You could cut the tension with the proverbial knife.
Representatives from two language groups in Nigeria had shown up for a Bible translation workshop, and they were not happy to see each other. The animosity stemmed from a recent bloody clash between the two groups over farmland, and the friction was palpable.
“From the very first day, there was very little interaction between the teams,” says Afeh, one of the workshop facilitators. “Whether at morning devotions, meal times, or at rest times at the hostels, the members of both teams refused to mingle.”
Interestingly, by the fifth day the barrier between the two groups began to give way. And by the second week, all heaven was breaking loose. “The [first group of] translators not only were hugging the [other] translators at morning devotions, but the groups began sitting down to meals together,” says Afeh.
Certainly the shift in attitude was due in part to much prayer and the atmosphere of worship that Afeh and the other leaders cultivated.
But Afeh says the focus on translated Scriptures during devotions made a huge impact: “The exhortations from the Scriptures at the workshop stressed again and again the importance of translators of God’s Word living in such a manner that their lives are open Bibles to those around them.”
What a blessing to see these brothers and sisters in Christ come together as one, with a common goal of reaching their people with God’s Word in their heart languages. One of the two teams has now translated the entire New Testament along with 50 popular Bible stories. And the other team has nearly reached completion of their New Testament.
Thank you for your prayers and support, which are not just supporting Bible translation but are helping national translators find hope, healing, and a stronger faith.
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