Pastor John and Pari are real people, but those aren’t their real names. The stories that we publish on our website are about real people, and the photos show some of the actual people in the story. Some of these people live in areas where it is unsafe to be a Christian. For this reason, we blur faces, change names, and do not specify exact locations for some of the Christians in our stories. Now enjoy the true story below!
Have you ever been beaten for sharing your faith? We hope not. Is sharing the Good News worth a beating? Yes it is!
Thank God most of us are not called to take a beating for being a Christian and wanting to share our faith. But there are some who are!
Pastor John has been beaten so others can hear about Jesus. He is one who has been called to suffer and be beaten for the Gospel’s sake.
John is a missionary. He did not grow up in the villages where he is working. He is a stranger who has come with the Good News, but not everyone thinks the message he brings is good news.
Four years ago, God called John to a task few would want to do. John packed up his wife and family and moved into a remote area in India where the name of Jesus was yet to be heard.
God blessed John with a small group of believers. Soon they built a church and started singing praises to God.
Then one day, 500 or more people rushed toward the church. They came with torches. They shouted to have the missionary killed. The mob went wild. Within minutes, the church was burned to the ground and John was being dragged down the street with a tire around his neck.
John was hauled down the street to the police station where he was beaten. There John stayed alone for four days before he was released.
Did John give up? Did he go back to where he came from? No. John sent his family back to safety, but he has been called to bring the Good News to people living in that area of India. That is where John wants to stay until he has accomplished the purpose for which God has sent him.
Now the new believers have no place to worship. How can John disciple them? Many are afraid to gather together for fear of the mob.
That is where the Talking Bible has been a real blessing for Pastor John. The new converts can each take a Talking Bible home and listen to it. Then when they are able to safely gather, they can discuss what they have heard.
One of the new converts, a woman named Pari, has difficulty gathering with the others. She had been beaten by her husband for believing the Good News. When she tried to go to church, her husband beat her. When she tried to meet with Pastor John, her husband beat her again and attacked the pastor. She cannot read or meet with other believers to grow in her faith, but she has a great longing to know more about God. The hostile environment in her home prevented this from happening until she got a Talking Bible.
Pastor John was able to give Pari a Talking Bible. For now, she hides it in her house. When her family is away, she listens to it in secret. God’s Word is a wonderful encouragement to her and her faith is growing. When he is able, Pastor John is continuing to disciple her in her faith and Pari is becoming a strong believer who can stand in the face of persecution by her own family.
This is common in many areas of India. Young Indian missionaries with the burning desire to reach their own people with the Good News are willing and ready to go into a remote area to share the Good News. They are willing to endure hardship and persecution to share their faith.
Not just India! In many areas of the world, people are routinely brutalized, jailed, and even killed for their faith in God. Being able to listen to God’s Word and receive comfort, strength, and hope is a huge encouragement to those who live in areas where persecution is common.
With the Talking Bible, these pastors and missionaries are able to teach non-readers right from the Bible what the truth is about God and His Son Jesus Christ. For the first time, they hear about a living God who loves them very much.
Your partnership with Talking Bibles International is helping to place Talking Bibles into the hands of people who have no other way to learn about God. They can’t read. They can’t meet regularly together. Without a Talking Bible, they are alone and have no way to learn about God’s love for them. A Talking Bible gives them knowledge, hope, and assurance of eternal salvation.
Please help us continue to place Talking Bibles in areas where Christians are persecuted. Together we can help Pastor John reach those who have no other way to learn about God and grow in their faith.
More Changed Life Stories
October 28, 2026
"I thank God today." At 17, Kelvin has already experienced painful circumstances. His father passed away, and when we heard his story, his mother was in the hospital with stomach cancer. Yet the first words Kelvin shared with us were not about hardship. “I thank God today.” What gave such a young student hope and direction? For Kelvin, it was hearing God’s Word beneath a tree at school that changed the direction of his life. During Religious Education Class, at the public school, Kelvin and his classmates gather in the shade to listen to a Talking Bible in Swahili. For Kelvin, one of those lessons became deeply personal. He and his friends had been mistreating others. In Kelvin’s own words, they were “doing bad things and abusing people.” Then he heard these words from Ephesians: “Honor your father and mother . . . that it may go well with you.” Immediately, Kelvin thought of his mother. She had warned him not to mistreat others, but he had not listened. Now he was hearing that same truth in God’s Word. “ I realized that this is what God wants me to do ,” Kelvin said, “ and that it will be good for me.” What Kelvin heard beneath that tree began changing his life—starting with how he treated others. The young man who once hurt people began comforting them. He also began sharing what he was learning with people in his neighborhood. What Kelvin Heard Began Changing His Life Kelvin says listening to the Bible has helped him grow spiritually and given his life a new direction. He has also found renewed hope for the future. After receiving strong results on his exam, Kelvin said: “ I thank God today. God has helped me in my studies—given me good results. This is giving me hope that God is there and listening to our prayers and that I can trust Him.” Kelvin’s story shows what can happen when students have the opportunity to hear God’s Word.
August 25, 2026
How does a mother who cannot read share God’s Word with her children? Some Families Gather Around God's Word by Reading. Others Gather by Listening. For millions of people around the world, hearing God's Word isn't simply another way to experience Scripture. It's the only way. One of those people is Esther. As a child, Esther never had the opportunity to attend school. Although she came to know Christ, she could only hear Scripture when someone else read it aloud at church or over a loudspeaker. Then her pastor placed a Talking Bible into her hands. Everything changed. Every evening, Esther gathers her children. Around God's Word. Through a Talking Bible. Together, they listen to Scripture, pray, and talk about what they've heard. Stories like Abraham, Zacchaeus, and the prodigal son have become lessons Esther now shares with her children. Even her husband—who rarely has the opportunity to attend church—has begun listening while he works. God's Word is quietly transforming an entire family... …one day at a time. Just as many of us grow in our faith by reading God's Word, Esther's family is growing by hearing it—day after day. Every gift to Talking Bibles helps place God's Word into the hands of people who are waiting to hear it, and monthly ministry partners provide dependable support that helps ensure families like Esther's can continue hearing God's Word month after month. That's why I'd like to invite you to become a monthly ministry partner . Your recurring gift helps place Talking Bibles into the hands of people who cannot read, are visually impaired, or learn best by listening. Together, we can help more people hear God's Word, grow in their faith, and share it with their families and communities. Will you prayerfully consider becoming one of our monthly ministry partners today ? Together, we can help more families gather around God's Word... ...one day at a time.
July 1, 2026
Prasad Can Finally Hear God's Word! Prasad often sits quietly in the darkness of his small home in India, listening as the voice of Scripture fills the room. Through the Talking Bible, he can finally hear God's Word for himself. Blind since birth, Prasad is now 55 years old and lives with his brother and sister-in-law in a farming community where life depends on hard physical labor. While others spend their days working in the fields, Prasad often remains at home with little freedom to travel on his own. As a boy, he loved going to church and listening carefully to the sermons. But once the service ended, the rest of the week was spent longing to hear more of the Bible—something that always remained beyond his reach. Although Prasad learned Braille as a student, he never had access to a Braille Bible. For decades, the only Scripture available to him came through a short Christian radio program each evening. Every day he waited for those precious thirty minutes, knowing they would soon end. Then the radio program stopped. Prasad's sister-in-law had watched his longing for God's Word for years. When she learned about the Talking Bible, she knew it would change his life. For the first time, Prasad could listen whenever he wanted. "I cannot read the Bible," he says simply. "I cannot read." Now he returns to God's Word again and again. If he wants to hear a passage another time, he simply presses play. Scripture is no longer limited to a brief radio broadcast—it is always within reach. One Bible story has especially touched his heart: the story of Job. Prasad sees his own life reflected in Job's suffering, loneliness, and perseverance. Because of his blindness, he explains that no one would marry him. Yet Job's faith reminds him to continue trusting God despite hardship. "Job's life shows me that I should not go away from Christ." Though Prasad has never been able to see the words of Scripture on a page, he now hears them clearly for himself. In the quiet darkness of his home, God's Word has become a light—bringing comfort in loneliness, strength in hardship, and the assurance that God knows him, loves him, and speaks to him through His Word. Today, millions of people around the world are just like Prasad. They are blind, cannot read, or have no access to the Bible in a format they can understand. The Talking Bible is changing that—one listener, one family, and one community at a time. Give a Talking Bible>>
June 1, 2026
“My Heart Was Beating to Know God” Ashura didn’t know what her heart was searching for. One day while walking through the market, she noticed a group of people singing together. She didn’t recognize the songs or understand the words, but something about their joy stirred her deeply. Quietly, she joined them. Only later did she realize they were a church choir praising God—and among them was someone she recognized: her neighbor. A few days later, Ashura saw that same neighbor sitting beneath a tree with a small group gathered around a Talking Bible. Curious and still thinking about what she had experienced in the market, Ashura sat down to listen. That day, they were listening to John 3. As the words were spoken aloud, Ashura leaned in. And when they reached verse 16, something happened she could not explain. “My heart was beating to know God,” she says. Wanting to understand more, Ashura later bought a printed New Testament and tried reading the same passage for herself. But even though she had completed 9th grade, the words were difficult to fully grasp. She could read the words—but she could not truly understand them. Then she heard the passage again through the Talking Bible. This time, everything became clear . The meaning reached her heart in a way printed words never had. Because someone provided a Talking Bible, Ashura was finally able to hear and understand God’s Word in a way she could fully grasp. She continued listening with the group, learning more about Jesus each week. Before long, Ashura gave her life to Christ. Today, she is growing in her faith through a Talking Bible listening group that meets twice each week beneath a large tree outside Kigoma. Together, the group listens to God’s Word, asks questions, and learns in community. Ashura’s story is one of many lives being transformed through the power of God’s Word in audio form. For millions of oral learners around the world, hearing the Bible is the key to understanding it. And when people hear and understand God’s Word, lives are changed forever.
More Changed Life Stories
October 28, 2026
"I thank God today." At 17, Kelvin has already experienced painful circumstances. His father passed away, and when we heard his story, his mother was in the hospital with stomach cancer. Yet the first words Kelvin shared with us were not about hardship. “I thank God today.” What gave such a young student hope and direction? For Kelvin, it was hearing God’s Word beneath a tree at school that changed the direction of his life. During Religious Education Class, at the public school, Kelvin and his classmates gather in the shade to listen to a Talking Bible in Swahili. For Kelvin, one of those lessons became deeply personal. He and his friends had been mistreating others. In Kelvin’s own words, they were “doing bad things and abusing people.” Then he heard these words from Ephesians: “Honor your father and mother . . . that it may go well with you.” Immediately, Kelvin thought of his mother. She had warned him not to mistreat others, but he had not listened. Now he was hearing that same truth in God’s Word. “ I realized that this is what God wants me to do ,” Kelvin said, “ and that it will be good for me.” What Kelvin heard beneath that tree began changing his life—starting with how he treated others. The young man who once hurt people began comforting them. He also began sharing what he was learning with people in his neighborhood. What Kelvin Heard Began Changing His Life Kelvin says listening to the Bible has helped him grow spiritually and given his life a new direction. He has also found renewed hope for the future. After receiving strong results on his exam, Kelvin said: “ I thank God today. God has helped me in my studies—given me good results. This is giving me hope that God is there and listening to our prayers and that I can trust Him.” Kelvin’s story shows what can happen when students have the opportunity to hear God’s Word.
August 25, 2026
How does a mother who cannot read share God’s Word with her children? Some Families Gather Around God's Word by Reading. Others Gather by Listening. For millions of people around the world, hearing God's Word isn't simply another way to experience Scripture. It's the only way. One of those people is Esther. As a child, Esther never had the opportunity to attend school. Although she came to know Christ, she could only hear Scripture when someone else read it aloud at church or over a loudspeaker. Then her pastor placed a Talking Bible into her hands. Everything changed. Every evening, Esther gathers her children. Around God's Word. Through a Talking Bible. Together, they listen to Scripture, pray, and talk about what they've heard. Stories like Abraham, Zacchaeus, and the prodigal son have become lessons Esther now shares with her children. Even her husband—who rarely has the opportunity to attend church—has begun listening while he works. God's Word is quietly transforming an entire family... …one day at a time. Just as many of us grow in our faith by reading God's Word, Esther's family is growing by hearing it—day after day. Every gift to Talking Bibles helps place God's Word into the hands of people who are waiting to hear it, and monthly ministry partners provide dependable support that helps ensure families like Esther's can continue hearing God's Word month after month. That's why I'd like to invite you to become a monthly ministry partner . Your recurring gift helps place Talking Bibles into the hands of people who cannot read, are visually impaired, or learn best by listening. Together, we can help more people hear God's Word, grow in their faith, and share it with their families and communities. Will you prayerfully consider becoming one of our monthly ministry partners today ? Together, we can help more families gather around God's Word... ...one day at a time.
July 1, 2026
Prasad Can Finally Hear God's Word! Prasad often sits quietly in the darkness of his small home in India, listening as the voice of Scripture fills the room. Through the Talking Bible, he can finally hear God's Word for himself. Blind since birth, Prasad is now 55 years old and lives with his brother and sister-in-law in a farming community where life depends on hard physical labor. While others spend their days working in the fields, Prasad often remains at home with little freedom to travel on his own. As a boy, he loved going to church and listening carefully to the sermons. But once the service ended, the rest of the week was spent longing to hear more of the Bible—something that always remained beyond his reach. Although Prasad learned Braille as a student, he never had access to a Braille Bible. For decades, the only Scripture available to him came through a short Christian radio program each evening. Every day he waited for those precious thirty minutes, knowing they would soon end. Then the radio program stopped. Prasad's sister-in-law had watched his longing for God's Word for years. When she learned about the Talking Bible, she knew it would change his life. For the first time, Prasad could listen whenever he wanted. "I cannot read the Bible," he says simply. "I cannot read." Now he returns to God's Word again and again. If he wants to hear a passage another time, he simply presses play. Scripture is no longer limited to a brief radio broadcast—it is always within reach. One Bible story has especially touched his heart: the story of Job. Prasad sees his own life reflected in Job's suffering, loneliness, and perseverance. Because of his blindness, he explains that no one would marry him. Yet Job's faith reminds him to continue trusting God despite hardship. "Job's life shows me that I should not go away from Christ." Though Prasad has never been able to see the words of Scripture on a page, he now hears them clearly for himself. In the quiet darkness of his home, God's Word has become a light—bringing comfort in loneliness, strength in hardship, and the assurance that God knows him, loves him, and speaks to him through His Word. Today, millions of people around the world are just like Prasad. They are blind, cannot read, or have no access to the Bible in a format they can understand. The Talking Bible is changing that—one listener, one family, and one community at a time. Give a Talking Bible>>
More Changed Life Stories
October 28, 2026
"I thank God today." At 17, Kelvin has already experienced painful circumstances. His father passed away, and when we heard his story, his mother was in the hospital with stomach cancer. Yet the first words Kelvin shared with us were not about hardship. “I thank God today.” What gave such a young student hope and direction? For Kelvin, it was hearing God’s Word beneath a tree at school that changed the direction of his life. During Religious Education Class, at the public school, Kelvin and his classmates gather in the shade to listen to a Talking Bible in Swahili. For Kelvin, one of those lessons became deeply personal. He and his friends had been mistreating others. In Kelvin’s own words, they were “doing bad things and abusing people.” Then he heard these words from Ephesians: “Honor your father and mother . . . that it may go well with you.” Immediately, Kelvin thought of his mother. She had warned him not to mistreat others, but he had not listened. Now he was hearing that same truth in God’s Word. “ I realized that this is what God wants me to do ,” Kelvin said, “ and that it will be good for me.” What Kelvin heard beneath that tree began changing his life—starting with how he treated others. The young man who once hurt people began comforting them. He also began sharing what he was learning with people in his neighborhood. What Kelvin Heard Began Changing His Life Kelvin says listening to the Bible has helped him grow spiritually and given his life a new direction. He has also found renewed hope for the future. After receiving strong results on his exam, Kelvin said: “ I thank God today. God has helped me in my studies—given me good results. This is giving me hope that God is there and listening to our prayers and that I can trust Him.” Kelvin’s story shows what can happen when students have the opportunity to hear God’s Word.
August 25, 2026
How does a mother who cannot read share God’s Word with her children? Some Families Gather Around God's Word by Reading. Others Gather by Listening. For millions of people around the world, hearing God's Word isn't simply another way to experience Scripture. It's the only way. One of those people is Esther. As a child, Esther never had the opportunity to attend school. Although she came to know Christ, she could only hear Scripture when someone else read it aloud at church or over a loudspeaker. Then her pastor placed a Talking Bible into her hands. Everything changed. Every evening, Esther gathers her children. Around God's Word. Through a Talking Bible. Together, they listen to Scripture, pray, and talk about what they've heard. Stories like Abraham, Zacchaeus, and the prodigal son have become lessons Esther now shares with her children. Even her husband—who rarely has the opportunity to attend church—has begun listening while he works. God's Word is quietly transforming an entire family... …one day at a time. Just as many of us grow in our faith by reading God's Word, Esther's family is growing by hearing it—day after day. Every gift to Talking Bibles helps place God's Word into the hands of people who are waiting to hear it, and monthly ministry partners provide dependable support that helps ensure families like Esther's can continue hearing God's Word month after month. That's why I'd like to invite you to become a monthly ministry partner . Your recurring gift helps place Talking Bibles into the hands of people who cannot read, are visually impaired, or learn best by listening. Together, we can help more people hear God's Word, grow in their faith, and share it with their families and communities. Will you prayerfully consider becoming one of our monthly ministry partners today ? Together, we can help more families gather around God's Word... ...one day at a time.
July 1, 2026
Prasad Can Finally Hear God's Word! Prasad often sits quietly in the darkness of his small home in India, listening as the voice of Scripture fills the room. Through the Talking Bible, he can finally hear God's Word for himself. Blind since birth, Prasad is now 55 years old and lives with his brother and sister-in-law in a farming community where life depends on hard physical labor. While others spend their days working in the fields, Prasad often remains at home with little freedom to travel on his own. As a boy, he loved going to church and listening carefully to the sermons. But once the service ended, the rest of the week was spent longing to hear more of the Bible—something that always remained beyond his reach. Although Prasad learned Braille as a student, he never had access to a Braille Bible. For decades, the only Scripture available to him came through a short Christian radio program each evening. Every day he waited for those precious thirty minutes, knowing they would soon end. Then the radio program stopped. Prasad's sister-in-law had watched his longing for God's Word for years. When she learned about the Talking Bible, she knew it would change his life. For the first time, Prasad could listen whenever he wanted. "I cannot read the Bible," he says simply. "I cannot read." Now he returns to God's Word again and again. If he wants to hear a passage another time, he simply presses play. Scripture is no longer limited to a brief radio broadcast—it is always within reach. One Bible story has especially touched his heart: the story of Job. Prasad sees his own life reflected in Job's suffering, loneliness, and perseverance. Because of his blindness, he explains that no one would marry him. Yet Job's faith reminds him to continue trusting God despite hardship. "Job's life shows me that I should not go away from Christ." Though Prasad has never been able to see the words of Scripture on a page, he now hears them clearly for himself. In the quiet darkness of his home, God's Word has become a light—bringing comfort in loneliness, strength in hardship, and the assurance that God knows him, loves him, and speaks to him through His Word. Today, millions of people around the world are just like Prasad. They are blind, cannot read, or have no access to the Bible in a format they can understand. The Talking Bible is changing that—one listener, one family, and one community at a time. Give a Talking Bible>>
June 1, 2026
“My Heart Was Beating to Know God” Ashura didn’t know what her heart was searching for. One day while walking through the market, she noticed a group of people singing together. She didn’t recognize the songs or understand the words, but something about their joy stirred her deeply. Quietly, she joined them. Only later did she realize they were a church choir praising God—and among them was someone she recognized: her neighbor. A few days later, Ashura saw that same neighbor sitting beneath a tree with a small group gathered around a Talking Bible. Curious and still thinking about what she had experienced in the market, Ashura sat down to listen. That day, they were listening to John 3. As the words were spoken aloud, Ashura leaned in. And when they reached verse 16, something happened she could not explain. “My heart was beating to know God,” she says. Wanting to understand more, Ashura later bought a printed New Testament and tried reading the same passage for herself. But even though she had completed 9th grade, the words were difficult to fully grasp. She could read the words—but she could not truly understand them. Then she heard the passage again through the Talking Bible. This time, everything became clear . The meaning reached her heart in a way printed words never had. Because someone provided a Talking Bible, Ashura was finally able to hear and understand God’s Word in a way she could fully grasp. She continued listening with the group, learning more about Jesus each week. Before long, Ashura gave her life to Christ. Today, she is growing in her faith through a Talking Bible listening group that meets twice each week beneath a large tree outside Kigoma. Together, the group listens to God’s Word, asks questions, and learns in community. Ashura’s story is one of many lives being transformed through the power of God’s Word in audio form. For millions of oral learners around the world, hearing the Bible is the key to understanding it. And when people hear and understand God’s Word, lives are changed forever.
