Rochunga Pudaite

Rochunga Pudaite (born 1948) translated the Bible into the Hmar language and in 1971 founded Bibles for the World. He studied at Allahabad University in his native India and at Wheaton College in the United States.

At the close of the 19th century, the British branded the Hmar people of northeast India as "the worst headhunters." In 1871 they beheaded over 500 British Soldiers. Then, in 1908, a missionary from Wales, named Watkin Roberts armed with a copy of the New Testament arrived in the area where the tribal group lived. He lived under the same roof and taught the Hmar people about God, specifically, the Gospel of John. Roberts defied all odds of survival by changing the course of history for the Hmar people. The Hmar people called Roberts affectionaly "Mr. Youngman." Through that lone missionary, Chawnga, the father of Rochunga Pudaite, was introduced to the teachings of Jesus. There is a movie based on Rochunga called "Beyond the Next Mountain" and you can watch it instantly on Netflix.

Chawnga and a few tribesmen believed in what they learned and became dedicated Christians. Chawnga believed that his son, Rochunga, was God's chosen instrument to bring the Scriptures to the Hmar tribe in their own language.

Rochunga Pudaite's biography] is recounted in James Hefley's book God's Tribesman: the Rochunga Pudaite Story (Holman, 1977), Joe Musser's book Fire on the Hill (Tyndale House Publishers, 1998), and in the film Beyond the Next Mountain. Pudaite is the author of My Billion Bible Dream (Thomas Nelson, 1982) and The Greatest Book Ever Written (Hannibal Books, 1989).