A. In 1982, Wycliffe formed the Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project (BPPP) with the resolute goal to recruit men, women, and children to prayerfully lay the foundation for a translation program to begin in each of the world’s Bibleless people groups. BPPP prayer partners receive information by email about a language group and its speakers, a printable how-to-pray bookmark, and periodic emails to encourage them as they pray. As information becomes available, prayer partners also receive specific news about their people group.
A. A Bibleless people group is a language community in need of a Bible translation. They have no known Scripture and no active translation project. They are without access to God's Word in a language that speaks to their heart.
A. The majority of Bibleless people groups are located in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific region. However, Bibleless people groups can be found on all six inhabitable continents.
Q. Why can’t you teach a Bibleless people group how to read English or the national language of the country in which they live?
A. Requiring knowledge of another language marginalizes the importance of a person’s heart language and also vastly limits their understanding. The heart language reaches to the inner depths of a person and can best express God's eternal message. It is the language most clearly understood and in which ideas are most clearly expressed by an individual or people group. Scriptures in another language can limit (and often change) a person’s understanding of the Gospel.
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Q. I’ve signed up to pray for a Bibleless peoples group. Will I be contacted when a missionary is sent to my people group?
A. Yes. When possible, we will send you an update. If, however, your people group is located in an area of the world that is closed to missions, we may not be able to send you the details. We also may not be able to send you the details if the translation project is taken over by a national translator. (A translator translating into his or her own mother tongue.) Please be patient and persevere in prayer while you wait for your updates. Sometimes God uses years of prayer to open the door to closed communities.
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Q. Do I have to commit to praying for my language group every day? What if I forget?
A. You can choose to pray for your people group as often as you would like. Some people commit to pray every day during their quiet time. Others prayer partners pray weekly when they meet with their small group. Still others pray from time to time as God prompts them. We will send you a prayer card for your people group so you can place it in your car, in your office or on your fridge door to remind you to pray.