Non-Literate Tribals

Praise & Prayer Report #2, March-May 2010

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Dear Friends of God’s Story,

Many events for which we praise God are in this report and prayer is needed … as always!

Nepal: “The GODs story is the greatest tool to reach the urban and rural people of Nepal. It has been watched from the remote village to the Prime Minister’s office in the capital. I am in the far west Nepal, training few leaders for STS where there was no church, now there are 11 churches. Praise the Lord.

“These fellowships are due to the connection with local stations broadcasting Christian programs and we are providing follow up materials i.e. God’s Story Video CD. Every month we are sending more than 400 CDs to remote areas.

“We, along with the radio groups, have received numbers of letter telling that they have started house groups as the result of radio program. They are the ones saved and meeting in what they call “Jesus Clubs.” These new believers live remote and have no believers nearby. They love the stories. One man walked two days to learn more about Jesus.”

Panama and Non-Literate Tribals STS leader in Ireland: “The training opportunities and demand for Bible storytelling continues without break. YWAM in Panama invited me to lead a workshop there. It was exciting to lead that “jungle STS”, training of some sixteen people in that country. Six of them were from four indigenous Panamanian tribes, and there was even a 100% Mohawk Indian from Canada learning with us!

“It never ceases to amaze me how this STS training is so cross-cultural and so applicable to any people group I have met so far! We had people, who are not used to thinking critically, not only doing that by the end of 5 days but also putting together some powerful and incisive observation and application questions by the end of the course. “

Supplement has more on Non-Literate Indigenous Become Critical Thinkers

Haiti: Over 1,000 donated solar audio players formatted with God’s Story in Haitian Creole and French made their way to earthquake victims in Haiti. Most were transported there on one of the Friendships’ vessels. The players, and scores of God’s Story DVDs, were distributed by Christians as they gave aid and ministered to the Haitians.

“We have used the mega voices like they were gold. We have given quite a few out to older people that do not speak any English. Just this week we (the Mennonite ladies and myself) met some older ladies on donkeys up in the mountains and we were able to give them one each.

"We have given some to visiting teams that are going into remote areas as well and they have found that they are great.

"I also give them to any police officer that stops me on the road. We show them how they work each time and the local pastor in Simonette uses his one quite a lot to play in between Sunday school and church.”

USA: Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa- Close to 200 attended a two-weekend STS workshop. This was a blessed time with very hands-on lovers of God’s Word. Since God’s Story premiered in that very church, it felt like a homecoming to us!

A highly educated man at the Costs Mesa workshop had been saved late in life. He wrote “I have seen….and have subsequently listened to God’s Story several times. God’s Story and STS are two of those things that beg the question, “What took us so long?” This is how God’s word got to us in the first place, and it is obviously how He intended us to receive it…..personally.

“I totally loved meeting you and your staff. Though the experience was brutal for someone who lives out on the far reaches of the literacy tail of the population, it was incredibly eye opening. It is purity and it is truth.”

In Costa Mesa, one seasoned children’s worker with 40 plus years of experience told us, “I am absolutely in awe of this incredible method of imparting God’s Word…I’ve used STS in the after school program with children from secular school and they remembered and retold stories from 4 weeks back …. and made personal applications!"

From Bible Translator in Thailand: We just heard that during the devotion time for the XXX translation team, that they are practicing telling stories! From time to time their church used to have a Wed evening prayer meeting, but that wasn't happening for about the past year. After your workshop here, they started up again, and have focused on practicing story telling, using your methods. This could be a great boost to them beginning to use the XXX Scriptures more personally.

USA: A lady who bought God’s Story in 2001 told us she has used GS all these years with new their member’s class at church. “New members come in knowing hardly anything, and God's Story is easy to watch, simple for them to understand, and covers the basic principles of the Bible.”

In South East Asia in restricted county: “Greetings in Jesus name. Thank you for every thing especially for your prayer support. We used STS method and the Mega Voice. On April 13 - 17, we conduct a camp and there are 170 people were attended. And we make a small group too. Moreover, we play the Mega Voice for them to listen the Story again and again.

 ”In each group 4/5 people asked the questions. There were 13 people accepted Christ and took baptism by God grace. We thank you for those who are helping, donating these tools for the Kingdom of God. My the Lord bless you abundantly. Constantly remember in prayer for us, we need the DVD player and 3 Mega Voice more.

Lausanne: We ask prayer for our Africa Director, Bram... M. Bram... has been invited to be the plenary speaker for oral strategies at the upcoming Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town South Africa. This young leader has arranged the production of numerous languages of God’s Story in Africa and planted STS in over 20 countries of Africa.

Ethiopia An Amazing Workshop: Above 90% are oral communicators. The pastor who set it up has 332 churches in 7 villages in the region. All of them are Oromo speakers (though different dialects). These are his words;

Age made no difference. Over 100 Years Old!

“I have been impacted by the STS. Before I was telling stories, but not like the way you have trained us. Our community is an oral one and they pass information to each other in story forms. STS is very ideal for us.

"I want to request that you help us in this kind workshop in other places we have planted churches.

"You just gave us 12 of the audio players with God’s Story. So each will be shared among 27 churches. Please help us the way you can” Pastor D

One group comprised of government workers and students attended from 5:00 am to 7: 45 am and then from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm. A different group came during the day from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

[Now that is a dedicated staff!]

"These two old ladies in Ethiopia could not be left out. The one on the left is above 100 years. It was amazing as she retold the story of Abram in Egypt. Though she could not remember the names of places, she told the stories with such accuracy.

"She said, 'I did not go to school any time of my life. I knew Jesus loves me, but I did not know how to tell others about him. Thank you preacher for showing us about stories. Now I will tell others His stories before I die."'

"As they received players, they had this to say. “Women in our community are not educated, especially those old like us. Men just marry our girls and they don’t want to educate them.

"Now I will tell others his stories before I die."

"'We talk about many things as women in the markets and at home when we meet.

Now that we can hear God speak to us in our language, we will be telling His story. In fact we have already started telling the stories to our families before even the preacher goes back to his homeland. This ‘radio’ speaks to me the word of God. It is god speaking to me and to us.'" “We will tell the stories of Jesus. Please come many times and teach us more stories.”

TGSP USA: We need prayer as our Hemet headquarters is the narrow part of the funnel. We have some donated computers (awesome IMAX) on desks in our “expanded” office building. The computers await God’s appointed people to come join us. Need help in shipping. Requires basic computer skill and a person who loves seeing details are right.

TGSP USA cont... Other opportunities could be layout, art, data entry, letter writing, phone vision casting of TGSP and STS, recording, cleaning of recordings, assorted office admin skills or web site design/management experience. Most needs at headquarters require basic to advanced computer experience.

We offer no pay and lots of work…and the daily delightful experience of peering through our office periscope with wonder at how God is using God’s Story and Simply The Story around the world.

Workshops: Since Feb, God opened the door to plant STS for the first time in Niger, Panama and Lesotho, and multiple workshops took place in 12 different countries including 3 locations in USA. Upcoming workshops are scheduled in the next few months for the new countries of Turkey, Israel and South Africa. (These are workshops led by our first tier leaders. Beyond that, who knows how many trainings will take place.)

Up coming workshops to be held In July in Running Springs, CA and in September right after the International Orality Network in GA near Atlanta and in Grand Rapids area in September and November. KY and MO pending for the end of 2010. Hemet, CA is set for January 2011. See web site or contact office for details on USA workshops.

STS Bible schools have increased to twelve, ten now in session. This 6-months course requires no faculty or facility, and students, mostly non-literate, learn 100-200 Bible stories. For poor or non-readers this puts the Bible within reach, and into hearts. Discussions on starting two schools in USA are ongoing.

Nepal: [After 4 months of school] “We have started an oral Bible school in Mudabas Nawalparasi with 12 students in it, These 12 students have learnt 125 stories in total and have started at least 18 new fellowship during their study time.

"In their own words, ‘Bible is more conversational, where GOD talked to the People or people talk to GOD like we talk in family.’ They never attended any Bible school and have now learnt stories and can share with others from the word of GOD and bring them to the fold.”

New Practitioners Audio Training (PAT) is being tested: So far there is GREAT excitement from those who have tested it. This is yet another way to train people in STS.

It seems that no matter how many workshops we lead, we cannot keep up with the interest! We are extremely thankful that STS workshops are running on their own and led by national leaders in multiple countries …. but, for example, in Africa, our director estimates that they are responding to 10% of the requests for workshops.

Considering most workshops are staffed and financially supported by locals, this is extremely exciting. Local ownership is part of our DNA!

So now, to try to keep up with the requests in learning STS, we have designed this new audio training as yet another way to hand off a powerful style of preparing and sharing Scripture.

CD of sample stories available for $5 including Shipping & Handlng

We thank God for your prayer and support.

In His service,

Dorothy A. Miller

TGSP

Supplement: The God’ Story Project / Simply the Story Prayer & Praise Report #2 of 2010

MORE on Children’s Responses and Retirement Ministry;

Six people from Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel attended our CA workshop in January. They began using STS immediately in various ministries, including retirement homes and outreaches to children in secular schools.

Pat, who ministers in retirement homes, reported, “We did four weeks in the book of Jonah. Even those with Alzheimer’s remembered the stories each week and participated in the discussion. They all love this way of learning Bible.”

Judy, Pat’s wife, teaches children in weekly release-time for children in secular schools. They have 45 minutes at lunch time to: walk the children across the street to a mobile classroom that they trailer to the school, feed the kids, teach them and return them to school! Judy shared, “I tried telling a story and asking questions STS style and it worked! For the first time, we can cover the whole lesson in the 20 minutes that is actually all the teaching time we end up having. But also, now the children are engaging more and they have been going home and telling the stories to their families!

A vivacious lady with 40 years experience in teaching children told us, “I decided to give it a try in our after-school Bible club that we do 2 ½ hours once a week. These 4^th graders come mostly from dysfunctional low-income families that are illiterate and bi-lingual.

After using STS a month, I asked my students if anyone could tell me the story we learned together four weeks previously. I was in shock as nearly all of the hands shot in the air; all the children wanted to tell me the story of Jesus as a Boy. One told the story, and as well they all told the personal applications that had previously been discovered. Afterwards, they told the three other week’s stories.

What really blessed me in using STS with the children was when I saw the Holy Spirit teach the children through a story. We talked about Mary’s last recorded words in the Bible when Jesus turned the water into wine. I asked the children “If today Mary said those words to you, ‘Whatever He tells you to do, do it,’ what would you do?” They discussed this awhile and decided the words of Jesus are the most important for them to follow, so they didn’t need to pray to Mary anymore.”

MORE about The Physician and The Discarded Lady;

The Woodlands, Texas workshop outside Houston was held in a very large church led by highly trained seminarians. One evening the board of elders met. A physician on the board decided to use the story he had worked on during STS for their devotions. He told the Lost Axe Head story of 2 Kings 6, and then led an in-depth discussion that lasted a whole hour - and everyone loved it!

Another attendee, a lady that, by looks, seemed not to fit with the congregation, intrigued me. She looked like a person who had been battered by life. Turned out she was a Katrina victim that this church had adopted. The people there had loved on her for almost a year, but up until the workshop, during church functions and Bible studies, she didn’t talk. Amazingly, during the small group time of exploring for treasures in a story, this discarded lady spoke out loud some. The church people who knew her were amazed. Finally, on the last day of the 5-day training, she announced, “I will tell a story!” She did not commit to leading the discussion on the story; someone else in her group would do that part. So, when storytellers rotated to tell their stories to a new group, this extremely withdrawn lady did tell the Bible story.

After that came the time for each small study group to select a story to tell and dramatize for the evening grand finale. One person tells the story, while the rest of the group silently acts it out in front of everyone. Wonder of wonders, the once beaten down lady volunteered to tell the story! Not only that, when the evening came, she brought her Down’s-syndrome daughter. When we saw 70 plus people in the audience, we realized that the storyteller would have to use a microphone; for a withdrawn person, this presented an added hill to climb! We all watch in awe, some even in tears, as mom told the story, over the microphone and her daughter took part in the drama! The STS way of empowering people gave this broken lady that courage to speak God’s Word. God is no respecter of persons!

MORE on Translated Scriptures Taught With Understanding:

“Before [you came to Thailand and led the STS workshop] the style they used to teach Bible did not engage the listeners. Only those who were perceived as 'leaders' ever said anything. I think the others felt they weren't supposed to say anything, since they weren't the teachers.

“Now, the person whose turn it is to host the meeting is the one to tell a story. They are mostly choosing stories from Matthew and Luke, since those are printed in our XXX language. They discussed and analyzed the story. Some people were quiet through most of it, but thankfully some of the non-leaders were willing to express their thoughts, and relate the story to their own personal experience, which is a new step.

“The leader has really picked up on the underlying concepts of what you and your team introduced. He mentioned today that some of your Thai team members helped him to see that there is more to most stories than he previously thought. By asking questions, and looking at details, you can get deeper, in order to help you remember the story.

“They mentioned that they are learning how to apply it to their own lives, comparing themselves to the characters in the story. The leader is also pulling in some of the questioning technique for using during his Sunday morning preaching, encouraging more thinking and interest.

“That is so wonderful, that church members are interacting with the Scripture on their own, and it's something we've been hoping for, for a long time. Thank you for being the catalyst for it!”

MORE on Non-Literate Indigenous Become Critical Thinkers

“Another thing that amazed me among the indigenous people was that they quickly went from a place of not being used to critical thinking to forming great questions of observation and application.

“Initially I thought it would be an uphill climb and a real battle, but it turned out really well, learning to not only think for themselves beyond, ‘What observations do we see in this story?’ type questions to asking incisive key-word questions.

“Everyone thought that this one lady, a non-literate, was not going to present a story at all as she hardly spoke Spanish and was in the category of non-literate. She slept through a lot of the up-front class - something seen as “normal” for women from the indigenous peoples!

“I encouraged the tribe leader to see if she would do the presentation in Spanish in full first and not let her know that there were two back up options (1: doing it in her tribal language and 2: doing story-only). He and the rest of the tribe were bowled over when the woman said she would do “it all” in Spanish! She did it and with only a little tribal language thrown in with translation for clarification purposes.

“One Ngabe man said it had given him the tools he needed to share the Gospel with his people.

“Another American man, going to a remote indigenous people with his wife, said that he had always struggled with sharing his faith, but that now he felt impelled forward and equipped for the task of his calling.

“One indigenous tribesman from Chiriqui said that he felt this was the missing element in reaching the youth and others in his village. He had been trying (in vain) to reach the youth with discipleship books and now he understood why it didn’t work and why he must use story from now on.

“Another tribesman is going back armed with a way to reach his non-literate kinsmen and to start a YWAM base in their province (San Blas) and he wants STS to come there so he can properly train his people.”

 

How Can White People Teach Storytelling

Praise & Prayer Report #1, 2010

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Capsule of Last Four Months

Dear Friends,

Thanks for your prayers and gifts. Thirty new versions of God’s Story began, plus Danish, Greenlandic Gonja, Bal s/w-bcc & Karamojong were recorded. Simply The Story workshops held have quadrupled.

Four Oral Bible schools show an average of 100 stories learned in 4 months!

Multiple workshops were led in Central Asia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, India (15) in Africa, Vietnam, Nepal & USA as well as singles in Egypt, Cambodia, Malaysia, Dubai, Kuwait, Ireland, Colombia, Guatemala, Australia and New Zealand…to name a few!

But always, the only thing that really matters is how God is reaching people through these tools. So here are “stories.”

God’s Story

GUATEMALA:

“Pastor Pedro, arrived to tell us that one of the men of his church had borrowed the Pokomchi DVD and used it to evangelize the neighboring Achi tribe. Translating bits and pieces verbally, he succeeded in bringing 25 Achi people to Christ! ... using the Pokomchi DVD! Is that cool or not?! It is so God!

With Him nothing is impossible and He wants to make sure that we don’t forget it, by d’ golly!”

SEA ASIA:

Our leader from Asia spent days living in airports, then was deported when he was supposed to meet us in the Middle East.

“I had fellowship and good time with big Monk in the Monastery. I gave a GS video.

“I was so eager to share with you all God has done and doing through GS and STS, Mega Voice in my country. But that happened and could not meet you. I am sorry for that. But I never mind for this problem, Sometime failure happened. But failure is not the end but it is the beginning for the better way. Pray for us.”

Simply The Story

Mus*lm Background Believer

“In 2008 I attended a storytelling (STS) seminar in Manila. I was reluctant since the instructors were white people. I told myself, how can white people teach storytelling to a guy like me from a storytelling tribe?

I opened my ears and listened to the instructors. I was blown away by the

system they use. I knew this will change my ministry and way of life.

“After the training, I told the story of ‘Jesus and the Storm’ to M*sl*m youth. I saw the spark in their eyes. They listened and participated in the story.

“In the discussion looking for treasures, one young M lady said ‘Excuse me. I think Jesus is Lord!’

“In ‘Crippled Man Lowered Down’ story, a 17 year old guy shared ‘Hey, I didn’t know that Jesus can forgive sin.’

“Storytelling changed our lives and we know that God will also use this system to change people’s lives. We use STS for our family Bible study, in the pulpit preaching, sharing gospel on bus, plane or in one on one conversation.”

Horse Watches Retiree Teach

STS in Senegal

People listened too! Henry discovered STS in 9/08 and since as an instructor has taught on 5 continents.

"Senegal’s big surprise was having a Muslim attend the 3rd day and participate fully in the discussion, both OT & NT stories!"

Parlez-Vous Francois?

We Do Now!

As you will see from the following Nairobi report, highly educated Africans from French speaking Africa (20 African countries are Francophones) are embracing STS. Leaders with Masters and Doctorates in theology testify to discovering life changing information in the Word never before seen.

But amazingly the non-literates training alongside these leaders were discovering the information more quickly than the literates!

Finally the vast reservoirs of non-literates are being empowered to understand the deep treasures in the Word, in a way that they can, and are taking it back to others.

Our Africa Simply The Story instructors just led a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. There, 30 top African leaders from 7 West-African countries joined in as part of the 80 in attendance. These were top leaders from Francophone countries. A revered academic, Abel, gathered them.

Previously a dear friend of TGSP, Mike, had demonstrated STS to Abel. Then Abel sent a "scout" to N Nigeria to join a workshop when we could not get STS instructors into Chad. After hearing the report from his scout, Abel was so taken by the possibilities of STS for Africa, that he invited these 30 leaders to fly to Kenya for the STS workshop. Abel saw STS for what it is, inductive Bible study, oral style.

One of those highly educated pastor/leaders from Cote d'Ivoire attended the workshop with great reluctance. Twice he wrote back to Abel, saying, "You must have made a mistake. You don't want ME to go across Africa to a storytelling training?"

After the 5-day training, that pastor stood up and told how he had not wanted to come, but to his surprise the stories had impacted him personally. He then announced. "This training should not be called 'Simply The Story.' It should be called 'The Deepest Bible Study Ever Invented!'''

The leaders attending from Burkina Faso didn't ask ... they "demanded" that our African director not answer the 6 months ago call to go train in Cote d'Ivoire. But "Rather," they said, "You must come train in Burkina Faso. It is the easiest place to gather leaders from all the French speaking countries of Africa. And you will not just stay one week. You will stay until you have completed our training in how to train others, however long it takes! We will then carry STS on to French speaking Africa.”

USA Missions Pastor

“For the workshop and the lessons I learned, thanks. I taught Feeding of the 5,000 to my best friend, who is our Ends of the Earth leader, my Sunday school class, and to our mission team heading off to Tanzania.

“I keep hearing, ‘Can you teach us another story?’”

April 30 this church in AL is hosting a workshop … open to all.

Beyond Remote Region in Africa.

“After two years God's Story was finished in our people’s language. They are almost 100% Muslim, spread across several countries of West Africa. What a blessing the DVD has been.

“I was in one of the major cities of our people, helping to distribute the DVD. Over the next few days, people started stopping us on the street saying, ‘I watched the DVD last night and have questions for you." Of course, we were very glad to answer their questions!

Several thousand DVD's have made their way into the hands of the people in that area. We are now so thankful that they are there. Our missionaries have been evacuated due to severe security problems. Even though we are not there, God's truth continues to be proclaimed through God's Story. How precious it is that they are hearing of God's perfect plan for their eternal lives in their own language.

Thanks for your help in bringing God's Story to those who have never heard.

Tibetan Churches Birthed

“I had one STS planned on the Tibet border with EN the leader who attended our seminar. By using this tool they have now started 6 churches, average 20 people in each.”

Witch Doctor Hospitality

“We shared GS with an all animist village. I showed it in Thai and translated it into Po.

“The video was seen in none less than the witch doctors house! He even made new steps for us so the whole village of 42 could easily gain access.

“I gave the invitation and 2/3rds of the people said they wanted to receive Christ. The witch doctor stood up and told everyone to ‘stand down. I don’t want the village split.’

“That night, two young boys, age 15 and 18, snuck out of their huts and came to me asking if they could secretly receive JC. ‘Many villagers are meeting, all agreeing that GS made so much sense and JC had to be the true sacrifice.”

Shy Lady Finds Ministry

Praise & Prayer Report #3, 2009

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Dear Friends of God's Story,

Thanks for your interest in God's Story and its young off-shoot, Simply The Story.

Pirating at a new Level: Yes we hear from time of some of our completed languages being copied and sold in the kiosks in Muslim countries. But pirating rose to a new level when we heard that a Muslim group had translated God's Story into a new language, produced it and is selling it! [Yes! Don't worry. We are trying to buy a copy to check what the narrator is saying!]

Is Empowering Illiterates Important? No!: Nepal. "I led an STS in Barabise the Tibet boarder along with XXX. With STS and solar tool with God's Story and the Bible on it, XXX started 6 churches average 20 people in each."

Is empowering national believers (including the vast army of illiterate believers) Important? No... It is vital. To reach people isolated by rural locations, areas hostile to outsiders or separated from others by harsh terrain, we must hand off the baton. We MUST involve the whole Body of Christ in Great Commission fulfillment!

Still Room! Colorado Springs July 24-29th promises to be the most exciting STS workshop ever yet held. Phone 951-658-1619 for information or ask on subject line by return email for "CO flyer." See web site for July WA and Sept MN/WI workshops.

By God's grace, so far this year we have arranged STS workshops in 22 countries and added 19 new language versions of God's Story.

I Had to Go run a Lap: "We showed God's Story on an island off the coast of Tanzania in the trade language. These people are unreached and Animists. In one village we started playing the DVD for 30 people. But people kept coming. I was by myself when it started, but when it is done I was surrounded by viewers that looked to be from 3 to 80 years old. Nobody stirred. Nobody talked. They were mesmerized by the story. By the time the 80-minute show was finished, 1,000 were there watching it. The next day, I went out door to door to huts. Through an interpreter I was starting to witness to a 12-year old by using an Evangecube. The boy stopped me and explained to the interpreter, 'I prayed that last night after the movie!' I had to go run a lap! We used God's Story, Jesus Film and Evangecube. When our team left two weeks later, 4,000 had accepted Jesus! We want to go back as soon as possible and disciple those new-borns. [This church, that has adopted these people, is arranging to have God's Story translated into the people's mother tongue and plans to investigate STS as a way to disciple these

new believers.]

Who Would Have Thought?: A very quiet lady came to our California STS who is the mission team leader at her church. She came to learn about STS for others. "I am not an up front kind of person."

They Cried in the Congo: In Democratic Republic of Congo, over 100 pastors and evangelists, who could not fit in the first workshop ever held in their country, cried when there was no room for them to be trained.

Angels Sent at The Right Time: The superintendent of the denomination that hosted leaders from Zambia to lead this workshop in DRC said, "CONGO is an open valley lost in the complex of biblical teachings that do not change lives. We still fight over doctrine, denominational affiliations and evangelistic crusades that leave people without anyone helping them to grow after receiving Christ as their personal savior. You are angels sent at the right time."

Next New STS Innovation: Literate leaders saw how easily non-literates grasped deep biblical-truths through STS and how readily these ex Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, animist and cultural Christians started effectively reaching others. Now nationals are founding oral Bible schools for illiterates! The curriculum is STS. Bible stories and Scripture on players act as an anchor to preserve correctness of the learned stories. We need to supply players, gear up for workshops in new countries and help guide the establishment of these oral schools. Please pray about this and the potential is enormous.

First STS in Bangladesh: "Those we trained are begging our India instructors to come back and train more people."

Muslim Wants God's Story To Return: Liberia. New version of GS shown to mostly Muslims. Late into the night they watched it two times. The children were discussing what they heard.. An older Muslim man spoke highly of the work and "wished it could return soon."

Allah of Islam Could Not Do It: STS Uganda: A former Sheik in the workshop reports, "I had been in Islam, yet I was bound to witchcraft and theft but Mohammad couldn't deliver me, neither Allah of Islam could do it. But when I heard about Christ and opened my heart to him, I have been totally transformed! We are ready now to take this Gospel to the Muslims using STS that can never be refuted. Many could not come to Christ from Islam due to poor approach. We have now a very simple tool, but the answer to Muslim communities"

Kosovar Muslim Weeps: "The middle aged and older women have mostly never been to school and think they are too stupid to learn. The mother who explained to the children did have 4 years at school before her uncles decided that further schooling would damage her marriage prospects...She had not been able to learn to read. (She eventually realised that after hearing the story 3 times she could begin to remember it. She wept bitterly when I left, and I promised to come back prepared to teach her stories that she could then teach the others. Ideally a Kosovar should do that, but they are in a remote village, and very Muslim. After my 2 weeks with them (extended by a week with the flu, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise) they realised that the Bible stories relate to their own experience. I told them about Moses because a lot of baby boys were reported as "born dead" before and during the war, c.f. midwives."

Kosovar Worker Benefits: What with the Sunday readings and the stories for the women, the boys and the children, my week of Bible study is filled out. Instead of forgetting what I had been studying so hard, it now stays with me. Even if I don't tell the story to anyone so don't get it fixed in my head and heart, I can brush it up quickly if I need it later."

Uganda..."Now I know how to listen to Jesus." This was said by African pastor after a workshop.

We Gave Spiritual Junk!: "I have leadership over 8 local churches. I honestly confess they are still spiritually babies! Now I know why they couldn’t grow to maturity! We have not been giving them the real Word of God but spiritual junk! Please take this training to all the pastors and other church leaders under my denomination. This will be the tool that will cause us to fulfill the Great mission of making Disciples not converts!"

The Depths They Discover: "A pastor lamented how Abram, who was meant to be a blessing to all nations, ended up taking curse to Egypt! ‘The plagues that struck Pharaoh’s house were a curse because of Abram’s lie!’ One leader was shocked when he realized how Abram compromised by giving his beautiful wife to Pharaoh for the sake of security! He lamented, "We believers too sometime seek for security from the world instead of directing people to the one who offers true security! Abram was a man of promise and should have waited on God or asked Him for direction and solution to the famine.’"

I have come in to leadership and I didn't know what to do, but now STS is answer to my prayer.'

"The church members you tell the story to will be alert since it is participatory learning. The devil won't have a chance to with draw people's minds from the Word and it is also a tool to overcome their fears."

One pastor who is a lecturer in a Bible school said, "I have been in ministry for long and taught in many Bible schools, but I hadn't discovered such an impacting method and approach of the scripture that brings all the biblical truths without getting outside the

text!" He asked me, "Which Bible school did this young man (Remy) do his theological studies?" I told him, "He has gone to The God's Story Bible School, STS!" He still couldn't understand what I meant! I told him, this is the Bible school you have been attending; it is meant for all believers both literate and non-literate.

 Another old woman testified how she used to help people but eventually stopped doing it. Now when the application on the Samaritan's story was done she stood up and wept, saying, "pray for to God that I may be forgiven; I have met many people and ignored them as I concentrated on my own problem! I am sorry for the selfish uncaring heart I have been having".

One leader said, "This is what we need in our church and we are going to change the whole way of teaching and preaching to STS approach. He continued, "We have made serious blunder on the pulpit due to ignorance of using God's Word!"

Another pastor who has been a lecturer in a Bible college said, "It is the best method of interpreting the Bible; unlike many preachers who quote scriptures to boost their own views."

An attendant said, "It is a good approach for teaching children to be rooted in the Word and memorize scriptures easily."

Another lady who has a very active child at home said, "She didn't know how effective she could groom up her child in the fear the Lord. But now STS has given me a tool to introduce my child into God's Word through story telling."

A lady testify that she used to take other stories in the Bible to be of no value, but through STS training she has realized that God has given his church all the Bible stories and they are equally important for growth and edification.

Texas Ladies Mobilize: "Friday (the day after we got home from LA) I was telling my friend the story of The Bent Woman. It touched her deeply and she cried about the tenderness of Christ for that woman. She has been pondering it for the last 3 weeks and will still tear up when she talks about the story. God's word is so powerful, and I pray that he continues to build her up as she is fragile right now.

"We have begun to meet each week to work on our story telling. Last week.Mona did the story. Kellie, Valerie and I were there with two other friends. Today we met at my house and I did the story. Mona and I are telling stories that are for our trip to the Dominican Republic. Well, today we had 10 people there and we are inviting more to come next week. I told the story of the widow with Elijah who offered her last flour for his meal, 1 Kings 17:8-16. We had a widow there who shared a story how God prodded her six months after her husband died to go on a mission trip and how he really healed her grieving heart with that experience. She had tears in her eyes talking about that experience."

In Communist Country: "When I did Mary and Martha at the secret house church - 21 nationals in attendance, there was more conversation taking place then I thought would be expected. A lot of inter-communication and learning was going on. People were really blown away, including both the senior and assistant pastors. I'm not kidding when I say a lot of discussion was taking place - no rabbit trails were ever gone down, pure path-walking taking place."

Europe Responds: STS teams led workshops in Liverpool, UK; North and South Ireland and Scotland. Follow up workshops are under discussion. Email Bryan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mullingar Rep of Ireland,

" Amazing how you guys use discussion to ruthlessly bring application of Bible stories to life." and

"I will travel anywhere on the island to do this training and

"My church and pastor need to hear about this. I will tell them all about it next week."

Jet Plane To Eternity or Up a Tree: This report came from ministry leader, experienced speaker and author, who attended one 5-day workshop, practiced and then joined the Europe team as Provisional Instructor.

"On the journey home too, the Lord gave more opportunity as He got me talking to Hans [not real name for privacy] who'd flown in from Zurich that morning to join the Logo Hope. In the plane the Lord had me tell XXX a story, Zacchaeus, and I asked Hans how he'd react to Jesus' invitation to go to Han's home.

“This Austrian is coming to see if he, his wife and family, should serve on the ship for a two year period, Did he, Hans, want to see Jesus as did Zacchaeus, climbing up to view him, as Zacchaeus, and as Zacchaeus rush down to receive Jesus warmly? I asked if Hans too could do this - he hesitated, arguing there were language barriers between us, differences in this point of and that. But we persisted within the story. An interesting situation of one who is looking to see, prepared to serve on the ship, but not sure of his personal relationship with Jesus. "Hmm, I think I know Him" Hans said. Keeping behind Zacchaeus within the story was easier for Hans, coming to personal application gave him much to think about.

"After we landed, my host kindly asked if he could take Hans to the Logos; of course the latter was thrilled. Ironically, the question the Lord prompted Clifford (my host) to ask was, 'Tell us of your personal story of how you met the Lord and know Him?' Isn't God precious. Hans was again trying to move through. On the plane he was struggling to say he knew Jesus "personally", dancing around the meaning of personal. When I asked if he knew his wife personally he got cornered with how to answer - we've been praying for him and his time on the Logos Hope, I know the Lord has a wonderful plan for him! I loved using the story in one on one counseling on a PLANE this time. I've already been it many times as I council on the phone!

All VERY exciting."

Future Plans: I wish I could say our new STS web site was running, but it is sooooo close. Starting maybe by July 10th, instructors can down load the most recent document, some of the many recorded stories in various language can be heard. As time goes by, targeted ways you can use STS and ministries in which you work can fold STS concepts can be utilized will be posted.

1. Already non-literates are leading workshops for illiterate AND literate pastors. We plan to format the actual STS training method on audio players so non-literates can more easily go to new regions and thoroughly lead full-blown workshops.
2. Information from the STS Handbook (80 pages) and almost completed Instructors Manual (projected 150 pages), all that is germane for illiterate leaders, is going into an oral format. We are not just recording literate information. Our goal is to have the 90% or more of the information housed inside verbal (not written) illustrations and stories.
3. This, plus a DVD showing workshops in action done in multiple languages, is now under way. We must respond to pastors who begged, "Please take this training to all the pastors and other church leaders under my denomination. This will be the tool that will cause us to fulfill the Great mission of making Disciples not converts!"

In His service,

Dorothy A. Miller
Executive Director TGSP

 

Refugees Find Hope

Praise & Prayer Report #2, 2009 

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Dear Friends of God's Story,
Sorry! Since Jan 22 I have not shared any of the TGSP excitement with you. For example, this photo shows delivery of God's Story to a pastor in a refugee camp. The deliverer, with face blocked due to sensitive nature of the location, wrote, "I had given God's Story to this pastor on the MegaVoice solar audio player in December. In his first playing, 3 adults came to Christ while other current believers repented for many things. He continues to use the MV each week as people are still being encouraged and growing through TGSP. Now, as you see, we gave him the video and a projector to play God's Story for many hundreds."

Feedback from a Middle East Simply The Story workshop...A participant from the Coptic Orthodox Church, used the STS technique in his youth group, and said, “Since I started using this method, the response has been amazing.” The pastor of an Amharic language congregation said, “STS changed my style of teaching Scripture to my congregation.”

Another person said, “It has affected my daily meditation.” Still another said, “I always found it difficult to memorize Scripture. Now I learned how to remember the exact words in a Bible story easily.” One innovative participant even shared a story in an online chat room and 25 people joined in. Some of these amazing pastors serve as exiles away from their homeland.

Read down to see why a pastor said..."Instead of leading my mother to Christ, I wept and put her to sleep."

Out of our little "headquarters" so far this year we have seen 12 new versions of God's Story completed and 6 more were produced and are waiting for final approval. On top of that, our USA teams just led Simply The Story workshops in Pakistan, Dubai, Cambodia, Hong Kong, two locations in the Philippines, Guatemala, Peru and two in USA. We leave for Louisiana tomorrow and a team leaves in a few days for St.Lucia and another for UK, Ireland, Scotland and Kosovo. (There may be openings in this Europe trip. In case you (or someone you know) might want to attend, concact Bryan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

As I write this we are praying for help in Europe since one of the main instructors just emailed about a family emergency and told us to go without him. Oh NO! On the 2nd of May the team of 6 splits and goes in 3 directions by twos to separate countries. One alone cannot do the training. Hum??? Shall we say to our God, "You brought us out into the wilderness to die." No! He is able. Please pray for this situation.

Overseas teams leave for Calcutta and Bangladesh, while yet others are training now in Zambia and then go on to DR of Congo. These instructors need a lot of prayer as political and religious upheavals are currently taking place in most of these regions. Workshops continue to be run in locations where STS is firmly planted. See www.SimplyTheStory.com for some of the workshops coming up AND check the home page link for amazing video, "Dallas Theological Seminary Graduate, PhD BIOLA, & career missionary gives view on STS."

But what is being accomplished? Besides all of us being stretched spiritually and physically, here are sample of responses to God's Word in God's Story and Simply the Story training.

Senegal: A USA missionary led a man Senegalese man to the Lord. After some discipleship, and more recently exposing the African convert to the STS way of witnessing using Bible stories, this happened. "...more details about the new converts in Senegal. Three of them were Catholic and two of them were Muslims. In the original e-mail, J P mentioned 10 people, so I'm assuming the other 5 were either animists or family members. Still, new conversions are very rare among the Senegalese, especially among the Muslims.
"J P told me that they used the stories of Jesus walking on the water and Jesus turning the water into wine--two of my favorites! I think I mentioned these stories to him in advance. He said that when the people heard these stories they realized that our God is the true God."

New Zealand: "At the moment I am teaching a busy mum to use storytelling to her young family of 4 to teach them the Word of God. It has been amazing when I have used STS how my group members have said they can't stop thinking about the Bible story all week! How much more will impressionable children learn God's word this way.

"We continue to distribute the G.S DVD/VCD when ever possible. Even though the DVDs/VCD are not going out in large numbers it is so encouraging to have them going out in a steady trickle all over New Zealand."

Hong Kong: [110 attendees came from 7 countries, many who are cell and house church leaders.] "Yoshi a youth pastor from Japan shared the first day how the Martha/Mary touched him. He said, "In Japan people make group decisions, but it touched me that Martha and Mary both made individual decisions."

 "Cynthia shared the first day (from another story) that she was amazed at the fact that even though the leper was unclean, Jesus STILL had compassion. This sparked good discussion."

Laos: "i was asked to share God's word in an international church and of course i used sts about Martha and Mary, you know because we did enjoy discussions and the spiritual treasures that we discovered we didn't noticed that we talked almost two hours and they don't want to stop!"

Mostly Muslim Country: A 17-year old girl from a remote tribal group came to our STS workshop. She is the first believer among her people. Shy at first, she soon became bold. "This is for us! "I can understand the Bible now and I can go back and share these stories and talk about them. My people will listen."

USA: We showed God's Story at MGC this Wednesday, with only 2 days of notice, and using only flyers as advertising. We had 15 students and 5 adults attend, which I thought was very good for the amount of advertising we had! They listened very attentively and thanked us for showing it. No obvious results yet, but the day after we showed it they were still thanking us."

USA: "All I can say is, I've been spoiled for the ordinary following learning STS--I can't help it! When I sit in a service now, I'm taking
the passage that's been read aloud and begun an internal dialogue, asking questions and gleaning sweet morsels to take home with me! I like it a lot!"

USA: "I have always been taught that God only heals today if it is for the furtherance of the Gospel. I listened to the Story4All podcast [programs 45-46] and knew I had to come learn about how to really listen to the Bible and how to learn and tell a story. I heard the One Leper story yesterday. Jesus had compassion on the leper and touched him and then Jesus healed the leper and told him NOT to tell anyone what had happened but to go tell the priests. I saw that Jesus had compassion and healed, and it was not for witnessing, so I asked God to heal my back. I have had pain for 20 years and could not bend without pain. Look! I can bend. I have no pain!" Keith Jackson

Zambia: "The overseer of the denomination called Glory Tabernacle stood in front of the group with tears in His eye. He said that he had been trying for three years to talk to his mother, who is 89 years about Christ. It had been practically impossible for him to even relate a verse as concentration was very difficult for the aging mother.

"This time he went home after the third day of training, and that was just after learning about the story of Jonah. He went and just sat at the bed side of the mother. He told the story slowly. After going half way the story, and as he was trying to emphasize on Jonah going to Tarshish, he looked at his mother and was surprised at the face. She was following the story. When he got to the end of the story, the mother said, “so going to TARSHISH IS RUNNING AWAY FROM GOD, I have run away too. Can I come back?

"He said that instead of leading the mother to Christ, he wept and put her to sleep. He asked us to pray for courage as it was difficult for him to see such a time he longed for the whole of his ministry to see his mother come to Christ. He looked at me and said, WHERE WERE YOU? MAY BE MY FATHER WOULD HAVE ALSO RECEIVED CHRIST BEFORE DEATH. He whispered and said ‘simply a story’ He came back the following day with the news that his mother received Christ."

Zambia: "The people were very moved by the presentation that was made on this story, because the man with a withered hand in the story was played by a real man with a real withered hand. At the end of the story, the man (with real withered hand who played the withered hand in the story), stood up and said ‘this will remain true of my hand, I will do all I could not do with this hand from now on’. He then moved on and picked a chair using the same hand and shouted ‘it is working, it is working’. There were tears in the hall. This is real in my head even as I write. We’ve just closed the meeting as am writing and the man is reading what I’m sending to you before I leave tonight. I wanted him to know that other people have been praying for the meeting. "

"I was resting in my room after the training on Thursday, just after the story of the withered hand. A pastor came into my room and said ‘sir do you have gifts of healing? I said why? He said ‘that man was healed during the story’. I said ‘oh’. Then he said ‘should we be picking people with real issues in the church to do stories?’ I said NO. That man volunteered. I said, storytelling is about the Bible stories, the bible is alive, and God is still working, but please don’t use story telling for anything else other than just bringing the truth out of the word of God. Leave everything else to God.

Guatemala: After a workshop, students at a Bible school gave their view of STS. "To study thoroughly”--- “God's word is not boring”---“a lot more than I knew before”---“how to tell a story in Spanish and in my dialect” [The Bible school's professor said this last student comment has been his prayer]....“I learned how to use the story first in application to my life.”

The students wrote how they plan to use what they learned---“to help others know what God did in those times”---"to help people who have not had the opportunity I have had (to learn the Bible stories)”---“to tell those unreached to Christ”

"God gave me the opportunity this morning to tell a story to a drunk where all the buses depart and even if he could not appreciate it the lady serving the breakfast I bought him and her other patrons heard it."

The students quickly went to the streets and the local hospital to tell a story from the Bible. Some told family back home over the phone. The school director said, "I plan for the students to story God's word with inductive questions in the daily chapel times."

Cambodia: Sue S., who has been in ministry in Kampong Thom witnessed, use of some players [MegaVoice solar-powered audio-players formatted with God's Story in Khmer] "These were given in local areas immediately around town. She said "it's the most effective thing I've seen."

"My friends expressed that they found it possible to share the gospel to superiors with them, as they are too shy to speak to anyone older than them (including especially their parents) in this hierarchical culture, to any result. They said the MVs were different, as people listened to those."

One person chronicling the MV use reported, "They had tried taking it apart to use the solar panel for something else, but after failing at that, decided it was useful for what it was designed for. Actually, this was a theme for all the ones Dave distributed so he started making a joke about it, accusing people before they said anything. In every case they admitted to it!"

"The most excited recipient of all. We initially gave him two and he wore them out trying to pass them around to about twelve different house churches. He begged us for more, and we didn't have them yet so my friend told him to pray for them. We eventually gave them five more.

"Man with MV wasn't home when I went back to see him, but he arrived from working in the fields shortly after I came. I asked him about the megavoice player, and he pulled it out of his pocket! He'd been listening to it while working. This was almost a year after I gave it to him."
Philippines: [From a national who ministers among Muslims.] "The 18 students that i am teaching on STS were so amaze of the dynamics of the methods. infact i got more people everyday to learn the skills. the 18 students are preparing themselves to do cross cultural mission with in 10/40 windows."

India: "In the last month there was a girl came with the problem of leg pain ,her name is S kupta, not able to walk and her parents took her to all the hospital at last they brought to church. Praise God, God worked while I shared about the story of the woman who had the problem of 12 years she touched to Jesus cloth she healed. The story repeated several time by asking question so she understood the part of touch. She trusted to touch Jesus, Because of that God Healed her. Praise the Lord “share the story, save the soul”

Please pray for those who see and hear God's Story that they will come to know Jesus, and for the teams world wide producing new language versions and that are training others in STS.

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and support. We are grateful to you. Ultimately we praise and thank our God as He continues to honor the use of His Word in God's Story and Simply The Story.

In His service,
Dorothy A. Miller
Executive Director TGSP

Does God Love the Bajao?

Praise & Prayer Report #1, January 2009

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Dear Friends of God’s Story,

This wrap up of 2008 shows how The God’s Story Project experienced its most extraordinary year yet. By God’s Grace, in 2008, we produced 44 new languages of God's Story, the most ever in one year. Also, over 12,000 solar-powered audio players went into 80 different nations with God's Story AND we distributed masters for 55 language versions for use in unlimited duplication and distribution.      

A plank sidewalk suspended over floating garbage takes you to a bamboo home.

See last page, “Does God Love the Bajao?”

Myanmar: “I have given the GS VCD, Evangelist Backpack, Mega Voice to Pastor who in village place. When I play for him, he was about to cry by hearing the God's Story. Now he is using this tools. Many people mind were trouble that Why it was happened? [Cyclone] Remember to those people that when they see and hear the God's Story, let them realize that Jesus Christ is the only Creator and Savior and Lord.”

Please pray for those who receive GS and who are being in STS to tell the Bible stories. We currently have STS workshops running or scheduled for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Cambodia, Brazil, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Peru, 25 countries in Africa, unnamed regions in Asia and other places wise not to mention.

See the amazing explosion account of God’s Story and Simply The Story in Africa 2005-2008. Go to the link “Explosion in Africa” on the STS home page. We add new reports, workshop dates and samples of STS to www.SimplyTheStory.com as quickly as we are able.

We ask for prayer that the Lord would send two added staff people for Hemet headquarters. Computer skills are needed and a desire to work in the epicenter of a spiritual whirlwind that is touching down in enemy territory.

Reports on God’s Story:

Unnamed Country: “They showed the DVD in the work camp that houses women who are HIV positive - mostly former prostitutes and drug users/dealers. Because the government cares so little about them, they have freedom to do things there that they wouldn't have in the prisons that house political prisoners, etc. On their first showing of it several of the women accepted Christ and they begged them to come back as often as possible to show it to them again.”

Myanmar: “I got a report that on 15 Nov showed the GS in TV to 32 people. And the next day followed up Bible teaching. After that 2 person accepted and on 20 Nov. GS show again with previous people and other also including there were 63 people watch the GS and followed up the Bible teaching 30 people accepted and 6 people were baptized on 22 Nov. God is Stirring in the heart of the people here slowly. Need more prayer support.

Reports on Simply The Story:: Upcoming workshops in USA. Hemet March 23rd- 27th 2009 and St. Paul-Minneapolis Sept 14th-18th. For information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Hemet workshop is shaping up to be a blockbuster! Lots of very interesting folks are signing up for training. It seems that God gives us strategy on a need-to-know basis. As of yesterday, He impressed upon us to tap into the millions of other-than-English mother-tongue speakers in the USA. "Purposely train these multi-language speakers so they can train people in their ethnic circles and home lands.”

Workshops done in people’s mother tongue are the most effective. We see on our radar screen right now, ten ethnic groups that may attend. Instructions from the Lord only came yesterday!

Tibet: “I talked to Bro. L briefly the other day and he said that they really enjoyed the training. From what I hear they are all pretty excited about it with the other guy, Bro. Z saying something to the effect that, it is really great because we can share the gospel without doing anything that

they can get us in trouble for! No handing them a bread, or other literature and if authorities come around we are just telling stories! PTL!"

North East India: “Hi Special people, We have a great training and i would like to give you a brief news and rejoice with us as this training is God's answer to our struggle in the fields.

As we have planted 278 house churches in North East India, we were all struggling with the question: How are we going to effectively communicate the gospel and disciple the non literates.

“83 people attended this training, altogether 13 people groups attended, namely the Adivasi, Chakma,Mising,Assamese,Nepali,Boro,Tutsa,Tangsa,Ao,Poumai,Burmese,Hajong and Mog. We had our first believer from the Hajong tribe who was lead to the Lord by a 6 month believer from the Chakma tribe. He is excited to Simply Tell the Story to reach out his people group.

“It was God’s answer to many of our non-literate church planters and their disciples who were struggling with discipleship and how to approach their believers who were mostly illiterates.

This Discipleship method is a reproducible/transferable. It is a proven method and I thank God that this training was available to us here in North East India.”.

Bhutan: This country is officially Buddhist. If you become a Christian you lose all rights such as you cannot go to school or hold a job or drink from the village well. Often you are put in prison. Instructors from India, Bhutan and Nepal just trained 30 of these leaders and pastors who meet secretly in Bhutan. One wrote back a few weeks later....

“I really thank you and the team of STS which gave a golden chance to attend the STS training. In fact, we were in need of that sort of tool (STS) to reach our people. I got confidence that I can reach unreached people with good news of Lord by the STS tool. I was praying for this sort of training. I find that it is very effective not only to the unreached people but to the congregations too.” [Note: He lives with threat of persecution but he focuses on the needs of others!]

USA: [After attending workshop] “By the way, as you know, in preparation for each story God blesses me with SO many insights that I never noticed before when just reading through a story once in the Bible. I can truly say that I know what it means to ‘Meditate on God's Word.’”

USA: [After a workshop this testimony came from a Wycliffe translator.] “My new Chinese friend, Jill and I just had a 4 hour lunch. I am finding it very effective to do the storying over food, people don’t run away or fall asleep and there is a natural break when they go for seconds. I asked Jill if she was willing to be my guinea pig because I wanted to tell her a story that I had learned last week in the workshop.

“So I did the prodigal son story, letting her repeat the story, then we went through the observation stage and then personal application. With Questions like: Who am I in this story, and where am I going - away from the Father, still feeding the pigs, or on the search to find the way home to the Father. She said she is definitely searching for the Father...

“I am not sure if she understood everything but let me tell you it was so incredible, I cried when I saw her hungry heart and the deep questions she asked. She even said: let’s get back to the story. She said something like, ‘I wonder what will happen to me when I go back to China as a Christian.’”

USA: [After STS “sermon” in church service] “Thank you for another great Bible study. I have heard the story of Jonah since I was a child, have read the book many times, and have even studied the book of Jonah. Amazingly I was never before struck by the significance of God working through Jonah even while Jonah was rebelling and willfully disobeying Him. In that miserable condition, God still used Jonah to bring a whole boat-load of heathens to repentance.”

Philippines - Mindanao: [Results after STS workshop] “We have 4 outreach groups from the 12 leaders, and they have at least 6 places that they go to. We also trained 12 of our youth and they are joining in the different groups to help out. In one of the groups which is in a very remote area (they travel by motorbike and then by horse) the youth are teaching the children while the adults are telling the story to adults. There are no churches in that area at all, and the people love it there!!

“In one of our other groups, they went to a house of a retired teacher who was bedridden. He couldn't talk but listened to the leaders. The leaders asked the teacher if he would like to receive Jesus as his savior, and the man nodded. So they lead the man to Christ. After that, they started singing to the man, and the man started singing with them!! The neighbors could hear the man outside of his house and the hairs on their arms were standing up!! They all witnessed a miracle!! Praise God!! That man was not able to talk for a very long time!!”

Philippines - Manila: “STS is being used all around the country. Your team's work has certainly paid off. It has been like a revival for some of us. Just using the STS methods for meditation on scripture has been a tremendous blessing and like a revival for many of us. I don't say this lightly. I have heard from Filipinos as well as international missionaries saying how God has used STS to reveal things to them and to those they teach. I have kept in contact with a number of the people from each of the cities where you trained. I ran into a couple of our co-workers whom you trained in Davao and they were so excited to tell how they had been able to use STS with 'neighbors' successfully, not to mention in their own personal Bible study.

“Tribal people from Palawan (the three men who came to the Manila training) completely caught

the methods and took it back to their remote area. City people are also using it in some of our more progressive churches.”

Personal Highlight: The impact reports coming to us from the STS workshops worldwide increase daily. Our USA instructors led 21 workshops, 18 overseas. Our national instructors led hundreds of approved workshops and hundreds more unofficial trainings took place. Scores of amazing experiences fill my heart from this last year of workshops.

This one stands out........

God Loves The Bajao

While in the Philippines our team traveled to visit the Bajao people. People treat these “Sea Gypsies as untouchables. The Bajao cannot attend school, nor are they even allowed to go into stores. For seven years our host couple has been giving medical help to the people and schooling for the children. Through the Bajao pastor, regular humanitarian aid has also been given. Our host shared how odd it was that the pastor, although friendly and appreciative of the help, kept waylaying the training and assistance. Prayer and counseling hadn’t fixed the situation.

We traveled to the Bajao settlement. The people live in tiny bamboo houses built over a bay that is filled with raw sewage! I mean filled; you can’t even see the water for the trash floating in it. To go into this settlement, and to get to the homes to visit the people, we walked on narrow wood planks suspended over the water, planks that serve as "sidewalks." In the homes our foreign team (very much larger sized people than the Bajao) had to be careful to not stand too close together as you could feel the floors starting to give way.

Wonderful loving people are the Bajao, who melt when touched. We entered a large room that serves as their church. Since scores of shirtless children and plainly dressed adults had followed us into the church, I asked if I could tell a story. The Blind Bartimaeus story captured the attention of the about 75 people of all ages, half maybe being small children. The Bajao children excitedly responded to the story as children worldwide do. The adults looked on as their dusty children waved their hands to answer the questions.

As we moved toward the door we hugged and prayed for smiling people. Our host stayed behind to talk with the pastor who had been watching the whole time. Through tears he shared that he was illiterate, so had trouble teaching Bible to his people. “But the story like this I can do.” The host then realized that this simple pastor felt threatened by seeing the children leaning to read. He was afraid to lose his leadership.

Now 3 months after that visit, we hear that the Bajao are thriving on “story,” and their pastor is finally secure in his leadership role.

How many pastors and Christians across the world cannot read, but who by STS could now be empowered, just as was this Bajao pastor?

Please pray for all in TGSP leadership and training positions us to listen well to God’s leading and to protect us as we try to deliver His Word in God’s Story and STS.

In His grace, Dorothy A. Miller

 

Police Arrest Storytellers

Prayer & Praise Report #7,  2008

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Dear Friends of God’s Story,

Sorry to be so late to get a report to you. After 5 weeks on the road in Asia and Middle East, I returned and promptly came down with pneumonia! After 4 weeks of battling that I am now finally coming back to life. Many prayed and God is restoring.

Huge doors for God’s Story and Simply the Story opened throughout the world during our recent trainings. Please pray that we will make the choices God wants us to make.

God’s Story

Wonderfully when I am out of country or sick, we now have a dedicated staff that keeps the ministry going. We have just completed production on 10 new God’s Story languages, with several others in studio or in the mail to us. We now have 224 approved language versions! Just added for India: Gondi; for Ghana Buli-bwu, Kasem-xsm & Kusaal-kus; for Philippines Tausug-tsg & Maguindanao-mdh; for Myanmar Matu; in Bangladesh Chittagonian-cit; in Zimbabwe Ndebeli-nde and for Nepal Jirel-jul.

In… Mongolia: One attendee at the STS training shared, “Last February my dad received a blue player and listened over and over to God’s Story. He wanted to learn more from the Bible but can’t read. Now I know how to give him more stories from the Bible.

In… Asia: A lady reported, “I was in a remote area of the T region and just happened to meet an old man who invited me to his home for tea. Looking around I saw a megavoice with God’s Story on his shelf, so through the translator I asked him what it was. The man said it was a radio with stories of God on it. “

In…Philippines: A dynamic man, “T,” targets a very hard to reach people group, mostly mslm. He had heard God’s Story eight years ago. He tried using God’s Story in the closest language available, but his people just couldn’t understand the words. He wanted to have God’s Story in the language of his target people, but was told it was impossible. When T met us and discovered that he COULD partner with us to produce God’s Story in his needed language, he could hardly contain himself! He kept shaking his head saying, “I can’t believe it. I prayed for it, but I can’t

believe it!”

In …Unnamed Region: “I don't know if you heard the latest or not, but the police went around in all of the towns with loud speakers threatening jail for any XXX people who listen to or watch the GS or the JF. They put up wanted posters for the people who helped do the voices on the recordings. Also, anyone who tells or listens to Oral Bible stories will be put in jail. Some of the XXX who have been traveling around telling the stories are very discouraged now, because the villagers are so afraid that they will not even listen to the stories…..I think this is a huge sign of success.”

Simply The Story

Manda responded to the training: “The method was very simple to understand for any people. Teachers knew what to do, and most important thing was they were teaching God’s word without any addition or deduction.”

Another attendee wrote: “For me STS is the best way to share Bible with unbelievers or with new believers. There are 3 reasons that are why. First, it is very simple, I do not have to be very good teller or either have to be smart. All I have to do was to tell people just what I have learnt. And they do the rest of it by them selves. Second, when we find out the treasures, more we were encouraged to read bible and share it. It gives courage to anyone (old and young, man and woman etc,) to share the stories. Thirdly, it was really fun to study bible like this. Before I saw many times that people are getting tired or bored because they don’t understand the preaching in the church. I think any one can understand the STS.

“I used STS training at my church and at cell groups. Right after I went to STS, I shared the story “how Jesus made calm the storm on the lake Galilee” at my church, and shared what I have learnt in past few days. And I saw that everybody were involving in that story by answering questions and also asking questions. It created the relationships between us.”

In China: Simply Amazing. People from all over various regions attended the training and left saying, “We know you came to serve us. Thank you for giving this to us.”

In Hong Kong: We explained the need for oral strategies and gave an example of an STS story to CCMN, the largest world network of cell and house churches. Leaders from that presentation, and other encounters on our trip, now swell the list of countries waiting for this training to 53! In 2009 we want to top-off the training of the many who are using STS, so that they can be certified go and train others.

In Philippines: During an STS training, one study group contained 7 people from 7 different countries! They were practicing the Joshua and Caleb story. One man “V” was dismissed by the others in the group as not very serious as he just wasn’t getting the process. The dynamics of the group changed dramatically when the man innocently asked, “If you were asked to go to the XXX region and bring back a report what would you say?” Faces turned serious as XXX is the heart of a feared terrorist group. The group agreed that they hoped that they would bring back a true report. The STS instructor interjected, “This man serves in that region. He now shows God’s Story there and is seeing 30-40 people believe in Jesus at each showing.”  V, this man above men, was being judged based on his ability to learn a process in a 2nd language, but he just showed that he understood the story and was applying its truths! All present were humbled.

From Marianne, Wycliffe Translator: “I want to thank you all so much for the tremendous impact the STS workshop has made in our team of 7 from B…. They are so excited that they are planning to go to C… this weekend (one of the very remote jungle areas) to teach the stories they have learned.

“Not only that but they are studying new stories every morning in their quiet time from 5-6am. “They have been so impacted that they are already inviting about 15 tribal leaders from 2 language

groups for a New Years 5-day story celebration. We will be arriving just in time to celebrate with them. I can't thank the Lord and you all enough.”

From: Marianne: (in another letter) … “I feel so strongly about it, that I dare to say each Christian and especially each translator or literacy worker should get this training and use it for personal and ministry application. I feel this training approach is so practical that after a 5-day workshop and with some additional practice our people can use it right away for witnessing and develop their own storying project. Especially with our background of world view etc.

“If I may ask your permission...this is what I would like to focus on for the rest of my life.

“This approach of Scripture promotion can incorporate everything I love to do. (Including media, video, audio, music drama etc.) But what I like is the simple focus on the Word first without too many gadgets, therefore all of our people we work with can do it. No batteries needed, no computer, no ball pen or paper needed. Just a head and a heart.”

In … Zambia from Michael, an Evangelical Leader: “…It is encouraging to see how God is using this wonderful tool throughout the world. It is amazing now when I meet people and they call me “story bank” and they ask to tell a story of their choice and surprisingly they hear me tell it and get treasures together.

“Comparison: STS cannot be compared to any program. It is on its own standard. This is because nothing makes sense to a learner of the Bible until the Bible is understood. For example, to evangelize, one will have to understand Scripture, so is discipleship. Learners will have to fall in love with God’s word in order for them to understand what salvation is or what theological truths are in the Bible. “It is something to have perfume wrapped in a well decorated bottle; it is another thing to actually get the smell of it. Most of the systems we use are well labeled and packaged.  Explanations are done by the labels that are attached to the packet, but STS creates the opportunity for the learner to smell the real message that is in the packet. Eg. Salvation: Packaged ways involve things like the Roman Road to salvation, bridge illustration etc.

“The Roman Road to salvation takes a packet of Scriptures from the Bible to show sin and how we can be saved, the problem is that these Scriptures prove a point but do not give us the context in which they happened. There are no practical examples from the Scripture to show that these Scriptures are talking about people. But a story of the Prodigal son shows the original state of this son when he was with the father, the moment he got lost by asking for his portion, and the way he came back to his father. Salvation in this story is not a method, but life. This is a difference.

“I teach people to use stories for evangelism rather than methods which are completely removed from human experience. The Bible then becomes alive. The results are amazing. Practically, everyone can tell a story, so everyone can evangelize. This is what we are seeing everywhere. Evangelism being done by the children of God and not experts with well laid down points. Conserving the fruit: We have seen that if we begin immediately telling stories to new believers, they begin to know the word by heart. It is the word of God that strengthens people in the things of God. All of those who are saved through storytelling and are immediately exposed to Bible stories have remained. This is because they see themselves through the characters of the Bible. I have put together stories that deal with different issues that we teach them and find treasures together. This leads us into discipleship.

“…Discipleship is not just a class, but a life style. To create commitment in a new believer’s life, we need to let him or her know that living a Christian life is not only for them, but that others also have lived this life before. So by teaching practical biblical stories, we give an opportunity to our people to see spiritual growth through real life instead of gathered points.

“So again instead of comparing STS, I recommend that all programs include STS in everything they teach from the Bible. STS is a class of its own….

“The results are amazing. People ask, where has this method been? Why have we been given the Bible without explaining the key to understanding it? Why have you come to make the Bible so clear and yet so late in my life? I never thought I will be able to see this connection through the Bible; I was trained to teach it as points and not as a story. I now know that knowing the Bible has nothing to do with education, I have the ears and they are enough. They call me illiterate, but I know more stories from the Bible than the literate. The Bible has now become for all, the young, the old, the schooled, the unschooled, it is simply for the children of God…..”

In… the USA: “… “GOD IS AWESOME! Milt & I continue to teach Bible stories using STS to our international students. Attendance has averaged 43 the past five weeks; 80% of attendees are not yet followers of Christ. The Spirit of God is touching these precious young people from 8 different countries. We are soooo blessed and compelled to pass on the blessings of His Word. Thanks for teaching us.

“When will you do another seminar in So. CA? I want to continue to learn to do this method well so I can pass it on to many others.”

Thank you for your prayer, support and encouragement. Please pray for those who are risking their lives to use God’s Story and now even to tell Bible stories.

Blessings,

Dorothy A. Miller, TGSP