ICC NOTE: Lately there seems to be very few places in the Middle East which can be considered safe locations, especially for anyone pertaining to be Christian. Islamic extremists raided a Wycliffe Bible translation office in the Middle East killing two translators and office aid workers who sacrificed themselves to save the third translator. Books and Bibles were burned by the attackers which corroborates many recent stories of ISIS burning books with any mention of Christianity within them. By God’s grace according to CBN the hard drives were not damaged which included the translation work for eight different languages. 

3/21/2016 Middle East (CBN) – Militants killed four Wycliffe Bible translators in the Middle East this week, reports the Bible translating ministry.

Wycliffe reports that the militants raided the translator’s office, shooting and killing two of the translators. Two other workers saved the lead translator by laying on top of him, but they died deflecting bludgeoning blows from the attackers’ weapons.

The militants also destroyed all of the equipment in the office and burned all the books and other translation materials in sight.

But Wycliffe Associates are praising God that the computer hard drives containing the translation work for eight language projects was not destroyed.

“The remaining translation team has decided to re-double their efforts to translate, publish, and print God’s Word for these eight language communities,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry requested prayer for the families of the murdered translators.

“Please ask the Lord to mend the hearts and wounds of the translation team who have gone through this horrible ordeal,” Mae Greenleaf, a
prayer coordinator said in a statement.

She asked for prayer for the safety of the team moving forward, and that they would be able to replace lost equipment and continue the work that God has called them to do in the Middle East.

“Pray with me for the killers too,” she adds. “Pray for these whose hearts are so hard. Pray the Lord will open their eyes to what they have done. Please ask the Lord to meet them, each one, right where they are. Pray that He will show Himself merciful, that they will know His forgiveness, His love, and His peace.”

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