Many More Miles to Go

How long would it take you to walk ninety miles? That’s the estimated distance Mary and Joseph walked to get from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It would have taken them well over a week, traversing rugged country.

Ninety miles isn’t far these days. It might take an hour and a half by road (depending on the road of course), or forty-five minutes by air. In fact, under the right circumstances, you could fly around the world in the time it took Mary and Joseph to get to Bethlehem. But no round the world trip could be more important or have the lasting impact of the journey that culminated in the birth of Jesus.

Sharing the story of Jesus Christ through translated Scripture has been the mission of Lutheran Bible Translators for almost 60 years. During that time—through partnership with people like you—missionaries, staff, and translation teams have traveled a staggering number of miles, served in hundreds of projects, and helped make God’s Word accessible to millions of people.

LBT translation consultant Dr. Becky Grossmann recently added several thousand more miles to the total. She traveled to Cameroon, West Africa, where “history was made as the first verses of the Nizaa New Testament were consultant checked.” Working together, Becky and the team reviewed portions of Luke to make sure the text preserves the original Biblical meaning while being understandable to Nizaa speakers. The goal was to then print these Scripture portions in time for Christmas.

As of this writing (a few days before Thanksgiving) it’s too soon to report that the Luke portions have been printed. But by all indications the project will happen. That means the Nizaa will be able to read and hear the account of Jesus’ birth for the first time in their language. Another “history is being made” moment!

Of course, the most pivotal moment in history took place when Christ was born. It’s the reason LBT travels to the ends of the earth, the reason generous partners like you support Bible translation through gifts and prayers. But with millions of people still without Scripture, there are many long miles still to go. To paraphrase LBT International Associate Rev. Linus Otronyi, we desire that the knowledge of the glory of God through His Word fills the hearts of all people. You can help put Scripture in their hands. Learn more here.