CAMENA Newsletter - December 2023
Engaging the Deaf community through video
When TWR’s Central Asia team started adapting video animations for deaf children and teenagers in Kyrgyzstan, the response was impressive. These sign-language, Bible-based animations quickly circulated within the community, highlighting the demand for Christian content. In the words of the team’s director, “The Deaf community is closely connected, so when a new video is published, it’s quicky shared among friends.”
The Central Asia team conducted a study and found that people in all TWR’s Central Asia regions can understand up to 90 percent of the sign language used in Kyrgyzstan. The team has already found sign-language interpreters, and 46 animation clips have been published, receiving over 26,500 clicks so far.
TWR’s Central Asia region includes Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In these countries, barriers to the gospel include the persecution of Christians, social pressure to conform to the majority religion and a lack of access to Christian content. Because the Deaf community is marginalized, they face even more challenges such as cultural stigmas and economic disparities.
The next phase in the ministry will be to adapt 52 episodes of a series titled Noble Thoughts for the Deaf community. These are stories, four to six minutes long, that teach biblical values such as how to forgive and how to pray.
As the ministry expands, more programs will be adapted for the Deaf community as funding is available. One example is a series titled Straight Talk. These are candid video discussions dealing with real-life situations such as homelessness, women in crisis and dysfunctional families.
A Kyrgyz viewer of the animations for the Deaf sent an encouraging message:
“You are the first to share content in Kyrgyz sign language for children.”
'It's like nature is crying out'
On the eighth of September, at 11 p.m. local time while people were sleeping, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco. Thousands died and thousands more were affected. TWR’s partner in the region is aware that when the ground trembles, the spiritual realm also shakes.
In light of the pain and loss, the director of TWR’s Arabic ministries said, “I feel that God is giving us the privilege to touch people’s lives in times of hardships. For us, people of the Middle East, we’ve grown accustomed to wars, challenges and earthquakes. It’s as if nature is crying out. I look at all of this and I know that God is trying to grab the attention of human beings, to show us that there is a God who is in control and that he can give us the hope of eternal life.”
Earlier this year, the twin earthquakes that rocked Syria and Türkiye caused massive devastation. Many people were left homeless and impoverished, reeling from emotional shock. It’s within these times of profound darkness that God’s Word shines even brighter. Radio programs like Hope for Syria and Youth in Mind have been sources of unwavering hope.
After the earthquakes in all three countries, TWR’s partners began radio broadcasts and SD card distribution of the trauma-healing series When Your Whole World Changes in Arabic. The program is an audio version of printed material developed by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). It presents God’s Word as a trustworthy and reliable refuge in turbulent times. In cooperation with Biblica, TWR is also sharing the series through podcasts, social media and other digital platforms.
Here is a response from a woman named Nermine that represents thousands of listeners:
“I have been communicating with you for some time now, and I want to give a special thanks to the TWR Arabic team. I’m very proud of you and it is an honor to be your sister in the Lord. I’m glad to have friends like you supporting me in prayer all the time. I thank you very much for all the programs you’re presenting with all of the ideas and topics you discuss. I’m one of many people who grew up listening to and feeding on the daily TWR Arabic broadcast. I’ve been listening to your programs since I was a child. Now, I’m a wife and a mother. I am who I am today because of your teachings. May God bless you and your ministry, producing fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold. My hours each day are almost entirely spent on your TWR Arabic mobile phone app. And I want to tell you that your broadcast makes all the difference in my life. Your words of encouragement mean a lot to me, giving me peace, serenity and joy. God used you to help me know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior since I was a child.”
Kabyle women joyfully await Women of Hope programs
The life of a Kabyle woman can be a trying and solitary journey, especially when surrounded by unbelieving family members.
Several Christian Kabyle women in our audience have husbands living in Europe and haven’t seen them for over five years or even a decade. Church closures and persecution often add to the stress they feel each day.
But there’s an excitement in their hearts as they listen to Women of Hope programs. Our regional follow-up team visits these women in their own homes, bringing gifts, personal care and prayer. They get to hear firsthand testimonies.
Our team visited one Christian lady whose husband now lives in France. He had returned for a short stay, giving the team an opportunity to pray over them together. This lady’s neighbors constantly mock her, saying that her husband surely has a better family in France now, which the husband denies. During this visit, our team talked about biblical principles of marriage, and we pray that this couple will find a way to live together in the same country.
The Amazigh flag represents the Amazigh people of North Africa, including the Kabyle. The flag’s blue, green and yellow colors symbolize the sea, mountains and sands of the region. Overlapping these colors is the Amazigh symbol for freedom in bright red. As Christians we know that true freedom can only come through the blood of Jesus.
This year, the Women of Hope Kabyle team was able to meet with the Kabyle media ministry team in a neutral Middle Eastern location. This much anticipated event, which took a lot of planning and prayer, unfolded seamlessly. It was the first time in several years that the entire team was able to freely assemble.
