Have you ever noticed how many accounts there are in the Bible concerning building and rebuilding? Of course, in the New Testament there are important references to spiritual “construction,” involving living stones built on the foundation which is Jesus Christ.  But  many other instances portray God directing the actual construction of a wall or a boat or a tabernacle, projects that involved actual bricks and mortar. Each of those projects played significant, critical roles in the carrying out of God’s ultimate plan.

At Bibles International, God’s “ultimate plan” is for the Bible-less peoples of the world to know Him through His Word. A finished Bible is the exciting “stuff” of which our ministry is made. People sometimes mistakenly think that bricks-and-mortar projects are the mundane, uninteresting parts of what we do, almost a “necessary evil.” In order for a Songhai speaker in Mali or a Quechua Indian in Peru to read God’s Word, however, there must be adequate physical facilities where the work can be performed. Creating and maintaining those facilities, therefore, is as much a part of the exciting “stuff” we do as is handing a Creole New Testament to a believer in Haiti.

Three bricks-and-mortar projects on as many continents are currently in progress at Bibles International. One project is the translation center for Chad, Africa, which is in the early planning stage. Dale and Jody Davis are Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries in the Chadian town of Balimba. Having just arrived in the States for their first furlough, they have already spent a day in the Grand Rapids BI office with Projects Manager Gary Brewer, discussing necessary components for the Chad translation center. Chad is home to eight of our translation projects, and God seems to be bringing personnel and facilities together simultaneously for that field. A Chadian pastor, Ouya Bongo, will begin a year of training in the States this fall, preparing to be a resident consultant. At the same time, Joshua and Barbara Hedges hope to begin French language study, so that Joshua can be a resident consultant in Chad as well. How exciting to envision personnel and facilities that will allow more Chadians to have God’s Word in their language.

The second BI construction project is ongoing in Northeast India and was pictured (page 4) in the last issue of Briefings. Thirteen BI translation projects are progressing in this part of the world. The current Bibles International India Society (BIIS) facility is far from ideal. Housed on the second story of a building in the busy town of Silchar, it is small, noisy, and inadequate. When God provided a strip of land farther away from the city, it was a joy to see the buildings begin to go up and to realize how much better BIIS will function in the new translation center.

BI’s third construction project affects the Grand Rapids staff in a very up-close and personal way. Sheetrock dust, detours, noisy power tools, and misplaced equipment have become a regular part of our days. The Grand Rapids office project is not a new build but a total remodel. When God provided the current building eight years ago, we reveled in the spacious offices and thanked the Lord for room to “spread out.” We have since realized the need to 1) upgrade worn carpet, furnishings, and general décor; 2) arrange offices and equipment in a more efficient manner, and 3) make room for more laborers in the harvest. Led by Mr. Clarence Gobrogge, a Christian contractor who has donated his time and skills to design the new floor plan, the project is currently in full force. Mrs. Colleen McMasters, a Christian interior designer, is donating her time to make the offices beautiful, as well as practical and efficient. Under their direction, teams of workers have performed the actual construction without pay or complaint. These hard workers have become personal friends sent by God to encourage us in the work. Their names will not appear on the inside cover of a Simte New Testament, but publication of the Simte New Testament depends on their efforts and translators’ efforts alike. Dr. Bernard has estimated that the sacrificial donations of time and talent will have saved Bibles International nearly $400,000.

Going back to the accounts in God’s Word regarding building and construction projects, we would have to say that God puts a high premium on bricks and mortar, not for the inherent value of bricks and mortar, but for the end result of providing for His people and spreading His glory among the nations. A boat saved Noah’s family so that God’s plan could continue even in the face of global destruction. A rebuilt wall protected a city and allowed God’s name to spread to unbelieving neighbors. A tabernacle housed the very presence of God Himself. May the worldwide facilities of Bibles International ever be used to provide God’s Word among the nations.