Our friend Dieudonné Somé writes from Burkina Faso to say that churches in that region will soon have depleted the supply of the Jula (Dioula) translation of Simple Truths. The believers there are using the books for both discipleship and evangelism and will soon, in his estimation, require a third printing of the book in early 2018.

Dieudonné is a pastor in the town of Banfora, 440 kilometers southwest of Ouagadougou. He was one of the primary translators for the Jula Simple Truths and has been instrumental in putting the books into the hands of pastors and church leaders. In a recent trip to Mali, Pastor Somé was able to share the book with several church leaders in that country. Because of this broader exposure, other churches in West Africa have begun to discover the book. As a result, CSM has received requests for new translations in three additional West African languages: Bwaba (Bwa), Pougouli (Phuie), and Cerma (Gouin). Printing in these languages will allow for a broader use of the “little book,” not only in Burkina Faso but Mali and Côte d’Ivoire.

Now the task falls to Nebié Badiou. Nebié coordinates the work of Clear and Simple Media for West Africa. He has already begun to look for competent translators and translation-checkers for these three new language projects. At the same time, he is also working through the final stages of the prepress work for the Gourmantché translation. The translation work for that language was finished in May, but Nebié has not yet completed gathering information from churches and mission organizations about the scope of the need.

Gourmantché is spoken by over 1 million people in Burkina Faso, northern Togo, Benin, and Niger. As a result of the work of SIM and other mission agencies, there is a healthy church among the Gourma people. Early indications lead us to believe that the initial print run with be between 5000-10,000 copies.

Simple Truths is a small (144 Questions), evangelical catechism. The book was first developed for the church in Vietnam. Today, the book has been translated and printed in over thirty-five languages and is being used to disciple new believers and train church workers in 30+ countries.