The Bible in Brazil - # 246

tHE bIBLE acCessIBLE TO ALL PEOPLES Translations of the Holy Scriptures into different languages grow in numbers, year after year, enabling God’s Word to continue to transform lives worldwide.

SBB DIGITAL Prayer Booklet 2015 Free, the Prayer Booklet application offers readers weekly reasons to pray for the several projects developed by Bible Societies across the world, including the challenge of distributing the Holy Scriptures in different countries, new translations of the Holy Book, and biblical programs with social impact. Easier to navigate than the last edition, the prayer of the week is viewed by the user as soon as he opens the app. The app also offers features such as a daily Bible reading guide in three languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish, in addition to a selection of videos featuring the stories and projects developed by Bible Society of Brazil and the United Bible Societies. Available for iOS and Android.

A Year Full of News By adopting new technologies in order to meet the needs of those who are already familiar with digital books, Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) is launching a series of e-books in 2015. Check below each title already available at the Apple Store and Google Play.

The Birth of Jesus Full of super-colored illustrations, the digital version of The Birth of Jesus for children presents the true meaning of Christmas with animations and sound effects. Cost: R$1.99 Counseling Bible Considered an unprecedented project worldwide, the Counseling Study Bible has just generated two new fruits in e-book format: the Book of Genesis and the full New Testament. In both cases, it is possible to read the biblical text from a therapeutic perspective to be applied to situations of psychological and pastoral counseling in order to help people recover from traumas, and strengthen values and relationships of individuals with God and their fellow human beings. Cost: R$1.99 each The Woman’s Bible The most successful Study Bible among women is now also available in digital format. Featuring the Almeida Revised & Updated translation, the Woman’s Bible in e-book format offers the same studies of the already acclaimed print edition: comments and notes made by women from different nations, age groups and professions, focused on areas of the female universe. Cost: R$1.99

More than One Million Fans on Facebook Bible Society of Brazil’s page on Facebook was the first one among Bible Societies worldwide to exceed the milestone of one million fans.

Active since April 2011, Bible Society of Brazil’s fanpage has been attracting more and more people of different ages, from distinct locations and denominations, thus becoming one of the main communication channels for customers, friends and partners to spread the Word of God. Every day, Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) posts biblical texts and messages of faith and hope. On its Facebook page, SBB also provides information about outreach activities, Bible Cause engagement programs, and updates on the latest news and new releases.

“Exceeding the milestone of one million fans is a tremendous joy, because we see God’s Word being spread through this great social network. But it also makes us sure that we still have so much to do so that the biblical message is sown effectively in the virtual world as well,” says Márcia Carneiro, SBB’s Communications Manager. You can “like” SBB’s page on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/SBB.Brasil.

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Photo: Jaime Souzza

Profile

Passion for the Word Fifteen years ago, Maria Jose Rodrigues Dias started to help transform lives by distributing Bibles everywhere, and in every occasion.

Although she was born in a religious home in Viçosa, a riverside community in the town of Chaves, Marajó Island (State of Pará), Maria Jose Rodrigues Dias only had a closer contact with the Bible when she was 50 years old and moved to Belém. It was during a religious service that she felt touched by the Word. “Just like the burning bush of Moses, the passion for reading the Bible was very fervent,” she says, and today, at the age of 65, she shares her faith with other people by distributing Scriptures.

To show that Bible reading completely changed her life, Maria José started to buy copies from Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) to donate whenever she could. Her favorites are the Bibles for evangelization featuring the Portuguese New Translation in Today’s Language (NTLH). She estimates that she distributes more than 400 copies each year in her individual effort to spread the Word of God. “Anywhere I go, I bring the Word,” she says.

In addition to delivering a copy of the Bible, Maria José also encourages people to read the biblical text in its entirety. According to her, a verse read individually says a lot, but

when one reads a sequence of verses, the understanding is improved. Therefore, she also points out the importance of Sunday Schools in churches. “During a service, it is not possible to interact. So it is important that Sunday Schools teach children to read the entire Bible”, she says, adding that she already has the diploma provided by SBB to those who read the full Bible in one year.

As an employee of Herbalife for 20 years, Maria José reveals that everything she does in her leadership position is backed by the Word, especially study editions, such as the Bible with comments by John Maxwell.

Her job also motivated other activities for the Bible Cause. In 2012, she drew up a Will benefiting Bible Society of Brazil with 50% of the lifetime bonus offered by her company to which her heirs are entitled.

“With this I can contribute to SBB so it can reach many places I cannot reach to spread the Word. I feel profoundly gratified.

My reward is to see that so many people that, like myself, were not saved, this way will be able to reach the Kingdom of Heaven,” explains Maria José.

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Biblical Science 1

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A Journey of Faith and Knowledge 1. Nile River 2. Capernaum 3. Mount of Olives

New Seminar in Biblical Lands will offer participants the chance to experience some of the most important passages of the Holy Book where they happened.

Getting to know the place where Jesus performed his first miracle and the ruins of Peter’s house, crossing the Sea of Galilee, or simply admiring the pyramids of Egypt and the Nile River. Bible Society of Brazil (SBB), in partnership with Home Tour, will provide all of it during the Biblical Science Seminar in the Biblical Lands scheduled for November 2015.

“During the Biblical Science Seminar in the Biblical Lands participants will be visiting the places where events took place, and, therefore, the topics will be determined by the places visited,” observes Vilson Scholz, PhD in New Testament and SBB’s Translation Consultant. He will be in charge of teaching some classes during the visits and of a few talks in the evening at hotels. A tourist guide and Rogerio Enachev, Home Tour’s director, will also provide information.

The main focus of the Seminar is to make the connection between the places and biblical texts, and participants will be there as both readers and scholars of the Bible.

A major distinguishing feature, according to Scholz, will be the arrival via Jordan, in addition to visiting Egypt. “Visiting mount Nebo and seeing the land of Israel from

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‘the other side’ is quite different from going directly to Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. The same applies to visiting Tiberias and Nazareth before going to Jerusalem”, he says, announcing “indescribable experiences.”

Special Package Rogerio Enachev, who is also a theologian, exalts the trip: “Imagine studying the Dead Sea Manuscripts at the very place where they were found, visiting the ruins of Capernaum, and seeing where Jeroboam put the gold bull calves in Dan”.

Participants will have a specially prepared package, including plane tickets, boarding fees, health insurance, visas for Egypt and Jordan, accommodation with breakfast and dinner included, lunch close to sites visited with a drink included, two bottles of water per day, and gratuities for the specialized guides who speak Portuguese.

Enachev, who has been accompanying study groups to Israel since 1989, says that Home Tour has 21 years of experience with this type of itineraries and will provide the necessary infrastructure in order to offer comfort and security to participants.

PrAyer cALeNDAr

The chALLeNGe oF evANGeLIZATIoN IN ArGeNTINA Despite the economic crisis, Argentinean Bible Society keeps developing its projects, especially 1M, which aims to impact one million families with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

full Bible translated in the country. The efforts are now turning to the translation of the Old Testament into Toba West, which has the New Testament since 2009.

But, undoubtedly, the project of greater magnitude in terms of national impact has been 1M: One million Bibles for Families in Argentina. Its goal is to reach one million homes with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The General Director explains: “The emphasis is not only on the distribution of Scriptures, but mainly on evangelization”.

The operation of the United Bible Societies (UBS) in the country goes back to 1806, with the first shipment of the New Testaments in Spanish from the British & Foreign Bible Society – 160 years before the founding of SBA, in 1966.

But the year that marks the formal beginning of operations is 1825, with the arrival the first official representative. “In 2015, by the grace of God, we will celebrate 190 years of Bible work in Argentina,” exults Ruben Del Ré.

Couple who particpates in the 1M Project by evangelizing and distributing Bibles.

Photo: SBA

Ensuring the provision of Scriptures in the second largest country of Latin America, in territorial extension, has been one of the main challenges faced by the Argentinean Bible Society (SBA). About three years ago, the government set up import barriers for books, and this generated significant difficulties, since the organization had no Bibles to distribute and there was no technology available to print them. “But the Lord has shown his faithfulness, as in Ephesians 3:20: ‘But a go-between is not needed when only one person is involved; and God is one.’”, says Ruben Del Ré, SBA’s General Director.

He is referring to the episode, at the height of the crisis, when the organization could not pay the wages, and SBA’s team joined in prayer to ask God to touch the hearts of the nation’s authorities with his Word and give testimony of his message. When prayers ended, the country’s top economic official invited them to a meeting that resulted in the President mentioning this issue on national TV, showing the New Testament “The Word of God for Argentina”, and reading a message she had received from SBA. “The economic situation is not comfortable, but God has blessed us with an increase in distribution. The greatest difficulty still is the provision of Bibles from other countries, such as Brazil, Colombia and Korea,” admits the General Director, asking for prayers for the customs barriers to be lifted.

The crisis has not prevented initiatives such as the literacy project in the North for Wichi communities, which already have the full Bible, and translation projects, such as into Toba (Qom).

Targeting one of the main indigenous communities in Argentina, with about 50 thousand speakers, this project, since last December, has resulted in the second indigenous language to have the

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Cover

The Bible Accessible to All Peoples Thanks to the efforts made by the United Bible Societies, translations of the Holy Scriptures into different languages grow in numbers, year after year, enabling God’s Word to continue to transform lives worldwide.

More than 2,550 languages have at least one part of the Bible translated as a result of the efforts made by the United Bible Societies (UBS) to make the Word of God accessible to all peoples of the planet. The latest Scripture Language Report shows that, in 2013, 18 new translations of the biblical text have been completed, with the potential of impacting more than 15 million people.

The highlights are the 491 full Bibles translated into languages such as Toba (Qom), spoken in Argentina by more than 50 thousand people, Krio, with approximately 495 thousand speakers in Sierra Leone, and Mandinga, with 1.346 million speakers in Gambia.

The 6.5 million Chinese who speak Mongolian have received 1,257 New Testaments, and there are still more than 803 publications of parts of the Bible, such as the case of the Book of Genesis, now available to the 75 thousand speakers of the Altai language in Russia.

“The report reflects the missionary progress of the Church,” explains Erní Seibert, Bible Society of Brazil’s Communications & Social Outreach Secretary, the organization in charge of preparing the document. Furthermore, he says that this survey also shows, from a cultural perspective, the world of languages and, in part, of linguistics in a very practical way. “It still avoids duplication of efforts in the translation area,” he observes.

The high cost of the translation process, however, is a concern among Bible Societies, according to Seibert: “The demands are greater than our capacity and the cost of one translation exceeds one million dollars, so we need people and organizations to help us with financial resources.”

Published by UBS, the Scripture Language Report includes the work carried out by all the Bible Societies, as well as other organizations dedicated to biblical translation, in alliance with missionary institutions and translators. Seibert mentions that Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) is charge of producing the document since 2008, when UBS’ Bible Translation File was transferred from the American Bible Society headquarters, in New York (USA), to Brazil. For this task, SBB is working in partnership with the Bible Department from Cambridge University, in England.

Technology advancements in recent years has been contributing to expedite translation work and facilitate the access of people to the most read, translated and distributed book of all times. Paulo Teixeira, SBB’s Translation & Publications Secretary, tells that Bible translations have been benefited by computing since at least since the 1990s.

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“The two largest translation agencies in the world, the United Bible Societies and Wycliffe Bible Translators/SIL International, have been cooperating closely with each other for the development of tools to support translators and editors,” he explains.

Attention to Minorities The time invested throughout the process has been one of the biggest challenges in translating the biblical text into minority languages, according to Paulo Teixeira. He mentions as an example the case of languages like Xerente, into which the translation of the New Testament lasted more than four decades.

In more recent projects, the translation of the New Testament can take from eight to ten years.

Currently, SBB is working with two immigration languages spoken by descendants of Germans, mainly in the South of Brazil and in the State of Espírito Santo: Hunsrik, with about two million speakers, and Pomeranian, with 300 thousand speakers. This work is carried out by two teams based in different areas of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The translation of the Gospel of Luke into Hunsrik is now ready for publication, and the Pomeranian version is almost complete.

Vilson Scholz, SBB’s Translation Consultant, explains that the major change in the field of Bible translations occurred during the 20th Century when speakers of the languages took the place of missionaries as protagonists.

“Native speakers are the best potential translators. Their main challenge is getting to know the biblical text that they will translate within its different contexts–linguistic, cultural, etc.”, explains Scholz. Furthermore, he points out that as most of those languages do not have a written tradition, so the additional challenge is to “put the text on paper,” a difficulty faced by Pomeranian and Hunsrik translators.

The joy of offering the Bible in the language that touches the hearts of the people, however, overcomes any obstacle. According

to SBB’s Translation Consultant, to serve and help others, in addition to being necessary and pleasing to God, evokes a feeling of satisfaction. “Much more than a duty, it is a great privilege,” says Scholz.

Indigenous Languages José Carlos Alcântara da Silva, Evangelical Missionary Linguistic Association’s Executive Secretary, says that 40 Brazilian indigenous groups have translations of the New Testament and five groups of the Old Testament, as registered in Scripture Earth (www. scriptureearth.org). But it is still necessary to make a great effort to bring the biblical text to those peoples, since, according to the census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in 2010, 274 indigenous languages are spoken by 305 different ethnic groups in Brazil.

“There are numerous accounts of indigenous individuals and peoples impacted and transformed by the power of God’s Word in their own languages,” points out Silva. He mentions a testimony of Francisco Kuripako, who said: “Before we got to know the Word of God, we lived in fear of the spirits of the forest.

The “Pajés” (Shamans) deceived us; we were always afraid; but God’s Word brought us peace and enlightened our lives.”

With the mission of mobilizing and supporting churches in recruiting, training and sending missionaries to translate the Bible, the Evangelical Missionary Linguistic Association (ALEM) counts on SBB’s collaboration to carry out its activities, such as the trial edition the full

Brazilian indigenous people celebrate the delivery of the Bible in their language during ceremony

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Mongolian Bible translation team during Scripture delivery event

Bible for the Kaiwá people in 2013, developed in partnership with the Brazilian unit of SIL International. “Thanks to this vital support, we have been able to make the Holy Text available in several indigenous languages of Brazil,” says Silva.

Gratitude Worldwide Peoples from various parts of the world are thanking and celebrating the fact of having biblical texts in their own languages.

In Argentina, for example, the Qom people celebrated last December the delivery of the full Bible in their language. Now, they have access to the Word of God, thanks to the efforts undertaken by eight native translators, from 2000 to 2013, under the coordination of the Argentinean Bible Society. During the event, Orlando Sanchez, one of the translators, said: “Today, we are reclaiming our religion, our vision of the world.”

In Africa, different translation teams have worked for almost 30 years experiencing difficulties and interruptions, until they could deliver the Bible in Mandinga to the speakers of the language.

According to Henry Akapo, Bible Society of Gambia’s Executive Secretary, the Mandinga language is spoken by Christians of this ethnic group (10 to 15% of the population) and other people use it as a second language. But it is the main language used in preaching. Therefore, the Bible was very well received, in comparison with the publication in Jola. “People prefer the Mandinga edition because it is very easy to

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read,” says Akapo.

The 75 thousand speakers of Altai in Russia have, since July 2013, the Book of Genesis available in their language after an intensive work that lasted eight years. It was a desire of the Christian communities from the Altai Republic since the mid-1990s, when the language was introduced in schools, literature and magazines/newspapers.

Yana Tarnowskaya, Coordinator of the Altai project from the Bible Society in Russia, recalls that there were many challenges, including the fact that the translation was made from the text in Hebrew. “Another difficulty was to maintain the UBS’ basic translation principles, but taking into account the clarity, accuracy and naturalness of the modern Altai language, which currently is being impacted by surrounding dialects,” she explains.

Overcoming Challenges Whenever it receives a translation request, UBS uses the “Translation Needs Assessment” tool, which guides the process of research, selection, priorities and feasibility. In the next step, local Bible Societies assume the responsibility for evaluating and monitoring the translation projects, with support from UBS. Then come the obstacles, which differ according to the realities of each place, ranging from contextualization to seeking funding.

“And, in some circumstances, political and social unrest pose challenges to our translation work,” says Alexander M. Schweitzer, Director Global Bible Translation at UBS. The partnerships with Bible translation agencies, such as SIL International and Seed Company, which are chosen according to the profile of requesting churches and communities, help UBS to accomplish its mission. This is currently occurring with the ‘100 Bible Translations in 1000 Days’ project, which includes first translations and revisions of Bible translations that will benefit more than 500 million speakers of one hundred languages. “We hope to complete 91 projects

Cover by the end of 2015,” announces Schweitzer. If the 2013 results were good, the next reports should include even better data, according to Schweitzer: “We hope that the number of new

translations completed in 2014 and 2015 is significantly higher. This is exciting and a great testimony to all those devoted to the translation of the Holy Scriptures.”

Summary of the Scripture Language Report 2013 Region Africa Asia Oceania Europe North America Caribbean, Central America and South Americal Constructed Languages Total

Parts of the Bible 212 206 135 110 40

New Testaments 340 267 273 41 31

Bibles 196 146 40 63 8

Total 748 619 448 214 79

98

305

37

440

2 803

0 1,257

1 491

3 2,551

More information: Website: http://www.sbb.com.br/ofertar

Email: relacionamento@sbb.org.br

Good Signs The United Bible Societies have about ten ongoing Bible translation projects into Sign Languages, some in collaboration with other institutions. The Theologian and Biblicist Elsa Tamez, UBS’ Translation Consultant and coordinator of this work, says that the interest in this type of project has grown in recent years, so much so that approximately 20 Bible Societies have expressed the intention to translate parts of the Bible into the Sign Languages of their respective countries.

Projects in Australia, Japan and Mexico are among the most advanced.

Sign Languages, as all other languages, have phonemes, morphemes and syntax, but they are different from a spoken or written language. “They are visual, gestural and spatial, and their translations are filmed with scenes and dialogs are written or described on the air,” Elsa explains, emphasizing the importance of doing natural and fluid translations, exactly as deaf people talk among themselves. The consultant draws attention to the fact that a large part of the hard-of-hearing, especially those from lowincome families, cannot read and write.

And most deaf Christians do not have great knowledge of the Bible. “Bible translations not only speak of salvation, but also empower them and give them dignity,” she points out.

Translations into Sign Languages, in addition to more time-consuming, require multiple filming sessions and revisions that make projects more expensive; however, everything is rewarded when it is known that about 10% of the population of a country have some kind of hearing impairment and that 6% of them use only Sign Language to communicate. “It is important to make this effort because the happiness that one feels by understanding the Word of God in their own language is something that cannot be priced,” Elsa Tamez.

Elsa Tamez using Sign Language.

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BraZil

Access to Scriptures for Riverside Dwellers For 75 days, the Bible Boat “Luz na Amazônia II” was an attraction in the States of Para and Amazonas.

The Bible Boat “Luz na Amazônia II” completed another itinerary across the Amazonian region from August 25 to November 8, 2014, visiting eight towns in the States of Para and Amazonas. In many of them, the vessel was received with fireworks and praises by the population, which also provided water and electricity. These expressions of joy and hope demonstrate the importance of Bible Society of Brazil’s initiative that aims to bring knowledge and biblical literature to people who, in general, do not have access to other bookstores.

“In 2014, we made two trips with excellent distribution results. Although we cannot measure it, I am sure that lives have been reached and transformed by the Word of God,” analyzes Reuel Klayber Ferreira, former Bible Society of Brazil’s Regional Secretary in Belém (State of Pará) at the time of the trip, and currently the organization’s Regional Secretary in Recife (State of Pernambuco).

One of the challenges faced by the crew is staying away from their families for such a long time. It is also necessary to overcome adverse weather conditions, such as the torrential rain that hit the port of Manaus (State of Amazonas). The Bible

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Boat was pitched violently by the wind, struck a sandbank, being left stranded, and its propeller was damaged. Ferreira says: “A barge pulled us back to the river, and we were able to get help to repair the propeller.

Ultimately, with the grace of God and the help from partners, we could continue the trip.”

But all those obstacles are small in light of the reaction of the people assisted.

Adriano de Jesus Barros Assunção, Bible Boat’s Coordinator, tells a case that happened in the town of Breves, State of Pará, when the team was preparing to leave, early in the morning. “A young man, who had traveled with his family for four hours in a very small boat, arrived hoping to find us there. That moved me and still makes me think how much our work is relevant to the lives of people. He was able to buy a large Bible for a very low price.”

Maria Rozilene Vieira de Souza, resident of Itaituba (State of Pará), agreed with the Coordinator, and told that she buys materials for evangelization when the Bible Boat visits her town. “This is a very important project because it spreads the Word and enables people to buy Bibles in a more accessible way,” she says, requesting that her town remains in the vessel’s itinerary.

Fotos: Arquivo SBB

bible in Action

Five Years of Light in Northeastern Brazil The program has already benefited more than 30 thousand people in five Brazilians states by offering spiritual assistance and health care, in addition to knowledge about the Holy Scriptures.

A thanksgiving service at Capunga Baptist Church, in Recife (State of Pernambuco), on December 14 marked five years of the Light in Northeastern Brazil, developed by Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) that overcame many challenges and has important achievements to celebrate. During this period, over 60 thousand procedures benefited more than 30 thousand people, in about 30 towns in the States of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Alagoas, Ceará, and Pernambuco.

With its broad scope, the program has been recognized by churches and society because it offers spiritual assistance and health care, in addition to knowledge about the Holy Scriptures with the Bible World.

Light in Northeastern Brazil was inspired by the pioneering program Light in Amazonia developed by SBB for over 50 years, which also gave rise to the Light in Southeastern Brazil and Light in Southern Brazil programs.

These programs are now part of a parent program established in 2008 called Light in Brazil. “When people participate in an activity of one of the ‘Light’ programs, whether as partners, volunteers or beneficiaries, they are touched by the message of love of God’s Word, and this changes lives,” explains Erní Seibert, SBB’s Communications & Social Outreach Secretary.

Marcos G. F. Silva, SBB’s Coordination of Regional Offices Secretary, says that when he learned more about Light in Amazonia he was so enchanted by the activities carried out, always focused on the Bible Cause, and began to dream about something more comprehensive: “Why not land, mud, roads, and hinterlands instead of waters and rivers?

Why not have a program targeting this welcoming, religious, suffering and needy people, both physically and spiritually?,” he reflected on that occasion.

People being assisted in Recife.

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Bible in Action According to the Coordination of Regional Offices Secretary, the challenge continues because the population of Northeast Brazil still has many basic needs. He explains: “The program tries to offer both some physical support and the most important thing that a human being can receive, that is, knowing God through his Word.”

Celebrating five years of Light in Northeastern Brazil.

Based on this reflection and on a consensus among SBB leaders, the organization established a partnership with the Scottish Bible Society that offered funds for the acquisition of the program’s truck.

The vehicle was refurbished to celebrate the program’s anniversary with a new design for its body featuring illustrations themed on “Cordel literature,” typical of Northeast Brazil.

Facing Challenges Involving churches and people, forming a group of volunteers, and obtaining funds to cover the considerable expenses–travel costs, meals, medication and miscellaneous materials–have been constant challenges for Light in Northeastern Brazil. Especially because the demand is growing and there are many requests, the lack of resources does not allow for the expansion of the program’s scope.

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Touching Experience Nathanael Bezerra Valle Neto is a loyal volunteer of Light in Northeastern Brazil. Working in the hotel industry in the town of Paulista (State of Pernambuco), he joined most trips helping mainly with logistics. “The most important aspect of this program is evangelization, the promotion of the Bible,” he says.

In Cajueiro, Valle Neto experienced an unforgettable moment when he found a boy crying because he had spent the day working and thus did not have time to receive a Bible that he would give to his father. “The team was touched and gave him a book of Bible stories and a Bible for the father,” recalls the volunteer.

Maria Sueli da Silva, from the town of Bonito (State of Pernambuco), has only praise for the program. She took her mother and a nephew to dental and eye appointments, and now she has just one desire: “Please come back because our community needs initiatives like this one.”

Light for Riverside Dwellers “Light in Amazonia is very supportive.

I always ask that you continue to support riverside communities, blessing this forgotten population. We are grateful for this help.” This was the message from Raimunda Farias de Barros, resident of Cruzeirinho community, when she received the Christmas kit donated with the collaboration of partners, donors and volunteers who participated in the 13th Riverside Communities Christmas campaign.

With the theme “Christmas of Waters: Light for Riverside Dwellers,” the 2014 edition benefited more than 2.5 thousand people, from communities in the North of Brazil. Part of the Light in Amazonia program, this campaign aims to bring material and spiritual comfort to communities facing situations of vulnerability and social risk

within the region that, in December, experience a critical period because of the “açaí” and fish shortage. “I never had the opportunity to participate in an activity with riverside dwellers. It was an incredible opportunity to have come and helped out,” said Aline Brito, an employee of Grupo Brazão, who worked as a volunteer during the delivery of kits.

About 15,000 pieces of clothing, 2,000 pairs of shoes, 1,300 food kits, 2,000 toys and 2,600 biblical publications were distributed. The communities assisted were Periquitaquara, Murucutum, Ilha Grande, Urubuóca, Aurá and Cruzeirinho (Belém); Mocajuba and Itaperaçu (Bajuru); Itacoã/ Guarajá Miri and Santa Rosa (Acará); and Sítio São Mateus (Barcarena).

Children benefited with the donations received during the Christmas campaign.

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New Releases Even More Beautiful and Edifying Completely remodeled, the “Family Bible” has a new format (13.5 x 20.0 cm; 5.3 x 7.9 in.) and a new layout. Full of family photos in daily situations featuring a more modern layout, which makes reading the biblical text and Bible studies even more enjoyable, the new edition is offered in two different covers. The first one, white, is an ideal gift for weddings and special dates. The second one, hardcover, is suitable for the whole family because it has a picture frame on the cover for a family photo.

Regarding the content, the publication still features the same resources and tools that made it successful and contribute to strengthen family ties. It includes 482 studies signed by Jaime and Judith Kemp, covering varied topics such as adolescence, marriage, old age, divorce and dating. Featuring the Almeida Revised & Updated translation, this Bible is a “must-have” in all Christian homes because it makes people reflect on family life.

Product Description Code: RA067BFW | Format: 13.5 x 20.0 cm (5.3 x 7.9 in.)

Binding: white synthetic leather cover | Price:R$54.90 Code: RA063BF | Format: 13.5 x 20.0 cm (5.3 x 7.9 in.)

Binding: Illustrated hardcover | Price: R$49.90

An Invitation

to Prayer

A book that invites readers to read, reflect and pray. This is “Journey with Jesus,” a publication that encourages the daily contact with the message and teachings of God’s Son. It features the full text of the four Gospels and 366 brief reflections, with space for notes at the end, allowing readers to use it as a diary or a prayer journal. With a simple yet refined finishing, it is available in three cover colors: blue, black and burgundy.

Product Description Code: EA960CB | Format: 8.5 X 16.0 cm (3.3 x 6.3 in.)

Binding: hardcover with elastic band | Price: R$38.90

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Distribution

New Scripture Distribution Record In 2014, the total of Bibles, booklets and biblical pamphlets distributed exceeded 289 million copies, an increase of more than 9% compared to the previous year.

Bible Society of Brazil (SBB) reached in 2014 the milestone of 289,605,467 Scriptures distributed in Brazil, an increase of more than 9.2% compared to the previous year, a demonstration of the permanent effort to make the Word of God accessible to everyone. With Bibles, New Testaments, booklets and biblical pamphlets, among other publications, SBB improved its outreach programs and met the demand for Scriptures from churches.

The new record is especially due to the growth of biblical pamphlets distribution (more than 9.7%), which totaled 277,970,900 copies. “This figure shows that Brazilians enjoy reading short excerpts from the Bible. And this, in turn, inspires them to read more and more the Holy Book,” explains Rudi Zimmer, SBB’s Executive Director, considering that biblical pamphlets encourage people to develop the habit of reading and attract new readers.

The total of publications includes 337,539 publications in digital format, of which 329,752 were full Bibles.

The number of full Bibles distributed remained at almost the same level of 2013,

Scripture Distribution in Brazil in 2014 Type of Scripture Bibles New Testaments Booklets

Quantity 7,612,438 693,044 2,467,511

Pamphlets

277,970,900

Academic

90,763

Miscellaneous

770,811

Total

289,605,467

with 7,612,438 copies. The Executive Director points out that, besides selling Bibles at subsidized prices, the donation of Scriptures through the organization’s outreach programs has reached 900,489 copies, in addition to more than 2.3 million biblical pamphlets.

SBB has been striving to develop Scriptures for the different segments of the population. There also Bible reading incentive programs that not only draw new readers, but also promote the engagement of Christians with the Holy Book,” he explains.

Marcos G. F. Silva, Coordination of Regional Offices’ Secretary, emphasizes the effort made by SBB units across Brazil to bring the Scriptures to the most remote places of the country, overcoming challenges in a year full of difficulties and highly popular events, such as the FIFA World Cup and general elections. “It was very important the engagement of churches and Christians with the Fair Play Brazil Movement, which distributed biblical materials to the fans who attended World Cup matches,” he analyzes.

Bible Day campaign, according to Silva, also contributed to spreading the biblical message and to the involvement of Christians and non-Christians with the Holy Book. The relationship with churches, by the way, is praised by Zimmer as one of the key factors for the increase in distribution.

“We are grateful for the results, but we are aware that much more still needs to be done so that the Bible can become the bedside book of all Brazilians,” concludes SBB’s Executive Director.

The Bible in Brazil

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