Transformation in Samburu: 10,000 New Testaments in Five Years

“Missionaries come and go, but not the Word of God. We have seen more disciples come to Jesus through the Samburu Jesus Film and the New Testament than in forty years of serving among the Samburu people.”

These words, written by a long-serving missionary among the Samburu people, capture the heart of a remarkable transformation unfolding among the Samburu community over the past few years.

Since the dedication of the Samburu New Testament, both in print and audio, about five years ago, the impact of Scripture in the heart language of the Samburu people has been evident. A community that once struggled to grasp the Gospel in unfamiliar languages are now engaging with God’s Word with clarity, eagerness, and passion.

When the New Testament was launched on December 14, 2019, 5,000 copies were printed and all distributed on the day of the dedication, so quickly that some missed out. A further 3,000 copies were printed in 2020, and another 3,000 copies in March 2024. In total, over 10,000 copies have found their way into the hands of the Samburu people over five years, being read, shared, and treasured.

But how has this movement grown so swiftly? The longing of God’s Word among the Samburu and strategic partnerships with missionaries and a local FM station based in Maralal.

Deep in the interior of Samburu East, a small congregation gathers each Sunday for worship. Their pastor, Pastor John, travels nearly 100 kilometers from his home to minister to them. The journey is long, yet he remains undeterred, because now he has Scripture in the language his people understand best.

Preaching from the Samburu New Testament has transformed worship. Congregations can now read alongside their pastors, understanding God’s Word directly, without needing interpretation. This shared engagement has deepened discipleship and sparked enthusiasm for God’s Word among congregations across the region.

The reach of God’s Word has expanded even further through a strategic partnership between the Samburu Language Development Project and an FM station broadcasting in the Samburu language in Maralal Town. Live broadcasts from time to time of the Samburu Audio New Testament and Bible teachings now bring Scripture into homes across four counties, reaching remote and previously unreached areas.

Many listeners, inspired by the broadcasts, have visited the translation office to collect printed New Testaments and audio Bibles.

• Praise God for the availability of His Word in the Samburu language.
• Praise God for the missionaries, the local church, and the community’s warm reception of the Scriptures.
• Pray for the ongoing plans for a fourth reprinting of the New Testament and for the translation team as they labour to complete the Old Testament, so the Samburu people can access the full counsel of God.
• Pray for the unreached in the most interior parts of the region, that God would raise more servants; pastors, missionaries, and the Samburu local churches who have been reached by this Word, to preach the Gospel farther.

Bible translation for the Samburu people began in 2006, following a sociolinguistic survey that revealed the urgent need for Scripture in their language. Years of dedicated translation work culminated in the completion of the New Testament, a tool for evangelism, discipleship, and spiritual growth and transformation. Translation of the Old Testament is ongoing.