I bought myself a new Bible. It’s so pretty!
The binding of my old one broke and every time I opened it, more pages would pull loose and slide around until it became a struggle to read. Besides, the print has gotten so small recently. I decided it’s time to buy a new one.
easier said than done, though. The options seem endless. Which version? what color? what fabric, what size? Will I use it for study? For devotional? Do I need multiple versions in one? Large print? How about an added concordance with full-color maps?
honestly, I like having options.
I started a read-through-the-Bible program with some friends. We’re using an app that splits up the chapters into bite sizes and even gives some of the back story. And when I miss a day or two, it recalibrates to get me back on track. It’s even got an audio option so I can multitask. Very cool. It’s one of two Bible apps that I have on my phone.
I like having options.
My first Bible was a pocket-size New Testament. I was a brand-new reader and felt so special to have my very own Bible. A treasure, my name in penciled print inside the cover.
But what if that first New Testament was my only option? What if I didn’t have those inspiring stories of faith throughout the Old Testament? No prophets who spoke the very heart of God to His people? No poetic Psalms, the ones that got me through some very tumultuous teenage moments? No proverbs? How incomplete!
Did I ever tell you that I grew up in Colombia? My parents, Wayne and Patsy, moved there years ago, and actually still live there. They are fluent in Spanish and English, as well as Piapoco—having lived among the Piapoco people since my climbing tree days. They learned the language, the culture, and built lasting friendships in the villages we called home. Why? Because their passion is telling people about Jesus. And when they heard that the Piapocos didn’t know Him, they responded. And now, years later, we have spiritual brothers and sisters who worship God in Piapoco.
Back when my parents were still learning the language, some friends of theirs were working diligently to translate the New Testament into Piapoco so that the new believers would have God’s word in their heart language. How awesome it was to present them with a hard-bound copy of the finished New Testament!
Dios cayábéeri! God is good!
woohoo!
the story doesn’t stop there, though. What if that pocket-sized NT was my only Bible ever? Incomplete? yep.
My parents have been living in a frontier town in Colombia where fishing is a main-stay. It’s a place that has attracted hundreds of Piapocos migrating from remote villages to find jobs and homes and safety. It just so happens that a guy named Reynaldo lives there with his family. Reynaldo is an educated bilingual Piapoco man who just happens to be skilled in translating. Coincidence?
Nope.
He’s been working closely with my dad to revise that initial New Testament into a more precise translation that speaks to the Piapoco heart, as well as tackling the exciting content of the Old Testament. The two of them are heading up a small team that utilizes as many technical resources as possible to speed up the translating process. Exciting stuff I tell you! My dad now has an app on his phone with revised portions of the Piapoco New Testament installed. So cool!
They’ve hit a roadblock recently when funding for this project ran out. A renewal is in the works, but not for months down the road. In the meantime, Reynaldo and team have had to find interim employment, because, you know, bills and families.
So…want to pick up the slack with me? We can give directly toward this translation project, keeping the momentum going so that the Piapocos will have options like we do. A complete Bible option.
here’s the info. Tag your donation for “Piapoco New Testament Translation Project.” And then sign up to receive updates from my parents. It’s a front-row-seat kind of feeling!
