#09: Don't Quit: Swapna Alexander & Alex Mathew, Faith Comes By Hearing

At what point then did you actually, um, enter into work in a specific community, and how did those details work out?

Yeah.

I have to bring some things into perspective because in the early 1990s, as I mentioned, uh, about 250 languages needed Bible translation, and expats could no longer come to the country, stay, and do the work.

So there had to be a different strategy.

Uh, so the leaders who were leading, uh, at least a vision of Bible translation with SIL and Wycliffe at that time thought, "Oh, we need to, uh, send someone to speak to Christian groups in college campuses and Bible colleges." So that was the first work I did.

Um, so I became the mobilizer going to InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, and Bible colleges and other groups talking about the need for m- Bible translation.

And many of these groups were hearing that for the first time also because the idea was that, oh, the Bible is available in all the main languages of India, including the national language, so there isn't really... everybody can understand, no? And then our education policy was also mainstreaming people, no? Uh, so even as good Christians and believers, people thought, oh, people can understand already the Bibles that are existing in different languages, so there is really no need for Bible translation.

So, uh, we had to go in and, uh, create that awareness in these communities.

And, uh, um, slowly college students and Bible college students started responding, uh, to the need of Bible translation.

And, uh, so it was great to see first fruits coming out of that, and I think that work continued for about two decades into the, uh, vision building work in India, and lots of young people came out for Bible translation work.

But the huge challenge and problem was that when young people like me came out for Bible translation, we couldn't join SIL as Indian nationals, uh, because, uh, we couldn't raise the support that was needed and there was no Wycliffe organization to join in India.

So people joined whatever organization they could find.

So there were initially lots of challenges and hurdles, and many times people don't understand what we are trying to do.

Uh, many well-meaning friends would say, "Why are you wasting your life? You're educated people.

Why do you want to go to these boonies and do Bible translation? By the time you finish the translation, the language will no longer exist." So all those kind of things we had to hear.

But the fact of the matter is that all those minority languages still exist, and they thrive.

And, uh, thankfully, many of those languages have now God's Word.

Word.Thank you.

So where in the process, Swapna, did you guys get married and then begin actually working with the specific community that you were, um, called to serve?

Yeah.

So let go back a few years, and then yes, like your previous question, uh, convincing our families that, uh, we have, we are committed for Bible translation was not very easy, uh, in the sense that they were genuinely worried how, uh, we would find our support because for them, their life is that they work and they earn.

Parents just could not understand how, like, you know, without a job you're going.

And the f- interesting thing is that they have always supported missionaries through mission agencies [laughs].

But for them to imagine that their daughter is going to be a missionary and, uh, will be suppo- on, on a support and not probably earning was very difficult for them.

So it took s- took a while for them.

At what point then did you actually, um, enter into work in a specific community, and how did those details work out?

Yeah.

I have to bring some things into perspective because in the early 1990s, as I mentioned, uh, about 250 languages needed Bible translation, and expats could no longer come to the country, stay, and do the work.

So there had to be a different strategy.

Uh, so the leaders who were leading, uh, at least a vision of Bible translation with SIL and Wycliffe at that time thought, "Oh, we need to, uh, send someone to speak to Christian groups in college campuses and Bible colleges." So that was the first work I did.

Um, so I became the mobilizer going to InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, and Bible colleges and other groups talking about the need for m- Bible translation.

And many of these groups were hearing that for the first time also because the idea was that, oh, the Bible is available in all the main languages of India, including the national language, so there isn't really... everybody can understand, no? And then our education policy was also mainstreaming people, no? Uh, so even as good Christians and believers, people thought, oh, people can understand already the Bibles that are existing in different languages, so there is really no need for Bible translation.

So, uh, we had to go in and, uh, create that awareness in these communities.

And, uh, um, slowly college students and Bible college students started responding, uh, to the need of Bible translation.

And, uh, so it was great to see first fruits coming out of that, and I think that work continued for about two decades into the, uh, vision building work in India, and lots of young people came out for Bible translation work.

But the huge challenge and problem was that when young people like me came out for Bible translation, we couldn't join SIL as Indian nationals, uh, because, uh, we couldn't raise the support that was needed and there was no Wycliffe organization to join in India.

So people joined whatever organization they could find.

So there were initially lots of challenges and hurdles, and many times people don't understand what we are trying to do.

Uh, many well-meaning friends would say, "Why are you wasting your life? You're educated people.

Why do you want to go to these boonies and do Bible translation? By the time you finish the translation, the language will no longer exist." So all those kind of things we had to hear.

But the fact of the matter is that all those minority languages still exist, and they thrive.

And, uh, thankfully, many of those languages have now God's Word.

Word.Thank you.

So where in the process, Swapna, did you guys get married and then begin actually working with the specific community that you were, um, called to serve?

Yeah.

So let go back a few years, and then yes, like your previous question, uh, convincing our families that, uh, we have, we are committed for Bible translation was not very easy, uh, in the sense that they were genuinely worried how, uh, we would find our support because for them, their life is that they work and they earn.

Parents just could not understand how, like, you know, without a job you're going.

And the f- interesting thing is that they have always supported missionaries through mission agencies [laughs].

But for them to imagine that their daughter is going to be a missionary and, uh, will be suppo- on, on a support and not probably earning was very difficult for them.

So it took s- took a while for them.