The Goals of the Misaje

Recently, Bert Visser, the General Director of our branch in Cameroon, visited the Inter-Church Committee in the Misaje area. Just to give you a little background, Misaje (pronounced "miss-a-jay") is a cluster of six related languages located in the North West Province of Cameroon; the Inter-Church Committee represents leaders from several different church groups (and denominations) within the Misaje cluster, and this Committee is critical in making decisions and guiding the course of the various translation projects that are in progress or that need to be started within the Misaje cluster.

Bert spent some time talking with the committee, and in particular, he asked them what they would like to see in fifteen years time, particularly in relation to Bible translation. Their answers are, I think, very significant. Some of their responses were that:

* People [of the Misaje cluster] would be able to understand the Bible in their mother tongue, and that their lifestyle will be changed.

* People would really experience the presence of God, like they did, for example, when a pastor was recently reading from a portion of the translated Scripture in the mother tongue; during this reading, the entire church was silent, focused intently on what was being read.

* People would see God as being closer to them (rather than impossibly distant, as is taught in many Animistic traditions) and that they would live by the Word.

* The church among the Misaje peoples would become the Church of the Word, as they receive the Word in their own language and are thus better able to understand what it has to say to them.

* The Church would grow physically, as evangelistic efforts (such as the Jesus Film) become more effective by incorporating mother tongue Scriptures.

* People would be able to be Christ centered, and be able to put God first in their lives.

Dave and Cindy Lux in front of their Misaje home

Hearing these goals and desires articulated by these people who are still waiting to hear God's Word in their own language helps to remind me of the importance of the work that we do with Wycliffe. These church leaders desire to have God's Word fill the lives of the people they serve, and the only way they see that happening is for the people to hear God's Word in their own languages.

Please join us in praying for the people of the Misaje cluster who are still waiting to hear God speak to them in the languages of their hearts. And also, please pray for our friends, Dave and Cindy Lux, who have recently begun working in the Misaje cluster as consultants; pray that they would be fruitful in their work and that God would soon make the desires of the Misaje Inter-Church Committee a reality.