We are excited to announce a new Bible translation planned for the Shilele language of the Bashilele people who live primarily in the Kasai river region.

Pastor Joly Birakara Ilowa (foreground on the left in photo above) of the Mennonite Church of Congo has taken the lead of this endeavor along with a team of local translators. They are working with Wycliffe Associates using the MAST program to accomplish this translation.

MAST represents Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation, a new program which was first piloted in 2014, which empowers the global church to draft their own Bible within months rather than years.

“Our breakthrough MAST strategy is accelerating Bible translation beyond anything we could have imagined, even a couple of years ago,” says Bruce Smith of Wycliffe Associates. “It is not Westerners doing the translation work in remote areas—it’s nationals being equipped to translate God’s Word themselves.”

The MAST Bible translation workshops have seen great success with many language groups and the Shilele language is another success in the making.

Hope for Congo has made a significant investment in this project and we have other languages that are in dire need of translation and printing.

To date Hope for Congo has been able to purchase and distribute 10,000 Bibles into the hands of those who desperately want and need a Bible. This includes both pastors and lay people. Your prayers and financial support make all this possible. Thank you for partnering with us.© 2017 Hope4Congo