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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“Praise God for answers to all the prayers for the Mbugwe JESUS film!” After months of preparation and production, the Translation team have completed a version of the film in their own language, using their Mbugwe translation of Luke’s Gospel and the original film script. The Mbugwe community celebrated, of course, complete with a ‘premiere’ showing and sold-out supply of flash cards loaded with the film, Scripture text, audio and more…
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Their film scripts were ready. Bende and Pimbwe translators needed voice actors from the language communities. They were delayed for months by COVID, then detoured hundreds of kilometres by washed-out road. “When we came,” said one translator, “some candidates wanted to be paid rather than volunteer.” Another added, “some follow another religion, and they were afraid that helping us might betray their own faith…”
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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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A busy season in several Mara Region communities has translation teams feeling freshly inspired to their work. In a Kwaya village, reviewers reported how many are enjoying reading and listening to Scriptures the team has completed. On a visit to check Matthew and Romans with the community, the Jita team kept hearing, “We know the work is hard—but keep going!” While checking eight new Ikoma Scripture portions, reviewers helped the team choose the best word for shepherd…
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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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Community interest in Scripture translation runs high when audio copies hit the streets. Since a listening group workshop in the Ikizu language area, families and friends are listening together, spreading fresh demand for more. After a training for church leaders in the Kwaya area, one pastor played Scripture on the church’s sound system so the neighbors could hear. That’s drawn a lot of attention, too…
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An older Zanaki man heard about work to translate Scripture into his language. But he knows he will never read it for himself, as his eyesight is quickly failing. Then he heard that God’s Word in Zanaki is being recorded for listening, too..
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Long before printed Scripture is ready, while Linguists build alphabets and local speakers train as Translators, local church choirs can produce Scripture-based songs that begin to impact the community…
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Since the team’s “listening workshops” with Scriptures on solar audio players, Kabwa families listening at home now find neighbours — even those of other major religions — curious to know what they are hearing. In a recent follow-up event, one group chose to listen to the book of Jonah in Kabwa. As they began to discuss God’s message in the story, one point was very clear to them…
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In Mbeya Cluster Project office, the Vernacular Media team had visitors. A local secular radio station offered to broadcast mother tongue Scripture to three million people, three times weekly. “I gave them sample programmes,” said one team member, “to see if they were serious.” The station manager called back within the hour, to change his offer…
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In the Kabwa language area, over forty church leaders came together for a special ministry workshop. After translators completed Scripture portions in Kabwa, the team made audio recordings, and loaded them on solar-powered audio players. Now those leaders were learning to use the players in mother-tongue Bible study…
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