Now let me return to that presentation mentioned at the outset. By the year 2000, the Governing Body saw the need to strengthen translation teams worldwide. Up to that point, most translators had very little training. After we made that presentation to the Writing Committee, the Governing Body approved a worldwide training program for all translators. The program included training in English comprehension, translation techniques, and the cooperative team approach.

What has resulted from all this emphasis on translation? For one thing, the quality of the translation has improved. There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of languages in which we now publish literature. When we arrived in our first missionary assignment in 1979, the Watchtower magazine was available in only 82 languages. Most language editions appeared several months after the English edition. Now, however, The Watchtower is distributed in over 240 languages, most of which appear simultaneously with the English. Spiritual food is now available in one form or another in over 700 languages. This is something that we could only dream about years ago.

In 2004 the Governing Body made yet another landmark decision​—namely, to speed up Bible translation. A few months after this, Bible translation was made part of the normal translation work, thus opening up the opportunity for the New World Translation to be made available in many more languages. As of 2014, this Bible has been printed in whole or in part in 128 languages​—including a number of languages spoken in the South Pacific.

As I look back over the years, I am so encouraged to see how our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, continues to care for the needs of language groups, both small and large. (Ps. 49:1-3) I have seen his love reflected in the joy on the faces of people when they first see some of our literature in their language or sing praises to Jehovah in the language of their hearts. (Acts 2:8, 11) I can still hear the words of Saulo Teasi, an elderly Tuvaluan brother. After he had sung a Kingdom song for the first time in his language, he said: “I think you should tell the Governing Body that these songs sound better in Tuvaluan than they do in English.”

Since September 2005, I have had the unexpected privilege of serving as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. While I can no longer serve as a translator, I thank Jehovah that he allows me to remain involved in supporting the worldwide translation work.