We know of 23 communities in this country — meaning, the 30 million people or so — have had to interact with God with one language over the years. How would that make you feel to have to learn someone else’s language before you could really interact with God? So seeing God's Word being translated for the different communities in Madagascar — for me, it’s heaven.

God brings different people and players into the same scene. We might as well ask God to leverage the gifts, talents and resources He’s entrusted in His children — through other organizations, churches and ministries — and pull that together around the same table to maximize not only on the production, but on the distribution and the entire mission of God. Partnership is not plan B; it is plan A.

When we finish checking a portion or a section or a chapter of even a book — and you read it — you see the joy shining out of people’s faces. Like really happy and full of joy and light, you can really tell that it goes straight to their heart.

Madagascar has had this privilege of receiving God’s Word in the Malagasi language as early as 1835. We feel this responsibility to wake up and say, ‘How many more people groups are out there that could we participate in to get God’s Word into their languages? And we’ll do this with all the churches that will profess Christ, just in the same way they’re doing this here in Madagascar, all Christian churches combined, holding hands together. The vision is to have an exchange with the outside world.

Bible translation in the local language gives people the dignity and the honor that they deserve. They feel like they own it, that God didn’t leave them alone. That they are not obliged to learn the official language as God can speak their language, and God can communicate directly with them in their own language. To them, even if the Bible that has been printed is still in a draft version, to them it is precious. It’s their wealth, their treasure. And it’s so precious to them.

We have this privilege of doing this together today. And not just together for the sake of doing it together because we like each other — but because it’s under the same name: in the name of Jesus. Not just in any name, but in Jesus’ name that we’re doing it. We have the privilege to be led by the same Spirit. We have the privilege of being called to do this in such a time as this. There’s 8 billion people in the world — what are the chances that God had a different combination of people doing this in such a time as this? We have the privilege of doing God’s work under His leading, in His name, and together.

There’s a God-sized opportunity available to all of us here. And there’s a place for everyone to contribute toward this. In the area of prayers, please do pray that people will stay the course and stay focused on Jesus. And I’m not trying to over spiritualize this when I say that, because this isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon.

It’s not our work. We are only the hands that God is using to do His work. And we need wisdom in every single step that we are making so that the work would advance in the way that glorifies the Lord.