Tanzania: Millions have access to the Christmas Story for the first time

Millions in Tanzania Have Access to “Christmas Story” for First Time in Language They Best Understand

Translating story of Jesus’ birth for nine language groups caps strong year for Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partners, with completion of two Bibles and 25 New Testaments

Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla. – December 18, 2009 – Wycliffe Bible Translators, the world’s largest Bible translation organization, has completed translations of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke for nine language groups in Tanzania’s Mara region.

The translations, published this month, bring the story of Christ’s birth to the heart languages of two million people, and cap a strong year for bible translation.  Wycliffe staff contributed to the completion of two Bibles, 25 New Testaments and 26 New Testament revisions, affecting some 10 million people.

Alongside translated scripture, Wycliffe has also been involved in six JESUS film productions, four Luke videos and four Genesis videos.  In 2009, Faith Comes by Hearing started production of audio New Testaments in 56 languages that involved Wycliffe personnel.  In addition, Wycliffe began 109 new translation projects as part of the Last Languages Campaign to see a Bible translation program in progress by the year 2025 for every language still needing one.

The Mara Cluster Project involves 27 denominations and three NGOs.  United by the importance and urgency of this work, the local ministries involved in the project agreed to pool resources and work together to assure the success of the translation initiatives.

“This Christmas, for the first time ever, two million people in Tanzania will be able to hear and read the Christmas story in their heart languages,” said Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.  “The power of God’s word has even brought together many leaders of local ministries, who have chosen to set aside doctrinal differences and focus on Scripture translation.”

The Mara Project is one of Wycliffe’s newer “cluster” initiatives.  Translators are working simultaneously on this group of nine similar languages, which have no written tradition.  Linguistic work, including development of an alphabet, began among the nine languages in the Mara Region in 2006.  New Testament translation began in 2008 with the book of Luke.

Languages in the Mara Cluster Project are part of the Bantu family of about 500 languages, spoken by approximately 200 million people, in an area stretching from the equator to South Africa, and from Cameroon to Kenya.  Only about half of these languages have translated Scriptures.

Located in northwest Tanzania, the Mara Region is the most densely populated area of Tanzania.  The region is also home to Serengeti National Park, a vast game sanctuary that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

There are more than 6,900 language groups in the world today.  Of these, more than 2,200 languages, with approximately 350 million speakers, do not have a Bible translation program begun.

About Wycliffe Bible Translators

Founded in 1942, Wycliffe Bible Translators exists to make the Bible accessible to all people in the language that is most meaningful to them.  Comprised of 5,900 Wycliffe translators, linguists, aviators, humanitarian workers, educators and administrators, along with dozens of partnering organizations, Wycliffe is currently working on projects in 99 countries on six continents.

For more information:  www.Wycliffe.org.

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