“But in that moment, hearing about Jesus, hope was amazing and so soothing for his heart,” says Nehemiah with FMI.

Together with Keys 4 Kids Ministries, Nehemiah and his colleagues recently distributed 3000 devotional mp3s throughout Afghanistan. The project has been ongoing for two years and has required faith, creativity, and courage in the face of regional and spiritual obstacles. 

For missionaries, handing off the preloaded mp3 players to Afghans marks the completion of the distribution effort. For recipients, it marks the beginning of hope. 

In the case of the rug vendor, who was also a tribal chief: after conversing at length with Nehemiah’s partners, he requested a devotional unit for each family member. 

“What began as simple conversation in the marketplace had now become an open door to an entire tribe,” Nehemiah says. 

Afghan people face hardship on every front. Adding to food insecurity and economic instability, recent reports warn of rising terrorist activity and recruitment in the country. 

“It’s alarming and it’s very strange to see these extremist groups rapidly coming into Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Nehemiah says. 

In addition to the Afghan Taliban, the more radical Pakistani Taliban operate in Afghanistan, he says. ISIS has a strong presence as well. 

“And we have seen that there is always a fight between Afghan Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, and then ISIS there. And ISIS thinks that the Talibans have become liberal,” Nehemiah says. 

Meanwhile, ISIS continues to recruit soldiers from Taliban groups, many of whom receive training and resources in Afghanistan. This puts very young children at great risk. In Afghan culture, especially under current conditions, kids as young as ten can be breadwinners for their families. Their experience and exposure make them a vulnerable target for Jihadist recruiters. 

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

“They are getting into fights with Taliban and ISIS, and ISIS is recruiting these young people to fight against Taliban,” Nehemiah says. 

But he is encouraged that in spite of worldly dominions, the Kingdom of God is at hand. 

“Let me tell you: in a land where darkness and fear often overshadow hope, God is moving in powerful ways,” Nehemiah says. 

People are hearing and accepting the Word of God in the midst of spiritual darkness in Afghanistan. Nehemiah asks us to pray for the Afghan people: that God would speak through the mp3 devices and draw many souls to Christ. Please pray for spiritual and physical protection of those who respond to Jesus, and pray that the hearts of terrorists would be drawn to Jesus. Pray also for the safety of FMI partners as they continue this courageous mission on the ground. 

“May the Lord continue to will his sovereignty even in the most difficult places,” Nehemiah says. “I want to tell our listeners that the Gospel cannot be silenced.”

Featured image courtesy of Pixabay

Ashley Hoekman says these storytellers will go to the northwest region of the country, considered an unreached area. “Nepal is one of the biggest groups we work with. It’s pretty rare for a lot of people in Nepal to be reached with the Word. Only about four percent of people there are Christians. It’s a very Hindu nation and one of those top 50 countries that experiences a high amount of persecution against Christians.”

Keys for Kids uses creative stories to share the story of Jesus with kids.

Challenges in Nepal

In Nepal, mp3 players work particularly well. Hoekman says, “Nepal is a very poverty-stricken nation as well. They don’t have a lot of resources for things like mp3 audio players and even things like education. Learning to read and write in their own languages is hard to come by too. There’s not a lot of access for indigenous tribes and different ethnic groups out there.”

“Finding ways to reach them in ways that they can digest it (audio players and things like that) is so very helpful.”  

Each Storyteller costs 70 dollars. Want to support this program in Nepal? You can here.

In the U.S., mp3 players are often thought of as personal audio devices. People in countries like Nepal often see them differently, Hoekman says. “It usually gets shared with friends, family, and the neighborhood. So it’s a fantastic outreach program.”

Keys for Kids plans to produce the Storytellers in Urdu and Swahili in the near future.

Head photo courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries. 

This might look like forced labor or even forced marriage. Slavery exists in nearly every country around the world, the study found.

Kassar

Bruce Allen with FMI says, “This is a global problem. To put a face to it, I’d like to tell you the story of a guy named Kassar. He works at one of the 20,000 brick kilns scattered across Pakistan. Many of the buildings in Pakistan are made with rudimentary bricks. You have these smokestacks dotting the landscape.”

Kassar is 11 years old. He lives with his family in conditions Allen compares to the book of Exodus. They are not allowed to leave or take breaks. The workers don’t ever make enough to erase their debt.

An FMI partner visited the brick kiln, trying to help people in any way he could. Allen says, “Pastor Naveen, who is supported through FMI partners here in the US, has planted multiple churches at various brick kiln sites. He recently gave Kassar’s father an audio Bible on an mp3 device.”

“Now, even as they labor together under the sun, parent and children, the whole family is uplifted by listening to scripture in their own language.”

You can send Bibles to places like Pakistan through FMI. In October, donations to FMI will pay for twice as many Bibles.

Jubilee

Just as God set His people free from slavery in Egypt, He will set them free from all slavery when Jesus comes again. Allen says, “The book of Exodus is about brick kiln workers and their liberation. When Jesus picked up the Torah scroll and read from it, He mentioned that part of His purpose was to set the captives free, to announce the year of Jubilee.”

Ask God to free slaves all around the world.

The header photo shows workers in a Pakistan brick kiln. (Daniel Buckles, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

According to Ed Weaver of Spoken Worldwide, wise and considerate use of technology can actually make all the difference in bringing the Gospel to orality-based learning groups.

The Benefits of Technology

Most oral-learning cultures are used to more traditional means of sharing stories and messages. Weaver says these communities are more likely to “tell stories or to sing songs or to act out dramas or to deliver poetry,” rather than swapping phone numbers or reading ebooks. Many are cautious about introducing technology into such environments.

Many orality-based traditions allow stories to adapt and change based on the storyteller or generation. Although this may be of benefit to rich orality-based cultures, it’s a problem when it comes to preserving the accuracy of Scripture. As a result, Weaver thinks “the risks of introducing technology can be offset by virtue of making sure that your message stays on track and doesn’t get adjusted or changed over time.”

It also increases the efficiency of Gospel movements. People in oral cultures typically have sharp memories, but it still takes time to train them and teach them the Gospel story.

Photo courtesy of Spoken Worldwide

“Let’s say that you spent six months producing 30 stories,” Weaver says. “You can then have hundreds of small discussion groups that are created shortly thereafter that are listening to that content. But if you did it one by one with just storytellers, you might have 10 or 20 groups that have been started just because that person, the expert in telling the story, has to be present.”

In other words, recording audio versions of Scripture stories makes it easier for people to access the Gospel message. In one case, a local partner had been unsuccessful in finding storytellers willing to orally share the Gospel without a salary. Once they had access to recorded Scripture stories, however, 600 volunteers came forward to start discussion groups. Within the next six months, volunteers kicked off almost 2,000 groups.

“Do I think that technology is the answer to everything? No, it’s certainly not,” Weaver admits. “But it certainly can facilitate getting information out into an unreached people group pretty quickly.”

Tailoring Tech to Need

Weaver says it’s important to remember that Spoken isn’t typically giving cultures their first glimpse of technology. “Just because somebody isn’t or is living in an oral culture, doesn’t mean that they haven’t been exposed to some kind of technology,” he explains.” Probably not a computer, but probably a phone.”

That being said, Spoken is considerate of each target group’s access to technology. Key community leaders such as village elders or chieftains might have phones, but the chances of other community members having phones themselves are slim.

“We don’t want to completely disrupt their culture,” Weaver says. “We’re not just going to barge in and say, ‘Hey, here is what you have to do.’ We are paying attention to the presence of technology, what types of technology they have access to, and what supporting infrastructure they have.”

Once Spoken determines what levels of technology a particular community is used to, they provide tech appropriate to the situation. If someone has limited access to electricity, for example, Spoken might provide solar-powered audio players with stories based on Scripture. If another group already has access to cell phones, they might provide micro SD cards with recordings of Gospel stories.

Photo courtesy of Spoken Worldwide

They’re also careful about how much technology they introduce into a given community at once. “We’re not just overrunning a particular village or a particular region with technology; we’re introducing into the hands of some key leaders and developing it that way,” Weaver says.

This focus on local leaders is crucial to Spoken’s approach. “We love the creativity that our partners on the ground can introduce to us and say,’ Look, we do need your help here, but we don’t need your help here,’” Weaver says.

The bottom line has to be Jesus Christ and his message.

“Over time, we have tried to take the focus off of technology and say what’s really recorded on the technology is the most important thing: the information about the Word of God.,” Weaver says. “The Word of God itself is what’s important and how you deliver it is just a choice.”

Find out what Spoken Worldwide is doing and how you can get involved at their website.

Header photo courtesy of Spoken Worldwide.

That’s where Keys for Kids’ Creature Feature Storytellers come in. The Storytellers are little stuffed animal holders with an mp3 player. The player has around 30 hours of Keys for Kids devotionals and the whole Bible in audio. Greg Yoder with Keys for Kids says they are currently working on Storytellers in Arabic which can be distributed to kids in the Middle East and refugee camps.

(Photo courtesy of Christian Aid Mission)

“Many [refugee] kids haven’t been able to go to school so maybe they’ve forgotten how to read. These Storyteller devices could be what could not just lead a child to Christ, but lead a whole family and maybe even start a church!”

Even one single Storyteller has a ripple-effect of impact. An average of 144 kids will listen to a devotional or Bible story on one Storyteller, according to a Keys for Kids partner.

And Yoder says they’re not stopping at Arabic. “We’re hoping Spanish will be available sometime in January. But we also have Albanian, Greek, [and] Macedonian. We have Mandarin – both traditional and simplified – underway. We also would like to do Hindi and Tamil and Bengali. So there are a lot of other languages that we’re either just beginning talks on or they’re in some way, shape, or form in the process of actually being translated.”

(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids)

It takes $80 to get one Creature Feature Storyteller in the hands of a child who needs to hear about Jesus. Click here to donate towards Storytellers with Keys for Kids!

Plus, if you’re still working on your Christmas shopping, Yoder points out a Creature Feature Storyteller makes a great gift.

“Maybe you’d like to get one for your own child! Well, when you do that, you actually buy one for yourself, but also place one somewhere else and invest into the ministry of the Keys for Kids Storyteller program.”

And one thing everyone can do? Pray for this project: “Pray that there will be protection for our translators as they’re working on these in-country. Pray that people will catch the vision and the passion for this, not just here in the United States but abroad so that they would begin investing in this with their lives.”

That patriotism can also be seen in ministries to U.S. troops. Requests for Faith Comes By Hearing Military BibleSticks have been in an unexpected uptick.

More than 80 chaplain appeals came in to the ministry during the first two weeks of June, asking for over 20,000 Military BibleSticks.

Faith Comes By Hearing began their military outreach program with the development of a deployment-friendly BibleStick in 2007. The first shipments of the pocket-sized digital audio devices that contain the entire New Testament went out in 2008.

Since then, more than 218,000 units have been given free-of-charge to more than 1,000 chaplains who distribute them during pre-deployment briefings, counseling sessions, chapel services, Bible studies, and upon direct request of service members.

While a surge in demand can quickly deplete the ministry's inventory, FCBH continues to view that as a blessing in disguise.

"We really have to work diligently year-round to meet the ongoing requests from chaplains, but the reward for us and our great donors is knowing that more and more of our troops have access to God's Word with their very own BibleStick," comments Troy Carl, Faith Comes By Hearing Vice-President.

Much of the support for the program comes from individual donors, many responding to on-air campaigns done on Christian radio and TV. However, most of the support has come directly from the American church.

Incredibly, some 5,000 congregations—including nearly 280 churches that will present the project around the 4th of July holiday—have partnered with FCBH to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform continue to receive this much-needed spiritual resource free of charge.

"As we celebrate our country's birthday, we need to remember and honor those who are defending the freedom and independence we cherish," continues Carl. "We will continue to do that by providing God's Word in audio for their spiritual protection as they continue to protect us."

Please pray for U.S. troops in these days leading to the birthday of the country they fight for. Pray for their salvation and protection.

To provide a Military BibleStick to a soldier and his family for just $25, click here.

Two years ago, a handful of military chaplains asked Faith Comes By Hearing if they could provide a device that would allow soldiers to listen to the Bible while overseas. While Faith Comes By Hearing typically focuses on recording the Bible in various languages across the globe, this was a need too great to pass up.

Faith Comes By Hearing came up with the Military BibleStick, an mp3 device about the size of an old five-piece pack of gum, loaded with the New Testament. In the last couple of years, the sticks have gone viral.

"Now we are dealing with over 700 chaplains, and we have shipped to them more than 107,000 Military BibleSticks," says Bill Lohr. "Our backorder is ranging anywhere from 12,000 to 18,000."

Soldiers are requesting Military BibleSticks frequently. Lohr says many soldiers don't read as much as in times past, so the sticks are great for spreading the Gospel in an engaging manner. Some soldiers see that their friends have a stick and request one as well. Whatever intrigues them about the devices, the important thing is that soldiers are hearing the Word of God, and many are being transformed.

People across the States are donating funds to reach soldiers with comfort and Truth. "The actual cost is about $25, but that doesn't just include the stick," explains Lohr. Soldiers receive a Military BibleStick, but also an mp3 disc so they can share the Word with others who might not have a stick but are interested. They receive a postcard to indicate whether or not they would like their families to receive sticks as well.

The family aspect really holds the potential to keep an entire military family-soldier, spouse and kids-connected despite distance. "What we're trying to do is get that in the hands of not only the soldier, but their family. So they're really all listening to the same thing," says Lohr.

Recently, one group in particular has been responding to the need to bring the Gospel to soldiers and their families.

"Christian radio stations are just coming and seeing the need for this. They're a natural fit for us, and they're reaching out to their listeners to let them know. As soon as the listeners hear, their generosity just pours out, and they really want to support the military."

Two Mission Network News affiliates helped raise support for their work. America Family Radio listeners recently raised about $120,000 to provide about 4,800 Bible sticks for chaplains. Grand Rapids-based radio station 91.3 WCSG recently helped, too. "WCSG, a part of Cornerstone [University], just did their Sharathon. [They] promoted the Military BibleStick and were able to raise funds for over 300 more BibleSticks," notes Lohr.

Encourage your local radio station to get on board for this. The need is immense, and many soldiers are coming to the Lord or recommitting their lives as a result of listening to God's self-authenticating Word. You can get involved personally by calling 1-800-800-2555 or visiting www.militarybiblesticks.com.

Many Christians undoubtedly face this problem often and likely have several solutions. One SIM International missionary has created a program in response to this question that has reached enough people with the Gospel to successfully begin transforming an entire community.

This missionary conducts oral Bible studies in a small village in Paraguay, but they contain a bit more than just oration. Each participant in the study is given an MP3 player loaded with five Bible stories the first week. From then on, they are asked to listen to the assigned story for the week three times before they come to the Bible study. When they arrive at the study, they are asked questions to review what they've heard.

The Bible study has an evangelism aspect, as well. When the group meets, the leader tells the story, and the whole group is encouraged to memorize it. They say it over and over again until it becomes implanted in their memories so they can go share it with others. Even if they never get the chance to share it, it is still rich with spiritual nourishment for these hungry villagers. It allows them the opportunity to take ownership of the Word, whether they can read or not.

This oral Bible study approach has already worked to transform the village for Christ. "[Villagers] tell me that husbands are nicer and that neighbors have noticed a difference since they have started listening to God's Word," says the SIM missionary there. The people there are hungry for the Gospel and meet with the study to learn more, no matter the weather or circumstances.

If you would like to learn more about how God is using SIM missionaries to reach people with God's Word, click here.

The new
recordings are in Dan of Cote d'Ivoire; Garhwali, India; Kimochi,
Tanzania; Koma, Ghana; Ndau, Mozambique; Quechua, North Bolivia; Mooré, Burkina
Faso; and the New American Bible in the
United States.

Together, these recorded languages represent more than 222
million people on five continents.

Of these eight language groups represented, FCBH notes that
the Koma language is the smallest with
only 3,800 people. Experts report that there is absolute illiteracy among this
group in Ghana, meaning not one Koma person has the ability to read.

About 70-percent of the world's
population is part of an oral culture and live in poverty. That means access to
God's Word can be out of their reach. 

Faith Comes By Hearing establishes Bible listening groups in order to begin their evangelization. Their goal is to record Audio Bibles in 2,000
languages by 2016.

Click here for details on how you
can help support a new language recording.

National Director of
Faith Comes By Hearing, Troy Carl, says not
only did they present new features, but also they're seeing high demand out of
creative access countries where Bibles land people in jail. "One of the
most exciting aspects of this recent development is that many of our downloads
of the New Testament that are being requested in the various languages are
coming from closed countries now." 

So while it may be difficult to gather in house churches and
read physical Bibles, this tool allows the virtual body of Christ to be discipled
in private.

Carl says among Scripture Web sites, FaithComesByHearing.com
is unique because it's more than an information platform. "You may be able to find a version or a
language from certain groups, but Faith Comes By Hearing has partnerships with
all the major Bible translation organizations of the world. [Also], our Audio Bible software allows
anyone to choose any language from one convenient method. And, our
audio Bibles are completely dramatized, and that's very important, especially
among oral cultures."

The interactive Web site translates the default language that
a computer is preset to at the time a visitor arrives at the site. For example, if a reader were to access the FaithComesByHearing.com
site from Russia and tried to download the New Testament, the pages would
automatically download in Cyrillic text.

It also delivers and reads 39 different trade languages at
the same time. Bloggers, webmasters, and
other social networkers can access new features like widgets, banners and other software
that will help the virtual community distribute Scripture.

Also, with the new "Subscribe To" feature, users can stay
informed by subscribing to monthly ministry emails that deliver inspiring
testimonies, worldwide prayer needs and the latest ministry news to their email
address.

Click here for details.