Every week in the Watermark News, we share stories of grace from members who’ve been transformed by Christ and his Word. This week, Nate and Alyssa Foreman share their testimonies and how their love for Scripture has fueled their passion for Bible translation.
How did your relationship with Christ begin?
Alyssa: “I was good at being a chameleon and a people pleaser. That led to many destructive choices that left me feeling empty. In college, I befriended someone in a college ministry who shared the gospel with me, and I could not believe that there was a God who accepted me. This blew my mind. I’d never heard of a love like that. I was so drawn to Christ, but didn’t really understand what it meant to follow him.
“While I loved Jesus and understood that he forgave me, I continued to make destructive choices. I hit my lowest on a Spring Break trip in college. I started to realize that what I used to love started to feel like death. I felt suffocated by my sin.
“Before then, I never really understood that Christ died because our sin was separating us from God, and that the only way that separation could change was through him. I felt the depth of my separation from God on that trip. For some reason, I’d decided to pack my Bible for this trip, and one morning, while everyone was asleep, I went out to the beach and read it. That was the first time I really started to love God’s Word and the peace it brought me.
“Later that year, I felt like God was telling me it was time to lay down my life and trust in him fully and completely, and I did! It has been a sweet journey of walking closely with the Lord since.”
Nate: “I had exposure to the Christian faith for most of my life. I went to church every Sunday, attended a youth group on Wednesdays, and attended a Christian school. I had an understanding of who Jesus was and an academic understanding of the gospel, but I never actually chose to place my faith in him.
“I started intermittently attending Watermark when I moved to Dallas in 2007, mainly because that’s what I thought you were supposed to do when you became an adult. In 2014, after a fairly long and winding journey of pursuing my own agenda, I came to understand that true joy and contentment could only be found in Christ. The scales came off my eyes, and I saw how unfulfilling everything I was pursuing in life was.
“My life today looks so different from what I would have ever expected, in a really good way. God has blessed us with four kids; most of my time is spent trying to love and lead them well. Before, I was always looking to move on to the next big thing, and I was never satisfied. Today, I have peace and contentment in life that I didn’t have before. As we encounter challenges and uncertainty, I’m okay with whatever the outcome is, because I trust that God’s plan is better than mine.”
How has engaging with God's Word renewed your heart?
A: “I am obsessed with God's Word! I’ve been able to experience the fruit of knowing God through his Word. I have experienced Scripture as living and active, as I’ve tasted and seen that God is good. This is why I’m so passionate about Bible translation. I couldn’t imagine not having access to God’s Word. I just want to know God’s heart, and he continually reveals to me who he is in Scripture.”
N: “Scripture provides a true north for me—in life, parenthood, and marriage. Being a parent, a husband, a human being in a world where 'truth' is constantly changing is hard! Having the Bible—and the example of Jesus to learn from—is an incredible gift.
“I have the privilege of serving on the board of Seed Company, and therefore, have a front-row seat to see what God is doing through Bible translation. I’ve had the chance to see local leaders rise up to complete Bible translations, and I’ve seen translators who weren’t believers come to faith through the translation process. I’ve watched the number of people groups who don’t have Scripture significantly decrease over the years. When I joined the board three years ago, thousands of people groups didn’t have Scripture, and today, there are a little over 500.”
What Scripture are you learning from right now?
A: “I read Luke this summer, and it’s been powerful. Jesus talks so much about stewardship. I used to think of it only as finances, but now I’m asking myself, ‘What has God given me to steward?’ For me, that includes my kids, my neighborhood, and even my time. These are gifts I want to steward for his glory.
“Later in Luke, Jesus describes trials, disasters, even persecution, but he says, ‘Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ With all that’s happening in the world, it feels so relevant. It’s such an encouragement to know that God’s Word is steady and true.”
N: “I got slightly behind in Year of the Word, so I am currently in Jeremiah. It’s sobering to see the persecution Jeremiah had to endure for faithfully delivering God’s message. I tend to take for granted God’s Word being so accessible to me today, and I can tend to forget the sacrifice made by so many to make God’s Word available to us. Having the ability to access the Bible at any time, without persecution, should not be taken for granted.”
As part of Year of the Word, Watermark is partnering with Seed Company to translate God's Word into the heart language of several unreached people groups. Learn about how you can partner with us as we translate the Bible together