They hear the power of the Bible |
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 Dear Friends of the Bible,
Rico Masingi is ODD! - Different than most of his friends and family in Vilanculos, because he has some reading skills. It would seem to complement the 22-year-old's love for the Word of God, but it does not. It has only given him a burden. "The written Bible is very hard to read; I get tired very fast and can only read a small portion, but the Talking Bible is easy and I can listen to whole books," the young evangelist said.
Rico said he was able to read enough to understand the command of Jesus in Mark 16:15: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." With this simple understanding, it created an overwhelming desire for him to be obedient. But how to share the Gospel in a community that is mostly illiterate? And a community where out of reverence for its elders the people do not always hear what a young man has to say. Rico was given a Talking Bible as part of a distribution through his church. He said nothing has been the same for him since, "I have received revelation on God's Words that I could never get from only reading, and have used it, without fear, to share my faith."
Vilanculos is a fishing village with warm tropical breezes flowing off the Indian Ocean. Coconut trees sway in those breezes and the natural beauty of island vistas attract a growing tourist population to its few resorts. The local Matswa people speak Xitshwa in the rural areas, but in town they are as likely to speak the Portuguese of Mozambique's most recent colonialists. Fishermen spend their afternoons mending nets on the beach or trying to sell their morning's catch in the marketplace alongside coconut and mango venders. The town recently received internet service even though its petrol station often runs out of fuel for several days! But that only concerns the few foreigners that have vehicles and computers.
 For all its quaint qualities, Vilanculos is home to Rico, and he has set to work using his Talking Bible to reach out to his own community. "I started by listening myself for about an hour a day; I was finding that I could not wait to have more time to listen," Rico said. He added that regularly hearing the Word of God only increased his desire to preach the good news, so he began listening Bible study groups.
"People may not always listen to a man. But they will listen to the power of the Bible." Through playing Scriptures, Rico said there has also been a change in the people.
"I have seen the Talking Bible is very important for us, it is how we are hearing God's Words." He added, "I think the people have wanted to hear the Word of God more than on Sunday, but have not been able to until now."
As the Word of God has become accessible to Rico and people that had been limited because of illiteracy and poor reading skills, his desire to share it has only increased. He said he has seen the fruit of hearing Scriptures among the people and said he is thankful for those that have helped Talking Bibles come to Vilanculos. He went on to say, "We need more Talking Bibles, there are more people in the church because of it and there is nothing more important than that."
I hear the stories of not just one person, but whole communities hearing for the first time many of the things you and I have read in our Bibles many times. Many new believers simply do not have access to the central truths of the Bible.
I hear story after story of how poor readers become better readers while God ministers to them through His Word. Pre-literate people and those who simply need to hear the Word because of blindness, old age or illiteracy are able to do so with a Talking Bible.
Thank you on Rico's behalf and on behalf of the many others who now have a Bible they can listen to. Thank you for your generous partnership with this ministry.
Please help people like Rico to get a Bible they can use, a Talking Bible, by giving a $72.00 tax deductable donation.
Sincerely,
Mark S. Hoekstra
President, Talking Bibles International
P.S. Your past partnership has brought Rico and others like him an entire season of thanksgiving. Please share again so that others can be thankful for the Good News as well. Thanks in advance for blessing others. Your donation will be used to place one Talking Bible in the home of someone like Rico who will play it for many to hear.
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