These people are the bottom of the rack

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of

the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

-Matthew 25:40

The ”least of these” are typically overlooked, marginalized or ignored in our world: refugees, those enduring famine, poverty, illiteracy and living on less than $2 a day. Many of these people are also Bibleless.

In September John visited several communities in Nigeria to talk about their languages and Bible translation. As he talked with the Bia* people, he learned that:
Missionaries first came to their area in 1928 and were met with much indifference.
In 1950 a mission hospital was established and many came to Christ, but most of those people moved away.
Nigerian missionaries arrived in 1986, but even then the good news was announced in a local trade language with very little results UNTIL Bible translation was started in the dialect of a related local language, resulting in thirteen growing churches in the area by 2004. Christians from the language the Bible had been translated into (Zia*) now work as full time missionaries to their own people and somehow, even though the Bia* people only understand about 50% of the Zia* language, they now also have many churches and mature Christians.

The Bia* are mainly subsistence farmers. Their traditional beliefs use fear to control family behavior and to keep families together. Conformity is a high cultural value. As John explored these beliefs and listened to the men, who said things are changing for the better as Christianity spreads, he asked one of the men to translate his questions for the women in the group. Wow, did he get a shock with their answer: the women said they feel like and are seen by others as slaves! They are not educated…they are not spoken to about what men do or what men talk about. And when John followed up with asking if this was changing in Christian homes, the women replied: “too little and too slowly”.

…take a moment for that to sink in…

We have lived among people groups not that different from these, and have seen and experienced many heartbreaking situations with people living and dying in dire circumstances. But after this conversation John felt like crying, and still does when he thinks of these women. As another missionary with him expressed later: “These people are the bottom of the rack.” Please join us in praying for the Bia* people.

Because the Bia* can only understand 50% of the Zia* Bible, translation has been started which will provide the first scriptures in their dialect. John and his colleagues helped the Bia* people work through the process of deciding what scriptures they want to begin with. They chose to start with Genesis and the book of Luke in audio, phone apps, video and print as well as their own Jesus film.

Thanks for your partnership that is helping the Bia* to be able to better understand God’s word and apply it to their lives so that hopefully many women in the future may no longer feel and be treated like slaves.

*people group names are pseudonyms. Some of you might have read this previously in one of our letters, but the story is so important, it bears re-telling.  

Please continue to pray for transformation for the Bia* people as God's word becomes available to them.