For security, locations are not mentioned and a pen name is used. And, unfortunately, William’s face is blurred in the picture below. However, thank you, supporters of HeartCry, for helping with the ministry. Through your prayers and support the Bible translation work referenced in this article was funded and completed for a language and people group in Asia. Below is William’s testimony of the work.  

We had a Bible in our language years ago, but that Bible was not a good translation. The Conservative churches, the Evangelical churches, and the Pentecostal churches do not like it. In 1998, I started praying to God that He would raise someone who would translate the Bible in our language. After five years of praying, one evening when I was kneeling down in deep prayer, the Holy Spirit said to me in my heart, “Why don’t you do Bible translation work?” I immediately replied, “It is very hard work.” I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You want to do only easy work.” I replied in prayer: “No, no, Lord, I am not qualified.”

The next day I received a telephone call from Dr. T, who was a Coordinator for Bible translation, and he invited to me to come to the Bible Translators’ training in our city. I attended that training for two weeks, and the translation senior consultants said that I could start translation work from The Gospel of Mark; that was in 2002.

Since that time I worked on the Bible translation. The ministry sent their translation consultants to check my translation. They checked word by word and at the beginning I was very much discouraged thinking that it will take long time to finish the whole Bible. However, as I moved on in the translation work I was really satisfied and happy with the consultants. I came to realize how important an accurate translation of the Bible is. I finished the New Testament and 15,000 copies of the New Testament were published in 2009. It was received with great joy and copies were quickly sold. Before the New Testament was off the press, we were anxious to begin with the Old Testament.

I began translating the Old Testament in 2010, working with translation consultants to make sure every word and key term in every verse was correct. By God’s grace I have been in the ministry since 1981, as an evangelist, a pastor, a church planter, a Bible College founder, and a mission founder. But, for me, Bible translation is the most difficult work. The whole Bible translation, along with add-ons, was completed early this year 2018.

In addition to working with consultants, I invited a group of 16 pastors, two deacons, and two women to read through and review the translation as a group. It was a blessed time reading the Bible together. All 20 readers were overjoyed because of the beauty of the language and accurate translation.

I also completed a final check of grammar and the whole Bible was sent to the US for printing. Presently the whole Bible is in the hands of someone who is working with the formatting.

After finishing the translation, there was another challenge; the printing cost. Printing thousands of copies of a Bible is expensive. I asked the Project Manager concerning funds for Bible printing and he told me we were short $40,000.00. That is a big amount. My heart was really burdened, and I shared this to believers in our fellowship, asking them to pray. I was informed that funds were coming in very slowly. The last news was that $27,000.00 was needed. One night, just before I went to bed, I received a very brief email from HeartCry Missionary Society with these few words; “Heartcry Missionary Society has approved the needed funds of $27,000.00 for Bible Publication.”

I jumped up and shouted Haleluiah. My wife was surprised and said. “What?” I said,  “It is complete now.” She replied again, “What?” I exclaimed, “Funds for the Bible publication is completed now!”

We both knelt down and gave thanks to God. The next day, I received lovely news from the manager saying the funds are full. I would like to say thank you to all donors, and I want to say thanks a million to Heartcry Missionary Society for completing the needed money for Bible publication. We want to publish 20,000 copies.

Around the world, both in Asia and in the USA, we are praising God. God never fails us. And He always teaches us as He stretches our faith. Glorify Him with us.

Sincerely,
William