The story of this Bible translation began with a struggle I was facing in Chad, in 2007.

We had just joined a new mission agency.

The budget I was asked to raise from churches was double what it had been.

Our previous supporters easily got on board to support us.

However, I was having a difficult time asking new churches of New England to support us as well. They were already supporting as many missionaries as their budget could afford.

And these pastors were struggling to make ends meet themselves.

The Struggle Begins

It was a Saturday. I was out shopping for some necessities, when our missions headquarters called to tell me that if we didn’t get a breakthrough soon, we would not be able to return to the field. And the man on the phone was serious.

However, we had to get back to Africa! I had spent several years learning one of the languages of the desert, and was eager to get back to work.

“Translate the Wycliffe Bible into Modern English”

I had a church service in Massachusetts that night, but could not sleep.

As I was praying for a solution, I heard what I believe was the voice of the LORD speaking.

And I believe He told me to translate John Wycliffe’s Bible into Modern English… that this translation would provide the extra finances we needed to continue our mission work in the future.

I was so excited, I could not sleep! So by 3 AM, I started traveling to my Sunday morning service.

If nothing else, working on this translation project gave me hope in the struggle, and something to do rather than sitting around worrying about not making it back to Africa.

John Wycliffe’s Translation

Earlier that year, I had become aware of the Bible translation by John Wycliffe. In the 1300s, he and his team of scholars were the first to translate the Bible into English.  I had the original of his New Testament on my handheld computer.

Because Wycliffe spoke the English of the Middle Ages, I would struggle to read his translation. But from what I could understand, I was fascinated by all the knights, the bishops, the castles and the princes. As John Wycliffe worked to tell the stories of the Bible to his audience, he used the context with which they were familiar.

Eventually, our missions agency at the time found a partial solution to get us back to Africa. It came with much suffering and struggle, but allowed us to continue the work we had begun.

But because of how strongly I felt the LORD impress me to translate Wycliffe’s Bible into Modern English, I continued to translate the New Testament while we made our home in the Sahara Desert, a few hours a night when everyone had gone to bed.

Since we returned from that term overseas, my life over the past few years can be summarized by the hymn Isaac Watts wrote:

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

I believe that the timing of the release of the Modern Wycliffe New Testament means that God knew. He knew that we would get to this place in our lives. And He provided this Modern Wycliffe New Testament to help me keep on serving Him overseas.

The Wycliffe Old Testament Translation Project has begun! To learn more, click on the button below: