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Ghana: Singing Scripture By Heart
Dian* loved to
sing, but she was tired of church songs in other languages: Malawi or
Shona. She sang along with the rest of the congregation, but she knew
almost no one understood what they were saying. As the pastor's wife,
this grieved her; so she decided to do something about it.
Using
Scriptures the Sena translation team had already completed — Mark, Luke
and the Epistles of John — Dian adapted verses into Sena songs. Now the
church sings Scripture songs in their own language, and believers are
growing in their knowledge of God's Word as a result.
The
translation team, working in partnership with the Ghana Bible Society
and The Seed Company, also wants to translate Psalms so that songwriters
like Dian will have even more Scripture to put to music. Scripture in
song helps Sena-speaking Christians internalize the Word of God.
China: ‘A Gift' for Crowd Stopping
“I am 65 this year. I can testify that what is written in the book is a true reflection of what I have been through in my 65 years of living. It is a great book; good for educating young people,” shares Mr. Guo.
A Gift was designed and created by the Bible Society of Singapore, to address the challenges of life relevant to today's modern society. It is a booklet that presents the Gospel message in comic form, helpful to those wanting to share the Good News.
Two years ago, with the support of the United Bible Societies, the Bible Society of Singapore gave royalty-free permission to Jiangsu Christian Council/Three-Self Patriotic Movement to reproduce and distribute several thousand copies of A Gift in China.
The result was far reaching. Rev. Li of Jiangsu CC/TSPM, who is in charge of the printing and distribution says, “Praise God for opening this new avenue of outreach. A Gift's concise and handy design attracts and captures the attention of the busy crowds in the Chinese society today.”
Kenya: Living Water for Victims of Drought
The horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in 60 years. In Kenya alone, over 4 million people have been affected. 370,000 people are threatened with starvation in the hard hit region of Turkana. Here, drought has severely threatened the livestock, destroying the livelihoods of the people.
The Bible Society of Kenya is mobilizing to meet the need. Working in partnership with local churches and Christian organizations, the Society is launching an initial effort to provide 1,000 families in 10 villages with food and God's Word. Each family will receive food packs designed to last four months. Audio Scriptures will also be provided to reach the more than 70 percent of the population who are not literate.
The Bible Society also plans to distribute Turkana language Bibles and Scripture Portions to local church leaders and literate residents. With God's help, this holistic approach will alleviate suffering, both physical and spiritual.
Philippines: One brave translator gives his life for the Word
Pedro Agustin was a native Calinga speaker and college-educated farmer. Asked by missionaries to help translate the Bible into his language, Pedro immersed himself in the teachings of Jesus. As a result, he was transformed. In a culture of violence, he became a peacemaker. This made him vulnerable.
Pedro was shot to death by a group of bandits that he was helping find their way; they had pretended to be lost in order to execute him.
Syrine Agustin was 11 months old when her father was gunned down. But, Syrine and her mother forgave Pedro's killers. Syrine says, “Knowing that my dad is a part of this Bible, I am very proud, because it was the heart and soul and life of my father.”
Watch the video: ABSRecord.com/Pedro
Rwanda: End-2-End Update
The ABS International Ministries team visited Rwanda in May to monitor the progress of the End-2-End Scripture outreach work being carried out by ABS and our ministry partners, Campus Crusade for Christ and Faith Comes by Hearing®.
Since March 2010, this project has yielded a high impact in changed lives:
One of those whose life was changed was a known witch, Anastasia, who had used her magic to kill two people.
“I used to be a drunk and [an] adulteress, and was also involved in witchcraft. I killed two people by poisoning with this practice . . . But thanks to hearing and reading the Word of God, I've come to understand that this was evil in the sight of God, and I gave up witchcraft entirely. Now I thank God I am serving him, and through reading the Bible I am finding guidance and peace in life.”
Anastasia is just one of the thousands of people in Rwanda whose lives have been transformed by the power of God's Word. Please pray for our work in this landlocked African country.
