 |
|
|
|
| God’s Word... | |
 |
|
|
...Safe
in their Hands
|
|
n
Photo: Published in no fewer than 45 large volumes, a Braille Bible proves
a fun challenge of strength |
|
| See also:
n ‘Open Book’ for the UK n Bible Comfort in wake of Bombings (Northern Ireland & Kenya/Tanzania) |
n
News from Dem. Rep. Congo
n Scripture Quiz Challenge (Philippines) n News from around Suriname & USA n Fundraising in Indonesia |
Contents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The secret of the program’s success is that you don’t have to be a fully-qualified actor or actress to put yourself into the story and start reacting to others around you. This is something that can be picked up by the churches, encouraged in house groups or small Bible studies, and soon, not only are people caught up in the story, but there are challenges which focus our attention of the Scripture in a way we may not have encountered before.
A resource pack has been produced, and this presents five biblical themes in a modern way and suggests interactive ways of dealing with them.
Creation and identity, Exodus and freedom, Exile and return, The nativity and hope, The cross and resurrection and forgiveness, are set out in a way that explains the biblical context and then helps to link these to modern social thinking. There are Scripture readings, followed by a theme talk which encourages people to look at how, for example, ‘forgiveness’ operates in our society, in our individual lives.
The aim of the project is to suggest to the churches new ways to present the biblical message and to show how creativity can enter into Bible study and understanding. Using tools such as art, drama, film, poetry and story-telling, involving people by challenging their biblical perspective, the BFBS hopes to open the Book in a new way to many people, from churchgoers to school children.
“It was creative and stimulating – something for the heart and the brain! I was particularly impressed by the openness of our guests who helped the audience by giving a sense of struggling together as we seek to live with the Bible and develop our relationship.”
This year similarly, the Open Book tent drew crowds who queued for up to an hour to get a place inside the 1000-seater marquee to hear speakers such as John Bell, Nick Pollard, Mike Yaconelli, Jeff Anderson, John Smith and national radio disc jockey Simon Mayo.
“It was creative and stimulating – something for the heart and the brain! I was particularly impressed by the openness of our guests who helped the audience by giving a sense of struggling together as we seek to live with the Bible and develop our relationship.”
Brad Dawson, a computer analyst originally from Australia, was impressed
by the way the story of the woman caught in adultery had been presented.
“The way the characters were portrayed, modern and with reactions like
you and me, made me realise that these people I thought I knew about were
actually real people,” he said. “They were far from middle-class churchgoers.
The challenge of Jesus reaching out to those society rejects soon entered the discussion. What would Jesus’s reaction have been to a prostitute today, or to a drug pusher, or a paedophile? Speculation perhaps, but sparked off by the imagination coming into play – something that the church has perhaps never encouraged before in biblical studies.
“This
is helping me to realise that there is much more to Bible study than following
someone else’s thoughts in a little guidebook. It makes the Bible come
alive and much, much more relevant to us today. This approach will surely
help me to live the Bible message more effectively.”
“We are beginning to discover that it is okay to use our imagination, not just our minds, when dealing with the Scriptures,” said Dr Spriggs. “There is a need to discover the Christian’s imagination and this can be fruitful if anchored in the Bible. The Holy Spirit can also inhabit our imagination, as well as our reason.”
Seeking a personal approach to Scripture enables people to relate to it in a new way, and so the book is opened and made relevant and challenging once again.
In
the immediate aftermath of the terrible explosion in a busy shopping area
in Omagh, Northern Ireland, on Saturday August 15, the people most affected
find it hard to come to terms with the loss of relatives and friends; sometimes,
only the Bible can make sense amidst the pain and bewilderment.Some 300 metres along the same street the day before, many people had lain dead and 200 had been rushed to hospital, some to die later, all injured by a terrorist bomb in the most horrific tragedy in the 30 years of the Northern Irish troubles.
“There was an almost eerie feeling, very quiet and sombre,” said worshipper Arnold Charter. “People’s looks said it all.”
“There was almost a sense of relief when we saw that others were there and well,” added Arnold’s wife Sandra, “because at that point many of the dead had not yet been identified.” The total became 29 dead in September, and some are still critically injured.
On that fateful Saturday, minutes before the bomb had gone off, Arnold and Sandra had been in their car with their 21-month-old son Caleb, trying to park right outside the shop where the bomb was. Thankfully, they were moved on by a traffic warden.
“At times like these your faith is shaken, but it also becomes more real,” said Sandra who draws strength from the Bible: the promise in Psalm 23:6 inspires her: “I know that your goodness and love will be with me; and your house will be my home as long as I live.” “The Psalms are always good in times of trouble, you can get such comfort from them,” Sandra added.
On this Sunday the Rev Clive Johnston had planned to continue with his series of studies with Psalm 55. “That seemed even more appropriate,” said Arnold. “Verse 22 tells us to ‘Cast our cares on the Lord’ and he will deal with the wicked. In the midst of all of this we have to be positive in some respects, to say that some good will come of this.”
This week pastor Johnston has had plenty of opportunity to put into practice the words he spoke from the pulpit last Sunday, from Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to those who are discouraged: he saves those who have lost all hope.” This week he has had to comfort several people affected by the tragedy, but in particular one of his church members whose mother was a victim of the blast.
On Saturday afternoon the lady went to the chemist’s shop to process photographs of her granddaughter, born three weeks premature just the previous night. But her joy was not to be, and all week the grandmother’s coffin lay in the family home with a copy of Daily Light (a daily Bible reading booklet) on top, opened at the reading for Saturday morning: Hebrews 13:20, 21: “May the God of peace... provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will...”, a poignant reminder that she faithfully read God’s Word every day.
But a few days later he finds it hard to go on absorbing yet more grief: “I said to my wife as she told me another story of someone’s injuries that I could not take any more: I have reached saturation point in terms of grief. And at this time it is almost good to have the more day-to-day problems of life to take care of, such as a member of my congregation about to have an operation, or another member who has had their car stolen bring. These more mundane things bring some release from the profound pain we all feel,” he added. (WR 334/2 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
That
Saturday afternoon, as the bomb exploded that killed 29 people and injured
more than 200 others, Brian’s sister and mother were in Shields Coffee
Shop, adjacent to where the car bomb went off. Fortunately they were in
the back of the shop and only sustained minor cuts and bruises. But many
others were less fortunate.
“It is shocking now to see this main street, which I have known since I was a wee lad, and shocking to think that other people are no more because of this bomb,” he said. “In times like these, it is important to draw strength from the Bible and the visual imagery we find in passages from the Psalms, such as Psalm 27:5:
With one school friend dead and the sister of another, Brian admits that this seems to be part of what many have interpreted as a religious war. But the schisms in Northern Ireland are far more than that, and now go back so long that few can really unravel the reasoning behind the hatred, violence and terror. Many are saying: “Just when we thought we had peace in our hands, things like the Omagh bombing happen and it seems to escape again like sand through the fingers.”
Brian feels that religion cannot be separated from the way people behave socially: “For me, our religion is defined by the biblical teaching to look after the widows and the orphans and to keep ourselves pure from the world.”
But while Omagh grieves for its dead and extends warmth and sympathy
to those affected by the bomb, the whole of Northern Ireland takes a deep
breath and clings to a few last strands of hope.
“I believe that without the Bible in our hearts and minds, in our everyday
life, we are grasping at straws,” says the Rev David Campbell, General
Secretary of the Bible Society in Northern Ireland.
“In fact, many organisations working for peace here have realised that
talking peace is meaningless without a change of heart, and the Bible challenges
us to take the way of Christ, a way of love, humility and forgiveness.”
(WR 334/3 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
The result of this opening was that many new churches were started, and even the churches with a historical presence in Russia began to grow quickly. It now appears that a significant part of this growth was because religion had become ‘fashionable’, interesting and new.
Since starting our work, we have distributed about 80,000 Bibles, approximately 70,000 Children’s Bibles, and 35,000 New Testaments. Of course, we work with many different churches.
The Russian Orthodox Church is considered the majority religion in Russia. We maintain close contacts with this church, as well as with the Roman Catholic Church and with the many different Protestant groups.
At this time, we are engaged in a number of important programs in our region. The first of these involves distributing the Holy Scriptures to children in distressed circumstances. These are children who through loss of both parents or through extreme neglect – mainly as a result of alcohol and drug abuse – find themselves in orphanages run by the government or by a charitable organisation.
We are planning to greet the Millennium with a program which we have called ‘To the Ends of the Earth’ (from the Scripture found in Acts 1:8). This program is a long-term one which we estimate will require three years to realize.
This is not the first venture of the Siberian Branch of the BSR northwards
to the people of the Siberian hinterland. A year ago Alexei Bulatov, Director
of the Siberia Branch of the BSR, organised a trip to the Khanti-Mantsiskiy
District where the dominant group are the Nenets.
There are around 30,000 people there, gaining their livelihood by reindeer herding or by fishing. The Nenets are divided into two communities: those who live a settled life in the villages, and those who are essentially nomadic, following the reindeer and fishing wherever possible and living in tents. “We were able to meet both the Nenets who live in the village communities and those who are more nomadic,” Mr Bulatov said.
Mr Bulatov took with him representatives of different Christian organisations and churches, including a doctor who gave medical advice and help, and they distributed humanitarian aid as well as Scriptures and showed the Jesus film.
There is another humanitarian program which the Siberian Branch of the BSR is also participating in. This is a program to reach the very poor who live on or near the city garbage dump and make a living by salvaging things which can be recycled. Many of them are alcoholics and do not look after their children properly.
One of the orphanages which they visited last autumn had 136 children; the older children shared a room between up to five, whilst the younger ones were more crammed. The children were there as a result of their parents being unable to look after them through drug addiction or alcohol abuse, and some had lost both their parents.
Distribution is not easy in the Siberian Branch of the BSR which is based in Novosibirsk. When a container arrives loaded with Scriptures all the churches and missions have to be contacted, especially those outside Novosibirsk, and many people come to pick up their Scripture orders in their own vehicles.
Registered in 1995, the Siberian Branch of the BSR serves a territory which lies between the Ural Mountains and Lake Baikal. However, despite the small number of Christian communities in this region, interest in Christianity is growing and demand for Scriptures is constantly rising.
“Thanks to the Bible Societies which support us through the UBS, we are able to provide the Scriptures where they are needed. The economic situation is very poor here and people find it hard to pay even a minimum amount for Bibles. So the subsidies we can offer are very gratefully received,” Mr Bulatov said. (WR 334/4 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
Attending the presentation, in addition to church leaders and representatives, were theological students, translators and editors of the text, a number of parishioners from different churches, prominent Chuvash authors and scientists from the Chuvash State University, and media representatives from local and national television and newspapers.
The first Scripture translation into Chuvash was done in the early 1900s by Ivan Yakovlev who, with his followers, completed the Chuvash New Testament. In 1990 the Chuvash clergy constituted the Chuvash Bible Commission and gave it the task of translating the Old Testament into Chuvash.
However, it soon became clear that Chuvash scholars needed training in the modern approach to Scripture translation with all that has been brought to light since the turn of the century. Following an appeal to the UBS, the translation project came under their supervision and was taken over by the Bible Society in Russia, St Petersburg Branch, in 1994.
There were many problems to overcome, problems of continuity with the existent Chuvash New Testament, peculiarities of the Chuvash language, and the need to take account of the advances made in biblical translation methods. A number of scholarly seminars and conferences were held in order to train the translators, and after eight years, the 15 books of prophets with an explanatory dictionary were issued as a Bible Portion as a trial edition.
The print-run of 1,000 copies was made in Cheboksary and presented to the Chuvash community: copies were given to the national and 120 rural libraries, to more than 100 churches and their parishes, to the Diocese Clerical School, the monastery and convent, higher educational establishments as well as 54 cultural centres and 40 Chuvash communities in the territory of Russia.
During the official presentation, the Archbishop of Cheboksary and Chuvashia Varnava said: “This is an outstanding event for all the believers in Chuvashia. We are close to the time when the Chuvash people will at last get the whole Bible in their own native language. I am grateful to the Bible Society in Russia and the UBS for their work on translation and dissemination of the Holy Scriptures in all the languages of Russia.” (WR 334/5 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
The Christian Conference, which met this year from June 8-10 under the theme ‘The Church in the Service of Peace and Humanity’, brought together 150 delegates from all the main churches in Iraq. There was much gratitude for the activities of the UBS in shipping Scriptures into the country despite the United Nations (UN) embargo.
At a special audience with the Iraqi Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Dr Abdel Munem Ahmad Saleh, gratitude was expressed for all the work the Bible Societies have done, including their help during the conference.
In response to a call for a Bible Society in Iraq, the Minister encouraged the UBS representatives to make a formal presentation of this idea in writing. A copy of a special-edition Arabic Bible for Iraq was presented to the Minister.
|
|
The explosion, thought to have been caused by a car bomb and directed at the American Embassy, completely destroyed adjacent Ufundi House, trapping workers and staff inside under rubble, and damaging passing vehicles including a crowded bus from which several dead bodies were removed.
There was immediate chaos as thousands tried to flee from the scene and others rushed to see what had happened. A traffic logjam followed creating additional problems for ambulances and rescue workers.
With 254 people dead and many more suffering from severe wounds from the explosion, it will take Nairobi some time to recover from this merciless attack.
Edna Siundu, who also works at the Translation Centre, learnt that her husband, who was in a building opposite the blast, sustained injury to his eye through flying debris and had to undergo treatment.
TANZANIA:l A similar blast occurred almost simultaneously in Dar es Salaam, the effective capital of Tanzania, also near the American Embassy there, killing at least ten people.The Bible Society warehouse in Dar es Salaam is out of town and, according to the Rev Albert Mongi, the General Secretary, no member of the Bible Society staff was affected by the explosion, also thought to be caused by a car bomb. |
The Bible Society of Kenya immediately made available more than 5,000 Portions which have been placed at three of the counselling centres for distribution by counsellors dealing with victims and anyone affected by the bomb blast and its aftermath. The centres are located at the Anglican All Saints’ Cathedral Church, at Nairobi Baptist church and at PCEA St Andrew’s Church.
The Portions, which were chosen by Counselling Coordinator Mrs Gladys Mwiti of the Oasis Counselling Centre, include the titles, I am Somebody, Families under Stress, Turning to God, Peace and the Gospel of John. Mrs Mwiti felt that these addressed the different categories of victims she had encountered.
There were many questions from the group following the Bible Society General Secretary’s presentation of the scope of the Society’s ministry. Why did a translation take so long; why did the churches not support the Bible Society more? It was a good opportunity to strengthen ties with these representatives from churches which were benefiting from the FCBH program.
Some of the testimonies which were told showed the wide and varied response to the program. The Rev Perminus Muiru of the Anglican Church in Kabuku noted the changes due to the listening group which had begun in August 1997. Several church members had made a full commitment to Christ and evidence of the growth in their faith is quite clear. Church membership has grown and even members of other churches had been allowed to join the listening group.
Although there had been some initial opposition to the program, once it began in earnest people soon began to see its value, and they now have regular tests to see how much has been understood. He noted that an unprepared session led to what many felt was a boring session.
The Rev Kiragu Ngunyi, Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Chaplain for Nairobi Province, said that he found the program a great support to his work among educational institutions.
At Kenya Technical Teachers’ College, where one of his groups meets every Wednesday evening, the students listen intently and ask many questions.
One lady who came upon 2 Thessalonians 3:10 about working as well as eating was happy to find the Bible encouraging people to work. “Scriptures just come alive when you listen,” she said. Thanks to Mr Kiragu’s enthusiasm for the program five more SDA churches have subscribed.
The listening sessions have helped them to improve in their Religious Education courses, motivating them to study the Bible more. Other educational facilities running listening sessions include the Christian Union at the University of Nairobi and the Village Polytechnic in Kiambu, 25 miles north of Nairobi. In total, ten educational establishments are running the program to date.
One comment overheard after the meeting: “Can we have more such forums? I thought I knew about the Bible Society but now I know more and realise it is our work.” (WR 334/8 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
Following all the problems which this translation has encountered, including the deaths of several translators as well as the loss of the drafted text during the war in 1960, Mashi Christians were overjoyed on June 21, 1998, to receive their first Bible in their own mother tongue.
St Peter’s Church (Anglican) was the venue for the dedication ceremony, where representatives of the whole Christian community, including Roman Catholics and Protestants, gathered to thank God for his Word in Shi. “Now Shi speakers can hear God speaking to them in their own language,” said the President of the Church of Christ.
Dr Timothy Wilt, UBS Translation Consultant overseeing this project, spoke of the principles of biblical translation which had been applied to the text to render it faithfully from the original Greek and Hebrew. After the sermon, the church leaders placed their hands on the Bible and all the Christians in attendance stood around while the Bibles were blessed and prayed for, that all who read God’s Word would find salvation through it.
The final thought was for others without a Bible, and the Bible Society was urged to do whatever possible to make the Bible available in the languages that so far had no Bible. (WR 334/9 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
Until now Kanyok speakers have had to read the New Testament in Tshiluba
or Swahili. Kanyok is spoken by 205,000 people throughout east Kasai, and
on that Sunday almost every church was represented.
During the service 50 copies of the New Testament were presented to
each of the churches and to local dignitaries. (WR 334/10 - 10.98)
Sunday July 5 saw a gathering of almost 600 people crowd into the Pentecostal church in Mbuji-Mayi for the service to dedicate the new modern-language Tshiluba Bible prepared by the Bible Society of Dem. Rep. Congo with the support of the UBS and different local churches.
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Kimbanguist Christians joined with representatives from Scripture Union, the Gideons and Campus Crusade for Christ to praise God for this Bible. Such a gathering would not have been possible a few years ago due to a traditional distrust between the churches, according to Bible Society Distribution and Media Officer Dany Mubeno.
But, after a moving service of prayers, testimonies, speeches and the singing of choirs, the climax came with the prayer of dedication as the entire congregation stood and some of the pastors and the Vicar General for the diocese prayed for God’s blessing on the new Bible.
A final comment from the representative of one of the bishops of East Kasai: “Our churches in Kasai should be proud of this Bible – a real spiritual and cultural treasure. My prayer is that God will touch the hearts of those who read it.” (WR 334/11 - 10.98)
The Sefwi ethnic community comprises the towns of Sefwi-Wiawso, Juaboso, Bibiani and Sefwi-Bekwai. The people are predominantly cocoa farmers, the area being one of the nation’s leading cocoa producers in an industry that is at the forefront of the Ghanaian economy. There is also some mining – Bibiani has Ghana’s largest deposit of bauxite.
The Committee also discovered that the Esahie speakers were among the most literate and that theirs was a fast-growing community. Following the Committee’s report the Bible Society decided to begin translating the Scriptures into Esahie and a translation project was begun in June 1996.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of the translators and the encouragement of Dr Joachim Somé, the Translation Consultant in charge of the project, in about one year half of the New Testament had been drafted and the Gospel of Mark was ready for publication.
On Saturday, April 4, day of the launch, a brass band processed through the streets, with people accompanying it, singing and dancing, in preparation for the ceremony scheduled later that day.
Guest of honour at the ceremony was Western Regional Minister, the Hon. Mrs Esther Lily Nkanash, and she delivered the keynote address. She commended the Bible Society for producing the Gospel in Esahie and urged the Esahie speakers to support the Society so that the whole Bible may become available in Esahie. “The Scriptures are meant for the Esahie people. They are meant to be read and the lessons applied to your lives,” she said.
Dr Somé also spoke about the project he had been involved with since the beginning, and how the policy of the Bible Society was to achieve the highest standard possible in Scripture translation. Calling the day one of great joy, of light and truth and celebration, he said: “The Lord has visited his people in Esahie land. The Lord is calling the Esahie people aloud to come to him. The Lord has invited the Esahie people to follow his son Jesus Christ. The Lord is also speaking the Esahie language.”
In a letter addressed to the Bible Society General Secretary, Dr Somé described the dedication service:
Then the first copy was auctioned and finally bought by the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi-Wiawso traditional area Nana Okumdom Njoa II, and the second copy was bought by the Regional Minister, this in order to raise funds for the translation project.
The Bible Society Kumasi staff stayed overnight to complete the distribution, such was the demand for the Scriptures. Kwame Ansong, the Depot Manager for the region, organised visits to the different churches the following day, Palm Sunday, so that those who could not make it to the celebration had the chance to obtain their copies of the new-language Gospel.
“Everywhere we visited there was excitement,” he said. The Church of Pentecost bought 600 copies and the Anglican Church took 200 copies for their members. On their journey back to Kumasi the Bible Society team stopped in all the towns and villages to make the Gospel available. In a town called Anhweaso-Tanoso they interrupted a football match to enable both spectators and players to obtain their copies. “Within five days every one of those 5,000 copies had been sold,” said Mr Ansong.
The translators, Dr Boadi, TY Ening, who is wheelchair-bound, and Thomas Gyedu, together with the translation committee chairman, Anglican Archdeacon Okoh, are hopeful that the whole Esahie New Testament will be completed and published in time for the new millennium. Before this they intend to make the other three Gospels available in Esahie together with the Acts of the Apostles. (WR 334/12 - 10.98)
|
|
MANILA, Philippines — There is good news and bad news today for blind people who want to read the Bible here. The good news is that finally, after many long years of effort, a Braille version of the Tagalog Bible is now available. The Ilocano, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon versions are also in production. This truly is good news for almost 500,000 blind persons in the Philippines.
Soon they will be reading for themselves what they previously only heard
from others. This is a privilege that sighted readers have enjoyed and
taken for granted for long generations.
To make reading possible for the blind, the Braille system makes use
of raised dots which are recognizable by touch. The tips of the fingers
are moved across the raised dots from left to right in the same manner
that an eye would scan the printed page.
Now the bad news: although the Braille Bible is now available, a blind person still cannot carry their own Bible to church on Sunday. Nor on any other day of the week. Despite the shorthand incorporated, one Braille Bible fills between 40-50 very large and bulky volumes, depending on the language. There is no ‘pocket’ Braille Bible.
Indeed, for many with limited space in their home, even storage of the complete Braille Bible poses a problem. Nevertheless, blind persons from every corner of the Philippines have requested their own free copy of the Braille Bible in the dialect of their choice. Despite the huge bulk of the Braille Bible, letters of gratitude come from those who are finally able to read for themselves the words of comfort and encouragement contained in the Scriptures.
For instance, if a blind friend knows that his Bible study group will be examining the 23rd Psalm, he can request a Braille copy of just that Psalm and it can be ready for him in a matter of minutes. It will be on one or two Braille pages, and can be carried in the pocket if desired. In this way, those who are blind will finally have their own ‘pocket’ Bible of sorts.
The commitment at RBI is to remove the obstacles that society places in the path of those who are blind. This may mean making it possible for blind children to go to school, or it may involve RBI in finding meaningful and gainful employment for blind adults. The RBI commitment has even gone as far as to Congress to introduce legislation of benefit to the blind. But in the long term, the greatest achievement may be in making it possible for every blind person in the Philippines to have the Scriptures at their fingertips.
The story is probably familiar: when Bartimaeus’s opportunity finally came, he would not sit quietly and let Jesus pass him by. After bringing the entire entourage to a halt, he stood to his feet, threw aside his garment, and with arms outstretched, made his way to Jesus. As the crowd gathered around in a hush of expectation, Jesus looked into Bartimaeus’s blind eyes and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)
Does that not seem to be an unnecessary question? Surely it was obvious to everyone there on that day what Bartimaeus hoped to receive from this famous miracle worker. Why prolong things? Heal the man!
In the RBI ministry to the almost half a million blind in the Philippines, members of staff have come to appreciate the example set by Jesus in this brief encounter with Bartimaeus.
Whether he intended it or not, Jesus demonstrated one of the cardinal rules of conduct in working with those who are blind. Simply put, before helping someone who is blind, you ask what help they want. You will often be surprised at the answer.
Part of the RBI ministry is to provide eye surgery to people like Mrs
Lucero who cannot afford a doctor.
Every time she comes in, she is asked if she would like to undergo
the cataract surgery that would dramatically improve her vision. And every
month she politely but firmly declines the offer of free surgery. At this
point in her life, eye surgery is not a priority for Mrs Lucero, no matter
what promises can be made of improved vision.
This last year RBI provided more than 1,000 eye operations to restore sight to blind people in the Philippines. But it is from people like Mrs Lucero that we have learnt not to assume that sight is the blind person’s greatest concern.
So the staff here have learnt to follow the example of Jesus, and ask, “What do you want us to do for you?” And God has used this approach to lead RBI into many new areas of ministry that have dramatically increased the potential to reach those who are blind.
When Jose Ibanez was a child, he used to guide his blind father from place to place, begging for handouts. The looks of disdain and pity others gave to his father made Jose silently vow that if he were ever to go blind himself he would go hungry before he would resort to begging. But Jose comes from a long legacy of blindness. With 27 other relatives that had gone blind during their teens or early twenties, he knew the chances were strong that his resolve would be tested. And it soon was. At 17 years old, Jose’s vision began fading and by the time he was 19 he had lost all vision. At the age that most young men begin supporting their families, Jose had about as many vocational options as blind Bartimaeus had, 2000 years before.
Surprisingly though, when Jose was finally able to travel to Manila to visit RBI, his request had nothing to do with education, training, or employment. His only request was for a Braille Bible that he could read.
After becoming blind, he had become a Christian, and now he longed to be able to read the Bible. The print Filipino Bible was available but Jose and his 500,000 fellow blind people in the Philippines had not yet been given the access to the Scriptures that his sighted countrymen had enjoyed for generations.
That request began us on a project to produce the first Braille Filipino Bible. In the years since, in conjunction with the Philippine Bible Society we have produced Braille, cassette, and large-print Bibles in all the major dialects of the Philippines, and distributed them to thousands of blind and low-vision readers around the country.
Although Jesus already knew what Bartimaeus’s request would be when he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, he gave him the opportunity of expressing it himself anyway. That is probably reason enough to ask.
But in our work, we do not always know what the request will be. By
learning to ask the right question, we continue to uncover new opportunities
of ministry to those who are blind in the Philippines.
(WR 334/13 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
|
If this location
was so strategic for profit-making organizations, then it could also be
a strategic place to sow the Word of God
|
On learning that the contest was about the Bible, they decided to forgo their movie, saying, “This is better to watch than the movies.” The couple waited an hour or so before the contest started and watched until it ended.
To most people in the audience, the nine contestants at the grand finals were just a bunch of youngsters racking their brains for the knowledge they had memorized to compete with each other. What they did not realise was that through the questions and the spontaneous extemporaneous answers, the Word of God was slowly making its way into their hearts.
“A classmate of yours tells you that he wants to leave home because he and his parents are often not on good terms. What advice and Bible verse would you give him?” asked Eric Maliwat, one of the quiz-masters. The contestants answered armed with Bible verses. This part of the contest actually did not test the contestants’ knowledge of the Bible but proved to the audience that, for every problem, the Bible has specific answers.
| Thus, an unplanned by-product of the Quiz was that the contestants became advocates of Bible reading, encouraging people of all ages to read the Bible and seek truths that can be applied in anyone’s daily life. |
Contestants in the Bible Quiz saw the competition as more than just a way of gaining prestige, prizes and knowledge. Since the elimination rounds were held in different schools, contestants were given the chance to see and appreciate other high schools within Metro Manila. It also became a way of gaining friends from other schools. As 1998 Bible Quiz champion Jocelyn Dimaculangan of the University of Santo Tomas said, “I learned to reach out to other schools.”
As it turned out, one of the TSMS representatives, Bonnalyn Evangelista, bagged the second place with the cash prize, a washing machine, a gift certificate from Procter and Gamble (Philippines), a cassette recorder, a computer scholarship grant from Information Technology and Education Center, a trophy and a plaque. A week after winning the second prize, Bonnalyn still felt good at being able to help her school, which houses and provides free education to underprivileged children.
A Coca-Cola delivery truck slammed into their hired vehicle while on their way to Aquinas School. It was miraculous that nobody was seriously injured although one of them was rushed to hospital having suffered multiple wounds while the others were mainly bruised and shocked. Fortunately, the Bible Quiz decorations and materials, which would have taken weeks to re-do, were not destroyed in the impact.
Bible Quiz overall Coordinator, the Rev Maxi Santos, could not personally attend to the needs of the staff and the contest at that time because his wife had also just undergone surgery.
But these incidents did not deter the MMBQ staff from continuing with the show. In a week’s time, the Bible Quiz was right on schedule again, three Bible quizzes having been completed in one week. We felt once again the hand of God at work in the lives of those involved in the Bible quiz.
It seems that it was only yesterday when the MMBQ was conceptualized and launched with the aim of promoting Bible reading among young people. But now, the audience has grown and the quiz is starting to reach out to the older generations.
But the task is great – more people with experience and the heart for spreading God’s Word are needed, more funds and more prayers will be required. The Bible Coordinators can only follow God’s lead, believing with the PBS General Secretary, Dr Medarlo Rivera, that “God’s work done God’s way by God’s people will never lack God’s provisions.”
The MMBQ can only rest until November, when it will be back to spread the message of the Bible among the youth of the Philippines and maybe encourage Bible reading among many others who participate in the quiz as spectators. (WR 334/14 - 10.98)
l In Malaysia, the Murut Timugon New Testament also appeared in May this year and 4,000 copies were made available, some during the diocesan harvest festival celebration in Tenom, Sabah.
l In Thailand, the Bible Society is distributing a special Portion which has been compiled to encourage people suffering due to the economic crisis: Hope in the Midst of Economic Difficulties is being made available this year and will be distributed widely in Bangkok and other major cities.
l Word of Comfort is the title of a Selection which has been compiled by several lecturers at the Nanjing Jinling Seminary in China and is being published by the China Christian Council. Initially, 60,000 copies will be distributed throughout China.
l Philippines: Expected in November is the Tagalog New Testament on audio cassette after encountering more than one obstacle, including the destruction of the recording machine. Everyone is delighted that this has been completed to schedule and the radio actors who provided the voices are just as eager to hear the end result. This will be of great use in the Faith Comes By Hearing program, for the blind and for those who cannot read.
l Micronesia:
evangelist Luis Palau came to Palau in July this year, something the Christian
islanders have been praying for for years. The Bible Society reprinted
2,000 copies of the Palauan New Testament for distribution on this occasion.
Claude Terry, a famous NBA basketball player, has been
invited to Guam to hold basketball clinics with a team of six volunteers.
But the team would not only be coaching in sport; they planned to introduce
young players to the guidelines for life in God’s Word with Bible Society
in Micronesia materials. A trip to the island of Chuuk was also
scheduled, and the team were hoping to distribute Chuukese Bibles supplied
by the Bible Society.
Back on Palau, where the Micronesian Games
were scheduled to take place early in August, the Christian Volunteer Committee,
which organises volunteers who help throughout the Games, has been given
permission to hold special praise and worship concerts, and the Bible Society
is supplying New Testaments for distribution among almost 2,000 athletes
representing 10 different islands.
l The churches in Bangladesh have united to prepare a Grand Jubilee program for the third millennium which will get under way immediately, and the Bible Society here has been asked to develop and produce all Scripture materials. In view of the recent flooding there is even more of a need for sponsorship of this ambitious program, which aims to make God’s plan of salvation in the Bible available to all who seek spiritual comfort and hope.
|
|
“Praise God!” she shouted on the telephone, and the details of how the schools would receive the Bibles began to be worked out from that moment onward. Part of the consignment of Bibles was earmarked for a school in Aerowarto, an Amerindian village in northeast Suriname. Words of profound appreciation were expressed to the Bible Society and to the UBS by the Deputy Director of the SDA Veritas school when collecting the Bibles from Bible House, and he pledged a special offering which would be taken up among the students for Bible work.
|
|
The children ranged in age from 6 months to 17 years, and the Bible Society had brought Bible Comics and Portions for the younger ones and full Bibles for those who could read well. The leaders of the care centre were quick to thank the Bible Society for this gesture, and following this visit a church decided to donate three bags of rice per month to the care centre so that the children would also have their physical food.
l One other event of Bible Month last year is worthy of mention: the showing of three Bible Society videos on national television: And the Word Became Flesh, Bibles for India and God’s Word, Life for All, were the three titles chosen because they gave an overview of the work of the Bible Society fellowship around the world. Trying to get the airtime cheaper the Bible Society representative was surprised when he was told that sponsors should be found to buy the airtime, and eventually it was the television -station manager who was able to find sponsorship for all three sessions, with the station itself funding the third. The public response was good, demonstrating the value of broadcasting videos related to Bible work to reach a larger audience and perhaps more support. (WR 334/16 - 10.98)
Several former drug addicts and Director of the Center Carlo Landsdorf came to Bible House earlier this year to collect the Bibles. One former drug addict said: “This is the most valuable gift we have received so far because through the Word of God my life has changed. I heard about Jesus when I was in jail and there I decided to follow him. I know that his Word can change my life completely.”
‘The Voice’ treats drug addicts irrespective of creed, but everyone enlisting must sign an agreement whereby they agree to the biblical way as the pattern of life during their stay at the Center. Mr Landsdorf said that their approach to helping drug addicts kick the habit was a little bit unique and “based on the teaching of the Bible,” a book not yet featured in any government rehabilitation program.
Since its foundation a year ago, the Center has established a good name for itself in bringing help to those who are suffering from drug abuse, a segment of the community often neglected by others and left to the police to tackle. (WR 334/17 - 10.98)
The Gathering of Indigenous Christians from around the world was first held in New Zealand in 1996, the brainchild of Maori elder Monte Ohia, whose vision is to give a forum to indigenous groups to share in evangelism methods and grow in faith together. The cover of the commemorative CEV New Testament features a photograph of a wood sculpture that has become the symbol of the WCGIP, and some 10,000 copies have been produced.
Wearing traditional regalia, native people including Maori, Aborigine, Sioux, Saami, Inca, Zulu and Inuit, participated in the opening festivities on September 6 with traditional songs and dances. And 50 countries are represented in this celebration of unity and diversity. It is a time when indigenous people bring their traditional songs, dances, languages, costumes and stories as an offering of praise and worship to God.
And one of the results of the WCGIP is to help Christians use their
traditions and cultural gifts to God’s glory. More than 2,000 people attended
the 1996 WCGIP, and this year many more were expected. “Never before has
a Christian gathering of tribal people of this size and international scope
assembled together in the history of North America,” said Richard Twiss,
co-chairman of the WCGIP. “The goal of this gathering is to realise that
Christianity and native culture are not mutually exclusive realities.”
(WR 334/18 - 10.98)
Planning for Year of the BibleA new daily reading program, which helps the reader to complete the CEV New Testament in one year reading for just five minutes per day, is being promoted through churches and individuals so that preparations can be made well in time. Buttons, bookmarks, bumper stickers and special kits for pastors have been provided free, and videos and lapel badges can be obtained for a small fee from the ABS. Also obtainable is a special-edition ‘Year of the Bible’ New Testament, which includes the daily readings. There is a form to fill in committing the participant to the daily Bible reading. Newspapers in several cities have agreed to publish the daily Bible reading passages as a service to the community. Many churches and organisations including Campus Crusade for Christ International, Assemblies of God, Promise keepers, the Lutheran and Wesleyan Churches as well as many individual churches, have already committed themselves to the project, which, according to the Rev Ronald Mixer, Project Manager, is a good way to “reacquaint our contemporary culture with the Bible.” (WR 334/19 - 10.98) |
|
|
The effects of economic problems and transportation costs only add to
their difficulties in obtaining the Scriptures.
| The target areas for the distribution have been carefully selected bearing in mind the literacy of the people, the Christian community and the availability of churches to provide support. |
The target areas for the distribution have been carefully selected bearing in mind the literacy of the people, the Christian community and the availability of churches to provide support.
The Dayak Maanyan people of South Kalimantan live in villages near the
Barito areas and in the coastal lands of Patai and the region of the Pupukan
River. The language of Dayak Maanyan is spoken by approximately 75,000
people. They mostly live by farming.
| For many Christians who speak this language, the New Testament will be an answer to prayer and will fulfil their longing to read the Word of God in the language they best understand. |
The Dayak Ngaju people are the largest group of the Dayak tribes in central Kalimantan. The Ngaju language is spoken by most Dayak people. It is also used by the Kalimantan Evangelist Church (GKE) in their ministry.
The Kaimana people are located along the south coast of Irian Jaya. This area is dominated by banks of coral that extend into the hills and hamper any development. Some areas are difficult to reach as there is no transportation available.
Some of these remote areas are the focus of a mission campaign coordinated by the Christian Gospel Church in Irian Jaya (GKI). The missionaries not only have to walk through the forest, but often must cross areas of sea to reach the villages and communities.
Sumba Island is divided into two halves: West Sumba and East Sumba. The people of West Sumba speak Sumba but this has at least two distinct dialects: Wajewa and Kambera. The population of West Sumba is about 300,000 people, mostly living as farmers, and growing such crops as corn and rice.
The Bible Society will be providing good support to the churches and to these programs by supplying Bibles through the ‘One in Love’ program because many of the poorer people cannot afford their own Bible. Also, through the Bible they will discover what God has to say about commitment to him and to him alone.
Some isolated tribes in Central Sulawesi are the North Bungku, the Ulu Bangka and the Tomini, and they are located in two regions: Donggala and Poso. Those who need the Word of God are the 3,500 Wana people in Poso and the 5,000 Lauje people who live as traditional nomadic farmers moving from one place to another through difficult virgin forest.
Again, we hope to address these needs through the ‘One in Love’ program, which has successfully provided Scriptures for many in the remoter rural areas of Indonesia in the past, and despite the economic crisis we hope this program will continue to appeal to city Christians to think of their poorer brothers and sisters in need of God’s Word and unable to obtain their own Scriptures. (WR 334/20 - 10.98) [PHOTOS]
|
UBS Website: http://www.biblesociety.org General Secretary: Rev Fergus Macdonald Views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the United Bible Societies. |