Technology Accelerates Scripture Distribution

Neil and Kathy Vanaria’s 25 years of service in the mountainous jungles of Papua New Guinea, had seen the completion of a New Testament translation in the Mesem tribal language. When they began working in Sicily in 2016, their passion for Scripture translation was as strong as ever. 

Besides compassion and evangelistic work with refugees flooding Italy, the Vanarias have also made it their mission to put readable copies of the Bible into the hands of as many refugees as possible. With the recent donation of an SD (Secure Digital memory card) duplicator, their ability to provide the gospel to some of the world’s most broken and vulnerable people accelerated. 

Kathy shares, “The first day I used the duplicator, we needed 150 SD Bibles in three different languages. Normally that would be a two-day project if all went well. With the duplicator, it was done in under 90 minutes! After that, I zipped off another 200 for the regional superintendent to bring to Lampedusa. In the last year, we have given out over 3,500 Bibles and more on SD cards.” 

To this day, Neil and Kathy do not know who donated the funds used to provide their duplicator.

But they rejoice that it has revolutionized their work and dramatically increased their resource production. 

“What we’ve just shared about the duplicator is not even close to all of what is happening; it is just our small piece,” they state. “We just created SD master cards for Eastern European languages. Project Rescue workers in France, Belgium and the Netherlands are now distributing Bibles among trafficked women from eight different Slavic nations, many of whom are also refugees. Gwen Simonelle, a missionary associate in France, is really the driving force behind that. We have no idea how many Bibles they have given out. If none of us knows the actual statistics, then only God gets the glory!” 

Note: For frequent updates about the Vanarias’ translation, church planting, and relief work, find them on Facebook at Vanarias – Jesus’ Heart for Refugees or visit www.vanaria.info. Please also watch for the July 2017 Special Edition issue of WorldView magazine featuring more information about AGWM’s multifaceted response to Europe’s ongoing refugee crisis. 

Kristel Zelaya

Kristel Zelaya is a freelance writer and editor with global experience. She served as marketing manager for Assemblies of God U.S. Missions and as a writer and editor for Assemblies of God World Missions. These experiences have led her to numerous countries and cultures — far from beaten paths — on behalf of many who did not know how deeply their stories matter. Zelaya is also a licensed Assemblies of God minister. She and her husband Rudy share one daughter.