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Burkina Faso
At the dedication of the Mooré Braille
New Testament in March, an emotional
Joseph
Ouédraogo declared, “Now, when
sighted people open their Bibles to read,
we will also open ours!” 318 copies of
the 18-volume Bible were printed. About
500,000 people in Burkina Faso are
visually impaired.
Serbia & Montenegro
Religious studies were introduced
into Serbian schools in 2000, but the
desperate shortage of suitable resources
makes it difficult to teach. The Bible
Society is filling the gap with a Serbian
version of the Illustrated Children's Bible.
Germany
The German Bible Society’s Bible Museum
has a steady flow of up to 13,000 visitors
every year – primarily school students in
pre-booked groups. Exhibits include an
original Luther Bible dating from 1545 and
a Bible so small that it can only be read
using a microscope.
Indonesia
The dedication of the complete Hatam
Bible on March 31 marked the end of 50
years’ work. Over 2,000 Hatam people,
who were once animists and practised a
form of cannibalism, were overjoyed to
finally having their own full Bible to study.
Kazakhstan
As the only exhibitor offering religious
literature at the Great Silk Road
International Bookfair in April, the Bible
Society had a unique opportunity to share
God’s Word with over 5,000 people. Many
parents who bought books for their children
commented that they see the Bible as ‘the
Book of Life’ – vital for every family.
China
An audio player known as the Proclaimer
is enabling poor and illiterate people
in China to hear God’s Word. There are
100,000 Christians in the small county of
Funing, but the ratio of pastors to church
members is very small. Proclaimers give
all those who are hungry to hear the Word
of God the chance to do so, even if there
is no pastor available to preach in the
Sunday service.
New Zealand
There was joyous celebration when the
Tokelau community dedicated their own
translation of the New Testament on
May 23. His voice charged with emotion,
principal translator Ioane Teao declared,
“For the 160 years that Christianity has
been in Tokelau we have had no Bible. But
God has been very good and gracious, and
today we give heartfelt thanks that we have
the New Testament in our heart language.”
Swaziland
"We must reach out to the deaf to help
them to hear the Gospel. The Bible is for
all!” says Sphiwe Ngwenya of the Bible
Society in Swaziland. The Bible Society
led an initiative to train hearing people in
Sign Language following the launch of the
Signed Bible in SiSwati in 2008.The first 15
students completed the course on May 30.
Egypt
“I have more self-esteem … I can read
prescriptions and instructions on medicine
bottles, so I can give my children the correct
treatment when they are ill…”: these are
just some of the practical ways in which the
Bible Society’s literacy project is changing
people’s lives. But in fact most people who
attend the classes do so because they want
to be able to read their Bible.
India
The Mizo once lived in fear of spirits and
took pride in their war-like attitude. But
life could not be more different now.
“Our lives have been transformed by the
Gospel and the Bible as a whole,” says Rev
Zaihmingthangais, a Mizo who now works as
a translator with the Bible Society of India.
Demand for the Mizo Bible is so great that
the Bible Society finds it hard to keep up!”
Slovakia
Slovakians queued to read the Scriptures
on June 21, when the Bible Society staged
the first ever Afternoon with the Bible.
People from many different backgrounds
were more than willing to patiently wait
their turn to proclaim God’s Word aloud in
public. Passers-by were also offered a wide
range of Bible Society products, and there
were games and competitions for children.
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