God's Story Premier and STS Workshops.

We recently premiered the Kaansa God’s Story among the Ga people in Southwest Burkina Faso. The church in this region has been persecuted and the church building destroyed by idol worshippers. No one can openly play videos here either. Yet, by the grace of our Lord, the people welcomed the open air showing of God's Story! 

Along with the premier of God's Story: From Creation to Eternity, we conducted training in Simply The Story. One pastor of 20 years, who only understands Kaansa, cried and cried when he heard the story of the one leper that came to Jesus kneeling and begging (Mark 1:40-45).  This pastor confessed to the lead STS instructor that he is not where God wants him, and that he needs to tell others about the Lord Jesus. With wise counsel and training that equips people, the pastor said that he now knows how to share the Word of God.

The first day of this training, a drunken man came and he could barely walk.  The church leaders wanted to send him away, but the STS instructors encouraged the leaders to allow him to attend the workshop. The second day, the man returned walking only with a cane. On the third day, this man walked into the training without any aid.

This healed man participated in the training, cut his hair, was given a shirt and had a shower, and was happy! He said the Word of God transformed and healed him.

Our team also premiered the Lobiri version of God’s Story the third night of another STS workshop. Bible students participated along with other church people. In this region, our leader said, "The church does not have evangelism in their vision." The people do not share Jesus because they do not know how.

During our Simply The Story training, we teach people how to integrate God's Word into every day conversations with people. We call this the "5 minute conversational model" which you can also learn here: www.SimplyTheStory.org/evangelism. After teaching the attendees, we often take them on an outreach to the streets with the guidance of instructors.

At the training one man kept asking, "Should we share our stories with Christians and non-Christians or only with Christians?" He returned from the outreach super happy and kept talking, "I shared this story with a non-Christian and he wants to come to church, and he wants to give his life to Jesus. This young man wanted to hear more! Now I will share with others." God made a way for this man to understand! 

The Bible school students were afraid at first to talk during regular Bible school class time. Then the students in this training shared what they learned with their pastors. What these students knew about Scripture amazed the pastors so much, they asked the students to return and share more Bible stories.

The director of the Bible school was astonished by the way the students were open to the Word and told our instructor, "I saw the impact of the training on my students. They don't sleep. They talk about what they have learned from the story." The students are talking about the Word of God more easily than before.

Two Births on the Same Day, a Mom and a Son.

UPDATE to story shared in 2020. The Kulango narrator received a solar player with God’s Story for his mother last November. This widow kept listening to the Bible stories and gave her life to Jesus the end March. On the same day the narrator's mom received Christ, the Lord gave the narrator and his wife a newborn son!!

Seeds Planted and Watered.

In one place where people celebrate the Festival of Masks (Fêtes des Masques) and worship ancestors, there is no mosque, one Catholic church that's closed, and one evangelical church. Our leader gave a solar player with God’s Story to the director's mom. When she played the solar player, everyone wanted to listen.

The narrator received an SD card and played it in his computer. A sea of people came to listen because it was in their language.

 Spiritual Wellness among Refugees

Last Christmas, a team of STS trainers conducted a workshop for Sunday school teachers. The team recently returned to continue the training with some of these teachers. The teachers share how what they learned affected them when teaching Sunday school.

1. Children can be born again and receive the Lord Jesus.
2. How to work with different ages.
3. How to form a Sunday school.
4. Children are amazing missionaries.

The children learned these Bible stories (accurately) and then told the stories to their parents. Many parents received Christ. It has impacted the refugees.

Our team in the country has nearly completed building the training and resource center in Adjumani. The roof has been completed! Uganda was hit hard with flooding in 2020. Many lost their homes and their way of living. The leadership has started discussing ways to help the Ugandan people, both spiritually and physically. Thank you for praying for the leaders who continue to oversee many Oral Bible Schools, STS trainings, and showing of God's Story: From Creation to Eternity throughout N. Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya. 

Growth Online

The STS online training continues to grow!  We offer a practitioner training for new people, an advanced training for those wanting to improve their storytelling skills, an assistant instructor training to help those who want to become instructors in STS, and an instructor refresher training. We conduct these trainings in both English and Mandarin.

Reaching the Community

A group of people recently conducted outreach to neighborhoods in Southern California. Armed with Bible stories and supplies, many adults and children were blessed.

Items for Prayer

Our CLT, which was set to start in mid April, has been postponed. Due to an increase in Covid cases, Nairobi has been shut down and special permission is needed to travel in and out of the city. Our East Africa Director recently lost a third family member in a year, this time due to Covid. Please pray for this man and his family.

Please pray for the team working on Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. They finished the Old Testament subtitles for God's Story, took a break, and when they returned, all their work disappeared. They are working diligently to finish these subtitles for the Portuguese sign language version. The deaf communities are relatively unreached.

Continue to remember our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. Their country remains in shambles and many people are scared. We were able to get a first-hand update from our leaders there.

Bible Story Opportunities Everywhere

We have opportunities for people to participate in Bible stories online in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and more. We’re thrilled to see how the Lord continues to bring people together over His Word. If you would like to participate in Bible stories online, please contact our office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We covet and appreciate your prayers,

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

Myanmar, an Unknown.

When I started to write this Prayer & Praise the coup in Myanmar was beginning to break in the news. Our leader there was able to send out an email, but we have not heard from him since that day. Please pray for him, his family, the whole STS crew and those caught in the middle of an unsettling situation.

Understanding Bible for the First Time!

Our STS instructors just finished training a group of the Toposa people in South Sudan. Fourteen leaders were raised and now they are establishing oral Bible schools in the region. The lead instructor wrote about the Toposa people, "This people group is not widely reached and do not respond well to the Bible! I was told even the ones in the church are mostly not converted! But today some of them started giving testimonies of how for the first time they understand the Bible and how the stories of Martha and Mary and Rock One [Exodus 17:1-7] addressed their spiritual issues.

“Pray that God opens their hearts and draw them close to Himself according to His grace."  There are few Bible resources in their language 

God’s Story Languages

We thank the Lord for the 83 languages currently in progress. One of our leaders and 3 recording teams in West Africa have experienced tremendous spiritual attack. They have had to postpone recording 1 language. Pray for the teams as they continue to bring God's Story to the nations.

Children Become Missionaries?

While in Uganda, our team conducted a workshop during the day and showed God's Story by night. The team stayed in the Bishop's house. The Bishop's daughter, who was about eight or nine years old, managed to attend several STS training sessions. One night, the Bishop and our leader returned home and found the young girl telling a Bible story to about 15 children in the neighborhood, most of whom were older.

After telling the story of the sinful woman, his daughter asked the other children, "Do you know why the sinful woman was forgiven? She confessed her sins and Jesus said to her 'Your sins are forgiven'. So I want to ask you do you want to continue to be sinners or do you want to be saved?" The children said yes! This powerful girl made the children stand, and she led them in prayer.

Her father, the bishop, wept 3 nights in a row when watching the crucifixion of Jesus on God’s Story. All that the Lord Jesus did for him impacted him greatly.

North Sudan Out Gives Expectations

One Sunday, after the story in church, the storyteller reported that the people were praying for repentance, praising God, and dancing. The Bible touched the people's hearts to the point that the church collected 2 baskets full of money during the offering. This is from a people who are struggling to have enough food and barely surviving! (The price of bread has gone from 1 Sudanese pound two years ago to 15 Sudanese pounds, and bread is hard to find.) The pastor said that ever since the church heard the story of the Widow's mite, the people continue to  give abundantly.

The area around the church is dangerous and full of robbers with swords who stop people and demand all valuables that the people have.  The robbers stole the pastor's phone. The next day they stole the phones of 2 other church members. The pastor and the church decided to stand strong with sticks and were able to defeat the gang of 20-30 robbers. Now the robbers are scared to steal from the church members.  The church continues to minister successfully in these dangerous area.

Many churches and ministries are requesting STS workshops and Oral Bible Schools. Our leader in the region continues to ask for prayer for the teams.

Radio and more Radio

Ministry in the Market Place

Simply The Story has integrated in the training a five-minute or more conversational model of reaching people in the marketplace with Bible stories. Hundreds of people have used what they have learned in their communities. So when we were asked for a radio interview with Ministry in the Marketplace, a ministry of Dr. Richard Hamlet, we accepted gladly. This program is simulcast on several Christian networks.  You can hear this radio interview at the link below. 

https://mitmradio.org/2021/01/30/a-narrow-path/

For very short video lessons on how to use Bible stories in the marketplace, please also visit our Moment For Eternity page: www.SimplyTheStory.org/evangelism

In the Philippines…

Our leader there report, "We are doing great in radio by giving stories to the people and ministering to the people who are afraid of the pandemic." The Filipino team also ministers to the people online by mentoring to them and helping them to grow

their relationship with God.  The STS leader also ministers to most of the drug addicts because they are required to attend the online story telling every Wednesday.

The leader shares what happened when a professor and lawyer attended his program, "They laughed and criticized my way of giving the story and they ask me to debate." The lawyer and the professor continued attacking our leader's radio program through their own radio program. These men said that more Bible verses were needed to open the mind of the people. One day the STS leader shared the story of Abram and the great famine from Genesis 12:10-20. The two men listened to the story.

During the part that applies the Bible story to our lives today, the leader asked, "Does it happen today that people using the name of God and lie to get rich?"  After the program was completed, one of the men looked at our leader, smiled and grabbed his hand. The man said the story blessed him. This same man who once criticized this STS leader asked how to do simple Bible stories and questions that are so clear and wants to learn from our leader!  This man, touched by God from the Bible story, already has a big ministry and wants our team to minister to their people.

A Boat in the Hospital?

Within the past few years there was a man that began to learn Bible stories. Being discipled by his pastor he grew tremendously in the Lord. Then last year, prior to the shut down, this man and his wife attended one of our trainings for Simply The Story. Recently this man was admitted to the hospital due to complications with Covid, but was equipped with God’s word. While there, this man shared the storm story from Mark 4:35-41 with all the doctors and nurses. Even though this man went through a storm with Covid, he would tell the doctors and nurses that the bed he was lying in was his boat. The man knew he was not alone, that Jesus was in the boat with him. When entering the room it became standard for staff to ask, “how are you doing in the boat today?“ Although the man passed to glory, he left a Bible story with all of the staff in the hospital who tended to him.

Bible Story Opportunities Everywhere

Our team in the Middle East continues to meet every Saturday online. The recent Bible story had people from central Asia, New Zealand, India, Scotland, America, Poland, and more.  It was truly an international perspective!

We have opportunities for people to participate in Bible stories online in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and more. We’re thrilled to see how the Lord continues to bring people together over His Word. If you would like to participate in online Bible stories, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/3TshQ9LfccUypRhb7

Thank you for your time and prayers,

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

Executive Director

Giving Thanks to the Lord

What country do you think of when you hear, “Power loss and limited water?” When someone says, “Sunny Southern California”, it conjures up images of beaches, sunshine, and great weather.  However, as I write this Prayer & Praise report, our office and home have no power, which has been a common occurrence lately. This means limited or no water, considerations for food, and candlelight evenings. It reminds me of my time in some countries, and gives me a greater appreciation for how many people live in developing nations.

In all things, we want to give thanks!  Our Lord Jesus continues to bring many people to Himself and deserves all the glory and honor. 

Fighting over God’s Story?

According to the Joshua project, the speakers of the Viemo language, the Vige people, are unreached and have no Bible in their language.

Over the past couple of months one of our leaders in West Africa has had the blessing of premiering several new versions of God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity. One of those languages, Viemo, ran into a small problem that delayed the premier. A couple of weeks into this delay our leader received a call from a pastor wanting to show the language to a village. Another pastor, along with the storyteller and director for this language were upset.  Apparently, both groups wanted to show God’s Story first! Can you imagine groups fighting over who gets to show a video about God’s love for all people?

As the Viemo narrator's mom listened to God’s Story, the God’s Story team observed her smiling, and sometimes even laughing at the voice changes that her son used in the narration. She was so connected and listening! To hear more of this story go to Heart Pocket Podcast episode #114 and #115 for December 15th and 22^nd (heartpocket.org).

More Languages without Scripture?

The Kulango people are also unreached, less than 1% evangelical, and worship the devil. These people live in the very north of Cote d’Ivoire. The people believe that if they put a roof on their home they will die. In one particular village, the narrator for the Kulango God’s Story version built a roof on his house. The villagers watched and waited for this man to die. But he lived! As a result, other people in that specific village have built roofs on their houses. The few believers among this people group are making a difference in the belief system!

The Kulango narrator’s mom listened to God’s Story, discovered Christ, and now wants to work for Jesus! She and her daughters currently live like slaves, but due to God’s Story they found freedom in Christ.

So many came to the STS training among the Kulango people that they had to move the training outside under the trees!

Warming Hearts and Souls.

One of our Asia leaders recently wrote this about the needs of his country, "This year also the Lord had put a burden in my heart to pray and act for the people living in streets homeless and hungry. Most of our churches have Christmas outreach programs to share the Gospel and to help the needy. But at this time I strongly felt waiting till Christmas to help those suffering in streets in bitter cold in winter doesn't make sense. With nothing in pocket and being full of faith we at TGSP started to pray for 100 blankets. God graciously provided us 100 blankets to be distributed to the poor in streets. With the help of God we finished giving those 100 blankets to the people who were in desperate need. This ministry brought tears in our eyes as we saw the tragic condition of our people outside. I would request each one of you to kindly reach out to the people who are still unreached. Our small action can make a big difference many lives. We are blessed to bless others. Continue to pray for Our TGSP ministry. May God bless you all.”

This same amazing man of God reported that out of the 26,350 people who recently viewed just the first 13 minutes of God’s Story through a social media app, 18,610 people responded!  He shared “I love this part of GS, I introduced [our] Savior to 1000’s of people using this part.”

Training Center, In More than One Way.

The training center in northern Uganda is nearly done!  This project has served as an opportunity for the people building the center to interact with God's Word on a daily basis and has helped provide food for families in a difficult year. Even though the center has not yet been competed, training has started! This has helped to bring Ugandan nationals together with refugees.

What Does Our Online Training Cover?

We thank the Lord for the growth of our online STS training this year. We started with the regular STS training that covers the basic details everybody needs to learn, study and present Bible stories with in-depth discussion. In September we expanded to Assistant Instructor training, which was soon followed by an Advanced Training hybrid model. This hybrid model included a small group of people that participated in person, and a small group that logged in via zoom. Thanks to the ingenuity of one instructor, it felt like everybody was together, and the training went very well.

We are currently conducting an Instructor Refresher Course for some of our committed leaders.

Going Global with International students!

Since early this fall, a man who leads an international student ministry invited several STS instructors to lead and teach God’s Word weekly through social media groups.  This ministry continues to grow by leaps and bounds as the students discover the love of Jesus and deeply engage in the Word. Although a majority of the students are believers, there is still a large number of seekers in these groups. Many participants have invited our leaders to other groups and are also asking for training. Due to the sensitive location of some students and the diverse time zones, we are thinking creatively for the next step.

Heart Pocket Podcast Grows

Two years ago, we ventured into producing our own podcasts.  From the beginning we were given help and were unsure how about this would turn out. Praise God, in just 2020 alone, our listenership has grown more than 5 times.  We give all credit to the Lord and pray these audio shows encourage, teach, and help people hide the Bible in their heart pocket.

Languages, Languages!

We are excited to report that after conducting Simply The Story training in Cameroon and Ethiopia, people loved the Word so much, now they want God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity in 28 languages just for those 2 countries! Please join us in prayer to complete these languages accurately and in a timely manner, especially during this pandemic.

Recently we said goodbye to a 91-year old hero of the faith. Just a couple of weeks ago, while in his beloved country of Egypt, Bill Grossman succumbed to complications from Covid-19. His home is now heaven. He served our Lord in both Tunisia and Egypt. Many of those who loved Bill have written to our Arab world leader saying that they have lost a pastor and a father. May our Lord comfort his family and all who loved this man.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

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

Executive Director

What is Fun, Goes Far and Wide? 

The title question sounds like a logic joke, but it's not. Our precious Lord Jesus continues to open amazing doors through the STS Radio opportunities.  Not only do our various languages teams have fun preparing and broadcasting on the radio, the seeds of God's Word continue to grow.

We currently broadcast STS on radio, Zoom, and YouTube in the following languages: English, Spanish, Cebuano, Arabic, Turkana, French, American Sign Language (ASL), and Swahili. Some new broadcasts are planned later this month in Korean.

If you would like to hear some of the English Bible story recordings, please visit www.youtube.com/SimplyTheStory

Reaching the Far Away Peoples.

Outside the cities and beyond the "suburbs" are remote villages all over the world. These hard to reach places often have little to no access to education, and know little about Jesus. If some of these villages have pastors, they are often untrained. Simply The Story and our Oral Bible Schools provide much needed understanding and training in the Word of God.

These places can sometimes be so remote, and communication very slow, that we don't always hear about the impact of our tools.

One missionary family, Bible translators working in very remote areas of the Southeast Asia/Oceania region, recently returned to Hemet and shared the impact of STS with me during a 3.5-hour meeting.

The people came to the missionary house every day just to talk about the Bible story! The discussions of Bible stories would last for one and a half hours and often the people would stay longer!

In a area where missionary homes are often broken into by thieves, this couple found that STS style Bible stories have a significant impacts on the hearts. After spending time in the Bible with the local people, the missionaries said about the people, "They realize and wrestle with, 'I know this is what God wants me to do.'" Sadly, not everyone chooses to obey God even though they know what the Lord wants.

This Bible translation family said that Biblical depth and long lasting impact on the people are worth the effort to teach the people using this discussion style!

This family uses Simply The Story almost exclusively, even in American churches during furlough. In fact, one church extended the worship service an extra 25 minutes because the church enjoyed the missionary’s teaching so much!

Heart Pocket Podcasts Seeds Taking Root and Growing

We recently interviewed our Global Ambassador Team Leaders, Bryan and Ami. In another podcast,  Chris and JoAn share how fast STS spread through their church and why. Listen to their podcasts at www.HeartPocket.org.

Monks, Orphans, and the Bible?

One of our leaders in Asia recently shared about what God was doing for their orphans.  The pandemic has led to shortages of food in some countries.  Local monks heard about the orphans in the care of our leader and his wife and started to share food from monastery's garden.

This amazing STS leader also provides Bible studies and discipling to some of the monks! What an amazing trade, spiritual food for physical food. 

Elderly, Youth and Simply The Story

Over the past several months, many people across the world have been thrown into "Zoomland." While Zoom might be easily learned and implemented with a younger or more computer comfortable crowd, there remains a group of people who need help to gain some socially distant "social life" with their church family.

A couple of our leaders noticed that while many people over the age of 80 could watch church on T.V., they did not know how to zoom. Our leaders visited these people and taught them how to use zoom.

One 85 year-old used a Toshiba laptop which showed the name "Toshiba” on Zoom. This woman could hear and see the Bible discussion, but could not respond.

Now this older woman, known as "Sister Toshiba," welcomed a visit from the Zoom leaders, who fixed the laptop. Afterward, she was able to respond, and the other Zoom attendees have been blessed with her online company. Several teens and adults in the church are feeling more connected through Zoom.

During a recent STS training, one 16 year old girl said “This Bible study is hard core” and was upset when she had to leave one day early. This same girl was afraid to present stories to adults, but shared a Bible story with her cousin, who does not attend church. Several youth were discovering great treasures in the Bible stories. 

A Photo's Journey of STS Training Through Uganda, Sudan and Kenya

Many of the photos through out this report come from the various STS trainings and Oral Bible schools in Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda in August and September.

God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity

The subtitles for the Brazilian Portuguese sign language have been completed. 

One man recently wrote us about one of our languages in a highly Muzlm nation in North Africa saying, “We know of many who have come to faith and been strengthened in their faith through this video in southern …. It is one of our key tools.”

Prayers for Our Global Family

One of our brothers in India, who recorded the Hmar language of God's Story, was repairing the church roof and fell and passed away. He is now with the Lord, but leaves behind a young family.

A couple of our leaders continue to battle cancer. They trust the Lord and have strong spirits.

One leader has had very low energy levels and going through steps to discover why.

We are taking the initial steps to increase and improve our prayer covering. If you would like to be part of our special Prayer Team, please take a couple of minutes to complete our "Prayer Questionnaire" through the following link.

https://forms.gle/Ux3qVss12TWfjfrA9

Thank you for your time and prayers,

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

Executive Director

Training, in-person and on-line!

Uganda records the first training in our unfinished training center. What we could have never anticipated months ago, when the team started building the building, is how important the place would be during this time. Since the building is NOT a church, the missionary center remains open under Uganda guidelines.  The central location allows our leaders from all the refugee camps to get to the training location easily.

The building remains an unfinished center as we pray and wait to see how the Lord provides the resources for the next step. To see part of the training and the missionary center, go to www.Facebook.com/SimplyTheStory.

Our North Sudan leadership just completed two STS workshops that resulted in the start of several Oral Bible Schools. The training team had life threatening sleeping conditions during the training and the leader invited them to rest at the living space he rents. He worked as a guard and house cleaner in exchange for housing. Unfortunately, the home owner kicked out our leader and the trainers, and now he has no place to sleep and no job. Typical house rent can cost between $100-$150 per month. We are praying for the right location that can be used also for hosting meetings and STS training.

The Oral Bible School team in Cameroon continues to learn Bible stories. Then they gather people regularly, who listen and discuss these Bible stories, a key part of their church planting progress. Our leader reported that the OBS, used for church planting, occurs in 7 languages!

We are excited to announce the first in-person training since the lockdown in Kentucky this September. It will be a hybrid of Zoom for a handful of registrants and in-person for the rest of the attendees.  Back in 2012, we tested the hybrid model in Northern Arizona by "Skyping" in an instructor to lead one group. It worked well and we have used that model periodically. Our lead instructor thought that the Covid shutdown would mean ministry would cease. However, in reality it has increased, giving us a buffet of various opportunities.

Preparations for more training are occurring in multiple West African countries. We continue to pray for the team leaders to incorporate wisdom during this interesting time and reaching the lost.

God's Story: From Creation To Eternity

Recently, one of our prayer partners wrote this to me, "…two separate ministries laboring in Albania met with me simultaneously and both sang praises for how much more effective God's Story is than anything else at avoiding the syncretism which was so deep in Albania!"

We're thrilled to share with you that recording more languages is planned for South Sudan and Ghana.  We are progressing well on a couple of Central Asian languages, and languages from South East Asia.

We have 19 language premiers, also called "launchings", throughout West Africa. The team has been preparing SD cards, solar players, and more for the many villages asking for their language of God's Story: From Creation to Eternity. Pray for the borders to open so we can bring the completed languages to the people.

Tune In — STS Radio Over the Air Waves

For the past several weeks our Northern Kenya trainers and the leaders have been preparing the STS radio broadcasts using WhatsApp. The radio story team usually spends 1-2 hours discussing the Bible passage, and enjoying the growth in God's Word.  The English radio Bible stories are increasing in listeners so much that our team has been asked to start STS Bible studies on radio now in Arabic and Turkana. The Cain and Abel story required two programs to finish!

The radio reaches the Kakuma refugee camps that house refugees from Somalia, Sudan and other areas.  Please pray for our leaders and the radio team. People are listening, hungry to learn more of God's Word, and responding to the Truth.

We also have Bible stories hitting the air waves in Ghana that reaches two regions and several villages.  In Chad and Cote d'Ivoire more teams are preparing for STS on the radio. All the teams are blessed and gleaning from the years of experience our Filipino leader has leading live Bible discussions over the radio. Together, we have developed an STS Radio Standard that can be shared. Praise the Lord for His goodness and love for all people to know Him.

As the radio listenership grows, people can begin to lift up the storyteller rather than God. We pray for "God" attitudes that continue to bring glory to the Lord.

Can Covid Stop Oral Bible Schools and Church Planting?

Oral Bible Schools continue in several countries, some using WhatsApp, some in person, and others with Zoom.  Bible studies are growing in the homes and churches are being planted in the houses of village Chiefs!

A report from our leader in India states, "The Lord has helped us to reach the lost even in this critical situation. More than 2 lakhs (200 thousands) people watched GS movie in different languages. We were able to meet 96 our leaders … and encouraged them to continue in the Lord's ministry even though situation is very critical now.

"Corona positive cases are keep on increasing, hundreds of people are dying. We are having heavy rain and flooding, many families are losing their belongs and their family members. We need your prayer support in these days." Please stand with us in prayer!

Online Training Grows!

Since May, we have conducted several online STS trainings with attendance from multiple countries. Through the process we continue to refine and streamline the experience for attendees. As well, our "Tech Plus" team, those who handle the technical aspects behind the scenes, continues to grow in number and skills, which helps ensure a better learning experience.

We invite past attendees of STS training to subscribe. This is best for those who wish to brush up on the apologetics, refresh their memories, and even remember specific aspects of the training. We have both a monthly and an annual subscription option.

Contact our office or click here:

https://www.gods-story.org/subscribe.html

Sharing Jesus with Others

We know that it can be hard to share the truth of Jesus Christ to people who have no hope. If you struggle to share your faith and know God is prompting you to do this, we have developed our Moment For Eternity series to help even shy people take a step of faith. The 2 web pages below walk people through each step with a series of very short videos. We even include the bloopers for fun! 

http://www.SimplyTheStory.org/evangelism

TGSP Prayer Team Leader Graduates

John and Priscilla have graced our headquarters starting in late 2007. They both assisted Dorothy, our founder, with critical functions that allowed Dorothy to focus on the vision. Priscilla became our prayer team leader, and faithfully lifted the needs of our ministry, the leaders, and various projects before the Lord. I attribute much of our success to the powerful and effective prayers of this "righteous" one. Although she rejoices in being with the Lord, we miss her dearly. The legacy she and John have left in their children and grandchildren amazes me. Please take the time to watch some of the celebration service. It will both encourage and inspire you in your walk with our Lord Jesus.

http://Priscilla.WisdomCorner.com, click on "Celebration Service" tab and under the picture is a link to the service.

Website and Branding Progress

Our leadership, with the help of creative experts, has nearly completed the new logo for Simply The Story. We pray to have the new website home page mock up, or wire frame, completed by the end of August.

 Dr. Chaps Interviews 2 of our Directors

Just before Covid shut our country down, Gordon Klingenschmitt, known as Dr. Chaps, interviewed Butch Vernon, our International Director, and myself at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville. Dr. Chaps fights for the rights of Christians to pray in Jesus' name and defends religious freedom. We work to provide the tools for people to know Jesus.

You can see these interviews on our YouTube station: https://www.youtube.com/SimplyTheStory or click on the links below.

Dr. Chaps interviews Andrea

https://youtu.be/mt9kSjtQppM

Dr. Chaps interviews Butch

https://youtu.be/iJ_qYiRcZ14

The "Apple" Fire

The Apple fire has made the news in the USA along with a few other fires. What's special about this one for The God's Story Project? Some of our volunteers live in this area. While one family traveled to see their grandson graduate, the fire ravaged around their home. We praise the Lord that the firemen were able to stop the fire at the edge of where this precious family lives. See the map where O circles where the family lives.

Thank you for your prayers,

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

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)