Reaching the Tobas with God’s Word June 2010
Michael and Silvia Browne
With Kevin and Chris
www.michaelandsilvia.com
text and graphics© 2010 Michael Browne
www.michaelandsilvia.com
Your prayers can make it happen:
• Printing of the Toba NT
• Toba churches
• Anglican Church of N Argentina
• Family safety and well being
• Argentina
Support literacy work with the Tobas!
To further promote the NT amongst the Tobas, we’re planning to produce some basic literacy materials. But this will require new commitments from people like you!
The type setting has been finished! After much hard work, the Toba New Testament has now been type-set by the Argentine Bible Society and sent to the printers. It was originally going to be printed in Korea, but in the end it was decided that it be done in Brazil: closer at hand, and less likely to produce delays coming back through customs (Argentina and Brazil are both members of the Mercosur: South America’s Common Market).
There is now a confirmed date and venue for the presentation of the New Testament to the Toba churches! It will be held on 29th August, in La Rinconada, one of the Toba villages to the north of Juárez.
This will bring the Toba churches into a new era. Our prayer is that the Word of God in the heart-language of the Toba people will be a powerful tool to bring renewal and revival as many come to know Jesus personally and accept his free gift of salvation.
A few weeks ago, Michael suggested to Hilario that he try translating the book of Obadiah, just 21 verses long. To Michael’s surprise, Hilario produced a translation that same afternoon. Once they’d checked through it together, Michael printed out some copies for Hilario. Then, Hilario’s uncle got hold of it, took it back to his home village and read it out in church there! Maybe this is where we should be going! Maybe the Old Testament is God’s priority! This would give the Tobas the same access to the Scriptures as their neighbours, the Wichí: the complete Bible in their heart language.
Earlier this year SAMS and CMS merged. Look at the website of the new CMS to learn more...
www.cms-uk.org
The next stage for us is to stay on with the Tobas. During the remaining part of 2010, Michael will be preparing materials to help the Tobas to get used to reading the New Testament. This is quite a challenge, considering that for many this will be the first book they’ll see published in their language!