Audio Bibles bring hope to Tamil refugees

"Rebuilding of lives" of thousands of Tamil refugees in Sri Lanka, involves "rebuilding of their faith" as well, said an Audio Bible Ministry who is giving the "message of hope" to the people whose survival depends on aid funds.

The 26 years of bitter civil war came to an end in May with the defeat of Tamil Tigers who were fighting for a separate homeland in the North.

The United Nations estimates 7,000 civilians were killed and about 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes, are now trying to rebuild their lives from the refugee camps.

The Audio Bible Ministry said, the transition has opened the door for the Good News to come into areas once cut-off from the world.

"Conditions in Sri Lanka are difficult right now -- closed roads, unsanitary living conditions and lack of resources," said Doug Harstine, Faith Comes By Hearing regional manager.

"There is great need, especially for food. Relief organizations and Faith Comes By Hearing partners, like the Ceylon Bible Society, are assessing which regions have the most damage," said Harstine. "The rebel-held areas, which were once closed and heavily guarded, will be open again soon."

"During this time of rebuilding comes a rebuilding of faith."

"The people are ready for the message of hope that comes from God's Word," he said. "We're working with the Ceylon Bible Society to distribute Audio Bibles in those refugee camps."

Harstine said Faith Comes By Hearing is expanding their impact in the region by forming a new outreach team and sending out a recording team.

"Our new Faith Comes By Hearing outreach team is made up of Ceylon Bible Society staff. These dedicated believers will go into these areas and camps, come alongside churches and ministries and start Audio Bible listening groups," said Harstine.

As people hear God's Word, they are discipled and transformed; they respond by planting churches.

"The recording team will re-record the Tamil Audio Bible using indigenous voices," said Harstine. "The current recording was voiced by Indians because of the lack of access to the Tamil region. Now, the Word of God will be in their dialect, and Tamil people will be more open to the Scriptures."

After finishing the Tamil New Testament, the team plans to record other languages in South Asia.

Faith Comes By Hearing's mission is to record the New Testament in 2,000 languages and to implement two million Bible listening groups by 2016 to reach the 50% of the world who cannot read and are poor. Faith Comes By Hearing now has 439 Audio Scripture recordings in 371 languages.

The audio scriptures in 2,000 languages are available for free download at www.FaithComesByHearing.com.