A Challenge

So, this past week we met to go over the 1st session of book three for Navigators 2:7 discipleship.  As part of the program, the participants and leader must memorize certain passages of scripture.  As we were sitting there reciting the verses, a thought came to mind.  Here these pastors are memorizing these passages in English, when their own heart language is Nyanja.  So, I told them that as part of memorizing the verses, I would memorize in Nyanja what they were memorizing in English.

I had never looked at the verses we would be memorizing before making this commitment.  Mistake!!  A lot of times, it takes more words to express something in Nyanja than it does in English.  As I have been typing these verses up to make memory cards, I am seeing that this is going to be more difficult than I thought.  Anyways, I thought I would share the first verse with you and challenge you to do the same.  You know that one day multitudes will stand before the throne of God giving praise to him in their own languages.  Might as well learn a little before we get there : )

Here is a list of pronunciations for vowels in Nyanja:

A - Sounds like "A" in "Ball."  It doesn't ever have a long "A" sound as in English

E - Sounds like a long "A" like in the word "Base"

I - Sounds like a long "E" like in the word "Bee"

O - Sounds like a long "O" like in the word "So"

U - Sounds like "OO" in "Boo"

Other pronunciations:

C - Is pronounced "CH" like in Chair

R - R's are rolled like they are in Spanish

Th - Sounds like an aspirated T.  It is never pronounced like the "TH" in "The"

When pronouncing a word, you break the word down by the vowels.  For instance,

Dalitsa is pronounced Da-li-tsa

So, using these examples, try pronouncing and memorizing the following verse:

AROMA 3:23

"Pakuti onse anacimwa, naperewera pa ulemerero wa Mulungu"

Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and fallen short of God's Glory."