We Must Make Things Right

Central American Mission, or CAM, was the mission that Cameron Townsend was with. Some of those at the mission couldn't understand why Cam thought translating the Bible into Cakchiquel, the language of the Cakchiquel Indians of Guatemala, was important. CAM was to officially vote on whether Cam should be allowed to continue doing it. In 1925, Cam and his wife went to Moody Church in Chicago to attend CAM's council meeting on the issue. When it was time for lunch, he went for a walk with Mr. Smith, who appeared to feel the most strongly against Bible translation. Nothing Cam said seemed to change Mr. Smith's mind, and at one point his temper flared. Cam heatedly declared that the New Testament would be translated into Cakchiquel, regardless of whether Mr. Smith liked it or not! With that said, he returned to Moody Church alone. When the vote was taken, six men were for going ahead with the project, and two were opposed to it. One of the two was Mr. Smith, but even so, Cam was happy. Six to two meant he could carry on with his translation work. Nothing would hinder him now.

He was wrong. His brother Paul had done much for the mission, building schools and clinics and orphanages, but while Cam was away, Paul had accepted a teaching job at the Presbyterian Industrial College, located in the capital of Guatemala, Guatemala City. This meant that Cam had many more responsibilities, and less time for the translation work he loved so much. When a year had passed since his return to the mission field, he realized that he had only been able to spend twelve days translating! As Cam pondered this, he remembered how he had treated Mr. Smith. It didn't seem to matter now that he had won the vote, for ever since that day with Mr. Smith, his work had reached an impasse. Cam knew that he had to apologize, and he wrote a letter to Mr. Smith, in essence telling him that unless the LORD was behind it, he would never complete the translation.

Once he sent the letter, Cam's translation work again went smoothly. It is the same with us in our business. The LORD can't bless us as fully if there is something between us and another person. We must do all we can to make it right, and then we may expect things to improve. We would do well to follow the Scripture, "Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:16a).

Blessings,
Jean