Unveiling a One-Of-A-Kind “Blessing”

The life of a Bible translator is far from glamorous.

Many of these faithful missionaries live and work in the humblest of conditions in some of the most isolated villages in the world. For them, basics like running water and electricity simply don’t exist.

Mabel Lewis is one of these faithful. A veteran Bible translator, Mabel has spent the past 40 years living and working in the remote village of Tlacoatzintepec in Mexico, translating the Scriptures into the Chinanteco language.

To say Tlacoatzintepec is remote is an understatement. To get there, one must endure 36 miles of rough gravel terrain with drop-offs so steep, you’re afraid to look! Mabel’s home in the village is a 10- by 20-foot block structure with a tin roof and no bathroom facilities. For years she has used a portable toilet, which she had to carry down a steep hill to empty in her landlord’s outhouse. Not an easy task for someone in her twilight years.

Thanks to faithful friends like you, all that has changed for Mabel. Through your support, Wycliffe Associates was able to send out two volunteers, along with two site volunteer coordinators, to build and install a sturdy, hygienic outhouse to meet this very basic need. The finishing touch was a one-of-a-kind feminine, pink, padded seat—something the volunteers were sure Mabel would appreciate.

If you ask Mabel, she’ll tell you that blessings come in all shapes and sizes, even in the shape of an outhouse. Thank you for your continued support to accelerate the work of Bible translation and for blessing translators like Mabel in ways you might not imagine.