He said, “Hurry! Go into the streets and alleys of the town. Bring me the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame… The master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and the country roads. Tell the people there to come. I want my house to be full!’”  Luke 14:21,23 ERV

• The table is set.
• The food is hot.
• The time has come.
• All that’s needed are the guests.

The Master wants His servants to extend the invitation to fill His tables.

Across the world, God’s servants, working through Bible League and generous donors like you, invited some 2.8 million people last year to the Lord’s banquet. For context, that’s about the population of Chicago.

In Burundi, a small country in East Africa, the Master’s servants have brought a staggering number of guests to the Father’s feast!

• Since 2022, the ministry has grown 30%, serving 28,000 people last year.
• Bible League has reached more than 22,000 each year in that country, that’s an average of 70 people per day over those three years.

Genard, provides a great example of a Master’s servant, using the Bibles and training you provided.

Genard is a vibrant young man with clear eyes, straight white teeth, smooth skin, and thick black hair. When he speaks, the red-bricked and tin-roofed huts echo his perfectly rhythmic, pure, and full voice. As with many men in their 20s, he chooses active words like: “help,” “thank,” “pray,” “study,” “apply,” and “live.” Neither Burundi’s steep mountains, thick foliage, nor sweltering heat are enough to hinder his purposeful strides across the dry, rust-colored streets. It’s not hard to imagine that when Genard speaks the Gospel, the listener is eased, relaxed, and inspired to move.

Much like Moses when God called him, Genard was originally reluctant. “I didn’t want to do ministry because I had little knowledge about ministry,” he says.

What Genard did have was the voice required to proclaim a message and a heart for the Gospel. A lack of knowledge is far easier to address than an unwilling heart. Genard, a lifelong Christian, already believed “that Jesus’ blood has forgiven us.” The more he prayed, the more he felt prompted to learn how to share the Gospel. There are few places easily accessible to learn, but by God’s grace, there were Bible League-trained teachers available to teach and walk with Genard.

Genard enrolled in Bible League’s discipleship and evangelism training. This training helps new leaders see, connect, and develop relationships with others around them. The leaders then invite these new friends to participate in a Bible study. These trainings equip new leaders like Genard with the Bibles and Bible study materials needed for evangelism. There is no cost to participate—donations/gifts from people like you provide everything needed for these trainings.

Genard saw an opportunity in Burundi’s public schools to actively encourage teaching the Gospel. Wasting no time, Genard began teaching in several local schools. One of the school’s students is Vadeste, a reserved 15-year-old with the frame of a much younger boy (Burundi’s recent civil war caused poverty and malnutrition throughout the region). Genard shared God’s famous invitation, “For God so loved the world, that he sent his only son…” Vadeste accepted those words and testified, “Because Jesus died for me, I decided to obey Him.”

How? By taking Proverbs 14:12 to heart: “There is a way that people think is right, but it leads only to death” (ERV).

This verse, he says, helps him understand to “not follow deceivers.” Of his personal character, he says, “I could lie and insult others, but now I no longer lie or insult.” God touched the heart of another teen in the same school, 15-year-old Irankunda. After hearing the Gospel, she can now recite its essence. She says, “God paid the price for our sins because Jesus died on the cross.” She adds, “We are created in God’s image, I no longer cheat on exams.” She wants others to know of the Gospel, too. She advises her friends “to read the Bible and know God’s will.” These Bibles come because of your prayers and gifts.

The more time Genard spent watching teenagers like Vadeste and Irankunda grow in their faith, the more he came to realize there was much more work to be done—more than he could do by himself.

He asked himself: “What about their parents? What about those who don’t have children in school?”

He was already spread too thin. He needed help. Back to Bible League for further training.

This time, his training was on training others to build those relationships. He says, “I wanted to be a trainer because there was a need to know God in churches as well as the schools.”

With the help of those he has trained, Genard believes he has been able to reach over 10,000 people in the past two years with the Word of God. According to young Genard, “Almost 100 leaders in different local churches” are using Bible League’s Bible studies to share the Gospel. He knows, too, that there’s more work to be done. With a vast majority of people living under the poverty line (less than $1.90/day), hundreds of thousands can’t afford Bibles, and even more need Jesus in their hearts.

Genard is one of the thousands of volunteers around the world who carry out Bible League’s ministry. Each one gives sacrificially of their time and limited resources to see the Gospel brought to the nations.

God’s servants come in all sizes and areas of the world.

In Bangladesh, Bimal and other volunteers are on their way to reaching 100,000 a year, read here.

Together, volunteers in Burundi, Bangladesh, and Chile served over 192,000 people last year.

Genard speaks for all of us at Bible League: “May God bless you and multiply blessings on you.” With you, God’s kingdom comes!

Thanks to you, a young woman’s life is filled with hope

You would never know it by her quiet, gentle demeanor, but Abigail’s life was haunted by darkness for many years. This 20-year-old woman suffered torment from Jinns—evil spirits in Islam—believed to have been passed to her by her grandfather.

These demons strangled her, left her in despair, and pushed her to the brink of taking her own life. Her family sold land and sought help from witch doctors and Islamic Sheikhs, but nothing worked. “My biggest desire was to be free from the spirits that tortured me. My life before turning to Christ was so hopeless,” Abigail recalls.

A new hunger

A couple of years ago, Abigail visited a friend in Sirari—a town in northern Tanzania near the border of Kenya. The friend invited her to a Bible League Bible study. There, she found the freedom she craved. As the group prayed for her, everything changed. “I felt something leave my body. Suddenly, I felt light and free,” she says. Abigail gave her life to Christ that day.

Her hunger for freedom became a hunger for God’s Word. This became an anchor for her new life in Jesus. The Bible study lessons fueled her faith. Abigail gushes, “I really enjoyed being part of the Bible study group as it was the source of my complete physical and spiritual transformation. The Word of God released me from the bondage of fear, sin, and evil spirits. It transformed me from a hopeless life to a hopeful situation.”

Choosing Jesus

After finishing her booklet, she received her first Bible. This is only possible because of friends like you. She beams, “I was so happy one day when our class leader gave me a Bible. I read my Bible every day. Your loving care has renewed my life by the grace of Jesus. There aren’t enough words to value your gift to me.”

At first, she struggled to tell people about her new faith. She notes, “However, since going through the Bible studies, I feel more confident and well-equipped with the right knowledge of the Gospel.” Even when her family struggled with her conversion from Islam, she stood strong in her new faith. Boldly, she declares, “I chose to put Jesus above all.”

Sharing her story

Today, as she looks around her community, Abigail sees the same hunger for the hope of the Gospel in the faces of others. Through Bible League’s ministry in Tanzania, 13,000 more people were reached with God’s Word in 2024 compared to the previous year. The hunger for the Gospel continues to grow.

Thanks to the Bibles and the training you provide, people like Abigail are finding the healing and freedom they so desperately craved. And they are spreading the Good News to others. Abigail explains, “Now, whenever people ask me about my old condition, I use the same opportunity to tell them about Jesus Christ who delivered me, saved me, and healed me completely.”

Families depend on fishing and selling colorful handmade bags called mochilas.

Manuel Villadiego

But here, where temperatures regularly exceed 95 degrees and basic needs like water and healthcare are a rare luxury, a new message of hope is transforming lives.

This message comes not just through words but through the life of a man who, from his wheelchair, has become a living testimony of God’s grace—Manuel Villadiego.

“Life in these communities is not easy,” Manuel explains as he looks out over the arid landscape around him. “Here, if there’s no fishing, there’s no food. If the water trucks don’t arrive, there’s great need. But despite the scarcity, God is opening the hearts of Wayuu families. They are receiving the Gospel with joy, and that is a victory.”

While the Wayuu culture is open to hearing the Gospel, it often struggles to let go of deeply rooted ancestral practices.

“There is a spiritual battle here, and our mission is to show them that only Christ can bring them true freedom,” Manuel declares with determination.

From Rebellion to Redemption

This community didn’t always have the Gospel, however. In fact, neither did Manuel. There was a time in his life when he didn’t know Jesus. Only after a motorcycle accident that permanently paralyzed him did Manuel receive Jesus into his heart. As he healed, a friend, a pastor, spoke life into him.
From that day on, Manuel left his past behind and began living for God.

“Today, I can say that this wheelchair has been a blessing because through it, I truly came to know God. He awakened in me a love for souls that cannot be extinguished. That love is what drives me and moves me every day.”

He repented of his rebellious life and gave it to Jesus. Since then, he has wanted the same for his community.
Manuel wanted the Wayuu community to see the same grace, mercy, and peace that only the Gospel could bring.

Growing the Church in La Guajira

But how? – That’s every visionary’s halting question.
Manuel wasn’t a very charismatic man.
Meeting people wasn’t easy for him. As a new believer, talking about Jesus wasn’t necessarily easy for him either. Even if he was charismatic, knew everything there was to know about Jesus, and everyone he talked to immediately believed, he didn’t have Bibles to share with those around him.

Even so, God still called him to expand the kingdom. As the saying goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

Encouraged by His call, Manuel searched for anyone who could help him. Eventually, the Holy Spirit led him to a Bible League trainer, Alexander Romero.

Not only could Alexander provide him the Bibles, but he could help him with, arguably, the most difficult part of any Christian’s ministry: meeting, connecting, evangelizing, and discipling the people around him.

After training Manuel in all this, Alexander provided him with Bibles and Bible study booklets to reach the Wayuu people.

In that training, Manuel learned that while Jonah could turn Ninevah with seven harsh and brash words—“In 40 days, Nineveh will be destroyed!” (Jonah 3:4)—it was better to build relationships with individuals. With patience that only God could give, he spent significant time with each family building trust.

Like Elijah, God gave him the endurance to weather the extreme heat and long distances. Unlike Elijah, he wasn’t running away; he was running towards his community. In time, he’d describe to whole families that it was our triune God who created the world and not their local god, Mareiwa.

He would share with them that it is God who resolves illnesses, family conflicts, and plagues. It is God who gives every good thing and not Piache, another local god, nor his acolytes. It didn’t happen overnight, but soon these families were open to joining him in walking through the Gospel, they wanted to learn more about our God.

As God promised, His Word did not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

These families became small groups. As these groups finished studying the Gospel of John with Manuel, they received their very own Bibles.

Now, they can read God’s Word and come into a greater relationship with their Creator, and the Bringer of Life.

After some time witnessing to this community, the next step for Manuel was to form a church.
Again, he asked: “But how?”
Again, the Holy Spirit led him to Alexander.
Again, Manuel enrolled in training—Bible League’s Church Planter Training—to plant churches where people believe the Good News.
Again, God worked through Manuel.

The impact of the ministry is reflected in the numbers: a church that began with 18 people now gathers more than 70 each week. Manuel enthusiastically reflects:

“We started with a small group, but God has multiplied the work. Today, we don’t even fit in the church, and we’ve had to organize services in other communities. People are hungry for the Word of God!”

Today, Manuel leads Bible study groups in new places like Santa Rosa and Tucuraca, using materials provided by Bible League. “Since I received these materials, I’ve seen them as powerful tools,” he says. “They help us teach the Word of God in a practical way, allowing everyone to participate and learn.”

Manuel has seen how God’s Word transforms hearts through these Bibles and Bible study materials. He explains, “Not long ago, a family that always relied on witch doctors decided to give their lives to Christ. Now they are active participants in the Bible studies, and their home is an example for others. That is God’s work: transforming lives from the inside out.”

Gratitude and a Call to Donors

Manuel cannot stop expressing his gratitude to Bible League and its donors.

“Thanks to your materials, we have been able to reach people we could never have imagined reaching. The easy-to-read Bibles and discipleship booklets are an enormous blessing. I don’t know how we could do it without your support,” he says with emotion. “Every time we open one of those booklets and someone finds an answer to their life in the Gospel, I can see God’s hand at work. It’s something I will never forget.”

He concludes with a heartfelt message for those who make his work possible:

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Every contribution you make has an eternal impact. You are part of this mission. Thanks to you, we are seeing lives changed, families restored, and entire communities opening their hearts to God. Please, keep supporting us. This work cannot stop.”

In the middle of the Guajira desert, where material needs and ancestral traditions once seemed to have the final word, a wheelchair has become the throne of a heavenly ambassador. With his unwavering faith and your support through Bible League, Manuel Villadiego continues bringing living water to those who need it most.

And though the road is hard, he sums it up simply:

“If God allows me to keep going, I will. Because this desert is crying out for hope, and that hope has a name—Jesus Christ.”

Can you remember the day you received your first Bible?

I want to invite you to attend a Bible study graduation ceremony.

I want you to experience the immense joy and gratitude these graduates experienced when they finally received the Bible they’d been expecting so eagerly.

Join me on my visit to Kemange, a village in Tanzania’s northern Mara Region.

Joyful Worship

It was on a Friday afternoon in October. Pastor John Mwita, Bible League’s ministry leader in Mara, drove me across bumpy, unpaved roads to Kemange.
As we approached the sanctuary, the sound of joyful worship reached our ears.

Inside the sizable, concrete, tin-roofed sanctuary, I found a colorful crowd swaying in the pews to the happy sounds of an African-style worship song. A young man dressed in black sang the Lord’s praise, and the congregants responded in beautiful harmony., clapping their hands to the rhythm.

Their excitement was so contagious that I soon found my rigid Dutch limbs moving along.

Under-resourced

On the way to Kemange, we had crossed a small river. Pastor Mwita had pointed out that water is so scarce that the villagers bathe and wash their clothes in the same stream they drink from.

Can you imagine that?

Lacking essential commodities like fresh water and still rejoicing in the Lord?

Jesus says, “But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14). Kemange’s Bible study graduates gave me a new understanding of that verse.

That day, Kemange’s congregants gathered to celebrate their completion of the Project Philip Bible study program. Based on the story of the apostle Philip in Acts 8, Bible League trains “Philips” to help their relatives, friends, and neighbors study God’s Word for the first time. At the end of the course, the participants graduate and receive a Bible.

The expectation of having their own copy of God’s Word was the reason for that day’s excitement.

Following Jesus’ Words

The local pastor, Stephen Kijanga, was a stern-faced, mellow-voiced, yet passionate man in a dark brown suit. The only time I heard him shouting was when he opened the ceremony with a loud “Praise the Lord!” All the congregants responded, “Amen!”

In an introductory speech, Pastor Kijanga talked about the significance of following Jesus’ words. He quoted John 8:31-32, where Jesus says, “If you continue to accept and obey my teaching, you are really my followers. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Pastor Kijanga held up the two Bible study booklets his congregation had gone through and explained:

“These contain good teachings for the local church. They have instructions and guidance to help believers grow in Christ. However, the Project Philip Bible study program also benefits the world outside the church! It helps those who don’t know about the Bible to discover the Word of God and to learn about Jesus Christ. The program even gives them the Bible for free!”

The Word of God is Scarce

Pastor Kijanga took the time to point out how the Bible study program impacted his church.

“First of all,” he said, “the program has encouraged the believers to engage in the Word of God, which is very scarce in this modern world. Bible League made us love studying the Bible and continue learning from it. I’m speaking from experience because I was one of those Philips.”

“Secondly,” Pastor Kijanga continued, “Project Philip has brought unity to our church. Students come together in their groups, encourage and help each other to grow in faith in Christ, and unite while learning from the Word of God.”

Thirdly, the pastor praised Bible League for its sound biblical teaching. “We live in a world full of fallacies and wrong doctrines,” he said. “But with the Project Philip teachings, using the Swahili Easy-to-Read Bible translation, people now understand the message of God’s Word.”

Intensity

Before partnering with Bible League, the church in Kemange had several issues.

“We were very low in the knowledge of the Word of God,” Pastor Kijanga admitted. “It doesn’t mean that we didn’t know anything about it, but we lacked that intense way of loving the Word of God. Our morality was very low.

“However, since we started engaging in the Word of God through Project Philip, we have seen people becoming punctual and trying to be on time in church sessions.

“They didn’t want to miss the good teaching! As a result, we’ve seen the church growing day by day.”

“I want to end my speech by thanking those who brought this program here,” Pastor Kijanga concluded, referring to you, generous supporters of Bible League’s ministry. “May your work not end here, but take this project to other churches, too! I thank you.

“May God bless you abundantly.”

Plastic Chairs

The crowd responded with a round of applause.

From my position in front of the congregation, I had a great view of the attendees.

I noticed how beautiful the women looked in their traditional, colorful attire and the men and children in their best pants and shirts.

The church furniture consisted of plastic chairs in various colors, with the Swahili phrase Mungu ni Mwema (God is good) imprinted on the backrest. For Pastor John Mwita and me, though, there were fancy, big chairs in the front.

I’m sure it was an honorable place, but the imitation leather cushions made my already sweaty back even more sticky.

Yet, I enjoyed the event too much to bother.

Singing and Dancing

Pastor Kijanga ushered various singing and dancing groups to the floor to add luster to the celebration.

Many attendees were from the local Kuria tribe, and Pastor Kijanga announced they would now have a special Kuria song.

The music sounded somewhat monotonous and repetitive to me.

Still, the instantly enthused Kuria people came dancing to the front, formed some sort of messy mob, and started shaking their heads fiercely, up and down, up and down, while facing each other. It was a comical yet contagious sight!

AMEN!!!

Pastor Kijanga then handed the microphone to Stephen Mirumbe, one of Bible League Mara’s team members. As the area’s ministry coordinator, he was the one who introduced Project Philip in Kemange.

“Bwana Yesu asifiwe (Praise the Lord Jesus!)!” he greeted the congregation.

They answered with a loud “Amen!”

It wasn’t loud enough for Pastor Mirumbe, so he once again shouted, “Church, praise the Lord Jesus!” The “AMEN!!!” that followed was almost deafening.

“Based on the records in our office, we expect to graduate 112 Philips today,” Pastor Mirumbe declared.
“They attended the Bible study course to the end and will now be awarded a certificate and a whole Bible!” Cheers of expectation erupted from the audience.

“Let me tell you one thing, though,” the Bible League coordinator said. “Even though you are finished with these books and have graduated, don’t let it be the end of your learning. Don’t dismiss your groups, but stay together to learn more from the Word of God. If you keep your groups together for learning, praying, and evangelism, you’ll see the church grow! God bless you!”

Cultivating the Land

An African festive ceremony isn’t complete without all guests speaking a word or two.

After Pastor Mirumbe, it was time for our Regional Director, John Mwita. He started by appreciating the role of Bible League International.

“I don’t have much to say today,” he said after greeting the congregation. “Let’s read from Romans 10:15, ‘And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

Pastor Mwita closed his Bible and lifted it. “You receive your Bibles today through the ministry of Bible League International,” he went on.
“These are people from far away who care to send you God’s Word.

“You can compare it with a farmer who doesn’t have enough workforce to cultivate his land. You see, the farm is the Tanzanian Church, and Bible League comes to help us cultivate that farm.”

Do you see how much your support of spreading God’s Word is valued?

Even in that far-away church in Kemange, your efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

Do you feel the direct connection with these graduates as you are reading this?

Pastor Mwita wasn’t finished yet. “Through these brothers and sisters from Bible League, we are more powerful now,” he stated. “We see the church growing because they empowered us to spread the Gospel.”

Certificates and Bibles

More music followed, increasing the excitement and building up to the great moment when all 112 participants would receive their certificates and Bibles.“These certificates may seem simple,” Pastor Mwita told the crowd, “but you have completed something important, which you can add to your CV!” An outburst of cheering and ululation came from the congregants.

Pastor John Mwita then asked me to hand them their Bibles and certificates.

I happily accepted the invitation. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed from exuberance to solemnity.

To many graduates, this would probably be the only diploma they’d ever receive. A unique experience, indeed!

Pastor Kijanga called the names of the graduates one by one.

As they stepped forward, eager to receive their Bibles, I looked them in the eyes and saw a deep gratitude in them.

Some smiled, some softly cried, and others bowed their heads as I handed them their awards.

I realized I wasn’t just congratulating them; I was blessing them and sending them off as disciples and witnesses of Christ, their living Savior!

A Growing Church

When all the graduates had received their Bibles and certificates, the celebration ended with a passionate prayer and a final praise song.

Then, we enjoyed a time of fellowship.

Pastor Kijanga gave me a tour of the church grounds and showed me a pile of bricks at the side of the church hall.

“Through the Bible study program, our church is growing,” he explained, beaming with gratitude. “We have started many cell groups and won a lot of souls. Now, we even plan to extend the church building. All of that is because of the Bible League ministry.

“People have more desire to engage in the Word of God, and we still see more people coming.”

“That’s why, on behalf of the church, I thank God for Bible League.

“May this ministry prosper and progress.

“Please extend our greetings to the global Bible League family!”

And that…

dear reader, is what I’m doing now.

Receive the warmest regards from Pastor Kijanga and his church in Kemange, and know that your labor in God’s kingdom is not in vain!

Looking around me, I see children in colorful clothes walking the steep uphill path effortlessly. Of course, they are used to this terrain, but still, their stamina is amazing. I, on the other hand, stumble my way up, sweating like never before.

It’s around 9 AM on a Saturday in March in Verapaz, a small village in Nicaragua’s Matagalpa Department. This morning, I join Pastor Álvaro on a long walk through the forest to pick up children who will attend a Bible study meeting later today.

Dented Truck

Reaching the children of Verapaz with the love of Christ, that’s what Pastor Álvaro and his wife Miriam are passionate about. Each Friday, they leave their high-end jobs as lawyer and accountant, load their dented truck with Bible study materials, food, and drinks, and drive to their ministry location in the forested hills of Verapaz.

Off the main road between Matagalpa and El Tuma, an unpaved track leads to Pastor Alvaro’s place. A few feet beneath the road, there’s a corrugated steel awning covering a flattened stretch of land. At the far end is the couple’s simple home. As I was standing under the overhang, overlooking the deep valley, I marveled at the idyllic scenery. However, the couple was quick to point out that behind the natural beauty hid a great deal of sorrow.

Erratic Behavior

“Materially, people here lack many commodities,” they explained. “There is no water or electricity, and the food is insufficient.” Sadly, the social and economic distress in Verapaz often pushes parents to all sorts of erratic behavior.

• Sexism
• Machoism
• Alcoholism
• Domestic violence

“These are the influences Verapaz’s children grow up with,” the couple summed up.

“Girls often get pregnant in their early teens and marry very young. You’ll see 14-year-old boys staggering drunk at the roadside.”

The Love of Christ

Álvaro and Miriam know that the people of Verapaz need more than just a solution to their social issues. What they need is spiritual transformation.

“If the parents don’t have Christ in their hearts, they are not going to give love to their children,” they stressed. “As they don’t give love, things like envy and revenge will grow. We need to make them understand that they must love God in order to love others. We want to break the chains that come through the generations. Through God’s Word, we want to transform the mentality, starting with the children. We want to fill them with the love of Christ!”

“We want to fill the children with the love of Christ!”

Zeal

It’s that godly love that motivates Pastor Álvaro to undertake the exhausting forest hike each Saturday. His zeal deeply impresses me as I struggle alongside him.

For the first part of the journey, we use his truck until we reach a mountain stream. We disembark and walk down a slope to a suspension bridge that can only be crossed on foot. Some children are already at the bridge, but instead of continuing their way to Pastor Alvaro’s place, they join us as we move deeper into the woods.

Pastor Álvaro leads us from the river up a slope that is so steep and long that I’m panting like a steam engine when we finally reach the top. A fresh bottle of water helps me regain strength. At the top, we find more children.

Steep Slopes

The area is known to be rainforest, but it’s the dry season, and there’s no lush green canopy to protect pedestrians against the scorching sunlight. My, it’s hot! The dirt road winds across the landscape, following the curvature of the hills. While climbing the steep slopes, my feet often slip because of the loose gravel. Still, I make sure I’ll take in as much of the scenery as I can. Large, colorful butterflies flutter around us while cicadas produce an almost deafening, uninterrupted noise.

Then, finally, we have assembled all the expected children from their simple huts. We can return to Pastor Alvaro’s place. As we descend all the way to the mountain stream, I ponder the measureless vastness of God’s grace. Every single one of these children that surround me is precious in the eyes of the Lord. He doesn’t want them to perish. He wants them to receive the light of Christ in their dark and difficult lives. That gratifying notion makes the strenuous, sweaty hike more than worthwhile.

Mandarin Juice

Around 1:30 PM, 120 children, youth, and some mothers have found a place under the tin roof. Reinvigorated by a cup of fresh mandarin juice with ice cubes, offered by Miriam, the children sing a few songs at the top of their lungs. Subsequently, they pray together and listen quietly to Pastor Álvaro as he leads them through a chapter of the Bible study booklet.

“We are using Bible League materials because they are great tools to make the children participate,” Miriam pointed out. “We don’t want the children just to listen, but we want to actively involve them in the lessons. The booklets help us deal with the children’s emotions, positive or negative.”

Fruitful Partnership

Before they became acquainted with Bible League, Álvaro and Miriam bought Bibles with their own money. “That was very expensive,” they told me. “We couldn’t afford it. Also, there were no children’s materials available at all.”

Their partnership with Bible League solved both challenges. “God’s Word says, ‘My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge,’” Pastor Álvaro said, quoting Hosea 4:6. “We need those Bibles and study booklets to educate children, youth, and adults. We greatly appreciate you for providing these for free!”

“God’s Word says, ‘My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge.”

“Our principal sword is the Word of God,” Miriam added. “We thank God for giving you the passion, faith, and desire to serve the Lord and reach these souls that few people visit. Thanks to God, we have taken the materials to many corners of Nicaragua. Your support is truly beneficial for us!”

“Indeed,” Álvaro agreed. “We are very grateful for your contribution because this project wouldn’t work without you. Our Bibles and study materials come through your donations, and that’s how you help spread the Word of God to everyone here!”

Explicit Teaching

After going through a chapter of the So Choose Life booklet with the children, Pastor Álvaro teaches them about purity, based on the story of King David and Bathsheba. She was bathing on the roof, clearly visible to the king. Álvaro warns the girls to ensure no one can see them when they bathe. “And boys, don’t look at girls when they bathe!” he adds. I frown at this advice, until I realize the locals bathe in the river!

Given the low moral standards in places like Verapaz, it is understandable that Pastor Álvaro is very explicit in his teaching. In conclusion, he points the children toward the only true and good King: Jesus.

Three roaming dogs stretch themselves out on the ground near the gathering, taking a siesta break from the heat of the sun. The children, however, keep listening to Pastor Álvaro with concentration. Before the meeting, I had asked him and his wife if they saw a change in the children’s lives. They nodded fiercely.

Children’s Transformation

“The change we have seen is that the children are now disciplining themselves, taking responsibility, and attending the meetings,” Álvaro pointed out. “They have acquired characteristics such as punctuality, respect, and discipline. For instance, we invite the children to come at 2:00 PM. Now, we have in Nicaragua what we call Nica time, where 2:00 PM easily becomes 3:00 PM. But not with these kids. No, no! They have acquired punctuality and are always here before 2:00 PM.”

“The other thing is that they know what is good or bad in their homes,” Álvaro continued. “They observe that it’s not right for dad to hit mom. It’s not right for their dads to drink alcohol or to do drugs. I always tell them that when you are drunk, you’ll do things you would never do when sober.”

Faith is Proof

Faith is proof of what we cannot see, Hebrews 11:1 says. That’s precisely what Álvaro and Miriam desire to instill in the children’s hearts and minds.

“We teach them they should have faith that their fathers will change,” Pastor Álvaro said. “We tell them that God will solve their problems, that God will provide for them, that God will restore their families. We teach them to believe in what you can’t see.”

“We teach the children to believe in what they can’t see.”

Choosing Life

The meeting draws to a close. With a reference to the title of the Bible study booklet they use, So Choose Life, Pastor Álvaro tells the children:

“This is the moment for you to decide what life you want to choose. Do you want to choose a life of alcohol? A life of drug addiction? A life of promiscuity? A life on the streets? Or do you choose a life with God?”

Well, the answer to these questions seems obvious to the children. They will choose a life with God! As they process the pastor’s lessons, I scan their faces. They seem to drink in the message. It reminds me of something Pastor Álvaro had said earlier:

“When we ask them, ‘Are you coming for the food?, they reply they are not looking for that,” he had smiled. “They want to study God’s Word and ask us, ‘When will the next discipleship class be?’ They feel our Bible lessons are enriching their lives.”

Rice Soup

Nevertheless, Álvaro and Miriam always serve a proper meal for their pupils. During the meeting, I had witnessed two young ladies cooking a thick, nutritious rice soup in an enormous pot over a coal fire.

Now, with the Bible study done, all of the children receive a steaming bowl, which they empty with great enthusiasm. Indispensable fuel for their long hike home, I figure. I enjoy watching some kids wash the dishes at a water basin after lunch. They are hardly tall enough to reach the faucet, but they complete the chore with lots of chattering and giggling.

Profound Experience

Around 3:00 PM, the children head back to their homes, their stomachs filled with solid food, their hearts with God’s message of love. Álvaro and Miriam clean up the place and get ready to return home–only to prepare for a new ministry meeting next week.

I’ll probably never see the warmhearted couple again, but what a profound experience it’s been to witness Álvaro and Miriam living out the love of Christ. I pray they will faithfully continue their ministry in Verapaz, guided by the Holy Spirit.

I pray that the children they serve will break out of their multi-faceted misery and find a life of freedom in Christ.

Experiencing the Gospel’s Impact in Nicaragua

From the bustling capital of Managua to the small barrios dotting the rural landscape, the Gospel is taking grip all over the country of Nicaragua in central America.

Pastor Álvaro and his wife, Miriam, have dedicated themselves to reaching some of the poorest families with children in the rainforest of the Masaya region. Others are joining in and the Church is growing, even under the influence of traditional religion and witchcraft.

Guests Anton and Jason join host Michael Woolworth to talk about their recent trip to Nicaragua. You’ll hear about some of the people they met, the places they visited, and Anton’s harrowing escape from angry hornets.

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Craving God’s Word in Nicaragua | Bible League Podcast | WORD IN ACTION

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