written by Dan Jones, Translation Advisor
In September 2014, after nearly a year and a half of drafting, revising, and checking, the translated drafts of Mbugwe Jonah and Ruth were ready for comprehension testing in the community.
Emmanuel Shishe and Constantine Mofulu, the Mbugwe translators, and I visited seven villages in the Mbugwe homeland in North-Central Tanzania. In each village, as the drafts were read aloud by the translators, people silently listened, hanging on each word.
As I watched their faces, I saw smiles, and the discussions that followed were lively. People were stirred by hearing God’s word in their heart language, and we were encouraged to see such a positive response. We were commended for our work and urged to press on so the printed Scriptures will be available as soon as possible. The interaction in these groups was just what we’d hoped for – people engaged God’s Word and wanted to hear more!
