The Chumburung Bible

Ghana, West Africa — Keir and Gillian Hansford

In March I started working with long-time Wycliffe members Keir and Gillian Hansford on the Chumburung Bible. Keir and Gillian are both past retirement age, and have spent most of their working lives bringing God’s message of love to the approx. 70,000 Chumburung people of northern Ghana.

In 1989 the Chumburung New Testament was dedicated. At that time there were 72 congregations, belonging to 13 denominations. Since then the number of congregations has doubled. In 1999 Keir and Gillian and a team of 6 Chumburung translators began work on the translation of the Old Testament. This was finished in 2008, and now we are typesetting the whole Bible.

Over 60 people in listening groups were converted when the New Testament on tape was played. The Jesus film will soon be shown, preparing the way for the eagerly awaited complete printed Bible. The dedication is planned for September 2010.

As we’ve started on the typesetting, a particular challenge for me has been the many and varied maps, charts, and diagrams the Hansfords have prepared. If anything in the Old Testament is hard to visualise, the Hansfords have a labelled picture or diagram of it! Like the description of Ezekiel’s temple in Ezk. 40–46. Finalising the pictures and adding labels (in Chumburung) has been time-consuming but fascinating.

In our original schedule we’d anticipated completing the final layout by the end of June, but that has now had to be extended to the end of July due to my recent back problems. Please pray:
— that I will soon recover fully, so that no more time will be lost;
— for Keir and Gillian, who have been busy on a complete proof-read of the whole Bible, but who also have health issues;
— that the final stages will go smoothly without further delays!

We look forward to the day when the Chumburung people will be able to read the whole of God’s Word in the only language that speaks to their hearts.

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