Translation of the Old Testament into the Eastern Apurímac Quechua language of Peru has been completed. As a result, the minority language group will soon have access to the entire Bible in the language that serves them best.
“We give thanks to God, to the team of translators, our donors, the consultants, and to all the people who were involved in this project,” says Luis Cervantes, director of AIDIA. The church-based organization’s name is an acronym for “Interdenominational Association for the Holistic Development of Apurímac.”
“We are sure that this translation will be a great blessing for many Quechua-speaking people in the Apurímac region,” says Cervantes. “Now our desire is to see the whole Bible printed. We are praying that God will guide the people doing the next steps of editing and the final publication.”
AIDIA team members serve in one of the poorest regions of Peru. Using a New Testament translation published in 2013, AIDIA teams have worked hard to promote literacy, develop church leadership, produce audio/video Scriptural materials, and encourage children’s Sunday school classes and camps.
God’s Word touches elderly man
Recently, a 91-year-old Quechua widower was moved to give his life to Jesus, after hearing God’s Word in his Eastern Apurímac language.
“When I was young,” says Alejandro Alvares, “I always went to mass and the priests taught us to trust idols. They always said that the Virgin Mary . . . and the apus (gods of the mountains) are like God because they represent God; they protect us and keep us from all evil.”
After a pastor visited Alvares and shared the gospel with him, he realized that he needed to put his trust in God alone.
“When I was young I was an alcoholic and an idolater, but God in His infinite mercy forgave me. I am very grateful to God for all His love for me.”
More: A Different God Speaks (Word Alive archives)