The couple who gave God's word in life and death

When Eric and Violet Roulet felt called by God to help translate the Bible for Fulfulde-speakers in Cameroon, Africa, it was a mission that would continue long after their deaths.

Eric, who worked for Bible Society, spent 17 years translating the first New Testament for this community of nomadic herdsmen. It was an arduous task among people who were fiercely resistant to the gospel. Eric wrote ‘it was with fear and trembling’ that the couple took on the work.

The books of Mark and John had been translated in the 1920s but were riddled with errors. Eric discovered, for example, that ‘only begotten son’ had been translated as ‘simpleton’ or ‘idiot’.

Eric once wrote, ‘No foreign language, no matter how well it may be spoken, can quite replace one’s mother tongue in understanding the message of the gospel.’ Their work came to fruition in 1963, when the New Testament in Fulfulde was published.

Eric served with Bible Society in Algeria until his retirement while Violet, a former missionary nurse, home-schooled their four children. Eric died in 1984, and when Violet passed away in 2010, aged 97, she left a legacy to Bible Society.

The gift went directly to Cameroon, to fund a revision of the Fulfulde Bible, and continue the work the couple began more than half a century earlier. In 2014, the revision was finally completed and launched. Today, more than 4.6 million Fulfulde-speakers can read and hear God’s word in their heart language, thanks to this couple’s vision, faithfulness and generosity.

‘We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.’ Psalm 78.4 (ESV)

We're so grateful for the support of legacy leavers whose gifts make it possible for more people to have their own Bibles. To find our more about leaving a legacy visit our Legacy page.