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Talking Bibles in Mozambique calls out to all that can listen |
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 Dear Friends of the Bible,
There are no written Bibles in Jofane!
Even though there are no printed Bibles, people are learning the Word of God through listening to the Talking Bibles. In a village of 200 people not one person has a Bible! The evangelist does not know of any Bibles in the surrounding villages either.
Can you imagine a place where there are no printed Bibles?
How can this be when there are so many Bibles in the world? It is because the people cannot read and have no use for a printed Bible.
Ishmael Elish Mashava is like most rural African church leaders; at age 27, he has no formal theological or ministerial training. Working as a church evangelist 200 kilometers from the nearest tarmac road in the village of Jofane, he serves in an area that has yet to receive schools. Like elsewhere in Mozambique, the vast majority of the Xitshwa-speaking Matswa people in the village are illiterate. Even though there are no printed Bibles, people are learning the Word of God through listening to Talking Bibles. Ishmael helped distribute 100 Talking Bibles to Jofane and other nearby villages in southern Mozambique in 2006. During the past year, Ishmael reports definite change in the people and churches of the villages.
 According to Ishmael, there had been a desire of the people and even the pastors in the villages surrounding Jofane to learn about God's Word, but because of the illiteracy there was no way for them to learn the Word of God. He says, "Not many people can read here, but the Talking Bible calls out to everyone that can listen." Ishmael's knowledge of the Bible has grown extensively since taking on the Talking Bible project and listening himself. Claiming he has always had a love for the Word of God, Ishmael admitted he had a deficit in his ability to comprehend the little he could read. In the year he has been regularly listening to the Talking Bible, the evangelist says it has become simple to study Scripture and learn about God.
The evangelist said he particularly liked hearing about Philip in the Book of Acts, because it was like his own call to evangelize and help plant churches in the villages around Jofane. Sometimes walking for days with the Talking Bible and a small solar panel to power it, Ishmael says a crowd of people will immediately gather when he enters a village and begins playing Scripture through the Talking Bible. He says just hearing the Word of God in Xitshwa is enough to draw people in. Soon people are calling to neighbors and family to gather around.
He said it is not uncommon to have 50 or more people gather around the little black box as it plays Scripture.
"I just take the machine to a new area, let the people listen and then preach. That is how a church is started." Because of this, Ishmael is confident there will be new churches in all of the villages surrounding Jofane. He says more Talking Bibles are needed for the work. "I'm not really the evangelist, the Talking Bible is the evangelist that does all the work," he stated. Ishmael is not sure education is coming to rural areas like Jofane and surrounding villages in the near future. He is even less sure about formal ministerial training. However, the evangelist is confident that hearing God's word is bringing faith and growth among rural Matswa people.
As you can see, the Talking Bible is making the difference. People who do not have access to God's Word are now hearing it, because of you and the Talking Bible. It is your gifts and prayers that allow evangelists like Ismael to have an effective ministry bringing the Good News about Jesus to people who have yet to hear.
Your gifts do make a difference in people's lives. Please help people who will never have the chance to hear the Words of the Bible unless you help them by providing a $72.00 tax deductable donation. Don't count on someone else to do it. You do it and receive the blessing from God yourself for being faithful and making sure everyone gets to hear the precious words of the Bible.
Because they need to hear,
Sincerely,
Mark S. Hoekstra
President, Talking Bibles International
P.S. Thank you for your generous partnership with this ministry. As you have just read, a Talking Bible can make a real difference - giving people who do not read access to God's Word. Your $72.00 tax deductable donation will place one Talking Bible in a home. On average six to 12 people listen to each Talking Bible. Sometimes as many as thirty people or more will gather to listen! Again, thank you for blessing others with the Good News!! |
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