Cathy Hodsdon, Pujam, and Mangte

    All the months and years were well spent, and that was just the New Testament.  Much of the Old Testament checking fell to Cathy at our Bibles International of India Society offices in Silchar, Assam.  The Hebrew text brought a whole new set of questions and potential problems.  On the positive side, however, was the addition of Pastor Monti to the Paite translation team. Monti had studied in the States and complemented the work of the older translator.   The problem was that we were not getting quite as much out of our old friend Pujam.  He would still smile at our jokes, but there just did not seem to be any strength behind the smiles.  The strength came when he prayed, “Lord, extend my days so that I may see your precious Word in the language of my people.”  Each time another workshop ended, the men would line up with Cathy for the picture taking ceremony, the time of thanksgiving prayers and the assignments for the next six months. There is an old Bibles International tradition of having a birthday cake to mark the completion of a project.  When the final book of the Old Testament was checked, Pastor Monti asked for an apple pie instead, and Cathy happily complied.  Pujam had been too weak to attend that workshop, but perhaps he would come for the next.  There would be a number of final sessions with Monti before all the Old Testament consistency checks and word studies would be completed.  

      There was much work still before the publication could begin. Several times when we thought our part was done, the request would come to be allowed to go through it one more time.  I can only compare Monti and Pujam in those last years to the mother of a bride.  No matter how beautiful the bride may be, her mother will always want to rearrange one more thing before letting her go down the aisle.  So the two men hunted with their partners in the translation committee for one more improvement before releasing the Bible to the printer.  In the final months, pastors who had previously been “too busy” to help asked for a final delay to give them an opportunity to read it through “one more time” before the printing took place.  The translators humbly agreed, but it was one too many delays for our old friend. Pujam went into the presence of the Lord several months before the printing was completed.

     A few weeks ago we saw the Paite dedicate their Bible and carry them off by the thousand.  The native pastors behind us were asking for a second printing before the service was over.  We were thrilled by the young adult choir as they sang the Halleluiah Chorus in Paite and even more thrilled to be able to give out special copies of the Bible to the key workers and, in several cases, their widows.  It may sound funny, though, but it seemed like our old friend was still there, looking over our shoulder, asking for the chance to read through the Bible one more time before it was sent to the printer.  He so loved and respected God’s Word that he could not bear the thought that he would place an error in the Bible of his people.