Keliko New Testament: The 1000th Translation Completed with SIL and Alliance Engagement

This month, August 2018, the Keliko people of South Sudan celebrated a momentous milestone: After 20 years of perseverance through the hardships of civil war and displacement, the Keliko translation team has completed their translation of the New Testament.

SIL International, a partner of the Alliance in the Bible translation movement, celebrated a milestone of its own: The Keliko translation is the 1000th New Testament that has been completed with engagement from SIL and key Alliance partners -- Wycliffe Sweden, Wycliffe Netherlands, Wycliffe UK, and Wycliffe USA.

The Keliko New Testament dedication took place on August 11th, 2018 in northern Uganda, where members of the translation team fled when war broke out in their homeland. For some 70,000 Keliko speakers from South Sudan, many of whom now live as refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the ability to access God's Word in their own language is finally a reality. A newly signed peace agreement has begun to raise hopes of returning home. The peace of God's Word promises an even greater hope: the transformation of Keliko lives through a direct encounter with God through his written Word in their heart language.

Photos by Marc Ewell.

Learn more about the story here.