For those of us who have God’s Word in our mother tongue, it is difficult to know what it is like to be without the Scriptures that give us a clear knowledge of God, so we can truly love and serve Him as disciples. It took missionary effort for God’s truth to come to us, starting with the very first ambassadors of God, such as the Apostle Paul. 

From the beginning, that enterprise involved prayer by those who knew the gospel for those who were spreading it. As Paul writes to the church that he founded in Thessalonica, “. . . brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thess 3:3 NIV). 

The message of the Lord is rooted in God’s Word, but many groups still need this translated into their mother tongue, their heart languages. This is true for First Nations communities right here in Canada, including the five related Cree languages of the Cree Initiative featured in this magazine. 

Those involved in this important effort need your prayers:

• For the health and well-being of the Cree mother-tongue translators and their families.

• For funding to pay for relatively expensive project-related travel into and out of the isolated northern Cree communities. 

• For the next mother-tongue translator workshop—for the right staffing, the choice of the right First Nations participants, for the details of the workshop contents, for travel funds and safety, and effective instruction.

• For co-operation and unity between translation team members, facilitators, and other stakeholders in Bible translation agencies.

• For open doors in other First Nations communities in Canada where there is still the need and desire to start their own Bible translations, and for God's guidance and wisdom to meet those needs.

• For adequate financial support for Wycliffe staff already called to serve in these communities, and for God to continue to lead more support staff to meet current and future needs.

• For God's wisdom and guidance to allocate finances and staff at the right time to the right project.

You can also help propel translation of God’s Word through a financial gift.

Your donation today will share God's love with Canadian First Nations people who don't yet have God's Word in their language!

- You can give online at cree.wycliffe.ca.

- Call 1-800-463-1143 toll free and indicate your gift is for “Cree Initiative.”

                                                                •••••