We left at about 10 to do the registration of the new standard one classes from the village children. Arriving at the Nahagaan village, we found they had just celebrated ‘Almaa’do’, a Rendille ceremony marking the new year. The herds were casually leaving the village, browsing lazily through the fields of ankle-high ‘Dubi Araar’ flowers. Because of the white flowers shape, it is named ‘Tail of a scorpion.’

The car dropped us and raced off to Illaut with a patient, a dying baby. The men, women and children from the village clustered under a new shade area that will serve both as classroom and church in the new church plant we have just started. The men were still wearing ‘khalli’, the piece of hide taken from a goat sacrifice, on their heads. The two proud fathers in the photo watch excitedly as a son signs the registration form! Please pray for the outreach to this village.

Processing the children took a long time and just when we were ready to move on, the car returned from Illaut. They had delivered the patient safely to Illaut. We praised God, and moved on to the Ongeli village for a repeat exercise.

The registration went well at Ongeli but it was getting late and we were all tired and thirsty. Marro is one of the teachers who helped with the registration and he happens to come from Ongeli, so he had quietly arranged for his mother to brew up some ‘chai’ for us with camels milk. Then we were ready for the last group, the Rongummo group of villages.

Two teachers charged off on the motorbike to complete the work at Rongummo Arbele village, while we went on to another Rongummo. After a lot more work, we had completed the registration and finally arrived back home at about 3.00 p.m.

The Tirrim Primary Headteacher, Mr Lawrence Letipo pointed out that we had started with 20 students several years ago, and now the count has just passed 1,000 students in Tirrim Primary School! Praise the Lord! We seek to impart a Christian worldview to the children, and not just fill their heads with academic facts. A further praise item was that our school Standard 8 class had come second overall in the district in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education last year!

Literacy student studying the translated Scriptures

The translator’s bread-and-butter is in the unknown ideas. These are concepts found in the Scriptures that do not occur in Rendille, yet they are vital to the understanding of the text. A suitable alternative must be found, either as a loan word, or sometimes taking something similar from the language itself. At times, a fuller description of the meaning can be fleshed out in a glossary.

In Hebrews 8:6 we grappled with the term ‘Mediator’. After much discussion, Joshua and Laban put Dahgele on the table for discussion. The Dahgele means ‘The-Coming-Inbetweener’. Two people have a quarrel or even a physical fight. The Dahgele either literally or figuratively comes in between to seperate the parties. His work is not finished though! He will then take time to talk to both parties to get to the bottom of the problem. He is not interested in merely seperating two opponents, but about bringing true reconciliation, so that peace can prevail.

Initial testing with Rendille speakers show that Dahgele communicates well, but more testing is needed.

Please pray for the translation team as we craft the detailed arguments of Romans into ‘sweet’ Rendille that communicates and transforms lives.

Tom with the Rendille translators
Joshua Galimogle and Laban Eysinkeele

We have recently completed the consultant check of Hebrews. Tom Matthews has given us excellent help and we have all learnt so much more about this precious part of God’s Word.

While we were doing the checking, Lynne went out with the women on an evangelism trip. Instead of the normal welcome, one elderly lady came running towards the car shouting and throwing sand, then she picked up a thorn branch and charged the car where Lynne was sitting. Even the villagers were shocked, “She has gone mad,” some said. Judy, one of the church ladies quickly ran up to her and asked her what was wrong. “Politicians – I am sick and tired of politicians and their empty promises. Get out of here!” she shouted. Finally Judy managed to calm her down. When she realised that this was a group of the church women, she ran over to Lynne. “Oh, I am so sorry, so sorry, I did not realise it was you! My eyes are not so good these days!”

At last there was a good opportunity to share the Best News. On hearing the message of the crucifixion of Jesus, one woman responded, “We have always slaughtered goats, and sheep in sacrifice – maybe it was all for nothing.” Hebrews 10:4 (NLT) says, “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

The message of Hebrews is the very message the Rendille need and could be crucial in reaching them with the gospel. We may have a sponsor to publish Hebrews – what an impact it could have here!

In discussion with Tom, we have decided to change our plans and work on Romans as the next book. The arguments of Paul make for many translation challenges. Please pray.

14/07/08

What is happening in Rendille right now?  Well, today the water survey team fly out. They have been here for most of the week, looking at the possibility of water for our future hospital site. While they were working out there, two Rendille warriors in all their red finery pitched up. With a lack of a common language, the warriors understood that this was something about water and something about a hospital. When Lynne visited the place to see where they had marked for drilling, the warriors expressed their concern – they had heard that there is a hospital for humans and even one in some funny places for animals, but a hospital for Water?? Their water was fine and did not need doctoring!

When Lynne explained the real situation they were so excited. The survey site is very promising and we would appreciate prayer for a positive response when the driller comes. It will be difficult to develop a medical facility without water!

The need for a hospital here is huge. Last week, the local dispensary turned away a 3 year old boy who had very bad anaemia – probably related to a malaria attack. I drove him and his mother to Illaut, a one and a half hour drive away, where there is a bit better medical facility. The little fellow was yellow in colour. On the way back, I got stuck with the Land Cruiser bakkie in the deep sand of a dry riverbed. I was like some churches – I had all the equipment you could want (especially the highlift jack) but not the spanner that would enable me to access the jack. Other vehicles had been stuck there before so there was a high ridge in the middle of the track. For an hour and a half we struggled, when finally I found a small jack in the car. Jacking in the sand is a challenge – the jacking process first pushes everything downwards until it is compacted. Only then could we lift the wheels slightly and jam some branches under the wheels so we could get out.

We are working on the Book of Hebrews, in preparation for the visit of a translation consultant later this month. (We checked the first 6 chapters with him in Nairobi but he then ran out of time.)

Our Primary School seniors have just come back from a trip to the BIG CITY of Nairobi. We have two volunteer teachers from different churches in Nairobi. It was an amazing experience for the children. Most have never even been out of the little area of Korr, and now they were riding escalators, visiting the sites, and singing in huge churches. (In one church, the children sang to a congregation of 5,000 people!) It is interesting how one values things that you can relate to. Of all the many sights and sounds, the most memorable was a visit to a Masai village and school!

Of the twelve students who went down, 4 come from Muslim homes. Each child was given a Bible and all twelve have come to deeply value and appreciate their own copy of God’s Word.

Last week, we had what we regard as the most significant workshop ever held here! It was about the Church and the Community. The timing was perfect as Lynne and I prepare for handing over to Rendille leadership in the not too distant future. There is a new attitude of ‘Yes, we may have many challenges here in the desert, but we also have GOD and together, we can move forward to transform our community.” We pray that a follow up workshop will continue to build on this foundation, that in everything, Christ may be exalted!