Listening to your language

Can you imagine what it would be like to hear a recording of your language for the first time? It is impossible to imagine such an experience for most of us, surrounded constantly as we are by media of all kinds in the language we have spoken since infancy.
However, for many people here in Tanzania, the language that they grew up speaking may not even exist in written format, and even if it does, they may never have seen it and are even less likely to have heard it as some kind of recording.
One aspect of our work here, in making Scripture accessible to all in the language that they understand best, is to make it available in audio format. In a culture where orality is valued over and above the written text, this is a vital ministry.
Towards the end of last year, the whole gospel of Mark was recorded in the Vwanji language, and has since been available for sale in both tape and CD format. I recently received the following report from our Literacy / Scripture Use Coordinator for the area (translated from Swahili):
“People are using the tapes and CDs in their home, but also I have passed by some places in the market and heard it playing! Many listen to it just for the sake of listening and enjoying hearing how their language has been used and seeing that it is good Vwanji! A few people will sit and listen and then spend time thinking about the meaning of what they heard. Now I am educating people who buy the tapes as to how they are able to listen to the tapes together with others. People are very happy with the tapes, and when they listen for the first time they are amazed at what was done to make them.”
Next time you hear your language wafting over the airwaves, coming through the television or pouring out of your iPod, remember how privileged you are and please remember and pray for the work we are involved in here.

Touched by the words of a stranger

Sunday evening. After a week in Dodoma, a place too hot to walk fast and too unfamiliar to walk far, followed by a fourteen hour bus journey to get back to Mbeya, it was time for a walk. I headed off up the hill to do my favourite circuit through the woods, over streams and up and down the mountainside. As I climbed the slippery path I met a Tanzanian lady, who had been collecting firewood. We greeted each other and, pointing up the hill, she asked me where I was going to spend the night. I told her I would go back home, and pointed roughly in the direction of my house. She cautioned me not to go far as it would be dark soon.
I was touched by these words of a stranger – a lady near the end of a hard day’s labour, yet concerned about the wanderings of a foreigner. Her words echoed those of my good friends here, who I had seen just before setting off, and who always want to know when I am back safely from a walk alone. What a blessing to be so cared for, by strangers and friends alike. If humans, in their selfishness, can show such love and care – think of how great God’s perfect love and care is for us, his children! And I believe He shows us that love and care through those around us, strangers and friends alike.

Waiting for a blown tyre to be changed on the long bus trip!

Teaching Sunday School

This Sunday I taught Sunday School for the second time at the church I attend here in Mbeya. I left it feeling very tired and somewhat dejected. Let me share the experience with you…
…I arrived a few minutes early. Six children were waiting for me – five girls aged 8-10 and one toddler. I couldn’t really do the game I had planned with that number of children, so I started with Simon Says, hoping that more would turn up. None did. So then I did a little relay race to get the names of the first five books of the Bible – the problem was that only one of the children had been there the previous week so they hadn’t got a clue how to put them in order. Finally I started the teaching, and a few more children arrived. I persevered in teaching them about Jeremiah – an example of someone who gave up his time to tell people the words of God (as we are doing a series about the Bible, using some Swahili Sunday School materials). Gradually the number of children increased, but it was always the same two or three girls who put up their hands to answer questions. By the end there were probably 30 children packed into the little room, some of them arriving just 10 minutes before the end of the hour-long class!
So, if anyone has any suggestions on how to teach children who arrive at different times, are of a wide variety of ages, who don’t own Bibles and may not even have access to one at home and who don’t even seem to know the story of Moses in the bulrushes, please share them with me!! And pray for my ability to communicate with them clearly in Swahili – I’m sure my inaptitude in this area is part of the problem! Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me… for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” I hope that these little children will come to Him and come to love His Word.