Leesa Schmidt lived among the Rama tribe of Indian River, Nicaragua for nearly 10 years doing full time mission work. The Lord gave her a wonderful husband, Armando, and four beautiful children while she was there. During this time, Leesa and Armando, a member of the tribe, began to see a dire need for the Rama to have a Bible in their spoken language-Rama Kriol. While many Rama can read Spanish, being forced to learn a second language in order to learn to read has led to widespread illiteracy. It has also opened up many to manipulation as they must rely on others to translate written word for them and hope that it is being relayed correctly and fairly. Having a Bible in Rama Kriol not only would allow the Rama to have access to God’s Word in their own language, but also bring a sense of closeness to God that currently does not exist. As in many tribes without access to the Bible in their own language, God can be seen as a far away entity that can only be accessed through a change of culture or language. Having the Bible translated into their heart language would help the Rama understand that God is not only the God of the “Spaniard Man” or the “White Man”, but the God of the Rama who speaks their language and desires a close relationship with them.
Even though Leesa and Armando’s family has relocated to the United States, the calling to continue translation work has not disappeared. After a two-year hiatus while getting the family settled into their new life, Leesa has felt the call once again to pick up translation work. While Armando will be working full-time to provide for the family, both he and Leesa have decided that Leesa, being fluent in Rama Kriol, should continue to focus on translation using Armando as an occasional language consultant and the first round of quality control. Due to lack of access to electricity in the village in Nicaragua, translation had previously been done exclusively by hand. Access to electricity and technology will give the translation process a much needed boost! Leesa is elated for the opportunity to continue in the Lord’s work among the Rama and would love for you to partner with her and her family in this work through prayer and giving if the Lord so leads.
