Haitians Saved

Praise & Prayer Report #4, August-September 2011

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Dear Friend of God’s Story,

Once again we thank the Lord for the lives touched by the audio and video use of God’s Story and our style of oral inductive Bible study, Simply The Story.

God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity

Thailand: “We have worked with Karenni refugees for 5 years, more specifically with the Karenni widows of war. It has been a difficult task presenting the gospel to the mostly animist Karenni people, while having good success, there is always a better way to present the Good News.

This past week, I spent 2 days inside NS Refugee Camp armed with my Bible and a backpack video player offering the God Story in Karenni. Presenting the 80-minute video containing the story of creation to eternity was very exciting, and then carefully offering an invitation to receive Christ, that had impacting results upon the children and youth.”

Timbuktu: Yes, there really is a place named Timbuktu. Ripley of “Believe it Or Not” fame listed Timbuktu in Mali, Africa as the “most remote place on earth.” We were just told by an evangelist that he carried many copies of God’s Story there, only to discover that there was not a home in the city that did not already have a copy! (And people are responding!)

New Versions: We await final approval for 25 new God’s Story languages we have produced.

Snapshot of New Versions Being Recorded: Jesse, a retired man living in the USA, has a heart for the lost. He leads “translation clinics,” training numerous language teams to translate God’s Story into their languages. Currently, Jesse is in Ghana with a team of Africans and Americans hoping to record at least seven new versions for West Africa.

Jesse asked us to pray especially for the Ligbi. Attempts to record it have been unsuccessful for the past two years. Isl.am is their major religion and they also believe in “bush spirits” and “fairies.” These speakers are considered a “least reached, closed” people group. They need God’s Word!

Avatime speakers, mostly animist in belief, are less than 1% literate. So you can see how much they need this audio/visual Bible overview. Speakers of Tafi have no Scripture in their language. Other languages they are recording, Logba, Dagari, Birifor and Dagaaba, have some Christians among them, but spirit possession is widely practiced alongside Christianity. It seems many believers, not knowing God’s Word, mix religious practices.

Haitian refugees in Dominican Rep. hear Bible taught the STS way. In 6 days of ministry (24 locations) many were saved. The refugees loved the stories. They (and leaders who work among them) asked us to come back and train them to study, and share the Bible like this!

Simply The Story (STS)

We know 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Of course these words are true.But more and more, through STS, the incredible deep and diverse truths in those verses are coming alive. People from all over the world, educated and non-educated, from every walk of life and belief system are understanding and responding to God’s Word in a way never before anticipated. ** We are not keeping up. Please pray for help at USA headquarters.**

Vast New Horizons: It was hard to squeeze 1,000 high school students into one photo. This boarding school is sponsored ½ by the Presbyterian church and ½ by the government But for three days all these girls did hear and discuss Bible stories. The last story discussed was The Woman at the Well.

Teachers saw 40 girls saved and hundreds open up and confess how they (as the woman in the story did) had tried to find value through wrong relationships with boys.

Afterwards the principal asked our Kenya director to send a team to their school three times a year to minister like that! Later, the principal expanded the invitation to include all of their 52 schools! We said “No. We cannot come just to minister. But we will return to minister AND to train your students to study and share Scripture this way.”

From this exchange, the Lord showed us how a team of three instructors can make three visits to minister and train at schools. But also on thd three trips, the team trains an average of 15 nearby pastors in STS and plants an Oral Bible School. In nine months local pastors can continue the ministry. Appropriately this Multiplication Strategies is called “Regional Empowerment.” (Copies of full plan available on web site or from headquarters’ office.)

Radio Successes: 1. In the Philippines an STS lead instructor does weekly radio programs. He tells a story and discusses it live with four people. As it is being discussed, people phone in or text their questions or share treasures that they see in the Bible story. The calls average 400 per week! This innovative instructor also used radio to lead a mini STS workshop on the air, and listeners are now using Bible stories to minister. As well, three “Mobile” Oral Bible Schools have sprung up from this radio program. Those remote schools added to the three regular schools already in operation.

2. In one other country, a story was told over secular radio. In each of two 5-minute spots, ½ the story was told and a few questions were asked. Over 8,000 letters came in from people touched and convicted by that story!

Four Filipino Pastors Give View of STS Pastor J.R.A.-

“This system is powerful because it changes my direction, my way, my teaching. I graduated in two years course of Bible college. I commented before this training saying, ‘It is only for the children.’ But in the training when we found the treasures, I see that I myself am lacking.

“On the next day I gave my Bible study and I apply sts way, people do not want me to leave because they wanted more story. I see the excitements in their hearts listening to the word. Before they always looking their watch. They are time conscious and always wanted to go home. I can say this system is energizer of all Christians in their faith. I experienced the very word of God talking to me. In this system it is not all about how much I have in my mind, but it’s about how I live true to what I have learned from it.” Pastor A.-

“I am pastoring for many years and I planted 6 churches. I was boastfully looking at myself thinking my strategy and my comprehension of serving the Lord is more than others and I attended more seminars and different methods of studying of the word of God than anyone.

“In this system all I can see at the first day of the workshop is that I do not like to comeback because my pride was arose. But when the instructor taught Martha-Mary story, I was convicted that I need this tool because it was big strike in my heart. I taught this story many times but did not see its wealth. This system is very humble way delivering the word of God.” Pastor F. B.-

“I am surprised at the workshop because the first day I requested to the senior instructor to divide the people according to their level. I thought it was the same as seminars I attended and I knew how difficult the experience would be for the attendees who are not educated. The humble instructor obeyed my instruction.

“But in the afternoon during the groupings I saw that it was so different than my expectation about this workshop. I see that everyone can learn this system if you are educated or not.

“Because I am a pastor, I preached many times the stories like Abraham that we studied in STS. I was thinking that I am a good teacher. But when I heard the instructor give the full model, I was shy and convicted the way I had preached those stories. I experienced more deep understanding to the word of God listening to God’s voice by doing STS way.

“I thank God for sending STS team in my place and I want to continue more to study this system so that I can share it to others also. God bless my heart hearing these bible stories again convicted and I cry. I pray we can have a Bible school like ‘Mobile Bible school’ because I have 7 pastors with me. I now use STS in my ministry. I see in the eyes of some of the church members they are giving their treasures with tears in their eyes, unlike before when I see that people are sleeping inside of the church.”Pastor D.-

“I am so happy that I attended in this workshop STS. I am pastoring for many years and I almost discourage seeing how the people reacted. I gave heartedly to my people, but it seem nothing for the people and I see their growth are slow. I am thankful for the STS because I learned even in the presentation I see my self. I was bless. I see that the way I was delivering to the people that I have the problem.

“I share to my people the story that I learned from the workshop during our break. I see that the people who are not Christians /unbeliever they are so inter-active to the story and I never see in their face that insulting me.”

We thank God for your prayers and support. Consider joining us in Hemet, CA in January 2012 for a workshop. Call or write for details.

Dorothy A. Miller

Executive Director, TGSP