The Sepulana Bible Translation Team successfully hosted the Mark Lumo Film Dedication Celebration at Shatale on 15 August 2026. The celebration was a great success, bringing together the community, church members, families, and supporters of the Sepulana Bible Translation work.

The celebration was enriched by beautiful traditional dances, which brought joy and cultural pride to the occasion. The Sunday School children performed exceptionally well, demonstrating their talent, confidence, and enthusiasm. Sepulana songs were also beautifully rendered, creating a meaningful atmosphere of worship and celebration. To God be the glory.

“This is not simply a translation being launched. This is Scripture being welcomed into a culture.” - Alan Webster

We want thank our partners from House of the Lord for their support and words of encouragement to the Mapulana people, and to Wycliffe Director, Alan Webster, for his gratitude and blessing the event.

Special thank you goes to Helen van der Walt for Scripture Engagement to have launched the film with clips from Mark 1. She also shared the full film YouTube link on all the screens for people to access it. Every attendee also received a printed copy of the Book of Mark. Joy overflowed as our people received the Word in both print and film!

“Suddenly, the story of Jesus is no longer simply words on a page. It is people, faces, movement and sound. The Gospel is being seen and heard in the language of the Mapulana people.” - Alan Webster

We were also honoured by our Municipality Councillors, Pastors Fraternal, and Ntate Jonathan Malele from House of Malele Kgoshi Traditional Council who welcomed this historic moment with joy.

Overall, the Lumo Film Dedication Celebration was a memorable and successful event. It celebrated not only the film but also the importance of the Sepulana language, culture, faith, and the ongoing work of making God’s Word accessible to the Sepulana-speaking community. The excellent performances, good attendance, effective time management, cultural presentations, and well-organised catering all contributed to making the day a great success.

We give thanks to God for the success of the celebration and appreciate everyone who contributed their time, talents, resources, and support to make the Lumo Film Dedication a memorable occasion.

I was blessed to attend this Sepulana LUMO film launch on behalf of House of the Lord church. Being part of this historic event in the Mapulana journey was a great privilege.

Every time a translation phase is completed or a celebration is held, it is amazing to see how everyone gives the glory to the Lord. This was no exception. From the time of arrival there was rejoicing for what the Lord has done.

God’s timing was once again absolutely perfect for this celebration.

It was special to meet some new team members and great to see those whom I have met. Their enthusiasm for the gospel was so alive and tangible. I praise the Lord for the whole team that so diligently worked towards this end goal. Many people were eager to support this event. May the Lord be glorified through all that is happening in Bushbuckridge.

01h30... I’m awake.

Far too early. I don’t want to miss the alarm, so I lie there listening to the silence, willing myself back to sleep.

02h30... Awake again. Still too early.

Back to sleep.

03h15... That’s it. I’m up.

It’s time to get ready for the road trip to Bushbuckridge.

By 04h30, Helen, Jen, Busani and Brain have arrived, and we’re on the road. It’s still pitch dark outside, and the Highveld winter makes the heater a welcome necessity. But inside the car there’s warmth of another kind. We’re excited.

In the back are 400 copies of the Gospel of Mark in Sepulana.

Four hundred books may not sound like much, but these are precious. They are the first written copies of Scripture produced by the Sepulana translation team. Soon, they will be in the hands of people across Bushbuckridge — people who will be able to read the story of Jesus in their own language.

We’re not just carrying books.

We’re carrying a story.

A story that is about to come alive on screen.

“God’s Word is coming!”

By 09h30 we arrive in Bushbuckridge and the atmosphere has already changed.

The translation team is there. Members of the community are gathering. And, as always, the local cycling club has joined the celebration. The bikes are ready, the people are ready, and there is a sense that something special is about to happen.

Then we set off for the venue.

The convoy moves through the streets, horns hooting and people waving, announcing our arrival.

God’s Word is coming!

Not only in those precious printed copies of Mark, but also in a completely different form — the LUMO film of the Gospel of Mark in Sepulana.

Then the dancing girls appear.

Bright clothing. Big smiles. Rhythmic stamping.

And the sound of the matlhoa — the rattles tied around their ankles — fills the air as they dance. The beat is infectious. The movement is mesmerising. It is unmistakably Mapulana.

This is not simply a translation being launched.

This is Scripture being welcomed into a culture.

We enter the church, where guests are warmly welcomed and the worship begins. The music rises. Voices fill the room. Soon we are no longer spectators. We are part of it — joining the dancers and singers as the congregation forms a great circle of celebration and praise to Modimo.

There is colour... There is movement... There is music... There is joy.

And then comes the moment we have been waiting for.

The Gospel comes alive.

The lights go down.

The film begins.

The Gospel of Mark — in Sepulana.

Suddenly, the story of Jesus is no longer simply words on a page. It is people, faces, movement and sound. The Gospel is being seen and heard in the language of the Mapulana people.

I look around the room... And I see the eyes... Big eyes... Smiling faces.

Faces lighting up as they hear the story of Jesus in the language of their mothers and fathers — the language that carries their memories, their identity and their culture.

There is something profoundly beautiful about that moment.

God’s Word has come.

And it is here to stay.

It is taking root in the language and culture of the Mapulana people. It is becoming part of their story — ready to speak into homes, churches and communities, and ready to bring transformation.

This is why we do what we do.

Not simply so that people can have a Bible.

But so that people can encounter Jesus.

So that God's Word can move from the page to the heart, from the screen to the community, and from one generation to the next.

A celebration worth the journey

Eventually, we emerge from the church into the bright daylight and head to the hall, where a wonderful lunch awaits us.

There is plenty of food, conversation and laughter. We meet new friends and reconnect with familiar faces. Stories are exchanged. There are smiles all around.

And then, all too soon, it’s time to climb back into the vehicle.

Bushbuckridge fades behind us as we begin the long journey home.

It has been a very long day.

A very long road trip.

But some journeys are worth every kilometre.

We drove through the darkness carrying 400 copies of Mark in Sepulana.

We arrived to dancing, rattling matlhoa, bicycles, music and celebration.

And we left having witnessed something much bigger than the launch of a film.

We witnessed the grace and power of God at work as His Word brings light and life to the Mapulana people.

The Word has come.

The Gospel is being heard.

Jesus is being seen.

And the celebration has only just begun.