Although always more discreet and “behind the scenes”, the online work gives us a very strong sense of accomplishment, especially when we see, as through our online monitors, the great need being fulfilled with the distribution of text and audio bibles to the whole world. Recently we have noticed increasing traffic from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, for example, where the majority of the people are Muslims and where, of course, Bibles are not available for sale. On the other hand, we also noticed increasing traffic from countries such as Germany and Sweden, and after a close look at the reports we verify that the contents being downloaded and pages accessed are in large part in Arabic, Farsi, Turkish and other Middle East languages. We find this very fascinating and, again, our sense of mission towards this world in constant change is renewed. Recently we heard the President of Portugal saying on TV, when asked what would he take in a backpack if he (hypothetically) would be a refugee – in his TV statement, part of a campaign towards more sympathy and support for refugees in Europe, among other things that he considers essential, he mentioned he would take a Bible. (http://observador.pt/2016/04/06/marcelo-levaria-na-mala-presidente-apoia-campanha-sensibilizacao/)
Well, in line with the intents of this campaign,  we have been  providing free Bibles to those (including refugees) who do not have the money to buy, or most likely cannot find one easily available in the countries they live or come from.

Here are a few pictures of our online statistics to give you an idea of Wordproject’s outreach. Some of these are related to a certain time of the day, when the image was captured not the whole day, week or month.

Please clik to get detailed statistics from our 4 servers (interesting and will give you a brother idea of the size of this outreach):

Wordproject April : http://wordprolog.org/stats/wp_april2016.pdf

Wordpocket April: http://wordprolog.org/stats/wpocket_april.htm

Wordproaudio April: http://wordprolog.org/stats/wproaudio_april.htm

Wordprokids April: http://wordprolog.org/stats/wordprokids_april.htm

The audio Bibles have arrived after around three months of waiting! We have prayed earnestly for this long process of producing  and shipping this first batch of Bibles.  We pick them up from the warehouse near the Airport just two days ago. This time we imported them without boxes to reduce the costs. We have to find now a local solution for packaging  for distribution. We still have some boxes from previous orders and that should help.  We are thankful for the brethren in China who worked hard in preparing and delivering the IBibles to us! These devices will be a blessing to many in this continent. We are also thankful for those whose contributions made the project viable. May their investment reap eternal dividends in His kingdom!

Ready for shipping fro Guangzhou

Arrival in our living room

We got them! PTL!

Another intense month of changes and improvements to Wordproject website. Gabriel, in Macau, has worked very hard in implementing the new features. Because more than 50% of the traffic to the our Bible website comes from mobile phones, which have a smaller screen, we decided to make a dropdown menu for the main tabs of the site – this means they are only visible on a mobile device if you want it to be by clicking the “toggle” – if you have a mobile device try it here,

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/index.htm

If you are on a desktop, you may simulate a mobile device by reducing the width of your browser. You will experience the disappearance of the menu tabs, and on the right corner will appear a toggle switch, and if you click there the menus will appear again on the left… Try it.

God bless Gabriel for his generous work in making the Word of God easily accessible and this and other improvements have made a great difference in its use.

He also designed a simple but powerful WP logo:

As for content, we have introduced three new sections in the Verse Selection . One is the classic and disputable Creation vs. Evolution

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/verses/english/19_creation_evolution.htm

The other is Peace – who can dispute it is necessary?

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/verses/english/26_peace.htm

And, not least, the Bible many references to Marriage and Sex

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/verses/english/39_marriage_sex.htm

A reaction received this month: (*translated from French)

I am Congolese from the RDC. Thank you very much wordproject for giving us help, because one day I was sick and I needed to read some verses from the Bible, but no one was present among my guard to fetch me a Bible. I had the telephone on my side, which I had taken to distract me … I heard an inner voice that told me ‘you can connect to your internet telephone and find everything you like to see in the Bible’, I then executed by connecting I saw all that I needed to see and read myself. I was blessed with the word of God thanks to you wordproject. May God make you the head and not the tail.

We rejoice that the truth of Good Friday and Easter Sunday were reinforced in our hearts this month!  We bring all our hopes and fears, victories and doubts, trials and joys to the foot of the cross and cry out again,” Christ in us, the hope of Glory! ” May Christ be praised!

Jesus’ word

 https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/kj/43/11.htm#0

Jesus left the 99 to go after one lost sheep. Just one user or a small number of users would be enough to justify our efforts to keep Wordproject online. However, in this globalized world there are thousands who need and want the Word of God. We have recently reached below 100,000 ranking in the Alexa classification of the most busy websites in the world! It is an encouraging milestone when you consider the hundreds of millions of website available on line. As a non commercial site with only one topic, (howbeit a BIG one) we have experienced steady but slow improvement in our ranking through the years. However, in the past 2 months, thanks to increasing traffic from India, where we now rank 35000, Brazil (24000), and Tanzania, (882), Wordproject finally crossed that mark. Praise the Lord!  The Word of God is powerful!

ranking

This month we have produced some banners with Bible verses, which, amongst other uses, may serve to animate and bring more meaningful input to some people’s social media. We plan to use them ourselves to send with our phone messages to family and friends.

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/kj/19/89.htm#15

‘Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/kj/43/15.htm#0

‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’

Many more here:

https://www.wordproject.org/bibles/resources/banners/index.htm

The manufacturer of our audio Bibles in China is back from Chinese New Year long holidays and almost ready to deliver our order. Meanwhile, Raj was able to pick up 50 audio Bibles in Tamil before he travelled at the  beginning of February, which he has been using to bless people during his visit to Tamil Nadu, in India, with his family.

Raj in India

This project has been expensive and we are still to raise some of the remaining costs. We have been told that the total weight of the 500 machines could be around 130 kgs. If so, the shipping company could be charging us over 1000 US$ just for the shipping. We have received some funds from our dear friends and supporters but we are still short of funding for this project.

Audio Bible

Android App – just a few comments from users, this month:

“Thank you! It’s such a wonderful audio Bible app. I was using another Bible app that was precious as well, but the ads were so negative that it became difficult to read the Bible. Then I found your app. I love that it has multiple languages as well. God bless you and Thank you! (J.G.)

Super… very good apps.. I love it so much…. already I downloaded mobile and Tab also… my favourite apps. (S.R.)

Great work of God, in many languages with broad heart to spread the word of God with audio. We are praying & praising God for you. Little correction might be needed in languages to make it perfect. (P.S.)

Blessing It is excellent! I have been very much edified! (L.C.)

In the beginning, there’s the Word ! The best bible app ! (A.G.)

Note 1000 Best audio application of the holy bible, u need not wait load, just down the entire book. Congratulations !!! (R.S..)

Amei Amei super confiável da para enteder esse sotaque  português  muito boa sem anuncios sem viros. (A.A.)

 

Portuguese App control page

Websites:

Here is an interesting and maybe compelling appeal from someone in the field of South Africa:

My name is Forster Kwangwari and am a pastor in Musina, South Africa,Under Bethel CWC, which was established in the year 2007 focusing on migrants. Providing humanitarian assistance and accommodating unaccompanied minors.
We are reaching out to the same targeted group in farms and our local municipality. Evangelism materials and bibles is the major challenge, up to so for we have handed out over 10 000 bibles and thousands of Christian stationary. We are situated 15 km from Zimbabwe and few km from border line farms which houses more than 130 000 migrants in season.
Our postal address
Ravhuanzwo Kenny
Bethel CWC
Private bag X611
Musina
Limpopo province
South Africa
Please assist us with bibles in Shona, 300, Venda 200, English 150, Ndebele 100
Thanking you in anticipation In Christ
Pastor Forster Kwangwari

 

We reached new high in audio downloads this month, reaching over 16 million megabytes *16 terabytes of audio Bible in 40 languages. We also registered over 1 million visitors and almost 6 million page views. We thank the Lord for the blessing to be able to serve Him in bringing the Gospel to so many.

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  *Isaiah 55:10-11.

 

Wordproject current online users

“Wonderful Bible It’s a miracle”; “Great work of God, in many languages with broad heart to spread the word of God with audio. We are praying & praising God for you.”;  “una bendicion.gracias!!!! Bendiciones!!!!!”; “Achei muito util .parabens. Otimo”; “Excellent The best and most complete of Bible readings.”; “Amei esse app nos ajuda a nos preparar-mos pra compreender a palavra de Deus em outros idiomas assim poderemos evangelizar o mundo inteiro.”; “This app deserves note thousand. It’s great to hear the word of God when you want, where I want and the language I want. I recommend.”; “Wahou I recommend this app to any lost soul who seeks to understand the word of God everywhere at all times and in all places. Let the word of God and the freeing of connaissence of the Word is our ultimate goal. And do not hesitate to share this wonder. Shalom”; “This one. personally for me it is a best bible app.It making at high level of believing by it facilitation of browsing offline and it’s lessons.”; “Now there are no excuses”

These were some of the comments we received this month at our APP download site. We have now 28000 permanent users of the APP after over 100000 downloads in this past year. Thank the Lord!

App comments page

We have submitted the necessary paper work for the International Bible Association registration with the Government, and we are expecting the certificate to be delivered within this week. This association is a legal entity that will give legal cover for our online work. Please pray that this association with be a useful tool for the work of evangelization yet to be done.