Audio Bibles for African Youth and Shepherds

Place & Countries Involved: Senegal, Africa

Details: Pastor Raul Ponce, a longtime friend of DBS and pastor of Spring’s First Baptist Church, asked for materials for a missionary to take to Senegal.

Products Distributed: 30 Audio Bibles & 50 Bible Libraries

Goals of Distribution: Due to high rates of illiteracy as well the predominant rural culture, many Senegalese are unable to engage with printed Bibles. Our partner’s distribution served as an introduction to digital Bibles for the community she serves. Our goal was to assess the need and benefits of digital Bibles in this community.

Delivery & Distribution Summary: House of Hope began as a ministry to talibés in Senegal. Talibés are young boys who have been given away to a Muslim teacher with the hope of studying the Quran. These boys are often mistreated and made to beg on the streets. They are often offered to teachers due to the parents’ inability to care for their basic needs. House of Hope offers parents the option of enrolling their children in a program where food, housing, education and basic health care are provided. This serves as a safe alternative to relinquishing parental rights and placing their children at risk of abuse.

As part of this ministry, House of Hope has a team of missionaries who care for the children during the week and engage in evangelistic trips to the villages on weekends.

Missionaries on the field told our staff that the audio Bibles were especially helpful and of benefit to the young sheep-herding men. These men must tend to the sheep at night, giving them long hours alone to listen to God’s Word. Since they were raised in poverty, many of the men are unable to read. The audio Bibles serve as a companion, speaking God’s Word over them while they care for their flock and often face dark hours alone, sometimes having to fend off wild animals. Parables spoken by Jesus come to life in these settings and allow the men to grow in their faith as disciples.

The combination of the spoken Word and the men’s setting are the perfect ground for these men to understand God’s truth and follow Him faithfully.


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