Some communities needed oral Bibles because most people did not read or preferred to learn through oral storytelling formats. So, we trained local believers to craft Bible story sets in their heart languages to share the gospel message. The people welcomed print Bibles in other areas, so we found local believers to join translation teams to develop Bible translations in heart languages to create printed copies of God’s Word.
Since 2013, our joint Bible translation team has celebrated:
• The completion of oral Bible story sets in 23 South Asian languages spoken by many of the least-served people groups
• Multiplying efforts of gospel-sharing by local believers across these 23 languages
• Multiplying church starts by local believers among unreached and underserved people groups
• Ongoing discipleship and church enrichment training for these growing churches
• New Testament translation in 16 of these 23 languages, with imminent plans to begin translation in four more languages
We give God the glory for the work He has accomplished through our team to bring His Word to those who have never heard. Through your gift, you share in the work and the victory with us. Enjoy these stories of lives changed through the work of Gospel Advance in Least-Reached Places.
From Herder to Shepherd
Hamaya* is a quiet, soft-spoken man. An animal herder by trade, Hamaya never felt qualified to lead or share the gospel with anyone. He participated in a Bible-storying workshop where he learned to craft a set of Bible stories in his heart language. Hamaya’s people are one of the underserved, unreached peoples within his county, so few gospel resources are available to them in their heart language.
With the encouragement of fellow workshop participants and the trainers, Hamaya began sharing the stories with friends and co-workers. Soon, he reported that several friends had accepted Christ from hearing his stories. He continued to share the stories and gathered the new believers to study the Bible together. Now, he leads a local fellowship of believers, many of whom came to Christ from his witness through sharing the Bible stories he helped craft into his heart language. Still an animal herder by trade, Hamaya now also shepherds God’s people as a church planter.
Bible Storying Leads to Bible Translation
Akhil and Murali* are key New Testament translation team members for their heart language, a minority language in South Asia. Their team has completed three of the gospels, most of the Book of Acts, and several of the shorter New Testament epistles. Their goal is to complete the entire New Testament.
Murali notes that her early training in Bible storying developed her basic Bible knowledge and the technical skills she uses now for translation.
Similarly, Akhil firmly believes that her experience crafting and sharing Bible stories in her heart language has equipped her to select simple words to convey the deep meaning of Scripture. She says her work with the Bible storying team helped her learn the chronological overview of the Bible and develop proper interpretation skills for her current translation role.
God Qualifies the Called
In the New Testament, Jewish religious leaders and Roman officials alike were unimpressed by the disciples’ educational pedigree, or lack thereof. However, they could not deny the power accompanying their preaching and healing ministry. In the same way, God is still at work today using “unqualified” people to confound the wise, share the gospel and glorify His name to the ends of the earth.
“Uncle Garvesh*” is as unqualified as they come, except that He knows Jesus as His Savior and Lord. He was older than most of the participants in the Bible storytelling workshops when he joined the two-year training and sharing program. He never had any formal education, and, among the pastors from his area, his lack of schooling disqualified him for leadership.
But Uncle Garvesh didn’t complain about their attitude towards him. He was shy and content to remain in the background.
The program equipped participants to share Bible stories in chronological order from creation to Christ and required that they share the stories with family and friends. Uncle Garvesh started with his wife and children, sharing the stories timidly in the beginning. Little by little, he continued to share in larger circles with neighbors and friends. In this way, he mastered the stories and shared his faith with others.
Soon, Uncle Garvesh was invited to participate in a Christian leaders’ meeting in his district. He took the opportunity to encourage fellow Christian workers and shared from the Bible without referencing notes or a written Bible. His boldness and accuracy in sharing God’s word greatly surprised the leaders. Thereafter, the leaders of his area recognized Uncle Garvesh as a respected and qualified Christian leader.
Since returning from Bible storying training, he has started two new churches and overseen multiple home-based storytelling groups in different villages. According to the audience’s preference, he uses Nepali and his heart language to share the gospel through Bible stories. Once a shy man whom other Christians did not consider qualified for leadership, Uncle Garvesh has earned the respect of fellow Christian workers and gained enough confidence through his application of training to speak with boldness for the Lord. Like Peter, John and the other disciples, he is now a bold leader empowered by God’s Word.
Thank you!
We so appreciate your prayers and continued support of the Least-Reached Places project. In 2022, we look forward to new engagements in five new language communities. We will also continue discipling and training the churches in those 23 groups who have the Bible available in some form. Your partnership enables us to continue empowering leaders in those groups to grow in discipleship and share the gospel in their unreached communities.
Your prayers and gifts impact multitudes of the least reached with the gospel of Christ. Because of your generosity, people from tribes and languages that had not heard the gospel are hearing and receiving salvation. Your partnership with our team is making Revelation 7:9 a reality for the peoples of South Asia!
*names changed
A primary goal of this project is to translate Bible stories into local languages here in South Asia and teach them to believers who use them to share with others. Ram and other believers learn these stories and then teach them in their fellowships. By learning and sharing Bible stories, Ram is understanding more about the character of God and what He wants for His children. For example, from stories of Jesus on prayer, Ram learned the importance of bringing everything to God and seeking God’s guidance in decisions.