Kushikushun! “Let Us Rejoice!”
“Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy.” (Psalm 98:4, NLT)
August 4, 2007: A perfect day as only God could arrange—a blue Andean sky and ideal temperature. Snow-capped
Huascarán towered over the festivities two miles below. Some one thousand colorfully dressed Huaylas Quechua people of Peru departed the city plaza to parade down the main street of Huaraz, as many lined the way. Roncadoras (small bands) played their traditional music. Some marchers danced, joined by 170 international guests. Smiles were plentiful, but so were tears of joy. This was the culmination of 43 years of hard, sometimes heart-breaking Bible translation work by many, many people. But the day of joyous celebration had finally arrived—the dedication of the Huaylas Quechua New Testament.
The Ceremony Begins
Two miles from the plaza, many hundreds of Quechuas waited at the ceremony site, some having walked two days on steep 
mountain trails to attend. The open-ended auditorium, beautifully decorated with flowers and balloons, quickly filled to capacity as the marchers joined them. Soon the three-hour program began with music, skits and presentations from the translation team and special guests. Behind the many presenters a banner read in Huaylas Quechua, “You Don’t Have to Wait Any Longer.” And they didn’t. Six hundred New Testaments were sold that first day, greatly subsidized through the Bible League. But some didn’t have to pay even the $3 subsidized price of their New Testament. They earned a New Testament by diligent memorization. Many were especially impressed by an 11-year-old boy who, facing the crowd, energetically recited 52 verses and won his Bible.
Communal Meal
After the ceremony, a huge communal meal of guinea pig, chicken and potatoes—prepared by the Quechuas over open fires—was served by the non-Quechua guests. In just two hours, 2,500 people were fed! Seeing this, Wycliffe worker Karen Keagy said that the Biblical account of handing out bread and fish to over 5,000 people took on a whole new meaning for her.
The Other Story
The success of this 43-year translation project, and the well-established Quechua churches, took the effort of many people
over the years. All cannot be named. Helen Larsen started the work in 1964 and was joined by Margie Levengood (now Estrella) in 1966. Over the years, literacy workers and Scripture promoters enabled Quechuas to read and appreciate the beauty of their language. Mike Miller and his wife Cheryl, who lost her battle with cancer in 1998, picked up the work in 1982 from interim translators David and Heidi Coombs and Susan Schneider (now Welch). Mike later married Heather, and they continued working on the translation.
Quechua co-translators Pushpi Colonia, Yepo Rodriquez and Timoteo Trejo spent years tirelessly visiting hundreds of Quechua villages to distribute early Huaylas Scripture portions and to show the JESUS film. They and others produced Quechua language radio programming, proclaiming the gospel to many thousands of people they couldn’t visit in person.
Of course, none of this could have been done without a host of supporting and praying churches and individuals.
Because of efforts like these, Mike and Heather could parade down the street amid countless Quechua believers. Mike said, “It was wonderful walking with so many old friends and others I had never met before—kids, moms and dads, older people from many different denominations, raising their hands in praise.”
Profound Effect on Visitors
Phil Divine, a pastor at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, said, “I had supported Wycliffe for 31 years, but had never seen the end result. Seeing the Quechuas grab that Bible and hold it to their chests was just life changing for me.”
Don Little and Eleanor Henderson, also from Calvary Church, agree. “This was my first mission trip,” said Don. “I’m ready to go again. I want to do more after being there. It’s given me a whole new outlook on missions. The trip was the highlight of my life!” God touched Eleanor’s heart, too. She summed up the view of many who attended. “Here we are in 2007 and yet another language group is finally getting God’s Word in their heart language.”
Kushikushun! “Let Us Rejoice!”
(Story by David Ramsdale)
Listen to Rachel Yanac, a literacy promoter amoung the Huaylas Quechua speak about the dedication on Speeding the Word, produced by JAARS.
Rachel Yanac tells more stories of the impact of Scripture on the Huaylas Quechua people.
Read a Select Word about a Huaylas Quechua man