Essentially Translatable

“Pray that they will grow in their faith – those who know the Lord. And that those who don’t know the Lord will come to know Him through His Word.” — Janet Borchard  Hear stories from three continents as Bible translation advisor Janet Borchard shares her heart for people having God’s Word in their own language. 

“The church here will be able to really be a leader in Bible translation in the future in this region, in Ethiopia, and projects outside of the country.” — Dr. Jim Kaiser Join the celebration with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus at the dedication of the Bible Translation Training Building. The momentous occasion was paired with the graduation of students from the Bible translation tr...

“I tell people: you are equally as important as anyone on the field, because you’re the ones that keep us there.” — Alvina Federwitz   Listen in as Mission Participation Coordinator Alvina Federwitz describes her experience with Lutheran Bible Translators and its supporters through the decades.

“I actually think what was important during that time was sitting down with people in their house and having a meal. That’s where the trust was built. That’s where the relationship was built. And that radically changed how I was able to work with them.” — Paul Federwitz Lutheran Bible Translators’ Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director for Program Ministries, Paul Federwitz, shares his i...

Don’t miss this episode!   Lutheran Bible Translators’ Executive Director Elect Rev. Dr. Rich Rudowske becomes the interviewee — sharing his research and insights in Bible translation. 

"But when God’s Word is translated into another language, it enhances the whole Christian Church’s understanding of God’s love in a whole different way – in a whole different meaning.”  Be inspired as you listen to Rev. David Federwitz, Regional Director for West Africa. His energy and passion for God’s mission is contagious.

"Luther knew from his own experience, as well as from the testimony of Scripture, how powerful and life giving the written words of God are and what a firm confidence they give us in Christ and His plans and promises for us." — President Thomas Egger Celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament into the vernacular German. President Thomas Egger of Concordia S...

Follow Mark and Marie’s* story in God’s mission. Discover how the Lord is working even in the hard-to-reach regions of the world.   *Due to the sensitivity of their work, pseudonyms have been used.

“Things can be set right with God. Reconciliation can happen. And it all finds its place in the resurrection.”  Celebrate the joy we have after Christ’s resurrection — living into our identity as Easter people!  Dr. Rich Rudowske shares the theological and cultural implications of resurrection in biblical history and present day. 

“So, it’s been a lot of fun on the podcast, and we just wanted to share some of the good times with you here.” — Rev. Rich Rudowske We’re so thankful for all our Essentially Translatable listeners! Please enjoy “The Final Episode!” ...and Happy April Fool’s!

The Khwe people of Botswana lived in fear of their ancestors’ curses. God’s Word was not accessible to them in their language to receive the light of Scripture. A panoramic Bible, which shares passages of both the Old and New Testaments, will be released later this year in the Khwedam language. Rev. Dr. Tim Beckendorf shares the importance of Scripture to bring peace and hope to the Khwe people to...

Shekgalagari is spoken by a people group living in the Kalahari Desert. It was not a written language until the Bible translation program started. Now, people are engaging with Scripture in their own language and understanding it .  In Essentially Translatable’s 50th episode, Tshwari Tjetjoo shares about the joys and challenges as a translator with the Shekgalagari Bible translation program and th...

The Bakgalagari people in Botswana have been eager for God’s Word in their own language!  Deaconess Pontsho Mosweu shares about her journey as a translator with the Shekgalagari Bible translation program and the impact of Scripture in her community. 

The Living Water project is the first of its kind. The New Testament is sung chapter by chapter to a film-score musical genre — word for word, the English Standard Version (ESV) of Scripture. Listeners experience Scripture in this immersive, uplifting production. Go behind the Living Water recording experience with Grammy Award-winning vocalist and Living Water contributor Khristian Dentley. Livin...

Training for missionary service through Lutheran Bible Translators focuses on developing a deeper understanding of language and preparing for service on multicultural teams.   Go behind the scenes with Training Coordinator Eshinee Veith and Missionary-in-Training Tiffany Smith. Discover how Lutheran Bible Translators preps missionaries for international service. 

We celebrate the incarnation of the Son – fully God and fully man – at Christmas. Dive in as Director for Program Ministries Rev. Rich Rudowske shares how the Bible must also be incarnate in the language people understand best.

Cozy up by the fire or your favorite chair and take a Christmas tour around the world. Enjoy this Christmas special from 2020 as missionaries and staff share their stories about traditions and family, the Word in action, Scripture coming alive, and what Christmas is all about. "One of the wonderful things about Christmas is to give… God gave us our greatest need and gave it to us lavishly." – Rev....

How can the Bible be authoritative if we aren’t sure we have the “right one”? In this episode: An Introduction to Textual Criticism What You’ll Find at the Museum of the Bible Electrifying Impact of Luther’s New Testament Dr. Jeff Kloha is the Chief Curatorial Officer at the Museum of the Bible. He manages the Museum of the Bible Education, Scholars Initiative, Exhibits, Curatorial, and Collection...

Enjoy another holiday storytelling medley from missionaries. Flexibility and laughter are the key ingredients as they celebrate holidays away from ‘’home”. They’ve learned how to improvise and make the most of their favorite recipes and pastimes with an untraditional twist.

Generations of Aramaic speakers without the written Word are disconnected from their culture and God. Aramaic Bible Translation brings the Word of God to Aramaic speakers and connects them to their roots in the Christian faith. "I see people growing in the knowledge of the Word. People are reading the Word of God and understanding it. And I see so many communities connecting. We see the love of Go...

“Anytime… our action must be first for God to respond [to us], then we point away from that very core of what is the Gospel message."—Dr. Mike Rodewald  Dr. Mike Rodewald serves as the Executive Director for Lutheran Bible Translators. Mike has a Ph. D. in missiology from Concordia Theological Seminary.   

“I can recall hearing Scripture differently. I don’t remember hearing those words in pretty common verses. I felt like I was experiencing it differently.” — Peter Prochnow Experience Scripture through the Living Water project! Peter Prochnow is the Director of Worship and Music at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Oviedo, Florida. He partnered with Lutheran Bible Translators in 2020 to produce the Liv...

“We’re going to be singing Hallelujahs. And we’ve got some songs right there in Revelation of what we’re going to sing. We’re going to hear that in so many of the languages that LBT is working in today. New saints in heaven singing of the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.” –Brent Smith Executive Development Officer Rev. Dr. Brent Smith began service with Lutheran Bible Translators in Augu...

“I want every Christian on planet Earth just to open the Bible and read a verse and say, ‘Thank you, Lord, because you are speaking to me through Thy Word. And God, You are speaking my language.’ I want them to speak that out loud, because we are privileged. And many, many people are out there without the Word of God.”  Rev. Dr. Tilahun Mendedo serves as the Executive Development Officer of Luther...

“Asking questions and clarifying what the Bible is saying is an integral part of Bible translation ministry, as well. Even in the process of translating it, people are asking questions about how is this going to be understood, how will these words come across. It just really sharpens to always be looking at Scripture from the perspective of always asking questions.”  – Rev. Rich Rudowske It is “Ro...