Growing up in Suriname, Isuri* had multiple near-death experiences. The first was when she had a heart attack that left her unconscious for five hours. The second was when she had a seizure while driving. Her car went off the road and into a canal. She miraculously survived.

Although Isuri was a Christian, she wasn’t allowed to read the Bible due to the superstitions of her village. Without a Bible of her own, Isuri was unable to turn to God’s Word for comfort during this difficult time.

“The Bible was a very scary thing to us,” she says. “We were told that if you touch the Bible, you might go mad because it was so holy.”

It wasn’t until Isuri received the help of American Bible Society friends like you that she could read the Good News for herself. Thanks to you, the Bible Society translated the New Testament into Sranan Tongo, a native language of Suriname. Isuri was among the first people to receive this translation.

“I was very excited to receive the Bible in a language that I can understand and speak,” Isuri says. “It feels as if God is speaking directly to me. The day I received this Bible was the luckiest day of my life.”

Isuri is grateful that she can now read the Bible for herself, and also tell Bible stories in Sranan Tongo to friends and family. Because of friends like you, she can share the Good News with her loved ones.

We are thankful for the generosity of our financial partners and the impact it is making in Suriname and throughout the Caribbean. With their continued help, God’s Word can provide peace in the midst of trouble and hope for the hopeless.

*Name changed to protect privacy.