Recording Scripture Portions in Godie

From SPARK

Unpublished

Summary

Godie Scriptures need to be heard on cassette in order for the people to learn to read them...

The Godie translation team came here to Taokama* for a week. We recorded them reading their Gospel of Mark and part of Genesis. Translator Cornelia Wusthoff listened to make sure we didn't leave in any mistakes, and told us when to do retakes.

Godie is an extremely difficult language. For instance, they have thirteen vowel letters, and I won't even tell you about their tones. I was amazed hearing Cornelia speak Godie to her coworkers-I told her it was like a miracle that she speaks this language. She said, "Yes, aren't you glad you got Lunaba*!"

I edited our recordings, taking out pauses and trying to make the reading sound as natural as possible, and putting in music behind the section headings. Other missionaries chipped in their used sermon tapes from home so I could recycle them to make Godie cassettes. (I really underestimated how many blank cassettes I should have brought here with me!)

Cornelia says she is convinced the Godie Scriptures need to be heard on cassette before people will ever become interested in learning to read them, because it's so hard to learn to read Godie. Godie people have been enthusiastic about the first Scriptures they've heard in their language on cassette.

• Pseudonym

Date: 2001

Country: an African country

Language: Godie

People Group: Godie

Author: Michelle Petersen

Media type: audio cassette

Keywords: Africa, Godie, Scripture, enthusiasm, Gospel of Mark, Genesis

Religion: Mixed

Photos/Drawings: See Michelle Petersen?s newsletter of 27 July 2001

Internal notes:

<h3 style="color:red;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;" lang="no DO NOT MAKE PUBLIC===

PR Story Number: MB006CP

PERMISSION: Cote d'Ivoire/Mali Director, Tim Tillinghast, gave permission to use for Christian public on 28May2004.