International (MNN) ― Faith Comes By Hearing is doubling the number of Scripture recording teams this year.
New technology makes this project possible in rural areas. FCBH's Ray Warrior says the teams are equipped with a portable recording studio "composed of laptop computers and all of the mixing and audio equipment that's necessary. They are packed into two heavy-duty plastic cases so that they can travel through some of the rough spots without damage."
Why the large deployment? Warrior says growth is pushing them forward. "Our objective is to record two thousand languages by the year 2016." Last year, Faith Comes By Hearing established more than 85,000 Bible listening groups. Estimates suggest that more than 8.5 million people heard the Word of God through these.
Right now, Warrior adds, there's a window of opportunity in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, so they're adding additional recording teams. According to FCBH, their teams are working closely with the New South Wales Bible Society of Australia and with the Bible Society of Papua New Guinea to record the Tok Pisin Audio Bible. Plans are underway to begin listening programs in churches and villages.
In a bigger scope of growth, more than 130 Audio Bible recordings were started in 2009 in other areas around the world. Even now, nearly 50 Bible recording teams, made up of national workers, are now gathering what they need for another audio recording project in one of the aforementioned languages.
The need for the Gospel is greater now than ever before. Disasters, wars and other traumatic events have people questioning deeper spiritual issues. When those questions can be answered by the hope of Jesus Christ, change results.
Even though the translations are available in the heart languages, high illiteracy rates still keep people from reading God's Word. "However," Warrior says, "if we then come along and do the recording of that translated language, while they can't read, they CAN listen, and the Word of God can then transform their lives."
FCBH is also mustering a response to Haiti's deep needs. Click here for details on what they're doing and how you can help.
