Hardships come in all shapes and sizes. From the detour on our morning commute to the unexpected diagnosis, at some point, we all face hardship. But listen to James 1:2-3. Scripture proclaims an important truth:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Faith Comes By Hearing’s Bible recording teams understand hardships build strength. In our 50-year history, we’ve faced trials. Resistance to Scripture in secure regions, unpredictable weather in tropical climates, and a host of other issues weave through our journey to record God’s Word in the world’s languages. As the following stories reveal, advancing the Kingdom means we face big challenges, but God provides bigger breakthroughs.
Big Challenges
Our mission highly esteems the involvement of international communities. To be well-received, an Audio Bible must sound natural to the listening people group, so indigenous speakers play key roles in quality recordings. But in rural and oral cultures, organizing readers to voice Scripture passages is often difficult.
Once located, miles of washed-out roads, barricades, grazing herds, and other obstacles may stand between readers and the recording site. Multiple detours initially delayed a project team in Mexico. Our coordinator watched and prayed for their safe arrival. When he finally laid eyes on each road-weary team member, he gratefully exclaimed, “I kept praying God would bring you, His chosen ones, to speak His Word!” Daily, the Lord kept the way clear as each team member journeyed to read their portion of Scripture.
In another part of the world, a recording was well underway when sickness struck the team. Among those who fell ill, the reader for the role of Jesus suffered severe symptoms and left so he could fully recover. Progress came to a halt, and new readers auditioned. After much prayer, God provided an excellent replacement, and the work finished on schedule.
Extreme heat and a vicious mosquito season plagued a team in Brazil. Every participant suffered degrees of soreness and fatigue. God answered prayers for relief and strength. The project concluded, and new Bible listeners engaged Scripture in their heart language.
Bigger Breakthroughs
None of these challenges overwhelmed the Author of Scripture. As our teams practiced prayerful dependence, God broke through with divine foreknowledge. He knew each problem and each solution.
Here’s another story of a breakthrough in progress.
Unnamed regions of Africa oppose Scripture translation, but obedience is highly valued in this part of the world. Success is measured by proximity and submission to authority. While the obstacles to recording Scripture are great, the relentless hunger to know and follow God is greater.
Faith Comes By Hearing ventured into conversation around Oral Bible Translation (OBT) in the region. Through groundbreaking dialogue with national leaders from 10 countries, we and partners developed a plan to securely translate Scripture.
Indigenous speakers could privately listen to an Audio Bible in a reference language they understand. Under sanctioned guidance, they orally translate what they hear into their heart language. Members of the community quality check the recording, and the approved portions of Scripture become immediately available.
Country leaders see a new day dawning for their people. A relationship with the one true God, as outlined in His Word, will provide opportunity to know and submit to a trustworthy and loving authority. Their Creator draws near, refining and satisfying their every measure of personal success.
No doubt, more challenges will arise in the coming phases of this endeavor. Faith Comes By Hearing will approach each one with prayerful consideration and unwavering belief that all people need God's Word. As we do, we anticipate fresh collaboration in Africa. We trust God for an outcome far greater than the obstacle.
Hardships impact everyone’s life, and often, they complicate our work. But be encouraged. Faith Comes By Hearing stands with you as a witness to God’s sovereign power. We pray for you, knowing His answer is already on the way. Pray for us, as we continue on mission to record and freely provide a Scripture recording in every language that needs it. As we trust and follow God together, He will bring the perfect outcome of our obedience.
See more testimonies from people who, against all odds, heard God’s audible Word.
Help others know God speaks their language.
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