God’s Word is eternal and unchanging, transforming lives wherever it goes. While the truth of God’s Word remains the same, people around the world relate to Him through Scripture in vastly different ways—because people, communities and cultures differ.
Bible translation doesn’t stop with the completion of printed, audio or visual Scripture. Life transformation begins when people and communities learn how to truly engage with Scripture. Together with partner churches and organizations worldwide, Wycliffe develops creative methods to help people everywhere understand the Word, interact with it and integrate it into their daily lives.
People and communities find dignity, hope and meaning as they engage deeply through Scripture with the God who loves them. Churches grow, thrive and make disciples. God’s Kingdom expands.
Read about how engaging deeply with Scripture has helped the Indonesian Sign Language team grow in faith and teamwork.
A rope of three strands is not easily broken
Creating healthy, productive translation teams is no small feat: every Bible translation project faces this challenge. For the Indonesian Sign Language team, the path has been marked by both challenging losses and meaningful growth.
Over the past few years, several team members who lacked either commitment or ability left the team. This created painful upheaval, but it also made space for others to take their places. Growth hasn’t just come through new team members, though—it’s come through learning how to truly work together.
Reflecting on Scripture
Monday morning devotions have become a vital touchpoint for the team—it’s a time to check in with their advisers and to reflect on Scripture together. Recently, they focused on Ecclesiastes 4:12: “A rope of three strands is not easily broken.”
As the verse sank in, it sparked an important conversation.
One of the translators shared a real-life illustration:
“I recently saw a car being towed. I noticed that the rope used to tow was made of many strands, and the strands were made of many threads. And when all those little threads come together, they are strong enough to even tow a car.”
The image resonated deeply with the team. Another translator took it further:
“The support we give each other also extends through time, like a rope stretching on, or a river that keeps up its momentum as it rushes on. All the threads woven together are like the wisdom and correction we can share with one another . . . without other people, we cannot clearly see ourselves.
“When they give us feedback, it helps us to reflect, and that reflection in turn contributes to being able to work together more and more effectively. Without that, we are like the single thread that breaks.”
His reflection struck a chord. It helped another teammate realize how far they’ve come as a team:
“In the past, we didn’t work together well. Now that we are trying to be more collaborative, it is stronger, just like the threads when they are woven together.”
A new process
In the past, the team’s translation process was independent—individual members would translate passages separately, then compare versions to decide which was best. But training has shown them the strength in working together from the start. It’s led to growth, both in team dynamics and in the quality of translations they produce.
Their team leader recognized that the message of Ecclesiastes 4:12 extends beyond their group:
“. . . This doesn’t just apply to our team. We also need to work closely with churches and other organizations, including hearing organizations. Only if we actively pursue those partnerships will the project be strong.”
The way forward
The team has taken the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 4:12 to heart—they continue to actively pursue connections with local churches and partners. It’s not an easy or simple journey, but engaging deeply with Scripture has helped show them the way forward.