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Despite frequent landslides, isolation, and opposition, the small yet growing Mehra church is eager for more: “Please help us have the entire ‘holy book’!”
Thank you! This project has been fully funded for the year!
the Need
Isolated by geography and language barriers, most Mehra people survive day-to-day by farming the uneven, hilly landscape in their region of Highland Asia. They travel the rocky slopes on foot because no drivable roads exist. Heavy seasonal rains often cause landslides, which block access to villages.
Some members of the community have sought opportunity in populated areas where they are required to abandon their mother tongue and learn the national language in order to fit in. Individuals in the Mehra community recognized a need to preserve and gain pride in their own culture and language, and a small circle of believers were determined to translate God’s Word into their language. Trained by OneBook’s national partner, a small team published the New Testament in 2017 and began translation of the Old Testament in 2023, longing for the foundational stories and promised contained in this book.
The Project
Project team members trained by our national partner in Highland Asia have made the commitment to:
Translate the Old Testament.
Make the New Testament available in print and digital formats for all who want it.
Respond to requests to train people and church leaders to read the Mehra language and study Mehra Scripture.
Translation Progress
Drafted
25
Community-Checked
16
Quality-Checked
16
A New Beginning
Aabir’s father died when he was only three years old. When his mother remarried, she sent the boy to live with his grandparents. He didn’t understand why his mother had sent him away, and while his grandparents provided for him financially, Aabir longed for his mother’s embrace. Aabir spent his days working the small fields and caring for his grandparents. He was not allowed to go to school, and with each passing year his disappointment and frustration grew. Feeling abandoned and unloved, he could not see a way to a happy future. Trapped in depression, Aabir made the drastic decision to end his own life at 28 years old.
The day that Aabir attempted to end his life, he was not aware of the two Christian men who found him and rushed him to the nearest hospital. He did not know that they stayed and prayed for him as he underwent life-saving surgery, but they were at his bedside when he awoke. Upon his request, one of the men gave Aabir a copy of the Mehra New Testament to read during his recovery. He was amazed to see a book in his own language, and he was surprised to find reading it came easily to him.
When Aabir came across Matthew 11:28. He felt as if God’s Word was speaking directly to him. "Come to me, all who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest." He broke down weeping, and prayed to Jesus for the first time, repenting of his sin. Not long after, he was discharged from the hospital. Aabir returned to his village where he connected with a local church leader. Aabir now attends church regularly and cannot wait to read more of God’s Word in his language.
Drawn to Jesus
Karima, a young Mehra woman, accepted Jesus as her Lord in one of the project’s Bible reading classes. She wandered into the class because she was drawn in by the mother-tongue hymns and choruses she heard being sung by Mehra believers. She was impressed and started to attend the Mehra Bible reading classes regularly. In 2023, she received the first prize at the Mehra New Testament quiz the project team held in her village. May her transformed life and abundant knowledge of God’s Word bless her family and others in her village.
NEW
Lost and Found
At 21 years old, Nabin went to the city to work at a hotel. It was not easy to leave his village behind, especially the small church community he had been a part of since he was fourteen years old. However, he was glad to make friends with his coworkers. Nabin hadn’t expected them to be Christian, but he was shocked at the amount they smoked and drank. However, it wasn’t long before Nabin started to join them for a drink to unwind. Then the many drinks and smokes became an addiction. Slowly, he stopped thinking about Jesus, stopped praying to Him, and eventually, stopped caring.
When Nabin returned to his village during the pandemic, his family could hardly recognize him. They prayer for and encouraged him to go to church, but he refused. Instead, Nabin met up for drinks with friends in the village. Soon, he was living every day in a stupor.
One morning, Nabin woke with an unusually clear mind. His body did not feel sick and hungover. It was quiet; the rest of his family had already gone to work. Perplexed, Nabin found himself drawn to a book near his brother’s pillow. It was the Mehra New Testament. Had the Bible had been translated into their language? He had never seen such a thing. Nabin flipped open the pages and was amazed he could read it easily. A passage from the book of Philippians caught his eye (2:3-8). The words pierced his heart. Nabin started to cry and, in a heartfelt prayer, repented for his disobedience. He begged the Lord for forgiveness and promised to follow Jesus.
When Nabin’s family arrived home, he didn’t tell them what had happened. When Nabin walked into the church, his family were amazed and thanked God for answering their prayers. Nabin rejoiced, too. Today, he attends church services regularly and loves to read God’s Word in Mehra, his mother tongue.
“The Mehra community is taking a serious interest in reading the Scripture in their own language, especially the older generations. They love reading God’s Word in their mother tongue.”
Mehra Team Member
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