Does God Speak My Language?

He wondered if he had failed. William Cameron Townsend had traveled to Guatemala in 1917 to sell Spanish Bibles, but it didn’t take long for him to realize most of the people he met did not speak Spanish. How was he helping them understand the gospel?

From this disappointment, Cam launched into a new ministry—helping the Cakchiquel people learn to read and write their language. Still, the Cakchiquel people couldn’t read the Bible. The people asked a question that arrested him: why didn’t God speak Cakchiquel? Was He only God for Spanish and English speakers?

Cam believed that everyone should be able to read the Bible in their own language. He started translating the New Testament for the Cakchiquel, and he also started Camp Wycliffe to provide linguistics training for others. Within ten years, his vision grew into two organizations, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL Global).

Today, Papua New Guinea remains one of four countries with the highest number of languages that still need a Bible translation project started. We are grateful to partner with Larry and Christy Doyle as they work to see the Bible brought to the Solos people on the island of Buka.