Become a Missionary
Missionaries Needed!
LBT is seeking Lutherans to serve overseas through the ministry of Bible translation and Scripture Engagement. If you feel that God may be leading you towards missions, LBT may have a place for you. Explore this site to learn more about what we do. Attending I.D.I.O.M. is a great place to start. Be sure to fill out the form on the Contact Us page as well so we can get to know you and answer any questions you may have.
Why Bible Translation?
Consider these numbers:
- 6912--number of languages in the world
- 429--number of languages with a complete Bible
- over 500--number of complete Bible translations/paraphrases/interpretations in English
- about 4500--number of languages without adequate Scriptures translated
The real reason we do what we do
The numbers are shocking, even overwhelming. But in the end, we do not translate the Bible for the sake of numbers, but because of the people those numbers represent. Their own words sum up best why we do what we do:
- "Father, you could have left us in our sin, worshipping the spirits. But you thought of us because of your grace. You gave us your love and sent us Your Word." – Author Unknown
- "We have lived here all this time like animals, not having God’s talk. Now we have it, carved on paper, we can hold it in our hands and will not be forgetting it." – Speaker at the New Testament dedication Iduna language in Papua New Guinea
- "Our joy at having God’s Word in our very own hands is almost like the joy we will have when Jesus comes back again." – Author Unknown
- "I have been like Jacob, digging big wells to get a little refreshment. Now I’m living beside a crystal-clear stream and the water is so refreshing." – Tawaia pastor in Papua New Guinea
- "Now with God’s Word we have authority to preach about Jesus Christ. This dream fulfilled makes me happy. This Word of God is our life." – Author Unknown
Translation and Scripture Engagement is about helping bring people to faith in Jesus Christ by making God's Word available to people in the language of their hearts. It's about making sure that literate or not, educated or not, everyone can engage with God's Word and have it readily available to them in a form they can easily understand.
