Bible passage
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105

Description
In some locations, especially where the Mission Network is involved with indigenous or tribal groups, the whole Bible has yet to be translated into the languages of the people.

Philosophy
God's word is deeply valued and best understood in one's own mother tongue, which means Bible translation is a high priority for many indigenous churches, as well as an important part of beginning new relationships in some areas. Translation projects are generally slow, with recognition that the process itself is ministry, not just the final product.

Process
The Mission Network's involvement in Bible translation efforts varies from one location to another. In most locations, workers are involved in supportive roles and the Mission Network may contribute some of the funding needed, generally in partnership with others. In some cases, like in the Argentine Chaco and Burkina Faso, indigenous Christians do the actual translation work while mission workers are involved in coordination roles and in bringing an understanding of the context in which Scriptures were written. The following from a worker report is illustrative of the process:

"We got into a long discussion about fishing on the Sea of Galilee. We said the boats would need to be big enough to hold 153 big fish (John 21). We researched the size of the fish there. They thought that a dugout canoe could easily hold that many fish without sinking. But then we realized that Jesus was sleeping at the back of a boat with a number of disciples aboard. So we ended up with the biggest boat in Toba vocabulary, the one from a hollowed-out bottle tree."