Mrs. Lombena* transitions with ease from the standard West African greetings into the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. The Togolese man listening to the story is quickly attentive to her vivid storytelling. What follows is a lively discussion about the truths and implications of the Bible story she had crafted into his native tongue.
With sincerity on his face, he asks her to pray for him in the name of Jesus, the One who came not to condemn but to save.
Lombena, along with nearly 40 other students, has recently graduated from a three-year program at the Baptist Bible Institute of Togo (IBBT). For the first time, their curriculum includes training in orality methods—one component of which is the art of crafting and sharing biblical stories with people who prefer oral communication methods over written ones.
To date, IMB missionaries have equipped more than 25 national orality trainers across several African countries. Together they have led orality workshops and seminars for thousands of believers representing dozens of languages.
*Name changed for security
PRAYER POINTS: Pray for the African orality trainers as they continue to organize and teach others how to effectively use Bible storying to share and teach God’s Word. Pray that the graduates of IBBT will put into practice the orality skills they have acquired when they return to their towns and villages. Pray for the unreached people groups of Sub-Saharan Africa, asking God to confirm in their hearts the truth of the stories they hear.
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