
Lindsay
A Peeled Banana
It’s like tasting a peeled banana, after chewing through the peel for years.
It’s like eating soup with a spoon instead of a fork.
It’s seeing the stories come to life.
It’s hearing God speak to my heart.
These are all descriptions that people have given to describe what it is like to read Scripture in their heart language for the first time.
‘Be Nyɔsʋa ‑wa 'plä ‑gböösa, 'ɔnya 'sa 'ɔa 'jʋ 'doo 'doo, 'ia ‑gʋ nyɔɔ o nyɔɔ toroa' 'ɔɔn plɛ ‑pɩ jä, ‑maa 'ɔmä 'klälä 'nyɩa' blöröfa kä 'jä. -- JAAN 3:16 in the Bakwé language
Over the weekend, the Bakwé people received the New Testament in their own language! The Bakwé language group is located in southwest Côte d’Ivoire and is composed of over 10,000 people.
Thirty years ago, Csaba Leidenfrost and his family moved from America to the Bakwé area to begin learning the language. He then analyzed the phonology and grammar, which was all necessary in order to create an alphabet for translation and literacy to begin.
Every milestone like this is commemorated with singing, dancing, prayer and cultural celebrations! What a joy to see these people now able to hold the Word of God in their own language! While we were in Abidjan in August, we felt the excitement mounting as retired missionaries were traveling back to attend the Dedication Ceremony.








We were given a copy of the Bakwé New Testament and take it with us when we travel. We would love to show it to you and let you flip through it!
You also can read the Bakwé New Testament through Faith Comes By Hearing. On this website (and app), you can listen to the Bible in hundreds of languages! Click here to see it!
Bakwé is one language.
80 total languages in Côte d'Ivoire
19 language projects currently in progress
20 translation projects yet to begin