American Missionary Fellowship

The early days of the American Sunday School Union (the organization that became AMF) were on our minds as we arrived at the Salish Language Project on the Colville Reservation. The ASSU helped people learn to read English by using God’s Word as the text. Now we would see if some who were trying to save their own tribal identity from extinction would be open to translating Bible verses into their native language. We brought with us copies of the New Testament in the New Life Bible translation, designed to respond to tribal culture.

We were received with polite reserve. After all, for many years white people have come to tribal lands with the command that in order to “come to Christ,” there must be an abandoning of tribal identity and a joining to whatever denomination those missionaries represented.

Mina sat with the lead translator, and the woman began to speak about the abuses of the past. As she spoke, another woman, a revered elder, sat at the table and observed. Mina told me later that she as she listened to the abuses of the past, she was praying hard – praying that these people would know we were not here under the banner of some white religious group, but were led there by Jesus Himself, the personal Savior who loves all people just as they are. I was praying, too.

And then the prayer was answered. The woman leaned towards Mina and, with passion, said, “They told us we were nothing but savages. They made us say their prayers over and over, and if we didn’t, they screamed at us and told us we would go to hell. Everything was about hellfire and damnation!” Holding the New Testament Mina had given her, she said, “I hope this book isn’t about hellfire and damnation!”

Mina smiled and said softly, “No, Jesus isn’t about hellfire and damnation. Jesus is about love.” 

The woman stared at Mina, then smiled and firmly nodded her head, saying, “OK!”

Personal evangelism is about love: one on one, Jesus to us, and us to another.

The rest of that day, the whole translating team successfully translated into Salish the verses we had brought.  We’ve ordered “Gospel coins” with John 3:16 in English on one side and in Salish on the other, which we will freely provide to our tribal friends. We’re ordering more copies of the New Life Bible from Christian Literature International. We’re trusting God that His Word will bear much fruit.