Thanks to six churches in South Carolina, I had plenty of English Bibles to distribute in Lira. I left the method up to the discretion of Pastor Patrick. He felt that the pastors ought to be the first to receive the gift. Often Pastors who have gifts to distribute are accused of wrongdoing (hording) by their peers and Pastor Patrick was wise to be open about how the gifts were given. Even if I were the one to give the gifts, he might likely be suspected somehow. The pastors were so thankful and so very excited about their new gifts. The changed and exchanged until each one had just the right translation to meet his desires.
As the gifts were distributed I gulped when a Bible was handed to Bonny, a blind man. Yikes! Ought I to have been more sensitive about the possibility? I hadn’t felt prompted to become a Bible distributor in equity but I had felt prompted to deliver the generous gifts I was given. What happened next surprised me though.
Bonny testified that he believed receiving this Bible was a sign that he would see again. He quoted the Scripture about Jesus healing the blind man and spoke confidently that his sight would be restored so that he could read the words of God for himself. We prayed for Bonny and continue to stand alongside him in his belief for healing.
As so often happens, Bible recipients (particularly pastors) make a humble request to have Bibles for their churches in their own language. Lango I the language spoken in this area but they said the Acholi language had more words and would be closer to the original. Additionally, some kind of audio Bible in the local language would also be helpful for those who cannot read.
Anyone willing to research the resources available in Uganda for these kinds of Bibles would be greatly appreciated. I know the Bibles can be purchased for about $25 each (books are outrageously expensive here, they’re a luxury) but perhaps we can find organizations that supply them free of charge.