Mbembe Language Project  

After the Kom dedication, Joe had an opportunity to travel out to a remote area to visit a new translation program that is starting up in the Mbembe language. We had asked if it might be possible to visit one of our translation teams in their village setting, but, because of the proximity to Christmas and other factors, it did not seem that it was going to be possible. Then the opportunity came up to travel with a group from the Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy who were taking five members of Wycliffe UK to visit the new team. Wycliffe UK was looking at providing some of the funding for the project (and they did make that commitment while we were there). I (Joe) jumped at the chance but, because it was expected to be a very rough trip over 4-wheel drive roads, Jerry decided to return to the capital with the rest of the Americans.

The Mbembe people live in the northern-most part of the NW Province of Cameroon, right on the Nigerian border. I learned while we were there that the Mbembe people had migrated across the border some years ago and that many Mbembe speakers still live in Nigeria. The team was working to include some of those people in the translation project so that they would be able to receive the Bible as well.

After a couple of hours on a paved road, we saw the end of the pavement ahead and the most interesting part of the trip began.

Mbembe Page 2