August 14, 2024

Meet the woman behind this 50-year Bible translation in Brazil

By Crossworld

Brazil Video Church Evangelism Historical ministry Tribal ministry

Think back to the 1960s. The moon landing and rock-and-roll music consumed conversations in America.

But in the jungles of Brazil, something else was happening.

In 1966, Crossworld worker Carole Swain landed in a remote village to serve among a people group that up until a few years earlier had never had contact with outsiders.

Carole’s task? Translate the Scriptures into the local language.

First, Carole and her missionary team had to learn to speak the language and create an alphabet. Then, in 1973, they began translation ... and they've been working on it ever since.

Watch the video to see the story behind the translation.

Does translation work sound difficult? Try adding the hardships of jungle life like malaria-bearing mosquitos, a three-week wait for supplies, and a harsh climate on the equator.

Despite the challenges, Carole persevered. She never gave up on the task God had put on her heart. Quietly, unassumingly, Carole translated verse after verse, day after day, for 50 years.

Finally, in February 2024, the first New Testaments rolled off the printing presses in Brazil. Fifty years after she began, Carole finally got to hold her life's work in her hands.

A celebration event in Brazil in March 2024 commemorated the completion of the translation. Praise the Lord that hundreds of people now have access to God’s Word in their heart language!