The History of Dinka Bible Translations
There is no complete Holy Bible in Dinka Rek, which is the standard Dinka. There have been three instances of printing of the New Testament. The first printing took place in 1940 for the Southeastern Dinka (Bor). The second printing took place in 1952 for the Northeastern Dinka (Dɔ̈ŋjɔ̈l). The third printing took place in 2005 for the Southwestern Dinka (Rek). Recently in 2011 there was a Bible published in Dinka Padaang. Thus, there has not been a combined print of the Holy Bible in Dinka Rek as of yet.
The dream to translate the Bible into Dinka was born in Kakuma, Kenya. When I arrived to Denver, Colorado in 2001 from Kakuma Refugee Camp with my brothers of Sudan, the vision had only just begun to be fulfilled. After I was establish in Colorado, I went to Oakwood University in January 2003 to study Theology. There, I made my vision known to the chair of the department of the Biological Sciences and he asked me, "What is preventing you from beginning?" He explained to me the plan and what I should do to get started. He bought me some materials to begin it.
The project was housed in the Public Relations department at East Hall and carried out by me- Wol Bol Wol, the student of theology at Oakwood University. The project was recommended and voiced by Dr. Anthony Paul the chair of the department of Biological Sciences. There are three project sponsors: Dr. Delbert Baker the previous president of Oakwood University, Dr. Anthony Paul the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, and Sis. Jacqui the former vice-president of Public Relations at Oakwood University. Through the help of President Baker, I had the priviledge of presenting the project to the North-American Division president -Don Schneider during one of the school board meeting here.
The Dinka Bible Translation project is located on the campus of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI.
Today, the Dinka Bible's first draft is completed having 66 books, 904 pages, and 722,557 words. I have a colleague who has completed a version of the Pentateuch -five books of Moses, whose name is Angelo Mathuch Achuil. He was here at Andrews University in Berrien Spring, Michigan. Angelo graduated in Religious Education in August, 2007 and went home to South Sudan. He is a Dinka who is zealous about the completion of the project. Angelo and I keep in contact, and from time to time discuss the matters of translation of the Bible. Aside from Mathuch, I am in contact with the Dinka community here in the US and abroad. This helps me be able to articulate God's word in my language by using my people as a resource.
The DBT is a non-profit organization which is currently based in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The main purpose is the translation of the Bible into Dinka. If you need to find out about the progress of the project please click Dinka Bible Translation
Please pervently pray for us and support us out of your willingness and means. God bless you all... If you would like to know more about the Dinka Bible Translation or the Dinka tribe of Sudan please don't hesitate to contact me.
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