TANZANIA
The Power of Hearing God’s Word: Anna’s Story
Author Sara Brunsvold speaks with Talking Bibles’ Stephanie Hale about a volunteer teacher helping students hear Scripture in rural Tanzania.
REAL WOMEN DOING THE REAL WORK OF FAITH
The everyday women author Sara Brunsvold creates in her novels are inspired by real women doing the real work of faith.
One of those women is Anna Silas, a volunteer teacher serving students at a public school in rural Tanzania.
“You won’t see her in the news,” Sara writes, “but she is doing the kind of things books are made of.”
Like Mrs. Kip in Sara’s novel The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, Anna believes in the power of mentoring young people and teaching them God’s Word. But it isn’t only what Anna is doing that captured Sara’s attention. It’s how she is doing it: through audio.
Anna uses a handheld, solar-powered device called a Talking Bible to introduce students to Jesus. Her story demonstrates the important role audio Scripture can play—especially in communities where literacy, electricity, internet access, and printed resources may be limited.
Sara invited her friend Stephanie Hale of Talking Bibles International to share more about Anna’s ministry and the power of hearing God’s Word.
SARA BRUNSVOLD IN CONVERSATION WITH STEPHANIE HALE
Sara: Anna lives in rural Tanzania. What is life like there?
Stephanie:
Many families in Anna’s region depend on agriculture for their livelihood, and meals are often simple—foods like ugali, a staple made from maize, served with beans or vegetables.
According to World Bank data, 52% of Tanzanians have access to electricity, 65% have access to at least basic drinking-water services, and only 31% use the internet.
Notably, about 43% of Tanzanians are under the age of 15. These young people face serious challenges, including poverty, violence, school dropout, and teenage pregnancy. The influence of trusted adults and positive role models is especially important.
Sara: How has that need for positive role models opened the door for local churches to reach young people?
Stephanie:
Local churches have an extraordinary opportunity to reach young people through religious education classes offered in Tanzania’s public schools.
Local churches and ministry partners work with schools to identify volunteer teachers, train them, and equip them with resources. That means trusted adults from the local community can come alongside young people at an important stage in their lives—not simply to teach information, but to introduce them to Jesus and help them understand God’s Word.
Anna is one of these volunteers.
Sara: Why is an audio version of the Bible so important to Anna and her students?
Stephanie:
Audio removes an important barrier: literacy.
A Talking Bible allows students to hear God’s Word in a language they understand. It doesn’t require them to read well, own a smartphone, or have internet access.
Anna explained it this way:
“The Talking Bible has brought the Word of God like a story that is easy to memorize by people.”
That’s one of the things that makes audio so powerful. God’s Word isn’t simply available—students are hearing it, remembering it, talking about it, and sharing it.
Sara: What kind of impact is Anna seeing beyond class time?
Stephanie: Anna sees her students become excited about what they’ve heard and share it with their families. Local churches are then able to come alongside students and parents who want to know more about Jesus.
Anna can take the Talking Bible and her lesson plans into churches, homes, and community listening groups. We have received reports of new believers, restored marriages, changes in destructive behavior, and women becoming more engaged in worship and prayer within their homes.
One child hearing God’s Word at school can become the beginning of something much larger.
Sara: What has this experience meant to Anna personally?
Stephanie:
Anna isn’t only using the Talking Bible to teach others. She listens to it herself.
I love that detail of her story because it reminds us that the people pouring into these children are also being encouraged and strengthened by hearing God’s Word.
That’s ultimately what we want to do—equip Anna and workers like her to faithfully carry out the ministry God has already placed before them.
PLEASE PRAY FOR ANNA
Please join Sara and Talking Bibles in praying for Anna, her students, and their community.
Pray that the students will understand what they hear, that God’s Word will take root in their hearts, and that volunteer teachers like Anna will be strengthened as they faithfully share Scripture with the next generation.
become a monthly partner
HELP MORE CHILDREN HEAR GOD’S WORD
Sara Brunsvold has partnered with Talking Bibles to help more people experience the power of hearing Scripture.
As a special thank-you, the first 50 new monthly ministry partners will receive a complimentary copy of Sara’s new novel, The Sisterhood of Unlikely Friends, releasing October 6, 2026.
Your recurring support helps place Talking Bibles into the hands of people who cannot read, are visually impaired, or learn best by listening.
Books will be mailed in November following the October release.
Want to learn more about Sara and her books? Visit Sara Brunsvold’s website.
