The Spanish Language Advantage

An Amazing Fact: The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. The rival superpowers were competing for land and resources, so in 1493, Pope Alexander VI proposed a line of demarcation about halfway between the Cape Verde Islands and the islands reached by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage. Lands to the east would belong to Portugal; lands to the west would belong to Spain. That’s why, except for Brazil, all of Latin America today predominantly speaks Spanish.

If ever there were a time to proclaim the three angels’ messages in Spanish, it is now. We are called to preach the everlasting gospel “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6, my emphasis). That includes español!

The Spanish language is the world’s second-most spoken language—470 million claim it as their mother tongue, with an additional 90 million speakers. Moreover, in recent years, the use of Spanish online has increased by an astounding 800 percent, making it the third-most utilized language on the internet.

Spanish is a growing global language, increasingly used in commerce while serving as one of the official languages of the United Nations. More than 20 countries count Spanish as their official language.

That means the need for Spanish-language Bible resources is multiplying by the day. Many U.S. churches today are bilingual. Our mailbox at Amazing Facts overflows with requests for materials in Spanish.

You can help fulfill God’s purpose in reaching millions of our amigos (friends) with the buenas noticias (good news) by supporting Amazing Facts’ Latino evangelism.

But first, let me tell you how Amazing Facts is already touching these precious souls for His kingdom …

Pleading for More

Jorge from Peru wrote to thank us for the Spanish Bible Study Guides he received. “I am fascinated and impressed with the different subjects,” he shares, especially the precise dates for the rise of the papacy. Peru is a largely Catholic country, yet Jorge found these details eye-opening and transformative.

Raymond, writing from a New York prison, asked for Spanish materials so that he can witness to his “friends inside prison walls.” Jose in Arizona visits a prison each week and urgently needs Spanish Bible lessons “to share with others, so they can distinguish truth from false doctrine.” And Carlos from Chile requests that all our sharing magazines be translated into Spanish.

Friend, I’ve given you only a small taste of the letters we receive pleading for more truth-filled resources in Spanish. What can we do together to meet this need?

At Home and Abroad

We must participate in a modern-day Pentecost so that everyone can hear last-day truths “in his own language” (Acts 2:6).

Here are a few ways you can help save souls through our Spanish outreach this fall:

• In October, Amazing Facts will conduct evangelistic meetings in Mexico City. This giant metropolis is the world’s sixth-largest city—over 22 million residents! We’ll conduct meetings in two separate locations to reach as many people as possible, as it’s difficult for most to travel through this vast concrete jungle.

• In November, graduates from the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) will travel to Guatemala to conduct evangelistic meetings. I’ll personally be speaking at a large weekend gathering. If you’re interested in joining us, including doing groundwork (building churches, conducting medical outreach, digging wells), we’d love to have you along. Email guatemalatrip@amazingfacts.org if you are interested.*

Here are Amazing Facts’ multifaceted goals for this next year:

• More than double our written Spanish materials. We have made a good start with over 400 truth-filled translations, but the need is so great that we must keep expanding Amazing Facts’ Spanish-language resources. That means paying for good translators who know the nuances of the language.

• Double the voice-over translation of broadcasts, programs, documentaries, and evangelistic series in Spanish. We have already translated 150 messages, and it has been met with resounding appreciation.

• Double the content on our Amazing Facts Latino website and social media. We recently updated amazingfactslatino.org, our Spanish website. Thousands of people are finding truth each month. But more materials are required quickly to meet the need. We also plan to translate our most popular websites—Helltruth.com, Marytruth.com, and others—into Spanish.

• Secure Spanish-language broadcast opportunities. We have only a few broadcasts on Spanish channels; our programs are mostly in English with Spanish captions. By helping to add more broadcasts dubbed into Spanish, you could place God’s last-day messages onto large Spanish networks, including Daystar.

Grandes Necesidades (Big Needs)

There is an ever-growing number of Spanish-speaking people in America—41 million and multiplying daily. By 2050, America is likely to host the greatest number of Spanish speakers in the world.

So I’m dreaming big—500 million souls big!—and have set a lofty funding goal for Spanish-language work: $150,000. Will you help precious Spanish-speaking seekers know lifesaving Bible truth? Your loving gift of $25 could help 3,500 individuals understand essential truth through social media and our websites. Your gift of $100 could broadcast the everlasting gospel to 250,000 people on a Spanish television network. And a grande gift of $200 will translate a 60-minute presentation to reach countless people with the three angels’ messages and help bring our evangelistic meetings to Mexico City.

Jose wrote, “I apologize for my bad spelling in English because it is my second language. I just wanted to thank you for the comfort I receive every week from your instruction [in Spanish]. May God bless your ministry all over the world!” Friend, I pass Jose’s gratitude to you. Yes, you are making a world of difference!

Dios los bendiga, mis hermanos y hermanas,

Pastor Doug Batchelor

President, Amazing Facts International

*Click here to get more information about the Guatemala mission trip.