In 2019, Pheu bravely shared his personal struggle with reading the Bible in Vietnamese. Although she is quite fluent in Vietnamese, it is not her heart language, her everyday language, making it difficult for her to deeply understand the Bible's message. Pheu's sincere desire for a translated version of the Bible in Stieng is not just a dream, but a necessity. He firmly believes that the presence of the Bible in Stieng will be a powerful tool in helping his community understand the content of God's word and strengthen faith. He passionately states, "Having the Bible in Stieng language not only brings a sense of pride to the identity of the Stieng people but also helps preserve our unique cultural heritage.
Stieng people church in Binh Phuoc
The Stieng people (Vietnamese: Xtieng) mostly live in Southeast Vietnam. In Cambodia, they are grouped under the designation "Khmer Loeu", which refers to a mountainous minority tribe. Today, many Stieng have converted to Christianity and there are hundreds of churches, mainly in Vietnam.
The Stieng tribe has a population of about 100,750 people, spread across cities and towns in about 34 of Vietnam's 63 provinces - mostly engaged in agriculture. Binh Phuoc province accounts for 95.6% of the total Stieng people in Vietnam. The Bu Lo group resides on higher and deeper ground and is entirely devoted to agriculture. The Bu Deh (Bu Dek) group living in the lowlands has been farming rice fields for about 100 years. The community's farming methods are still simple, farming tools mostly consist of axes and knives, bamboo rakes, and others. In addition, economic activities such as gathering, hunting and poultry raising provide additional diverse food sources for them. In addition, the people of Stieng are also quite adept at weaving and knitting. They often exchange goods with the Vietnamese, Khmer, Mnong, Ma and even with people in Cambodia.
On March 7, 2024, I met Pheu again - this time with a big smile on his face. His dream had come true. The Vietnam Bible Institute published the first New Testament in Stieng, and the first copies were printed and sent to Stieng churches in Binh Phuoc. Pheu was one of the church members who received a copy of the ”precious treasure”.
After more than nine years, and through so many difficulties, a new milestone has come for the Stieng church. Local churches held a moving meeting to introduce the New Testament in the Binh Phuoc region. Organizing this grand gathering was the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches in the province. The good news about the newly published New Testament in Stieng Bulo was shared with God's people who attended this meeting. Church members heard about the whole process of translating the New Testament into the Stieng language from their team of translators. Here, people praised God for his faithfulness and providence. Church members sang with joy, and some were moved to tears by the news.
Pheu said, "I had mixed feelings the first time I held this New Testament in my hands. It's like holding a treasure that speaks directly to my heart and soul. The Stieng language is not just a means of communication for us; it is the core of our culture, our identity. To have scripture in my mother tongue is to experience it deeply. It is about my faith in God going deeper than ever before. I am so grateful, I am touched, and I feel so blessed. It was a moment of such tangible joy for me and my community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the hard work of the translators, thank you to everyone involved who brought this Good News to us."
Listening to Pheu's struggle and testimony was a very blessed experience for me. It was a powerful reminder of the transformative power of linguistic and cultural diversity in our world. Testimonies like Pheu's not only inspire many to support the translation of the Bible into lesser-known languages, including Stieng Bulo, but also underscore the critical role of language in preserving and sharing our collective experience as human beings.
The importance of language in preserving and sharing our collective experience as human beings.
