The growing demand for Bibles in Africa

Published: 18/01/2018   ~   0

Christianity is growing rapidly in Africa. It’s estimated that by 2060, more than one in four of the world’s Christians will live in sub-Saharan Africa.

With this church growth has come a corresponding growth in demand for the Bible.
To help in this task, we’ve pledged to support the Bible Societies in Tanzania and Uganda as they aim to share the hope of the Bible with as many people as they can.

 

Bible benefits Maasai children

This little boy is just one of the children to recieve a Bible from the Bible Society in Tanzania.

Sara Lepilal is a Maasai school girl. She is one of only five girls in her village who has reached primary school because, in the Maasai culture, education for girls is not valued.

Through Bible Society Tanzania she received a Bible.

On a recent visit to the area, Edward Kamwela from Bible Society Tanzania found Sara reading the Bible to 12 other non- school children. Not only was she reading them the Bible, she was dramatising the stories of the Good Samaritan and Zacchaeus.

Sara loves the Bible and told Edward, “I am very happy to own a Bible in my heart language. I understand it. In reading God’s Word, it has changed my life for the better and has influenced my friends both at school and at home.

About Tanzania

Population: 53 million
Christian: 61%
Children/youth 0-14 years: 45%

Bible Society General Secretary: Mkunga Mtingele

“Thank you for your generous and invaluable support of Scriptures for children. We don’t have adequate words to express our gratitude, but God the Father who dwells in heaven can see our hearts.” Mkunga Mtingele

“I got to know about Jesus through weekly religious classes at school, where the teacher taught us many Bible stories. My father was not literate but he was proud of my progress at school. My father allowed me to gather other children at our home to share with them about Jesus. To motivate them he gives them milk from our cows.

Another reason girls from the Maasai culture don’t complete an education is the dowry system. Sara explains, “There was a time when my father’s friends approached him to hand me over for marriage, promising to pay many cows as dowry, but my father refused. He has promised me that he will support me to carry on my schooling.”

Sara is just one of thousands of children Bible Society Tanzania wants to reach with the Word of God. They aim to distribute 60,000 Swahili and diglot (two language Bibles – English/Swahili) children’s Bibles throughout Tanzania, where children make up 45% of the population.

Can you help bring the Bible to children in Tanzania by making a donation to this important work?

Tanzanian Sunday school kids love Jesus!

Aggrey Alfred is a Sunday school boy in Tanzania who recently learned the Bible story of Joseph.

Then one day someone dropped their wallet while driving a motorcycle and Aggrey picked it up. The wallet contained an identity card, bank ATM cards, and 10,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about $6.50).

Aggrey gave the lost wallet to his teacher with everything in it, including the money. When Mary, his Sunday school teacher, heard about this she asked him how he learnt to be so honest.

Aggrey replied, “I want to be like Joseph from the Bible. He was an honest person and God fearing. As a result God made him the Prime Minister of Egypt. By being honest, one day God will make me the Prime Minister of Tanzania and enable me to help my brothers and sisters during famine times.”

Atupakisye (in the middle of the picture above in yellow blouse) says, “I thank God for providing me and the rest of us with Scriptures. We thank the Bible Society of Tanzania for the gifts. The Bible is very good with beautiful pictures of Jesus. I love Jesus very much. He is so merciful, he brought Jairus’s daughter back to life.”

Aggrey is just one of thousands of children Bible Society Tanzania wants to reach with the hope of the Bible and, like Aggrey, impact their lives for good. You can help by making a donation today.

A Ugandan woman receives a brand new Bible from the Bible Society.

A Bible in every Ugandan hand

Uganda is a country full of God’s people – 84% of the population is Christian. But many of them are without the Bible.

“The Bible is a book people crave for,” said the Bible Society of Uganda CEO, Peter Mukhama, who wants to get Bibles to everyone in his country. Most importantly, he wants the Bible to be in everyone’s heart.

The need for Bibles is urgent in Uganda because of the large Christian population as well as the high levels of poverty.

“Close to 50% of the population attend church but many of them cannot afford a Bible at the current price,” said Peter.

“Church leaders are continuously requesting low-cost Bibles as much of the population is poor and struggling to provide for their own needs. Church leaders say they are challenged to maintain congregations where many young people don’t have a Bible,” said Peter.

About Uganda

Population: 39 million
Christian: 84%
Children/youth 0-14 years: 49%

Bible Society General Secretary: Peter Mukhama

“On behalf of the Bible Society of Uganda thank you for partnering with us and helping support this initiative. This is a project we are passionate about and trust that, with growing church numbers, the availability of a Bible will help Ugandans engage better with their Christian faith. To you our dear friends in New Zealand, know that your labour in the Lord is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).  May the good Lord bless and reward you as you serve God.” Peter Mukhama

“Once the price is as low as possible, around two dollars, more people will be able to access the Bible.”

And while in the developed world many young people have the option of accessing a digital copy of the Bible, in Uganda the power supply is too unreliable to use the internet. “The printed Bible remains the most popular option for youth, who are mostly in the poor rural areas,” commented Peter.

The Bible Society of Uganda has noted the need, longing and desire of young people to own a Bible. You can help them by making a donation. Your donation will ensure more Ugandans are able to have a Bible.

 

African Christians are calling out for Bibles, the need is great. You can help bring Bibles to people in Africa by making a donation to Bible Society. If you’d like to help, you can make a donation using our secure form.

Make a donation now

The year in review – thanks for your support

Published: 27/11/2017   ~   0

In the lead up to Christmas, it can be useful to reflect back on the year that has passed. Often it’s through this process that we see God’s faithfulness, protection and provision in our lives. And as we look back over Bible Society’s year, we certainly can see how God has continued to be faithful, generous and gracious in enabling us to help make the Bible, New Testament and Scripture portions available to people all over the world.

Daniel Ramirez and his new Bible.

We want to say ‘thank you’ because through your partnership you’ve helped share God’s love and the hope of the Bible with thousands of children, young people and adults in many different countries, including here in New Zealand.

So, as we approach the end of another year of Bible mission, we want to share with you again some of the stories, projects and people that have been impacted for good through your prayers and generosity. There’s drug addict Zhang Tao living in China, whose life was in crisis. He said, “Without the Bible, my life would not be transformed at all and I would still be living in my past pain and struggles.”

Daniel Ramirez from Uruguay, who was lonely and grieving, was seeking solace. “I only find comfort and company from reading the Bible,” he told staff at the Uruguay Bible Society upon receiving his free Bible.

And then there’s Ruth (one of eight million orphans in India), who, through the prayer of a missionary, gained a place in an orphanage a few years ago and received her first Bible from the Bible Society in India. Today she likes to study and read the Bible, and wants to be a nurse.

Here are some of our highlights from the year…

HOPE FOR NEW ZEALAND PRISONERS

“Much of this work (prison chaplaincy) would not be solid without the imperishable Word of God being placed in these men’s hands. We would be building on a foundation close to wood, hay and rubble. Please accept our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your generosity. It is without a doubt changing their lives.” Rev. Viliame Tuisoso, Prison Chaplaincy Service of Aotearoa New Zealand

James Williamson of Bible Society holds up the special edition of the Gospel of Luke.

Thanks to your support, more than 3,300 Bibles, New Testaments and portions have been distributed to prisoners in New Zealand (figures from January to September 2017). This year a ‘new reader’ programme was developed for prisoners, to help them understand more about Jesus through the Gospel of Luke. This special edition of the Gospel of Luke includes the story of Tārore as written by Joy Cowley. An accompanying study booklet helps prisoners dig deeper into Luke’s Gospel and draws on themes from the Tārore story such as forgiveness and reconciliation. This programme has been successfully trialed in three prisons so far.

BIBLE MONTH – HELPING
ORPHANS IN INDIA

 

Orphans like these girls have received Bibles and school packs.

During Bible Month (July), you generously provided funds for children’s projects in India. Thanks to your support, $57,500 was made available to bring the hope of the Bible to children there.

Your gift provides children’s Bibles and other items (shoes and school books) for children in Christian orphanages,
and it gives children the tools they need to engage with the Bible. Through this work, many young lives will be impacted with a first-time introduction to Jesus through the Bible.

Jeremy Woods of Bible Society with the 2017 youth edition of the Gospel of Luke.

SHARING THE EASTER STORY WITH YOUTH

Your ongoing support has enabled Easter Camps to receive free custom made Bible resources since 2011. This support continued in 2017 with a special new edition of the Gospel of Luke. The 2017 Easter Camp edition features chapter summaries to help youth understand what they’ve just read, reflection sections to encourage Scripture meditation and prayer, and also study questions for youth groups. You enabled us to give away more than 10,000 copies of the Gospel of Luke to Easter camps nationwide.

Our year is not quite over – this Christmas we’re again making available resources to help people and churches pass on the real Christmas story to as many young New Zealanders as possible. We’ve enclosed for you a copy of a new Christmas leaflet for young children – some 80,000 will be provided without cost to churches and other organisations. Feel free to share this leaflet with a child in your life.

As you can see, God has done great things through your generous support of Bible Society. I invite you to continue to journey with us on what is shaping up to be a very exciting 2018! We have some great plans and look forward to sharing those with you soon. In the meantime, would you consider making a gift to help bring the Bible to Kiwis and others around the world this Christmas?

From all of us at Bible Society New Zealand – have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed and special time with your family and loved ones.

Make a donation

BIBLICAL RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Children and adults alike from Kiribati and Tuvalu in the South Pacific are delighted to have Bible comic story books in their own language for the very first time. The Abraham Bible story comics are part of Bible Society’s ongoing mission to reach people in the South Pacific with the Bible in their heart language.

This happy group from Kiribati have received Bible story comics. Also, thanks to your generosity this year, 1,000 Fijian New Testaments, 1,000 Niue Bibles and 10,000 Good News Bibles were distributed to people in seven Pacific countries, including
communities still affected by the devastation of Cyclone Pam.

 

 

 

Thousands of Kiwi kids will get really good news this Christmas

Published: 19/10/2017   ~   0

Bible Society is giving away 93,000 booklets and leaflets nationwide telling the Christmas story.

“Christmas is gift-giving time, and Bible Society is very happy to offer creative resources that share the good news of Christmas – the story of the birth of Jesus – to children this year. Many Kiwi kids today have never heard this message. We trust it will be blessing to them,” said Stephen Opie of Bible Society New Zealand.

The Well Good News of Christmas  is a unique booklet telling the story of the birth of Jesus and why it is such good news. It includes Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem, the shepherds and the three wise men all in child-friendly rhyming language with colourful illustrations.

More than 3,000 copies of The Well Good News of Christmas will be given away free this Christmas, equipping parents and churches to pass on the story.

Meanwhile BSNZ’s annual Christmas leaflet sent to churches throughout New Zealand is this year called Escape to Egypt. Created in partnership with the Anglican children’s and families ministry STRANDZ, this free leaflet tells the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus and then the family’s subsequent escape to Egypt. It will prompt children to think about how Jesus started his life as a refugee, and the importance of sharing kindness, joy and aroha with others. More than 90,000 copies of Escape to Egypt will be given away.

“We really pray these resources will help Kiwi kids understand the true meaning of Christmas and that parents, families and friends will engage with passing it on to the next generation,” said Stephen Opie from BSNZ.

More about Well Good Christmas More about  Escape to Egypt

Bringing the Bible to hard places – Iraq and Bangladesh

Published: 28/09/2017   ~   0

Can you imagine doing Bible mission in a country at war with fighting, destruction and danger all around you?

A place where Christians are persecuted, the government is unstable, violence is commonplace and poverty is widespread? This is the everyday reality for the Bible Society in Iraq.

Nabil Omiesh, Head of the Bible Society in Iraq, describes their operational conditions as “difficult”, and he makes a plea for support. “Due to the hard and difficult situation Iraq is passing through now, the religious extremism in the region, I would like to ask our Christian friends in New Zealand to help their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in Iraq. God bless you.”

They need help to keep them operational, so they can continue to have a presence in this war-torn landscape.

“We always need prayer for our staff, who are working under these difficult circumstances and require tremendous strength.”

Recently, Sandra Elliot from International Christian Concern (ICC) reported in an Assist News Service article the closure of eight churches in Baghdad due to significant loss of the Christian population. She writes, “Christianity was once an integral part of the multi-faceted religious fabric of Iraq. At the beginning of the 21st century, Christians made up ten percent of the total population. The recent history of Iraq, however, reflects a stream of repression, conflict, displacement and persecution.

“For the 230,000 Christians remaining in Iraq, we must continue to pray and support them,” she said.

The Bible Society in Iraq has two offices, one in the north dealing with the needs of the surrounding region and another in Baghdad dealing with the middle and southern part of the country.

Their most immediate need is for a vehicle for Bible distribution. “Our offices are very simple and spartan. We have one distribution van for our offices in Bagdad but we don’t have one for the Arbil (north) office,” says Nabil.

Nabil tells us another pressing need is for essentials like printers and basic office equipment because of their difficult working conditions and their limited budget.

But finally the biggest need, he says, is for prayer. “We always need prayer for our staff, who are working under these difficult circumstances and require tremendous strength.”

But despite all this, Nabil says he and his staff try to work hard with “joy and peace” in their hearts “to serve the Lord Jesus Christ”.

This steadfast faith is bearing fruit, and the Bible Society in Iraq is considered an important part of the Christian culture in the country.

Nabil says they’re providing several key Bible programmes for children and people in need as well as an important Bible-based trauma healing programme.

Persecution and physical hardship are also commonplace for Christians in Bangladesh.

A developing country, Bangladesh continually faces severe environmental issues, such as last month’s devastating monsoon rains which displaced millions of people, along with poverty and illiteracy.

In Bangladesh there is no war, but in many other ways, the situation is just as bleak as Iraq.

Only 0.6% of the vast 165 million population is Christian. Bangladeshi Christians tend to be poor and working in rural areas. They live in villages and are mostly farmers living hand to mouth. Their low income means they are not able to purchase Scriptures for their own use, yet this growing Christian community is hungry for the Word of God.

Bible Society is the only supplier of Scriptures to the churches in Bangladesh and they depend on them to provide Bibles for their committed, but unsupported, congregations.

“In addition to keeping the Christian community supplied with Scriptures, there is a great need to share the Bible with this huge number of people, who speak 46 different languages and have not yet heard the Word of God,” said acting Bangladesh Bible Society CEO Richmond Joydhor.

Like Iraq, the Bible Society’s greatest need in Bangladesh is for a vehicle. Bibles and biblical resources are too sensitive to post in Bangladesh so the only safe means of distribution is through private transportation to reach every corner of the country. They also need help with basic operational costs including equipment and staff training.

Would you prayerfully consider this opportunity to help continue the Bible work in Iraq and Bangladesh? Your gift will help provide resources including vehicles to ensure they can continue to reach people with the Bible.

You can make a secure donation now using this form…

Te Paipera Tapu (the Māori Bible) – a labour of love

Published: 06/09/2017   ~   0

Te reo lover and speaker Brenda Crooks (pictured below) is one of only 5,000 people in New Zealand able to speak Māori and also communicate in sign language, our country’s two official languages alongside English.

“It’s the language of our country, it’s beautiful, it’s poetic and it’s a window into this culture. There are things that can be expressed in Māori that can’t be expressed in any other language,” says Brenda, who grew up as a small child with a desire to learn about Māori culture.

“I grew up on the West Coast of the South Island which is very European, so I believe my longing to learn about Māori culture was a God-given desire.”

Now as Māori Bible Kaituitui Co-ordinator (Kaituitui meaning ‘to stitch together’) at Bible Society New Zealand, Brenda is combining the two passions of her life, Te Reo and the Bible.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies in her early 30’s, Brenda joined Bible Society almost directly. She has been working on the Māori Bible ever since. She spent 11 years painstakingly modernising Te Paipera Tapu (the Holy Bible in Māori) text with the addition of macrons, paragraphs and punctuation.

“When the current Māori translation was first printed in 1952, it didn’t need macrons because there were native speakers.  So marking the vowel length for today’s readers is very helpful,” she said.

More recently Brenda has worked on Tāku Paipera, the first Māori Bible story book for children and Bible Society’s first dedicated Māori Bible app.

However, it is the new translation of Te Paipera Tapu begun two years ago, which is now her main work. First published in 1868 with three further versions in 1889, 1925 and 1952, the 1952 edition is the version most Māori communities and speakers have used for more than half a century.

“For Māori readers, we want to give them an informal translation that speaks to them in their own natural heart language,” she explained. “The current translation is very close to the King James Version, which in Bible-speak means it’s quite formal language.

“The purpose of translating scripture in the first place into mother tongues is to make it more accessible and to open up the treasure of scripture to all who want to seek it,” she said.

To date, Luke, two epistles, Jonah, Genesis and Ruth have been completed in modern Te Reo Māori, but it can take up to 12 years to complete a full Bible translation.

For Māori, it means the Bible will be more accessible to young Māori second language speakers. It will be the translation that serves the next generation – and that, for Brenda, will make it all worthwhile.

Read more about the Māori Bible and our translation projects…

The Māori Bible story Our translation projects

Scriptures for the unreached deaf of Nepal

Published: 23/08/2017   ~   0

We’re partnering with the Nepal Bible Society (NBS) to help deaf people come to know Jesus.

NBS is developing Scripture portions in Nepali sign language to be recorded on DVD and USBs. According to Nepal’s National Association of Deaf and Hard of Hearing there are more than 300,000 deaf people in Nepal.

“We are hoping to change their lives. Our ultimate goal is to get the Gospel to the deaf community and to bring the word of salvation to them so they might see and encounter God,” said Tej Jirel, CEO of NBS.

Bhabisara Ghartimagar, who is deaf and now helping NBS develop Scripture resources for the deaf, says life for a deaf person in Nepal is isolating. They often have to stay at home without any of the opportunities hearing people have.

“I love to read the Bible but I can’t understand the meaning. I just pray in my heart. The Bible is very good for me and transferring God’s message among this deaf community is very positive. So, I want to partner with NBS on this project,” she said.

“If you give deaf people proper opportunities they can fight for their rights. One day we hope there will be a deaf church in Nepal. This is a wider goal,” said the NBS Officer responsible for the programme, Raj Man Ghale.

A Nepali church congregation listens to a message. Bible Society wants deaf people to have access to the Word in their heart language: sign language.

“NBS’s vision and mission is that every community should have some Scripture portions, New Testaments or full Bibles. And based on this vision, we noticed the deaf community didn’t have any Scripture portions or biblical leaflets. We decided we had to do something for the deaf community,” said Raj.

“Among the deaf community, very few can read or write or do sign language. Especially those living in the hills isolated from their family and community – they have not had the opportunity to learn sign language,” he said.

“We want to encourage deaf people to spend more time in Scripture. We want to provide God’s Word in sign language to needy and interested deaf people.”

NBS wants to reach out to this neglected community with the hope of the Bible. Will you help us reach these people with the gift of the Bible?

Make a donation now

Myanmar – Bibles for those who can’t afford them

Published: 23/08/2017   ~   0

Christianity is growing significantly in Myanmar and people are seeking truth through the Bible.

But there are many people who can’t afford to buy a Bible or don’t know how to get hold of a copy.

With a quarter of the population living below the poverty line, the goal is to distribute Bibles at a price people can afford.

We want to help the Myanmar Bible Society supply Scriptures to Christians in the three languages of: Myanmar (nationwide), Sgaw Karen (in the south) and Jinghpaw (in the north).

“We want to provide both ethnic majority and ethnic minority people with Scriptures in national and ethnic languages which they can read and understand clearly, to help them grow in the knowledge of God,” said Khoi Lam, Myanmar Bible Society CEO.

Myanmar Bible

Myanmar is the official language of Myanmar and is widely spoken even by ethnic minorities. The literacy rate across the country is high at 95% and demand for this Bible is huge.

Sgaw Karen Bible

Karen (Kayin) is the largest majority group in Myanmar, numbering about 7,000,000 (the number of Christians is about 500,000). Many Karen are living in the mountains and Thai border area. They are in need of the Bible.

Jinghpaw Bible

Kachin is the name commonly used by outsiders for the 600,000 tribal people calling themselves Jinghpaw. They also form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognised by China, where they numbered 132,143 people in the 2000 census. Jingpaw is spoken by 425,000 people in Myanmar and by 40,000 people in China. Due to political unrest in the region, thousands of Jinghpaw are internally displaced. Most of them are Christians.

Country facts

The population of Myanmar is 52 million of which 89.3 % are Buddhist, with Christians making up less than 6%. The government recognises 135 different ethnic groups and it’s estimated there are about 200 spoken languages. Myanmar (Burmese) is the official language and is spoken by about 68% of the population as their first language.

Will you partner with us and help reach more than 10,000 people in Myanmar with the Bible in the language they can read and understand?

Make a donation now

2,000 Telugu new reader portions for workers in the Gulf

Published: 26/07/2017   ~   0

More than 2,000 Telugu migrant workers in the Gulf States are now engaging with the Word of God thanks to a special edition of the Sermon on the Mount published by Bible Society in the Gulf States (BSG).

Specially designed for illiterate or semi-illiterate people, this is the first New Reader portion BSG has produced. It is based on chapters 5, 6, and 7 from the Gospel of Matthew and printed in large fonts in conversational Telugu. Together with the Sermon on the Mount book, workers are given an audio version on a phone memory card.

The Bible educates

The aim of the new reader programme is to encourage Telugu speaking migrant workers to read the Bible in their language. There are over a million of these workers in the Gulf. The majority do blue-collar jobs and are either illiterate or school dropouts.

“I discontinued my elementary school and since then I have been working as a labourer. You have created the opportunity for me to improve my reading skills. You have rekindled interest in me to read. Now I am enjoying reading the Bible text in this book.” A worker in the Gulf

Gangadhar with his new Sermon on the Mount book in Telugu.

Since only 2,000 copies were printed, BSG chose to cooperate with only a few Telugu Churches in the Gulf States. Limited copies were sent to Kuwait and Bahrain so the Telugu Church leaders and Telugu Christian community could sample the Sermon on the Mount book. To date the feedback is positive.

Churches praise new publication

Pastor Somaiah in Kuwait, who is the chairperson for pastors from 50 Telugu congregations said, “I like this book, it has Bible Study notes. This is useful for semi-literates and also to the educated. I want to take this to my church and do an in-depth Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount.

Hope and an anchor

Hyrar Jebejian, General Secretary of BSG said, “We believe this programme will have great impact not only on the workers who received the portion but also on their fellow migrant workers as they encourage them to join the programme and consequently accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

“We believe these migrant workers will be empowered through their faith in Jesus Christ and ability to read the Scriptures on a daily basis to endure the harsh conditions in the Gulf. Hrayr Jebejian

“Most importantly, these workers may be strengthened to keep away from drugs and alcohol and concentrate on working for the sake of their families back home and fellowshipping with their Christian brothers and sisters in the Church,” he said.

Bring the gift of literacy to people in Togo and Pakistan

Published: 21/07/2017   ~   0

Did you know illiteracy rates in Pakistan and the African country of Togo are some of the highest in the world?

Can you imagine not being able to read your Bible – the very thing that is foundational to our faith?

In the little West African country of Togo (highlighted above), Christians like Nfoula (pictured right) are eagerly waiting to read the Bible but can’t because of illiteracy.

“Sometimes I am ashamed of my situation (illiteracy), but today I give thanks to God because soon everything will change by the grace of God,” shares Nfoula Gbati, a 46 year-old farmer.

“I am a member of the Assemblies of God Church. I live in Bikotiba, a village about ten kilometres west of Bassar (North Togo). When I was old enough to go to school my parents said rural work was more important than any other activity and that no one had the right to let us go to school. That is why I am illiterate.

“Today I regret it sincerely because I cannot read important documents the authorities send to promote our rural activities. I cannot even read or write my own name. At meetings, other people take notes for me. I do not want this situation to happen to my children and I struggle so they can have a good education.

“Previously, we did literacy classes at the church for a few weeks. Many of us had registered to take these courses, but unfortunately they were suspended due to lack of resources. Our pastor has told us what the Bible Society of Togo wants to do for the illiterates of our village. I lack words to express my gratitude to God to all those who want to help change the condition of the illiterates that we are. We will continue our prayers.

“May God grant you a hundred fold for what you do for us. I hope this literacy initiative will open a new page in my life. My Christian life will be improved because I will be able to read Bible stories myself and comment on them. And I will be able to participate in church services, which will strengthen my faith in Christ.”

Nfoula knows the life-changing impact literacy will have in his life but he is just one of many.

The Bassar of Togo is an unreached people group of 190,000 and its two key languages are Mina and Bassar. The Bible Society of Togo is especially keen to reach these people as the Bible was translated into these languages just a few years ago.

They want to help churches and communities in this region gain literacy skills in their native languages to be able to engage with the Bible. Illiteracy affects 46% of the Bassar region.

“Once translated, the Bible must be read and understood,” said Togo Bible Society CEO Estelle Akouegnon. She told us their mission is that every Togolese would have access to the Word of God in their own language, the language they understand best.

“The challenge is truly big and we are waiting to see great transformations in the lives of our church members who are mostly illiterate and who have come to register in large numbers for literacy classes,” said Emmanuel Ayi Ajavon (pictured right). He is Pastor of the Togo Methodist Church (Bethany Parish of Agouégan) near the lakes in Aného.

“The Bible in Mina was published by Bible Society in 2014. Many of our members have this Bible but they are still unable to read it because they have not been to school. As soon as the literacy classes were opened, the elderly people of our church and a few young people from the village who were not even attending our church came to express their joy and their enthusiasm for these classes.

“I myself have been particularly touched by the content of the literacy programme which helps in a very short time, the illiterate to read and write. It particularly helps me with Bible study and meditation with the elderly.

“I want to express my gratitude to Bible Society and its partners who supported us and allowed us to really understand, the meaning of this biblical verse, ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; On those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death a light shines.’ (Isaiah 9:2) We have truly come out of the darkness of Scripture ignorance and see the light whenever those who did not read yesterday read it today,” said Pastor Emmanuel.

The light literacy shines is happening in Pakistan where women are particularly affected, with three out of five unable to read or write.

That’s why the Pakistan Bible Society has been working hard over the past 15 years to give thousands of women like Shahida the chance to gain life-changing literacy skills through the biblical Beacon of Light programme.

 “I am Shahida Manzoor (pictured left) and my husband Manzoor Masih works in the fields. Nowadays we have harvesting season and it was very difficult for me to come to join in the programme but due to my desire my husband allowed me to come. Now I can collect the graduation certificate. I am so glad that now I can read the Bible. When I read the Bible with family, my children listen very carefully because I read slowly. When I make a mistake or get stuck, my children laugh and enjoy it. I am thankful to God that I can now read the Bible.”

Parveen Akhtar (pictured below centre) is a literacy teacher, she has been teaching in adult education for two years. “When you go to the home and teach the women to read, this also exposes their men to the Bible stories. I feel very good, that I am doing something for them. It’s very necessary to provide these people education. Very few people go to school, they are very poor. There is a lot less fighting in the families, they have good friendship and fellowship between them now they are following Christian ways,“ commented Parveen.

“Culturally and historically in Pakistan, the woman is the key to the family,” said Pakistan Bible Society CEO Anthony Lamuel (far right in picture). For every Pakistani woman who learns to read and receives Scripture, an average of six additional people will be reached with God’s Word. In addition to sharing the Bible with their family, women tell us their self-esteem is boosted through learning a new skill. They can demand a fair wage for their work as they can read numbers. They can help children with homework and access healthcare by reading things like medicine bottles.

Will you help teach more people to read the Bible today, so they can bring God’s Word into their homes and communities?

You’ll join others in helping more than 7,500 Togolese and 7,000 Pakistan women start the journey to literacy through the Bible in 2017.

Donate now

Michael Perreau – man with a mission

Published: 20/07/2017   ~   0

“We have a simple mission: the Bible for everyone. Our vision is for people to have the Bible in their chosen language and in their chosen medium and their chosen time. Digital plays a part of that. That’s kind of the simple, common mandate that binds us together.”

Successful global business founder Micheal Perreau, (62), gave it all up for the Bible because it made a difference in peoples’ lives.  After making his fortune and leaving the financial world behind, he and wife Deborah turned their lives over to giving it all back, 90 per cent of it, to helping the poor.

But despite creating jobs for the struggling, about 60,000 jobs in 10 years, Mike said there was a missing component in creating turn-around positions for these people. “As people who are committed to the Bible, we found that the fullness of transformation can best be ascribed to rooting in some of the values that the Bible had to offer,” said Mike.

It was this conviction that led Mike to partner with Bible Society. He has now been Director General of the United Bible Societies for six years.

Bible heroes

During this time he describes many highlights – particularly meeting Bible beneficiaries. “That is my joy, to see individuals’ lives that are being touched as God is narrating his story into their lives.

“Only a few months ago I met an 82-year-old grandmother who was receiving her first Bible. When she heard that the Bible was being made available for the first time in her language, she walked through the bush for six hours just to receive her Bible.”

Mike also talked about his ‘Bible heroes’, people laying down their lives for God’s Word. “I have a Bible hero whose whole family was poisoned for just reading the Bible (after becoming Christians) and he managed to survive and committed his life to make the Bible available to others.

“I have a Bible hero whose father was executed and as a consequence he fled his country on that same day, not know whether the rest of his family was alive, only to find when he ended up as a refugee in France that (some members of his family had made it to Canada),” described Mike.

The Bible is relevant today

Mike says the Bible is still relevant today.  “If we take just some factual evidence, then what we are seeing is that we are now distributing more Bibles than at any time in our history. There is evidence of a hungry spirituality. The question is, how do we make the Bible accessible to a hungry spiritual nation or individual?”

The Bible is Mike’s personal compass

“The Bible is my due north, it’s my daily encounter with the God of grace, it’s the blessing I receive, it’s sustenance when I go through hard times, it’s my operations manual.  The Bible is my companion in life – it would be my wife on one side and my Bible on the other side.”

Original story written by David Adams, Editor of Sight magazine (edited with permission).  View the full story here.