WordAlive Magazine - Fall 2015

Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada
Fall 2015
CHANGE
ON THE PLAIN
A multi-language
Bible translation effort
is helping villagers
of Cameroons Ndop
Plain see a previously
foreign Jesus as
their countryman.
7,000 Words in 10 Days + Ears That Hear? + Unexpected Weapons Against Human Trafficking
Fall 2015 Volume 33 Number 3
Foreword
Word Alive, which takes its name from Hebrews 4:12a,
is the official publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators
of Canada. Its mission is to inform, inspire and involve
the Christian public as partners in the worldwide
Bible translation movement. Waking Up to Gods Word
Editor: Dwayne Janke
Designer: Cindy Buckshon Dwayne Janke
Senior Staff Writer: Doug Lockhart
Staff Writers: Nathan Frank, Janet Seever
Staff Photographers: Alan Hood, Natasha Schmale
Word Alive is published four times annually by
A
Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE,
Calgary AB T2E 6K3. Copyright 2015 by Wycliffe s the Sunday morning service moved along at Mbamong Baptist
Bible Translators of Canada. Permission to reprint Church in the village of Bambalang, Cameroon, I noticed a young
articles and other magazine contents may be woman standing behind the congregation. The pony-tailed woman
obtained by written request to the editor. A (an usher, as I discovered later) carefully surveyed those in attendance.
donation of $20 annually is suggested to cover
the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. Her eyes scanned the 80 people listening to Pastor Pius Mbahlegue as he
Donate online or use the reply form in this issue. delivered his sermon in the Bambalang mother tongue, while the bright
Printed in Canada by McCallum Printing Group, morning sunshine outside pushed the mercury towards another near
Edmonton. 30-degree day this past January.
Member: The Canadian Church Press, Evangelical Every so often, the womans gaze zeroed in on a lowered head with
Press Association.
For additional copies: media_resources@wycliffe.ca slumping shoulders. Then quietly, she strolled over to the dozing man or
To contact the editor: editor_wam@wycliffe.ca woman and gently tapped them on their shoulder until they woke up. If the
For address updates: circulation@wycliffe.ca person sleeping was seated beyond the ushers reach, she got the attention
of a nearby worshipper and pointed to the dozer as a target for tapping.
I whispered to Wycliffes Dan Grove (supervisor of the Ndop Cluster
translation, literacy and Scripture-use initiative, featured in this issue) that
I have never seen church ushers designated to wake up sleeping people
during a sermon. Grinning, he informed me that when he and his wife
Melody first began serving here, the usher was equipped with a long stick!
Fortunately, dozing off in church is becoming a lot rarer in
Wycliffe serves minority language groups worldwide Ndop area churches.
by fostering an understanding of Gods Word through As I talked to local pastors and Wycliffe personnel serving
Bible translation, while nurturing literacy, education They laughed in the Ndop Cluster, they shared the same observation. People
and stronger communities.
because they attending church are more alert and more engaged when
Canadian Head Office: 4316 10 St NE, Calgary AB T2E sermons are preached from newly translated Scriptures in
6K3. Phone: (403) 250-5411 or toll free 1-800-463-1143, understood it. their mother tongue.
8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. mountain time. Fax: (403) 250-
2623. Email: info@wycliffe.ca. French speakers: Call toll
. . . For the first And they are more responsive. Dan recalls several years ago
when he was helping to train Pastor Pius and Pastor Novethan
free 1-877-747-2622 or email francophone@wycliffe.ca time, really, Shanui so they could translate Gods Word for their own
Cover: Two women stroll home near sunset after
collecting firewood and plantains on the Ndop Plain the Scripture Bambalang people. After translating the Christmas Story from
Luke, the passage was read in church.
of Cameroon, Africa. In this region, mother-tongue
Scriptures in multiple languages are showing villag-
was theirs. All of a sudden, everybody laughed, recalls Dan. And we
ers that Christianity is not a white mans religion. thought, Oh, man, weve messed something up. This doesnt
Photograph by Natasha Schmale really work well, or somethings wrong.
After the service was over, Dan asked Novethan what was the matter
with the draft translation. Why did it prompt laughter from the first-time
hearers? The pastor said nothing was wrong. In the verse where Joseph and
Mary put Jesus in a manger, the translators had used a more meaningful
cultural equivalent for the Bambalang people who dont raise cattle: Baby
Jesus was laid in a kind of trough where salt is offered to sheep.
In Others Words They laughed because they understood it. All these years, they had been
hearing about a manger [in English Bible versions] and didnt know what a
Until you can read the story of Adam and
manger was. For the first time, really, the Scripture was theirs.
Eve, of Abraham and Sarah, of David and
The moral to these stories? It is better to laugh in church with
Bathsheba, as your own story . . . you have
understanding and appreciation, than sleep because of clouded or zero
not really understood it. The Bible . . . is
comprehension. Bible translation is key!
a book finally about ourselves, our own
Now, on the practical side, I wonder if I should lobby for ushers in my
apostasies, our own battles and blessings.
church to wake up dozers?
Frederick Buechner (1926-), Presbyterian minister,
theologian and author, in Now and Then
2 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca
Contents
6 Features
Stories by Dwayne Janke and Nathan Frank
Photos by Natasha Schmale
6 Movie Night in Bambalang Through the Luke

film, a previously foreign Jesus comes to villagers as a
countryman speaking their language.
12 Group Mentality Wycliffe personnel share their
12
expertise with locals in a seven-language, simultaneous
Bible translation effort gaining momentum in northwest
Cameroon.
20 Flames Turned to Hope In the midst of war,

Pastor Pius Mbahlegue courageously brought the peace of
Christ to his village.
26 Whole-hearted Commitment Trusting Gods

radical call of obedience leads a couple to linguistics work in
Cameroons Ndop Plain.
20 30 Bright Future for the Next Generation

Mother-tongue schooling is setting the foundation for the
youth of Cameroons Ndop Plain.
Departments
2 Foreword Waking Up to Gods Word

By Dwayne Janke
26
4 Watchword 7,000 Words in 10 Days

33 Beyond Words Earsor Ears That Hear?

34 A Thousand Words On the Outside Looking In
35 Last Word Unexpected Weapons Against

Human Trafficking
By Roy Eyre
30 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 3

Watchword
7,000 Words in 10 Days Continuing on After Tragedy
A new way to gather many words in a short time is being

used to produce first-ever dictionaries in language groups,
a key product of Bible translation and literacy programs.
T he Wapishana New Testament project continues in
Guyana, despite the tragic deaths of Wycliffe translators
Richard and Charlene Hicks in 2005 (see story in Word Alive,
Conceived by Ron Moe, a linguistics consultant with SIL Spring 2014). Faith Comes by Hearing, a partner organization
International (Wycliffes key partner organization), Rapid Word of Wycliffe, has recorded the Wapishana New Testament in the
Collection (RWC) is a brief two-week workshop that usually South American nation. Before the recorded New Testament
collects 7,000 words or more. It brings together diverse groups is distributed to Wapishana villages (such as those pictured
of mother-tongue speakersmen and women, seniors and below), people will be trained to lead Bible studies.
young people.
RWC is based on the idea that humans organize words in
their minds in a giant network of relationships, clustering
them as groups around topics, called semantic domains.
RWC workshops use a series of questionnaires, which prompt
participants to note words in their language that are related
to 1,800 different domains. In the household equipment
SPAIN ITALY
domain, for example, questions are asked aboutPORTUGAL objects used
for various functions in the home.
GREECE
In Burkina Faso, the Kaansa translation and literacy team TUNISIA MALTA
(pictured below) surpassed its 7,000-plus word goal, thanks
to several dozen participants in a 10-day workshop. The teamMOROCCO
hopes to offer printed copies of a completed dictionary at a ALGERIA
ceremony to launch the Kaansa New Testament, tentatively
planned for later this year. The Canary
Kaansa Islands
dictionary will help Natasha Schmale
sustain the language, support the creation of literacy materials, Kifuliiru Scriptures Embraced
and bridge generations as young people learn traditional
terms and concepts. A s the team approaches the end of translating the Old
LIBYA
Testament into Kifuliiru, it is encouraged by the impact
Scriptures are already making among the 400,000 speakers.
The New Testament has been feeding the people since it
WESTERN was released in 2000 in the Democratic Republic of the
SAHARA
Congo, Africa.
Many are already saved through the Word of God
MAURITANIA
transmitted in the languageNIGER of the heart, reports the team.
MALI
Especially our old people who do not understand other
languages. We have young men doing open-air and
SENEGAL one-to-one evangelism producing similar results. CHAD
Church choirs everywhere are singing Kifuliiru
GAMBIA hymns, the team adds.
GUINEA
Our language was in danger of being gobbled up by Swahili
BURKINA
GUINEA BISSAU
and French. BENINNow it has life. Praise God!
IVORY COAST
SIERRA LEONE NIGERIA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

GHANA
TOGO
LIBERIA
CAMEROON
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
CONGO
GABON
ZAIRE
Stuart Showalter

AIDS-awareness Book Gets Signed Hope at the Morgue
A s sign language Bible translation efforts for the Deaf

around the world continue to grow, translation of
other important materials is also advancing.
T
he New Testament in the Oku
language ministered to hundreds
of mourners at a morgue in
In Africa, for example, staff from Wycliffe Benin Cameroon, Africa, recently. Following
and the Global Sign Languages Team (GSLT) of SIL the local custom, they were waiting
Michael Janke
International (Wycliffes key partner agency) recently for the release of the body after
taught translation principles to Deaf translators from a colleague of Wycliffes David
Benin and Togo (pictured below). To gain hands-on Anderson lost his wife.
experience at the workshop, participants translated The Oku Scriptures were read by one of the women attending
Kandes Story, a popular AIDS-awareness book created so others could listen and be encouraged. The woman had never
by SIL (see Word Alive, Summer 2012) for use among read in her Oku language before but agreed to try.
minority language groups. As we sat under the overhang outside the mortuary,
The Deaf in the two African nations can understand Anderson recalls, she had her first literacy lesson in Oku.
each other well, but there are some important The woman began by reading 1 Corinthians 15:20, which in
vocabulary differences. As key terms from Kandes Story English says, But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
were translated at the workshop, it was discovered the He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died (NLT).
Deaf in each country use a different sign for AIDS. In It was a great encouragement to the mourning Christians
Togo, the Deaf use the generic word for illness and gathered arounda reminder of eternal hope in Christ.
modify that sign with the hand shape indicating s, The woman then read Revelation. 7:17: For the Lamb on
the first letter of the French term for AIDS (SIDA). The the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs
sign used in Benin is based on the international symbol of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from
for AIDS, a red ribbon. Since this term is central to the their eyes (NLT).
story, the group decided that two separate translations Finishing the verse, she said, Reading this took
were needed. away my tears.
Its estimated that up to 400 sign languages are used
by the Deaf throughout the world.
Word Count
2014
Commemorative year for SIL, key partner organization
of Wycliffe, dedicated to training, language research
translation and literacy.
80
The number of years SIL has been serving minority
language groups.
1934
Year of SILs first linguistic training camp.
1,600
Number of language groups with which SIL personnel
have worked.
34,000
Documents containing language and culture data
in SILs online archive (representing 51% of the
worlds languages).
Source: SIL Annual Update 2014
SIL Photo
Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 5

Movie Night
in Bambalang
Through the Luke film, a previously
L
ike a glowing orb of glass in some fiery furnace, the
late afternoon sun hovers in the smoke and dust over
foreign Jesus comes to villagers as a the horizon of the Ndop Plain in northwest Cameroon,
countryman speaking their language. Africa. Far above the village of Bambalang, this light of
the days slow farewell casts an orange-red tint on the
By Dwayne Janke vapour trail of a jet. In that tube of transport at 10,000 metres,
passengers are no doubt peering into monitors on the seat backs
Photographs by Natasha Schmale in front of them. They are watching one of dozens of movies or
TV shows, available in multiple languages.
Here on the ground, locals will soon gather for a movie of their
own. But unlike the wide-ranging video menu in the soaring
airplane, this flick is the only one available in these villagers
mother tongue (which takes the same name as their village).
On this movie night in Bambalang, the Luke film will tell the
story of Jesus.
Pastor Novethan Shanui, from the Bambalang Bible translation
team, has shown the film about 10 times since it was released in
2013, as have others numerous times. On this Thursday evening,
Novethan leads the set up and projection of the movie. It visually
portrays the entire Gospel of Luke, a four-hour (originally English)
epic, from which the more well-known JESUS film was produced.
A crowd watches the Luke film outdoors along the village of

Bambalangs main street in Cameroon. Portraying the entire Gospel
of Luke, the movie is an engaging evangelism and discipleship tool
because the narration and voices of characters, including Jesus
(inset in larger photo), are in the local peoples mother tongue.

The thoughtful, 37-year-old pastor has picked a strategic (LEFT, ABOVE) Young women
spot beside Bambalangs main road. Tonights theatre is by a carry benches from their Central
compound of mud-brick homes, a short distance from the Baptist Church for seating at
congregation Novethan pastorsCentral Baptist Church, of the the outdoor theatre location.
(ABOVE) Men from the church
Cameroon Baptist Convention denominationand down the
help Pastor Novethan Shanui
street from the local bar and brothel.
hang up a bedsheet screen on
a homes outside wall for the
More Public Locations Luke films projection. (RIGHT)
We projected it one time outside of our church, because some With the sun setting, Pastor
people have been skeptical of coming inside the church, explains Novethan boots up a laptop
Novethan, earlier in the day during a break from checking the computer, which is connected
Bambalang draft translation of the New Testament. Showing the to a video projector. He plays
film in neutral, more public, locations is now the norm. some Christian music videos
Novethan and others from his church choose the outside that attract a crowed before
wall of a house as backing for a bedsheet screen, pulled tight the main feature begins. (FAR
RIGHT) Public viewings are not
by nylon ropes. He slides an electrical cord through the walls
the only way to see the Luke
window towards a power plug inside the house. Ndop Cluster
film in the Bambalang language.
supervisor Dan Grove (see related story, pg. 12) helps hook up a The movie is also distributed for
Toshiba laptop computer to a white Epson video projector and more private use on cellphones,
large, black speakers. Meanwhile, young women carry 24 wooden which are widely used on the
benches from their church, for seating on the hard dirt ground Ndop Plain.
that has been swept clean by a woman with a grass broom. She
also trims large, overhanging leaves that might obstruct the view
for those in the back rows. Someone tests the microphone: The
Lord is good. All the time!

So these Challenging Production
The Luke film for the 25,000 speakers of Bambalang is the first
are the in an eventual 10 languages of the Ndop Cluster slated to get
the movie after the Gospel of Luke is translated in each one.
types of Producing the film in such languages is no simple chore.
It went well, but it was more complicated and challenging
things that than I thought it would be, recalls Novethan.
Local churchesBaptist, Presbyterian, Full Gospel, Apostolic
they are and Catholicwere asked to choose 40-plus people to be the
voices for each of the different characters in the book of Luke.
teaching Sentences of dialogue from the translated book in Bambalang
were extracted and organized by character.
in church. A media team from the Cameroon branch of SIL International
(Wycliffes key partner organization) came to Bambalang for an
Then why audio recording session. They created a studio inside a bedroom
of the large column-fronted house owned by the landlord from
would I not whom Ndop cluster supervisor Dan Grove and his wife Melody
rent their house. A small cubicle was made with mattresses to
want my serve as sound-proofing. During the recording, a prompter read to
each person what they should say, so they would not sound stilted.
children to Beyond the Audio
be church It took about three weeks to do the recording and a few months
for it to be finalized in the U.S. The goal was to have words lip-
people? synced as closely as possible to match the mouth movements of
actors speaking English in the original film.
Editing didnt just involve the audio, notes Novethan. In one
scene, Jesus wears a traditional Jewish phylactery, a small leather
box containing strips of parchment inscribed with biblical
quotations. The few Bambalang speakers first reviewing a rough
cut of the film noticed a problem, says Novethan, who voiced
Peter the apostle.
The practice here is that when people are afraid of
something, they will go to a sorcerer and they will produce some
charms... to wear on your arm or waist or neck, he explains.
So when somebody that doesnt know what a Jewish phylactery
is, they would think, Does this mean wearing charms is correct?
Even Jesus went to the sorcerersthat is why hes wearing what
he is wearing.
Wisely, those video frames were removed.
Its Showtime
As the Luke film begins just after 7 p.m., its quickly apparent that
the dubbing is good. The audience is immediately engaged with
biblical characters who seamlessly speak their Bambalang heart
language. One woman momentarily turns on a small flashlight,
lifts up her T-shirt and begins nursing her baby, settling in for a
long night. Around her, benches are quickly filling.
A few minutes into the film, a power failure abruptly halts the
video. Novethan has prepared for this possibility, quickly starting
a gasoline generator he brought earlier on his motorcycle. The
power of the Word is restored and the show goes on.
Jewish priest Zechariah asks an angel how he could father
John the Baptist (Luke 1:18) because of his and his wifes old
age. Some in the audience might recognize the voice as that of a
community elder, 90-something-year-old Thomas Ndiwago. The

They cant help but be enthralled with Jesus.
They are just drawn to Him. Its really neat.
prominent coffee farmer in Bambalang says he had to repeat his reputation in the community fends off the potential stigma of
lines four or five times in the recording studio before it sounded portraying Gods great enemy.
just right. All of the seats are filled now. An audience of about 250 spills
I understood that Zechariah was a believer and that is why he out onto the roadside, where viewers stand three or four deep.
is featured in the film with Jesus. So I tried to speak as somebody Some casual passersby, walking or riding motorcycles, have
that would be looked upon as a God-fearing person. stopped and stayed to watch the film. Novethan has seen this
Thomas was honoured to be chosen by the Catholic church he many times before, recalling one showing outside his church
attends to lend his voice at the recording sessions. months before.
I had zeal to go, he says, so that when the film came out, One father came around, he remembers. He doesnt go to
those who do not even like Gods Word will hear it and, through church. He was going somewherehe wasnt coming to watch
that, become Christians. just walking by.
Thomas has not been disappointed by the film. Novethan discovered that the man had been opposed to his
When I saw it the first time after it was done, I knew that God children attending church, thinking they would stubbornly turn
. . . is mighty and has been in control and has helped the whole against Bambalang traditions.
thing to be realized. When I saw it, I was really thankful to God. After watching the entire Luke film, the father changed his
tune. So these are the types of things that they are teaching in
Snake Appearance church, he said. Then why would I not want my children to be
The darkness grows deeper. Now the only light is from a three- church people?
quarter moon overhead, and the projectors triangular light beam. Explains Novethan, There are so many good lessons that he
Filled with dancing dust particles, the beam projects onto the never knew are found in Scripture. Now sitting there, he heard
bed-sheet screen and reflects back onto pensive front-row faces. those lessons directly himself. And then he invited me to come
When Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness in Luke 4, he is and talk with him about what he watched.
portrayed as a snake, drawing oohs from an audience that
lives daily with the danger of poisonous serpents on the Ndop Reverent and Amused
Plain. (Ironically, a boy who was bit earlier in the day is brought When tonights audience watches Jesus heal the demon-
to Dan during the movie and he treats the youngster with an controlled man in Luke 8, several express joy at Christs power
electrical anti-venom zapper back at his house.) The voice of and mercy. Jesus! Jesus! they say aloud. To a people so familiar
Satan is that of Novethans Bambalang translation partner, Pastor with oppressing spirits in day-to-day life on the Ndop Plain,
Ezekiel Sancho. He was chosen because his well-known Christian sending demons away into a herd of pigs is an impressive miracle.

At other times the viewers laugh heartily. The short tax Whether it is youngsters (ABOVE) or adults and kids (OPPOSITE
collector Zacchaeus frantic scramble up a sycamore tree in Luke PAGE), Bambalang speakers are attracted to Jesus as he speaks their
19, to get a good view of Jesus, prompts a burst of chuckles. But mother tongue in the Luke film. Each language in the Ndop Cluster
the crowd seems even more amused at the wisdom of Jesus. will have the film dubbed in their mother tongue after the Gospel of
Luke is translated. Audiences sit for four hours to watch the movie,
When he cleverly answers Jewish chief priests and teachers of the
engrossed by a Saviour who sounds just like them. As they do, local
law, who are trying to entrap him with trick questions, audience
villagers are realizing that God speaks their language.
members giggle with glee.
In like manner, Jesus in the Luke film is challenging local
religious leaders in Bambalang. Like Thomas, many Bambalang people watch the Luke film
Dan says the film has been shown in predominately Muslim multiple times, says Novethan. It is not just a tool for evangelism,
sections of Bambalang, outside mosques where local imams take but also discipleship.
chairs right up front. He gives the example of an illiterate Bambalang mother he
Theyve probably been told that the Bible isnt true . . . or that visited in her home, who was talking to her misbehaving son.
very much of it has been corrupted, he says. But when they The mother said, This thing you are doing, have you not
actually see it and hear it, they cant help but be enthralled with heard Jesus saying that we should not do it? That is because that
Jesus. They are just drawn to Him. Its really neat. mother has the film on her mobile phone.
They want to understand and they want to know what this The woman obtained the movie on a phone SD memory card,
message is and how it affects them. distributed by the Ndop Cluster team, says Novethan. She will
listen to it, the children will watch it. When they work their
Feeling What He Did farmland and sit and rest, they listen to it.
Chapter after chapter, hour after hour, the audience watches the
Luke film. Men and women dont budge from their hard bench Jesus is Bambalang
seats or their crowded standing places beside the busy road. Kids It is late, well past 11 p.m., when the movie ends. Pastor
arent fidgeting in the front row, either. Novethan takes the microphone and encourages the crowd to
A few scenes after Jesus feeds the 5,000, the film stops for a come to Jesus, before praying to close the evening.
short intermission with tea and a snack supplied by the family He is encouraged that three-quarters of this nights crowd
lending their homes wall for the bedsheet screen. are not churchgoers. Just as the prophet Isaiah asserted in the
As the film portrays Jesus being arrested, whipped and Old Testament, the pastor knows Gods Word in Bambalang
crucified, the audience becomes noticeably more solemn. will accomplish what the Lord wants it to. Over the next days
Though not here tonight, Thomas, the voice of Zechariah, says and weeks, he says, the impact of this nights movie will become
he is still deeply impacted by these scenes, despite watching the evident. Bambalang villagers will contact him with questions or
Luke film more than 10 times. commitments to follow Christ.
I like to watch it again and again because I see Jesus. I see His He is no longer a foreign Jesus, the pastor says of the
work and suffering here on earthsuffering to die for me and to Saviour presented in the Luke film. People are saying, Jesus is
die for all the people. It is not just in my imagination. When I see speaking Bambalang.
it, I feel it. I feel what He did in the suffering He went through, They see Jesus like He is their countryman, because He is
and that encourages my faith. speaking their language. He cares about them.

GROUP M E N

T A L I T Y
Wycliffe personnel share their
expertise with locals in a
seven-language, simultaneous
Bible translation effort
gaining momentum in
northwest Cameroon.
By Dwayne Janke
Dan Grove, from New Brunswick, sits at the back of a praying

congregation at Mbamong Baptist Church in the village of
Bambalang on Cameroons Ndop Plain. As supervisor of the Ndop
Cluster, he and other Wycliffe personnel give behind-the-scenes
logistical support to train and mentor a community-led effort of
Bible translation, Scripture use and literacy among seven language
groups in northwest Cameroon.

I WANT TO MAKE
JESUS MY KING.

A
sk Dan Grove about the impact of a multi-language Bible translation,
literacy and Scripture-use effort in Cameroons Ndop Plain, and he may tell
you the story of his neighbour, Taapro.
He was a bad mancommitted what we would call fraud, says Dan,
supervisor of this field effort known as the Ndop Cluster. He lied, he stole. He
would threaten people with machetes. I dont think he killed anybody, and I think
he figured he was okay because of that.
But he was our neighbour. He was our adopted father, stresses Dan, who lives
in Bambalang village with his wife Melody. I prayed for him a lot for 12 years.
One day, Dan went to visit the old man in his 80s; he looked tired. Taapro had
slept poorly because of hooting owls. When Dan remarked that he liked the birds, Cameroon: At a Glance
Taapro was shocked.
Name: Republic of Cameroon
They call them witch birds, said Taapro, revealing his deep fear of owls. They
are sorcerers who have changed into birds. They will come and eat your belly and Area: 475,440 sq km (slightly smaller than the Yukon).
kill you. Location: Central Africa, bordered by Nigeria, Chad,
Dan realized again that Taapro was steeped in the beliefs of African traditional the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,
religion, like most residents of the Ndop Plain. I remember sitting there thinking, the Republic of the Congo and the Atlantic Ocean
How is this old man ever going to change his worldview? coastline.
Power of the Word Geography: Diverse, with coastal plain in southwest,
In March of 2014, Taapro came over to the Groves house for breakfast. By this dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains
time, Ndops first version of the Luke film (see story, pg. 6) had been produced in in north, vast rainforest
Ireland inUnited
southeast.
Kingdom
Taapros mother tongue of Bambalang. Melody played the first part of the movie Population: 23.1 million. Neth.
Germany
Poland
Bel.
and the elderly man was eager to watch more. Over the next eight nights, Dan
Capital: Yaound (2.4 million). Lux. Czech Rep.
went to Taapros house and showed the rest of the four-hour film. Gods Word in Slovakia
his mother tongue, portrayed in visual form, touched Taapros heart. He began People: Cameroon Highlanders France31%, Equatorial
Switz. Bantu
Austria Liech.
Hungary
asking about sin. 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%,Croatia Slovenia
Bosnia &
When local Baptist pastor Pius Mbahlegue came to the Groves home the next Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less San Marino
Herz. Serbia
Mont. Kosovo
than 1%
Andorra
Italy
week to work on the Bambalang New Testament translation (see related story, pg. Portugal
Spain
Macedoni
20), Taapro was there too. Economy: Largely based on agriculture (coffee, cocoa,
Albania
Greece
He said, Pius, come here. What are the bad things that keep us out of cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, cassava,
heaven? Dan remembers. Im sure he was thinking, Im not too bad because I livestock), timber and oil exports.
havent killed anybody. Malta
Religion: Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%,

Interestingly, Pius specifically mentioned lying and stealing. Taapro pondered Tunisia
MuslimMorocco
20%.
for a few minutes. Then, putting his hand on his chest, he declared: I want to
make Jesus my King. Languages: 285; French and English (official
For me, thats what the Word is, says Dan. Its the power for salvation to languages) plus many
A l other
g e r i a indigenous languages.
everyone who believes. Its the change of a worldview of an old man whod Western Sahara(Occupied by Morocco)
L i b y a
Bible Translation Status: 15 languages have Bibles;
grown up afraid of owls, and sorcerers and ancestors and spirits. And the most 54 have New Testaments; 105 have Scripture portions.
prominent thing that changed for him was that he was no longer afraid.
This past December, Taapro passed away with the peace of salvation in Christ. Literacy: 63% (age 15 and over)
Mau r it an ia
Sources: WorldM Factbook;

a l i
Ethnologue; SIL.
White Mans Book
Experiences like Taapros are still too rare in Ndops 13 villages, which stretch over Senegal
N i g e r
an area 100-150 km at its widest point and are bordered by mountains on three C h a d
sides. Traditional religion, with its animal sacrifices, manipulating of ancestral

Gambia
spirits and wearing of charms, has a grip on most of the 250,000 residentsGuinea-
living as Burkina Faso
Bissau
subsistence farmers. Minority Muslim and Christian populations are not immune. Guinea
Benin
Dan says the Muslims practise a folk Islam and many professing Christian Sierra Nigeria
Leone Togo
believers, attending a half-dozen or so different church denominations, also mix Liberia
Cote d'Ivoire Ghana
Central
their faith with traditional practices. Ndop Plain
African Repu
Yaounde
Equatorial Guinea CAMEROON
Boys take a break from rolling their toy tires with sticks in front of a mosque on the
Ndop Plain. Like Christians, Muslims are a minority among the 250,000 residents in
the region, most of whom practise traditional religion. The followers of Islam here are Gabon
Congo
surprisingly open to hearing about Jesus as presented in Scriptures translated into their
heart languages. Democra
of th
(ABOVE) Wycliffes Cam Hamm, from Alberta, joins two speakers of the Bafanji
language, reading materials in their own language (see related story, pg. 26). (RIGHT,
TOP) A portion of a page showing a draft translation done by the Bamunka language
Bible translation team. It has been back-translated into English for review by Wycliffe
translation consultant Greg Beyer (see related story, pg. 33). (RIGHT, BOTTOM)
Gregs wife Annette binds booklets that tell the story of Christs birth for speakers of
the Bangolan language. [OPPOSITE PAGE] Women sell fish and produce in a village
market on the Ndop Plain, with a tall stone sacrificial altar looming large behind
them. As Gods Word becomes available in the local languages here, villagers are
learning of Jesus supreme sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all people.
People will go to church in the morning and then theyll go languages forming the Ndop cluster. Each one is named after the
home and sacrifice a chicken in the afternoon to help something village where it is spoken (ba means people of): Bambalang,
work better in their lives. You see a lot of children with a charm Bamunka, Bafanji, Bamali, Bamukumbit, Bamessing and Bangolan.
around their necks to protect them. Wycliffe personnel in the Ndop Cluster have a group
Christianity came to the people of the Ndop decades ago, but mentality, following a strategy to equip and support locals in all
it has been treated as a foreign religion. It was added onto their of the languages simultaneously.
traditions just like another layer on an onion, explains Dan. The Weve always wanted to be community-led, community-
Church . . . has been very shallow and weak. oriented, and seeking to train and mentor, says Dan, who calls
The Bible is considered by many as a white mans book. In this New Brunswick home. Our goal has been to do what we need to
English region of Cameroon, the Bible used by the churches is in do, not just to get work done, but to help others in that process
English or Pidgin, not the languages that people know best. to be able to do the work.
The expats on the Ndop team have trained local speakers,
Training and Supporting often church pastors, to do Bible translation. At present, 24
To break through this barrier, initial work began in Bible translators are working part time in the seven languages, most
translation and related ministries, such as linguistics, literacy and with backing from local inter-church committees. In terms of
Scripture use, in 2003. progress, Bambalang and Bamunka are out in front, with Lukes
Today, a small, international team of Wycliffe personnel from Gospel published and all of the New Testament translation
Canada, the U.S., Ireland, Romania, the U.K. and Cameroon drafted. The Luke film in Bambalang (as well as Bamunka) is
bring their expertise in linguistics, translation and literacy. They being shown with great acceptance, and mother-tongue literacy
have been training and/or supporting several dozen locals, is offered to adults and children at church-run schools (see
who are serving their own people in seven of the 10 related stories on pages 6 and 30).

WHEN THEYRE PREACHING IN
BANGOLAN, THEYRE LISTENING,
THEIR EYES ARE OPEN, THEYRE
SITTING FORWARD, THEY DONT
FALL ASLEEP.
Staying Awake
Language work isnt as advanced in other languages, such as
Bangolan, where Americans Lance and Abby Freeland are serving.
But momentum is building.
After translating about half of Lukes Gospel, the two pastors
on the Bangolan team no longer need encouragement from the
Freelands to preach in their mother tongue. Theyre just doing
it because they see the difference that Scripture in the mother
tongue makes, says Lance, originally from Michigan.
Most noticeable by the pastors is that people in church are
not habitually dozing off or unresponsive, says Lance. When
theyre preaching in English or Pidgin, several of the ladies in
their churches would fall asleep because they didnt understand.
When theyre preaching in Bangolan, theyre listening, their eyes
are open, theyre sitting forward, they dont fall asleep.
Adds Abby, a Washington state native: I think theyre starting
to see now that this [translated Scripture] is for us to grow.
People need to be discipled, need to see change in their lives. Its
not just a tract in our language to hand out to people. Its the
Bible. Its the Word of God.
Read the Whole Thing

The Freelands are eager to see the Luke translation finished so it
can be used to prepare the Luke film, as well as an audio version
of the Gospel.
My dream would be that the churches start using the Luke
video and recordings, and people come to Christ through that,
explains Lance. And then theyre able to be discipled because
they can understand the Word when they read it.
The couple is excited to see Gods Word also make inroads
among Muslims, who account for up to half of Bangolan
speakers. More than a year ago, a translation team member was
testing a translation of the Christmas Story with villagers in the
marketplace. Several Muslim leaders questioned the accuracy
of the Bible because of its many versions. The local translator
shared what he had been taught in translation traininghow
historically, Bible translation has been carefully based on
manuscripts in the original languages, Greek and Hebrew.
And then he said, And soon there will be a version in our
language, Lance recalls. The pastor read some of the Christmas
Story to them in their mother tongue. Two days later, they came
at night to his house and they said, Read us the whole thing.
These Muslim leaders came, like Nicodemus [in the Gospel of

THESE MUSLIM LEADERS CAME,
(ABOVE) Ndop Cluster supervisor Dan Grove checks in with
pastors Pius Mbahlegue and Novethan Shanui (see related stories,
pgs. 20 and 6 respectively), Bible translators in their Bambalang
LIKE NICODEMUS AT NIGHT, mother tongue, which is spoken by about 25,000 people. The
translated Scriptures have been available in audio form for use on
HIDING, BUT WANTING TO

cellphones. Unchurched taxi boat drivers [OPPOSITE PAGE] on Lake
Bamendjing memorize large sections of Gods Word while waiting
for customers on shore.
KNOW MORE." from Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary, and will start MA
translation degrees this fall.
John, chapter 3] at night, hiding, but wanting to know more. So Im impressed with their abilities already, says Greg. They
now, he does regular testing with these Muslim guys. just need to deepen that a bit more, particularly on the linguistic
The English Bible would never cross that barrier, but the side. Im confident that theyll be able to do a good job [as
Bangolan will. translation consultants] and will be able to help finish up these
languages here on the Ndop Plain.
Review Bottleneck
With two dozen translators pumping out drafts of Gods Word Past the Obstacles
in their mother tongues, a big challenge facing the Ndop Cluster Dan acknowledges that consultant-checking is not the only
is getting them consultant-checked before publishing. That huge challenge facing the Ndop Cluster. A steady source of funding
job falls to Greg Beyer, a Wycliffe Bible translation consultant, is needed, which is why Wycliffe Canadas sponsorship of the
who, with his wife Annette, call Pennsylvania home (see pg. 33). work is so crucial (see back cover). More specialists in linguistics,
The various translation teams need longer and more frequent literacy and Scripture use are required to bolster the efforts of
checking sessions with Greg, but he just cant give any one team existing Wycliffe personnel. And the Ndop communities, who
all of his time. Here, with the Ndop Cluster, because Im working never before had books in their languages to value, must develop
with seven languages, Im not able to give them much more than a greater vision for using their translated Scriptures.
a few days a month, he says. But Dan looks past the obstacles, envisioning the future
This creates a bottleneck in the translation process, but the potential of Gods Word throughout the Ndop Plain, based on
Ndop Cluster is not unique in this. Consultants are in short what hes already seen happen in the village where he lives.
supply around the world. When we first came I could probably count on one, maybe
We could probably have a couple more consultants, at least two hands, the number of strong Christians in Bambalang.
one more, if not two, and our work would be going a little faster, I would need an awful lot more hands to do that now.
says Greg.
In a few years, help will be on the way. Bambalang translators
Get Involved!
(and pastors), Pius Mbahlegue and Novethan Shanui (see related See the back cover for details on how you can help the
stories, pgs. 20 and 6), already have bachelor degrees in theology Ndop Cluster effort grow and advance in Cameroon.

FLAMES
TURNED TO
HOPE In the midst
of war, Pastor
Pius Mbahlegue
courageously
brought the
peace of Christ
to his village.
By Nathan Frank

E
verything in Bambalang, Cameroon has a fiery tint.
Blame it on the communitys red soil. In the dry season,
dust films the landscape, covering palm trees and grass
with a dark salmon hue.
This red dirt also gathers in the creases of Pastor Pius
Mbahlegues black dress shoes as he tours the wreckage of
homes in Bambalang. Memories of a devastating attack by a
neighbouring village flood the mind of the pastor and Ndop
Cluster Bible translator. About 400 homes in the village of
25,000 people were burned in the land-grab assault four
years agoyet Pius speaks calmly of the event. This wasnt an
ordinary war, because from those ashes came a powerful hope
this community had never seen.
Desperation
They had bullets, they had gasoline and they had trucks.
Without hesitation, they came and burned more than 400
Bambalang houses to the ground. It was simple. These men
from the neighbouring community wanted more land and this
was a way to get it. For many in Bambalang, everything was
gone: no food, no house, no clothing, no pots to cook in. There
was nothing left.
Naturally, villagers were angry. As one young woman told
Pius: I had a plan in my heart that I was going to go to that
village and look for a very big house and set it on fire. I would
burn the house even with the people inside. Then they would
come out and they would kill me. I wouldnt have to suffer.
They would just kill me.
Revenge would have been easy, but this girl found hope
instead. By Gods providence, the Bambalang Gospel of Luke
dedication was scheduled six days after the war was halted by
the governments rapid intervention battalion.
The Scripture was coming at that timewhen something
so disastrous, so terrible was happening, Pius says of the
dedication where the king and many nobles of the language
group were in attendance. Nobody in the village shall ever
forget the first words God spoke to them [in their heart
language] because those were the first words spoken to the
whole village after the terrible disaster.
A short time later, Pius taught two trauma workshops,
where he shared a message of hope in the face of desperation,
perplexity, confusion and anger. In the following days and
months, the Bambalang team of the Ndop Cluster put roofs
on nearly 100 homes, with primary care given to widows and
those most vulnerable.
By boldly following Christ in word and deed, Pius and his
colleagues gained the respect of the community. Because of
Pius commitment to Christ, more and more people are seeing
the true power and trustworthiness of Christ.
Pastor Pius Mbahlegue brings the fire of Gods Word during a

sermon to his congregation in Bambalang, Cameroon. Pius preaches
to his congregation from the Bambalang New Testament, which will
be ready for printing in 2016.

You did not save yourself. You
are not alive because you know
how to swim. I saved you to
come back to me.
Its Good to Be Curious

Pius himself didnt personally see Christ as
trustworthy until he was a young man. As he
tells his life story, his contagious smile is present
even during a serious conversation. With his
sharp eyes, gapped teeth, and deep voice, he
captures your attention. He has a curious and
polite manner just like he had as a kid.
Growing up the oldest of 11 children, Pius
first love was science. He would spend hours
memorizing diagrams in textbooks and dreamt
about one day becoming a doctor. When he was
in Grade 5, his father converted to Islam and
introduced him to the Quran.
I used to ask lots of questions. I was often
told, You have to learn! You dont have to
ask questions, Pius says. But to me asking
questions was part of learning. When they were
stopping me from asking questions, something
in my heart [told me] that this is not the right
place for me.
Pius was curious. He couldnt help it. Soon
though, he and his family left Islam and instead
attended church. Despite the change in worship,
Pius says going to churchjust like going to
mosquewas simply something people did.
It didnt really intersect with home life where
traditional religion, such as ancestor worship
and other African spirituality, was practised.
Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of those
who were going to church were still really
participating in those things, he explains. They
were living in two worlds.
Pius says he went to church for a very long
time without knowing Christ. God hadnt yet
grabbed his attention. But he would soonin a
big way.
No Rescue
After graduating from high school, Pius
moved to a Bambalang island, where he
farmed a piece of land and fished the waters
alongside Novethan Shanui, who wasnt yet a
Christian. (Today, he is a fellow pastor and Bible
translator.)
This is the time for you to quit all your Christian
stuff and take a break, Novethan told Pius.

(ABOVE) Pastor Pius (centre) laughs as Canadian Dan Grove (right), (OPPOSITE) Pius wife Delphine stirs fufu, a staple food for
the Ndop Cluster supervisor (see story, pg. 12) tells an animated story. Cameroonians made from corn flour. It is often served with a sauce
Pius is gaining a bigger role in the cluster. He is attending seminary so containing fish or greens.
he can become a much-needed translation consultant.
Caught off guard, Pius initially rebuked Novethans suggestion, away in the distance, Pius found himself in the water like a
intending to maintain his faith by reading his English Gideon frightened dog thrown into a lake for the first time.
New International Bible each Sunday. However, after two weeks As Pius grappled for something to hold on to, so he could pull
on the water, Pius had abandoned his Christian tradition and himself out of the water, a man floated by in his canoetotally
focused his attention on catching fish and making money. ignoring him. That evening, after he retrieved his canoe and dried
One day Pius was traversing the open waters on his canoe, off, Pius was deeply troubled.
singing at the top of his lungs as he floated along. Approaching Why did this man not want to rescue me? he questioned.
the forest in the distancewhich had been partially submerged How terrible of a man who sees a man dying and he will not
by the lakehe got so caught up in song that he lost his want to rescue him?
concentration. Losing his balance, he struggled to regain his As he lay in bed, meditating on what had happened, suddenly
composure before the canoe hit a tree. While his canoe floated he heard a voice: You did not save yourself. You are not alive

Its not everybody that will
have the privilege to go through
Scripture verse-by-verse, taught
fully in context and try to know the
meaning of each word, each phrase,
each sentence, each paragraph.
because you know how to swim. I saved you to come back to me.
Feeling confused and frightened, he reached for his Gideon New
International Bible, opening it up to Romans, his favourite book.
No one is righteous, not even one, he read from Romans 3.
All have gone astray like sheep and goats . . . the wages of sin is
death but the gift of God is eternal life.
It pricked Pius deep in his heart. Deeply moved, he asked
God to take complete control of his life. The next morning he
immediately went to the owner of the island and told him he
was leaving his plot of land and was done fishing. Pius returned
to Bambalang and would become a pastor.
Fishing Through Scripture

In 2002, along with current translator and old fishing buddy
Novethan, Pius was chosen by the chairman of Bambalangs
traditional council to develop a writing system for the
Bambalang language. By 2008, they began the translation of the
New Testament, which is expected to be finished by next year.
That is just so wonderful, so big to me, says Pius of
translating the New Testament. Its not everybody that will
have the privilege to go through Scripture verse-by-verse, taught
fully in context and try to know the meaning of each word, each
phrase, each sentence, each paragraph.
With a deeper understanding of Scripture in his mother
tongue, Pius is able to offer his congregation a greater
comprehension of Scripture in their first language. Instead of
falling asleep in the service because the pastor is preaching in
a language they struggle to understand, the congregation is He hasnt always been so respected, though. When he was
learning the truths of the gospel. Rather than church being only a a young pastor he took his stand, refusing to participate in
village social club, it has become a place of restoration. traditional religious practices. For instance, he refused to make
Now they are hearing the truth in their language. . . .They are sacrifices to the god of rain when there was a crop failure.
actually growing deep in their faith. When the village fon (king) decreed that all Bambalang pastors
should pray publicly for the success of the annual religious festival,
Fisher of Men Pius instead preached the gospel.
Its market day in Bambalang. Pius shuffles through a hectic scene. People said, No one has the authority to call the nobles in
A large truck forces its way through a tight walkway and, in the the village to repent, he explains. They said that it is not fair
distance, a man tackles a desperate, squealing pig with a rope. In and that I was going to die.
the midst of the people scrambling and struggling to sell goods, With Pius under spiritual attack, churches fasted and prayed
Pius reflects a radical, different economy and a new way of life. In for him. Many in the community believed he would be cursed
the chaos of the market, he is a calming presence. He is reached for his belligerence. But no harm came to him.
out to by villagers for direction and counsel. He is respected and Wow, nothing happened to Pastor Pius. He must have the
honoured. As he shakes the hands of villagers, he realizes how Lord behind him. His God must be real, people concluded.
much his place in the village has changed and how Christ has Gods power was on display through Pius stand.
broken through the deep traditions and culture of his people.

A New Season Pius tours Bambalang homes damaged in a brutal attack by a
As Pius looks at Bambalangs countryside, perhaps he sees a neighbouring village in 2011. Hundreds of homes were destroyed,
yet in the devastation many found hope through Christ presented
parallel between the red dust that tinges the landscape and the
in mother-tongue Scriptures.
hearts of the villagers. For many generations, local traditions and
customs have clouded the hearts of the people from the touch
of Christs gospel, their view obscured like the dust that fills the
Bambalang air.
Pius, however, can now see beyond the dusty red tinge in the
air. He sees hope. The rainy season is coming and it will wash
away the dust. With a bright smile, he looks in the distance. He
knows that Christ brings rebirth and trusts that a new season is
just around the corner.

WH HEARTED LE
COMMITMENT O
Trusting Gods radical call of obedience leads a couple
to linguistics work in Cameroons Ndop Plain.
I was interested
in people from
other cultures in
By Nathan Frank my classroom
and enjoyed any
S
ome people have a way of brightening up a room. Valerie Hamm is one
of those people.
projects I had that
It is noticeable as she first steps through the doorway into a full room were intercultural
of Ndop Cluster staff gathered for a team meeting. With an endless smile
and wearing a colourful flowered dress, Valerie greets her friend, Patricia.
even in Grade 2.
You are looking so beautiful, Valerie says sincerely as she approaches the hired
cook for Ndop Cluster supervisor Dan Grove and his wife Melody, who is the
Clusters literacy specialist.
Entering behind Valerie is her husband Cam and their three rambunctious
children: Noah, Elizabeth and Jojo. Cam, who is a linguist for the Ndop Cluster in
northwest Cameroon, watches as his kids disappear in different directions to play
with their friends. The goateed Canadian father has a calming confidence. Hes a
focused man who chooses his words carefully.
Hes a man of faith, says Valerie. He trusts God for the future; hes not a
worrier, and I like that about him.
The popular theory is that opposites attract. That is certainly true for these two,
who met in 2000 in Chad, Africa, when they were both new to SIL (Wycliffes key
field partner).
Well, there was a 60-year-old single, a 40-year-old single and an engaged single,
explains a laughing Valerie about Cam's competition for her attention in Chad.
Although the two are opposites in many ways, their God-given personalities
match Gods call on their lives. Its a call that led them both to Bible translation
work before they even met.
MISSI ONS MINDED

As children, Valerie and Cam were separated by a few borders and more than
1,200 km. Cam grew up on a grain farm near Edmonton, Alta., while Valerie
was raised in Richland, Wash., a community known for its nuclear power plants.
Although many miles separated them, the couple had a similar upbringingboth
growing up in Christian homes and attending missions-minded churches.
I was interested in missions from a very young age, Valerie explains. I was
interested in people from other cultures in my classroom and enjoyed any
projects I had that were interculturaleven in Grade 2.
As a teenager, Valerie met a missionary from Peru, who told her about Wycliffe
and the desperate need for Bible translation across the globe. A missions trip to Peru
when she was 15 years old convinced her that this was the path God had for her.
I dont feel I am a strong evangelist, but having a way where even the process of
Bible translationif not evangelismis at least discipleship, that excited me, she

(ABOVE) Valerie Hamm (centre) reads a book
to her children, Noah and Elly, and a few Bafanji
children. Valerie says tutoring children is her most
satisfying task. (LEFT) As a linguistics specialist,
Cam Hamm spends a great deal of his time
working on his computer.

He will take
care of us no
matter what.
We just need
to be willing
and available
for God to
use us.
(ABOVE) The
Hamms, who have raised
their family in Cameroon, say
grace before enjoying a delicious
meal. (BELOW) Cam checks the
battery life of a handful of phones in
his Bafanji office. Cam charges phones
for those in the community who lack their
own power sources.
says. Youre walking through the Word of God with

people of God and getting it out where evangelism
can happen.
After graduating with a degree in computer science,
Valerie planned to jump straight into the mission
field with Wycliffe. But that never happened.
I filled out an application and I had no peace
about sending it in, she says. I had a little debt to
pay off and I was offered a permanent job which
I took. I quickly paid off my debt and I still had
absolutely no peace.
She worked in a financial processing position for a
research company for six years, often crying because
she felt like her work was meaningless. Valerie wanted
to be working in the mission field. Although she felt
dissatisfied with the job, she believed that was where
God wanted her at that time.
For me its not what I wanted to be doing, but thats
where God had me and I knew it. I like knowing where
God wants me.
Finally, however, after six years of working in
computer science, she felt God said it was time for her
to join Wycliffe.
WILLING AND ABLE

Cams calling to missions with Wycliffe began a little bit later
in life than Valeriesbut not by much. He first felt God was
moving him to overseas missions work when a missionary to
China spoke at the chapel of Prairie Bible College, where he
was attending.
Is God worthy of whole-hearted commitment? asked the
missionary. He will take care of us no matter what. We just need
to be willing and available for God to use us.

Cam was convicted and took a The Hamms arent the ones doing any of the actual
commitment card that the missionary translations though. That is best left to trained local speakers
handed out after he shared. At the end of of the languages. A straight-faced Cam says that if he and his
the year when Cam was cleaning out his wife were doing the translation, it would sound like something
dorm room, he found the card lost in a shuffle generated by Google Translation. Or, like the instructions that
of papers. Staring at the card, he took stock of come with a cheap item bought from a dollar store, obviously
his life and his future. translated into English by someone who didnt master English or
I found the card and I didnt want to throw it who has never lived in an English-speaking country.
ONLY A FEW COMMITTED

away because I knew it was something significant,
he says. I looked at it carefully and realized that I was
willing to go anywhere and do anything at any time for any If a plant is going to grow, it must be watered. If its not watered,
cost because Jesus Christ is Lord. He knows what I need. the plant doesnt receive important nutrients. Quickly it will
A short time later, God directed him to linguistics work. Cam was bake in the sun, dry out and one day die. The same goes for
looking for an easy class to add to a busy class schedule. A friend Bafanji. The people arent being watered at church, so they
recommended he take an intro to linguistics class designed by arent being nourished. At this point, interest in Christianity is
Wycliffe missionaries. Cam had fun in the class and looked forward still minimal. Church is just another social club.
to attending. After the class finished a Wycliffe representative It is not always clearly taught to people how to respond to a
spoke to the students and shared how linguistics and a Bible situation where their tradition says to do one thing and the Bible
education could be used in Bible translation. Cam was convinced. teaches another, explains Cam.
I knew that God wanted me to do something other than stay Bafanji is a community saturated with traditional animist
in Canada, Cam explains. I thought about it in my mind, What beliefs. The people worship their ancestors and are committed
is the worst thing that God could want me to do? The worst place, to cultural customs for marriages, deaths and births. Someone
the worst job? If that were true, and God wanted me to do it, may go to church or a mosque, but they will also go home and
would that be okay? make a sacrifice to a local spirit in the evening.
Cam decided that following Gods call on his life was most Without a strong church, finding committed, passionate
importantmore than his own comfort. He was going to be a Bible translation partners has been a challenge. It has been
missionary. difficult to get people from all the different churches to work
With such similar obedient hearts, its no surprise that Cam on the translation team. So far there are only three locals who
and Valerie met after they joined Wycliffe. Although on the are committed to having the Bible translated in the Bafanji
surface they appear very different from one another, its their languagetwo of whom are pastors in another community. For
obedience that has made them perfect partners in ministry. the Bafanji Bible to have any impact, the Hamms believe the
The couple married in 2001 and three years later were assigned community has to be awakened to Christ.
to the Ndop Cluster, where they have been working in linguistics Weve seen other places where missionaries have come in and
ever since. done all the work and left them a Bible and its just sat on the
shelf, says Cam. Even if we stayed here our whole life, [one day]
WHAT IS LINGUISTICS, EXACTLY? we will die. So, we need people from the village who speak the
Cam is a linguistics specialist for the Bafanji language, spoken by language to take charge.
OD CHANGES EVERYTHING
about 20,000 people on the Ndop Plain.
He also serves half-time as linguistics co-ordinator for SIL G
Cameroon, Wycliffes key field partner in the nation. From the A group of Bafanji children stampede toward Valerie as she
outside looking in, what he does seems like the average desk job opens a story book on a calm January evening. Kids love a story
in Canada. He spends many hours in front of a computer screen, when there is a good storyteller and Valerie is certainly one of
studying the language in written form. those. A small child with baggy pants pushes his way to the front
Cams job is to help local translators translate the most and grasps onto Valeries knee. He desperately wants to see the
accurate yet understandable Bibles possible. Specifically, he is pictures. He wants to see what the other children see.
trying to determine the way that Bafanji people write down The Hamms are praying that the Bafanji people become eager
what they speak, so that translated Scripture can ultimately be like this child. They believe once the people hear the story and see
written clearly for the people. Jesus, they will cling to Him like this child clings to Valeries knee.
The first task for Cam and Valerie, when they began more than This is why the Hamms gave their lives to Bible translation work
a decade ago, was to develop a Bafanji alphabet, before creating many years ago. The couple knows once the Bafanji people hear
a dictionary and studying the grammar of the language. Today The Story in their own language, their lives will never be the same
Cam is a consultant for Ndop translation teamsincluding Bafanji and they, too, will whole-heartedly commit their lives to God.
and otherswho have begun translating the New Testament (see
related story, pg. 12). One major way he has helped them is by
leading a series of courses for leaders representing six languages, to
discover the grammar of their own language.

Bright Future
for the Next Mother-tongue
schooling is setting
Generation the foundation for the

youth of Cameroons
Ndop Plain.
By Nathan Frank

Its the language they grew
G reen school uniforms adorn a crowded classroom of

attentive Grade 1 students in northwest Cameroon.
Eager voices fill the air as they rambunctiously learn the
alphabet with their playful teacher, Irene Nchongwa.
In the back row, a boy waves his hand over his head while
up with. Its the language
they know. Its the foundation
of everything.
leaning against the red dirt wall. Madame! Madame! he squeals,
with a huge grin on his face, trying to get the attention of the are taught in one languagethe language which they are most
teacher. The boys desire to learn is vibrant, and overpowers the familiar withtheir mother tongue of Bambalang.
noisy energy and enthusiasm of the rest of his classmates. Other schools in the Ndop Plain are taught in English, because
Light shimmers through an opening in the roof and onto this is the English part of Cameroon (English and French are the
these blessed Grade 1 students, with such bright futures. They national languages).
are some of about 100 students ages 6 to 8, attending the school At Bambalangs CBC school, in Grade 1 and Grade 2, oral
that uses the multilingual education program in the bustling English is confined to a subject alongside math, science and
village of Bambalang. This is the only school in the Ndop region social studies. The students are taught from lesson booklets
to teach Grade 1 and Grade 2 in the mother tongue. based on the Cameroon government curriculum, first developed
The classroom next door has a much different atmosphere, in Kom (another Cameroonian language group) by Wycliffe
with students who have a year of school under their belts, and personnel in 2009. It was translated from English into Bambalang
have learned how to listen in class. Emmanel Tambakwi ( who is in 2013.
in training to become literacy co-ordinator for the Ndop Cluster) These books present the information in an understandable
helps the teacher, Margrette Mbah, by occasionally teaching the manner using short stories or descriptions, all in the mother
reading and writing part of their daily learning. Sitting upright tongue, explains Melody Grove, a Canadian who is the Ndop
in their chairs, they are quiet and attentive as Emmanel asks for Cluster literacy specialist. They don't have to memorize
a volunteer to come to the chalk board to write the Bambalang anything. . . . In the English school, the children would struggle
word vu'u on the board. Emmanel chooses a petite girl to memorize what the teacher had said so they could say it back,
perhaps the youngest in the class. She gingerly walks to the but not understand much about what it meant.
board, carefully writes the word, turns to Emmanel, hands the Emmanel says it is crucial for the students to learn first in their
chalk back to him before walking back to her seat and sitting mother tongue.
back down. Its the language they grew up with, he says. Its the language
The personality of the class is strikingly polite, just like its they know. Its the foundation of everything. And so you start
teacher. Perhaps one day one of them will be a teacher, just like them with something they know [their mother tongue] and take
he is. Maybe this possibility crosses Emmanel's mind as he sits them to something they dont know [English], and they will learn
next to a student after class, giving the child the extra attention very well. But, if you start them in English it would disturb them.
she needs to thrive. The MLE program works on the premise that by being taught
in the language they know best, the children will be able to
What Is Multilingual Education? learn more effectively. This belief has been proven by the good
Bambalangs Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) primary test results throughout the year. In Grade 4, with a strong base
school opened its doors to the multilingual education (MLE) in reading and writing in their mother tongue, the students are
program for Grade 1 students in September of 2013 (adding ready to transition to full-time classes in English. Developing
Grade 2 in 2014, and Grade 3 this fall). It is the first of its kind in
fluency in English will broaden the students career options.
the Ndop Plain. Dont let the name fool you, though; multilingual
education is not schooling where the students are taught in Literacy Is the Great Commission
multiple languages, but rather its an education where students As these children look up at their gentle-spirited teacher, they
dont know how lucky they are. Well, luck really has nothing to
(OPPOSITE PAGE) A group do with it. They are blessed by God. Not everyone feels called to
of playful Bambalang children a particular vocation, but their teacher was.
show off their personalities The truth is, Emmanel's childhood was quite rare. His
outside of Bambalangs childhood was not like that of kids in most church-attending
Cameroon Baptist Convention Bambalang families, who are often involved in both church and
(CBC) primary school. (RIGHT) traditional ancestral worship. His family was devoutly Christian
Emmanel Tambakwi, who is and his father was a lay pastor.
training to become the Ndop
As early as Emmanel can remember, he had a strong faith in
Clusters literacy co-ordinator,
believes mother-tongue
Christ. And it was this devoted trust in God that shaped two God-
education will lead to a deeper rooted desires in his heartfirst to be a teacher and another to
understanding of Scripture become a pastor, so he could win souls for Jesus Christ.
and an exciting future for the After graduating from high school he found himself back in
next generation. Bambalang, teaching mother-tongue literacy to people in the

community. When he saw an old church lady reading the Gospel (ABOVE) Emmanel gives a student a little bit of extra attention at
of Luke in her heart language, he realized suddenly the power Bambalangs Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) primary school.
of education. Since his childhood, Emmanel has felt a calling to be a teacher. He
The woman came to class and expressed how her life had says he has found that literacy is a part of the Great Commission.
been changed, he says. I decided that doing literacy will also When people are able to read for themselves, he explains, they
win souls for Jesus Christ. no longer rely on their pastors to learn from God. Instead they
Emmanel was convicted to follow the original desire of his can learn and connect with God through the life-changing Word
heartto be a teacher. He realized that teaching children how of God in their hands.
to read and write opens a gateway to the Word of God in their Literacy is something that opens the way for Bible translation. . . .
heart language. If we invest more in literacy, I think the translated Scriptures will
create a lot more impact inside peoples lives.
Energetic Future Melody Grove, who began helping develop the literacy program
Teachers can only expect a child to sit still for so long in class. in the Ndop cluster in 2002, sees the big picture of teaching
During recess at the CBC school, students flood the green children how to read in their mother tongue at a young age.
grass that is nearly the size of a football field. As much as these Children who learn to read and write their language in
children appear to enjoy the gift of learning, recess is where they Grade 1 and Grade 2 will always be able to read the translated
are in their element. Fifteen minutes can feel like an hour, and a Scriptures in their mother tongue, even when they are adults,
game of tag with friends like an Olympic competition. she says. We know that using mother-tongue Scriptures allows
Soon, there will be more energetic students like these in people to understand God's Word and also makes them know
the region who are privileged enough to attend school in that He speaks their language. He is not a foreign God, and He
their mother tongue. This fall the neighbouring community cares about them deeply.
of Bamunka will begin mother-tongue schooling, while other Today there is hope for the next generation of Ndop children.
schools have showed interest for the future. The plan is to have Perhaps more hope than at any other point in history. With the
multilingual education in each language group in the cluster. innocence of childhood, these children are unaware of their
We hope to see many teachers become involved, says blessing. To them its all a game. Learning, playing and dreaming
Emmanel, when asked about the future of literacy in the region. I go hand-in-hand.
want to see people embracing their own language. Cherishing their So, they will just keep on playing.
own language, not cherishing Englishtheir second language.

Beyond Words
Earsor Ears that Hear?

Dwayne Janke
A s another checking session with the Bamunka translation team is nearing its mid-afternoon
conclusion on Cameroons Ndop Plain, Wycliffe consultant Greg Beyer is wondering about
something. In the Gospel of Mark, the team has translated Christs challenge to those
listening to Him as, If anyone has an ear, let him hear in their Bamunka mother tongue.
The translators translated a draft of the Scriptures, then sent this to Beyer translated back into
English for his review. All the teams working in languages of the Ndop Cluster do the same (see
related story, pg. 12). Beyer (and his wife Annette, who provides administrative support) have
travelled to the Bamunka translation office on this day, ready with comments and questions based
on his review of their work. Beyer proceeds verse-by-verse through the draft, arriving at the verse
in question, Mark 4:9.
Everybody has ears, Beyer points out, so is Jesus just saying, Let everybody hear what Im saying
or is Jesus saying something deeper? After all, English translations say ears to hear.
Beyer, who holds an MA in biblical studies from Biblical Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania,
brings his experience as an exegete, sharing the original meaning of the biblical text with the
translation team.
Im trying to Jesus was saying, you need to have a willingness to hear, and then think more about what Im
make sure that saying in my parables, he stresses. Its a slight nuance, but I think its important nonetheless.
Team members, including several pastors, mull over Beyers input. In the end, they believe their
what they come translation in Bamunka is a good one. They say it conveys Jesus concern that hearers needed a
sincere willingness to hear and think about what he was saying.
out with is the Beyer says later that he isnt entirely convinced the translation is the best that it can be.
best it can be. Since this phrase of Jesus is found several times in the Gospels, the team must be sure it clearly
communicates the intended meaning each time.
Its something I want to explore a little more with the team, he says. If they persuade me that
Yes, this is how its understood in our language, then Im fine. In the end, ultimately, this is their
translation. I want them to be satisfied with what it says.
As a translation consultant, Beyers role is to check translations to ensure they are accurate, clear
and sound natural in the language. Im trying to make sure that what they come out with is the
best it can be.
Translating and checking the Scriptures verse-by-verse can indeed be tedious and tiring, but
Beyer knows the value of translating Gods Word well into the mother tongue. So do the Ndop
Cluster translators, like Pastor Zachary Umaru Lohnyefong of the Bamunka team.
The joy is that the people are accepting it, the people are committed to it, they are receiving it,
he explains.
The first day I read in the
church in the mother tongue,
one old man jumped up and
said, Pastor, we have understood
everything. The whole church
was quieter than ever before.
From the first day we started
reading it in church, more people
are coming to Christ than ever
before.
Wycliffe Bible translation

consultant Greg Beyer reviews
Scripture translation with the
Bamunka team.
A Thousand Words
On the Outside Looking In
Children can sense when they are missing

out on something. These two boys,
overhearing Word Alive's Nathan Frank
interview other students at Bambalangs
Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC)
primary school, desperately try to see
Natasha Schmale what is happening. Too bad they cant
fit through these small windows. Ndop
cluster leadership believe that the success
of Bambalangs CBC primary school
multilingual education program (see story,
pg. 30) will lead to more schools using
the multilingual education approach
across the Ndop Plain. Soon, they hope
there will be fewer children like these
two who are on the outside looking in.

Last Word
Unexpected Weapons Against Human Trafficking

Roy Eyre, Wycliffe Canada President
Igot to know a Canadian university student while

on a Wycliffe Canada vision-building trip to Peru in
2013. Tiffarah Gosman is a young lady with a passion
for justice, especially for preventing human trafficking.
While many organizations focus on rescue and care
community, vulnerable to attack from other ethnic
groups, a literacy class was a shining light. The women
there were eager to learn to read for themselves. But we
know that women dont just read for themselves. Theres
an old adage that if you teach a man to read, youve
for those caught in trafficking, she told me that few taught one person. If you teach a woman, youve taught
emphasize prevention. Her passion was to address the a village. These women are tired of being pushed around,
root causes. According to the U.S. government, human tired of being caught in the cycle of poverty. When I
trafficking continues because it preys on the worlds watched their kids running around, I realized they have
poor, marginalized and uninformed peoples. hope unheard of in previous generations, because these
The answer is to make traffickers tacticsthreats, women are learning to read.
manipulations and offers for escape from povertyless But it doesnt end there. The building also housed
appealing, less threatening and less believable. Educational a young, vibrant and growing church. Needing more
programs and awareness campaigns have been tried. space, it has since moved into its own building. The
However, these miss the communities most Sunday morning I attended, I saw that the first people
vulnerable to trafficking: illiterate, minority- through the door were the same women from the
Bible translation, language speakers. literacy class.
mother-tongue Tiffarahs passion led her to explore the These women arent satisfied with literacy; they want
role of womens literacy during an internship life and hope for their children.
education and in Cameroon. As she worked alongside
distribution of Wycliffe staff in Africa, she could see that
as women learn to read, they can access
Scriptures form
vital safety information and become aware
a protective of support systems. Moreover, they are
barrier against empowered to take action.
When people are enabled to pursue
exploitation. their interests, provide for themselves
and their families, and contribute to their
communities, they are less likely to be
persuaded by the tricks of traffickers or to
seek escape from their current situation.
Take it one step further. Though literacy programs in
and of themselves have powerful social and economic
impacts, when combined with the Living Word of God
they gain even more transformative power. The message
of deliverance, healing and hope found in the Bible lays a
foundation for beliefs about human rights, protection of
the weak and hope for the future.
Bible translation, mother-tongue education and
distribution of Scriptures result in stronger and healthier
communities and form a protective barrier against
human trafficking and exploitation, both now and for
future generations.
I saw this empowerment for myself a few years ago
when I visited Cameroon. In the village of Bambalang Cindy Buckshon
on the Ndop Plain, I visited a literacy class, meeting in

a home that was being rebuilt from a recent war (see
related story, pg. 20). The mud block walls were still
black with soot. In a marginalized part of a marginalized

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS TO WYCLIFFE CANADA CIRCULATION
4316 10 ST NE
CALGARY AB T2E 6K3
Deliver to:
PM 40062756
Wycliffe Canada Featured Partnership Overview: The aim of the Ndop Cluster is to advance Bible
translation, Scripture use and/or literacy for 10 languages on the
Invest in the Ndop Cluster Ndop Plain in northwest Cameroon, so that after seven to 10
years each language will have:
Y ou can help advance Bible distribution, literacy and Appropriate documentation (including linguistic descriptions,
Scripture use through your gift to the Ndop Cluster mature writing systems, dictionaries, etc.)
(featured in this issue of Word Alive). Here are the basic A New Testament available in printed and audio form.
details of this important partnership with the language groups The Luke film.
on the Ndop Plain, which you can support through your gifts to Self-supporting literacy and Scripture-use programs.
Wycliffe Canada. Trained, experienced and motivated local translators, literacy
teachers and Scripture-use promoters.
Name: Ndop Cluster
Location: Cameroon, Africa Help Spread Gods Word in Cameroon!
Ndop Cluster Ends 2026
Language Groups: 250,000 speakers of 10 related languages.
Funding needed until the end of this year: $64,103
Become a monthly financial partner.
Give a gift of translation, Scripture use and literacy.
Leave a legacy of Scripture.
Commit to praying.
Respond through this magazines reply form (inside),
donate online at donate.wycliffe.ca or call 1-800-463-1143

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Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada

6 Movie Night in Bambalang Through the Luke

12 Group Mentality Wycliffe personnel share their

20 Flames Turned to Hope In the midst of war,

26 Whole-hearted Commitment Trusting Gods

20 30 Bright Future for the Next Generation

33 Beyond Words Earsor Ears That Hear?

30 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 3

7,000 Words in 10 Days Continuing on After Tragedy

A new way to gather many words in a short time is being

SIERRA LEONE NIGERIA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

4 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

A s sign language Bible translation efforts for the Deaf

Source: SIL Annual Update 2014

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 5

A crowd watches the Luke film outdoors along the village of

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 7

8 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

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10 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 11

12 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Dan Grove, from New Brunswick, sits at the back of a praying

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 13

14 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Religion: Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%,

Sources: WorldM Factbook;

sides. Traditional religion, with its animal sacrifices, manipulating of ancestral

16 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Read the Whole Thing

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 17

HIDING, BUT WANTING TO

18 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

20 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Pastor Pius Mbahlegue brings the fire of Gods Word during a

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 21

Its Good to Be Curious

22 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 23

Fishing Through Scripture

24 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 25

MISSI ONS MINDED

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says. Youre walking through the Word of God with

WILLING AND ABLE

28 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

ONLY A FEW COMMITTED

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 29

Generation the foundation for the

30 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

G reen school uniforms adorn a crowded classroom of

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 31

32 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Earsor Ears that Hear?

Wycliffe Bible translation

On the Outside Looking In

Children can sense when they are missing

34 Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca

Unexpected Weapons Against Human Trafficking

Igot to know a Canadian university student while

on the Ndop Plain, I visited a literacy class, meeting in

Word Alive Fall 2015 wycliffe.ca 35

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