The Bible in Brazil - #237

ISSUE 237 – October-December 2012 – Year 64

A Decade of Bible in Braille The Word of God reaches the visually impaired providing spiritual, cultural and social benefits.

Photos: UBS

Prayer Calendar

Makoto Watabe, Japan Bible Society's Secretary General, in front of the ruins of Iwate Town Hall, one of the towns hit by the earthquake followed by tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011.

Making a Difference with the Word of God One year after the tragedy that hit part of Japan, the local Bible Society is working to comfort the hearts of the Japanese.

With almost 127 million inhabitants, Japan was hit by one of the worst natural catastrophes in its history on March 11, 2011. Everything started with the most violent earthquake ever recorded in the country: 9 degrees on the Richter scale. It was followed by the tsunami that devastated the Japan's northeastern shoreline. More than 15,000 people died and thousands are still missing. Th is disaster also caused the country's most serious nuclear crisis when three reactors of the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered a 'melt-through,' making the government order the evacuation of towns distant 20 km or less from the nuclear plant. In this difficult moment caused by fear, pain and loss, Japan Bible Society (JBS) initiated its outreach activities by developing a fund raising campaign to raise 20 million yens in order to distribute Bibles and basic products within the affected areas.

The organization also mobilized 23 Bible Societies worldwide and Japanese donors residing in regions not affected by the tragedy. So far, approximately US$260,000 have been raised. Those funds allowed more than 50 churches and Christian institutions within the provinces of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima to receive the Holy Bible and basic products.

Mr. Makoto Watabe, Japan Bible Society's Secretary General, reminds that nuclear contamination still haunts Fukushima residents. “To bring a little comfort to their hearts, we organized a charity concert on September 16,

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2011. We are also offering psychological support, so we organized a new charity concert called “The Messiah.”

The purpose was to bring the hope and love of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering spiritually,” he explains.

In addition to spreading the Word, thus bringing relief in an unprecedented moment of pain and crisis in the history of the country, JBS has another great challenge: reducing the indifference of the Japanese towards the Holy Bible. The total of Christians in the country amounts to approximately 1% of the population – about 1.2 million people.

One of the strategies adopted to make the Japanese people closer to the Holy Book, JBS is launching several publications. The highlight is the Manga Bible (Japanesestyle comic book), published in five volumes. “The series contains the Old and New Testaments and conveys the message of the Bible to children and teenagers in an easyto-understand way,” said Makoto Watabe. This tool is also available in digital format for the iOS platform (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch).

Another project developed by the organization is a new Bible translation. “The New Interconfessional Translation is used by 80% of Christians, being widely employed in churches and schools in Japan. However, it has been 25 years since its launch. So efforts are in progress to renew the language that is no longer suitable for our time. We expect to complete and publish this new translation by 2016,” concludes the Secretary General. ■

The Bible in Brazil

SBB Digital "The Bible in Brazil" Magazine Digital Version

Locate SBB on Foursquare

"The Bible in Brazil" Magazine now has a digital version. In addition to including the full content of the print issue, the app also offers resources such as animations, brighter images, browsable photos, and links to videos.

The digital issue is available on Google Play (www.googleplay.com), the online app store for Android tablets and smartphones, and on the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/br/), the online app store for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch), for US$2.99. iPhone users have free access to the cover story. iPad readers can make an annual subscription of The Bible in Brazil magazine for just US$9.99 and download its full content with just one touch in order to stay current with the latest news of the Bible Cause.

And by buying the digital version of The Bible in Brazil magazine readers will contribute to the outreach programs developed by Bible Society of Brazil.

Do you want to become “mayor” of Bible Society of Brazil's National Headquarters or of the Bible Museum (MuBi)? Just log in to Foursquare (www.foursquare. com), the social network based on geolocation, and let you friends and contacts know where you are. In order to use Foursquare you must sign up and download the app for Android, iPhone or BlackBerry.

And, to become SBB's “mayor,” you must have the largest number of check-ins.

Collective Donations Soma Agency and SBB have partnered once again to raise funds in order to bring the Word of God to people in situations of social vulnerability. This time the audience benefited will consist of destitute families, children and teenagers, as well as substance abusers, assisted

by SBB's outreach programs. You can participate by accessing the Collective Donations portal (www. doacoescoletivas.org). With just one click you can donate R$15.00 (about US$7.00) and contribute to change a life through the biblical message.

Father's Bible in eBook Format The hugely successful Father's Bible now has an eBook version. Available in the ePub and Kindle formats, the digital version is a good gift option for fathers and future fathers of all ages.

The digital edition of the Father's Bible contains the same content of the print version, featuring the Almeida Revised & Updated translation, plus navigation of thematic charts through pop-ups. The publication is available in the ePub format on the online stores Gato Sabido (www.gatosabido.com.br), Iba (www. iba.com.br) and Livraria Saraiva (www.livrariasaraiva.com.br) for R$24.90; and the Kindle version can be found on Amazon (www.amazon.com) for US$9.99.

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The Bible in Brazil

Cover

10 Years of the Bible in Braille The Word of God is available to the visually impaired and provides spiritual, cultural and social benefits.

More than 3,000 beneficiaries, 82 full Bibles delivered to public libraries in Brazil, and, more importantly, thousands of lives transformed by God's Word. Those are the results achieved in ten years of work dedicated to the Bible in Braille, the fi rst one in Portuguese, launched on November 30, 2002 by Bible Society of Brazil (SBB). The benefits of this initiative can be seen in different areas: regarding the cultural aspect, many people benefited could not read Braille and learned it because of the Bible. In the spiritual aspect, the biblical message brought hope and the strength to overcome obstacles to those benefited. And it also enabled inclusion and autonomy in the social aspect.

Now, SBB celebrates ten years of the publication by thanking God for the results achieved, and preparing to respond to the many existing challenges.

According to Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director, the celebration of the ten years of the Bible in Braille evokes two sentiments. “Firstly, we are overwhelmed by a feeling of joy and praise for God for having been able to carry out this task with technical competence in order to meet the real needs of the visually impaired.” On the other hand, Zimmer manifests a feeling of frustration over the still slow pace of distribution of the publication.

And he is right. According to the data disclosed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics regarding the year of 2010, there are more than 6.05 million people 4

with some form of visual disability in Brazil, of which almost 530,000 are completely blind. “Because of its high cost, the distribution of the Bible in Braille is very slow.

Our goal is to deliver a Bible in Braille to every person with a visual disability, but how can we achieve it if each one costs about R$1,330.00 (US$630)?,” he questions.

According to him, this challenge will only be overcome swifter if churches are more engaged in providing resources to make it happen. “So I take the opportunity of this celebration to make an appeal. We need everyone's help to boost the production and distribution of the Bible in Braille as well,” he requests.

Sharing the same opinion, Erní Seibert, SBB's Communications & Social Outreach Secretary, stresses the need of counting on the help of Christians to increase the pace of distribution of the Word in Braille.

“So far, we've had several important accomplishments that demanded a tremendous effort, in addition to the investment of approximately R$100,000. However, we are aware that there is still a lot to be done, since, despite all our efforts, the numbers show that we reach a very “Everyone, with a disability or not, has the right to information. And blind people aren't different. We also have the right to know and live the Word of God.” Markiano Charan Filho, President of ADEVA (Association for the Visually Impaired & Friends).

The Bible in Brazil

Cover “Reading is something personal. You observe the placement of a comma, the beginning of paragraph, the change of chapters. That's why it's very different to hear someone reading the Bible and reading by yourself.” Edson Rosário, President of ADEVEB (Brazilian Evangelical Association for the Visually Impaired).

chose the desktop publishing software to be used to convert text into Braille characters, and then developed the product itself by determining the dimensions, type of binding and other characteristics.

“We have to point out the precious collaboration we had, and still have today, of Paula França. Her participation in designing layout details and putting together the several volumes of the Bible in Braille was fundamental for us to be able to develop a publication that truly met the needs of the visually impaired,” says Rudi Zimmer.

Although she had no experience in the publishing area, Paula França was determined to do what it took in order to make this dream come true. Together with SBB, she sought help from other institutions, such as the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind, which was founded in 1946 with the goal of expanding the production of Braille literature in Brazil. Those partners contributed to the execution of the project.

“We were very grateful to be able to participate in this process,” says Regina de Fátima Caldeira, Dorina Nowill Foundation's Coordinator. “If someone has a belief, he or she must have the necessary instruments to develop this belief: study, understand, participate.

The Bible is the main tool for Christians, therefore, its text had to be reproduced in a language accessible to the blind, so that they could read it and consult it autonomously,” she adds.

The text chosen for the Bible in Braille was the Portuguese New Translation in Today's Language (NTLH). Th is translation has a simpler and more

A Long Path The launch of the Bible in Braille crowned the efforts made by SBB since 1954, time of the fi rst initiatives to bring the Holy Scriptures to the visually impaired. During decades, the organization produced the biblical text in cassettes and CDs, imported books of the Bible in Braille in Portuguese, and distributed those materials throughout Brazil, thus contributing to the spiritual during of this audience.

In the early 1990s, Paula França, who is visually impaired, shared with SBB her desire to assist in the production of the fi rst full Bible in Braille in Portuguese.

“I had access to the Scriptures, but I realized that thousands of other blind people in Brazil didn't have, so something had to be done,” tells Ms. França, who currently is SBB's Outreach, Communications & Publications Assistant.

SBB embraced the idea and started to examine the most suitable technologies to implement a Braille printer at the Bible Press. “All institutions we contacted for information for our project did not have the technical resources needed, so we had to implement them, especially in the desktop publishing area. And this enabled us to make the full Bible in Braille available in record time,” recalls SBB's Executive Director.

After studying multiple forms of Braille production, by visiting potential suppliers in several countries, SBB decided to invest in the Norwegian Braillo equipment.

“It was one of the most modern equipment, and it allowed on demand printing, so there was no need keep large and expensive stocks,” explains Celio Emerique, Bible Press General Manager. After this defi nition, SBB's team 5

Photo: SBB File

small part of the visually impaired, mainly due to lack of resources. Th is is a great challenge that we will face with the collaboration of the Brazilian Christian community,” he points out.

Braille Printer

The Bible in Brazil

Photo: SBB File

Cover

Paula França, during the Bible in Braille launch event, in 2002.

contemporary grammar structure, and, in addition to making it easier for visually impaired people to understand it, it can be used in Braille literacy projects.

Paulo Teixeira, Bible Society of Brazil's Translation & Publications Secretary, remembers the greatest challenge faced by his department at that time. “Our team made a huge effort to develop a set of editorial techniques that reduced the preparation time of a Bible in Braille from the usual period between eight and ten years to something around one year. We really celebrated our success back then,” he recalls.

After almost a decade of work, the result was unveiled on November 30, 2002. The Bible in Braille was ready, with 38 volumes, including all books of the Bible, plus a volume containing the Reading Guide, which has information on the organization of the text in the collection, the research resources offered, and a primer

Celebration with Awards The celebration of the tenth anniversary of the launch of the full Bible in Braille in Portuguese took place on September 22, at the Bible Museum in Barueri (State of São Paulo), during the 5th Meeting of Visually Handicapped People.

On the occasion, approximately 400 guests learned about the production of this publication and some of results achieved.

During the event, SBB announced the winners if the 6th Literary Contest, whose goal five awards for the best short stories or poems written by visually impaired people about biblical themes. This year the theme was “Bible in Braille in My Life: Ten Years of History.”

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with Braille spelling norms. The collection weighs about 40 kg (88 lb.), and, stacked, the volumes reach 2 meters (6.5 ft.) of height.

For Bible Society of Brazil, it was another important step in its mission. “We wouldn't be fully accomplishing our mission without offering a suitable Bible for the visually impaired. Like the Bible in Audio, the Bible in Braille is the instrument we use to assist this segment of the population. With these products, they can have direct contact with the Word of God,” says Erní Seibert.

The Distribution After the launch, SBB added the Bible in Braille to The Bible for the Visually Impaired program.

During the production process, the people in charge of the program carried out a survey in order to determine the main demands of those already registered in the program and discover ways to expand the number of registrants. “We've adopted a distribution sequence for the books that is suitable for the needs detected in the survey, and we've included the Reading Guide and the Mary Jones book in Braille,” tells Ms. Emilene Araújo, SBB's Social Outreach Manager.

Currently there are 3,146 people registered. They all receive, free of charge, a volume every quarter until they have all the books. Ebrahim Lopes Correa, 81 years old and one of the oldest participants in the program, is one of the 566 people who have already completed the collection. “The Bible in Braille, which occupies almost two shelves, is the star of my library. I've already read all the volumes, and I browse them every day,” he says. “I was used to the older and more complicated translations, so I had to adapt myself to the text of the New Translation in Today's Language. But that was good for two reasons: it expanded my knowledge; and it features a language that is easier for everyone to understand. It was an excellent choice,” he approves.

The Bible in Braille arrived at the right time for Zivan Maria Carvalho dos Santos. She always had sight problems, but nine years ago she completely lost her ability to see. One day, she went to a Support Center to ask for guidance on mobility, because she wanted to learn how to use a walking stick to be more independent.

The Bible in Brazil

Cover “I've worked my whole life in the publications area, so I can say that SBB was able to produce a low-cost Bible in Braille, but of excellent quality. This shows that it's important to be efficient in carrying out the evangelical mission.” Ebrahim Correia, 81 years old, retiree, Rio de Janeiro.

Talking to the staff she found out that there was already a full Bible in Braille. “I talked to my Church's pastor and he registered me in SBB's program. I'll never forget how happy I was on the day I held the fi rst volume in my hands,” she tells. “I really value the Bible in Braille because it enables us to interact more with the text. I can choose the verse I want to read, stop to reflect, and search by theme. It is a blessing.”

In addition to those benefited by the program, SBB donates the complete edition to libraries specialized in Braille or public libraries that show interest. “Last year we started to organize a Braille section in our library, and the first request made was to make a Bible available,” tells Rosa Maria Alves dos Santos, the librarian who works at Dr. Renato Lopes Library, in the town of Ilha Bela (State of São Paulo). After a lot of research, she contacted SBB and her request was quickly granted. “We just had to commit to offer access to everyone and promote it to the public. We are organizing special events to draw the attention of the visually impaired in our region. We want to raise the level of consultation,” she points out.

The Bible in Braille distribution work prompted other SBB activities targeting the visually impaired– such as the meetings held for this audience together with SBB's Regional Offices–in order to spread the biblical message through inclusive activities. “In 2012, we established a new line of action for the program in order to assist the visually impaired and their families, thus promoting the social inclusion and independence for blind people,” tells the Social Outreach Manager. The pilot project is being developed in the cities of Curitiba (State of Paraná), Recife (State of Pernambuco) and Barueri (State of São Paulo), and includes the provision of services that encourage the participation of this audience in the social assistance network and socializing events. And family members can count on support, information, guidance and referral services.

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Improvements & Expansion In 2010, in order to meet the growing demand, SBB invested in new printing equipment that doubled its production capacity. “Up until July 2012, we had already produced 188,000 individual volumes of the Bible, which together would represent about 5,500 full Bibles. And now we are making investments to have the entire production of Braille volumes made in just one location, which should happen by the end of this year.

Therefore, we'll have a complete Braille Press within the Bible Press,” celebrates Emerique.

An increase in distribution is also planned. The expectation is to donate 20 full Bibles in Braille to institutions, and have 350 new people registered each year. And, in addition to that, the range of publications offered to this audience is being expanded too. Last June we released two new Bible Portions: God's Blessings for You and God's Promises to You. “Our schedule of new publications is set according to the requests we receive from those benefited,” explains Paulo Teixeira, adding that other Bible Portions are currently being prepared, with specific contents on themes like family, health, trust, among others.

The goal is to continuously increase the access of the visually impaired to the Scriptures, both in Brazil and in other countries that speak Portuguese. According to SBB's Communications & Social Outreach Secretary, this task will need the intensive contribution of people and organizations throughout Brazil, not only with donations, but also by promoting the work carried out.

“We have plans to develop specific actions to increase the pace of distribution. One way this might be done is through programs in which people and companies would adopt one or more blind people by sponsoring the costs of producing and shipping the volumes to them,” suggests Erní Seibert.

“When I lost my sight I completely understood what makes someone commit suicide. Then I started to read the Bible, and God helped me. I usually say that it was like a heart transplant.” José Valdizio, benefited by the program The Bible for the Disabled.

The Bible in Brazil

Testimony

I was diagnosed as a child with pigmentary retinopathy, a degenerative disease that causes gradual loss of sight.

When I faced this tough reality, life seemed perverse, cruel and implacable to me. It robbed me of my dreams for the future that were based on studying.

At age 11, my parents took me out of school because, at the time, there were no resources suitable for me to stay in the classroom. My projects were interrupted. How could I dream? How should I live with such condition? All I ever wanted was to live like any other child my age.

From age 11 to age 26, my family did everything possible for me to see again, but it was all in vain. So I had to accept my blindness. But, thank God, I found friends who helped me to join the labor market. At age 26, I returned to school and completed High School with a lot of struggle. And I've learned Braille, Spanish, English and how to use computers. I've realized the dream of getting married.

But life is not complete without Jesus. Sometime ago my sister-in-law gave me a Bible. I was so happy, but, at the same time, disappointed, because I couldn't read it. I always depended on someone to read it to me.

Until one day a friend of mine heard about Bible Society of Brazil's project that donated the Bible in Braille, and she signed me up.

So it was with great joy that I started to receive the volumes of the Holy Scriptures in Braille. I got emotional

Photo: SBB File

Life is not complete without Jesus.

every time I had the Holy Book in my hands, because SBB provided independence not only to me, in terms of being able to read the Word of God, but also to all the blind people, thus giving us the chance to own a Bible that meets our every need.

Zivan Maria Carvalho dos Santos, 55 years old,

student, resident of Feira de Santana (State of Bahia),

benefited by The Bible for the Visually Impaired program.

Testimonies about the Bible

If you have experienced an edifying experience with the Word of God, write to The Bible in Brazil magazine and/or to SBB's website telling it. Those whose testimonies are selected and published will receive a copy of the NTLH Study Bible. Please send your testimony with a photo to webmaster@sbb.org.br.

Bíblia em Ação

Bible in Action

The Word of God in Brazilian Sign Language Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) is launching The Bible for the Hard of Hearing project in order to make the Holy Text available to this audience.

Although Portuguese is the majority language in Brazil, it is not the only language spoken by all Brazilians. About 345,000 people with hearing disabilities communicate through LIBRAS (Brazilian Sign Language). Previously, deaf people did not have the privilege of getting to know the Word of God in their language. With the launch of the fi rst volume of the series Adventures of the Bible in LIBRAS during the 8th Biblical Sciences Forum, on June 21 and 22, at the Bible Museum (MuBi) in Barueri (State of São Paulo), Bible Society of Brazil made the biblical message accessible to this part of the population.

The first volume (of a series of eight volumes) consists of a DVD narrated in LIBRAS and subtitled containing the stories of Noah, Samson, Moses and David, in addition to an illustrated booklet with the narratives. It took over four years of work and the direct involvement of 20 people–including translators, interpreters, consultants and editors–to develop the project.

According to Paulo Teixeira, SBB's Translation & Publications Secretary, the development of this

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publication was one of the greatest challenges faced

by SBB. “It's one of the most innovative projects we've worked on in the past few years,” he said. In its fi nal development phase, the second volume of the series will be released in the fi rst half of 2013. The goal is to complete the collection in four years.

In parallel with the release of the publication, SBB launched The Bible for the Hard of Hearing project.

The initiative consists of distributing Bible Portions in LIBRAS to the deaf. “Since the materials target mainly children and teenagers, it's hard to send them directly to the beneficiaries. So we've decided to assist organizations and schools that work with this audience.

Those institutions will be in charge of making the materials reach the deaf and their families,” explained Ms. Emilene Araújo, SBB's Social Outreach Manager.

Despite all efforts made to spread the biblical message in LIBRAS, SBB also counts on the support of Christians to complete the other volumes of the series Adventures of the Bible in LIBRAS. Become a supporter of the project.

Learn more on the website www.sbb.org.br.

The Bible in Brazil

Photo: Eduardo Cesar

General Assembly

Bible Society of Brazil's General Assembly Sets Goals for the Next Three-Year Period Adail Carvalho Sandoval was reelected President in the 20th edition of the event.

The goals of Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) for the next three-year period (2012-2015) were set during the 20th General Assembly, held on August 20 and 21 at SBB's National Headquarters, in Barueri (State of São Paulo). On the occasion, the members of SBB's governance bodies were also elected, and they reelected Adail Carvalho Sandoval as the organization's President for the next three years.

During the meeting, the officials changed the wording of SBB's mission, but keeping the same principles that have always guided the work developed by the organization: “Promote the Bible and its message as an instrument of transformation and full development of the human being.” The Board of Directors introduced the objectives and strategies that will be implemented by SBB over the next three-year period. The main emphasis was placed on promoting the Word of God to the youth; increasing investments in the digital area; intensifying relationships with the Churches; and the continuous development of outreach programs.

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Held every three years, the General Assembly's purpose is to assess the work carried out by SBB in the last three-year period. Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director, pointed out the importance of the meeting for the organization to advance in accomplishing the mission of spreading God’s Word. “The Board always follows the work carried out by the Management closely, thus making sure that the activities related to the mission are developed,” he says.

Another point stressed by the Executive Director is the fact that SBB's Board of Directors consists of members from different Christian denominations. “Our leaders of the past were very wise in developing important criteria to set up SBB's several governing bodies. Such criteria establish a fair distribution between lay people and pastors, the significant presence of women, and, above all, the representation of the widest spectrum of Christian confessions. It all shows the acknowledgment that the Bible Cause must be protected from unilateral interferences on one hand, and serve all Churches on the other,” analyzes Rudi Zimmer.■

The Bible in Brazil

General Assembly Nova Diretoria da SBB Administrative Assembly President: Adail Carvalho Sandoval 1st Vice-President: Leopoldo Heimann 2nd Vice-President: Assir Pereira Minutes Secretary: Christian Santiago Lo Iacono Treasurer: José Júlio dos Reis Voting Directors: Lourdes Lemos de Almeida, Waldir Agnello, Euclides Schlottfeldt Fagundes, Paschoal Piragine, Nilo Wachholz, Vitor Hugo Mendes Sá, Rosecler Queiroz, Marta Alves Lança, Antonio Cabrera Mano Filho, Paulo Lutero de Melo, Altair Germano da Silva, Joel Holder, Ney de Mello Almada, Roberto Brasileiro and João Artur Müller da Silva Diretores Suplentes: Paulo Silas Reis, Eliana Ovalle, Sérgio Gonçalves, Fernando Bortolleto Filho and Ka'egso Hery Board of Directors President: Adail Carvalho Sandoval 1st Vice-President: Leopoldo Heimann 2nd Vice-President: Assir Pereira Minutes Secretary: Christian Santiago Lo Iacono Treasurer: José Júlio dos Reis Voting Directors: Antonio Cabrera Mano Filho and Lourdes Lemos de Almeida Substitute Directors: Waldyr Agnello and Ney de Melo Almada

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Audit Committee President: Ageo Silva Voting Members: Bonfim Raimundo de Aguiar e Hesio Maciel Substitute Members: Sillas dos Santos Vieira and Waldicir Rosa da Silva Consulting Committee President: Adail Carvalho Sandoval Honorary Presidents: Enéas Tognini, Guilhermino Silva da Cunha and Aldo da Silva Fagundes Voting Members: Ruy Carlos de Camargo Vieira, Jonas Moreira Valente Filho, Walter Pereira da Silva, Cesar Augusto dos Santos, Euler de Oliveira Alves de Souza, Wilson Matos, Clarindo Aparecido da Silva Filho, Erlie Lenz Cesar Filho, Eleny Vassão de Paula Aitken, Joaquim Beato, Edvaldo José Gonzaga de Melo, Éber Cocarelli, Zezina Bellan, Daniel Oliveira da Rocha, Hilquias da Anunciação Paim, Alberto Schlatter, Esequias Soares da Silva, Emilson Reis and José Carlos Alcântara Substitute Members: Carlos Wesley, Luis Carlos Matsumoto Huttenlocher, Claudio Marcelo de Carvalho, Raimunda Apolônia Freire and Maurício Price Grechi

The Bible in Brazil

New Releases With Reflections of Martin Luther Featuring a selection of texts from the vast collection of this important theologian, the goal of this edition of the Holy Bible is to contribute to preaching the Gospel and edifying the Christian Church.

This edition of the Holy Bible contains approximately 900 reflections of Martin Luther selected by scholars specialized in the vast collection of writings left by the theologian that are being translated and made available in Portuguese. Featuring the biblical text in the Almeida Revised & Updated translation, the publication is suitable for a more historical and exegetical understanding of the biblical texts, or to be used as a pastoral and practical guidance tool. According to Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director, Luther's contribution to the path of Christianity is universally recognized. “Luther's work is quoted by authors of practically every Christian trend,” he explains.

The texts were chosen from Luther's works published in Portuguese by the Inter-Lutheran Literature Commission, an institution formed by representatives from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil. They include: the Mighty Fortress devotional, of 1983; the publication For the Gospel of Christ, of 1984; and the collection “Martin Luther – Selected Works,” volumes 1 to 11.

The selection highlights Luther's Christ-centric emphasis. “We might say that in the Bible, by Luther's personal and overwhelming experience with Christ's message, Christocentricity now characterizes, in a supreme way, his point of view regarding the Bible. In practically every page he noticed the living Christ, the Verb of God,” explains Zimmer.

Criteria were established to select the texts so that the publication can contribute to preaching the Gospel and the edification of the Christian Church. They were: (1) Selection, primarily, of texts where Luther made reference to a biblical passage to substantiate his thought process. In some cases, texts in which Luther made no direct connection with a biblical passage, but that somehow were related to the theme of a biblical passage, were included; (2) Reproduction of texts written by Luther selected from editions translated and published in Portuguese; and (3) Small adaptations or additions of an initial explanation in italics in texts that could not be understood when removed from their context. At the end of each chart readers will fi nd the source from where the text was extracted.

With the texts of reading aids printed in a second color, brown, the edition contains textual notes and crossreferences, prefaces to the Old and New Testaments, and the following appendices as well: Weekly sermons about Matthew 5-7 (Preface); Chapter 15 of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (Preface); Commentary of the Epistles to the Galatians (Preface); Brief instruction to what one should look for in the Gospels and what to expect of them; A selection o hymns composed by Martin Luther; Small Catechism for unlearned pastors and preachers; in addition to a brief glossary, an abridged biography of Martin Luther, and index.

Code: RA085BRLUT Format: 6.7 x 9.2 in.

Binding: Noble burgundy synthetic leather cover Price: R$84.90

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The Bible in Brazil

Photos: SBB File

Translation

Pride in Praising God in their Own Language The Nadëb people receives the New Testament translation in the language speaks to their hearts.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16; GNT). After reading this verse translated into the language that speaks to his heart, a Nadëb native looked at everyone attending the event marking the delivery of the New Testament, on June 6, and said: “Today, I'm sure there's eternal life. Thank you!”

This kind of recognition and sentiment made the missionaries Rodolfo and Beatrice Senn sure that they had made the right decision of leaving Bern, Switzerland, over a decade ago, to devote themselves to the translation of the New Testament. The translators had to move to the village of Roçado, close to the town of Santa Isabel do Rio Negro (State of Amazonas), to do this work.

The translation and distribution of the New Testament in the Nadëb language is the result of a joint effort between SIL Brasil, the organization to which Rodolfo and Beatrice Senn belong, and Bible Society of Brazil (SBB). The first step to start the translation of the Holy Book was learning the language, which had no writing system. “We had to start the translation from scratch, because there was no New Testament translated into the language closest to the Nadëb language,” said Rodolfo Senn.

In parallel with the translation work, a literacy project was also developed in the village.

Reuel Klayber Ferreira, the Manager of SBB's Regional Unit in Manaus, represented the organization in the delivery 13

ceremony of the New Testaments, and was touched by the way the Nadëb people received the Holy Book. He tells that the Nadëb natives, who had spent the night hunting, put the baskets full of hunted animals in the center of the village.

They and their wives danced and sang around the baskets. At a given moment, the chief ordered the removal of the baskets and had they replaced by another one containing the copies of the New Testament in the Nadëb language. At that time, the chief declared that the Word of God was the holiest thing for his people. “Everyone picked up their own copy.

I saw the emotion in their eyes when they read the Word in their language,” remembers Ferreira.

The New Testament translation transcended the couple's goal of spreading God's mercy through the Word.

“In addition to ensuring the survival of a language spoken for a little more than 300 people, the Holy Book also valued Nadëb natives as people created in God's image, after God's likeness, and loved by God, said the missionary Rodolfo Senn. ■

Details

Origin: The Nadëbs are a subgroup of the Makus.

Language: Linguistic family of Maku.

Location: State of Amazonas.

Population: 326 people (Census 2010).

Roçado Village: Located in the Northeast of the State of Amazonas, on the banks of Uneiuxi River, about 280 km (173 miles) from Santa Isabel do Rio Negro.

The Bible in Brazil

Photos: Eduardo Cesar

Opening

SBB Opens Distribution Center Located in Itapevi (State of São Paulo), the facility will make the distribution of Holy Scriptures throughout Brazil even more efficient.

On August 22, Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) officially put into operation its new Distribution Center in order to make the distribution of God's Word throughout the country even more efficient. Located in Itapevi (State of São Paulo), the facility is linked to the Logistics Department and will centralize in just one location the receipt, moving, storage, and order picking and shipping areas, thus making the distribution of Holy Scriptures even more efficient.

During the event, which included a dedication service to God, Edgar Carvalho, SBB's Logistics Secretary, explained why those operations had to be centralized: “After a careful analysis carried out by FIA (Business Administration Institute Foundation), we've decided to establish a specific location for distribution.

The study revealed that by investing in this sector we would have numerous advantages, such as reduced transportation and distribution costs, shorter delivery times, increased productivity, and more quality in meeting the demands for Bibles.”

According to Carvalho, the implementation of the facility was not an operational issue, but rather a strategic one. “Among other benefits, the Distribution Center implementation enabled a reduction in storage costs at 14

the Port of Santos, in addition to freeing up space at the Regional Offices, which will keep a smaller stock area,” he explained.

All orders will be filled by the Distribution Center, which will generate considerable reductions in costs like transportation, thus making it possible to save resources to be used in programs that contribute to the Bible Cause.

The only exception will be Manaus Regional Unit. As shipments to Manaus (State of Amazonas) take more than one month to arrive, a strategic stock will be kept there in order to meet the local demand.

Rudi Zimmer, SBB's Executive Director, is certain that the Distribution Center will make it easier to spread the Word of God throughout Brazil. “It's very difficult to bring the biblical message to all corners of the country because of its continental dimensions. The centralization of our inventory will allow us to provide a better service to the Churches. This is our major objective,” he said.

Sharing the same opinion, Adail Carvalho Sandoval, SBB's President, is sure that the Bible Cause will be even better furthered not only in Brazil, but worldwide.

“When we open a facility like the Distribution Center, we're ensuring that lives will be transformed by the Word of God.” ■

The Bible in Brazil

Bible Day

Reaching the Youth is the Goal of Bible Day By repeating this goal for the second consecutive year, SBB emphasizes the urgency of involving the new generations with the biblical message.

For the second consecutive year, the Bible for Young People is the theme that will guide the celebrations of Bible Day on the second Sunday of December, which in 2012 will be the 9th. By repeating this theme, Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) emphasizes the urgency of reaching the new generations with the biblical message and involving them in evangelization actions.

All Brazilian Churches are invited to participate in the campaign inspired by the text of Jeremiah 1:7: “...

But the LORD said to me, Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say.” (GNT) “Making the Bible important to young people is the great challenge and a question that should be faced by the Churches. Bible Society of Brazil's responsibility is much greater than just making the biblical message available in an appealing format for the youth. This message must reach them and change their lives. By repeating the theme of 2011, the impact and reach of the campaign become much more effective,” explained 15

Mário Rost, National Coordinator of the campaign and SBB's Institutional Development Manager.

In order to motivate every Christian denomination to get involved, SBB will hold launch events from September 26 to October 10 in the cities of Barueri (State of São Paulo), Belém (State of Pará), Belo Horizonte (State of Minas Gerais), Taguatinga (Federal District), Curitiba (State of Paraná), Porto Alegre (State of Rio Grande do Sul), Recife (State of Pernambuco) and Rio de Janeiro, to introduce the theme and objectives of the 2012 celebrations to Christian leaderships and groups of young people.

The goal of those events, according to Mário Rost, is to encourage Churches to hold special services praising the Word and other activities, such as public readings of the Bible. “We expect 370 celebratory events to be organized throughout Brazil. Furthermore, we want to encourage Brazilian Churches to give to the Bible Cause,” he said.

SBB will put its 27 State Chapters at the disposal of those seeking ideas and guidance for their celebrations. ■

The Bible in Brazil