Manila, Philippines – For billions across the globe, Moses stands as a foundational figure: A reluctant prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, to deliver Ten Commandments, and to shape the moral and religious landscape for millennia. His very ministry was rooted in communication, conveying God’s will to His people; it is a task that demanded clarity and accuracy. Centuries later, across vast oceans, the echoes of his mission find an unlikely parallel in the journeys of the Manila Galleons. These Spanish trading ships, traversing the Pacific between the 16th and 19th centuries, not only facilitated the exchange of goods, the galleons also created a complex cultural and linguistic landscape in the Philippines.

While Moses’s core mission was to make God’s words accessible, he wrestled with his own linguistic inadequacies (Ex. 4:10).Yet, he became the conduit through which God’s laws and commandments were shared. This resonates profoundly with illumiNations goal to see ALL people gain access to Scripture in a language they can clearly understand by 2033.

In a nation where religious identity can be a source of both unity and division, the work of Bible translation becomes an act of inclusivity and integration. It acknowledges the inherent worth and dignity of each language group, affirming that God’s Word is not the exclusive preserve of a select few, but a universal message meant to be understood by all, in a language that resonates most deeply with them. This echoes the very beginnings of God’s covenant with humanity in Genesis 12:2-3 – His promise to bless all peoples on earth transcends linguistic barriers; a promise that Bible translation projects seek to fulfil in the Philippines context, a context shaped in part by the historical currents of the Manila Galleons.