Taking Scripture to the illiterate becomes a project of faith.

India (MNN)–Audio Scripture Ministries’ Tom Dudenhoffer says their India team recently took ownership of a Scripture distribution project and came up with a specially-designed machine called the ‘Mithra tape player’ (called “Mithra” which is “Friend” in Hindi language) .

What makes this unique is that the machine is “designed to help cut down on the number of cassettes that are needed to place the New Testament in audio form. It does that by changing the speed of the playback of the cassette itself.”

In addition, the team developed its own specifications for the player with the idea of cutting down on both bulk, and the need for frequency of changing the cassettes.

The first production run of 500 Mithra tape players has already been distributed. They’re hoping to make three thousand this year, but funding is needed. Their goal is to expand the potential for outreach. For next year, they hope to make 5,000, and in 2006, the hope is they’ll have funding for eight thousand players.

Dudenhoffer says the project urgency is its own obstacle. “The only help that they get from the outside often comes from friends who care about reaching this huge population of non-readers with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have gone ahead in faith and have begun the production of this unit even though they didn’t have the funding. Their letters to me stated they were simply trusting God.” He says the first run cost nearly $13,000.

Here’s how the program works. National believers survey villages, looking for those willing to become listening families(listening centers) in the village.

They are enrolled, pay a small fee(to avoid charges of proselytizing), and provided with a Scripture player and Scripture tapes.

There is constant circulation of God’s word. In two weeks, they are visited by local evangelists and reports are taken and forwarded back to ASM. Within six months, another visit takes place, and those who are willing, are baptized and connected with a local church (or a local church is begun).