Poleg was familiar with the New Testament but still struggled with understanding the depth of “God with us.” Then when he read Genesis for the first time in his own language, he said:

“Now I see that God never abandoned humanity. Even when people disobeyed him, he still loved them and had already planned a way of salvation (through Jesus).”

”For the first time, I truly understood the story without confusion. God’s Word spoke directly to my heart.” This was the moment a translator could finally have Genesis in his own language, translated directly from Biblical Hebrew.

I’ve just returned to Jerusalem from Thailand, where I was meeting with Bible translation partners to plan how to complete the task of providing the needed thousands of whole Bible translations for Southeast Asia. Sharon joined me here in Jerusalem, and we have the joy of seeing yet more Biblical Hebrew instructors and translators ready to begin programs in Bibleless regions.

“Everyone wonders what road their dreams will take,” Ariel shared with us as we gathered for staff prayer. “Even when we’re in the middle of what we feel is God’s calling, things don’t always go the way we expect. But He is guiding our path. God has a plan for us—and it’s not about us, but about Him, and about preparing the way for His Word.”

I’m writing to share some encouraging news and testimonies from a few of my heroes—men and women who’ve dedicated themselves to the challenge of living and learning Biblical Hebrew so they can help bring the whole Bible to their people in their own languages.