The Lyélé language (Lele) is spoken in the Sanguié Province of Burkina Faso. Approximately 130,000 people known as Lyéla (or Léla) speak the language in multiple towns in Sanguié Province. The language is part of the wider Gurunsi language group. The Joshua Project estimates a total population of nearly 350,000 Native Lyélé speakers and categorizes the group as partially reached.

Translations, even for a modest-sized book, can take months. However, because this request came from a competent Lyélé translator, the process was significantly accelerated. The group agreed to our translation criteria, and Simple Truths for the New Believer was completed in Lyélé in mid-February (just a matter of weeks from the initial request).

Nebié Badiou, one of our Champions in West Africa, received a request to have Simple Truths for the New Believer translated into Lyélé to help the church planters among these people disciple new believers. Once we applied our partnership filters, we quickly approved the project.

In the meantime, while the Lyélé translation was underway, Nebié and Dieudonne Somé began hearing from workers in four other language groups who had requested the little book in their languages. We are evaluating those projects for potential translation in 2026.

We are currently negotiating with printers in Burkina Faso and anticipate that the first copies of the Lyélé books will be in the hands of the church-planters in early April.

By the end of this Spring, between projects in East and West Africa, we anticipate that Simple Truths for the New Believer will be available in more than 70 languages.

Thank you to those who have been so generous to make this ministry possible.