The Bru New Testament

On Monday, March 10, 1975, the war in South Vietnam was raging and the Viet Cong were gaining the upper hand. Fourteen years earlier, Wycliffe missionaries John and Carolyn Miller had started learning the Bru language of Vietnam and Laos. By 1975, they and their Bru co-workers were in the final stages of checking the New Testament before typesetting and printing. But the fighting kept moving closer.

After a particularly frightening night, John and Carolyn grabbed their packed bags. With their five-year-old daughter, they sought refuge in a more secure housing compound. The first thing they put into their suitcase was their most prized possession: the corrected copy of the Bru New Testament.

Colleagues Hank and Vange Blood had been taken captive by the Viet Cong in 1968. Hank had died in captivity. Now the Millers faced captivity as well. They eventually ended up near Hanoi, where their manuscript was taken from them. Eight months after their capture, they were released… but their manuscript was never returned.

From outside Vietnam, the Millers painstakingly reconstructed the work from earlier manuscripts that had been recovered. In 1981, 500 copies of the Bru New Testament were printed and sent back to the area. For years, they didn’t know if these Scriptures ever reached their destination.

Children reading the Bru New Testament

Finally in 1990, the Millers were able to make contact with the Bru community. Their first translation co-worker met them in Thailand and brought with him a well-worn copy of the New Testament! He also shared stories of some coming to belief in Jesus, even in the midst of persecution.

Story Source: http://bobcreson.com/2015/06/04/in-the-midst-of-the-storm

Through your prayers and gifts, you are a part of the team God is using to help the translated Bible reach people just like the Bru -- even in the most challenging parts of the world. Thank you!

We have just finished two Connection programs and have one more in August when we will have opportunity to care for our colleagues and celebrate the faithfulness of God in their lives. Thanks in advance for your prayers for the Lord to work in and through our team as we facilitate the event.