We are full-time, international workers engaging in the works of Bible translation, women’s leadership training, and child advocacy. While these pursuits may seem disparate at first glance, they are intrinsically bound together. God deeply loves all of humanity and wants to see people follow Him in doing work which brings truth, life, and love to others.
Enabling communities to translate the Bible into their own heart language helps them to truly understand the truths found therein. Not only this, but the community work of Bible translation brings literacy programs, educational materials, and other resources to poor, rural communities all over the world.
Developing women as leaders within their communities helps break the cycles of violence and hate which plague many rural villages. Communities are being ravaged by AIDS, war, and violence, and there is a desperate need for families and communities to learn how to care for orphans and to recognize and treat mental disease.
To join God in transforming communities by empowering and educating leaders and increasing scriptural engagement through meaningful truth.
Who we are…
If you’ve made it to this site, then you most likely know who we are, but if you don’t, we are Joel, Lydia, & Mya-Joy Brown. The concept of who we are–of who anyone is–is not so easy to nail down. Each of us is so many things, in so many contexts. Simply put, we are a family who wants to bring people more truth, so they can experience more life in the world around them. There are an incredible number of ways to do this, and we’ve chosen to pursue some. We would never say our way is the only way, nor even a path that everyone else should pursue. We simply know that we have been given gifts of skills, resources, and time, and we want to give those gifts back to others.
We are followers of Jesus Christ and believe He taught us, humanity, to be peacemakers–full of love for one another. We believe that Jesus is still revealing Truth to all of us and in this Truth, one can find a more abundant and full life. This being said, centuries of lies, hate, and vengeance have obscured the message that Jesus loves us. Who are we? We are simply people who are working to bring this life-giving truth to the people around us and to communities abroad.
There is absolutely a stigma with being associated with religion, with the church, and even with God. We are deeply saddened (and even at times embarrassed) by many things that have occurred in the name of God. I cannot (and will not) be an apologist for the evils done by others, however, I know that God is capable of bringing knowledge, healing, and life to those who seek it.
Whether offended, intrigued, bored, or excited, we invite you to look around. We believe there are other people who want to help bring truth and life to the world. We want to talk with you and get to know you, there’s a lot we can do together.
We encourage you to explore the site. This page is just an introduction and a summary, and we are always adding more so you can be a part of this journey with us. We are also always looking for others to partner with us in doing God’s work. Please click the Get Involved link above to learn more about helping bring more truth and life to the world!