Repairs to Kirk and Yolanda’s vehicle were completed early last month, and they have returned from the capital to the Landuma village in Guinea where they serve.
Kirk is doing the recording check of the Gospel of John with his language helper who professed faith in Jesus but he has shown no outward interest in following Him. Pray for him, that his heart would be drawn toward true faith in the Saviour.
Yolanda has resumed teaching a small group of boys how to read and write Landuma. Pray that the students remain faithful to attend every scheduled class time, that their families support them in this (and don’t send them off on errands when it is time for class), and that they learn quickly. Pray that one day they will all read God’s Word in their language.
They have not been able to visit a village to teach the Bible for quite some time. When they have scheduled visits, they have been postponed due to a sudden death there, or other unexpected event happening. They have been invited to return this Saturday. Pray that many people with open hearts attend the teaching meeting, and that they understand well.
Pray for the language helpers working on translation. They are drafting some chapters from the Old Testament. Due to the limitations in their French literacy and fluency, they are not able to take advantage of many of the translation helps which are available, such as commentaries and word studies. Pray that they can understand well what they are translating, and express it naturally and clearly in Landuma. This is only the first step of the lengthy translation and checking process, in which we will verify accuracy, clarity and naturalness.
While in Conakry Kirk met a man who is a musician and online influencer. His heart’s desire is to promote the Landuma language and culture among his people. Though there are still many Landumas living in the villages, many others live in the capital or other cities around the country, and some live in other countries. Thus, many who are ethnically Landuma cannot speak the language, having been raised in another area. This man’s goals are not identical to theirs, as he is not a Jesus believer, but they do overlap; he also wants Landumas to learn to read and write their language.
Kirk and this man created social media groups for Landumas who want to learn and preserve their language and culture. These groups now have hundreds of members. Kirk and a Landuma believer are sharing videos which teach Landuma language and literacy. Each week they also share a Bible teaching video. Pray that many learn to read their language well. Kirk and Yolanda can then provide them with a variety of Landuma books to read, including the Scriptures. Pray that Bible teaching videos are warmly received, well understood, and that they help the viewers develop a hunger for more of God’s truth found in the Bible.