The ability to read and write is important to the Thai people. All Thai children learn to read and write in school from a very early age. Literacy across the country sits at about 99%. However there is a section of Thai society that either prefers not to read, or finds it difficult to read due to old age and lack of suitable reading glasses. A friend of mine has started distributing reading glasses and finds this a very significant tool for outreach.

In Pak Phanang, however, there are still many, mostly elderly people, who prefer not to read. This being the case, how do you get them to receive the Word of God on a daily basis? I was considering this question about a year ago when I came across the website of Faith Comes By Hearing. This organisation has an excellent ministry in providing equipment which enables people to listen to the Word of God. They have a selection of various MP3 players, and also allow downloading of audio Bibles in a huge range of languages.

I contacted them, requesting to buy a few MP3 players for our elderly members who can’t read the Bible anymore. The people at Faith Comes By Hearing replied that they normally prefer their equipment be used to reach groups of people, but they were willing to provide me with four slimline MP3 players pre-loaded with the New Testament in Thai. What’s more, they said they’d send them free of charge!

I quickly handed one over to an old granny in the church. She was grateful, but she isn’t very technologically savvy, and was somewhat confused my instructions on how to use the machine. In the end, her granddaughters played with it too much and somehow it was lost.

Six months later, though, I was teaching the Bible to the father of one of our church members who was starting to show serious interest in the Gospel. I asked him if he was interested to read more of what I had been teaching him. He replied, “I’d like to, but my eyes hurt when I read too long.” Suddenly the light went on in my head. Bing!

“Would you like to listen to the Bible?”, I asked. “Yes”, was the immediate answer.

The next Saturday I took one of the Faith Comes By Hearing MP3 players to Mr Jim*. However, it was the player I’d initially experimented and the provided battery was now flat.

“Quickly then”, was Jim’s response. “Let’s go and get a battery!”

We went together to a nearby store and bought a battery. I explained how to use the device then left Jim to try it out by himself. By the time Sunday came around (the next day) he’d already listened to 16 chapters and was already quoting Scripture to his son!

Last week at church, Jim was quoting scripture along with the preacher, whenever verses came up that he had listened to already. The day before, he shared with me that he’d phoned his oldest son (who’s also a Christian) to tell him that he’s a believer now. He said his son was overjoyed! I am too. I'm also confidant that he will continue to grow in faith through his regular hearing of the Word of God.

* (not his real name)