“Answering Questions Before Being Asked?”
Prayer & Praise Report # 5, August-September 2018
How to answer Sixty-nine Questions, before they are asked!
We receive so many testimonies to The God's Story Project. This particular story came from a group trained in Simply The Story (STS) and now working in Greece with the Refugees.
L-ke, from Iran, was raised in a strict Musl-m home to be an Islamic teacher. However, he had so many questions for the Mullahs that they did not answer. So L-ke's dad sent him to Saudi Arabia to study Islam and become a Mullah.
Later, L-ke rejected Islam in his early 20's because no one could answer his questions. As a result, he fled Iran. One day, an evangelist gave him a Bible and told him to read it. He took the Bible and smashed it into his face, and said “Don’t you ever give me Bible again.” The evangelist’s wife began to pray for him daily.
Several years later, L-ke came to Greece and met one of our Bible teachers outside camp. Upon invitation, he went to this teacher's house and was given a Bible. This time L-ke kept the Word, put it in a plastic bag and planned to throw it away. By God's grace, the Bible found its way to a table in L-ke's apartment.
After hearing an STS style Bible story, L-ke read the Bible over the course of one week and became intrigued. He wrote 69 questions in the back of the Bible. At another Bible study, L-ke raised his hand and asked some of his questions. The Bible story teller told him that they would first have a story, and then answer his questions. After the Bible story, L-ke was asked to share his questions.
L-ke responded, “All my questions were answered in the story. I have no more questions.” About a week later L-ke gave his life to Christ and is walking with the Lord today. This is only one small part of this man's amazing story.
God's Story on National TV? In a Difficult Country? Even Better!
In August God's Story: From Creation to Eternity aired on MRTV (a Southeast Asian television channel)! Our leader wrote us, "We praise God that many people can see and hear the God's Story (God's Word) in the T.V. in Burmese Language. Because in [this country], to show the GS or any other Christian Film is not easy at all. But God is great. His message for all people tells about to know Him. Continue to remember in Prayer."
Two more God’s Story languages, Makuri Naga and the Garwhali, have been completed. The masters are now in the hands of our leaders to spread the Truth to all people.
The TGSP leadership in India met with STS leaders in the North and reported their gratefulness. One South India senior Pastor (bishop) shared, "The STS method of learning God's Word and going deep spiritually is a great gift from God in 21st century." Pray for our India Director and his many leaders as India becomes increasingly hostile to the Truth of Jesus Christ.
God’s Story is now in 376 languages! The picture shows one recording team of God's Story.
More Refugee Reports from Greece
An STS trained storyteller recently wrote to our office with the following.
"We have been so blessed to be able to utilize the STS training in this amazing work among the refugees in Greece ... I have used this extensively in sharing the gospel and in bible studies. The results have been tremendous. We know that to start a church in Iran or Afghanistan would be very difficult if not almost impossible, yet we get to lead dozens of them to Christ, and they are being discipled to walk with Jesus. We have been regularly baptizing new believers sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly."
The hunger for God’s Word was so great that this man was doing 3 Bible studies a day (using stories) at one point.
This Bible storyteller continued, "One of the converts, who had moved to Germany, came back to help at the camp and the Community Center. He is Arabic and we were lacking Arabic translators. He got 8 Arabs mostly Muslims to come to a Bible study. I told the One Leper story, and we discussed it for about an hour. They loved it and even made the application to their now lives. About 2 days later we met again. Before doing the next story, I asked them what they learned from the last story. They said; 'We learned that every one that Jesus touches is made clean.'"
After discussing the Zaccheus story, the storyteller asked what they learned. They said, “We learned that every house that Jesus goes to, the person’s life is changed.” One refugee also said, “Now I believe that God and Jesus are the same soul!”
About 20 African women from the “vulnerable women's section” of the camp heard a Bible story and discussed it. One woman wanted to repent and get her life cleaned up. This woman and another women were at odds with to each other for one week in the camp. At the next bible study, the Bible storyteller shared from Matt 18 about forgiveness. After discussing it for an hour, he asked the women, "What would God have them to do with what they learned?" He wrote, "The one woman jumps up and crosses the room and asks forgiveness from the other one. Other women jumped up and did the same. God’s word is so powerful."
Instructors from Several Countries?
We recently conducted STS training in Guinea, Africa, led by 5 trained instructors from 3 African countries. Increasingly, instructors from multiple countries are teaming together to lead workshops. This leadership dynamic encourages attendees. The team trained 30-40 participants in Guinea.
Sudanese Refugees in Uganda, Growing Stronger in the Lord!
As of August 2018, the refugee crisis in Uganda grew to more than 1.5 million refugees! Seventy-one percent come from South Sudan and another 21% from the DRC. In this crisis, the Word of God has brought hope and healing to these displaced people. One of our leaders just returned to Uganda checking on the STS Oral Bible Schools in several camps, over seeing the instructors for STS training and showing God's Story to several thousand nearly every night in the camps!
God's Story to thousands!
A woman who intended to only attend an STS Oral Bible School training in Thailand for half a day, stayed for 10 days! Another woman who attended this same training shared that her husband has distributed around 30,000 to 40,000 God’s Story in various Thai languages.
Two Thai groups and one English group continue to meet and study the Word in-depth, the way STS teaches.
Another Thai team traveled to China recently to reach the more than 700,000 Lahu speakers! Another Thai leader shared STS with a Lao school in Thailand. The school loved it so much, they now they want to have it as part of the school.
Who Joins a Secular Group to do Bible Stories?
A pastor and STS instructor shared recently this praise. "We have a young lady who has intentionally joined a sorority so she might make a spiritual impact there. As a sophomore she has been chosen as Chaplain and is going to be doing a Bible study every week with the girls using Bible stories. Although she has not yet been to trained, she has seen the STS model enough that she knows the process. She did a story for us at Church a month or so ago and did a really good job." Pray for this young lady to have strength to weather the storms she may encounter.
Food and Bible stories - What a meal!!
Recently, our instructor team in Orlando had dinner together at the EL Patron restaurant. One Spanish speaking instructor engaged our server in a Bible story about Martha and Mary. We were thrilled to see the waiter showing interest and sharing his heart as the Word spoke to him.
The God's Story Project recently launched the Heart Pocket Podcast as another avenue to help align our hearts with the heart of God. We have multiple podcasts lined up over the next several months that go live every Tuesday at 3:30 pm Eastern Time. Topics include prayer, orality, impact reports and so much more.
Grateful to the Lord,
Andrea
Executive Director
& the whole staff of The God's Story Project (TGSP)