For the first time, Kuku-speaking Christians in Uganda and South Sudan are nearing the day when they will be able to read the entire New Testament in their own heart language.
For many believers, Scripture is available only in a language they learned later in life, a language used at school, in business, or across borders. But a heart language is different. It is the language of home. The language of family. The language people use when they pray, grieve, rejoice, and explain what matters most.
Soon, Kuku-speaking believers will be able to open the New Testament and hear God’s Word speak with that kind of closeness.
A Translation Years in the Making
The Kuku New Testament translation project began in June 2022. Since then, the work has required patience, persistence, and careful collaboration.
Kuku-speaking communities are not gathered in one central location. They are scattered across Uganda and South Sudan, which means the translation team has had to travel to distant communities for review workshops and checks of the translated text.
Because of the support of Words of Hope donors, translators have been able to make those journeys. They have listened, reviewed, revised, and worked carefully through the text so that the translation will be faithful, clear, and understandable.
“Going through Scripture, word by word, verse by verse, chapter after chapter and from book to book has been a rewarding experience,” the translation team reports. “That today we have our New Testament draft almost ready to go to print, and we are preparing to begin the Old Testament, is so fulfilling. We give all the glory to God.”
Preparing God’s Word for the Church
The New Testament translation itself is now complete, but several important steps remain before it can be printed.
The team has already participated in a pre-publication workshop and has begun preparing the text for typesetting. Now they are refining word lists, hyphenation, biblical terminology, and the Kuku writing system.
The draft will also be read publicly to make sure it sounds clear, natural, and easy to understand. This final stage matters deeply. A Bible translation is not meant to sit on a shelf. It is meant to be read aloud in worship, taught in churches, shared in homes, and carried into daily life.
If the remaining work proceeds as planned, the Kuku New Testament could be released in May or June of 2027.
Already Bearing Fruit
Even before the New Testament is printed, the project is already strengthening the church.
A Kuku Church Leaders’ Alliance has been formed to help prepare congregations to receive and use the Bible. A Kuku-speaking church has also been planted, where the newly translated Scripture is already being read during worship services.
This is the heart of Bible translation ministry. The goal is not only to produce a book, but to equip believers, strengthen churches, and help the gospel take root in the language people know best.
When Scripture becomes accessible in a heart language, discipleship deepens. Worship becomes more personal. Church leaders gain a stronger foundation for teaching. Families can hear and discuss God’s Word together in the language of everyday life.
The Work Continues
The translation team hopes to begin drafting the Old Testament while also expanding literacy training for Kuku people who cannot yet read their own language.
That next step is essential. A Bible in the heart language opens the door, but literacy helps people walk through it. As more Kuku speakers learn to read their language, more families and churches will be able to engage Scripture for themselves.
The translators expressed deep gratitude for those who have prayed and given through Words of Hope:
“We owe God a lot, and we give thanks for you.”
Join the Story
Your support helps equip indigenous Christian leaders to share the hope of the gospel in the heart languages of unreached people. Through your prayers and generosity, Kuku-speaking Christians are moving closer to receiving the New Testament in the language of home.
Please continue praying as the Kuku New Testament moves through its final stages. Ask God to guide the remaining review and publication work, strengthen Kuku-speaking churches, and bless the beginning of Old Testament translation.
May God’s Word continue to draw near, one heart language at a time.
