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THE BIBLE IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE!
We take for granted the freedom to publish, print, distribute and read the Scriptures in our own native tongue. There are many, however, in the countries of SGA’s ministry who are not so blessed. At the heart of the programme celebrating our 75th Anniversary is Gospel Expansion through the production and distribution of the Scriptures in the languages of Central Asia and beyond. The progress already made, and the timetable for the near future, make for thrilling reading.
Final production of the whole Kazakh Bible is planned for completion in July this year (2025). This has been a long, challenging project, but the end result is invaluable, for this new translation of the Word of God will bring light and life to many. It is a major achievement, an accurate translation, the fruit of godly, Spirit-led study by scholars who recognize the absolute necessity of putting God’s Word into the hands of those who until now have had no opportunity to read it in their native language. Ten thousand Bibles have been printed as well as 130,000 copies of the New Testament with Psalms, Proverbs and the text of Genesis. Another 50,000 bilingual New Testaments – Kazakh/Russian – have been prepared, designed to reach as many in the population as possible, since Russian is still widely spoken and understood. The inclusion of Kazakh underlines the fact that Christianity is not presenting a Russian God but the God of all the world – including Kazakhs.
Receiving God’s Word
Printing vital resources
Across the cultures and sub-cultures of Central Asia there is a love of story-telling. Evangelists and Bible teachers have recognized a ‘way in’ to hearts and minds through the production of Family Bibles which not only teach young people God’s Word but introduce Bible stories and truths to adults and family groups, preparing the way for the acceptance and understanding of the adult text. The strong emphasis on the family unit in Central Asian society means that the introduction of the Bible story through the children’s edition can often open the door into the extented family, and impact two or three generations living under the same roof. The planned approach involves the presentation of a Bible ‘set’ – a children’s edition alongside the full text – to homes and families where the Gospel is new and unknown. The progress already made is exciting. At the present time 3,400 Pamir Family Bibles are ready to make their difficult journey into Tajikistan. A small number have already reached their destination, the first time that Scripture in any form has been made available in the Pamiri language! This is unmistakeably the work of God, a miracle of His grace!
The mention of Mongolia conjures up pictures of a closed country, with little possibility of penetrating its borders. God and His Gospel are not bound, however. Presently 3,000 copies of the Mongolian Family Bible are stored near the country’s border awaiting secure onward transportation.
It is planned to produce 10,000 copies, each costing £5. Much prayer is needed that these will find their way into the hands of spiritually needy families in this Gospel-starved land, which SGA has been able to penetrate through partnership with our friends. We are thrilled too that there has been even further expansion of the Bible Project into another closed country bordering Central Asia. SGA has helped provide 15,000 copies of Bible Stories for Children and Families in the Farsi language. These have been received with deep gratitude and joy! The news about the production and distribution of the Kyrgyz Bible is exciting. A mission partner shared that many in Kyrgyzstan are eager to read the Word of God, which is respected by Muslims as a ‘holy book’.
Already, 3,000 Bible sets have been distributed, with a goal of producing 20,000–30,000. The usual approach is to first offer the Family Bible—appreciated for its storytelling—followed by the adult Bible as relationships deepen. In Central Asia, cultural respect for holy books and for receiving gifts leads to widespread acceptance and interest in the Bible. Believers rejoice in this openness and urge others to pray that the written Word would lead many to the joy of Christ’s salvation.