, I delight in drawing, painting and making jewelry. My goal is to eventually make jewelry to sell. In high school, I became involved in a cat rescue and adoption program, which I still volunteer for. I currently have two cats I rescued. I also spend time traveling with my family.
I grew up in New Paris with my parents and younger brother. I was adopted from Guatemala when I was 5 months old. My brother is 2 years younger than I am and was adopted from Guatemala when he was 8 months old. I feel very grateful to have been adopted by a Christian family and raised in a Christian home. Being adopted has made me more aware of the need to spread God’s Word to the world. At some point in the future I would like to do some type of mission work in Guatemala.
Grateful Quotes
Inventing New Ways to Make Disciples
“Dear Friends,
As you know, after two years of COVID-19 things in the world are a little different.
During the crisis people didn’t get out. As a result there were less people to witness to in the plazas and streets. Our ministry leadership (at Mexico for Jesus) woke up to the reality that just about everyone has a cell phone – using the internet, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and so on. So during the crisis we started sending the Scripture booklet, How to Know God, to their WhatsApp, Twitter and so on. You would not believe the response!
People started responding back, so we started small groups via Zoom to study the Scripture booklet. From there many have gone on to study the New Testament. Some have completed that and are now in the process of going through the Old Testament. God has helped us to invent new ways to make disciples whether on the internet, here in person, and across Mexico.”
—Jim J., Mexico
WMP Partners Around the World
Kim S.
Liberia
Many ministries look to World Missionary Press to provide a particular item to help broaden their outreach and effectiveness. In Franco Africa, the French New Testaments provided by WMP are in great demand and provide a means to encourage and disciple new believers.
WMP: How long have you been involved in distributing WMP literature?
Kim: Our first shipment of WMP literature for Wordsower was received in 2013.
WMP: Please describe your background and current ministry.
Kim: Wordsower Africa has four indigenous missionary bases in Liberia and one each in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. These bases are strategically located in the midst of resistant, unreached tribes. In the regions of our bases are towns that have never had churches. In the midst of these strongholds, we are seeing salvations. We are baptizing, discipling and starting churches.
WMP: What challenges do you have to the free and open distribution of the literature from WMP?
Kim: World Missionary Press printed 141,000 French New Testaments and Scripture booklets that we need for former Muslims in Guinea and Ivory Coast. They shipped them to Christian Aid Ministries who put them in a container and shipped them across the ocean. The 7,000 pound load was trucked to Hope 2, for free storage. A fourth ministry, Kingdom Earth Builders, took a truck load to Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Monrovia to be flown to our base in Zwedru. A trailer load was hauled from Zwedru to the sixth ministry, Hope in the Harvest Missions International, in the city of Ganta. From Zwedru and Ganta, Wordsower Africa took the literature across the Guinea and Ivory Coast borders via 55 gallon barrels strapped to the back of motor bikes. Harassment by border guards, accidents, bruises and blood are the norm when crossing the border. Stitches and broken bone treatment are sometimes needed. Bike breakdowns are common, resulting in sleeping along the road in the mud, against a tree or on a log. Our base leaders will give the [New Testaments] and Scripture booklets to the new converts to use for evangelism, discipleship and church planting.
WMP: Can you share a specific testimony that stands out to you?
Kim: There is a town in Liberia called Dejieh. This town was a powerful Animist, demonic stronghold. Their spiritual leader, called “the devil”, had made a law, stating that no one was to go to church, no church was allowed in his town, and no one was to baptize. The penalty for breaking this law was the fine of one cow. It was also stated and known that if anyone tried to enter the town with Christianity that they will be severely punished. Our Wordsower Africa disciples entered knowing the threat and consequences. Many came to Christ through their fearless efforts, including “the devil” himself! Our team goes to them discipling regularly. The town has agreed that they need a church and has given land for a church. We have never entered an Animistic demonic stronghold, through Christ, and not crumbled its foundation. Pray for this town.
WMP: How has the free literature helped churches to establish believers and encourage evangelism?
Kim: This testimony from our indigenous missionary team in Sierra Leone is typical. “We are training the new converts from 36 different communities to be used as soldiers for our Lord Jesus Christ… 97% of the 615 new converts that were baptized were Muslims. We are training them to know the Scriptures, teach the Scriptures, correct self-mistakes, live righteous lives and be equipped for every good work. A designated team works with them. The team sets up fellowship groups in each of their communities. Pray that the Holy Spirit will make our plan successful.” We love the God Loves You! book. We take these from town to town, village to village, door to door. We gather the children together, and give them colored pencils. They will color as they listen. In my 14 years in Liberia I have never seen material for teaching children.