Bible Storying Conference, Day 1

At the Mbandaka Bible Storying Project, things are off and running.  If you don’t know where Mbandaka is, I encourage you to find a map and look for it a little north of Kinshasa.  It’s a fairly large city right on the mighty Congo River.  The 8 groups who have come to this training are from 8 language groups, and our first day today went exceptionally well.  We know that you’ve been praying.  We can feel it and we can see visible fruit of your prayers.

Today was teaching about story-telling in general.  After hearing the story of the boy who cried wolf, every person in each group was assigned the task to tell a story in their language from their own culture.  Then each group chose their best story and storyteller and those individuals presented to the entire group.  Some great storytellers we have already!  We understood not one language spoken, but could easily tell by their tone of voice, by their jests, and by the response of their audience.   We can only imagine how they are going to progress as the training goes along and how they are going to apply their natural story telling skills to the greatest Story ever told.

An example of one answered prayer:  One older woman who is well known by one of our facilitators shared the story for her group.  He had never really heard her speak before.  He has worked with her often and said that normally she is quiet and timid.  Today she hit the ball out of the park as a story teller.

This afternoon all participants went out into the city to find those who will tell them a cultural story in their mother tongue.  Tomorrow our trainers will help them to analyze what they’ve learned.

That’s the upfront part.  Behind the scenes, lots of things are going on.  We are preparing Bible stories that we’ll be asking these storytellers to craft and learn in their heart language.  We’ve downloaded chapters of Mark and cut the necessary stories with a program called Audacity.  We’re transferring those stories to SD cards which the participants will play in locally purchased radios which take SD cards.

Keeping up with the necessary receipts of expenditures is a daily job.  Kathy, along with two Congolese facilitators are responsible for this job.  Wire transfers are being sent; other necessary money is drawn from ATMs.

 

Meals are being prepared for all participants, generators and solar panels are being maintained so that we charge our phones and computers – all necessary for the work at hand.

 

How can you pray today?

• Pray for health for all participants and facilitators and trainers.
• Pray for unity on all teams and among the group at large.
• Pray for clear receipts for money and successful wire transfers as necessary. 
• Pray for these story tellers to improve their craft and to apply it to God’s Word.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL PRAYERS!