Translation Advisor for Komba, Ghana
Bible Translation Consultant in Training

Rev. Nathan and Sarah Esala has served the Likɔɔnl (or Komba) Bible project in Ghana, West Africa since 2003. Nathan’s role as a translation advisor has involved learning the language, developing partnerships with the Komba church and community leaders, analyzing and documenting the linguistic features of the language, training translators, ironing out translation processes, checking translated drafts for quality, and assisting in final draft revisions for publication. In addition he has learned how to drive a hard bargain and a motorcycle, work with solar powered electricity, control water run-off, and patch leaky roofs.

He has an incredible wife, Sarah, and five above average children—Karissa (14), Annaka (9), Aili (7), Isaac (5), and Eliot (the baby). After 10 years living in a rural African village, the Esala family is trying to make heads or tails of life in the U.S. while Nathan pursues further education that is required to be a Bible translation consultant. Sarah continues to homeschool Karissa and Annaka, while Aili attends Lutheran school. They are happy to live next to and participate in the congregation of St. John Lutheran in Dublin, Ohio.

Nathan has been accepted as a Ph.D. student at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) in New Testament Theology. He has proposed to work with Luke 1 investigating Luke’s poetics in the context of the ancient performance of Luke’s literature. It is Nathan’s desire to discover and facilitate excellent practices in Bible translation and missiology for Lutheran Bible Translators in partnership with African colleagues—and his family is behind him 100 percent.

The complete New Testament in Likɔɔnl (Komba) was celebrated and dedicated in November 2014. Ti pag Uwonbɔr a yinl! We praise God’s name!

We work through Lutheran Bible Translators.

Please check back soon for updates. In the meantime you can learn about our work at the LBT website. You can also visit with me at my  facebook page.