Last October we introduced a giving opportunity to the
children at our church, Crosspointe. We
explained to them that the New Testament could be placed onto a tiny micro SD
card in the languages of the people here in Northwestern Kenya, placed into
cell phones, and then listened to anywhere, anytime. We were introduced to this technology by missionary
friends in Nalerigu, Ghana, in 2013 and have seen that it can be an incredibly
effective tool to share God’s Word with many.
The children gave so generously, and we were able to bring twenty of
those SD cards here to Kapsowar with us this year. We contacted a local pastor, Pastor Edwin,
who has worked with a Bible Translation organization called BTL for many
years. We asked him which languages we
should download onto the cards and asked for his help to distribute them. Never did we imagine the joy in this SD Card
journey!!!
Pastor Edwin came to our home last week. As we placed the card into the computer and
he heard the New Testament in Marakwet, his face shone. HE and the team from BTL had done the
majority of the work in translating the New Testament into Marakwet. Not only that, but Pastor Edwin and a few
other men were the ones making the sound recording. As he listened, he eagerly told us who was
now reading from the book of Matthew.
He, himself, was the one reading the books of I and II Peter, however,
he had never heard the final version of that work. The files are free online, but the bandwidth
is not strong enough for Pastor Edwin to download the entire file, so he was
hearing this for the very first time! We
explained that the children from our church had raised the money for us to
bring the SD cards and he was eager to show them just what an effective tool
they have given to the people of this place, so a safari was arranged.
So last Wednesday, December 3rd, Juliana, Julie (a resident from St.
Margaret’s), and I jumped into Pastor Edwin’s truck and set off “for the
valley”. Kapsowar sits at around 7,500
feet in elevation and we traveled down the side of the mountains known as the
“escarpment” to a town called Chugor.
The journey was a bit more complicated than normal with driving rain and
thick fog, but Pastor Edwin knows the road very well and navigated the steep
and winding road without difficulty. You
leave the paved road for a very rocky one as you progress further down the
hillside, but we finally reached our destination. When we arrived, there were many women and
children gathered under an acacia tree, which is the meeting place of the AIC
Church of Chugor at present. They were
expecting us, and Pastor Edwin greeted them all with a gentle kindness. He explained that he had a new piece of
technology and showed them the SD card.
He brought along a radio that accepted SD cards, passed out Bibles in
Marakwet to those who could read, and proceeded to play the dramatized version
from the book of Matthew while the people gathered followed along in their
Bibles. Many are just learning to read
and this audio NT combined with having the Marakwet Bible in front of them is
not only going to help with the ongoing efforts for literacy, but is opening up
the eyes of people to hear God’s Word in their "heart" language. We worked with the Pastor of
Chugor, Pastor Moses, and spent time teaching him how to use the radio with the
SD card. He said he was so encouraged
and looked forward to the many people who would come to listen and learn.
The journey home was much easier and we marveled at the vastness of the scenery as we gazed across a portion of the Great Rift Valley. It was as if this beautiful expanse was reminding us of the truth that God’s love is vast and measureless, Ephesians 3:18. May His name be praised as His Word is shared.
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| Pastor Edwin Greeting the Group Gathered at Chagor |
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| Inserting the SD card into the radio player |
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| The Marakwet Bible - Matthew Chapter 1 |
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| Young ladies following along in their Marakwet Bible as they listen to the audio version of the NT. |
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| Julie, Juliana, and Me (Mama Juliana) |
