Sunday, December 26, 2010

Guajajara Bible Translation complete!

It is the first weekend in October 2010. In Brazil, at the eastern margin of the Amazon region, the dusty towns of Arame, Grajau, and Barra do Corda host parades and public celebrations. The Guajajara (pronounced gwah-zha-zhara), Brazil's most numerous indigenous people (population 21,000), have just received the complete Bible in their own language. This day was preceded by 35 years of live-in, "relational" Bible translating. It represents the joint efforts of an international array of missionaries and translators from various organizations.

Only a few days before, at a lake 25 miles from Arame, 29 baptisms took place. CrossWorld missionary Bron reports:
By 3:30 p.m., there were over 150 Guajajara Indians and others gathered by the side of the lake. We sang praises to the Lord, read His Word, prayed, listened to testimonies from some of those who were being baptized and heard the Word shared by one of the Guajajara Christian leaders. After the baptism, about 80 of us shared around the Lord's table as we joined together in communion.
(from CrossWorld, 80 Years of Missions, 2011 Calendar)

Spiritual ADHD

"Our son, Jonah, was diagnosed with ADHD when he was three years old. Jonah's therapist gave us great insight into this condition through a simple explanation. He told us that Jonah lacked the ability to screen input the way "normal" people do. For instance, the dog barking next door, the clock ticking in the kitchen, the birds singing in the garden, the washing machine humming in the garage - these all vied equally for his attention, making it difficult for Jonah to hear me calling him to dinner.

"I suspect some of us may be "spiritually ADHD." In our culture, so many sights and sounds compete for our attention, drowning out the Master's quiet call. But if we are attuned to the Spirit and the Word, we will not miss His still small voice..."

(from a Christian missionary newsletter, Fall 2010)

A Muslim's Internet Journey to Christ...

Here is what Osman, from a Muslim country, writes about his journey to Christ:

"A divine hand was directing me to God's truth. It took me about a year to come to the conclusion that Jesus is the Savior of the world and the Lord of all. I broke all my ties with Islam and the false prophet and chose to follow Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My whole life has changed. I am thankful to God for this web ministry that helped me find God in a personal way."

Osman is one of those who became a disciple of Jesus Christ in 2010 through Internet evangelism ministry. Today he has a growing faith in Christ and is now a part of God's kingdom!

(from a Christian missionary newsletter, December 2010)