Memorisation vs. Indifference

One of the great challenges that Bible translators face is encouraging the use of the translated Scriptures. For this reason, all missionary translators have to use their creativity to boost Bible reading. This lead Letra Paraguay to come up with a bible verse memorising competition, and on Sunday 27^th of April, a new competition began among the Ache people. There will be one or two winners from each community, who will then compete against each  other in a final between the six communities. The prizes for the competition were donated by Pastor David Su from Ciudad del Este, though Letra does not yet have the prizes for the inter-community final.

Letra Paraguay also uses other creative ways to share God’s word in Ache. A number of Christian songs have been translated, and Ruth Gaved is advancing quickly with the task of copying them out in order to make flip charts for the different churches. Meanwhile, Rocío Gómez is in charge of making a series of posters to hang in every classroom in the communities’ schools and in the church buildings, each one containing a Bible verse written in Ache. Jane Yang, a new volunteer recently arrived from Taiwan, is working hard on the Ache dictionary, while Megan Fuentes continues with the production of puppets and flannelgraphs for the Sunday schools in the six communities.

This weekend, three volunteers interested in Bible translation visited Letra’s base. Lourdes Ramírez, a doctor, her aunt Ester Pérez, a pastor in Buenos Aires, and Markos Fehr, a university student, all helped with the work for Sunday’s memory verse competition.

Letra never stops working, and this morning Megan and the directors left to visit the three northern Ache communities, Chupa Pou, Arroya Bandera and Kuentuwy. Their main task will be the memory verse competition, as well as distributing the Bible verse posters to the schools and churches. Meanwhile Ruth, Jane and Rocío remain at the base with plenty of work to keep them busy.

You can support us through your prayers, and our doors are always open to volunteers. May God bless you, and we trust that He will be working to reach more of our native brothers through His translated word.

Breakfasting at Letra’s base with the volunteers before leaving for Ypetimi, Sunday 27^th of April: Ruth, Jane, Lourdes, Ester, Markos, Megan, Cristina and Rocío.

Presenting the Ache Bible verse posters, with the participants in the memory verse competition on the right.

The participants with their prizes.

Donating clothes under the direction of Markos and Megan. The Ache people contributed with symbolic offerings for the printing of the New Testament in their language.

The volunteers with Letra’s administrator, Cristina Gómez. 

Letra’s team for the weekend.