International (MNN) — In the middle of trials and tribulations, where do you find hope? Christ-followers around the world find it in the Word of God.
(Image courtesy World Mission)
However, two-thirds of the world is illiterate and many believers can’t read Scripture. Greg Kelley of World Mission says that’s where their “Treasure” comes in.
“It’s critical that we put an audio Bible that’s solar-powered into their hands, so that it gives these people access to God’s Word,” he states.
The Treasure is World Mission’s field-tested digital audio Bible. It’s a solar-powered unit that can fit in the palm of your hand, and can hold over 60 hours of audio material. With the help of partnering groups, the New Testament is recorded in 6 to 8 new languages.
Teams took Treasures to Kenya and Pakistan in recent weeks, countries that played host to widespread persecution.
In northern Kenya, “the group was doing water projects, doing Treasure distributions and also some medical outreaches to the communities,” Kelley says.
September’s attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi points to the overwhelming need for God’s Word to reach this nation, he adds. Treasures are a natural way to introduce the Gospel to oral cultures in northern Kenya, an area close to Somalia’s border.
“We’ve already distributed a thousand, and we have 2,000 more that we want to put into that area,” says Kelley.
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Treasures are also bringing the hope of Christ to Pakistan. A few weeks ago, the country saw its deadliest attack against Christians as suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the historic All Saints Church in Peshwar.
In an ironic twist, God’s Word is exploding in Pakistan, too.
“80% of Pakistanis are oral learners, and so that means they can’t, won’t, or don’t take information in a literate way.”
“If 80% of the community are oral learners that means that we need to engage them in an oral way, and that’s why the Treasure is such an amazing tool.”
Kelley says they distribute approximately 100 Treasures in Pakistan’s main language each month.
“When we send 1 Treasure, it’s literally dozens and dozens of people who get access to it,” he adds. “They’re intrigued by the technology of it; it really looks like a cellphone. But then when it starts playing their language, I mean you can’t even imagine how their eyes light up! It’s like our children on Christmas morning, opening the biggest gift.
“They open their hearts up and the Word of God goes in, and we know the Word will not return void.”
People don’t just react to the appearance of the Treasure. Its contents spark a tidal wave of change in unreached communities.
“We see people come to Christ…we see churches get planted, we see physical healings take place, just because of the power of the Word of God in these areas,” says Kelley.
“There’s a supernatural encounter taking place, where the Holy Spirit is touching them and speaking to their hearts, and they open themselves up to that. When they’re confronted with the Truth of the Word of God, they respond because they’re convicted, and they’re drawn close to the love of Christ.”
Are you going on a short-term missions trip soon? Take a Treasure with you!
“One-and-a-half million people in America will participate in a short-term missions trip in the next 12 months,” Kelley notes. “We believe in short-term missions and the impact they can have, but we don’t want their impact to be confined to the amount of time they’re in the field.”
Click here to contact World Mission. They’ll send you a Treasure pre-loaded with Scripture in the language of communities you’re serving.
“Whether you’re going to Guatemala, Haiti or Kenya, there are going to be oral learners that are you are coming in contact with,” Kelley says. “At the hospital you’re serving in, at the orphanage, at the work project, at the medical outreach, there will inevitably be large portions of oral learners.”
Pray the Gospel advances worldwide as more Treasures are distributed. Pray more people turn to Christ as they hear His Word in their heart language.
