There was great excitement in the Mbugwe language community when they gathered to celebrate receiving the Scripture of Ruth and Jonah in their mother tongue.
The books arrived in a large box amidst a parade of Mbugwe people singing and dancing. As the box was opened, people from the crowd immediately came forward for the books. They were asked to be patient until the celebration was finished, but their excitement was not diminished as all the books were quickly sold when they were available.
Emmanuel Shishe, one of the Mbugwe translators, read in Mbugwe and spoke about each book. There was joy and laughter as the crowd responded.
Requests are still coming quite long after the celebration, from community members, secondary school teachers, and others who would like copies of the books. For the first time, the Mbugwe felt that God knows their language. Please pray for the continued work of the Mbugwe translators.
This story was written for SIL Tanzania by:
Kenny Grindall (Communications Coordinator)
SIL International is a global partner among academic and professional organisations which offer language development services. SIL works alongside speakers of more than 1,700 languages in over 100 countries. Active in Tanzania since 1989, the organization makes its services available to all without regard to religious belief, political ideology, gender, race or ethnolinguistic background.
