Paul and Marina Briggs serve the Loron people of West Africa itinerantly from Northern Ireland. They are excited that the work among the Loron and Lobi people groups is entering a new phase. This month, evangelism outreach will be taking place in two new Lobi villages where some folks have expressed an interest in hearing the Gospel. Pray for the Loron Bible teachers as they engage with village leaders, and as they endeavour to communicate the love of Christ to those who have never heard.
The Loron and Lobi peoples have a very similar culture, but their languages are completely different. A number of Loron believers have Lobi and Loron parents, so there are openings to bring the Gospel to new families and locations. The Lobi are a large ethnic group of around 180,000 people scattered over three countries. Paul and Marina praise the Lord for the expanding work among the Lobi people.
The lead Loron Bible translator, together with the other members of the translation team, continue to make good progress on the Loron New Testament project. There are numerous steps in Bible translation, and it is encouraging to have a large and enthusiastic team involved. Pray for them as they methodically go through the various steps.
The book of 2 Corinthians has gone through all the necessary checks and is now ready to print. The team is currently preparing for the final verification on the books of Philippians, Colossians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians. The check with a Bible translation consultant is scheduled to take place in June.
Paul and Marina’s daughter and children recently helped them put together some copies of Galatians and Ephesians in the Loron language. Paul and Marina hope to take these, along with other Scripture and literacy materials, out to Ivory Coast later on in the year.
As well as being involved in various aspects of the Bible translation, checking processes via an internet-based translation software programme, Paul and Marina keep busy with developing Bible teaching and literacy materials. The phone, email, and WhatsApp helps keep regular contact with the believers in Ivory Coast. Despite the distance, Paul and Marina feel very much part of what the Lord continues to do among the Loron people.
Thank you for your prayers and interest in the work in West Africa. May the Lord bless you!