Birari

New Testament

Country

South Asia

Language(s)

Birari

Speakers

50,000

Completion of the longed-for New Testament is in reach! Families damaged through alcohol and despair now taste hope and healing.

Thank you! This project has been fully funded for the year!

the Need

For generations the Birari people, known as local healers, gathered herbs and medicinal plants from the densely forested valley they call home. Traditional life did not include formal schooling, and few Birari can read or write in any language. Language barriers and isolation limit their access to hygiene information and advanced healthcare facilities. As a result, people often die from preventable diseases. Many in the community turn to alcohol to cope, which in turn causes violent outbreaks and broken relationships. Others seek help in the church but struggle to grasp the gospel because Scripture is being communicated to them in a language they don’t clearly understand.

The Project

Project team members trained by our national partner in South Asia have made a commitment to:

Develop an alphabet.
Publish literacy materials and easy-reader Bible story books.
Translate the New Testament and distribute it in print and audio formats.
Craft oral Bible stories and compose Scripture-based songs.
Hold mother-tongue learning centres in different villages to help children in school and teach them other vital topics such as Bible stories and first aid.

Translation Progress

Drafted

100

Community-Checked

100

Quality-Checked

100

A Changed Man

After quitting school in the fifth grade, Amar had very few options in life. He often found himself unemployed and struggled to read and write in the national language. However, when the project leader met him, he saw a spark of potential that others missed. He offered Amar a job helping the lead translator become more proficient in the Birari language. “The moment he came to the project, I suggested he restart his studies,” remembers the project leader. At first, Amar struggled to believe in himself, but with the project leader’s encouragement he eventually went back to school. After years of hard work and dedication, Amar recently graduated from grade 12. “Truly God has brought many changes in this person’s life. Now he is excelling in studies and in many spiritual matters and leading worship group!” rejoices the project leader.

From Lost to Found

Krish enjoyed working as a mother-tongue translator. It was exciting to see a book come together in his own language. This week, Krish was drafting the Gospel of Matthew. He was writing out a translation for the parable of the lost sheep when his hand froze mid-sentence. His mind flooded with memories. Krish realized that he was a lost sheep. He prayed to the Lord, confessing the ways in which he had wandered away from God. Later that day, Krish felt compelled to share his experience with a colleague on the project team, who admitted he in turn felt deeply convicted by Krish’s story. They repented together and shared in the joy of God’s grace and forgiveness. Since then, Krish asks God every day to purify his heart and body.

NEW

Medical Camp

Due to the isolated location of their homes, the Birari people rarely see a doctor when they’re sick. Herbal remedies passed down through generations sometimes help, but significant conditions often go untreated. Most people die in their early fifties. With the help of community facilitators and social coordinators, the project team conducted a medical camp in one of the interior villages. Two professional doctors diagnosed and treated approximately 100 patients from the area, and the project team shared mother-tongue information about home hygiene practices that help prevent malaria, typhoid, and dengue fever. “It was a great breakthrough for us to show God’s love to the Birari people in this way,” says the project leader.

“I have tasted the love of Jesus Christ in my life.”

Birari Mother-Tongue Translator

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