Bible Translation and Language Development

Willamette International partnered with SIL Cameroon in Cameroon, Central Africa, in 2020 to help provide administration and management support personnel in the work of Bible Translation and language development.  Cameroon has around 280 languages. Between the collaboration of SIL Cameroon and other translation organizations, about 120 of the languages have all or portions of the Bible translated into them. SIL Cameroon is currently working on 25 translation projects.

“SIL Cameroon is affiliated with SIL International, a faith-based nonprofit organization, aimed at serving language communities worldwide. Since 1969, SIL Cameroon has partnered with language communities throughout Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, building their capacity for sustainable language development by means of research, translation, training and materials development” (https://www.silcam.org/).

The specific support work in which Willamette International missionary staff is currently involved is management of the SIL centers in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. These centers provide long-term housing, guest housing, the head offices for SIL Cameroon and much-needed space for language and translation related training. Training is a major area of focus as it is SIL Cameroon’s desire to pass on the baton of translation from expatriates to Cameroonian nationals. When training is not taking place, the guest housing and meeting rooms are rented out to other mission organizations, churches or faith-based schools to use for retreats, conferences and other events.

It is our desire to meet the practical needs of Bible translation, but most of all to see lives transformed by Jesus Christ through God’s Word and God-given opportunities to share His Word in Cameroon.