Follow the Backpack?

Recently, a long time STS instructor, Pastor David Mateli, went home to the Lord. We called him the wood carver for all the African animals he carved to and from STS trainings. All proceeds from his carvings that sold at TGSP helped David in his ministry, as well, future sales will continue to help his family. He loved the Lord and served our Saviour diligently. David became one of our best instructors in East Africa. This article comes from the heart of Bramuel Musya, former leader in The God’s Story Project, and has been slightly edited.

“Pastor David Mateli, the man in white stripes in the photo, my friend and confidant. A partner with me every step of the way for 12 straight years. A distinguished record of service and an unmatched passion and commitment to our vision to equip pastors with tools and skills for effective ministry. A man at equal ease with the urban and the rural folk without pride or prejudice. 12 years ago while still new in the ministry of equipping pastors, I went and trained 36 Baptist pastors in Nairobi Kenya. The training was on Bible storytelling (Simply The Story). The pastors were amazed. But the trainer (myself) was young but passionate.

“In the end the pastors asked me, ‘where is your office In case we need more material?’ The ministry was still being birthed. I had no team and I had no office. I lived in a little apartment, which doubled as my office, my home and my training center. Lifting up my backpack, I got up and said to the pastors, “I don’t have an office. But I have this backpack. It has my Bible, my phones and a laptop. And where it goes, that’s where the office is. If you want this dream to grow, you have to choose today to join me and follow the backpack and let’s make a team and reach African pastors.

“The next morning Pastor David showed up at my house. He said, ‘I’ve followed the backpack. I want us to work.’ That was a rainy Friday morning in 2007. The man traveled far and wide and trained countless pastors and leaders with me. Always ready to go. For his income he made wood carvings. All the while never losing sight of his ambassadorial role to the Galilean woodcutter of old (Jesus Christ). The man was a hard worker, never shy of getting his hands dirty. Rest in your rewards pastor! I sure will miss you.”

Please continue to pray for David’s family as they adjust to life on earth without David. Although we sorrow and miss him, we sorrow not like those who have no hope.

God’s Story More Than Anything?

Since May 2017, a small team of committed believers has been showing God's Story, conducting Simply The Story workshops, and planting STS Oral Bible Schools (OBS) through out the Uganda refugee camps, the Sudan and recently, the Kenya refugee camps.

In the Uganda camps we estimate about 90 showings of God's Story occur every month with 2000-5000 people watching a night (about 216,000 to 500,000 total in 2018). In Northern Sudan about 200-500 people a night, or about 10,000 people total, watched (for safety reasons).

The power of God's Story gives people the meta-narrative from creation to eternity in just 80-minutes. This impacts people greatly as they hear that even with Adam and Eve, God comes to man to rescue him. Continuing through the video, the people see that man repeats his mistakes. Even though people have multiple chances to trust in God, they choose to trust their own ways, as seen in the Cain and Abel story. This pattern continues in Noah, the Tower of Babel, and so on. God's Story clearly shows man's ways to sin and God's mercy and provision for man to be reconciled back to God.

Many people learn the truth about God for the first time and thousands trust in the Lord Jesus as their personal savior. One Turkana man in Northern Kenya said he likes God's Story more than anything in his life because it starts in creation and is very fundamental.

The God's Story program in languages like Madhi, Arabic, Juba Arabic, English, Swahili, Turkana, Amharic and more, helps give people a desire for more of Scripture, which leads them to Simply The Story (STS) workshops. Each workshop has from 40 to 140 attendees. The pastors and leaders can do the STS process after just a little bit of training, and learn an average of 15 to 20 stories.

The leadership team also visits the public schools. Amazingly, the children answer Bible questions well because of watching the film in the evenings. The pastors teach STS style and the people are learning, making discoveries of truth and applying God's Word to their lives.

After STS, Oral Bible Schools (OBS) are planted where students learn 296 Bible stories and lead discussions, developing a greater Biblical worldview. Since the students discover these deep truths with the help of the Holy Spirit, they own the information, as well as leading students to tell others what they are learning each day. This impacts the community! We have more than 800 students in our OBSs in Northern Uganda, another 151 students in the camps in Kenya, and 10 OBSs in Northern Sudan.

In the Kenya refugee camps, almost 90% of those who heard STS style Bible stories made life changing decisions. Our leader described the situation like Joseph who chose the harder way to be faithful to God, even though it meant going to prison (Genesis 39:11-20).

One woman committed adultery in S. Sudan and denied the accusations. She went to Uganda pregnant and continued to defend herself and deny the adultery claims. When one of our leaders taught the one leper story from Mark 1:40-45 at an STS workshop, the woman said that the man (the healed leper) disobeyed Jesus even after Jesus healed him. She then publicly confessed, "I did the same. I disobeyed Jesus."  She was ready to change her ways.

When another leader taught about the man with the withered right hand (Luke 6:5-11) many saw that the man had a problem with his hand, but the scribes and Pharisees had problems in their heart. When the leader asked if anyone had hidden problems in their heart, many people came forward to confess and pray.

Items for Prayer

Please pray for the graduates from our STS Oral Bible Schools. This year we are expecting at least 800 people to graduate from the Uganda refugee camps. Abigail Miller, Tom and Dorothy’s granddaughter, and I will spend most of April in Uganda, Europe, and Kenya with OBS students, as well as with leaders from all over East Africa.

Please pray that every graduate will receive a solar audio player ($42 each) with their language of God’s Story, Bible stories, and the Bible in audio. Most our students are instant evangelists almost from the time they start learning the 296 Bible stories. We call this program “Gift for Grads.”

God’s Story recordings and translations continue throughout the world. Some languages have funding ($3500 each), but not all. Please pray for the Lord’s provision on the unfunded languages, especially for the team that has started 10 languages in West Africa, in a place that needs the Truth. As well, if you would like to “adopt a people group” for prayer, let us know.

We also need prayer for the many projects and people in this ministry. If you desire to help with a project (short term) or for on-going needs or specific prayer needs, please contact us in the office.

Giving thanks to the Lord in all things!

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

What are the chances of finding a stranger 11 years later?

In 2007 we shared the following story as written by our founder, Dorothy Miller.

The Boy Who “Was” Unruly

Mark, our TGSP Director in India, spoke to me on the phone at length as he spilled out dozens of stories from his recent trip. Mark had been on the road 16 days. He led Simply the Story workshops in 5 locations plus recorded two new languages of God’s Story.  

One leg of the journey was a 2-day train ride. Mark traveled in a compartment with three Hindu leaders and two teenagers, one very unruly. After Mark listened to their conversation and put up with the bad behavior of the one boy, Mark took out a solar-powered audio-player and started listening to God’s Story in Hindi. The unruly boy asked, "Is that a radio?"

Mark handed it over and soon all the people in that train compartment were listening to the Hindi version of God’s Story, starting at Creation. They all became enchanted by the story.  Finally one man asked, "Are you a Christian?" 

Mark told me, “I gave them my testimony and told about Creation and that first day, all 5 prayed and came to Jesus.  The rest of the trip we prayed and sang new praises to God, together!”

We shared this story again, because Mark gave us an update to this story while visiting our headquarters in January. Mark said he did a training in 2018 at a church in Eastern India. During a break, the pastor came to Mark and said, "Sir, did I meet you on the train?"

Mark replied, "Which train, there are many?"

Then the pastor identified himself as the unruly boy Mark met 11 years earlier! This man had become a pastor, married and had a young son. In a country that exceeds 1 billion people, can you imagine meeting the same person who came to the Lord because of hearing God’s Story on a MegaVoice player 11 years earlier?  What a blessing to see the fruit of Godly seeds sown after so many years.

Reaching children using STS and other tools

We have been meeting with a successful children's ministry over the past year. They are transitioning to an oral based training that we believe will dove-tail nicely with Simply The Story and our Oral Bible Schools (OBS).  We ask for prayers for this children's ministry as they develop their training and for our two ministries as we field test moving forward together.

Our first ever STS and flannel graph training with By Design Visuals proved highly successful. Six people registered to learn how to lead Bible story discussions combined with the Sower's Set flannel graphs (3 Old Testament and 4 New Testament Bible stories). The training will continue to be refined in India over the next two months and offered again this summer in Hemet, Californi

Reaching Native Americans

With the temperature reaching a balmy 5 degrees on the first morning of an STS training, our team braved the weather to teach STS to 13 students and 3 YWAMers in Northern Arizona. We are excited to see that people who work among Native Americans are asking for more training. Please continue to pray for this. We know that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and STS is a key to people hearing the truth of God's Word.

What is God doing in South East Asia?

Recently our India director and 2 others conducted two sessions at a South East Asia Network conference. We're thrilled that this led to interest in producing 10 new God's Story languages and multiple STS trainings.

In another Asian country, our TGSP leader wrote to us that they were reaching government and religious leaders with the gospel during the Christmas season. Surprisingly, the government in this closed Asian country allowed this leader to do a Christmas program on the main road and in local areas openly. They are also continuing to bring the good news to the prisons. We are grateful to the Lord for His mercy and grace to allow all these groups to hear the Way, the Truth and the Life, Jesus.

God's Story Languages

Last December, we received word from our leaders in Nigeria. They plan to work on 29 new God's Story languages spoken in Nigeria.  Pray for these leaders, the translators and all involved during this major and ambitious project.  We believe there will be a great impact among these people groups through God's Story. Major languages included are Agatu, Basa, Eggon, Gade, Goemai, Gwandara, Ham, Kofyar, and Lijili.

Our leader in Burkina Faso recently finished recording and checking 6 languages of God’s Story for Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire. She braved long hours and hard work to coordinate and guide several people to translate and record these languages.  Three of these languages are unwritten!

How to Reach the Older and the Younger People!

In Southern California, we received this report from someone who works in our office and leads Sunday school class using STS.  She shared that a friend talked to an elderly Italian neighbor and told her about an STS class where people could ask questions, talk, and discuss Bible (because the Italian lady can not read or write English). The Italian woman was so excited. She said that this is something she has been praying for all her life.  Now she is telling everyone and even shared that she loves STS. Before this, she could never understand the Bible because she doesn't read well.

Are We Reaching the Heart or the Mind?

A woman who recently attended two STS trainings wrote to us what happened when her husband first taught a Bible history class and how STS meets the need her husband discovered. She said he was "WELL prepared to expound on the Reformation & Martin Luther. After a full-to-the-brim 2 hour class, he looked forward hopefully to a barrage of questions...but nary a one.

"Finally, after several promptings, the questions began to flow but not ONE was about the subject....they were ALL HEART questions! Dear provincial pastors struggling with their failures, broken people and broken lives, desperate to find if there really were answers in the Word... and so he threw his notes out, sat down on the ground, literally, and hurt with them.

"I believe in STS because it's not the 'mind' that hurts...it's the HEART. I love the Heart Pocket reference."

How Could Working Together Impact Uganda?

This story exemplifies 2 churches working together from different continents to impact 1 nation. We also see 2 different ministry tools brought together to help fan to flames the emerging movement.  In 2018 one instructor was enlisted to help train people going to Uganda on a missions trip from Southern California. The instructor took a literate based, heart-healing curriculum and trained the team how to make the curriculum more oral using the principles of STS.

God is now using this STS / healing curriculum hybrid in Uganda to heal the broken hearted Ugandans by Ugandans!  

Pastor Isaac from Uganda recently attended our Comprehensive Leadership Training. He wrote to the pastor here in Southern California the following note.

"Am here in Kenya enjoying the STS. I did a story today and it was a beautiful experience. Can't wait to do another one.

"Also longing to do small tribe and big tribe training (tribes are the same as groups, named after the tribes of Israel).”

Follow us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pg/SimplyTheStory and feel free to “like” us. Visit our “official Simply The Story” Youtube page videos: https://goo.gl/UzZQoZ  We are excited to share our podcast at HeartPocket.org. Pray we can get this on iTunes, we have run into a small  snag.

Serving the Lord together,

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

An Exciting Announcement!

Our soon-­‐to-­‐be new European Directors just completed an STS training in the Netherlands. This young couple has served with STS for several years in amazing ways. They have assisted Bryan and Ami on multiple trainings, helped me explore avenues with refugees in Germany and Syria, and are currently part of the strategy team for our website development. We are super thrilled to welcome them to this next step.

Bryan and Ami are handing off the European Directorship so they can take on the role of Global Ambassador Team Leaders. They look forward to this new and exciting opportunity to raise country leaders. As our Global Ambassador Team Leaders, they will spend a couple of months learning from our Ethiopia / East Africa Director, John. John’s experience planting STS Oral Bible Schools, raising leaders, overseeing God’s Story languages and much more, serves as an incredible training ground for teaching our Team Leaders in their new role.

Please pray for all involved. This is a new position and will hopefully fast-­‐track raising leaders in multiple countries. Already, we have several regions asking for this help.

What Might Excite Missionaries Returning to Guatemala?

Earlier this year we had a workshop in Guatemala. The national STS instructors in the region are growing and one instructor, a former missionary to Guatemala, reported being “really blessed and affirmed” by the ongoing impact of STS. This instructor observed that at a church, where

STS is being used, the members are “strengthened by their understanding of God’s word and unusually confident to share [the Word] using STS.”

This instructor wrote, “STS continues to be a way we draw near to God and He to us.”

The Bible school students that were taught by this missionary instructor team now lead this church in the rural mountain community. The instructor wrote, “The Pastor of the church realized his aspiration to offer the STS training to his congregation and three other instructors came alongside to help.”

The missionary instructors returned from Guatemala recognizing that Bible storytelling should be a priority for learning and serving with others, and also used to encourage the development of those who lead in their homes and in all walks of life.

STS workshops were also conducted in Mexico recently. Pray with us that, by the end of the year, Oral Bible Schools will have started throughout Latin America. Our leaders have been working diligently toward this goal.

Amazing God’s Story Language Progress

We thank the Lord Jesus for the upcoming dedication of 14 completed God’s Story languages in West Africa.

Two God’s Story languages were also dedicated In July in Côte d’Ivoire.

Please pray for the XXX Naga language recording in a key country in Asia. The recording was recently postponed

because the narrator started having trouble with his eyes and could not see well enough to read. We are praying this recording will be completed in August.

Really? Teens Interested in Bible Stories?

One devoted instructor wrote our office about presenting the Zacchaeus story to teens. The instructor saw how the story answered some questions that the Jr. high kids were asking like “How do you have a personal connection with God?” and “How can I get bigger for Him?” “How big is God in my personal life?” “What are new steps I can take to get closer to God?” One girl said, “Maybe I should do something about those people I’ve offended.”

The group talked for about an hour even though the instructor was told the teens only had an attention span of 20 minutes. Our instructor wrote, “We could have gone longer.”

We continue to receive updates from a woman who faithfully serves the homeless community in Southern California. She shares cookies and Bible stories, a healthy spiritual and a yummy physical combination. Please pray for this woman and her ministry.

God’s Goodness After Training

In the UK one couple has reported sharing several stories with colleagues since their recent training. They wrote our director in Europe saying, “We’re marveling at the Lord’s goodness to us and others.”

Freedom of Choice in Central Asia?

An STS leader in one of the “-­‐stans” who continues to train people in the STS process recently wrote to our headquarters. While teaching 7 people, one person “popped in” and asked to have help training the Sunday school teachers at her church. This woman had been translating downloaded Western curriculum into Russian and felt that STS would be a better fit. After the next meeting, this leader wrote, “It was so encouraging to see each person in each session grow a step closer, improve their skills and dig into the Word.”

One woman’s mom was the cook for the first workshop in this country. Although this cook could not attend everything, she attended as many sessions as she could. This mom helped to translate documents, and became really excited about STS. For the 2nd workshop, she attended the advanced training and even led a small group! Was this cook a Mary in Martha’s clothing?

Thailand and Singapore STS Leadership Growing?

Helping the Thai church has been both a blessing and a challenge. The STS leadership in Thailand has had to make adjustments over the years. Recently, one leader shared that an STS workshop at a new church in southern Thailand was very successful and the church is asking for more training.

We also welcome two new Thai people to the leadership team reaching both Thailand and Laos with Simply The Story.

As a result of an advanced training in July, the very first tree Oral Bible Schools have started in Bangkok. More training continues in various parts of Thailand thanks to a devoted team.

We are excited also about the distribution of God’s Story in various languages of Thailand. Conservatively, we believe 30,000-­‐40,000 copies of Thai languages have been shared!

We praise the Lord for a recent advanced training in Singapore that had people attending from 20 different churches.

TGSP All Across Africa!

Earlier this year we finished the God’s Story Ma’di language, spoken in Southern Sudan and Uganda. This language was immediately used in the Sudanese refugee camps with a

few thousand, on average, watching at each showing.

A team working in parts of West Africa recently shared about the impact of STS in their region. Here are few excerpts:

“This past dry season we were able to hold workshops in French, Bxxx, Mxxx, Kxxx and Bamabara languages, both in xxx and in xxx. … God has begun to use this method in several other language/people groups that surround us there….”

“We started training the pastors, evangelists and lay leaders of other language groups

because there are many churches already planted in several language/people groups that surround us. …. One pastor said, ‘its been 19 years since I graduated from Bible Institute and I’ve never had the opportunity to attend further training or to learn new ways and ideas. I am so encouraged and can’t wait to begin “Story-­‐Telling” to share God’s Word in a way they can always keep it in their hearts and they too can share the stories.’”

STS OBS graduates – Congrats! 296

“One lady was the leader of Women’s Ministry for her church. She said, ‘Now I have something very exciting to teach the women of the church and we can begin using Simply The Story among the women of the village who are not believers’. The director of a Kxxx Language Bible Institute in xxx took our workshop and he said, ‘this is so encouraging I am going straight back to our board of directors to ask if I can incorporate this into our first year curriculum. I want every pastor that graduates from our Bible Institute to have this method of evangelism in his pocket when he leaves our school to begin his ministry.’”

STS Oral Bible Schools in Uganda Refugee camps

We recently graduated several Oral Bible Schools in the refugee camps.

The schools are visited every couple of months by some of our STS leaders and are progressing well. Our leader shared that the “old generation is producing a new generation. Lives are changed, but millions have not been reached yet. We still need more work and more laborers.”

Our office received an email recently from a student at a Theological Seminary in Africa. He shared that our STS Handbook is being used in a class as a model for evangelism.

Grateful to the Lord,

Andrea

Executive Director

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

How is Simply The Story Oral Bible Schools Impacting People in Ethiopia?

An incredible Simply The Story leader planted 18 new Oral Bible Schools (OBS) in 6 different villages of Abuna, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. People walked for more than four hours to the workshop. Pray with the Ethiopian team for fruitfulness in Abuna.

One evangelist from the Oral Bible School in Abuna said, "It wasn't clear to me at the beginning. When I went home, I shared stories we learned here with some backsliders and non believers. 18 people were convert and 42 backsliders came back to the Lord. The church membership went from 20 to 80. Again young people become very receptive, something I had not seen there before."

Another Pastor shared, "After I took you to the bus station, I met a non believer and I shared a story with him. He got born again at 5 am in the morning. Now he's a member of my church."

 As well, please pray for the students and leaders attending one of a couple hundred Oral Bible Schools that are running in 5 different Sudanese refugee camps in Northern Uganda.

How does North Africa respond to God’s Story?

A few people just returned from North Africa carrying God's Story on solar players. Here's what they shared.
"We are so blessed to tell you that our trip to XXXX, was led by the hand of God!  We visited many families, encouraged them in the Word! prayed for them.  Some families are following Jesus and we saw them blessed! even their husbands are now believers! …we gave away the [solar players] to the shepherds in the fields and others in need of the gospel."

Does the Word Still Help those who Need to be Clean?

People from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the USA attended our recent Simply The Story training in Thailand. The following testimonies were only a few of many. One man who, at first, struggled with the process shared, "But this Word is powerful, and it always has been and always will be. And I sense there will be a day in my own country where we may not necessarily have the luxury of the written Word, and it seems to me like we ought to get that Word in our heart pocket so that we always have something that we can share with somebody, like on a bus or in an airplane or wherever we are."

After the training, this same man, who felt he needed to have paper and pencil to learn a story and also works with a very literate group, wrote to our lead instructor. This man, without any notes, orally presented and discussed Luke 5:12-16 about the leper asking if Jesus was willing to clean him. 

Here are the results, "Everyone loved the storying, there was a lot of interaction, and they saw new things in the story. That is what I thought was really cool. Well, one guy came to my office a couple of hours later saying that he had to go to a full body skin cancer scanning, and he felt like he wanted to ask to be clean. He did get a clean bill of health. And he said to me, 'I'm not going to forget this story for quite a while.'"

Youth and Bible stories?

Every Spring around April, people in Thailand, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries celebrate the “water festival”.  Recently, one of our leaders in this region had a water festival camp training with Simply The Story that went successfully. Many young people responded to the story.

Shortly after, in his own home, our leader conducted a special program for children from eight or nine orphanages. More than 100 children enjoyed the program which lasted for 3 days.

Our leader shared about these orphaned children, "Through the work of the Holy Spirit we see the fruits and children are coming unto the Lord." Many of these children come from a Buddhist background. How does Training Impact a Singaporean?

One woman from Singapore attended a recent training. She wanted learn to tell stories that were short enough for people to understand, and yet, powerful and clear enough to share the Gospel. She told us about her experience, "…after the first day, it was so daunting. I told myself maybe I should give up. But I'm thankful that the trainers, for their encouragement."

 She continued, "And truly, I begin to realize that now, apart from learning to tell the story, it has actually helped me to dig deeper into the Word. So it wasn't just to tell people a story, but for myself I felt that I've grown, and I've felt that I saw insights that I never would have seen if I had just read it from the Word. So for me it has been a learning journey to learn just through listening, but also to learn to dig deeper."

What’s the Latest for God’s Story Languages?

Translation of God’s Story has started in the Refugee camps in Nuer, Murle, Anuak and Shilluk. Pray for these teams. A team of Simply The Story instructors and God's Story leaders visited Pagirinya,  a major refugee settlement in Northern Uganda.

 We have finished God's Story in the 3 major languages of the Comoros islands, Birifor-Malba, Dan Blowo and other languages these past couple of months!

What is Happening with God's Story?

A mission’s pastor shared this blessing with us. During a medical mission’s trip to Uganda a nurse listened to God's Story (GS) on a solar audio player in her mother tongue. The pastor wrote, "she could not put it down till all of God's Story was listened to! God's Story is so anointed!"

How Old Should a Bible Storyteller Be?

One young woman shared a Bible story from Acts 28:1-6 (the shipwreck at Malta) with a Bible story telling group, "Coffee with Koffi". Five people shared their testimonies during the spiritual applications. Wonderfully, the young woman who led this Bible story discussion is younger than 14 years old.

Since our training with this ministry in Cameroon, Africa, most of the people who attended the workshop have already shared Bible stories. Some have told Bible stories in "Coffee with Koffi", some in the hospital ward service with patients, some in the local church of Douala, Cameroon, others in their department devotions and some with their family.

Other Blessings from The Lord.

Sometimes emails arrive that are so precious; they must be shared in their entirety.  The following was translated by Google from French to English, so please disregard any misunderstandings.

 “dear officials,

may the grace of our Lord Jesus accompany you.
the Dan-Yacouba people of Côte d'Ivoire thank all the people for their time, their money, their knowledge so that the gospel of our Lord will come to our region.

After viewing the film "FROM CREATION TO ETERNITY", presentation and donation of mega voices [solar audio players], the communities show great joy listening to the device.

thank you for finding attached some images that testify to it.”

Where else can one share a Bible story? One woman told a story to an Uber driver—and it was just right for him.

Grateful to the Lord,

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

Leviticus 18 and a Discussion of Nakedness for Children?

Recently a mother called our office about a Bible discussion she had with her two boys seven and nine years old.  They are going through the Bible chronologically and are now in Leviticus 18, which talks about uncovering the nakedness of kin from God's perspective, not man's.  As you may know, Leviticus is not like the stories in the Gospels and other "exciting" parts of Scripture.  

This mother and her husband discussed ahead of time whether this specific chapter and topic was appropriate for their children. Their desire is to teach them the entire Bible, believing that all Scripture is profitable, not just for adults but for children as well.  The parents had only generalized a few verses in Leviticus so far (those dealing with specific details of sexual interactions) believing them to be outside their age range, but all other verses, even the difficult ones, had been discussed.  

After the boys had spent time with their mom in this chapter, their 7-year-old boy shared with his mom that he had been thinking, "What is the big deal about seeing someone else's nakedness or someone seeing mine?  I didn't do it because you and Daddy said not to, but it really didn't seem like that big of a deal and I was tempted to do it.  But now I see that it is a big deal to God.  Nakedness is special, and God wants it to be private.  It must be important to Him because He spent a lot of verses saying not to uncover someone's nakedness over and over in different ways so that we wouldn't be confused."  

The parents previously had many open conversations with their sons regarding sex, what kinds of touches are good and not good, not showing your nakedness to anyone or looking at anyone else's nakedness, facing sexual temptation, etc. so covering these verses was not really new information.  Even though the parents had phrased their words with things like, "God says..." and "God doesn't want us to...", there was something different that happened in this conversation. 

The mother felt that the difference was the authority of God's Word, spoken directly from the source.  It wasn't simply the parent's rules with Scripture to back up the parents, but it was exposing the child to God's Word directly. This was done in the context of the story of God giving Moses His rules for the Children of Israel.  There was authority and power in laying open the whole passage, discussing it, and letting God's Word do the preaching and the Holy Spirit draw the conclusions in each individual heart.   

Had this mom not been discussing this chapter with her son, she would not have known her son’s heart.  She had no idea that he believed these lies or struggling with these temptations, even though they talked openly and often about the topic.  It wasn't until reading that chapter, which they "just happened" to cover at the exact time her son needed to hear it, that discussion was opened up, confession took place and truth was embraced.  The mom and I then remembered what God said in Deuteronomy 6:7 where God told the Israelites to teach His commandments diligently to their children when they sit in the house, walk by the way, lie down, and get up.  Did those commandments include Leviticus? 

This mother stated how thankful she was for God's Word as a parent.  The Bible is alive and powerful and reaches into her children’s hearts in ways she never could.  It reveals things that were hidden secretly away and replaces lies with truth.  It fills in gaps that she didn't even know were there.  "It is my most powerful parenting tool", she said gratefully.   

Should we expect surrogate parents, like school and Sunday school, to educate our children in the things of life that matter most? Our time at home with our children discussing the Word impacts them more than we know.  Unfortunately, many people avoid these tough discussions found throughout Leviticus with their children, or the conversations take a more worldly side perspective. For whatever reason, these uncomfortable topics or even these books in the Bible, full of loving rules, often don't get a second glance from people.  If the Lord says for us to talk about these subjects with our children, then why don't we?  

European Gypsies — Grateful for the Truth!

We are excited that God's Story is nearly completed in the language of a gypsy group in Western Europe. This group is described as having less than 2% evangelicals. Many who identify as Christians, do so superficially. They are in great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to Biblical truths, and currently God's Story remains the only Scripture in their language.

While God's Story has been waiting for approval among this people group, evangelistic work continues with one more person being baptized recently.

Our third God's Story gypsy language project, among an unreached Islamic people group, has begun and could use much prayer. There are only two believers that we are aware of among these people. 

Netherlands — A Growing Churchless Society or Full of Believers?

One STS leader in the Muslim world traveled to the Netherlands for a conference.  During the day off, he asked several people to take him and his associate to a church, but all declined.  So the two leaders traveled by train looking for any church open on Sunday.

To their dismay, most church buildings had been closed and were owned by Muslims.  This leader cried over the churches in this small European country. One church had been shut down and reopened as a club and gathering place for people to enjoy themselves. 

The Christian leader asked the person in charge of the club if he could have some time to tell a Bible story and the person in charge agreed to about 5 minutes.  After telling the story and briefly discussing Paul and Silas from Acts, a former priest said, "We need someone like you to restore Netherlands to Christ."

The leader thought, “There are so many true Christians coming from the Muslim world to the Netherlands to make money, but they don't try to reach the people for Christ. Why not?”  While sharing this story with me, our Muslim-world leader said to me, "Why can't they become missionaries?  They must win others to Christ."

How do we help believers see the spiritual depravity of the people around us and care for their eternity?

Israelis Open to the Bible?

During a story-party night, one creative story teller gave everyone a script for the dialogue.  At the right time the people were cued into their part. As a result, people listened closely to the story, which enhanced the discussion time, especially during personal application.

The kids who heard the story shared how much they wanted to participate in the next story!  Could Simply The Story Empower Students to Do Better in School?

One grandmother shared that the STS workshop helps her 14 year-old grandson with his schoolwork.  Now, when he listens to lectures, this young man discerns what is important to remember. 

Amazingly, the grandson helped his grandmother learn to do STS better!

Africa - Pygmies Love STS!

One of our leaders went deep into the equatorial forest conducting an STS workshop with the Pygmies. The pygmies are often outcasts, as they do not fit into city life well. One Bible school operates part time among this specific group. This way the Pygmies may use the rest of the time to forage for food in the forests to provide food for all week. International Students Learning Life Lessons Outside School

One couple who minister to international students in the Oceania region shared recently about a young lady in their group who was suicidal. This lady's search for inner peace led her to be interested in Buddhism. As she was a scientist, in her mind, Jesus did not come first in her search. However, after watching God's Story she accepted Christ when Jesus said, "My peace I give unto you."

Several of the students from Nepal, Malaysia, and China have accepted the Lord through God's Story and the interaction with this couple. Even Hindus continue their search for the true living God.

This wonderful couple, who have been using both STS and God's Story for many years with the predominantly Asian students, said to me, "Even the most highly educated students are oral learners!"

Please continue to pray for the students and this ministry as they prepare and disciple potential Christian leaders, who will be returning to their home countries.

How Much Will A Haitian Pay for a Solar Player?

One instructor recently returned from Haiti after teaching a couple of STS workshops.  He knew that the people there are poor, but several wanted to buy a solar powered player with God's Story.  Clearly, the "normal" USA cost was beyond the reach of these Haitians so our instructor found a creative solution. 

One man gave a medium sized chicken and an egg for the solar player.  Another person traded 7 coconuts for his solar player. Curiously, I asked, "What did you do with the chicken and the coconuts" knowing they can not be brought into the USA.

He said, "We donated them to the pastor."

 Short Government Update for Prayer

As of February 1, China has laws stating that evangelism is no longer legal outside the church, no one under 18 years of age can be baptized, all churches must register and the government must approve the church leaders. Along with China, India also passed anti-conversion laws across several states.

In spite of these laws, critical STS training continue through out India. During Good Friday, 53 people received Christ while watching God's Story: From Creation to Eternity.

Praising the Lord for all things!

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

How Does God’s Story Impact Children?

A missionary in Bolivia returned from the USA with the Spanish version of God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity. She has been daily sharing this resource to the girls in her ministry to explain God and God's love for them. The missionary reported, "It is a chronological presentation of the Bible for sharing the Gospel cross-culturally.  They often see their own lives reflected in the stories of God’s people, their pain and their need for freedom from bondage. This month they have started the chapter on 'The Promise Fulfilled.' Pray that they may each come to know 'God made flesh' personally in their own lives." 

This missionary is using the God’s Story flip chart every morning with the girls. "They really like it. We’re taking good time each day for discussion. Now, we just finished the Moses story. Last week one of the girls prayed and received Christ in her heart. What a joy for me!"

A woman called our office and ordered two solar powered audio players loaded with God’s Story. Her family adopted two children from Ethiopia. On the way to their home from the airport, she played the Amharic God's Story for the children. She reported that the audio helped them transition easier and helped them understand about Jesus.  This mother shared, "You have a wonderful ministry!"

The photo to the right shows a six year old sharing a Bible story with a group of adults, and her 10-year old sister as the coach. 

How Does STS Impact Young People in South America?

Amazing reports from our STS instructor team in South America include one example of a 15-year old who was broken by a Bible story as she told it.  This young woman wept for several minutes in her leader’s arms.  She then continued with some good discussion questions. After her story, she said she would never do a story again, and yet she did! She had a great experience with her 2nd story, and now clearly understands and loves the STS process. 

Even two 13 year-olds told stories that amazed everyone. At the end of the workshop, they told our leader that they really understand the STS process. Praise the Lord!

One non-literate man, who also had a learning disability, impacted a group when he told his Bible story accurately and led the people in discussion.  Another man asked how he could join our STS team!  Our leader wrote, “Please understand that most would consider both these men as ‘write offs’!” 

At this same training, the best national instructor in this South American country told one amazing STS presentations of the James 1 epistle using STS that the lead instructor has ever heard!

One shy man in a group came alive, like he had found his purpose and destiny. The instructor saw him hugging and reaching out to people, including a weeping group leader who was greatly impacted by the Word of God.

One young 23-year old man said during the first break, and with moist eyes, “This workshop is incredible!”  The main host, also super touched, impressed and moved by the power of the workshop wants to see our STS Oral Bible Schools in this Latin American country. 

Could a Seven Year Old be a Witness for the Lord?

In southern California, seven-year-old Elsie quickly finished her hamburger and fries. "Come on Mom, we have to share." she exclaimed. Elsie, her mom and an instructor were in the community to practice telling Bible stories with people. Mom felt a little nervous, but Elsie seemed ready to go.

Elsie told her mom that they needed to talk with a man in the booth next to theirs. The man looked a little rough, missing most of his teeth, and wearing oversized clothes and a hat. Mom and daughter introduced themselves and asked if they could tell him a story. 

Elsie accurately told this man the “Good Samaritan” Bible story. When she finished, the man said, "Wow, you told that story so well. I really liked it." For a few minutes, mom shared with the man. After they finished, Elsie said "Come on Mom, let's share with someone else over at the grocery

story", and off she skipped to the store with mom in tow, excited to tell another Bible story to anyone who would listen.

Watch the 2 minute video here: https://goo.gl/5BMo4j

What Might be the Results of STS and Mercy Ships Working Together?

Mercy Ships Founder and the Africa Mercy Managing Director has called for STS to be implemented in all their patient-related departments due to the impact it has made in the countries where the Africa Mercy and STS have worked together.  Mercy Ships is now moving towards oral methods of sharing God's Word. 

One leader on the ship shared an STS Bible story at an African youth conference. During a break, pastors, who attended this conference, told the STS storyteller they loved the way the Bible story was shared and they wanted training. This same leader did another Bible story in a church on Sunday, now the pastor and the elders are ready to learn the process.

A team from Mercy Ships shared Psalm 1 at the Hope Center with 250 people, crew, day crew and patients together. One week later, a Muslim grandfather of one patient shared with the storyteller that he was deeply touched by the Psalm. 

At the end of 2017, twenty people on the ship were meeting every Wednesday to have Coffee with Koffi (an STS instructor) while discussing a Bible passage together. We appreciate prayers as a team from the USA travels to Cameroon later this month to work with leaders on the ship. 

Muslims Seeking the True God?

We thank God for the 80,000 plus copies of God's Story that have gone out in the last six months of 2017 to a Muslim people group in a closed Middle Eastern country!

Sharing Stories on the Streets with Muslims? Wait, This Was Just Practice!

Our Kenyan team recently conducted two STS workshops in Tanzania in an area that is 90% Muslim, as well as a workshop in the capital, Dar Es Salam. Each evening, the attendees went to the community to practice using Bible stories. Twenty-eight out of 220 Muslims received Christ as Lord. 

Why Would A Pastor Tell Stories?

One Ugandan pastor who recently attended a training in Nairobi, shared with the instructor, “I don't feel like preaching anymore but telling stories... I was fearing at first to use it in the main services as at first people where like, ‘wait a minute what … is going on?’ But wow!!” Now this pastor and the church love Bible stories and discussion during the main service. 

Prisoners and Soldiers Learning Bible Together?

In one Southeast Asian country a prison sits in an army camp. One pastor tells Bible's stories to both soldiers and prisoners together! Soldiers train soldiers as young as 6 years old. The plan is to train the prisoners and soldiers to be able to tell Bible's stories and to plant a church among the people there. One believer commands 90 soldiers! Our leader wrote, "Wouldn't it be great to see both prisoners and soldiers attend the same church?"  

Siblings Talking about the Word of God?

After an STS training in Europe our Director received this letter from a 17-year old girl. "I follow your advice and try a story with my sister in the evening when I arrived at home. I choose the story about the poor widow (It has only 4 verses :D). My sister is 13 years old and she went close to God just this holidays and we don't usually talk about God.  We spoke for 1 hour about the story, and most of the time spoke her. :D She found so many treasures and she did application naturally. My role was only to listen. I'm so happy I didn't hear my sister speak as deep as [she did with] the story. She said…something fall down from her mind and heart. It was amazing! God is the most powerful!"

STS and God’s Story Leadership Grows.

We are excited to share that our leader in Taiwan has been raising another lead instructor. This experienced leader has been working with a tribal group in another Asian country without stopping the growth of STS and spiritual impact in Taiwan.  The new young Taiwanese leader reluctantly agreed to lead, but she clearly shows the strength and ownership of STS.

The Christmas Season in a closed S.E. Asian country always provides an open door for our leader there. He conducts STS trainings, evangelistic programs, Christmas programs for children and adults, prison ministry, and gives God's Story DVDs to many people. 

In one church, our leader did the "Blind man" Story from Mark 10:46-52. He shared, “Today many people blind spiritually. So People need, like Bartimaeus, and wanted to see physically and spiritually.”

A Blind Pastor Sees!

One of the results of STS and God’s Story working in combination comes from Mozambique. A young orphan became a pastor.  A few years ago this pastor stopped reading his Bible because he was going blind. When the missionary discovered that he was struggling to read she gave him a solar audio player loaded with God’s Story and several other Bible stories. This 39-year old pastor cried and said, "Now I can read my Bible."

Serving the Lord together,

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