“He’s reading in our language!” (The Prices Write, October 2019)

“This is unbelievable! He’s reading in our language!” This was the response when Zoran heard a Bible story for the very first time in his Roma language.

For almost a year, we have been making steady progress translating a book containing 50 Bible stories into Ludari, the Roma language spoken in our village. This is the 5th of the 5 languages we are targeting. Our volunteer, Zoki, works full-time in construction so we had been praying for one or two more Ludari speakers who could give part or even full time to Bible translation. Our co-workers who do church planting in our village gave helpful recommendations and we visited several homes and interviewed different Roma. The first step at this home (pictured above) was for me to read the story of Creation to them.

Three generations (grandfather, father and daughter in the picture above) sat and listened and eventually the daughter (age 11) began reading it herself, probably the first time ever in her life to read something from a Bible story in her language. I put the laptop on her lap, and with the input from her dad and granddad, she translated out several sentences of a Bible story.

It was a very big challenge to find people who can type in the language which, they have never written, who are confident in both their Roma language and Croatian, and who have the time and interest to give to Bible translation.

By God’s grace, we have now hired our original volunteer, Zoki, and his brother part time. It is very exciting to have started translating Luke this week, the very first Scripture ever in this language. This is a huge answer to prayer.

We will continue to work on the 50 Bible stories and perhaps hire another part-time editor/proofreader.

Progress in Luke is moving along nicely in the other 4 Roma languages as we have translated chapters 1-14. We recently held a workshop for those translating into 3 of those languages since they are related. It was a joy to host a team from Slovakia who came to visit us so our Roma translators could get to know them and learn from them. I was eager to learn from their 12 years of experience translating another related Roma language.

We also hosted a team from OM East in Vienna who do the graphic art, layout and printing of the translation work we do. We are so grateful for their expertise and servant attitudes in the way they serve us. We had important meetings with them as, Lord willing, we plan to print the 50 Bible stories and Luke chapters 1-2 in 4 Roma languages in time for Christmas so we can distribute them for outreach.

As always, we so appreciate your prayers and encouragement. Thank you!

Todd & Pamala Price (Kirsten, Daniel & Ariela)