Among the Safwa people of western Tanzania, at least six dialects are spoken. From serious conflict and suspicion in the translation project’s earliest days, many years of prayer and hard work has delivered a complete New Testament the community sees as very inclusive and easy for all to understand – and celebration dominated by a powerful sense of unity and joy…
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From their first small portions of translated Scripture, a language community can quickly learn to engage with God’s Word. For the Safwa people of Tanzania, their completed New Testament is being printed soon. Especially now, teams of local Scripture Engagement (SE) workers can be very impactful and busy…
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“I’ve been a Christian a long time,” said one Sangu translator. “But working on this translation, it’s like being in a Bible school. It has shown me anew what life with Jesus is about.” At the big celebration of the completed Sangu New Testament another translator said, “I see the people receiving God’s Word… receiving God himself.”
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The small church roared with celebration as the first Ndali language New Testaments were opened. Songs and speeches in Ndali thrilled the crowd. “We welcome the Scriptures with two hands,” said a translator as he gestured a giant handshake. “It means a good welcome. This day will be remembered…”
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“Now God’s Word has a direct path to the hearts” of the Kinga language community of western Tanzania. Numerous Christian doctrines celebrated together publically, near a main local bus stand…
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“Truly, I feel joy, great joy,” said one Malila Translator at the celebration of the completed New Testament. “The Word of God will reach our people in the right way, and cause many to be saved and discipled. When they hear it in Swahili, sometimes they can’t understand. But now, in the language they understand, there will be great change…”
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Tanzania’s Vwanji people welcome their New Testament! Before he was a Bishop, leading the celebration of this day, Nguvila worked for years as one of the translators. Today, he is surrounded by his former colleagues, fellow church and community leaders, hundreds of Vwanji people, and the Scriptures for which they have gathered to praise God…
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“Scripture translation into local languages may benefit communities far beyond simply increased comprehension,” according to a study which researched the sociolinguistic impact of such work in the Malila and Nyiha language communities. Findings on a range of issues led the author to make several recommendations…
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Rain kept down the crowd’s numbers, but not their joy. Sheltered inside a church-within-a-church, Nyakyusa speakers used this day of singing and dancing, preaching and feasting to celebrate their newly translated Scriptures “even our children can understand!”
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A Scripture translation “cluster project” in southwestern Tanzania has its eyes on several major milestones. Sixteen years since work began, a group of six language projects are bringing all their New Testaments to completion. One is ready for its official launch, another is being printed and bound. Following those, four more teams are busy with final checks and typesetting. It’s an exciting time of challenges and victories as global teams lend aid and local plans are laid…
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“We use our Scriptures for funerals and some church meetings,” says Mwaluanda, Supervisor for the Safwa Literacy team. “But we want to do more.” The team recently held their second three-day songwriting workshop, with Bible studies and composition lessons, even recording sessions. This time, the songs were inspired by the book of Acts…
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Eight more teams in Mbeya Cluster Project have completed script translation for the JESUS film. Several teams checked theirs with consultants. Others then tested with reviewers. “We are delighted with the success,” said a member of one team, which held an actors’ workshop and completed their recordings. When another team’s actors watched their finished film together, it was a special moment…
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