 |
|
|
|
|
Eager |
Contents
|
|
|
|
MADAGASCAR:
Translating the Bible into Modern
Malagasy
Young Volunteers Take Action
Literacy Teacher Has a Heartfelt
Mission
Christian Home Teaches Girls
New Values
Church Inspired by Cassettes
Listening to God’s Word Brings a
New Understanding
Audio Ministry Proves Effective
‘Jesus’ Film Attracts Entire Villages
Bible Quiz for Young Roman Catholics
MAURITIUS:
Children Colour Bible Stories
Job Search Led to Bible Work
Hungry for the Bread of Life
New Skill Brings Joy to Craftsman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bible People in the News | Window on the World |
|
|
Due to the lack of census information available, officials cannot assess how many people have died and how many have survived, and they have to question families to check who has not been found.
The debris left by the sea’s incursion and the dense forest have impeded rescue teams – in the lagoon, they were unable to recover all the bodies immediately and the area was sealed off.
The bodies that were found had to be buried quickly, contrary to local custom that calls for an extended period of mourning to precede the burial. Unfortunately, a high percentage of the dead or seriously injured were the elderly, women, and children.
Aitape is not easy to access; the main routes are by small plane from Vanimo, the provincial capital, or using the coastal boats which ply between Lae and Vanimo, and it took almost two weeks for teams of government officials to arrive and take over the rescue and resettlement work which had previously been done by church workers and volunteers.
“Their immediate need was for small items that are easy to carry around and handle. We had already been planning strategically how best we could respond to the situation, so we were able to put the first stage of a three-part plan into action,” she said.
At the beginning of August 206 boxes and crates were prepared for collection and despatch to Aitape: the shipment included 4,000 Tok Pisin pocket-size New Testaments, 2,000 English New Testaments, 1,000 English New Testaments with Psalms, 2,000 Tok Pisin pocket Psalms and a quantity of other Portions.
“Most of the English items are for the schools and for young people. Unfortunately we could not supply the whole order for Tok Pisin New Testaments as we had already distributed most of the 17,000 reprint received in mid-July. We have received some support for this emergency program but would welcome further help, especially as we move towards our second and third stages of the emergency support plan,” Miss Tobin added.
The initial aim is to supply survivors and affected families immediately with Scriptures that will encourage them with comfort and healing in support of the pastoral work. The churches will co-ordinate the distribution to make sure it is effective.
The second stage will come into operation when the survivors have been resettled into their new homes in a safer area. For this the Society plans to use Tok Pisin Bibles, and is hoping to reprint this Bible to ensure sufficient quantities, as well as making other Scripture material available.
Another problem relates to the people’s traditional land: it is unlikely that survivors would be prepared to return to the same disaster area: they will have to be resettled elsewhere and this will bring long-term problems, not only in the re-building of entire communities but involving the complexities of traditional tribal land.
The people of Papua New Guinea are still in a state of semi-shock, and
the cost of the rescue operation and rebuilding the damaged communities
is inestimable. It will be a long time before the communities in the coastal
region of Aitape are able to return to a normal way of life. Everything
that can be done to help them cope with this tragedy is welcomed.
(WR 333/1 - 9.98)
VANUATU,
South Pacific — June 13 and 14 this year were
red-letter days for the Christians of Vanuatu: the newly-published Bible
in Bislama was due to be dedicated in Santo and then in Vila, two of the
main communities of the island.
“On June 14 the whole of Vila was bubbling with excitement,” reported Translation Consultant Dr John Harris. “Banners, balloons and colourful parasols waved as a crowd gathered at Independence Park where they were entertained by musicians and a special hymn composed for the occasion.
“The Prime Minister spoke, the President spoke calling this a day of national history, and the Speaker of Parliament promised to make the reading of this Bible part of the regular parliamentary meetings. The translators received medals from the president and two plaques will commemorate a celebration that will long live in our memories,” he said.
Having the whole Bible in one’s own language is “like a spear with a barb,” according to Andrew Avio. “Bislama is an important language, because it can be used across the villages,” said translator and pastor, Willie Mowa. “There are eight languages on my island, so when I go to another village I preach in Bislama.”
For some time now Bislama Portions have been in use and these have proved extremely popular. In fact, they have stirred up the expectancy of many for the long-awaited Bible, which has taken 30 years to produce.
But even hurricanes and a rebellion could not stop the work coming to its final conclusion, and now the Bible has come home. The translation team have completed their task, but now the task of distribution begins, and with more than 1,000 copies of this Bible already ordered and paid for, the Bible Society in the South Pacific is expecting the Bislama Bible to sell out soon.
It was almost by chance that the Bislama Bible was begun: the Rev Bill Camden from Australia was translating the Scriptures into the Tangoan language of South Santo when he was asked why he did not translate the Bible into Bislama. His reply was that Bislama, which is a form of pidgin English, was not considered to be a proper language, and besides that, it was too difficult.
A full revision of the New Testament was undertaken in 1980 as the Old Testament translation got under way. The draft of the completed Bible was sent to the printer in August 1997.
Co-ordinator of the project, Dorothy Dewer from New Plymouth, New Zealand, originally trained as a nurse at Waikato Hospital. Her parents had been missionaries on Vanuatu, but she turned to translation work, feeling God’s call for the Bible to be available worldwide.
Checking the first and second drafts was a difficult exercise because it meant that there were duplicated copies of the texts all over Vanuatu as the text was carefully read by reviewers.
During this time, the West Ambae New Testament was completed and published, allowing Ms Dewer to devote her time to the Bislama project. “I have enjoyed being able to assist with checking the text and helping the translators of the Bislama Bible,” she said.
Charles Ling, Morrie Tabi and Willie Mowa, representing three different church denominations, were the translators for this interconfessional project which the Bible Societies supported through the UBS, financially, technically and with consultancy.
The Bislama Bible was published by the Bible Society in the South Pacific. Approximately 140,000 people speak Bislama on Vanuatu.
For further information on Bislama please refer to
Special Report 14, November 1996.
(WR 333/2 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
Bible
Came Through |
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A two-hour celebration was held on June 5, 1998 at the Russian Cultural Centre, which is on the capital’s prestigious Norodom Boulevard, to herald the completion and arrival of the new Common Language Khmer Bible.
More than 350 Christians took part in a service of dedication for the new Bible, and it was a time of great joy and thanksgiving, reported Joseph Hong and Arun Sok Nhep*. The entire Christian community, Roman Catholics and Protestants, joined together to thank God for his Word in modern Khmer.
Following a program of music and readings, the congregation listened to addresses by former Catholic Bishop of Phnom Penh, Monsignor Yves Ramousse, and by the Rev Sar Paulerk, a well-known evangelical leader who is Chairman of the Bible Society Advisory Committee. Dr Graham Ogden, UBS Regional Translation Coordinator, spoke of the need for Christians to dedicate themselves to God’s Word.
The King of Cambodia, His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk, sent a message of greetings for the occasion along with an invitation to the Bible Society Advisory Committee for an audience at the royal palace later in the month.
The Phnom Penh dedication marks the completion of a translation project which began in Paris, France, in 1985. It also indicates the work needed to continue making God’s Word available to the Cambodian people in a language they can fully understand.
Some Khmer translation work was also being carried out in Bangkok, Thailand, under the aegis of the American Bible Society agent there who had recruited the help of a Cambodian Buddhist monk to work on the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts from Thai into Khmer.
But it was not until 1923 that a systematic translation of the Bible into Khmer was begun by a Christian and Missionary Alliance missionary from the United States, the Rev Arthur L Hammond. The translation of the whole Bible took many years until, in 1954, the first Khmer Bible was published.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the Cambodian churches were growing rapidly, and Christians felt the need for a more modern translation, one which could be easily understood by the many new Christians coming into the faith from a non-Christian background.
In 1973, the UBS launched an interconfessional translation project with four Protestant translators and a Catholic priest, and this team had completed the first draft of the New Testament by 1975. It was at this point that the country was plunged into turmoil with the coming to power of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.
In the mayhem that followed, the four Cambodian translators were killed, the Catholic priest had to leave the country, and the draft of the New Testament was lost; only the first chapter of Matthew was rescued.
Ten years later, at the suggestion and with the help of the French Bible Society (FBS), a new translation project was launched in Paris. Father François Ponchaud set up a translation team which included the Rev Arun Sok Nhep, Prom Chan and Chhoeung Sokhom. They worked in an office provided by the FBS and, assisted by UBS Translation Consultant Dr Carlo Buzzetti, they completed the New Testament which was launched on October 10, 1993.
Three women joined with Father Ponchaud and Mr Sok Nhep: they were Mrs Troeung Leap Romleuk, the Rev Yos Em Sithan and Mrs Salay Sangkhum. The UBS Translation Consultant was Dr Joseph Hong. Under pressure from the churches, and always aware of the instability of the political situation in the country, the translators had finished drafting both the Old Testament and the deuterocanon within four years.
Two days before the launch, more than 100 church leaders from all denominations and from all over the country gathered for a seminar on the new Bible. Participants appreciated understanding more about the difficulties of translation, and each one was given a copy of the new Bible.
The Word of God was received on this historic day with deep emotion by the Christians who have lived through years of terror. But it inspires them with hope, and is a source of real life for those who seek it. And now, with its up-to-date language, the Bible is open to the young people of Cambodia – 50% of the population is under 15 years – the legacy of a church which has known much violence and emotional suffering but has found a new life.
* Dr Joseph Hong is a UBS Translation Consultant; the Rev Arun Sok Nhep is a Protestant pastor and translator of the Khmer Common Language Bible. (WR 333/3 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
The occasion was to mark the launch of the new Khmer Bible, a modern-language translation which has taken just 13 years to translate and print.
At 11.00am the King and the Queen of Cambodia welcomed the delegation with great honour, including red carpet and motorcade. After the formal greetings, translators Father Fran?ois Ponchaud and Mr Sok Nhep presented the King with a special copy of the Khmer Common Language Bible, and later on a small bag of rice was offered, symbolising the 5 tons that were being given for distribution among the poor.
The royal couple received the delegation for 45 minutes, during which Monsignor Ramousse, former Bishop of Phnom Penh, gave a 10-minute discourse explaining the accomplishment of the new Khmer Bible as the result of a long collaboration between two major Christian confessions in Cambodia.
He also stated that the dedication of the new Khmer Bible was not only a religious event for the Christians in Cambodia, but a cultural event for the Khmer people. Therefore the Khmer Bible should have its place among Cambodians, as with the Buddhist Tripitaka or the Muslim Koran, in order to promote spiritual values without which there was no hope or happiness.
In reply, the King made a long speech, expressing his joy on receiving a copy of the new Khmer Bible. He stated on several occasions that this Khmer Bible would be read and kept alongside his French Bible.
He was also moved to see Christians of different confessions come to meet him together. As the country was experiencing political division, he rejoiced to see Protestants and Catholics united around the Bible.
The king was pleased to note that Buddhists, Muslims and Christians in Cambodia appeared to live in harmony, and he expressed his support for the Christian faith and his readiness to respond to any request the church might have.
The presentation of the Bible to the King was broadcast on national television, and this was of great encouragement to the Christian minority in Cambodia. It is hoped that much interest will be generated by the broadcast, and now that people know about the new Khmer Common Language Bible they will be eager to obtain a copy to read for themselves. (WR 333/4 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
SHENYANG, China — “There are several Bibles now on my bookshelf: some of them old-style Bibles with the characters printed in columns, some more modern Bibles with the characters running from left to right, some large Bibles, some medium-sized, some small.
It is great to have such a choice and sometimes hard to know which one to choose. But there is one copy of the Bible, very old and worn – it is even losing its pages – which I could never bear to part with. Every time my eyes fall on it I am reminded of its troubled history and those terrible years . . .
But according to the definition from those in the movement, the Bible belonged to the ‘olds’ and had to be destroyed. In addition, some Christians were suffering all sorts of persecution, and at public meetings they were being ‘struggled against’, which meant denounced or opposed.
Believers stood by suffering as their hymnals, devotional literature and even their Bibles were brought out and burnt. If you didn’t want your Bible burnt you had to hide it or bury it.
This incident sparked off fear in the community and some people decided it was safer to burn their Bibles secretly. At one point, our relatives sent their Bibles to us with the instructions to add our Bibles to the pile and burn the lot immediately.
All this had a dramatic effect upon me; I was only a teenager, but I was seeing grown people with an ardent love for God being frightened into doing this strange thing. Even an evangelist, who had introduced my mother to the Gospel and was our relative, reacted in this way.
But my mother had different ideas: for her, the Bible was more important than gold, silver or any riches, more precious than life itself. She could never burn her Bible, and she inspired me with her single-mindedness: whatever happened, we had to preserve our Bible and other Christian literature, and there would be no burnings in our house.
I can remember this routine gong on for several years. At the time, I was too young to read and could only wonder at the contents of this marvellous book. In those days Bibles were few and far between.
When I was older, Mother would divide her Bible into sections and give each of us children a section to read. I finished my first book in one sitting and for the first time tasted the Bible’s sweetness for myself.
One night there was a knock on the door: it was the son of our friend from the countryside, carrying a bag containing our Bibles and those of our relatives, and his parents had added their own. It seemed they were worried that the Bibles would be found on their premises and that they would be blamed for hiding them.
At the same moment, my mother’s gaze and mine fell on the bean flowers
in our garden, and we both had the idea of burying the books underneath
the bean plants growing in abundance under our window. So we wrapped each
Bible carefully in plastic and put them underneath the roots of the plants,
replacing the earth so that nothing seemed to have been disturbed. Only
then did we feel at peace.
|
|
Then, one evening, the Neighbourhood Street Committee suddenly called a meeting we all had to attend during which they carried out a scathing attack against religious believers. “All reactionary things have to be hit otherwise they won’t fall down,” said the leader. “Those who are believers here should make themselves known otherwise we will drag it out of them by force . . .”
Back from the meeting I could see that Mother was disturbed. “We had better find a safer place for those books away from the house,” she said, and I understood her. The next evening, in the middle of the night, and making sure that no-one was around to watch, I dug up the Bibles, put them in a sack, and set off into the night with a trowel and the sack over my shoulder like a thief.
Checking to see if there was anyone else around, I plucked up my courage and dug a hole big enough to bury the sack. After I had carefully laid the Bibles in the hole I covered it over and left a fragment of brick as a marker. My eyes were now streaming with tears as if I had just lost something important in my life. I couldn’t bear to leave at first, but then a breath of wind caught my face and I shivered, like waking from a dream.
I had been too busy until then to realise that I was tired, afraid, and sweating all over my body. The wind made me feel more comfortable and I began to feel happy. I raised my head to look at the dark sky: it was a beautifully clear night with bright moonlight and stars which seemed to be shining with particular strength. A few clouds scudded past. The sky was so bright that it seemed to me that the Lord Jesus had arranged it especially to guide me.
Back home Mother, who was waiting up for me, asked: “Where did you bury the Bibles? Are they safe?” When I told her she simply kept repeating “Thank God!” – I knew then that she was deeply worried, and I was troubled as well, even though the Bibles were safely buried. One night I dreamt I returned to the place where they were and someone had dug them up. I was so upset and afraid that I could not get to sleep again.
Then there was an effort to publish the Bible again within China. When I heard this news I was so excited I could not sleep for several nights. There were four of us in the family, and our monthly income was 100 yuan (US $12) – life was not easy – but without any reservations I put 100 yuan into the collection for these Bibles.
Today, when I go into the church bookstore, I see all kinds of versions of the Bible. And sometimes when I see people choosing the one they want and walking off to pay for it, I get an indescribable feeling of happiness!
God is truly great and we should treasure his Word and study and distribute the Bible with more enthusiasm than ever before.” (WR 333/5 - 9.98)
The couple regularly take Bibles from the BSI which they give to their relations and friends, hoping to lead them to what they have discovered. In fact, 32 of their friends and relatives have become Christians through their testimony, which follows:
Prema had contracted a mysterious disease and was bed-ridden following total paralysis. Paul attempted every medicine available and then turned to traditional medicine and Hindu prayers and cures. But Prema did not get well.
Prema had some friends who had told her about the saving power of Jesus Christ, but she had paid no attention to this. One day, however, the Lord Jesus appeared to her and, stretching out his hand, healed her. Prema says that she jumped out of bed like a released spring and started praising God.
This was made clear to him through reading the prophecy of Isaiah, and became a vivid reality when he read the Gospel narratives. The Holy Spirit opened the wonder of the Word of God to him, and, step by step, he believed in this Lord Jesus. It was the Bible which confirmed his thinking and established his faith.
When the time came for Paul and Prema to be baptised and join a church, it was not difficult for the doctor to choose a new name: it had to be ‘Paul’: Paul’s writings were a great source of inspiration to him and it was these writings that had been described by a former Prime Minister of Kerala and distant relative of Prema’s as “the cutting edge” of the Christian faith, a faith that politician had sought to eradicate from the state.
“We thank God for the bubbling faith of Dr Paul and for his courage in continuing to tell people about the healing power of Jesus,” said the Rev Zachariah Koshy, the Secretary of the Kerala Auxiliary of the BSI. (WR 333/6 - 9.98)
KATMANDU, Nepal — On April 11 this year, three of us from the Nepal Bible Society (NepBS) set out to visit churches to tell them about our work with blind people and those of impaired vision, and to let them know that the Bible Society can provide free Braille Scriptures.
When we spoke to the congregations we pointed out that Jesus was involved in the ministry of healing the blind. But there were many churches which had no policy for visually-impaired people and were not involved in any way in helping blind people read the Scriptures.
A week later at Bible House, we invited blind people to come for a two-hour program of events, to introduce them to our new program to provide Scripture help for blind people.
Anup Patro, Dr Chitra Chhetri, the Rev Nabin Sunawar and I took part in a service which included singing, prayers, a biblical exposition and a talk about the Braille program.
We distributed Braille Scripture Portions, Diglot Scriptures (in two languages) and large-print New Testaments, and the guests were treated to tea and snacks afterwards. We also promised to visit their libraries and clubs to make sure they had a selection of Scriptures in Braille.
We found it a real challenge to work with these people, but also rewarding. And now that the churches are more aware of the program we feel we can call upon them to help in the future. (WR 333/7 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
|
|
MANILA, Philippines — “The Lord answers the prayers of all who obey him.” – Proverbs 15:29. This was the encouragement shared by Dr Medarlo Rivera, General Secretary of the Philippine Bible Society (PBS) with staff during the simple but meaningful service on the morning of May 6, 1998 as part of the Society’s early celebration of the UBS World Day of Prayer.
A prayer chain and free Scripture distribution by PBS staff marked the observance of this event, and two veteran PBS workers, the Rev Juan Empig and the Rev Emeterio Reyes, graced the service held at the auditorium in Bible House, Manila, both proudly wearing a 60s-style sarong with the PBS logo embroidered on it.
The Rev Empig, 85, was one of those who helped to set up the modern PBS and is a church planter in Laguna. In his message, he challenged the PBS staff on the importance of the Word of God and the urgency for bringing it to the people. It was encouraging for everyone to see such a man as the Rev Empig who continues to share the Word of God with people despite his advanced age.
After the service, PBS staff participated in a prayer chain which continued until 5:00pm. Each department took turns to spend an hour in the PBS prayer room praising and thanking God and praying for PBS concerns, as well as worldwide concerns and challenges and the work of the World Service and Regional Service Centers.
Many people, from different places and in varied situations – prison
inmates, social workers, hospital patients and workers, and the elderly
– received their first copy of the Scriptures that day. Each recipient
was earnestly prayed for by the teams, in the hope that God would touch
their hearts as they read the life-changing words of the Bible. (WR 333/8
- 9.98)
|
|
Baoulé is spoken by an ethnic minority of
about 2,500,000 people in central Côte d’Ivoire, and is the second
national language to have the complete Bible. The celebrating audience
beamed with delight as they listened to passages being read from their
new Bible.
After a series of speeches commending the efforts of all those who had worked on the Baoulé project, the congregation prayed for peace in the country, for wisdom for the government, and courage for Baoulé church leaders.
“The main objective of this dedication is to let people know that the Bible is now available in Baoulé, and to encourage them to read it and live according to its teaching,” said Theodore N’Guessan, head of the organising committee.
A copy of the Baoulé Bible was presented to Dr André Kouadio, the President of the CMA, who was brimming with emotion as he accepted the gift on behalf of his church.
“The Baoulé people are well prepared to make good use of the Bible in their language,” said Rev Bohoussou, one of the translators. He went on to commend the efforts of the CMA church, who provided literacy training throughout the Baoulé communities, to ensure that the people were prepared to receive God’s Word in their language.
The church’s commitment was further reinforced by their purchasing of 19,200 copies of the new Bible the day before the dedication. And on the launch day more than half of this amount was distributed to local churches who had paid for their orders in advance.
Finally, speaking on behalf of the national president, Professor Konan Dje thanked the Bible Society and the CMA Church for all their hard work, and assured the audience that this Bible would contribute to the country’s development by helping people concentrate on peace.
A spontaneous collection taken during the ceremony raised 296,000 CA
Francs (US$491.49) to help the Bible Society continue its work of translating
the Scriptures in Côte d’Ivoire.
(WR 333/9 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A dedication service was held in June to celebrate the launch of the Aari New Testament. Most of the congregation came from the Aari Word of Life (WOL) Church. The first 350 copies of the New Testament were sold very quickly, and the new publication has stimulated interest in the Church’s literacy programs in the Aari language.
Some WOL congregations have already made the switch from using the Amharic Bible to using the Aari New Testament, and the Church has passed a resolution that all pastors should make this change within two years.
Planning for the project began in 1982, when two Aari church leaders attended a translation course. One of them, Deggu Degalaba, is the president of the WOL Church. He worked as a translator until 1991 and continues to serve as the main reviewer.
Carolyn Ford of the Society for International Ministries (SIM), who coordinated the project, began Aari studies in 1984 and continued until 1987 when she took a six-month home furlough. In 1988, Mr Duba and Mr Fikadu joined the team, and along with Mr Deggu and Miss Ford began translating the Gospel of Matthew into Aari. This was completed in 1989.
In 1991 the team made good progress on the New Testament, and the UBS translation consultant Dr Loren Bliese checked the Gospels and Galatians.
From 1992 to 1994, the team continued translating and revising, and in conjunction with Dr Bliese completed 81% of the New Testament.
In July 1997, the New Testament was typeset at the SIM press in Soddo, Ethiopia. The draft was checked by the manuscript department of the UBS office in Nairobi and approved for publication. Matthew’s Gospel and 1st Corinthians are also available on cassette.
During the last three years, 17% of the Old Testament has been translated into Aari, and Genesis has been published by SIM.
The translation project is now closed, but the experts will continue to evaluate the response of the Aari-speaking community to the Scriptures in their language. (WR 333/10 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
EMBU, Kenya — The traffic in the main street came to a standstill. The street was lined with men, women and children of all ages. Drivers had to stop and park their vehicles at the side of the street to make way for a lively procession, led by two children carrying copies of a blue and orange book: the Gospel of Mark in Kiembu-Kimbeere.
Behind the children, a band from the Don Bosco School filled the street with music, and behind the band, church leaders followed in colourful dignity.
The procession of people made their way to St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Embu Municipality, about 150 kms east of Nairobi, on the slopes of Mt Kenya. More than 5,000 Christians of different confessions and from all walks of life had gathered there to witness the occasion and join in the celebrations.
Archbishop Njeru Wambugu, the regional head of the National Independent Church of Africa, who is a life member of the Bible Society of Kenya (BSK), promised that his church would continue to support and pray for this work. “It gives me great joy to know that from today, the Embu and Mbeere communities will hear God speaking to them in their language,” he said.
Fr Gabriel Muverethi, Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Embu, also made a commitment on behalf of his church. “We will make every effort to ensure a wide readership of the new Gospel,” he said, “and that will include working with schools to encourage the teaching of Kiembu-Kimbeere Scriptures through the Diocesan Education Program.”
Mr Jeremiah Nyagah, a former Government Minister and a BSK Trustee, asked the Bible Society to hurry up and get the whole Bible completed as soon as possible. “The Embu people have waited a long time for God to speak their language,” he said.
While church leaders laid hands on the newly-published Gospels, the congregation lifted up their hands in praise to God and in agreement with the prayers expressed. The unity of the church leaders there was a wonderful reminder of the unifying power of the Word of God.
An elderly priest who had travelled a long distance to attend the service stood up and said: “I have looked forward to this great day for a long time. Now I can rest, knowing that my people can hear from God in their language. And this is just the beginning!”
The retired Rev Canon Bedan Ireri, one of the translators who had started
work on the Kiembu-Kimbeere translation in 1975, was visibly excited and
shouted: “Thank you God! Our labours were not in vain!”
| Background
Translation work began on the Kiembu-Kimbeere Scriptures in 1975, when the present Archbishop of the Anglican Church and former General Secretary of the BSK, the Rev Dr David Gitari, had urged the Bible Society to start the project. At the time he was Bishop of the diocese of Mt Kenya East, now divided into four dioceses, including Embu and Mbeere. The joint translation effort was mainly between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, who formed 60% of the Christians among the Embu and Mbeere people. Due to administrative problems, however, the project was suspended until 1995, when the current translators – also from the Anglican and RC Churches – were appointed. All the churches have since rallied around the project, thanks to the efforts of the management committee and a very spirited team of reviewers. |
KAMPALA, Uganda — There are at least 500,000 visually-impaired people in this country. Two organisations, namely the Uganda National Association for the Blind (UNAB) and the Uganda National Institute for Special Education (UNISE), are working to address the needs of the blind and visually-impaired. But the task is enormous and the resources few.
For a long time, blind people have been marginalised by Ugandan society and denied opportunities such as proving their competence in the workplace. However, there are examples of favourable attitudes too, such as in Mengo hospital, where a blind man is employed as a telephone operator and whose performance is excellent.
“Our visually-impaired pupils are very interested in Christian Religious Education (CRE), but there is a lack of suitable material to help them learn about the Bible,” said Margaret Kawudha, one of the teachers in charge of the school’s Resource Centre. “We need to fill the shelves of this empty library with story books, reference books, Braille paper, cube frames for Braille mathematics, Braille watches, and other appropriate material. But the general lack of concern for blind people in this country makes our task all the more difficult,” Ms Kawudha added.
A tour of the dormitory showed the Bible Society visitors that the need was great and the conditions poor. Children were crammed into small rooms with inadequate sanitary facilities and the building was in a bad state of repair.
The children were delighted with the Braille New Reader Scriptures given to them by the Bible Society team. As soon as they received their book, each one started hand-reading it, taking turns to read aloud for the visitors. Ms Kawudha confirmed the need for Grade 1 Braille books to help the children with their spelling, and Grade 2 books to be used as reference guides during CRE lessons.
The number of blind pupils would be much higher in both these schools, if there were better cooperation between the local officials and the school authorities. Due to traditional misconceptions, many people still choose to hide blind children and isolate them from sighted society. But UNAB and UNISE continue to strive for a better education for this neglected group.
UNAB is trying to set up centres where blind adults can learn to read Braille, but there is a shortage of audio and large-print Scriptures to cater for the special needs of these people.
The Bible Society of Uganda is committed to providing Braille Scriptures
to primary and secondary schools. A survey revealed that at least 12 schools
have special programs for blind and visually-impaired pupils. “Our vision
is to provide these institutions with Braille Scriptures through UNAB and
UNISE as well as through our regular distribution channels,” said Ezra
Ndagije, the Bible Society’s Marketing Manager. (WR 333/12 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
The depots have resumed their activities, a distribution outlet has been opened in Mossaka, and two new depots are due to be opened in Oyo and Ouesso. The Bible Days organised by the BSC from June 11 to 13 at a Salvation Army base in Moungali reflected the renewed enthusiasm of the Bible workers.
The following day focused on celebrating the Bible and its author. Three groups gave presentations on biblical themes. The Kilombo Bible group from the evangelical church of Bacongo gave a musical interpretation of the Bible’s message and its impact on the lives of individuals and societies. A youth group from the Rehoboth missionary centre performed a drama entitled ‘The Bible Accused’, which illustrated that the Bible is relevant, trustworthy and the source of Life.
A group of visually-impaired people sang some worship songs and further impressed the audience with their reading of the first chapters of John’s Gospel and the Book of Ruth in Braille.
A television crew filmed part of the occasion, and this was broadcast the following day on the national channel.
A Bible exhibition set up during the Bible Days gave people a clear
picture of the history of the Bible, of Bible translation, production and
distribution, and of the work of the UBS and other organisations. Those
who attended the Bible Day activities expressed delight at what they saw
and heard, and many requested future events of this kind, on an even larger
scale.
(WR 333/13 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
“Over the years,” Father Bonaventure continued, “we have been helped greatly by the work of the UBS translation consultants who have visited us from time to time. At first, I was reluctant to listen to them, but then I began to understand their work and realised that the translation policy they were teaching was good.
“There are 3 full-time translators whose work is checked by 8 reviewers, 2 from each of the 4 largest churches: the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed and Episcopal Church. Another 30 reviewers are drawn from the smaller churches, so that all church leaders have the opportunity to see the new translation as it is being prepared and are free to make their comments to us,” said Father Bonaventure. (WR 333/14 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
These young volunteers are very active for the Society, doing all types of jobs. They distribute Scriptures to hospital patients and prisoners as well as visiting schools to distribute New Reader Scriptures to the children. As one volunteer said: “We do anything for the Bible Society, because we believe it is vitally important for our people to have God’s Word. Our role is to make the Bible Society work known as widely as possible in this country.”
Lala Razanaman-ampisoa, a 27-year-old woman, explained how she became involved in the work: “It was the Bike for Bibles event last year that first caught my attention: I saw the Bible Society volunteers distributing Scriptures and noticed the excitement of the people who received them.
A young man named Mamy Rakotoarisoa said: “I have been a Bible Society volunteer for the past 8 years. I became interested in the work when the Bible Society asked my church if there was a youth delegate who wished to be trained in Bible work. My church is near the rice fields at the edge of the city. We were invited to set up a Bible stall in the church, and this was the work in which I was involved initially.
“When I first got involved in the New Reader program I took some books home to read, and showed one to my neighbour. He wanted to keep it because he could see it would help him learn to read.
“I am now involved in organising the New Reader Scriptures program, which includes arranging distribution to schools. Our aim is to reach the pupils in all the schools in Tananarive with these very precious books. It gives me great joy to see people of all ages reading and believing the Scriptures.” (WR 333/15 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
Marc
Rakoto, the General Secretary of the Malagasy Bible Society, took Mr Harvey
to visit Dyna, who conducts literacy classes at a Bible Society property
about one hour’s drive from Tananarive. Dyna rushed out to greet them with
a cheerful smile. She explained that there were only 10 children in her
class that day because several other pupils had been affected by a malaria
epidemic.
The teaching process is therefore very slow and requires a great deal of patience. After nearly three months of study, having two hours of lessons five days a week, most of this particular class were able to read reasonably well. They demonstrated their newly-acquired skills by reading a Malagasy New Reader Selection supplied by the Bible Society. Once they have completed the course, each pupil is given a set of 6 of these graded New Testament stories. Dyna explains carefully how they should read them, starting from the lowest level and gradually working up to the highest level.
Dyna became a Christian in 1992 when a team from Scripture Union came to a nearby church and explained clearly to her the way of salvation. “I put my trust in Jesus that day and told him I would serve him forever,” she said.
“Most of my students come from non-Christian backgrounds. They know there is a God, and they have heard about Jesus, but I don’t think they understand salvation yet. So it is important for me to teach them as much as I can from the Bible.”
An adult literacy class was due to begin in September, when Dyna would have the opportunity to teach many of the parents of her child pupils. She showed the visitors a letter she had received the day before from the oldest pupil in her afternoon class, a 21-year old young man, who only looked about 16. He wrote: “This is addressed to the Malagasy Bible Society. I am very grateful for the Scripture material you supplied: it has helped me learn to read and write. Now I want to read more about Jesus from the Bible. Please send me a Bible,” wrote Mr Rokotuarison.
Dyna said: “I cried when I read this letter because this is why I am here, to help people find the Saviour.” (WR 333/16 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
At the time of reporting, there were 107 girls accommodated in the home, some having to remain there for up to 3 years. The average age of the girls is 16, although there are some younger children, including one abandoned baby of three months old.
All of the girls in the home are there because they are in serious trouble, but the Scriptures assure them that if they repent of their sins they will find true hope in Jesus Christ. Several of the girls expressed their appreciation of the Bible Society material, and said they were especially encouraged by the Portion ‘Worried, but Not Without Hope’.
Two of the girls whom Mr Harvey met during his visit were to be confirmed at a Lutheran church on the following Sunday, and many others had come to faith in Jesus Christ since their time in the home.
The principal said that not only do the staff take care of the girls while they are in the home awaiting their trial, but should they be convicted and imprisoned, then staff members visit them as often as possible.
Several of the older girls have become committed Christians during their time in the home. They are very proud of their Bibles and New Testaments, and study them regularly. (WR 333/17 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
The older Christians are used to the old translation, so the cassettes, being in the new translation, are a completely new experience for them, but most people say they enjoy the new translation very much. “They find the new translation clearer than the old one, because it is in the language they speak every day,” said Pastor Rasoafanomezantsoa.
“Someone who has no experience of attending church or reading the Bible would have great difficulty understanding the old translation, but the new translation conveys the Gospel message in a language they are familiar with,” he added.
When the pastor visits his congregation in their homes, he often takes the tapes to play to people, especially those who are ill or in need of comfort, and the response is always positive. (WR 333/18 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
“Listening to the Word of God rather than reading it is a new experience for many Malagasy Christians,” Herman says. “I believe all the churches would benefit from the FCBH program.”
When the program was initiated in 1995, it had limited success. However, a new start was made in April 1997, and the Bible Society planned to carry out a careful evaluation of its progress. The text used for the recordings is the new translation of the Malagasy New Testament.
“Listening to the New Testament helps people to understand the Word of God in a completely new way,” said Herman. “This translation is very clear: like the Good News Bible it is in good, current language, of the kind people speak every day.” (WR 333/19 - 9.98)
At a listening centre in the city, over 2,000 Scripture cassettes are available to anyone who wishes to come and listen. People can become members of the listening library for the price of one blank cassette, and they may then borrow cassettes to play at home to their families. The cassettes consist of the English Bible, two different versions of the Malagasy New Testament, the Psalms, and New Reader Portions.
In addition to the Scriptures, people can listen to recordings of Bible studies, sermons, testimonies, gospel songs and ministry on specific subjects, including ‘The Bible and the Family’. Every week, about 200 people come to one of the 10 listening stations in the centre. More than 2,400 people attended last year.
Another member of staff, Lioka Ranarison, is responsible for the weekly
15-minute Bible Society programme which is broadcast every Saturday over
national radio.
(WR 333/20 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
|
|
These two Christian bodies have worked together for many years, and one of the most effective aspects of this joint ministry has been the screening of Christian films. The ‘Jesus’ film, based on Luke’s Gospel, has become the most frequently screened film in Madagascar.
Over a period of 6 weeks in June 1997, the film was to be screened in 18 villages outside Antananarivo, as part of a carefully-planned operation. All the churches in the area are contacted, and members are trained regarding the importance of nurturing people who show an interest in the Gospel message as a result of seeing the film. Posters advertise the film around the villages, and it is quite usual for 90% of the inhabitants of a village to attend the film show.
During Mr Harvey’s visit, the ‘Jesus’ film was shown simultaneously in these adjacent villages, of 300 and 400 inhabitants respectively. The children sat on the ground in front of the screen, while the adults sat or stood towards the rear. At the end of each film showing, people were challenged to think seriously about what they had seen and heard. More than 200 people responded to the Gospel call that evening in both of these shows.
Another example of the effectiveness of this ministry can be seen in the details of the program that ran from May 20 to June 6 in 16 villages in the FaritrAmbo- hitrinimanjaka area. Careful contacts were made with church leaders in each case so that they were fully aware of the program to be conducted. Then training was offered to church members to help them nurture those who respond to the message.
The films were screened in 18 villages over the 3-week period to a total audience of more than 12,000 people. Of this number, 3,078 said they wanted to receive Christ as their Saviour, and 893 asked to be included in the follow-up Bible study groups. In addition to the Bible study program, a door-to-door visiting plan was conducted in order to talk to people about the message they had heard in the film. Along with the screening of the film comes the offer of Scriptures, and this is where the Bible Society’s role is absolutely crucial.
The film organisers have a staggering vision for the future: their aim
is to reach the entire population of Madagascar by the year 2000, that
is, 17 million people. (WR 333/21 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
|
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Twenty-two percent
of the Christian population of Madagascar are Roman Catholic: that is approximately
1,700,000 people, of whom half are young.
Father Philibert Ramanamiseta has a great burden to encourage the young people in the Roman Catholic Church to read the Bible. Having found it difficult to draw young people to Bible study classes, the Church organised a Bible knowledge quiz, and this has attracted a good response. At the local-church level, 389 youngsters took part in the quiz, with 179 of these winning their way to the district competition. The final was held during Bible Week in June 1998. As a follow-up to the Bible quiz, 25 Bible study centres have been established to promote Bible reading and study. This is the first time the Catholic Church in Madagascar has been involved in organising Bible study for young people. (WR 333/22 - 9.98) |
The children were busy with their Scripture Activity Colouring Books, provided free of charge by the Bible Society of Mauritius. The books contain simple Bible stories with large drawings for children to colour in. On the back page there are examples of the correct colouring codes for each picture. Some of the children needed to be guided by their teacher as they tried to apply the right colour to the right subject, but most of them seemed to be managing very well.
“The aim of this school is to make sure that every child develops to the best of his or her ability,” said the headmistress. “We are very concerned that the children receive basic moral and spiritual guidance, and we do our best to teach them these values.”
The headmistress was grateful to the Bible Society for donating the Scripture colouring books to the school. She said: “This is a day of great blessing for us, and I thank you wholeheartedly for the colouring books you have given the children. I would also like to thank the people who made this possible by donating money to the Bible Society.”
Brother Ahyoon said that during the regular Bible lessons he places a Bible on a small table in the front of the class along with a candle. “This helps the children understand that this lesson is special,” he said. “We teach them to pray and sing Christian songs, and in a very simple way we try to help them understand the love of Jesus for them.
“There is no doubt that the Bible Society colouring books help them follow the stories and understand something of the message.” (WR 333/23 -9.98) [PHOTOS]
PORT LOUIS, Mauritius — After leaving school at the age of 18, Michelle Savrimootoo began the arduous task of searching for a job. Four years later, in February 1997, having been dissatisfied in various other posts, she was recruited as secretary and accounts clerk at the Bible Society of Mauritius.
“There were many applicants, so I felt very favoured to be accepted for the position,” said Michelle. “The first few months were challenging, and the learning curve was steep: discovering the ins and outs of Bible Society work was almost like learning a new language! And the atmosphere in Bible House is certainly different from a commercial organisation, because this is a Christian office where we are doing God’s work.
“When I tell people I work for the Bible Society, they often don’t know how to respond. They realise that my work focuses on the Bible, and some people think that is strange. But I believe I have been chosen by God to do this work and I am delighted to serve him in this way.”
Michelle said that in Mauritius you usually need good references in
order to get a decent job. “I had no-one to help me obtain this post at
the Bible Society, so I know it is God’s will for me to work here,” she
said with satisfaction. (WR 333/24 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
|
|
“Three hours later, I had come to John chapter 3, when suddenly something struck me about the importance of new birth. That night God showed me that I needed to be born again.
“So there at my bedside, I confessed my sins to God and promised to devote the rest of my life to serving him. As I was praying, an amazing thing happened: my asthma disappeared completely and I became well again.
“I was not very impressed with some of the Christians I had met, but I knew that I needed to obey God by attending a church regularly.
“At the age of 21 I went through a very difficult time. It was like being in a spiritual desert for about two years. However, during that time I did not reject my faith. God seemed far away, but at the same time, I always knew he was there.
“As I was praying, an amazing thing happened: my asthma disappeared completely and I became well.”
“During the last few years, the Word of God has been so important to me so that if it was taken away there would be nothing left in my life.”
Although Ted speaks English fluently, he reads the Bible in French.
Having become concerned about deepening his knowledge of the Bible, he
asked if the Bible Society could help him obtain
a Greek/English diglot New Testament. He was overjoyed to find that they
could in fact provide a French/Greek New Testament which would be even
more helpful to him.
(WR 333/25 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
Stellio was greatly touched by what he heard, and began to understand more about God. Believing the Gospel message wholeheartedly, he decided to surrender his life to Christ. Stellio joined an Assemblies of God church and began to attend the services regularly. He listened carefully to the Bible teaching, but being illiterate at that time, he was unable to read the Bible for himself. “He listens intently when other people read the Word of God, and his faith has developed quickly,” said the pastor. But Stellio felt frustrated at being unable to read, and asked his church to help him. He was given a French New Testament, which he took home and asked his wife to help him read. His wife began by reading passages from the New Testament and Stellio would repeat what she had read. He did this for several years until he became a proficient reader. Stellio now studies the Bible diligently, and preaches in his church.
He is a model-boat builder by trade and employs 11 people. The craftsmen of Mauritius are famous for their skill at making model boats and are highly sought-after all over the world. Being a successful businessman brings Stellio much joy, but the fact that he can now read the Bible for himself brings him the greatest joy of all. (WR 333/26 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
Window on the WorldENGLAND — ‘Grow With the Bible’ is a jointly-promoted venture aimed at increasing Bible reading among adults, funded by the Bible Reading Fellowship, Crusade for World Revival, International Bible Reading Association and Scripture Union. Following the success of the first ‘Grow With the Bible’ (GWB) initiative last year – success which was attested in a church survey earlier this year – church leaders have asked for more GWB resources to stimulate regular Bible reading in their churches. ‘Grow With the Bible for a Month’ is the latest four-week sample publication, available from September 1998 and containing 28 days of Bible readings from the Old and New Testaments. Leaders’ packs providing sermon outlines and group study material are also available. (WR 333/WW2 - 9.98) ENGLAND — As part of a new evangelistic effort,
churches in Britain will try to double the number of worshippers by the
first Sunday in the new millennium – January 2, 2000. The initiative, which
encourages churches to become more ‘user-friendly’ in order to welcome
more people, has the backing of prominent Christians like pop singer Sir
Cliff Richard, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, and
the Catholic Cardinal Basil Hume. (idea)
GERMANY — The readiness of churches to engage in mission and evangelism should be seen as a ‘road’ test like that to which new cars are subjected before being sold, has suggested newscaster Peter Hahne who is also a member of the leadership of the German Evangelical Alliance and Council of the Protestant Church in Germany. Churches needed stable biblical ‘road holding’ and a clear Christian profile to prevent skidding in this ‘multicultural society’ argued Hahne, referring to a recent series of tests in which a top-of-the-range model of car had overturned when swerving to avoid a simulated obstruction in the road. During its time as ‘Cultural Capital of Europe’ in 1999, the city of Weimar intends to highlight the Bible as the “foundation of western culture” and will make use of a personal, one-to-one distribution of Scriptures. This announcement comes at a time when there is a continuing rise in the number of Bible exhibitions in Germany, of which there are now some 16 centres being organised by agencies such as the German Bible Society. (idea) (WR 333/WW4 - 9.98) U.S.A. — In an ambitious project, and with the Bible as a source of inspiration, the founders of DreamWorks (producers Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen) have chosen to tell the story of Moses as their first animated film, The Prince of Egypt, which is due for release in December this year. In addition to the mammoth effort of producing much of the imagery digitally with computerised effects, the film-makers have also taken great care not to offend any religious group which honours Moses, and Katzenberg claims to have met with more than 500 religious leaders to discuss the film. (Time Magazine) (WR 333/WW5 - 9.98) |
|
|
Bible
Distributors Mistaken for ‘Misleading Sect’Thanks to the arrival of a Land Rover donated by the Bible Society fellowship, the Bible Society in Georgia can now distribute Scriptures to less accessible places.
On May 16, 1998, a small team of distributors set out to drive to the west with Scriptures for some of these refugees. Families with children were given Children’s Bibles in Georgian – the highly-colourful collection of illustrated Bible stories edited by the Institute for Bible Translation in Sweden – and the text is easier to understand for adults who have never read the Bible before.
However, Professor Zurab Kiknadze, Chairman of the Bible Society Advisory Committee, explained whom they represented and talked about the Bible. Then people’s doubts disappeared and they accepted the Scriptures gratefully.
Some 15 refugee settlements were visited. The group was accompanied by Deacon Guram Otkhozuria, Head of the Georgian Patriarchate Mission and Evangelisation Department and Vakhtang Shonia, Chairman of the Refugees Settling Committee.
Of the 1,100 Scriptures available, 100 were set aside for a subsequent visit to people with disabilities attached to the Zugdid Cultural and Educational Centre.
Mr Kiknadze hoped they would be able to organise a follow-up visit to see how the people and the children had got on with the Scriptures.
Following their visit later in May, Abkhasian separatists in Gali burnt down 2,000 homes, creating thousands more refugees, whom the state finds difficult to house.
UBS Representative in Georgia the Rev Malkhaz Songulashvili thanked the UBS for supporting this distribution, and for the BFBS donation. “Since the Georgian Children’s Bible was made available this year, our sales have tripled despite the difficult economic situation,” he said. (WR 333/27 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
It was officially opened on June 16, 1998 by the Bishop of Kuwait, His Eminence Francis Micallef, who thanked the Bible Society for its cooperation and goodwill in serving the Catholic community.
The Resource Centre, which was furnished by the church, will be run by the Book House Company and open seven days a week. Through the UBS, the BSG will supply the Centre with Scriptures. Before this, Scriptures had to be ordered from the BSG and shipped to the individual churches for distribution.
“The churches in the Catholic compound are excited with this development,” reports Hrayr Jebejian, Director of the BSG. “Many people told me they had been waiting for such a centre for a long time.”
Mr Jebejian offered Bishop Micallef a copy of the Good News Arabic Bible to mark the occasion. “We are pleased that this new opening for the distribution of God’s Word has been possible, and we hope to open more Christian resource centres like this one so that Christians can have more direct access to the Bible in their own language,” Mr Jebejian added. (WR333/28 - 9.98)
ISTANBUL, Turkey — The importance of Turkey for Christians cannot be overestimated: some 35 cities are mentioned in the New Testament and the Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus. One of the best-restored ruins of the ancient world is Ephesus, where Paul himself spent several years promoting the Gospel and strengthening the church there.
Bible work was started here in the 17th century, although the number of Christians in this largely Turkish state is still relatively small. There is some church growth, and much interest is expressed in the Scriptures by people of different faiths. The main work of the Bible Society is distribution at bookfairs or through the various outlets which they run.
There
are also two important translation projects in Kurmanji (the language of
the Kurds) and Syriac. For 70 years the Kurdish people did not have the
chance to read the Bible in their own language, but seven years ago the
Turkish government allowed Kurds to use their own language, and although
it is not used in schools, there are now weekly newspapers and books available
in Kurmanji.
Estimates reckon that of the 65 million people in Turkey, almost one third speak Kurmanji. In May this year, the Four Gospels in Kurmanji was published, bringing great joy to the Christian community.
The Orthodox Syrian Church traces its roots back to the early years of the Christian church: 36 AD. The last translation of the Scriptures into Eastern Syriac dates from 100 years ago, while the Syriac Old Testament dates from the original translation revision done by Bishop Rabula in the 5th century.
Hence, the importance of the Bible Society’s project to translate the whole Bible into Syriac. It is hoped that the New Testament will be completed early in the 21st century, and will have a much further reach than just Syrians in Turkey and the Middle East. Many Syrian Christians now live in the West and in Europe, and students and teachers of Syriac will find this Bible beneficial. (WR 333/29 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
Set opposite to this is a strong religious movement to establish Islamic law throughout the nation. Both of these forces can represent opposition for the churches, although church growth has never been as strong as it is now.
Christians are estimated at some 80,000, and there are other groups like the Alevis, who, unlike the majority Sunni Muslims, do not follow Mohammed but follow Ali as their spiritual leader.
There are estimated to be 20 million Alevis in Turkey, and there has been growing contact between the Alevis and the church leaders, due to a growing positive relationship.
There are great forces at work in the country: alongside secularism and radicalism, the nation has suffered from economic and political crises over the last decade, the eastern part of Turkey has been somewhat neglected economically with few hospitals, schools, factories and basic amenities, and the roads are sometimes very poor.
In addition to this, a 10-year-long struggle between the army and the Kurdish separatist movement has taken its toll, and many villages in the south-east and east, some of which have a 500-year history, have been abandoned. There is a trend of people leaving the rural settlements for the towns and immigration seems to be rising. More than 50% of Turkey’s population is under 25 years old.
In addition to this, several natural disasters of late have caused many people to ask searching questions. Earthquakes took a drastic toll of the population due to shoddy building practices, while flooding has frequently caused terrible damage and loss of life. All these factors are starting to bring about a spiritual hunger in Turkey that was not obvious ten years ago.
The church has benefited from establishing its legal identity, becoming more a part of the daily fabric of community life, increasing the confidence of local believers, and generating respect among government organisations, particularly among the police. Eleven years ago there were only two fellowships regularly meeting in Istanbul. Today there are 12 evangelical churches with their own premises and more meeting in private houses.
And there are now churches not only in the major cities, but also in the smaller towns, including some in the east of the country. In Istanbul a Christian radio station has been established through a Turkish company and now reaches an estimated audience of 20 million, broadcasting 24 hours a day.
Distribution of the Bible and New Testaments has risen dramatically: in the last year more New Testaments were distributed than in the previous ten years put together. (Bible Society distribution figures for 1997 indicated a 32% rise.) Ways are opening in Turkey to make God’s message of peace and hope known in an unprecedented fashion, and we must thank God for open doors and use them. (WR 333/30 - 9.98)
IZMIR, Turkey — The six months up to July 1998 saw a regular stream of visitors to the Bible shop here. There are many young people, especially from the universities. One group regularly comes to the shop to ask questions about the Bible, and we try our best to answer them, but in the end suggest that they should attend church to find out the answers.
Many of these young people end up going to church, and some of them invite their friends. A soldier serving his military service here came to our church, and I suggested he should visit the Bible shop. I talked to him about the Bible and encouraged him to read it regularly and attend church when his duties permitted, and this he does now. It is very encouraging and we would like to do more but have insufficient time.
One book dealer here has a stand every summer beside the Aegean sea
between Greece and Turkey. He orders Scriptures to sell from his summer
stall and at bookfairs. This shows the new interest there is in the Bible,
even among people of other faiths. The Word of God and the story of Jesus
are once more being made available in the places where the early church
began. (WR 333/31 - 9.98)
Bible Attraction in LithuaniaOpened in December 1996, the Exhibition Hall is run by full-time Bible promoter, Vilhelmina Kalinauskiene, and features an exhibition piece on the history of the Bible in Lithuania, Bibles in other languages, a reading room with Scriptures, scholarly editions, Bible dictionaries and children’s books. There is a place for meetings and the showing of video films. The BSL Executive Director Dr Mykolas Mikalajunas was happy that the Bible Society now has a place where people can focus on the Bible. Promotion has been done through Bible displays at Christian conferences and gatherings. The new interconfessional translation of the Lithuanian Bible is expected to be launched by the end of 1998 and Dr Mikalajunas said they were preparing for much interest in this new Bible edition and hoped the churches would take a more active role in Bible promotion. (WR 333/32 - 9.98) [PHOTOS] |
|
|
GUYANA
— The Bible Society in Guyana made a special
presentation of Good News New Testaments and AIDS Selections to the Guyana
Police Force, reports Earle Deira, General Secretary of the Bible
Society of Suriname, which oversees the work in Guyana.
“This gesture brings God to all the people,” Commissioner Laurie Lewis said. Not only did the move contribute to a more peaceful society but it helped to contradict the feeling that the churches were for an elite people, set apart from society.
Remington Nelson, the Coordinator of the Bible Society’s distribution program, said that this distribution to the police was done to observe Bible Week. The program would be extended to include the rest of the armed forces.
The distribution coincided with a football match between the Guyanan Police Force and the First Assembly of God church, which ended in victory for the police.
Mr Deira said that the distribution is part of the Suriname Bible Society’s programs ‘Under Siege’ and ‘The Only Way’, funded through the UBS by the German Bible Society. The programs aim to reach all the armed personnel in Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana with New Testaments and appropriate Selections. (WR 333/33 - 9.98) [PHOTOS]
The Christian Taxi Drivers’ Association (CTDA) has more than 50 members. They are supported by the Uruguayan Bible Society, which provides them with Bibles and Scripture cassettes to play to their customers.
Mr Pereira and his taxi-driver colleagues meet together regularly at midday and in the early morning for prayer and Bible reading, sometimes with the support of a pastor.
“There are many passengers who may be sick or have problems, and they can experience profound conversions to Christianity and begin a new life,” said taxi-driver Illomar Darin. “My case is a clear example. I was dedicated to booze and gambling. I spent my nights in bars and casinos. But I am a new man now thanks to the Lord Jesus.
“And our experiences are becoming quite rich and full of anecdotes – even miracles,” he added. “One night a thief wanted to rob me, but when he heard the Christian message broadcast on the radio he backed down. He even paid for his fare when he got out.”
|
PUERTO RICO — During July this year, Puerto Rico was crippled by a communications strike, as indignant telephone company workers made their demands for better conditions felt right across this island and beyond. Government and public offices were severely affected, not being able to keep in contact with each other, let alone make calls abroad. TensionAvoid violence“We felt that if people started to read the Bible, their tempers might be calmed enough to avoid any further violence,” said Mr Estrada. Fortunately, the strike was called off before the end of July and people returned to work, soon restoring the island’s communications. (WR 333/35 - 9.98) |
|
|
General Secretary Valdis Teraudkalns said, “We have been overwhelmed by the many letters of thanks we have received following the launch of our fundraising campaign.” Two appeals were done: one for Bible Day, which involved 2,500 promotion and appeal booklets being prepared and sent out to parishes and to individual contacts. Although the amount received was relatively low – US $500 – this was because the main purpose of the project was promotional.
“The second was to give people a chance to make an Advent Gift,” said Mr Teraudkalns. Thousands of letters were sent out and more than $6,000 was generated. In all, 2,320 people responded to the appeal. The amount raised funded 4,834 Children’s Bible books and the distribution of these is well under way.
“In our appeal letter we mentioned that in one school we visited, only one first-grade student was able to recognise t