The local language has an important place in evangelism. The Lord says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

Every person, tribe and nation must hear and understand the message of salvation in its own language.

Central Africa has four official languages: Spanish, spoken in Equatorial Guinea; French, spoken in Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, and Congo Brazzaville; English, spoken in West Cameroon; and Arabic, spoken in North Chad. However, these languages are only spoken by those who have gone to school.
To better connect with the local people, missionaries must learn the local languages.

Central Africa is home to hundreds of local languages spoken by over 138 million people.

Today, we will look at the Hausa language.

Hausa, a member of the Afro-Asian language family, is one of the most widely spoken dialects in Central and West Africa, and it is taught in some universities. It is spoken by over 80 million people, making it the 4th most widely spoken language in Africa. In Central Africa, this dialect is spoken in Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic and Gabon.

Let’s learn a few words in Hausa.

Good morning. Barka da safiya.

Good evening. Barka da yamma.

What is your name? Yaya Sunanka kiku?

Got it? Excellent! Learning the local language is imperative to making communication with the local people meaningful; it helps you connect.

As missionaries, we will use learning Hausa to build friendships with the local people. It will also help us share the gospel in a way that they understand and help them appreciate God’s love more fully. I pray that as we take an interest in the local culture, we can show them how much interest God has taken in them.

We invite all those reading this article to help us in prayer, as this language is difficult to learn. Would you also consider joining our monthly support team for the Animists of Central Africa project?

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