Y’all know from previous blogs that I am in Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire this month. This weekend, we got to adventure outside the borders of our city. We loaded up and took a hour ride East to Ferké. We visited a couple of long term missionaries with various ministries. There was one in particular that opened my eyes to a new perspective.
Lynn and her team work days, months, and years on end to translate the Bible into a tribal language, Nyarafolo. The process is insane. This isn’t just translating the ESV version straight into their language. This team sifts through Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of scripture, to bring the truest form of the Word possible. They then look at the Nyarafolo language and culture, creating words to capture the correct connotation.
Lynn told us so many stories of roadblocks they had to overcome. For example, the story of twins, Jacob and Essau, in Genesis 27 presented a problem. In the story, Jacob was given birthright by deception, even though he was not the first born. However in Nyarafolo culture, the second twin birthed is actually the oldest, meaning Jacob deserved the birthright over Esau. The team had to shift the perspective of the story to explain the significance of Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing.
This is one of many examples of how tedious their work is. As they were explaining the process, I reflected on America’s relationship to the Bible. We are spoiled. We have the Word, not only in our language, but in a million different versions, in every color cover you could think of. We have it electronically on our iPhones, in audiobooks, in coloring pages. And yet, we don’t value it as highly as we should.
The Nyarafolo people have such a hunger for the Word. A new book of the Bible is released to them every few months. They wait patiently for the chance to read the Word of God, because they see the power it holds.
My prayer for the body of Christ in America is that we hunger for scripture in the same way as the Nyarafolo people group. I am praying for the men and women that spend their life providing the Word of God to EVERY tribe, tongue, and nation. The laborers are few but the harvest is plentiful. May they receive a refreshed spirit and sense of purpose in their work. May we, as a financially blessed body of believers, bless them with glad and generous hearts. Thank you, God, for opening up my eyes to the value of the book in front of me. Your breath brought those words to life. May we read them and know that you are alive and active.
