Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

Here is a great overview from our leadership of how God is using the staff here in Tanzania and Uganda to accomplish His work of Bible translation and mother tongue Scripture use:

Over the past year we have seen the book of Genesis published in Zinza, the Gospel of Mark published in Vwanji and Rangi, and the Pastoral Epistles published in Burunge and Lugungu (with the book of James). Translation and checking has been completed for the book of Galatians in Aringa, Lubwisi, Lugungu, Lugwere and Lunyole; 1st & 2nd Corinthians in Lugungu;  the book of Romans in Aringa, Lugwere and Lunyole; 1st, 2nd & 3rd John in Aringa; and the book of Revelation in Burunge and Lugungu.  The Christmas story from Luke 1 and 2 has been published in nine Mara languages (Ikizu-Sizaki, Ikoma-Nata-Isenye, Jita, Kabwa, Kwaya, Ngoreme, Suba-Simbiti, Zanaki and Zinza) and portions of the Gospel of Mark published in Temi. The Gospel of Mark will be published shortly in Kinga and Malila.  Our consultants have checked over 12,000 verses in the past year!

Audio recordings of portions of Genesis have been produced in Sandawe. Also recordings of Ruth and Jonah in Nyakyusa, Vwanji and Malila; Mark in Vwanji; Genesis stories in Swahili; and Zinza, Sukuma and Swahili music tapes have been produced. A weekly radio program will be starting shortly in Mbeya using mother tongue Scripture which has potential to reach the whole Mbeya-Iringa cluster language area.

There have been over 40 new literacy and Scripture Use publications over the past year, including a Swahili translation of the D.C. Cook Genesis stories. More than 700 people have attended various literacy classes where they have learnt to read and write their own language for the first time. There have also been training courses for literacy teachers and local artists, as well as Scripture Use training for pastors and others. There have been a variety of Scripture Use events such as listening to megavoice recordings, attending Bible studies using mother-tongue Scriptures, and AIDS seminars using the Kande story.

Underpinning our translation, literacy and SU work, has been the ongoing linguistic and sociolinguistic research to develop good orthographies and to research where we might next work. Over the past year we have seen 8 languages achieve trial orthography status.

We continue to invest in partnership with churches, other Bible agencies and like-minded organisations. We estimate we have over 50 strategic partners/partner organisations and a church leader advocate for most of the languages we are working in. Over the past year the Uganda team have started up a Multilingual Education Network forum bringing together various organisations interested in MLE including UNESCO, Mango Tree, the National Curriculum Development Centre, Makerere University and others.

A number of you have presented papers at various academic conferences and many of you have been involved in capacity building through training others.

You have all been very busy! We have many reasons to celebrate and to thank God.

We are grateful to God for the team he has brought together in Tanzania and Uganda and for the part each of you has played over the year in language or support work. We also thank God for the financial resources He has provided that have enabled the work to move forward. We continue to depend on Him to provide for all our needs as we move into a new year of opportunity.

At this time of Christmas we remember the Child, born in a stable, who came to fulfil the promise and is the “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9: 6 – 7)

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