New Workshop, Same Special!

How often do we attend a workshop that touches our hearts to the core with more of Jesus, develops strong seedlings of relationships with others, challenges us in our faith and our struggles, grows us in the Word, and gives us adaptable ministry tools ready to implement? We wanted people to experience in our online training these same kinds of results that are experienced in our global in-person workshops. God truly answered prayers in this area! 

We praise the Lord for the success of our very first Simply The Story training online. We have read the feedback forms, and there are definitely things to work on, but overall, it was extremely positive.

A team of dedicated leaders contributed to making sure the online training was ready to go with videos, building the website, testing zoom, designing the feedback forms, and more.

We recorded, edited and uploaded 78 videos in 3 weeks, had 21 attendees with a waiting list of 8 more people, 23 people from 7 different countries contributed videos, and trainees signed on from 6 countries. 

Some responses of what attendees liked.

"Completely different from any other training I've done before, so evidently powerful."

"International representation amongst participants."

"Engaging with facilitators and seeing each person. Having easy access to it [training] via the internet…saved money and time."

"The mixture of teaching, demonstration and practice."

"Interactive, online, flexible, lively, practical."

We would love to offer people a brief Zoom tour of the website. Over the next few weeks we will offer more training opportunities for our STS alumni and new learners to STS. Please contact our office for more information. Stay tuned as the online training schedule takes shape.

The leaders in Egypt are also using Zoom to train people in STS and are ready for an Oral Bible School.

Refugees Reaching the Spiritually Lost and Building a Future

When our Arab world leader shared his vision with me over a year ago to build a center in Northern Uganda, it did not resonate with me quite the same as with him. Our ministry provides tools and training to help people know God's Word and live His Word. Since then I have traveled some of the roads from refugee camp to refugee camp, seen first-hand the impact of God's Word and our OBS's in many lives and throughout villages, and gathered numerous reports from our leaders in the region.

In one area, leaders needed 6.5 hours to drive about 15 miles. That's less than 2.5 miles an hour.  Listening more closely to his vision, I realized that the savings in time would result in more lives saved and discipled. More than that, this building would be a center for equipping leadership with skills in the Word of God, a place to invest in locals with the Bible, and a source for growing food for, and by, the refugees. 

As COVID-19 struck the world, food became scarcer among refugees. The UN barely helped the refugees with food in "good" times, now people are dying from starvation as the lockdowns lead to sky-rocketing food prices, which refugees cannot afford. Our leaders have been able to raise most of the funds for the building. Refugees and locals are employed to build, which provides some hope in these difficult times. Local Ugandans are receiving the Word of God as they work, discussing Bible stories with the refugees. Please pray for the rest of the provisions needed to finish this hub in Northern Uganda and to begin the same type of center in Kenya. The center provides much value and vision to many.

The reports from our leaders in Uganda and Kenya has kept me busy reading! One pastor wrote, "Personally the oral Bible School has changed the way I teach as spiritual leader. I also am able to tell Bible stories to the learned and not learned persons. It has changed my life too."

Another leader wrote, "Am happy today. I was sharing Bible stories with my boys and other people attended too. Three souls get saved! Glory be to Almighty God."

The God's Story: From Creation to Eternity movie continues to be shown in the villages. One man shared, "I went to show God's story film to the village last night. Thank God for this noble task. We slept there with my two youths … Thursday we are planning to show the film again in a different village. Need your prayer. Pray for our motorbike, too, to be in good condition. thanks for your prayers guys!"

Our partner, By Design Visuals, makes amazing flannel graphs that work extremely well with STS Bible stories. One amazing storyteller sent photos and shared, "There are more than 50 children differently and even many adults there too." He estimates that about 50 children received Jesus Christ as their personal savior in response to those stories.

Another leader shared, "The COVID-19 holiday is a fruitful holiday. I thank God for making my home a place for sharing God Himself and understanding his words."

An evangelist reported needing more memory cards for listening to God's Story because of how effective it is.

An instructor reported, "I am now strong enough through STS and OBS. I can see my sharing the gospel is now lovely and has a great impact."

The Coronavirus has led people to have church in their homes. One leader reported that they also have an "Oral house Bible school" that's impacting people, along with his home based church fellowship.

The team working among the refugees in Northern Kenya shared that they have an opportunity to do STS Bible stories on the radio in English, Turkana, Arabic and Swahili (just to start). The leader reported, "The radio … goes all the way to Loki bordering South Sudan also all the way to Lodwar, about 200,000 refugees listen to it. It reaches many Turkana Villages also. About 80,000 Turkana people listen even more."

We know from past experience, STS on the radio has proven to be highly effective. Please pray for this opportunity to start soon. On May 25th, the Turkana people reported their first COVID case. We have much work going among the Turkana and much more to do.  

Millions Watch God's Story: From Creation to Eternity

Recently, our India director shared with me that he and his leaders throughout the country estimate that more than 2 million people have watched God‘s Story: From Creation to Eternity in the various languages of India over the past two months, a blessing during this COVID lockdown. We are a couple weeks away from finishing a special web page giving access to the videos for the India languages.

Current God's Story Language Progress

Thank you for praying for the translators, narrators and orchestrators of God's Story languages who weather spiritual storms. Six languages are ready to record in India. One language in Central Asia is partly finished with the back translation and nearly ready for recording. The Brazilian Sign Language evaluation is in the field to be checked. It will be mastered once approved.

All of this is a result of our loving God who desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Thank you for your prayers,

Andrea
Executive Director
& The whole staff of The God's Story Project (TGSP)