New Testament Published in Pular
April 10, 2008?Christian Reformed Church missionaries have been busy in recent months distributing copies of a newly translated version of the New Testament to remote villages in the West African country of Guinea.
Written in Pular, the dialect of the Fulbe people, the New Testament translation was begun under the auspices of the CRC and took nearly 20 years to complete.
â??Having the New Testament available in Pular is very significant. It is important to the life of the church,â?? says Joyce Campbell, who works with her husband, David, in the city of Dalaba as a church planter for Christian Reformed World Missions.
In Guinea the New Testament had mainly been available in French, a language that many of the people connect to colonial times and not with the language and heritage of their country, says Campbell. â??People really appreciate the chance to read it in their own language.â??
Most of the people in Guinea are Muslim and read the Quran, which was written in Arabic 1300 years ago. As a result, they have a deep appreciation for written scriptures, especially those whose roots can be traced back to their original source.
In the case of the Pular New Testament, the material is presented in Pular, with an accompanying column of Greek, the original language of the Bible, says Campbell.
Before she and her husband left Guinea to return to the United States for a visit in December, they had a chance to distribute copies of the New Testament to members of their small church. Meanwhile, David Campbell is recording the Pular Scripture in a recording studio and will make it available on tape.
About 18 years ago, the CRC began the translation process and then asked the United Bible Societies to help with the project. In March, a special ceremony took place in Guinea to dedicate the New Testament translation. â??The entire project was a partnership that required a huge investment, and we pray for huge dividends,â?? says John Span, a CRWM missionary in Guinea.
A prayer card published by CRWM sketches the story of the trek by missionaries to distribute the translated Scripture. With a headline of â??The Pular New Testament has arrived in Guinea!â?? the sketch describes how a hot, dry wind from the Sahara blew head-on against the trekkers as they traveled.
â??Their heavy packs have two very precious items that are quite different but have a lot in common: their drinking water and the reason for their trek: the newly released New Testament in the Pular language.â??
They have come, says the prayer card, â??to bring Living Water to a dry and weary land. The long, exhausting trip through a dozen remote villages inaccessible by vehicles is worth it when the missionaries see the joy on the peopleâ??s faces as they read the Word of God in their own mother tongue for the first time in their lives.â??
Cheryl de Jong, a CRWM worker in Guinea, went along on that trek, which took place in February. She says in a letter to CRWM officials in Grand Rapids that workers sold or gave out about 350 portions of Scripture or other literature during the 11-day journey.
In a letter to the CRWM office, missionary Cal Hofland says the trip took them through a volcanic mountain landscape, fields of dry savanna grasses, and parched red-gray desert.
Of the visit to one village, he wrote: â??After chatting a long time, drinking some oranges, and eating breakfast, we presented the leadership with some of the Scripture we had brought. They were thrilled with what they saw and asked if we had any extras along to sell.â??
The work of translating is not complete, however. Work continues on the translation of the Old Testament. Translators are also converting the New Testament from the Latin alphabet to the Arabic alphabet, since many Fulbe only read Arabic letters.
Chris Meehan, CRC Communications
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Chris Meehan News and Media R elations Christian Reformed Church in North America www.crcna.org