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Short Biographical Sketch

Ken and Sue Sawka have been serving as missionaries specializing in Bible translation for over 22 years. Their burden is for groups of people who do not yet have God's Word as well as for evangelism of the lost. They have worked in the Congo and currently serve in Zambia. There are 2000 languages in Africa and about 900 of them have no written Scripture translated.

They have three children: Sarah, Elisabeth and Isaac.

Introductory Article

The following is an article written in the third person introducing us and our partners work. You may want to use this to introduce us when planning to have us come to your missions convention or church meeting. It may be shortened according to your needs.

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Ken and Sue Sawka have been serving as missionaries specializing in Bible translation for over 22 years. Their burden is for groups of people who do not yet have God's Word as well as for evangelism of the lost. Ken was called into missionary work while serving with the Peace Corps in Liberia. He lived for three years among a group of people that had no written language and therefore no translated Scripture.

After God dramatically called Sue to be a missionary she completed a degree in Missions at a Bible college. They were married in 1985 and worked as teachers at a Christian school. In 1986 they began missionary training to do Bible Translation for the many languages around the world that do not yet have access to God's Word. In 1990 they began doing Bible translation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. There they worked with the Mayogo language group for almost eight years helping them to develop their writing system and training a team of national workers. The Sawkas had to learn the Mayogo language as well other two other languages used in the Congo. They say they are not skilled at language learning but just determined to do whatever is needed to bring people God's Word.

Part of their missionary experience has been serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators at the International Linguistic Center in Dallas Texas. Ken served as the Administrator and Program Manager of a database that monitors the progress of Bible translation projects around the world. This information is vital for the strategic planning to reach the thousands of languages that do not yet have the scriptures.

Later, part of their missionary experience included serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators at the International Linguistic Center in Dallas Texas. Ken served as the Administrator and Program Manager of a database that monitored the progress of Bible translation projects around the world. This information is vital for the strategic planning to reach the thousands of languages that do not yet have the scriptures. The Sawkas completed a Masters degree in linguistics and provided training in other parts of the world as well.

Next, in 2004, their family moved to Zambia in south central Africa where Ken serves as the Director for The Word for the World Bible Translators. Zambia has 42 different languages and some still need the Bible translations. Besides Zambia, neighboring countries, like Tanzania and the Congo, also have many translation needs and Ken has been able to take trips to help the work in these countries as well as support co-workers stationed there.

Sue continues to help with the Bible translation and literacy work as well, and a major portion of her time is spent home schooling their children. During their last missionary term she also ministered to women who wanted to leave prostitution. She met with them twice a week to disciple them, teach them to read and write and assisting them to find good jobs so that they will not return to prostitution.

Their children too have been able to serve God in Zambia. Sarah, age 17, is gifted in teaching other Zambian youth how to do Human Videos (putting Christian drama to music). Elisabeth (age 12) and Isaac (age 9) have also taken part in Human Videos and have explored other areas of ministry as well.

In the over twenty-two years since people began praying and sending the Sawkas out as missionaries there have been many achievements. However any accomplishments are only possible because it is God Himself who has poured His love through a faithful team of people who know that the ultimate goal is to love and enjoy God. Knowing God and to making Him known are possible because of the grace that God pours into the lives of the Sawkas and their partners.