Maybe you’ve wondered why audio Bibles are necessary in a country like Mexico, where, according to UNESCO, the literacy rate is presumed to be over 95%.
I can say from experience that the statistics are based on faulty data. When census workers travel throughout rural Mexico, they do not come with a reliable method for measuring literacy. They simply ask if each member of the household can read.
In a shame-based culture, no one wants to admit that they are, in fact, illiterate.
Those who can read have likely only been instructed in Spanish. Although a quick internet search will show that 99% of people in Mexico speak Spanish, this is not necessarily true either. In reality, Mexico is made up of hundreds of indigenous groups who–at home and throughout their daily lives–still speak their mother tongue of Zapotec, Mixtec, Chinantec, Mazatec, or another of the dozens of indigenous languages native to the country.
People from these indigenous groups may speak enough Spanish for use in the marketplace, but they still prefer their own language. Besides that, they are mostly oral learners. They do not get their information in the same way as literate societies. Preferring to listen and repeat in order to learn new information, oral learners benefit greatly from an audio version of the Bible. This is true in many Latin American countries and nations across the world with high percentages of indigenous people groups.
It is for those people groups that linguistic organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators have invested substantial resources and years of painstaking effort to translate the Scriptures into writing. What a shame it would be to stop there, making the Bible accessible only for those willing and able to learn to read them.
We have seen the power of audio Bibles to convict people of sin, to instruct them on how to follow Christ and how to grow in their faith. They have proven to be the perfect tool for evangelism and discipleship. It has been our joy to find that, in some cases, listening groups have become established churches.
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020, very few indigenous people had access to live streamed services since many didn’t have computers or cell phones. The solar powered, rechargeable audio Bibles were their source of spiritual nourishment.
Pastors have reported that audio Bibles have re-energized their small village congregations, referring to them as “a chispa, a spark to ignite a fire that had grown cold.” One pastor told us that the Bibles in audio were like a “defibrillator” that brings a dead heart back to life, or like a “jump start” to a dead battery. Another described it as “a vitamina – providing health and strength to nourish our souls”.
One of my favorite Spanish words used to describe God’s Word in audio is sabrosa (tasty). As one person told us, “We can understand the Bible in Spanish, but hearing it in our own language is more sabrosa (flavorful)!”
The Word of God in audio is vital for indigenous people in Mexico and across the world to grow in Christlikeness.
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This article was written by Jamie Loker.
Jamie and her husband, Jim, have been missionaries since 1986, starting in Guatemala with Wycliffe Bible Translators and now serving in Oaxaca, Mexico, with Audio Scripture Ministries. They coordinate recording and distributing audio materials, founding a recording ministry in 1994. They’ve produced over 85 New Testament recordings, 50+ Jesus film dubs, and many Old Testament portions and Bible summaries in indigenous languages. Through local leaders and team trips, they’ve distributed thousands of audio Bibles in over 100 language areas.
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Check out the Making Scripture Accessible podcast to hear more about the Loker’s lives and ministry. Visit: go.dbs.org/podcast