Caroline joined a team living among the Karimojong in Uganda in January 2018. The Bible has been available in Ngakarimojong (the language of the Karimojong people) since 2010. There is also an audio recording of the New Testament available to them. We asked Caroline what happens once a people group have access to God’s Word in their own language?
As a team, we have wrestled (and are still wrestling) with how we can help the Karimojong to engage with the Bible. We have found different tools useful, including Discovery Bible Studies and Bible storying. These methods ask questions such as, ‘What does this passage teach us about God?’ and, ‘What does it teach about people?’ or, ‘What does it teach about obedience?’ They also emphasise the importance of applying what the Bible teaches to our own lives.
Another resource we use is an African discipleship course called ‘Life to the Full’ which covers the foundations of faith. However, these are just tools and resources. Helping people to engage with the Bible takes time, relationship, lots of prayer and for us to open our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Allowing others into our lives allows them to see, and learn from, how we read the Bible and how God’s Word shapes our understanding and actions. Ultimately, we know we must trust the Holy Spirit to speak and teach. As Jesus promised, he is the one who will guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
God’s Word is countercultural. Pray that the Word of God would be what shapes believers lives, not cultural values and practices.
