Jack and Suzie Russell minister among the Simba Guaraní people of Bolivia. “Great news […] Over the past year I have purchased about 25 radios that can play our recorded material from thumb drives or SD cards. We gave them out to people in several different Simba communities to see if, and how, they would be used. The result: they are a huge hit. There have been situations where people have walked for hours to reach a house where there is a radio so that they could listen to the Bible teaching in the Simba language. Obviously, there is a great need to ramp up this part of the ministry. Thanks to some timely donations, we were able to purchase 30 more radios and 90 thumb drives on which I downloaded our recorded foundational [Bible] teaching. We also bought several 12-inch cell phone screen magnifiers. These are simple contraptions that magnify your cell phone screen. Many of the people now have cell phones and can insert micro-SD cards to watch movies. We provided SD cards with five different movies in the Simba language. Soon we hope to distribute many more screens and radios.

“[Some more] great news: Simba ministers Felix and Zoila have been cultivating friendships for years with people in the largest and most closed Simba community (literally ‘the uttermost village’). This has borne fruit as the community leaders have invited Felix to hold a three-to-four-day conference (kind of a Bible camp) near the community. The date is set. October 20 – 24. We anticipate a crowd of five hundred or more, many of whom have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel in their own language. Simba ministers Felix, Julio, and Arturo will do the teaching. Normally for a conference, we will buy a cow and a few chickens, plus potatoes, carrots, onions, rice, and a few other staples to feed everyone. Due to the estimated number of attendees, we decided this will be a two-cow conference. Pray that this conference will begin what will eventually develop into an indigenous Simba church in that isolated, dark valley.”