Books sell out after community witnesses healing and deliverance
— November 2023, Mdori Village, Manyara Region, Tanzania
by Kenny Grindall, Communications Coordinator, SIL Tanzania
featured photo, above: At the launch celebration for the book of Acts, newly translated in the Mbugwe language, singing choirs were not the only music featured. These local musicians got folks dancing with their infectious rhythm on traditional drums, even playing them with their sandals.
(photo: Msafiri Mofulu)
“The spirit of joy and celebration was contagious!”
Twelve years since Scripture translation work began in the Mbugwe language community of Tanzania, hundreds of people gathered for a launch celebration of the newly published book of Acts. Leading up to the historic day, local believers witnessed powerful evidence of God’s hand in the work.
The Mbugwe translators were at a local church, helping plan for the event. “At that service, several people with illnesses and demons were brought to us,” said Paulo Modamba, one of the translators. “Six young girls had demons cast out of them. Also one woman and two men were healed of illnesses.”
The Mbugwe people (population 37,200 estimated, Ethnologue 2024) live in northern central Tanzania. Life for the community is mostly farming (rice, peanuts, cotton) and animal husbandry.
Linguistic work began on the Mbugwe project in 2009. Translated Scripture came soon after, with Jonah and Ruth (two short narrative books commonly used in training new translators) published in 2016. The young team then introduced Scripture Engagement work in their community, and published the Gospels of Mark and Luke.
Hundreds of Mbugwe people filled a local church to witness and celebrate the launch of a new portion of translated Scripture, the book of Acts in their own language for the first time.
photo: Msafiri Mofulu
Preparation for the launch of Acts brought together numerous churches in the Mbugwe community. “It was so encouraging to see these different congregations helping,” said Emmanuel Shishe, another translator, “to spread the news about the launch, and to raise the funds needed to make it a wonderful dedication.”
Finally, the day arrived. Over three hundred Mbugwe filled a Lutheran church in the village of Mdori. Church choirs from several neighbouring villages shared songs they had crafted especially for the event.
“Some of these choirs had written their new songs in the Mbugwe language, and using translated Mbugwe Scripture,” said Rose Savaiko, the team’s Translation Consultant. “There were even songs of praise to God for the translators each by name! That was really fun to hear. The spirit of joy and celebration was contagious!”
As the celebration continued into the afternoon, many who attended bought copies for themselves of the new Scripture book. “In fact we sold out!” said Constantine Mofulu, another of the Mbugwe translators. “One hundred twenty copies gone, before the celebration was over!”
With launch day’s festivities concluded, the transformative power of God’s Word in their own language continues to spread among the Mbugwe community. Translator Shishe stayed on in the village to preach at a local church the following Sunday. At least one man received Christ during that service, and the team is greatly encouraged by how God is using the early Acts of the Apostles once again to spark miraculous life change.
