Sharon Dennis News from Chad April 2024

Sharon's News from Chad - April 2024

Dear Supporter,

sharon Hot season is here and this year seems hotter than ever! It does make working for any sustained period so difficult. Still, we thank God that we are able to inch along in our various spheres (as evidenced below), the population as well as expatriate workers.

In Kenya…

The Chadian contingent: colleagues from
CRCTBG (L) and myself and colleague
from SIL(R)

The last week of February through to the beginning of March saw myself, a colleague and a couple members from the CRCTBG (Coordination Regionale des Comités de Traduction de la Bible au Guéra – Body with regional responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the various Bible translation committees in the Guera.) attending a continent-wide Scripture-Engagement Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

As well as providing the opportunity to network and connect with people with expertise in the various areas of Scripture- Engagement, the Conference allowed for sharing around best practices and current thinking whilst the workshops afforded the opportunity to study an area of engagement in depth.

In Ndjamena...

In 2023 I undertook a survey into the use of the Chadian Arabic Bible(CAB) across the four major churches (Catholic & Protestant) in the Guera. You will recall that the CAB was was completed and dedicated in 2021.

The major finding from this survey was that people are unsure of how to pronounce some of the characters.

Poster announcing workshop
for the CAB

March is the time when we hold our annual Conference and Retreat at our centre in the capital. Being there, I took the opportunity to attend a couple workshops that were being held(overseen by one of the exegetes on the team of translators for the CAB).

These workshops help people to get to grips with many features of the CAB such as how certain letter combinations are pronounced in Arabic (e.g: Kh) aspects of grammar, using the glossary, understanding the Timeline tables and the maps as well as doing a couple Bible studies together to help people feel at ease with using the Bible.

Studying the Word together

This all, because the next step on from the survey, is to be able to offer meaningful help and support not only to those surveyed but across the region so that Believers will be able to more fully access all that God has for them in this resource, which the Bible in Chadian Arabic represents.

The Guera...

maps Map showing the number of languages indigenous to the region and their locations: 27 approx and Chad map from https://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/africa/political- map-of-Chad

Those with Scripture:

Chadian Arabic Bible (2021)
Dangaleat - New Testament (2012)
Kenga New Testament (2012)
Guerguilo New Testament (2020)
Migaami New Testament - (2021)
Bidiyo - * Lives of the prophets, Luke
Dadjo -* Lives of the Prophets, Luke
Mawa - Lives of the Prophets
Sokoro – Lives of the Prophets

* A series developed by SIL which draws upon the fact that there are points of intersection between the OT and the Koran. Thus, making it easier for people coming to the Bible for the first time, to have some context.

In the Guera...

Building the capacity of the Sunday school teachers, helping the kids have a more rounded experience of the Bible and a better understanding of its contents have been my most important goals in working in this area of ministry.

Recently, I was asked to be the technical advisory to the team with oversight for the Sunday school in the Guéra. Please pray that I will work well with local colleagues and that my presence on the team will be an asset to the Sunday school in the region.

First planning meeting for the team with oversight for the Sunday school in the region.

Alongside this, I was approached by a young man who asked me if I would help him as he seeks to take the work of the Sunday school beyond the one-hour contact on a Sunday morning. I have agreed to work with him. Please be praying that this will be a fruitful venture, benefitting the kids and eventually the church, here in the Guéra.

Prayer Points

Praise God for

The insights gained from the Conference & workshop in Kenya.
My nomination to the role of technical advisory for the Sunday school across the Guéra.
The completion of the first video in a series of 10, in Chadian Arabic, summarizing the contents of each section of the Bible.

Please pray that:

The planning of a song workshop targeted at communities which have some Scripture but no declared Believers.
My nomination as technical advisory for the Sunday school that it will be a fruitful engagement, with willing workers.
The next step following on from the survey into the use of the Chadian Arabic Bible (2023).

Support

Thank you for your interest in my work here. I am encouraged by your support and challenged to do my best to ensure that I am a channel through which God can work.

God bless you.

Sharon

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