In 2007, the translators of the Usarufa were getting ready for further translation training at a Translator’s Training Course. 3 out of 5 of the translators could not attend the additional training for some reason or another. Through a series of events, a community elder named Sivini was requested to participate in the translation training – which he did.
Sivini is a “maus-man” – literally, ‘mouth man’ and what you might consider a spokesman for his language group. He is a community leader and elder. He became a leader in his community through his prowess in battle, being personally responsible for leading countless raids on his enemies. He was responsible for leading much of the fighting and killing that had occurred between his language group and their neighbours over the years.
Through the translation training course, he began to learn about the stories found in the Old Testament. Part of the course included the translation of the story of Cain and Able. As the group was translating the story, Sivini was convicted. His conviction was real and physically painful. He described the pain as if it were a spear sticking into him, along with being light-headed and sweaty. He said, “I do not want the role of commander anymore - it is not what God wants.” Seeing himself as Cain in the story, he later said, "It is the blood of those whom I have killed that is calling out to God now from the ground."
2 weeks later, he became a follower of Jesus during the course and his life has completely changed. He is still a community leader, but instead of leading raids to kill others, he is helping to lead his local church and is a co-translator for his language group.
As with all sin, the consequences of his past actions still haunt him. These days, when someone in the neighbouring village is killed, he is often blamed, even though he is innocent. He still has enemies who would gladly kill him if they had the chance, which means that we had to make special travel arrangements for him to come and do the work of translation, for fear that someone might see him and try to kill him. He has spent a better part of this year hiding from his enemies – because he is done fighting.
Just four days ago, he attended a peace meeting with a local mission, where he told the leader of the peace mission, “We will not fight anymore. Tell our neighbours that if they want to fight, they will be fighting with God, and not with us, because we will not fight any longer.”
Sivini is a simple and beautiful testimony to the changing power of the Word of God.
free counter