Malian Translation of New Testament Completed

Missionaries in Mali announce that the New Testament is now available in the Maasina Fulfulde language, making the gospel story accessible to more than 1 million Fulfulde Malians who have never seen the Bible written in their native tongue.

Fulfulde is spoken in some form in 17 African countries. Numerous dialects make exact communication in Fulfulde difficult from country to country. Experts have estimated that it would take at least seven different Bible translations to make it comprehensible to all Fulfulde speakers. The New Testament edition which is being introduced is based on the dialect spoken by the Fulbe people in Mali.

The first draft was make by Scott and Mary Crickmore by using a computer program that roughly translated the Fulfulde dialect spoken in Senegal to that spoken in Mali. Translators from Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Norwegian Mission Society then revised texts one verse and chapter at a time.

Christian Reformed Church missionaries, including the Crickmores and Larry Vanderaa from Christian Reformed World Missions, checked these verses for comprehension by bringing them to villages and asking local people to tell them which parts did not sound correct.

+ Christian Reformed Church, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave., SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 tel (616) 241-1691
+ Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 tel (800) 852-3600
+ Norwegian Mission Society, PO Box 226, Sentrum, 4001 Stavanger, Norway