AMERICAS

Brazil’s ‘Affinity Bibles’ Bring Peace to Chaotic Traders
Valuable Bibles at Book Fair (Brazil)
Children’s Lives Transformed in Peru
Writer’s Prayer Sends Scriptures to Drug Pusher (USA)
American Psychologist Says Therapists Should Use the Bible in Counselling (USA)

Brazil’s ‘Affinity Bibles’ Bring 
Peace to Chaotic Traders

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Amid the hustle and bustle of Brazil’s Commodities and Futures Exchange (BM&F), where about 600 brokers trade interest and exchange rate contracts, a group of 70 evangelical Christians are taking God’s message of peace to their colleagues.

“It all began with the dream of taking the Word of God to all the traders, assistants and employees of the Exchange,” recalls Raimundo Alcantara Machado, one of those evangelising among the BM&F. “But how could I reach them all? There were so many for me to evangelise on my own. After much prayer God gave me an idea, a strategy: a Bible to all the employees.”

Life with Jesus

 

 Valuable Bibles at Book Fair

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Extremely valuable and rare editions of the Bible were on display at the IX International Book Fair, held in Rio de Janeiro between April 21-May 2.
   In the Brazilian Bible Society’s pavilion, under the slogan “My Words Shall Not Pass,” the display brought together the history and importance of the Scriptures.
   Twelve editions of the world’s best-selling book stood out: one was the Vulgata Bible of San Jeronimo, printed in 1583 in Venice. It was found in a rubbish bin in Maua Square in Rio de Janeiro and donated to the Bible Society by a Baptist pastor. There was also a Bible in Latin from the year 1600 and an 1819 Portuguese translation by João Ferreira de Almeida, printed in London. This translation is the foundation of the Bible that is most appreciated by Evangelical Brazilians.
   Another interesting exhibit was the ‘Smallest Book in the World’. Containing the “Our Father” prayer featured in Matthew, the 5mm by 5mm book is available in a variety of major languages, is bound in leather, and has an embossed cross on the cover. Even more amazing was a complete Bible in miniature – 3 cm by 4.5 cm – containing the English King James Version, printed at the University of Glasgow. The exhibition included other miniature versions of the Bible and New Testament, including some with illustrations, which needed a magnifying glass to be read.
   Other star exhibits included a New Testament commemorating 100 years of Brazilian independence printed in 1922 in the USA, and a Bible commemorating the Centennial of the Proclamation of the Republic that was printed in Brazil. (WR 342/6 - 7/8.99)
Raimundo took advantage of the Bible Society of Brazil’s (BBS) Affinity Bibles project and ordered 2,700 copies – personalised editions. On his Bibles the covers have a figure of a trader on the telephone, alongside a rising graph and the inscription, “With Jesus, life is always on the up.”

The reaction to the Bibles was good. “Many have even asked for extra copies of the Bible to give as presents to their friends and relations,” said Manuel Aparecido Pereira, who works at the BM&F and is part of the evangelism group there.

The distribution at the Exchange attracted the attention of the magazine Isto É Dinheiro, which published an article on the project.

“The objective of the Affinity Bibles is to bring the Word of God closer to the context of the groups that will use it,” commented Paulo Evangelista of the BBS Marketing Department.

The Affinity Bible project arose in 1997 and is intended to encourage evangelism among companies or institutions. In the first year 90,000 Bibles were printed in various formats. In 1998 this figure grew by 223 per cent to 290,000 copies. In the first quarter of this year 138,000 personalised copies had already been printed. (WR 342/5 - 7/8.99)


 

Children’s Lives Transformed in Peru

LIMA, Peru — Living with his parents and baby sister in the shanty-town of Zarate, in a house made of straw matting, five-year-old Jorge Ovalle Ramos cried at night and was scared of sleeping alone. His father was a car mechanic who drank and beat his wife, and his mother washed clothes for a living.
Jorge Ovalle Ramos
Then his mother decided to seek help. She found a project run by the church Rios de Agua Viva and MISIUR (Misión Integral Urbano Rural), an organisation that helps develop self-support skills and uses Bible Society -materials.

The program, which includes painting, drawing, puzzles, playing ball games and taking trips to the countryside, also encourages the development of the whole family – so Jorge’s mother was able to help with the daily cleaning and cooking at the centre.

Clinging to teachers

When Jorge entered the program he had learning difficulties, little concentration, and was very timid, crying a lot and clinging to teachers. At first he found it hard, but after about two months he stopped crying. His ability to work and play with other children improved greatly, and he also started to develop both Christian and general rules of discipline.

Some of these rules included saying please and thank you, cleaning the table after the class, and praying before eating. As a result, Jorge has become very caring. He has started to participate in class activities, and his conduct and studies have improved daily. Now he is one of the best students in the class and the most obedient.
 

His ability to work and play with other children  improved greatly, and he also started  to develop both Christian and  general rules of discipline.

At home, when the family sits down to eat, Jorge says grace and is teaching his parents how to pray. And now Jorge sleeps alone without being afraid!

Jorge’s parents are grateful for the help the program is giving. His father doesn’t drink as much as he used to, and his mother has started to pray for the family every day.

In April 1998, when Jorge started school for the first time at the age of six, he felt content and began to learn well. When he has a lot of homework he gets up at 5am to finish his studies, and at 7.30am goes to school.

Sanmi Rodriguez MendozaMeanwhile, Sanmi Rodriguez Mendoza – at the age of six the youngest of 10 children – was accustomed to a disruptive family life. Also living in the shanty-town, his father was an alcoholic who drank in the streets, then spent the nights with other women. When he did come home, drunk, he often beat his wife and the children.

Left to their own devices

Sanmi’s mother also used to live with many different partners. Each child was left to their own devices, and they had little respect for home or parents. One of the older children had been in prison for robbery.

Sanmi started the MISIUR development program malnourished, destructive, and with a poor concentration level. Not knowing how to hold a pen or paintbrush, he became bored very quickly. He was withdrawn and most nights had nightmares that his father was beating him.

Able to write his name

For the first few weeks Sanmi only looked forward to the mealtimes. After a while he knew how to hold a pen properly and how to draw, write and paint, and as a result started to enjoy his work. Some weeks later, when he started school, he was able to write his first name, and then his surname.

Soon Sanmi did not want to miss the project. His favourite subject was maths and he was one of the best pupils at this subject in his class at school. Even during school holidays he told his mother he wasn’t going out to play but preferred to stay in and study. When Sanmi was seven years old he was able to read short stories and was one of the best in his class at school. He also taught his younger sister how to paint and draw.

Sanmi’s mother is delighted with his progress and says he is much better behaved than his brothers and sisters, and has more motivation. He continues to learn quickly and is now able to do his homework without help. (WR 342/7 - 7/8.99) [PHOTOS]

Writer’s Prayer Sends Scriptures to Drug Pusher

NEW YORK, USA — When a writer in Missouri prayed about what to do with an unexpected cheque, little did she realise the answer would change the life of an imprisoned drug pusher.
   When the woman from Missouri received an unexpected cheque for an article she had written, she prayed that God would lead her to do something special with the $50. In the end, she bought a case of the American Bible Society’s ‘Year of the Bible’ New Testaments. And the first Scripture out of the box she had purchased went to the prisoner.
   After the drug pusher received the Contemporary English Version New Testament, he wrote a letter of thanks saying it was the first Bible he had ever understood. “It has already helped me as I search for a purpose for my life,” he wrote. “When I first came here someone gave me a Bible but I couldn’t understand it, and reading it didn’t help me. I can assure you this one will.”
   Perhaps the difference was not only an easy-to-understand translation, but the prayer that went with it from across the country! (WR 342/8 - 7/8.99)

American Psychologist Says Therapists 
Should Use the Bible in Counselling

Dr Gary Collins

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Dr Gary Collins, an American psychology professor and author of numerous books on counselling, told the Bible Society of Brazil that therapists need to use the Bible itself in counselling sessions – not just base their therapies on “biblical principles.”

“I am concerned about therapists today who become involved in secular theories and do not bring the Bible into counselling,” he said. “I have been told that in Brazil it is legal to take the Bible into a counselling room when counselling is taking place. In some countries, including the United States, you cannot open a Bible and read during a therapy session.

Give examples

“But this doesn’t mean you can’t quote the Bible. You can do it without even saying that a given word or phrase comes from the Bible, and you can give people examples from the Bible.”

Dr Collins emphasised that “therapists in both Christian and secular environments need to be familiar with the Bible. They must read it as part of their own discipline and growth. As it becomes part of their lives it will exert an influence when they are giving therapy.” The psychologist also explained that the Bible gives meaning that other forms of “spirituality” cannot.

Seeking authority

“We see a generation seeking authority, hoping to find spirituality in the New Age,” he explained. “But when they find spirituality in the New Age, they find no meaning. History teaches us that when this has been repeated a number of times, people return to God’s Word – the Word that really does contain meaning. So the Bible will continue to be an anchor for our lives, especially when it is in a language that people can understand.”

Dr Collins said that while the lack of family Bible reading is having a negative effect, there are some signs of hope. “Today, families almost never sit down together to read the Bible,” he said, “so people feel a sort of emptiness in life. One of the key challenges to the family is to stay united. People, including children, are heading in all directions. They have no time to be with family.

“But an interesting thing is happening. Small prayer books have become increasingly popular. So when people are in a great hurry, they can stop and take portions of the Bible in easily digestible bits.”

Technology

The American professor also spoke positively about the Faith Comes By Hearing audio tape program.
“I believe the future of Christian counselling will depend a great deal on the use of technology,” he said. “People are using the Internet and they listen to CDs. We are living in an age when people spend a lot of time in traffic and can use that time listening to CDs or cassettes. This is using modern technology to take the Bible to people.” (WR 342/9 - 7/8.99) [PHOTOS]

“...the Bible will continue to be an anchor for our lives, especially 
when it is in a language that people can understand.”


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