Daily Topic for November 24, 2010
God’s Word is indeed powerful. How do you communicate it to people like the Vafsis who have a low literacy rate? Perhaps their culture offers a clue. The Vafsis are very adept at producing music and folktales. Perhaps someone can teach the Bible using these art forms.
Pray for someone to produce Vafsi-style music and folk tales that will draw them to Christ and His Kingdom.
How do linguists learn the vocabulary of an unknown language? In the case of Iran’s Vafsi speaking people, they used 24 of their folk tales! Vafsi refers to the language of about 19,000 people who live in four villages in west central Iran.
Decent agricultural land is very scarce in Iran, but the Vafsis still manage to farm. They also raise cattle, goats, and sheep for dairy products and meat. Women devote much of their time to making a rich yoghurt cheese.
The Iranian government has a goal of educating all its children, but in villages like those of the Vafsis, very few children receive the opportunity to attend school. Often schools are not available. To make matters worse, parents object to schooling because they need their children’s help on the farm. Illiteracy is high, as is true among most impoverished peoples in Iran.
Music and story telling remain a rich part of their culture. The men and boys attend their Shi’ite mosques and follow Islamic instruction. There are no known followers of Christ among the Vafsis.
Pray that Christ’s ambassadors will be able to develop friendships with Vafsi people so they will know who Jesus is and the transforming power of God’s Word. Pray that a miracle will happen so the Vafsis will see and understand the JESUS Film. Pray that they will be able to hear the good news recordings that have already been made.