Introduction
Numbering more than 24,600 inhabitants, Pinyin is situated in Santa Subdivision, in Mezam Division.
They share boundaries with six villages in three provinces; in the North West, with Bali Nyonga, Baforchu, Awing, and Ashong; Bamumbu (Mundani) in the South West Province, and Babadjou in the Western Province. Pinyin is a language of the Ngemba language cluster. About 80% of the people earn their living from the sales of agricultural produce such as Irish potatoes, maize and vegetables. They have a taste for social activities such as dancing and demonstrate a strong sense of community. Pinyin has five fondoms with a paramount Fon at the head.
General Information
About 46% are church-goers, and committed to church activities. 54% are committed to traditional religion. The main denominations here include Presbyterian, Apostolic, Baptist, Deeper Life, and Full Gospel.
The community ap-proached CABTAL, who re-sponded by training a pioneer in 2003 and sending him to mo-bilise the community and share the vision of Bible translation with church leaders.
The community has three local Committees: the Inter Church Committee (ICC), which regroups the churches of the area; the Translation Com-mittee, which provides daily supervision to the project; and the Pinyin Language Develop-ment Committee, which pro-motes the development of the language. The ICC has selected project workers whom they have sent to various training sessions. They have been mobilising prayer and finances for the support of the project.
The ongoing activities include linguistic research, Bible translation, literacy ma-terial development, literacy classes, vision sharing, and community mobilisation. About 30% of the New Testa-ment has been translated. The deadline for the project has been set for 2013. The people are anxiously waiting for the Jesus Film as they want to hear Jesus speaking their language. The literacy rate in English is about 25%.
Expected Results
Expected results
The anticipated result is that Scriptures will be printed, Scripture use programmes will be established, and the people will be responsive to the light of God’s Word.
Also, useful literature will be produced on spiritual, cultural, and socio-economic topics. Pinyin speakers will have a better knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and their faith will be strengthened.
Prayer point
Pray that they will turn to God and be saved, as they bow and praise God for the gift of life through Jesus Christ.
Read Isaiah 45:22-23 and Romans 10:9
Faith, the true Motivation
Ngwasi Grace, the project typist, said during a translation session “Small! small! catch monkey (a proverb in Pidgin English which means that little by little, the goal shall be attained)! From the beginning when all of us were still struggling in writing this language, I never knew we could reach this extent. So far, the writing system and reading of the language has improved, literacy classes are now operational in many churches, the Gospel of Luke is available and many pinyin people are able to read and understand. The book of Mark is being typed. Praise God. Amen.” This testimony encouraged the team and they all were saying “Gradually we shall win the battle; how wonderful will it be if the old people can quote the Bible and even write the language.”
More peolpe are literate
The community is now reading, memorizing verses of Luke and some are already composing songs on memorized verses.
Hundreds of Pinyin speakers, including Yaoundé city dwellers are literate in their mother tongue.
Young students are excited about the language and accept to be tested on their language, in a public arena and on a special day of celebration.
Last modified: 2012-07-13
