Nganko Emmanuel, Joan Weber, Martin Weber and Yuare Jerome were the key translators of the Kwanja New Testament.

Cameroon National Workers

Some national coworkers that have been instrumental in the process of writing down the Kwanja language and translating the New Testament include:

• Missa Alexi – literacy supervisor
• Tchi Tchi Samuel – president of the Kwanja language committee
• Djadon Emmanuel – literacy staff member
• Nguing Venant – literacy staff member
• Yuare Jerome – Old Testament translator
• Nganko Emmanuel - Old Testament translator

About Our Kwanja Literacy Coworker, Nguing Venant

"I had a disturbing dream last night, after which I couldn't sleep. I spent most of the rest of the night praying. My dream was that you (the Webers) had left the Kwanja area, and all the work we were doing together (Kwanja literacy and Scripture engagement) had fallen apart."

This was what our friend and co-worker, Nguing Venant, said to Joan one morning earlier this year. Venant cares about his people, the Kwanja people. He wants Kwanjas to not only learn to read, but to use that skill to better their lives. He has a real passion for people (beginning with himself!) to grow in their knowledge of Jesus, and to live in line with God's Word. This summer, Venant was a key co-worker as we held a refresher course for Kwanjas who teach literacy in their villages, and familiarized them with materials for AIDS prevention teaching. Now he is in teachers' college to become an "official" teacher, after having taught for several years as a volunteer teacher. One year ago, Venant was the voice of St. Paul, as we recorded the entire Kwanja New Testament. It was a real challenge for him to get permission to be absent for several days from teachers college! But God worked it out, and Venant read every word. He later said that preparing to read for recording was a turning point in his life – he now reads Scripture daily to apply it to his life! Please pray for Venant, that God will honor his desire to teach and develop mother-tongue literacy in Yimbéré when he finishes his training, instead of going far away where there are few Kwanjas. Most trained professionals prefer to live farther away, to avoid the many demands of extended family to help them with everything.  

By Joan and Martin Weber, LBTC translators of the Kwanja Language Program, Yimbéré, Cameroon