Jesus Speaks Quechua: Peru Bible Dedication
By Shannon Mischuk, VP of Development, Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL)
This fall, gratitude feels different.
Deeper. More rooted.
I’ve spent most of my adult life around faith, leadership, and words, but this year I’ve come to see how powerful words in the right language truly are. Every time God’s Word takes root in a new language, it tells a story of faithfulness. His faithfulness, and the steady faithfulness of people who devote their lives to the work of Bible translation.
The Invitation
At the end of September, my boss, Danny Foster, and I were invited to travel to Peru to represent CanIL by joining partners from Wycliffe Canada and AIDIA (Asociación Interdenominacional para el Desarrollo Integral de Apurímac), along with leaders from two churches in British Columbia and pastors from across the Apurímac region, to witness a moment more than twenty years in the making, the dedication of the complete Eastern Apurímac Quechua Bible in Colpa, Peru.
For those who don’t know, Quechua is the language family spoken by millions throughout the Andes. But the Eastern Apurímac dialect is unique to a specific mountain region of southern Peru. This was the first time they could hold the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, in the language that speaks to their heart.
A Story from the Andes
The day began before sunrise. Our team piled into a van just after 4 am in Abancay and drove hours through hairpin switchbacks carved into the Andes. The final stretch was a single-lane dirt road hugging the mountainside. Faith-testing and stomach-wrenching to say the least.
When we arrived in Colpa, the valley was already alive with colour and anticipation. By mid-morning, it was clear that the church was too small for the crowd. People carried benches outside and arranged them neatly under a sun tarp, while voices in Quechua, Spanish, and English rose together in celebration. People had walked for hours, some from neighbouring villages across the mountaintops, to be part of this historical moment.
A Holy Moment
When the dedication service began, it was unlike anything else I had experienced. Then, children stood at the front, reading from their new Bibles, their voices steady and sure. I moved closer, trying to stay unnoticed, wanting to capture the moment without disturbing it. Another prayer rose, and hands reached for mine from both sides. Suddenly, I wasn’t an observer. I was part of it!
As Scripture was read aloud, one simple phrase echoed through the valley: “Jesus speaks Quechua.”
Those three words carried the heart of the day. The dedication was not simply a project completion, but a promise fulfilled: God speaks every language, and every community deserves to hear Him clearly.
Faithful Partnership
This translation was led by Quechua translators through AIDIA, supported by Wycliffe Canada, and strengthened by the faithfulness of Canadian churches, including Christian Life Assembly in Langley. When the project reached a critical stage and progress slowed, CLA’s generosity gave it new life. Their faithfulness carried the work forward and helped bring it to completion. Their support was a turning point.
Even now, AIDIA continues to strengthen literacy, train pastors, and help families apply Scripture to daily life. Since 2020, their ministry has expanded to nine regions across Peru, some of which are so remote that reaching them requires several days of travel.
The Word at Work
My role at CanIL is to ensure that students and future consultants are equipped for this kind of work, enabling them to produce translations with accuracy, clarity, and cultural understanding. Without proper training and support, projects can stall, and communities may wait decades longer to hear Scripture in their heart language.
So, when I stood in that valley in Colpa, watching people read from their new Bibles, I felt the connection between the classrooms in Langley and the lives half a world away. Every student who trains here, every donor who gives, every teacher who invests… it all matters.
The people of Colpa didn’t just receive a book; they received affirmation that their language, their stories, and their lives matter deeply to God.
Gratitude and Hope
For those who teach, give, and pray from afar, this moment serves as a poignant reminder of why we do what we do. Every class, scholarship, and gift plays a part in moments like this. It’s how the Word of God comes alive in the language people dream in, sing in, and speak around the kitchen table.
Thank you for standing with us in this work.
Because of your faithfulness, Jesus speaks Quecha.
