ORLANDO, FL — Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with Ukraine local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, is supplying essential aid to Ukrainian national Bible translators.

Through its Emergency 911 Fund, Wycliffe Associates supplies practical help, including food, clean water, shelter, and even evacuations, to Bible translators around the world who face devastation due to natural disasters, war, terrorism, and the pandemic.

Bible translators, their families, and other Christians in Ukraine have been under siege since Russia invaded in February.

“This is a time of extreme crisis for our brothers and sisters in Christ,” says Stephen Martin, Vice President of Field Development. “National Bible translators from Ukraine, and other regions shattered by war, persecution, or natural disaster, need help now.”

A husband-and-wife team of Ukrainian Bible translators were out of the country when the invasion began and became separated from their young adult daughter living in Kyiv. After repeated attempts to leave the country, dodging the Russian military and rocket attacks, their daughter was finally reunited with them.

Then the family learned that a Russian assault had destroyed their home, along with everything inside.

“Our Emergency 911 Fund is absolutely essential,” says Martin. “This fund delivers basic life necessities—food, clothing, shelter, blankets, anything we can provide to national Bible translators and their fellow Christians to keep the cause of Bible translation alive . . . even in areas caught in the onslaught of violence and war.”

Despite the havoc of the war, national Bible translators in Ukraine are continuing their work of translating the Bible for dozens of minority language groups in the region.  “Roma” languages, spoken mostly by “Gypsies” are among these.

“Many continue to face violence,” says Martin. “Yet they do not ask for weapons or ammunition—only the sword of God’s Word.”

Wycliffe Associates is raising funds to provide emergency relief for their Bible translation partners in Ukraine who have suffered catastrophic personal losses due to the war.

About Wycliffe Associates

One of the world’s leading Bible translation organizations, Wycliffe Associates was organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators to accelerate the work of Church Owned Bible translation. Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.

Because millions of people around the world still wait to have the Scriptures in the language of their hearts, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Wycliffe Associates is directly involved with speeding Bible translation by providing technology, training, resources, logistics, networking, expertise, volunteers, discipleship, church planting, and support. Wycliffe Associates staff and volunteers are currently accelerating Bible translations in 71 countries. For more information, please see www.wycliffeassociates.org.

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