Here is this month's Bible-a-month Extra. Read on to find out how you are helping people who are blind engage with the Bible.... 
 

August 2017: Ghana
In Ghana people who are visually impaired are often excluded from society. This month your support will help people who are blind understand God's Word for the very first time.

GhanaCountry

Ghana (formerly known as the Gold Coast) is in West Africa. It is considered to be one of the more stable countries in the area, although since 2013 the economy has been struggling. It has a majority Christian population with over 70% of the people declaring this religion. The Church is growing in Ghana.

It is estimated that in Ghana there are 240,000 people who are blind. On top of this there are 640,000 people who are visually impaired due to glaucoma. This is a people group that is often marginalised. They can be excluded from community life, from family and friends, and even in church.

Bibles for the BlindProject

The Bible Society of Ghana is reaching out with the Word of God to those who are blind or visually impaired. These are people who, although they have difficulty seeing, are loved and valued by God. The Bible Society wants to show them respect and worth by providing them with the Bible in a format that they can understand. Scriptures in braille, audio and large print are being supplied, along with magnifying glasses to those who would find them beneficial.

By providing braille Scripture portions and New Testaments to schools, literacy is improving amongst the blind population. The students are engaging with the Word of God and being empowered to share their faith with their families and friends. They are finding a place in their families and in their communities.   

This work is so important. It is vital that people who are visually impaired know that they are valued and that people in their communities learn how to accept and include them in all activities. 

Atsitsogbe's and Kafui's StoryStory

Atsitsogbe is 20 years old. He was born with very bad eyesight but it was not detected. As he grew up his condition deteriorated until he could not see at all. His parents, although not literate themselves, enrolled him at the school for the blind so he could receive a formal education. From a child Atsitsogbe's dream was to become a lawyer.
The Bible Society of Ghana supplied the school with Scripture in braille. Here's what Atsitsogbe wanted to say...

"God bless the Bible Society of Ghana for the continuous support in donating these braille materials to our special school. These materials have been very resourceful to us over the years. My reading skills have been deeply enhanced due to this benevolent support from the Bible Society of Ghana. I have confidence that God is going to help me fulfil my dream as a lawyer."
Kafui is 18 years old. She was born with a visual impairment and later was enrolled at the Three Kings Special School for the Blind. She has learnt how to read and emboss braille materials and now her ambition is to become a teacher and pass this knowledge on to others.
Her school also received Scriptures in braille from the Bible Society of Ghana...

"It is a great joy to receive and read these beautiful Braille scriptures frequently from you. I used to feel very worthless as a girl. I was also very isolated and unhappy. This has changed when I began reading the scripture portions you send us yearly. I feel brightness in my life. God richly bless the Bible Society of Ghana and the donors for their continuous support."

Pray Pray

Please pray for this work...

  • Thank God for the work of the Bible Society of Ghana and for their partnerships with churches, schools and other organisations such as Hosanna International. By working together they are having an impact on so many lives.
     
  • Pray for the students receiving Scripture in braille and audio, that their lives would be transformed by the words they listen to or feel on a page.
     
  • Ask that God would give understanding to the people in Ghana; that they would understand His love for all people no matter what they look like or what they do.
What will your £5 do? Give

This month your gift of £5 will help provide braille Scripture books to a blind person in Ghana. A gift of £32 could provide an audio Bible to someone who is visually impaired.

Thank you for your contribution as a Bible-a-month partner. If you would like to make an additional donation to this project then please get in touch with Bible Society NI using the contact details below.

Text your donation now. Text BAMC17£5 to 70070
Bible Society NI | 27 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NB | 028 9032 6577 | [email protected] | www.bsni.co.uk
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