This true missionary story takes place many years ago in the jungle of Guatemala. Carlos sat down on the big flat rock beside the mountain trail to think a while. Far below him in the valley was the mission school where Carlos had been for several months. How happy he had been just this morning as he packed his things and started home for a vacation. Not that he didn't like the mission school-he loved it. He loved every minute of it from the lessons in the morning and the work in the fields and gardens in the afternoon, to the worship services in the evening. Best of all, he loved the times when he helped the missionary with his writings. The missionary was making the Bible into Carlos' own language. Never before had the Bible been written in this language. That is why it took such a long time for the missionary to get the words just right. That is why he needed Carlos to help him. The missionary had sat at a big desk with many books spread out before him. Carlos had sat beside him. The missionary would look up some words in many books and then he would write something down in his notebook "How does this sound?" he had asked Carlos many times and then he would read some words to him. Then Carlos would nod and smile and say, "It speaks to my heart." This went on for many weeks.
Did you know that the language you speak and understand is probably not the language that Jesus spoke? It is believed that Jesus spoke Aramaic. Did you know that the first Bible was not written in your language? The Bible was written in different languages like Hebrew and Greek. Jesus said
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
*
Everyone does not speak the same language. So some missionaries work very hard to translate or write the Bible in many different languages. Translating the Bible is an important job for many missionaries and it brings them joy to do the work Jesus has called them to. Missionaries want everyone to know the good news in their own language.
Mark 16:15 (NASB)
Devotional Story Reference: When You Need a Missionary Story / The Torn Book, By Elizabeth B. Jones, 1956
Lesson Questions for the Full Story:
Content: Yo!, Youth Outreach, Youth
Outreach, Children's Devotionals,
Children's Bible Devotionals, Children's Daily
Devotionals, Children's Bible Lessons, Children's
Bible Stories, Children's Missionary Stories,
Children's Bible Verses, Children's Scripture Memory,
Devotionals for Youth, Bible Devotionals for Youth,
Daily Devotionals for Youth, Bible Lessons for Youth,
Bible Stories for Youth, Missionary Stories for Youth,
Bible Verses for Youth, Scripture Memory for Youth,
The Gospel, The Good News, The Gospel of Lord Jesus
Christ, New Testament Stories, Old Testament Stories,
Jesus, God's only begotten Son, Stories of Jesus,
Jesus Parables, Born Again, The way the truth and the
life, God's love, Everlasting life, The Father the Son
and the Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace, The bright and morning
star, God so loved the world, yoroom
