“We Have Been Hoping and Praying”

“This Bible is just what we have been hoping and praying for. It is perfect. We want to use these Bibles to teach our young people about God, in our very own language!”

That’s just one of the comments made at the dedication of the Cañar Quichua Bible on March 19, 2011 in Cañar, Ecuador. The occasion marked the first time the Cañari people had both the Old and New Testaments – the entire Bible – in their heart language.

From the New Testament to the Old Testament

Former LBT missionaries Dale and Lillian Nesse served among the Cañari from 1982 to1997, helping translate the New Testament. Upon their return to the U.S., two of the Cañari translators, Reinaldo Chimborazo and Pastor Manuel Nivelo, worked diligently and faithfully to translate the Old Testament. Dale served as long distance advisor while the Ecuadorian Bible Society offered encouragement and support.

The Old Testament dedication

Dr. Marshall Gillam, former LBT Executive Director, attended the celebrations along with Dale and Lillian and their daughter, Sonia. “Nearly two hundred women from at least a dozen churches dressed in their finest and sang as with one voice in Quichua to the crowd gathered in the gymnasium during the dedication ceremony,” Dale recalls. “They had made the two hour hike as part of the parade from Tambo to Cañar, then stood for almost two hours waiting for the opportunity to sing. I was moved to tears as I listened to them.”

The Cañari people are excited about their Bible. “I read my Bible this morning, and God used the words to speak directly to my heart,” said one individual who attended. “This Bible will also be useful for the Cañari people living in other lands, such as Spain and the United States. There are many churches and many believers in those places.”

Other Completed LBT Translations: