The Language That Speaks to Hearts

By Vicki Ivester

"I had heard and read the gospel message many times, but it was not until I heard the truth in my own language that I truly understood in my heart, believed on Jesus, and was saved." -Rupon of South Asia

Cultural and linguistic differences can overwhelm new missionaries on any field. Even more discouraging is the lack of resources for evangelistic, discipleship, or leadership-training efforts. Many church-planter missionaries face the prospect of teaching without Scriptures, tracts, Sunday School lessons, discipleship lessons, or songbooks. Worse, they confront an adult illiteracy rate of up to 90%. Even if they had literature to distribute, almost none of the people would be able to read it!

Recognizing the urgent need for literature in the mother tongues of people groups and the need to teach adults to read so they can study God's Word, the ABWE Board voted unanimously in November of 2001 to create WORD Ministries.

WORD Ministries offers trained, experienced consultants who can provide training and guidance to all ABWE fields in the ministries of Translation, Literacy, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The Resource Center at ABWE's Home Office contains not only reference materials and computer programs to help with projects, but also samples of available translated materials and those recommended for translation.

Literacy in Togo and Central Europe

ABWE missionaries from many fields contact WORD Ministries personnel to request information, lists of literature available in specific languages, training for translation and literacy teams, aid in the construction of literacy primers, and advice about planning and overseeing projects to completion. Togo and Central Europe are two fields where WORD has recently offered consultation in the planning of literacy projects.

In the past, missionaries in Togo faced a great demand for Christian literature. Unfortunately, only two simple yellow tracts were available. Over seven years, the Togo literature ministry distributed hundreds of effective tracts, booklets, lessons, and books in French, and began to write and print literature in the tribal languages of Ewe and Kabiye. But when the translation team attempted to test the Kabiye NT translation, they discovered almost no Kabiye-speakers could read their own language.

WORD Ministries supplied a consultant to produce not only primers to teach Kabiyes to read their own language, but also a bridge primer to teach those Kabiyes who already knew how to read French. Another consultant visit readied the primers for printing and trained Kabiyes to serve as teachers and teacher-trainers for the project. Now literacy classes are being taught throughout Togo as a ministry of local churches. When the Kabiye Bible translation project is complete, there will be readers of Kabiye eagerly waiting to snatch it from the presses.

WORD personnel recently traveled to Muslim Central Europe to write literacy primers for use in children's school projects and adult's agricultural and technical school programs. In Central Europe, many widows face the responsibility of providing for their families, yet they cannot read. Classes to teach them to read and write will start as soon as the primers roll off the press.

Heart Cry of the Church

National church leaders around the world cry: "How can people understand the gospel message and be saved, and how can believers grow in their faith unless they read God's Word in a language they understand?" More than 500 million people, still lost in darkness, have no Scriptures in their mother tongue, and more than two billion adults cannot read. The needs seem overwhelming, but we know God is able, and WORD Ministries stands ready to be used by Him.

For more information about WORD Ministries or to request consultant help, please contact:

Bill and Vicki Ivester, Ministry Coordinators
Dr. Michael Pasquale, Translation Coordinator
Mr. Reid Minich, Acting ESL Coordinator
Dr. Lynn Silvernale, Resource Center Coordinator