Marilyn Laszlo

Marilyn grew up on a small farm in Valparaiso, Indiana, as the eldest of four daughters of Martin and Lois Laszlo. As a young girl, while plowing the fields of her parent’s farm, she made a commitment to be a missionary. She graduated from Bryan College, Tennessee, which recently awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Letters (May 2003). Marilyn studied linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and then kept her commitment to God by serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. She and a translation partner served in Hauna Village, home of the Sepik Iwam people of Papua New Guinea. Marilyn, her sister Shirley, and their language helpers took an unwritten language and created an alphabet and reading books, and taught the people to read and write. Marilyn and Shirley did medical work, and trained indigenous people to operate a local school, store, and clinic. Today Marilyn continues to bring the Word of God to people groups across Papua New Guinea in a recorded format. She also speaks at a wide variety of events around the country and the world. Listeners are captivated by her amazing stories, encouraged to step out in faith, and inspired to live lives completely surrendered to Christ.