Cameron Townsend was an American missionary in Guatemala in 1917 who was trying to share the Gospel with the Cakchiquel Indians. One day a man said to him,
“Why, if your God is so smart, hasn’t He learned our language?”
This man’s question changed Cameron Townsend’s life. He dedicated the next thirteen years to learning the language of the Cakchiquel people, reducing it to writing and translating the Scriptures into their language. He had no formal training in linguistics and faced tremendous obstacles. For example, the Cakchiquel language had four different “k” sounds that were barely distinguishable to him.
Once he finished that first language, God called him to found Wycliffe Bible Translators, an organization that has grown to become one of the largest Bible translation organizations in the world. Throughout his life, Townsend often said,
“The greatest missionary is the Bible. It never needs a furlough, it is never considered a foreigner.”
Today, there are over 7,353 known languages, and only 698 of those have the entire Bible translated. A consortium of Bible translation organizations are working together to complete the task of providing the Bible to people who have never had God’s Written Word in their own language.
Friend, Cameron Townsend saw a need and took action. His one step of faithfulness led to Bible translations in languages across the world.
What steps could you take today to fulfill God’s calling on your life?
God’s passion for His people can not be extinguished. Do you embody this same passion?