The Mission

Week 18, 2026

The Bible In Every Language

Translating the Bible has been very successful, but millions of people still wait at the end of the line. According to Wycliffe Bible Translators (2023),the full Bible is now available in 736 different languages and this means around 6 billion people have the scriptures in the language they know best. For the first time ever, the number of remaining small languages with work in progress (3742) is greater than the number of languages still untranslated (3652 of which 1148 may never need a translation). The advent of AI is further speeding up the translation task.

On the other hand:

• 100 million people have no access to scripture in their heart language and may therefore need a translation.

• More than 1.15 billion people are without the full Bible in their first language.

The centuries-long and international project to translate the Bible is complex, successful, and especially remarkable for being achieved just by ordinary Christians from many backgrounds working together in obedience to God. Scripture translation preserves local languages and cultures, and enables the Church to be culturally relevant. In many countries, Bible translation has also been the starting point for Christians of different denominations to work together in unity.

Telling the stories

Translation is not just about texts. Many cultures, and many people within every culture, prefer to receive truth via storytelling, discussion, songs and drama.

• Pray for those who translate, publish, distribute and teach the Bible as they put the Word of Life within reach of everyone in the world.

• Pray for those communicating the gospel will stay true to scripture, be creative, and the word of God will bring life.

The Nations

CUBA

This Caribbean island of 11 million people is one of the world’s few remaining Communist states. With the leadership facing a stagnant economy and an altered geopolitical climate, rapid change in Cuba is a distinct possibility.

Cuba’s Christianity has survived decades of Communist harassment and persecution. Most of Cuba’s Christians are Catholics, though many of these really follow the Cuban spiritist cult Santeria. Cuban Protestantism has grown fast since the 1990s, with evangelicals at 9% of the population or more. A few Christians are still imprisoned for their faith but there is freedom of worship and many small house churches exist throughout the island.

Cuba’s musical traditions and skills in health care - to name just two things - have been a force for good in the world. It was the first nation to eliminate all transmission of HIV from mother to child and is a leader in immunology.

• Pray that Cuban Christianity will also bless the world!

COTE D’IVOIRE

Unlike some of its neighbors, this West African country of 24 million people has yet to see a President voted out of office and quietly handing over power. Instead, leaders have stayed in office and tried to change the rules. This led to civil conflict at times between 2001 and 2011. Peace has come since, but true democracy hasn’t.

Cȏte d’Ivoire is divided along ethnic and religious lines. The Muslims (north) and the Christians and animists (south) all seek greater political power.

The Christians are a large and growing population in Cȏte d’Ivoire. The impact of Christianity in the culture is also growing, but many Christians still resort to older spiritual habits like charms and ancestor worship; and others pursue prosperity teaching, or focus on miracles and healings more than on Christ.

• Pray for political leaders to be free of corruption, and to work for unity and nation-building.

• Pray that the Ivoirian Church will grow in numbers, wisdom and holiness.