Bible Study Update

Bible Study Update:
Our Bible study has been a continued success, especially as we have now started a literacy component. Since nobody was arriving on time, we made a deal with the group. For anybody who showed up at the right time, we’d teach a basic literacy lesson before the study got rolling. Even educated people here barely can read their own language since Maa is not taught at any level of public school.
Today, Steph and I tried a new style of literacy lesson based on the work of Paulo Friere. We focused on teaching specific words that were associated with a picture that was meant to focus discussion. Since our Bible study was on John 3:17-30, I decided to talk about the letter “e” (ewangan=light, enaimin=darkness). After introducing the letter “e” and some words from the passage that had that letter, we had a picture with the title “Menyorr olngojine ewangan” (The hyena doesn’t like the light.). The picture included a traditional house, a fence, some sheep, a hyena and a man with a spear and a lantern. Then we discussed why hyenas don’t like light, and why people might not like light. From there it was a easy stepping-off point to the lesson on how Christ came as the light but people preferred the darkness (vs 19-20).
Throughout the lesson we’d return to the saying “Menyorr olngojine ewangan” and the “e” sound, finding the letter “e” in the text as we shared Bibles. The power of this method was to really connect people with learning. Everybody knows that hyenas don’t like light, but to take that understand into a spiritual and even socio-political context makes the lesson relevant. We also talked about how once you know how to read, the goal isn’t just to read words, but to better understand the world around you. Critically thinking about your situation helps you to better respond to injustice, to poverty, and to change.
This was a good week in class. People were interested. One person even clapped when the lesson was finished. I really hope that these times can help people deepen their faith, and expand their worldview. If even a small group of people can begin to really actively address the problems they face, change is possible. Truly God is moving in this place.