Central African People: LAOUKOURA Jeremie

Oh the places you go, the people you meet, the dreams you encounter… here in Central Africa I am surrounded by people with fascinating life stories and dreams. I have decided I need to practice my interviewing/journalism skills and start introducing you to some of the cool people you might encounter if you’re ever in Central Africa.

So without further to-do, meet LAOUKOURA Jeremie. 

I met Jeremie a couple weeks ago while I was at the James Gribble Leadership Center (the Grace Brethren seminary here in Bangui) doing some research and interviews. He is a first year student who comes from a family of pastors: both his grandfather and father were preachers in Powa and his younger brother, Jean Paul, is a pastor now too.

Even though neither his grandfather nor father received seminary degrees, Jeremie accredits them with teaching him the ways of ministry and he says they were the ones who encouraged him to pursue seminary. Jeremie, however, is not going to seminary in hopes of one day becoming a pastor. His dreams are a little different from his forefathers although the goal is very similar. Jeremie’s dream is to translate the Bible into Kaba, the language of his home village of Powa.

Powa, sometimes spelled Paoua, is located in northern Central Africa in an area that is currently war-torn and unstable due to rebel activity. Many people have been driven out of the village or have fled for safety, Jeremie and his family included. In the capital city of Bangui Jeremie has been employed by SIL, better known as Wycliffe Bible Translators. He has helped with various translation projects but at this point the project of translating the Bible into Kaba is still only a dream as far as I could gather. It is an important dream to Jeremie because, as he explained, not everyone in his hometown knows the trade language of Sango, especially not the women. “I want the people of my village to understand the Bible in their own language and understand it well. If they can hear the Bible in their native language it will speak to their hearts in a way a non-native language can’t,” Jeremie commented.

Jeremie with fellow seminary students

Jeremie has put his translating work on hold while he receives seminary training at the James Gribble Leadership Training Center. He is taking courses in Greek and Hebrew, both languages he needs to know in order to accurately translate the Bible. He is on the right track for reaching his goals but it’s already been a long journey. He began his undergraduate level Bible training in 1982, fell sick, had to go to Cameroon for treatment, and wasn’t able to finish until 1999. (His wife, however, was able to finish a Bible degree during this time, which I think is pretty cool). Since 1999 he has worked with his father in the church he was leading in Powa, he has done translating work, and served in other churches doing his best to support his wife, three sons, and three daughters.

Almost one year of seminary done and two to go. You can pray that Jeremie continues to have the dedication, strength, and health to accomplish his dream of translating the Bible into Kaba. He still has a long road ahead of him.