Source: Mission Network News, March 10, 2025
In the Northwestern corner of Namibia lies the village of Opuwo. Its name means “end of the road” in Dhimba, the language spoken by residents of Opuwo. But for the Himba people who first heard the gospel there, Opuwo was not the end of the road. It was the beginning.
Bible Society of Namibia, Wycliffe, and Samaritan’s Purse formed a collaboration to begin translating the Bible into the Himba people’s heart language. Working with a well-known storyteller, the effort eventually produced 35 Bible stories and gospel songs which were downloaded onto MegaVoice audio units. Michael Cardy with MegaVoice says he’ll never forget the first time the pastor played Scripture for the local children.
“As he turned it on, and they heard the gospel story in their heart language…the children were just absolutely dumbfounded. They were so excited they got up and started dancing,” he says.
The children placed a ring of stones around a tree and began regularly meeting there to hear Scripture. As the Bible stories started to impact children’s lives, parents started asking questions. Next, they joined the gathering.
“Around that circle, eventually five villages would gather,” Cardy says.
Read the full story and listen to some of gospel songs in Dhimba. Because the songs and Scripture are shared on solar-powered audio recorders, they can go wherever the nomadic people go.
The most recent edition of Evangelical Missions Quarterly is focused on missions and the arts. Read Creating Sacred Songs in Waorani (a language of Ecuador).
See also a story a South Asian artist who accepted a commission to paint a story scroll using the tribal art forms of his people—a process God used to draw the man to himself (International Mission Board).