Mozambique (MNN) — Like dry and parched earth immediately soaking up the gift of rain, the people of Mozambique are thirsty for God’s Word. And every time Audio Scripture Ministries goes to do an audio Bible distribution in Mozambican villages, no matter how many they bring, there’s always greater need than they could anticipate.
Joshua Harrison with ASM shares, “Almost everywhere we have the opportunity to place audio Bibles, there’s always this great hunger that we see as people see firsthand what God’s Word can do as they hear it in their heart language. They hear about it and their relatives hear about it and more people end up coming than we expect almost every time.
(Photo courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)
“Steve and Sergio are two Mozambican pastors who serve with ASM. They do many of ASM’s distributions in Mozambique, in collaboration with other pastors, and the pastors said, ‘You are such a blessing when you bring God’s Word. But you have to bring more of it!’”
Unfortunately, they’ve had to turn people away when they’ve run out of audio Bibles. But Harrison says it was especially heartbreaking after a recent distribution in Mozambique. They didn’t have any more audio Bibles to give a woman who had been waiting in line.
“She left weeping, just so hungry for God’s Word. She had walked I don’t know how many miles to come and receive God’s Word in her own language in a way that she could hear it as an oral learner.”
According to the International Orality Network, approximately 80 percent of the world’s population are oral learners — meaning, they learn best through non-print forms of communication. So when it comes to receiving and learning God’s Word, this makes the availability of audio Bibles critical, especially in places where the entire culture is centered around orality and storytelling methods.
For ASM’s audio Bible distributions, they’re hoping to continue to maximize resources and work strategically with pastors. But the biggest help would be more funds that can make more audio Bibles available. They currently have no more audio Bibles in stock in Mozambique, so all distributions there have ceased.
“We know the value of what God’s Word does in our own hearts and lives and we’ve seen the fruit in these many different areas and we want to share it with them,” says Harrison. “I know, just looking at my own situation, I have probably three Bibles at home. But for so many people, they will travel miles and miles just to hear God’s Word for the first time.”
It takes about $35 to provide one audio Bible. ASM’s goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year for more audio Bibles to go to India, Mexico, and Mozambique.
The gift of an audio Bible is not like the average gift that only blesses the person who received it. Let’s just say the blessing ratio is greater than one-to-one — much greater.
(Photo courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)
“One person listening will share it with his family, share it with their friends. We hear time and time again, ‘I listen when I go to sleep, I listen when I get up, I listen as I work!’ These people are meditating on God’s Word and then they want to share it with others,” Harrison explains.
“That’s the gift of what God’s Word can do! It keeps on giving. And these solar powered players will keep on preaching God’s Word, keep on sharing the hope of the Gospel in a place of great need.”
Click here to donate a year-end gift to ASM and support their $100,000 audio Bibles fundraising goal! As you give, pray for the hearts and souls hearing Scripture because of your gift — that God will use it to bring spiritual revival in countries like Mozambique.
And for ASM’s ministry, Harrison asks, “Pray that we would go to the right places and connect with the right local leaders so we can bring God’s Word most effectively to these areas where there is such great hunger.”
(Header photo courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)