During our ministry time at JAARS in North Carolina we met many interesting people, including Jo Shetler, a Bible translator who worked in the Philippines.
Jo and her translation partner Ann first went to the Balangao people of the Philippines in 1962 to live with them, learn their language, and translate the Scriptures. The Balangao live among the ancient rice terraces in the mountains of central Luzon. In those days, Jo described the location as “about four centuries north of Manila.”
When she and her partner first arrived there, the people would constantly ask, “Why have you come?” It was inconceivable to them that these single women would leave their families and come so far to live in their village.
Jo and Ann would answer, “We’ve come to put God’s Word in a book for you.”
“Right, but why have you come?” they would say.
“To give you God’s Word in a book so you can read it and understand what God wants to tell you.”
“Sure, but why have you come?”
After a while the people stopped asking. The ladies learned much later the Balangaos had come to their own conclusion on why they had come… to find husbands!
It took 20 years to translate the New Testament. And in those 20 years, deep relationships were formed and the most amazing miracles happened,
not least of which was the radical conversion of hundreds and thousands of Balangao and surrounding tribes.
Jo and her translation partner Ann first went to the Balangao people of the Philippines in 1962 to live with them, learn their language, and translate the Scriptures. The Balangao live among the ancient rice terraces in the mountains of central Luzon. In those days, Jo described the location as “about four centuries north of Manila.”
When she and her partner first arrived there, the people would constantly ask, “Why have you come?” It was inconceivable to them that these single women would leave their families and come so far to live in their village.
Jo and Ann would answer, “We’ve come to put God’s Word in a book for you.”
“Right, but why have you come?” they would say.
“To give you God’s Word in a book so you can read it and understand what God wants to tell you.”
“Sure, but why have you come?”
After a while the people stopped asking. The ladies learned much later the Balangaos had come to their own conclusion on why they had come… to find husbands!
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