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Recording new languages - that's what we do here at GRNSA
by Joel Juedes (Field Recordist)
I had some anxiety about this trip: about figuring out a new place, communicating with people (who speak mainly French and Malagasy), and the many weeks of recording work ahead of us.
But God has taken care of me better than I expected. I had a translator, Jusua, who also has become a friend (right).
I hit the ground running in Antananarivo, the capital city, recording on the day I arrived.
 We recorded the book of Acts in Ntandroy (left). Each person played a different role. It was cool to have all kinds of people show up to lend their voice. Some journeyed over a day to meet us. We stayed at a Catholic center with a lovely view of the city.
After a week we headed south on a 25-hour journey.
 
Our bus drove all day and all night, except for the three times it broke down (right). We snaked along hill after hill of open land, passing rice paddies and double-story mud houses. This was one of the few paved roads; we were lucky. One stretch is called the “red zone” because of recent bandit attacks there. It's out in the middle of nowhere, so buses usually drive in caravans of 20+ with a soldier riding along.
Down south - arriving in Toliara
Here we recorded the Look, Listen & Live 1-8 Bible story sets in Ntandroy and Bara (main picture). This is just the start of more than a dozen languages that have been translated here. There are similarities between these languages and official Malagasy (most churches use official Malagasy bibles) but it's important relationally and personally to reach out to people in their mother tongue. We have university students serving as our speakers. They come from all over Madagascar, but we have easy access to them here.
We planned another trip here. This is hard work, so keep praying!
Prayer requests:
1) speed, accuracy and life in all recordings made,
2) that the local people I train to help record would be able to operate on their own, and find satisfaction in it,
3) that God would give us wisdom to plan schedules, that we would understand and meet His priorities,
4) that the lives of those involved here would be elevated and made sweeter,
5) for the long hours of editing and processing of these recordings lying ahead,
6) for recordings done here before I arrived - these need to be technically evaluated and possibly also processed for distribution - this with the help and guidance of the GRN International Studio.
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Malawi: Follow-up in the north
(outreach report by Chikumbutso Lunda & Dallion Chitekwere - FTS Ministries)
Fishers, Trainers and Senders (FTS) Ministries, with support received from Global Recording Network Southern Africa, conducted a media follow up to Karonga district with local church leaders of Chilumba and Lupembe Pastors Fraternal. FTS Ministries sent 2 staff members (Dallion Chitekwere and Chikumbutso Lunda).
The main goal on this trip was to follow up on GRN evangelism tools distributed in 2017 by tracking progress and ex-change the players loaded with the Kyangonde language which were given to Chilumba Pastors Fraternal and relocate them to the Lu-pembe Pastors Fraternal where more are well acquainted with Kyangonde. And to distribute some Tumbuka content - the other major language spoken in the area.
Six faith leaders have been appointed as a Special Committee for Audio Ministry & General Reporting at Lu-pembe Pastors Fraternal. They will take lead in making sure that reports are reaching the FTS office every 2 months.
 
A few pastors practicing how to use the mp3 players (left) and few leaders with their new evangelism sets (right).
Highlights / Strengths / Opportunities
- People are very grateful that FTS came to the area. Among the 9 Pastors in the Fraternal in Karonga, there are the only 2 Pastors engaged with FTS,
- Pastors Fraternity groups in Karonga are requesting FTS to start implementing its activities in the area. Specific request on outreaches and further training,
- Training on how to use the evangelism tools have been fully given to both pastors and Sunday school teachers,
- A reporting structure and mechanism have been addressed and steps are in order for channeling to reports to FTS office,
- There are more new members in both fraternity groups.
Challenges / Weaknesses / Concerns
- No reports have been given since 2017. Some people compiled reports but could not reach FTS as there were no clear reporting mechanisms in place,
- Follow up and data tracking at Chilumba was not a success as most of these tools have not been used due to language barriers.
- Some pastors are no longer members of the Pastors Fraternal. It is hard for others to follow up on them,
- Some church leaders have relocated to other areas/districts with the materials,
- 5 players were reported to have been stolen and could not be traced,
- 3 of the returned players are in a condition which can not be given to other users due to misuse by the previous users,
- The inclusion of Kyangonde and Nyakyusa is still a challenge for many around Lupembe Pastors Fraternal. The majority prefers Tumbuka.
Recommendations / Solutions / Way forward
- A template for consolidated reports have been designed and assigned to a special committee that will be channeling reports to FTS through electronic media (Emails & WhatsApp),
- Emphasis has been made: When a church leader who received the materials on behalf of his church is relocating, he/she must leave the materials with congregation and properly communicate his plans to the fraternity,
- The Nyakyusa language must still be taken to Kapolo, Songwe and other areas where both languages are not a challenge.
Please pray for the work in Malawi. The vision of FTS is to saturate Malawi with the Living Word, by placing these audiovisual Bible-based programs in strategic hands, and in a responsible way.
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... to the far north among the Rendile
(by Johan Grobler, Co-distributor & CEO of Megavoice SA)
Meet Australian missionary Norm Gorrie. He mainly works in Marsabit, Northern Kenya, near the Ethiopian border. The above picture was taken near Kargi.
This was what we see allover Southern Africa also, big groups of people coming to listen to stories from the Bible.
 
But whether the group is big or small, Norm believes in the impact these picture sets make.
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Where ordinary people take hands, extraordinary things start to happen.
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