October 2011 – “Puag thaum ub tsis muaj lub ntiajteb no.”
“Long, long ago there was no world…” So begins the LHF translation of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories into the Hmong language.
Not so very long ago, publishing this simple introduction to the Christian faith wouldn’t have been possible, says Rev. Kou Seying, a Hmong pastor from California who was the lead translator on this project. That’s because until recent decades, the Hmong dialects had never been written down.
“Traditionally, Hmong is an oral society,” explained Seying. “But information [including Scripture] gets distorted over time. As we develop more written Biblical materials in the language, the truth of the Gospel has a greater chance to be communicated.”
The Hmong were originally farming people from the hills of Laos who now have immigrated to the hills of Thailand and to North America. More than 350,000 Hmong have settled in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other parts of the U.S. The Hmong Child’s Garden will be used in both countries to share the Good News.
“Only the truth—Jesus—will set the Hmong people free from their spiritual bondage and darkness with no peace, no hope, and no joy,” said Seying. “The saving message of Jesus comes through simply and clearly in each of these Biblical stories.”
Only with your help can this important work continue. Prayerfully consider how you can help support LHF projects.
