A Solid Foundation

A house needs a solid foundation to keep a family safe and supported. Translation also needs a strong foundation! The Lutheran Bible Translators team in Tanzania is laying this foundation for three new projects.

Church communities in Tanzania recommended members of good character to attend a fun and interactive language workshop led by training experts Eshinee Veith, Jim Laesch, and Michael Megahan. “We will be noticing who seems to have a special aptitude for language or expressing things well in their language,” said Sarah Esala, regional director for East Africa. Strong leaders will be invited to another workshop in late summer/early fall. At that time, standout attendees will be hired as team members for one of three upcoming translation projects: Datooga, Kara, or Sumbwa.

The Datooga people lost much of their livelihood in recent years and must learn new ways to make a living. The local church wants to provide holistic support for its people. The Datooga project will be led by the assistant bishop of the Southeast of Lake Victoria Diocese. “He’s never led a program before, so there is a lot of capacity building and training being done for this pastor,” shared Esala. New missionary Tiffany Smith will work with the assistant bishop as the community liaison!

The Kara project is on an island only 10km north of the Kerewe project, a great opportunity for mentorship! A two-bedroom guesthouse is being built next door to the translation office to host future mentoring workshops.

The Sumbwa project will start with Scripture engagement, such as devotional materials for home use, to gauge interest and impact for further translation.

Creating solid foundations for these three projects requires support! Your gifts and prayers are needed to put God’s Word in the hands of these marginalized and isolated groups. Give now at go.LBT.org/give.