​

During this year's Cambodia District Assembly, each church received 2-3 Papyrus Audio Bibles. The solar-powered audio players are an important tool for evangelism and discipleship in the southeast Asian country where nearly one in four people age 15 and older cannot read and write.

The Cambodia District received its first audio Bibles in 2013 thanks to donors and organizations like JESUS Film Harvest Partners and Kids Reaching Kids. The devices were loaded with one of three different local languages and deployed to new believers who could not read. From personal Bible studies to Sunday school classes to a group of farmers taking their lunch break under a tree, the audio Bibles have been used to open up many conversations about Jesus, and as a result, people have come to faith in Jesus Christ.

At the end of 2015, a grant from Kids Reaching Kids allowed for the purchase of 80 new audio Bibles and another 73 units arrived in January. Along with the devices, leaders at District Assembly received training in how to effectively use and care for the unit.

Of the 40 Nazarene churches in Cambodia, approximately 85 percent are in rural areas and are composed of people who cannot read or write. Although it is difficult to obtain accurate statistics regarding the number of people who have become followers of Jesus through this ongoing initiative, Nazarene leaders have heard many stories of the positive impact the audio Bibles are having on the Cambodian people:

• One pastor gave the Papyrus to a young woman in a dysfunctional marriage. The young woman became a believer, and she reports that her husband no longer beats her because of the Word of God he is listening to.
• In another situation, a missionary has been sharing the Papyrus with her friend, who recently said she, too, believes in Jesus.
• Another Papyrus was given to a person attending a Christmas celebration. The pastor felt compelled by the Spirit to give the Papyrus to a woman who was not yet a believer and could not read. She took the Papyrus home, listened to the word, accepted the Lord, and has begun a small group in her home.

When the Cambodia District Advisory Board  was asked if the churches could use more of these units, they responded, “How many can we get? If you can send us 40 more, we will say ‘Praise the Lord!’ If you can send us 400 more, we say ‘Praise the Lord’! We will use however many units you can send us to spread God’s word!”

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region