Ibu* hated Christians – until the Bible changed his life. Born into a Muslim family in East Africa, Ibu was taught that Christianity was corrupted. He knew that anyone who converted would face persecution – or death.

One day, after prayers in the mosque, word spread that a church was being built nearby. The local people knew of Ibu’s hatred for Christianity and urged him to go and burn down this new place of worship – in broad daylight!

An angry mob gathered with Ibu and started to attack the church building. It was damaged beyond use. When tensions had died down, the community and local officials agreed that the church could be rebuilt.

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In an amazing twist of circumstances, Ibu found himself in urgent need of money and work – and so he applied to join the construction team working on the new church building. The very one he had tried to burn down.

Before long, he began getting to know the members of the church. One day, they invited him to join a Bible study. They were reading from Acts 9, about Saul’s conversion.

One verse spoke directly to Ibu’s heart. ‘This question “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”, it hit me in the heart. I felt as if it was directed to me. I reflected how I had hated Christians just like Saul.’

This one verse changed the course of Ibu’s life and he became a Christian. Yet he doesn’t have the Bible in the language he speaks best. Ibu longs for the day when he and his whole community have the New Testament in his own language, so they can build their lives on biblical truths.

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Ibu is among a handful of new Jesus followers in his community, but they don’t yet have the Bible in their language.

Right now, translators are working tirelessly to get the whole of the New Testament translated into Ibu’s language. From there, they hope to start translating the Old Testament.

Today, you can help reach the goal of £35,000 to enable translation teams like this to keep going and put the Bible into the hands of more people like Ibu.

  • £25 could translate a verse into someone’s own language, planting a seed that could change their life forever.
  • £56 could provide eight people with a printed New Testament in their own language, introducing them to Jesus.

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Ibu’s story is such an encouragement – because it reminds us how even one verse can change the direction of someone’s life. Please will you prayerfully consider what you can give today to provide more people with the incredible blessing of God’s word in their own language?

 

*name changed for security reasons. Similarly, to protect his identity we cannot show an image of Ibu: image is representative only.
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