Do you ever feel no one understands you? You are not alone. Missionaries often feel that way when working with a foreign language. You could just assume your message is getting across those language and cultural barriers, but sometimes the results are not what you might expect. Messages about village work projects or buying a watch for someone are one thing, but when it comes to Bible translation, the results can’t be left to chance. Last month, Bible translation consultants took three weeks to teach us a procedure which makes misunderstandings obvious.
Jonathan took his language helper with him and practiced the procedure in the afternoons. Thanks to this new method, you can see that he is now free from nagging feelings of doubt about being understood and is now handling the matter intellectually.
Correcting and re-correcting Bible passages to make sure they communicate accurately is time consuming. It is difficult when you find time and time again, that what you thought would communicate something failed to do so. Your prayers for patience, endurance, and wisdom to handle God’s word correctly are appreciated.