Zerihun, our Director of Evangelism in Ethiopia, distributed 300 bibles among newly established churches. The leaders were ecstatic to receive them and NLE was thrilled to provide them. The Apostle Paul says that our minds are renewed by hearing the Word. The Psalmist assures us our paths are illuminated by God’s Word. Jesus said His Word will never pass away. We are commanded to dig into the Word with enthusiasm as if searching for gold.
A person doesn’t need a bible for God to reveal His grace of salvation. In fact, most people we work with in Ethiopia either don’t have a bible or couldn’t read it even if one was available. But you do need God’s Word to grow in your relationship with Him. The bible is our roadmap, a book of hope that informs our daily living.
There are several ways to approach God’s Word. In storytelling societies, as are most tribes in Ethiopia, hearing oral stories is an excellent way to internalize God’s Word. But first the storyteller has to know and intimately understand the story. NLE has implemented Simply The Story (STS) workshops to promote interactional storytelling.
Solar powered audio bibles are a wonderful tool. God’s word is recorded in native languages that can be listened to. NLE attempts to get as many audio bibles into the hands of non-readers as possible. Our limitation is cost.
The most common access to God’s Word is by reading it. In most societies, reading is probably the most practical way to learn about God. Unfortunately, reading is not an option for 61% of Ethiopians (approximately 66,000,000 people) who have never been taught.
Deep in the Ethiopian countryside where the absence of schools is commonplace, people are coming to know and accept Jesus. But how can their minds and worldview be renewed into God’s image without knowing His Word?
Children are being raised without any education unless they are sent to live with a relative in a town that is lucky enough to have a school. The illiteracy rate among villagers is astronomically high.
LET’S DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!
In villages where NLE has established a home fellowship or a newly constructed church, let’s provide the missionaries with a blackboard, chalk, benches, wall charts, notebooks and pencils for 50 children. Providing these basic materials for one village costs $150. There are 5 villages that need immediate literacy intervention.
We have lined up two teachers from the Department of Education to put on a workshop with specialized instruction in easy, effective ways to teach reading. We would need to bring a “teacher” (literate person) from each village to a central town to receive tools to aid him in teaching children (and adults) how to read. The cost of a four-day workshop for 10 – 12 people (includes transportation, hotel, food, instructors’ fees) is $2,500. Click the button below to help us make literacy a reality – your gift of any amount makes an impact!
If you are like me, schooling has been at my fingertips my whole life. I never thought too much about it. But this is not the case in Ethiopia. Villagers are desperate for education. Together, we can provide the rudimentary basics for a person to learn to read. Next to introduction to Jesus, this may be the most life-altering gift we can offer anyone!