Strong in His Strength
Deva translates the Scriptures despite physical disabilities
"Lord I don't want to die now," I prayed, when the doctors said they could not help me any further. "Not until I have completed the Koya New Testament."
When I was born, my parents called me Devagnanavaram ('gift of God'). However, their happiness was short-lived — at the age of two I was crippled with polio. By the age of seven I could limp unaided but this gave me an inferiority complex.
I was born again and baptised in a Brethren assembly in Orissa but I lived a double life. When I had money, I enjoyed myself just as I wanted. I lived a holy life before Christians but a folly life before God!
While working in a hospital I contracted TB. I thought it was because of my sinful life, so I resigned my job and entered Hindustan Bible Institute, Chennai (Madras). Perhaps the Lord would be pleased and heal me. My mother said that God would punish me for neglecting my responsibility as eldest son.
My health deteriorated and I took sick leave. I was so sick that my mother didn't recognise me. God started healing me, body, soul and spirit. I confessed my sins and rededicated my life to him. Then he confirmed his call to serve him.
I applied to the Indian Evangelical Mission and started my missionary training in Nasik. Alice, a Wycliffe member who was on staff, encouraged me to consider Bible translation. Although I could speak six Indian languages, I was not confident about translating into a tribal language and living in remote villages, because of my physical condition. But Alice challenged me, "If you are faithful in your commitment, the Lord will use you to achieve great things." Half-heartedly I told her that I would pray and decide.
The IEM asked me to work among the Koya in Andhra Pradesh but I wanted to go back to Orissa. So I agreed to go for a month while they found someone else. Vanitha and I were married and moved to a Koya village.
One Sunday morning I had to conduct a worship service. The people listened closely but they couldn't understand my language, Tamil. I tried to switch off my mind and speak in the state language, Telugu, but I couldn't. So after ten minutes I finished the service. They just sat and stared. Shivering and sweating I went home.
On the way God said to me, "Deva, you have every right to sing, hear and read about me in your mother tongue. But don't the Koyas have the same right to understand the Scriptures? Why don't you do something about it?" That was the turning point! I promised the Lord that I would not leave until they had the Bible in their language.
We spent much of our first year building relationships, and continue to do so. The Koyas were afraid of outsiders, who wanted to grab their lands, or so they thought. We showed them that we wanted to help. Interruptions were opportunities to show love and concern. I adopted Koya citizenship and joined in their activities in field and forest, at festivals, weddings and funerals.
God encouraged us so many times to press on. One day I composed a song with a Koya tune about Jesus and the woman who had a haemorrhage. I sang it outside and stopped half way to see if anyone was listening. Then a woman came out of her house to ask what happened next. Someone could understand then! Praise God!
1 and 2 Corinthians were published during a Christian convention, where I read from 1 Corinthians 11. The people shouted, "Hallelujah! Now we understand. That's our language!"
My handicap did not prevent me from walking 15km at a stretch in my Bible translation and church planting work. Eventually there were 43 churches and 15 missionaries.
When our second son Eliezer was born deaf, all our plans were shattered. "How can God do this to someone who is translating his word?" I asked. Even now we don't understand what Eliezer's future will hold. We just trust God's faithfulness—everything else is futile.
It took some years to overcome the shock and resume translation. We set another target date for completion.
In October 1999 I had a stroke, which increased my paralysis. I asked God for miraculous healing but he disappointed me. When I read the Bible he did not speak to me. I was angry with him and hated people praying for me. Depression engulfed me; I even hated my wife and children. I thought I would never walk again or complete the Koya New Testament. But I asked the Lord to extend my life until I had finished the work he had given me.
Then a cousin sent me 15 Bible verses to read. The last one read, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." A ray of hope flashed into my heart! I started to believe that he would take me back to the heights, to Koya country!
After six months in hospital, the Lord literally fulfilled his promise and took me back to the Koya hills. Eventually we completed the New Testament, which was launched on 13 January 2006, and even started the Old Testament!
Following a widespread distribution campaign in May, pray that believers will learn to handle
the word of truth correctly (2 Tim 2:15) and that churches will grow in grace, vision and numbers.
