2 Weeks and Counting

Long before I was born and well into my adult life there has been a translation project taking place in northern Côte d'Ivoire which has come to an end. The translation part of the project has been over for several years now and the final manuscripts have been in the hands of the Alliance Biblique (United Bible Society) for several years now. Last January we were contacted concerning this project and we were told that the final product would be printed by the end of May 2010. Being used to disappointment, we were not sure what to make of this news right then. However, true to their word this time, the Alliance has delivered and even as I write these words the final shipment of Cebaara Bibles is making its way north to Korhogo, the capital of the north and the cultural and traditional center for the Cebaara speaking peoples.

"Excited" is a feeble term to describe the feeling in our churches across the region as they anticipate the arrival of this treasure. For the past several months we have been planning and working on a dedication celebration for its arrival to which the President of Côte d'Ivoire has been invited. This dedication is planned for the 4th of September in Korhogo. There has been a special cloth made for the festivities which will be sewn into a hundred different styles and sizes by thousands of tailors to clothe the 10.000 faithful expected to attend this celebration. Of course, when a president makes the decision to come to such a fête there are implications which go far beyond any one person's ability to appreciate. In this case and under the actual tension that already exists in a country that has not been at peace for almost 8 years, an event of this size and of this kind can have serious outcomes. Our prayer is that as we celebrate the publishing of the first edition of the Cebaara Bible that its message of true peace with God would ring out as we celebrate together the accomplishment of such a weighty task. To be able to read the Bible in one's own language brings new meaning to old stories which are now "told" in words that make far better sense than anything you have seen or heard up until now.

We just met last night with the organization crew in Korhogo and our budget for this party is now set at a little less that $20.000 USD. When a president arrives and during a time like this only 2 months before the re-scheduled elections, you cannot sit back and enjoy the scenery! That will come in two more weeks!

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