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UMTATA, Transkei — From December 15 through to this February, Transkei has suffered a series of devastating tornadoes which have left people in a state of panic whenever clouds build on the horizon. And the freak storms have been predicted to last until the end of March.

“People have started associating these strikes with witchcraft and traditional beliefs,” said Mr Saliwa. “We would like to produce a Portion with a relevant selection of Scripture passages to bring comfort and hope to those who have suffered due to these disasters.”

“In some cases, buildings not far from Bible House were completely destroyed. The damage caused to our building was from flying rooftops. When the storm and winds had gone, people started moving around cautiously, checking with friends and relatives.

“We were trying to clear the debris from roofs that had been ripped off in the wind, clearing a path in the front of the Bible House, when a man passing by paused and looked up at the building: ‘Here the Word of God is kept, and God has protected his property,’ he said.

“We really believe this because there is no other explanation as to why we have escaped with such minimum damage compared with our next-door neighbours,” Mr Saliwa said.

The first of the tornadoes, no doubt connected to the ‘El Niño’ effect, lasted for 32 minutes and caused damage that will take years to repair. Some businesses have been forced to close down. That day, 21 people lost their lives – most of them in cars when trees and other debris crashed down on the vehicles. In one instance 11 people were killed together when a wall they were sheltering against collapsed on top of them.

The President of South Africa experienced the worst of the tornado personally – he was in Umtata at a chemist’s shop when it struck. He has since declared the affected areas a disaster zone. A second tornado hit on January 8 in Mount Frere, some 100 kms from Umtata, when eight buildings were destroyed.

A week later on January 15, the two areas of Mount Aylif and Tabankulu suffered a tornado storm which damaged buildings, crops and vehicles and killed 21 people. In another strange piece of violent weather on January 7, eight people from the same family died when they were struck by lightning.

The Portions would be produced in Xhosa, one of the main languages in this area, and the Southern Africa Regional Service Center estimates that at least 10,000 of these Portions will be needed initially. The UBS is considering the best action to take to help the Bible Society of Transkei respond to the needs of the churches and individuals at this difficult time. (WR 341/10 - 6.99)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — For many Xhosa-speaking Christians, reading the Bible could soon be an even greater pleasure. A Xhosa large-print Bible, that will help both partially-sighted and elderly people to read the Bible, has been produced.

The new Bible edition was launched during an ecumenical service in St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Sunday 18 April 1999.

This Xhosa Bible is the fourth in a program to publish large-print Bibles in all 11 of South Africa’s indigenous languages. This project is being undertaken by the Bible Society of South Africa with the support of the Women’s World Day of Prayer.

The program has already resulted in the publication of Bibles in Tswana, Southern Sotho and Zulu in large print. Large-print Bibles are also available in Afrikaans and English.

The large-print Bible in Xhosa was launched at a service that forms part of the ninth quadrennial international meeting of the Women’s World Day of Prayer. This meeting, with representatives from 91 countries, was held in South Africa for the first time.

The Women’s World Day of Prayer has supported the BSSA for more than 60 years. During the past decade the BSSA has received over US $96,925 for Bible Distribution from this organisation.

The Rev Gerrit Kritzinger, General Secretary of the BSSA, presented copies of the new Xhosa large-print Bible to two Xhosa mother-tongue speakers: the elderly Mrs Nomsa Zondani of Lingelethu and Wandile Zoya, a partially-sighted learner at the Athlone School for the Blind.

The Xhosa large-print Bible is based on the 1996 translation of the Xhosa Bible, and thanks to the support of donors the cost of one Xhosa Bible has been reduced from US$12 to $7. (WR 341/11 - 6.99)

WINDHOEK, Namibia — On World Aids Day last December, the vice-president of South Africa said that figures estimated that one in five people on the continent of Africa has AIDS.

Namibia is one of the countries hardest hit. When people are treated medically here they are tested for AIDS. From this source alone 375,000 people have been documented as having been infected. However, these statistics apply to urban dwellers: the number of people with AIDS in rural areas is unknown.

Since the government began to encourage traditional healers their popularity is on the increase, and they cannot test for AIDS. Estimates suggest that at least half of the rural population carry the AIDS virus. Even more serious is that 50 per cent of the population is below the age of 18 years.

Many people have died from the disease, and this has been most noticeable among those in jobs with responsibility. A bank manager was heard to say: “I am losing all my middle management to AIDS.”

Explained one senior manager: “Until the 1990s, people did not realise the need for precaution, and the disease has hit hard at the section of society which can afford to be the most promiscuous. Often, a young person’s Christian morals have been a life-saving factor, literally.”

The Bible Society in Namibia (BSN) is preparing to publish a special Portion which clearly shows that no matter who you are or what your situation in life is, there is hope in God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Bishop Abraham, a member of the Aids Awareness Group (AAG), was excited to see a sample of this Scripture Portion. “This is exactly what we need,” he said. Members of his church have been working with people to help them understand the danger of AIDS. They have prepared pamphlets, T-shirts that carry a message, and an awareness exhibition.

“We organised a gruesome reminder of the consequences of AIDS when we paraded a coffin in the street, warning people what they can expect if they are casual about the threat of the disease,” he added.

Home Care Counselling is a branch of AAG aiming to visit families and offer counselling as well as individual counselling for those who want to be more discreet about their problem. They use three approaches: Hope in Jesus, helpful literature and hints for behaviour.

Counsellors think that the Bible Society’s new Portion will be of tremendous help. One minister explained how a family from Zambia had come to his church. Within one month both parents had died of AIDS, leaving their five children without any family. Thankfully, none of the children had been infected.

A large number of those infected, especially in rural areas, are either illiterate or non-functional readers. For these a special audio cassette of Bible passages is being prepared.

In an effort to help the young generation become more aware of the problem, the government is establishing centres to help and teach children. Teams of workers check the streets for children who have been abandoned and they are taken to a special shelter provided by UNESCO.

Wherever possible, the staff do their best to reunite children with their families. Often older children have fallen into a life of crime. These are taken to a special institution where they are taught a trade or a craft.

Often it is the husband who dies, leaving a family with no means of support. One area of the Windhoek centre has been established for children of one-parent families. Usually it is the children of single mothers who come to the centre after school and stay until their parent collects them.

Christian workers come to give Bible lessons, and Bible teaching is also an integral part of the daily activities at special camps they organise.

The staff are deeply dedicated to these children and begin each day with Bible reading and prayer. Christian workers come to give Bible lessons, and Bible teaching is also an integral part of the daily activities at special camps they organise.

The majority of the population in Namibia is nominally Christian, and the government encourages Bible teaching because many leaders recognise that the only hope for the people is in the Word of God.

When the staff were shown the beautifully-produced New Reader Portions the response was immediate: “These are absolutely wonderful, we must have them!”

Mrs Monica, the government supervisor, said that she could see straightaway that they were just what was needed. She remarked on the large type, the beautiful pictures, and the easy-reading material, and said that the children would certainly enjoy them.

The Bible Society of Namibia aims to determine which medium will be the most suitable to bring a message of hope from the Scriptures to anyone HIV positive.

The Bible Society of Namibia aims to determine which medium will be the most suitable to bring a message of hope from the Scriptures to anyone HIV positive. They are hoping to be able to select relevant Scripture texts and present them to “bring hope where there appears to be no hope”.

The BSN is seeking to get the government, the medical profession, AIDS awareness groups, churches, and welfare organisations to join forces to help compile and fund a program to provide effective help and counselling through the Scriptures.

Another drive will be to prepare church leaders and other professionals to counsel people that are HIV infected or have AIDS and their families, and to follow up once the Scripture Portion or the audio cassette has been distributed. The materials will be prepared in majority languages so that everyone will be able to understand their message. (WR 341/12 - 6.99) [PHOTOS]

“We have a great need for Bibles.. Bibles are a must. There is no way we could do without them.”

The people in this camp are not all from Angola: some have fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo (Brazzaville), Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Sudan, Nigeria, Malawi, Cameroon, Liberia, Central African Republic, and even Uganda.

Photo: Children reading English New Reader Portions at the Osire Refugee Camp primary school in Namibia

The camp is in a dry dusty area, and the people have built temporary shelters of whatever material they can lay their hands on – old sheets of iron, mud and wattle, and plastic sheeting are just a few of the materials you come across.

Two very large marquee-style tents contain many families; each family has created its own small private enclosures by erecting partitions of pieces of fabric of all descriptions. Water and food is supplied by the government, and the camp is policed by the Namibian police.

Albert Kandjii is the representative of the Namibian Council of Churches at the camp and he said that as soon as refugees began arriving in 1992 they began to organise churches. There are now 17 denominations operating in the camp. Between 70 and 80 per cent of the camp’s population attend services on a Sunday.

“We have a great need for Bibles,” said Mr Kandjii. “Bibles are a must. There is no way that we could do without them.”

Along with the church leaders in the camp, he is so grateful to the Bible Society in Namibia (BSN) for remembering them. The BSN is planning to meet all the demands in the camp for the Scriptures.

“Look at this, this is all we have! It’s like having nothing,” exclaimed one woman, waving her arms to indicate her small 3-metre-square space in the large tent.

But her neighbour was less agitated when showing us her living and sleeping area. Although she had next to nothing she put her trust in God. She longed for a Bible – something she could call her own.

“God is with me, but I long for a Bible,” she said. “There’s no hope of getting one, though! I suppose I’ll get a Bible if ever I walk out of here free and get a job straightaway!” she added with a half-smile.

She did not have enough command of English for me to tell her that the Bible Society would soon be bringing sufficient Bibles for all who wanted them, and in the appropriate language.

Moving on, I found a man and wife sitting outside their rough shelter reading from a small, tattered book. I recognised it as a hymnbook in Portuguese and Chokwe. They were from Angola and were pleased when I sang a verse of a hymn in Chokwe.

They were even more pleased when they understood that soon they would be able to receive a Chokwe Bible from the BSN.

There is a primary school in the camp, and several teaching sessions are held each day. The classrooms are impossibly crowded – packed to the walls – so that it was impossible for the BSN team (two people) to get into the classrooms. In fact, some children had to leave the room to make it possible.

The BSN is supplying New Reader Portions for all the children. The teachers were as excited as the children when they heard this.

Refugees are usually open to new ideas and will respond positively to the Gospel message. With a large percentage of the refugees in this camp being at least nominal Christians, the need to help them know and understand the Bible better is paramount. For them to benefit from their faith they must be challenged to live it, and the BSN is hoping that the distribution of Scriptures will help the pastors to do just this.

The BSN aims to supply 500 Bibles, 2,500 New Testaments, 1,000 New Reader Portions and 1,000 Portions, and 1,000 Bible Comics as one of their Millennium Projects. The cost of these will be US $10,500. (WR 341/13 - 6.99) [PHOTOS]

KAMPALA, Uganda — Excitement always mounts when a new Scripture is delivered to Bible House, according to the Rev Canon Benezeri Kisembo, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Uganda (BSU). But the New Testament in Lusoga will be of particular importance when it is launched in June.

The Basoga, who speak Lusoga, number more than two million people and live in the region between Lakes Kyoga and Victoria in Uganda. One of their claims to fame is that Jinja, the source of the River Nile that runs from Lake Victoria to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, is their main town.

The other is an event that none likes to remember: in 1885, on the shores of Lake Victoria, the first Anglican missionary bishop to the Basoga, the Right Rev James Hannington, was murdered on the orders of their leader, the Kabaka of Buganda.

Only 11 years later, the first Gospel in Lusoga was published (1896), but three years and three Gospel Portions later translation work was stopped. A new project to translate the Scriptures into Lusoga was begun in 1990, and the New Testament has now been published.

“This is the 15th New Testament to be translated into a Ugandan language,” said Mr Kisembo. “Nine Ugandan languages now have the complete Bible, six additional languages have the New Testament with a seventh in the course of production. Three more language groups are preparing to begin translation work.”

He added that in one of these potential translation projects, a high court judge had drafted the New Testament in his mother language and had approached the Bible Society to have this version edited and published.

The Lusoga New Testament was a very meaningful production for the chairman of the Bible Society board, and for the lady vice-president of Uganda, both of them being Lusoga speakers. The president and one of the founder members of the BSU, Monsignor Joseph Willigers, was a missionary with the Roman Catholic Church in Jinja.

“This New Testament will be a real blessing for the Basoga people. They will now be able to study God’s Word in their own mother tongue, and the churches will have a wonderful tool to use when it is launched in June this year,” said Mr Kisembo. (WR 341/14 - 6.99)

BRAZZAVILLE, Congo; April 1999 — A plan to locate and extricate Bible Society staff trapped in the rebel-held south is about to be implemented jointly by the Bible Society in Congo (BSC) and the family of one of the staff members.

In the wake of last year’s civil war and the resultant ceasefire, disgruntled rebels moved against the authorities last December taking control of territory in the south. Two members of the BSC staff who found themselves and their families in rebel-held territory were trapped and unable to return to Brazzaville.

In fact, the actual whereabouts of the Bible Society accountant, Esaie Diandaga, were only discovered on March 15, thanks to the intervention of his mother-in-law. He is being detained in Mbanza-Mankodi, some 75 kms from Brazzaville, without any resources, and virtually a prisoner of the rebel militia that control the area.

His absence from the Bible Society has badly affected progress in the management of the accounts. In particular his services have been sorely missed in the preparation of the budget. The Executive Secretary, Etienne Diatha, has had to ask for help from the Bible Society of the Democratic Republic of Congo, based in Kinshasa, across the River Congo.

Thanks to the Bible Society of Dem Rep Congo, accountancy help was provided at the end of March enabling the BSC to maintain its operation and develop future plans.

The other staff member to have disappeared is Gisèle Batola, the shop assistant. It is feared that she is also being held with her family by rebels controlling the south. Aid agencies which have been contacted by the BSC have been unable to help in negotiating the freedom of these staff members.

Mr Diatha said that they had agreed with Mr Diandaga’s mother-in-law, who had volunteered to help. She will travel into rebel-held territory to try to negotiate Mr Diandaga’s release. She will also try to locate and free Ms Batola and her family.

Mr Diatha asked for the prayers of the fellowship that they might soon be able to secure the release of these important and needed staff members and their families, and that they may all be brought back safely to their homes as soon as possible. (WR 341/15 - 6.99)

“People become more spiritual when they feel threatened, and the Bible provides comfort and hope.”

Panic spread to the surrounding area as people realised the significance of a full-scale eruption. Quite apart from the disruption to people’s lives and the devastation to property and roads, there would be a disastrous consequence for the national economy with the area having vast palm oil and fruit tree plantations.

The day following the tremors, national radio and television warned people in the vicinity of the mountain to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. To date the lava flows have destroyed a major road in the area, and one private plantation. Two villages have been evacuated.

Now the seismic experts are hopeful that this eruption will be a limited one. They do not think it will match the cataclysmic explosions experienced in 1912 and 1924.

The worst eruption occurred in 1912 when so much lava poured out of Mount Cameroon that 300 metres of land was claimed back from the sea. In 1924 it was more serious for the inhabitants. The more populous side of the mountain was totally covered in lava flows, resulting in the destruction of crops and plantations.

Mount Cameroon last erupted in 1982 when there were tremors and some lava but there was little destruction. Experts believe this eruption will follow that pattern. Over the next six months, the volcano will continue to threaten through tremors and limited lava flows.

People are now feeling more reassured, and a major panic has been averted, said Roger Bombang, the Douala-based Distribution Officer for the Bible Society of Cameroon (BSC). No-one felt in immediate danger; the lava flows that have issued from the volcano are all heading down the east side of the mountain – the least inhabited part – and have yet to reach the sea.

“As time passes it is easier to assess the risks and take whatever precautions we can,” said Mr Bombang. “The main lava flows are still some 12 kms from Limbé. However, no-one knows what may happen if the lava meets the sea. According to the experts, the warming effect the lava has upon the sea can be transferred to other volcanoes in close proximity causing new seismic activity.

“The island of Malabo, which is part of Equatorial Guinea, sits on top of another volcano close to Mount Cameroon. We hope that nothing happens there because it could be devastating in terms of loss of life,” said Mr Bombang.

In the meantime the Bible Society is preparing to distribute Scriptures to the 450 or so displaced people whose villages have been destroyed by the lava. The villagers – men, women and children – are currently being cared for in temporary shelters in a camp set up in the vicinity of the district hospital. The children have been re-registered in schools at Tiko, one of the nearby towns.

Mr Bombang went to the camp on April 13 to assess their needs for Scriptures. Currently the BSC is preparing a program to supply free Bibles, New Testaments and Portions to people who have left their homes at the mercy of the grumbling volcano.

Six months is a long time to wait until the volcano can be said to have returned to its inactive state, commented Mr Bombang. “In that time the people have to live from day to day under a constant threat to their livelihood and even their lives,” he said.

If there was major damage to the main roads, reaching communities in the area could be a major problem. It would also affect communications. The petrol refinery was also at risk, along with some hotels, and the many state-owned palm oil and fruit plantations that generated national income.

A program of national aid has been put into motion and some aid from overseas has also been promised. “The French authorities are providing teams of experts to monitor the volcanic activity, and they will swiftly move into action if things take a turn for the worse,” said Mr Bombang.

In the meantime, does he see a role for the Bible? “Of course, people become more spiritual when they feel threatened, and the Bible provides comfort and hope. But unfortunately this sort of situation does little for the sale of Scriptures. Most of those in need cannot afford to buy Bibles, and hence we must work to put in action a free distribution program,” he said.

Mr Bombang added that according to satellite photographs of the mountain’s crater, the lava flows had changed direction. The results of this would be hard to predict, but in the meantime, everyone had to cope with the uncertainty and be prepared to lose everything even if they escape any impending eruptions. (WR 341/16 - 6.99)