"Where did you get this story?"

Leo Bolioki is one of the first men we met who is from the group of languages we work with. He took us on our first tour of some of the villages in the area. Here is part of his story ....

At a Good Friday service in 1980, Leo Bolioki read aloud the story of Jesus' crucifixion. Always before, this passage had been read in French, but this time the priest had asked Leo to translate it into the local language, Yambetta. As he read, there was a growing stillness; then some of the older women began to weep. At the end of the service they rushed up to Leo and asked "Where did you get this story? We have never heard anything like it before! We didn't know there was someone who loved us so much that he was wiling to suffer and die like that ... to be crucified on a cross to save us!"

Leo pulled out his French New Testament and showed them that the story was in the Bible. "We listen to this Passion Story every year during Holy Week," he told them, but they insisted that they'd never heard it before.

That experience motivated Leo to translate the scriptures into the only language his people could really understand - Yambetta!Leo says, "I took it upon myself to translate for my people this Word of God that gives life. May this Word of Life that has saved many people from other language groups also save the Yambetta people!"

Photo by Ginger Boyd

Just last November, Leo and his team completed the typesetting of the Yambetta New Testament. You can see Leo here along with his friend and colleague Crepin, whose team completed the typesetting of the Nugunu New Testament. Now they are both awaiting the arrival of the printed copies to celebrate with their communities the arrival of God's Word in their language.

We are delighted to work alongside colleagues like Leo Bolioki to see the Word of God come alive for the language groups of Cameroon as it is translated into their heart languages.

Follow-up

In November 2017, the Yambetta New Testament was dedicated, a testimony to lots of hard work, by Leo and many others. It was the conclusion of a long process, and a great time of celebration, especially for Leo.

Sadly, almost exactly a year later, in November 2018, Leo went home to be with Jesus. Leo's passion to see the Yambetta people use God's Word in their own language and his dedication to see that be possible continue to be an inspiration to us all.

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