An issuing ceremony of Gan Yi Version of the Old Testament was held in Chuxiong, Yunnan, Mar 13.
Yunnan CCCTSPM held the ceremony in Heinaji Church.
Rev. Fu Lianxing, head of the said OT translation team, introduced the translation history and spiritual inspiration in the translation work. The said translation work was started up in 2008 and the team spent about 8 years finishing it. The Old Testament in Gan Yi language has been printed 3000 times resectively in the first volume and the second.
The minority Yi People in Yunnan Province has branches such as Black Yi, White Yi and Gan Yi, allowing their own languages and scripts.
Because Gan Yi ethnic groups didn't have the Bible in their own script in the past, they had to use the Chinese Bible or the Bible in Black Yi language in their faith life and worship, during which they met difficulty in understanding some parts.
Now they can read the Bible in their own language, know more clearly about God's word and establish the right Biblical view and faith view with the Bible version in their own script.
Rev. Luo, in charge of the minority Bible translation ministry, tells CCD that the ministry requires large investment, including finance, manpower and material resources, while this is greatly significant.
Foreign missionaries created scripts for some minorities in the past. Since the Bible is the classics of Christianity, its translation version in certain ethnic script will be precious historical and cultural heritage.
Moreover, "it's like your parents talking to you when listening to the Bible in your ethnic language." The warm feeling only exists in reading your own ethnic Bible, which motivates the ministry to advance.
The said translation ministry, starting from 2003, has seven minority Bible translation teams. The versions have been published, including of A-Hmao's Bible, West Lisu's Bible and White Yi's New Testament. These versions that have been translated, waiting to be published are in the scripts of Black Yi, East Lisu and Wa people.
Yunnan CCC&TSPM has also published the Bible version in Jingpho language while there is no translation team for the language.
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