How old were you when you first learned that Jesus loves you?
Perhaps you’ve always known it and can’t remember a day when you didn’t know the song “Jesus Loves Me” or couldn’t recite John 3:16 by heart.
Maybe you were a teenager and learned about Jesus’ love through a friend or church summer camp. Or were in college and went to a concert where the gospel was clearly articulated. Maybe you were in the trenches of the workforce, and a coworker boldly shared with you about the God who radically changed their life.
Regardless of how old you were, each of us who has chosen to follow Jesus has an origin story — a moment in our lives when the knowledge that “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” moved from head knowledge to heart belief. And from then on, our lives were transformed forever.
This is the truth of the gospel and the power of understanding that Jesus loves you.
People around the world are discovering the personal truth of John 3:16 for themselves in a language and format they clearly understand.
Explore why understanding that “God so loved the world” transforms entire communities →
A Changing Reality
Throughout Christian history, the gospel has spread from one community to the next. Stories were told and retold, Scripture was translated, churches were planted, and discipleship deepened as people learned more about Jesus.
Bible translation is foundational to all ministries of the church. It fuels evangelism, church planting, discipleship and more. It equips people to move from a blurry picture of who God is to a clear understanding and personal encounter with Jesus as Lord. Through Scripture, people are able to read, hear or see the love of God on display.
Just two decades ago, most of the world’s language communities still needed Bible translation work to begin, let alone be completed. But praise God, in the last few years, we’ve seen tremendous progress made, with Bible translation underway in more languages than ever before.
While the change in numbers is exciting, what’s more important is what they signify: Every number represents a person who has a story that matters to God. For these communities, the stories of future generations are being completely rewritten as children will now grow up never remembering a day when they didn’t have access to God’s Word in a language and format they clearly understand.
That statement bears repeating:
There will now be people who never remember a day when they didn’t have access to God’s Word in a language and format they clearly understand.
From the first word of Genesis to the last word of Revelation, the Bible tells one incredible story: God’s love for the world and His invitation for people from every nation and language to know Him. Get a glimpse of how God continues writing this story today as more and more people are experiencing the power of His Word.
A New Generation Growing Up With God’s Word
Let’s take a look at some of the recent communities that are experiencing not only life transformation but generational transformation as they encounter Jesus personally through Scripture.
Jakalteko | Guatemala
The Jakalteko Bible was dedicated in July 2026 in Guatemala! During the celebration, John 1:1-18 was read aloud — a passage that focuses on Christ, the eternal Word and our Redeemer.
Early on, many women in the community memorized Job 19. Like Job, they had faced various hardships in their lives and identified with his suffering. The book reminded them that God remains in control and that, in the midst of difficult circumstances, their Redeemer will deliver them and comfort them in their pain.
Today, they have the full counsel of God’s Word and can now see this Redeemer fulfilled in Jesus in the New Testament. They are overjoyed that the Bible has arrived in the language they were born into!
When the Bible was distributed, one mother who is raising her family alone said with joy and tears: “Thank God we have the Bible in our language. Now I will understand God’s counsel; I will speak to God so that He gives me His wisdom to talk with my children about the Christian life. We want as a family to return to God. Even though we don’t have my husband … we have Jesus … to bless us in our spiritual life.”
Nearly all the women who attended picked up their Bibles and stood quietly gazing at the book. They sighed and then began to read — and after a little while, they also began to smile. What a beautiful moment!
May God continue to use His Word to minister to individuals and families in this Guatemalan community.
Wanca Quechua | Peru
In the small village of Cabracancha, nestled in the Andes Mountains of Peru, a woman reclined on a hillside as she listened to her son read a children’s book. Friends and family gathered around, relaxing in the shade of their church building after an afternoon meal.
The boy sounded out words in his language, Wanca Quechua, diligently working his way through the story of Noah and the ark. Some of the people, especially those in the older generation, have never been able to read Quechua. It’s a treat to hear a young person read it to them.
The boy’s mother, Viani Estrada, nodded along word by word. “I’m the pastor of this church,” she said. “It used to be that parents would not allow their children to speak Quechua, and they’d force them to speak Spanish even though none of them really spoke Spanish very well. Since the arrival of the Wanca New Testament, they’ve valued Wanca much more and have begun reading it as a family.”
Luis’ grandmother waited 40 years to hold the New Testament in Zapotec — the language that first opened her heart to the gospel. Her story inspired Luis to serve in Bible translation so a new generation can grow up knowing God’s Word in the language they understand best.
Zinza | Tanzania
On the day of the Zinza New Testament dedication in Tanzania, choirs sang in Zinza, the congregations danced and churches united across denominational lines. But the most moving moment came when primary school children read aloud from the newly published New Testament.
“When the children read, the crowd became completely silent. People were amazed. Many had never before heard Scripture read so fluently in their own language — and by the youngest generation. It was as if God Himself was showing us the future of His Word among the Zinza,” an attendee noted.
Ndokwa | Nigeria
Reflecting on the joy at the New Testament dedications, an Ndokwa elder said: “… We danced — not for entertainment but because the Word had finally returned in our own tongue. For the first time, my grandchildren will hear Jesus speak in [our language]. No interpreter. No barrier. Just God, speaking to our hearts in the language of home. This [New Testament] has united our people in a way I never thought possible.”
A Ndokwa teenager echoed this and said: “Before, church sometimes felt confusing because I didn’t understand all the English in the Bible. But now, with the Ndokwa [New Testament], I get it. I can read it by myself. I can even help my younger siblings understand stories about Jesus. For the first time, I feel like the Bible is also meant for people like me. … I’m proud that Jesus speaks my language too.”
We asked kids, “What is one way you can be part of God’s big mission?” Their answers might inspire you to think about your own!
Watch the reel and follow @wycliffeusa on Instagram →
Writing a New Story for Future Generations
Every time God’s Word is translated into a language and format people understand, it moves from the idea that “the Bible is for other people” to “the Bible is for me.”
It moves from “for God so loved the world” to “for God so loves me — and He’s doing what it takes to find me.”
And you are part of making this reality possible! Throughout the Bible translation movement, we see God faithfully answering decades of prayer. He is opening doors for new translation projects, sustaining teams through challenges and bringing translations across the finish line so more people can encounter Jesus through Scripture.
People from all around the world are partnering to make God’s Word available to all people. We echo Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:3-6 (NLT): “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Whether you pray, give, advocate, engage your church or serve, you are part of God’s global mission to make His Word available to all people. Thank you for partnering with us — and Him — in this calling!
