Throughout the Bible, women played a vital role in God’s plan. In the Old Testament, women like Miriam, Deborah and Esther led and interceded for God’s people. In the New Testament, Mary Magdalene was the first to proclaim the resurrection, Priscilla helped teach and disciple others and Lydia used her resources to support the early Church.

Women have been instrumental in carrying out God’s mission. Yet in many communities today, women face barriers to accessing Scripture for themselves. Whether due to lack of education, societal challenges or limited resources, their ability to grow in their faith can often be hindered.

So how can women today leverage their skills and resources for the Kingdom of God? Humbelina’s story is an example of how one ordinary woman in Peru can have a ripple effect in her community by sharing the love of God through literacy programs.

A Heart for Literacy: Humbelina’s Story

Humbelina sat, puzzled, with a pile of pencils. She had come to a village near her own hometown in Peru to lead a “Women of the Bible” workshop — a study that focuses on the roles of 17 women in Scripture. About 100 Huallaga Quechua women had gathered to participate in the study designed to teach comprehension and application in their own language.

But when Humbelina tried to pass out worksheets and pencils, the women didn’t seem interested. “Well, we’ll take the worksheets,” they said, intending to take them home for their kids to play with instead of using them for the study. But not a single woman took a pencil from Humbelina.

Her heart sank. “How many of you know how to read and write?” she asked. Of the 100 women in attendance, six raised their hands.

“I realized in that moment, ‘Oh my, we are in trouble. We are on the cusp of receiving the entire Bible in our language, and this many people don’t know how to read?’ It was a burden on my heart,” she said, through tears. “How could I let this be?” She thought about the translation team — families she knew who had given so much of their lives to translate the Scriptures. “How could we just let it fall?"

Humbelina returned to her community, devastated. Feeling helpless, she and other women began praying, asking God what they could do about this great need for literacy. God answered Humbelina repeatedly, “You will be useful! I can use you. I will use you.”

An Unexpected Call

Humbelina never anticipated a life in ministry. When she was young, her parents wanted nothing to do with the church. She went to school to learn to be a seamstress and planned to make a living happily using her sewing skills.

It wasn’t until she met her husband, a Quechua Bible translator, that she began to consider God’s love for her and His mission in the world. She never would have imagined that God would invite her to be part of that mission through her heart for educating women in her community.

With her new passion for literacy, Humbelina and her team created Huallaga Quechua primers for preliteracy and basic literacy needs. Once participants complete both primers, their reading level becomes high enough to do the “Women of the Bible” study. The literacy team teaches students in classes, on the radio and through one-on-one lessons.

Embracing and Discipling Women: Inspiring Leonarda

Humbelina remembered one student in particular, a woman named Leonarda who was greatly impacted by literacy training. She recalled how, “She came to the training, but she concerned me. She always seemed very hard and cold. [So] I prayed for her.” The following transformation was a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit in Leonarda’s life.

After the workshop, Humbelina saw Leonarda in the community — and Leonarda had completely changed. She was sitting and reading with some older friends. And when she saw Humbelina, she jumped up to greet her and introduced Humbelina to her friends as “the sister who taught me to read.”

Leonarda’s excitement overflowed into her other relationships. She didn’t keep her knowledge to herself; she shared it with others. “You could see the joy in her face and hear it in her voice when she talked to me,” Humbelina said. “Here she was sharing what she learned, reading it to the older ladies.”

As Leonarda spent time learning to read God’s Word, it transformed all aspects of her life. Leonarda also started singing worship songs at church in Quechua, helping others worship in their own language. Sharing this education with others offered an ongoing purpose for Humbelina and Leonarda. Humbelina said: “Our desire is to keep bringing the Word of God in the mother tongue so people can understand it.”

These women understood the value in passing on the blessing of education that they had received. Humbelina understood that her role in God’s mission started with offering literacy training and became so much more:

Women Empowering Women Through God’s Word

When women like Humbelina and Leonarda engage with Scripture in their own language, it changes their families, churches and entire communities. God calls all people — men and women — to be disciples who make more disciples. When people receive the Bible in their language and engage with it, the gospel can take root in hearts and lives, creating lasting change.

Literacy is more than just a skill — it can be a doorway to deeper faith and ministry. When people can read and engage with the Bible, they are invited into a closer relationship with God. Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT) reminds us of the calling to encourage and motivate others as part of the body of Christ:

This is what discipleship looks like: trusting God, encouraging and sharing with others, and equipping them to do the same. Discipleship can happen in everyday moments — in our conversations, our interactions with others and our investment in God’s Kingdom. It happens when women like Humbelina see a need in their community and embrace God’s calling, with others following in their footsteps.

Be an Advocate for the Next Generation

You too can be part of sharing God’s love with the world. God is working through people in powerful ways, reaching their families, their communities and even entire nations with His Word.

You can be a part of the global Bible translation movement when you partner with churches and like-minded organizations who are translating Scripture for their communities. By investing in others — sharing your talents and resources and saying “yes” to God’s call — you can empower future generations with access to God’s Word. Advocacy is a key part of this mission. You can:

• Pray for women who are seeking to grow in their faith and share God’s Word.


• Support translation projects that equip women to engage with Scripture.


• Raise awareness about the importance of Bible translation and how it leads to discipleship.


• Encourage women in your life to step into their God-given calling.

How will you share the love of God today?

Dare to Live Generously

We’re blessed to bless others. Living out biblical generosity isn’t just about money; it encompasses how we devote our time, talents, resources and more to advance God’s Kingdom and the Great Commission globally.

Explore what generosity means for your life in our free 7-day devotional.

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