December 2004 - Pearl Woodford

Pearl and her family enjoyed the picture perfect Christmas year after year – for over 55 years. Three generations of loved ones gathered together in one home … fresh, full aromas unfurling in the air—the pine Christmas tree … wild cedar … fragrant hanging wreaths … homemade pumpkin and lemon meringue pies … and a just-from-the-oven, spiral honey-baked ham. Staying with their yearly tradition, the Woodfords huddled around their Christmas tree to open gifts.

Each family member would take turns standing and walking to the tree – then pick a Christmas gift and read the name on the card to learn which family member gave the gift.

Last Christmas, Pearl’s turn arose – she walked to the tree. Gift in hand, she paused--- and stared--- at the gift tag … for an uncomfortably long time. As everyone’s face started to show concern, STILL Pearl h-e-s-i-t-a-t-e-d. Then she began to cry.

Pearl discovered she could not read the gift tag. She could not see who sent the present.

The very center of Pearl’s picture perfect Christmas – and the very center of her field of vision – were gone. Another victim of macular degeneration.

Brenda, Pearl’s daughter, said, “Our worst fears were confirmed. Mom had macular degeneration.” That disorder, as you know all too well in your practice, affects the central part of the eye’s retina and causes central vision loss.

“Mom used to run circles around me,” said Brenda. “She baked cakes for people and stayed very busy. Losing her eyesight was hard on her, especially not being able to read her Bible anymore. All of her life, my mother sat down at the table and read her Bible every day …

But now … she can no longer see her Bible, so she listens to the Audio Bible that you sent to her from Aurora Ministries.” Pearl herself adds, “ I don’t know what we would do without our Bible tapes … thank you so much for your assistance.”

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Andrew Hilton
March 2005

Eleven-year old Andrew Hilton was enthralled to receive his very own audio Children’s Bible recently from Audio Bibles for the Blind. As a toddler, Andrew was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy after a near-fatal drowning accident. His family was devastated to hear doctors say that Andrew would never see, hear, or speak again–– that he would probably live his life in a vegetative state.

Today, those doctors are quite pleased to admit that a miracle has taken place! Ten years later, Andrew sees many things with the use of visual aids. He can hear. He communicates on a foot-operated computer. He carries on normal conversations with anyone who will listen.

Andrew’s Grandma calls him “God’s miracle!”

And the Children’s Bible we sent him is a precious part of his life. “Andrew loves listening to God’s Word,” says Grandma, “and understands completely what Jesus did for him on the cross. He is constantly witnessing to people––including most recently, his speech therapist, who now often asks Andrew to pray for her.”

Andrew’s spiritual life has become so dear to him that Andrew has told his family he wants to become a minister one day. And who knows? He has overcome so many obstacles that maybe one day Andrew will become a minister.

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Nate Christiansen
April 2005

Tonight a young man will be caught by his mother, long after bedtime, quietly sneaking a midnight snack.

Only he will not earn a scolding. Not even a dirty look. A hug, perhaps. You see, this after-hours treat isn’t ice cream, chocolate, or potato chips. It will be a “double scoop” of a nourishment this young man can hardly live without–– God’s Word.

And you’re one of the conspirators who helped stock his “fridge”? Let me explain.

It began twenty-four years ago, when Marlys Christiansen was told that her newborn son Nate had Down Syndrome. “Teach his spirit,” a friend told her. “The extra chromosome doesn’t touch the spirit.” [In other words, she was told to target training and nurturing for Nate’s soul because his physical limitations could never limit how God could speak into his soul.]

Marlys followed that sage advice. Today, Nate is an energetic, happy, and sweet-spirited young man. And thanks to the Audio Bible we provided to him free of charge, that childlike spirit is taught and nurtured by nothing less than the spoken Word of God – the bread of life.

Despite his so-called “disability,” Nate listens through the Bible at least three times a year. He follows a daily “Through the Bible” radio study, preparing for each lesson by listening to his tape of the day’s passage. When the Christiansen family travels, Nate plans ahead and packs the right tapes to listen to as they journey along on the road. Nate prepares for Sunday morning sermons by listening the night before to the Scripture verses printed ahead of time in his church’s bulletin. Any time someone wants to find a Scripture passage, they just ask Nate––he knows!

“There are times at night,” shares Marlys, “when I hear noises. I think maybe, a mouse? When I investigate, I usually find Nate, unable to sleep, listening to his Bible tapes.” During the day, Nate likes to “snack on the Word of God” the way others graze on comfort foods.

Nate and his mother recently visited our audio production facility. That’s when Marlys showed us a worn set of cassette tapes. Nate has actually worn out several sets of Audio Bible tapes! So, recently – to preserve them – he began copying them onto blank cassettes––inventing his own custom labels. Only he knows what many of them mean, yet Nate knows precisely what passages each cassette contains!

This is why we gave Nate a brand new set of Audio Bibles on cassette, the CD/MP3 version, and the New Century Version to share with other Down syndrome families.

As he left, we asked if we could have two of the precious cassette copies bearing his home made labels for our “hall of fame.” Graciously, he whispered, “Yes. You can keep them.”

Friend, I’m sure you know that nothing is more precious than God’s Word––especially to someone with a visual disability or print impairment for whom the “usual” kind of reading is not possible.

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Thenita Howard
May 2005

It was probably unintentional: An Audio Bible for the Blind Audio Bible, labeled with something we would NEVER place on them…

… a price tag! A blatant violation of our most important commitment: to never, ever sell our products to those we serve.

Yet when Thenita Howard saw a modest price of $15 placed on an album of our cassettes by her local charity thrift shop staff, she considered it a terrific bargain.

You see, Thenita had just been scheduled for radical eye surgery to save her failing eyesight. But the one thing Thenita yearned not to live without - no matter what - was God’s Word.

This special lady still had barely enough eye power to focus on the words printed on the package of our Bible cassettes––“Not to be sold under ANY circumstances!” Puzzled by the sentence and the $15 price tag, Thenita took the Audio Bible to the cashier, who shrugged and offered to knock off half the price.

A good price had just gotten better. She accepted.

During the months that followed, Thenita’s eyesight deteriorated considerably. She went without sight in one eye for an entire year. But during it all, her bargain basement Bible tapes provided her a huge blessing. “My tapes have helped me become a much better student of the Bible,” she tells us, “and the Lord has continued working in me to develop deeper patience and sensitivity for others since hearing His Word daily.”

When her Bible tapes wore out, Thenita contacted the number she’d found on the album. She called and asked to buy more, but we didn’t give her the answer she’d expected.

“I’m sorry. We NEVER sell them,” she was told. “But we can GIVE you whatever you need.”

Not understanding, she insisted. “I’d just like to buy a replacement.” Again, Beth (a lady in our office) declined, explaining that simply giving these Bibles freely to those who can no longer see or use a book is truly the heart of our ministry. Finally, Thenita realized how deeply we meant those words on the cassette package – and we sent more to her.

So, friend, do you know what she did? Thenita was so moved and grateful that she began sending us monthly contributions. “Getting the Bible was one of the greatest things anybody ever did for me,” she says. “And I wanted to do for somebody else what you all did for me. I know that I’ll never be able to get out there and personally help people like me. But I can do the best I can to help others by giving.”

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Jim Grimes
November 2005

The tragic stories of so many recent hurricane victims have affected us like they have you . . . we are deeply saddened. People have lost so much . . . and many of their possessions can never be replaced.

But we have become aware of a cherished personal possession that CAN be replaced with your help. An Audio Bible.

Perhaps this is a need that hasn’t occurred to you. Although we expected some calls, we have instead been overwhelmed by the number we are receiving from some very special people . . .

People like Jim Grimes, a long-time New Orleans resident who had to quickly evacuate because of the rapidly approaching Hurricane Katrina. He was expecting a short stay in Baton Rouge and a quick return home. But on the second day after Katrina hit, the 17th Street Levee failed . . . Jim’s home lay in its path.

Jim is blind.

Like so many of the people you serve and we serve, he has been blind from infancy. And also like so many, he has conquered his physical challenges.

Jim called us right away! He and his wife had left everything behind — their home, clothing, a vast Braille library, and all of their personal possessions. Do you know what they told us they miss the most? They had to leave their Audio Bible and player behind.

When they called, Jim and his wife asked us to replace their set of Audio Bible tapes and player, and we’ve gladly done so. They can now listen to their Audio Bible again every day. After all, it is the most meaningful possession they have.

We continue to receive a steady stream of phone calls from people requesting to have their most precious possession replaced — their Audio Bible!

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Sheila Rousey
December 2005

Without even knowing her, you gave Sheila Rousey the most life-changing Christmas gift she’s ever received. God’s Word.

And in the process, a whole new life.

Sheila once depended on those around her for even the most basic Bible-reading time. As a woman deprived of sight for most of her life, she was, in her words, “... always waiting for a ‘Good Samaritan’ to come along and read the Bible to me. And maybe they would, maybe they wouldn’t.”

Because of a congenital disorder and severe glaucoma, Sheila’s vision had grown so poor that she had given up reading printed words altogether. At the same time, she had not yet learned to read Braille. Her study of God’s Word had dwindled to living on memorized stories and bits of Scripture.

Not being able to see her world was painful enough. But living without God’s Word was a loss Sheila could hardly bear.

But that all changed when, thanks to friends like you, Sheila received an Audio Bible on cassette tape from us. And nothing was ever the same.

“Having the opportunity to re-open God’s word through listening had a remarkable effect in my life,” Sheila writes. “I realized that being blind did not limit me in my ability to learn and grow spiritually. It was as if God opened up a new path for me in life. He gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and sign up for classes at a nearby college.”

Today, as a result of that journey, Sheila is an instructor at a local college. She helps her students to better their lives. “I am very quick to tell them that if God can use me in the capacity I serve, how much more can He do for them if they are willing to hang in there, too.”

But the story doesn’t end there. You see, this Christmas Sheila will experience God’s Word in our new MP3 format.

She is eagerly anticipating the freedom of having a complete Audio Bible on only three discs––whose books and chapters she can navigate with ease!

Gaining the freedom to spend time in God’s Word on her own changed more than Sheila’s spiritual walk. It changed her outlook, her confidence, and ultimately, her entire life.

Georgia Dilworth
January 2006

Georgia Dilworth’s beloved old Bible was so well-used, it literally “opened itself” up to her favorite passages.

Truly, God’s Word was the cornerstone of this 81-year-strong, rich, independent life––even though it included a daughter, two grandchildren and a canine family of one German Shepherd, a Chihuahua and four Dachsunds.

Of all her blessings, “The Bible gives me peace that I cannot find anywhere else,” Georgia declares to this day. So some years back, when optic neuritis stole Georgia’s ability to read her cherished Bible, this dear lady was understandably distraught.

For nearly two decades, there was a hole in Georgia’s life. “I felt lost without my Bible,” the Texan told us. “I thought I had lost my Bible forever. It was like the water in the well had gone dry.”

Georgia had worked her whole life. Even after her husband’s passing in 1989, she had prided herself on being vital and self-sufficient. So the loss of this freedom was overwhelming. She found herself relying on memory and radio programs for even passing scraps of Scripture.

Then one day, the folks at Austin’s Talking Book Library referred her to Audio Bibles for the Blind. Georgia contacted us––and found her loss erased within moments. That’s because we gladly told her that we would rush her a recorded copy of God’s Word she could listen to at once.

“I was thrilled to hear that Cliff Barrows of the Billy Graham ministry was the narrator,” Georgia recalls now. “He has such a nice, strong voice!”

Today, Georgia ’s life has changed. She tells us, “I have peace again now that I have access to the Word, because of my Audio Bible, that I wouldn’t otherwise have. My Audio Bible got the spring [inside me] going again!”

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David Moore
March 2006

“My Audio Bible led me to the Lord and helped me to become a whole person...”

Hang on, my friend–– for these words are just part of one of the most overwhelming testimonies I’ve ever received of a life changed through Audio Bibles for the Blind.

And yet it’s only one of the many souls you’ve helped reach through your support of this ministry.

Indeed, if I could invent a life-story to showcase all that Audio Bibles for the Blind could mean to one person, I would hardly dream up one like David Moore’s.

Born with congenital damage to his optic nerve, David could make out colors and shapes until he was 12. Since then, he has seen only light and dark.

David spent many of his early years questioning God’s existence. Amazingly, this same, desperate search led David to acquire his very first Audio Bible.

In fact, David listened to his Audio Bible so intently––still longing to find the truth once and for all––that he memorized scores of verses. He even grew locally famous as a perennial caller to a Bible trivia show, as the non-believer who never missed an answer!

In fact, that notoriety even led to David meeting his future wife, who recognized his voice from the radio as they sat beside each other on a bus ride.

Even with this knowledge, it wasn’t until 1999 that David realized the truth. Mind you, it was no religion or person which helped him see the truth. It was while listening to his Audio Bible that David finally saw the love of God––embodied in Jesus Christ.

David’s life has never been the same. “I used to be a half a person,” he says now, “but now that I have the Holy Spirit (and my wife Traci), I am a whole person.”

David’s whole life now shines with promise! As you might have already guessed, God has given him an incredible ability to memorize. The same talent which helped him learn so many Bible verses has enabled David to solve incredibly complex mathematical equations in his head.

Well, thanks to this gift, David is on his way towards finishing a hard-earned Master’s degree in Mathematics at Ohio State University, with a goal of someday, the Lord willing, teaching at the college level.

Yet for David, his talent’s greatest gift is the chance to harbor God’s Word in his heart. “[My Audio Bible] has totally changed my life because I am able to listen to the entire Bible instead of waiting until Sunday and hear a verse or two at church. Now I can read it on my own, whenever I want.”

David and Traci are so grateful for his Audio Bible that while visiting her mother in Sarasota last year, they came and visited our campus. We were touched to see David gently run his fingers over our equipment and witness the entire production process––from recording to winding tapes, burning MP3’s, filling albums and shipping.

“I loved being able to see all of the machines that put the Bibles onto cassette and MP3,” he said afterwards, “as well as being present at the time when the recording of the Children’s Old Testament was taking place.”

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Nadine Ingels
April 2006

Deep in Missouri’s heartland, 74-year old Nadine Ingels lives surrounded by the things that mean the most to her: her faith, her memories, her home . . . and her Audio Bible cassette tapes.

Does that last part sound unlikely? Then please step into Nadine’s touching story with me and see for yourself how your gifts to Audio Bibles for the Blind truly do change lives in unforgettable ways.

Macular degeneration may have robbed Nadine of much of her sight, yet it has not deprived her of a rich life. Nadine remains quite independent. Yet there is one part of her life she is glad to depend on­­––her Audio Bible.

You see, until a few years ago, Nadine ran their family farm with her beloved husband, Boone. Boone Ingels was the fifth generation to bear that name and proud to be a direct descendant of Daniel Boone.

Yet Boone’s proudest heritage was not his lineage, but his years of devotion to his church. Boone Ingels truly loved going to church. And he loved his God.

In fact, only one thing managed to stop Boone’s church attendance––a severe stroke. The devastation of Alzheimer’s followed hard on its heels.

Yet, despite her own challenges, Nadine visited Boone in the nursing home every day, faithfully, for six years. Every morning and again each afternoon, she played for him the Audio Bible she had requested for her own visual problems.

For the last six months of his life, Boone’s mind would lose its grip on the God of his youth and the faith he had once cherished. Yet without fail, Nadine would visit and play her Audio Bible. And without fail, hearing the Word of God revived Boone’s memory of his love for God, if only for a few hours.

On December 10, 2004, Boone passed away. Although she misses him tremendously, Nadine knows that he is with God. And she is enormously grateful for the gift which her Audio Bible bestowed on her and her beloved.

“The tapes,” she says, “helped him right up until the day he died.”

Today, Nadine listens to the Audio Bible tapes alone. Every day in her farmhouse, she turns on her Audio Bible and senses a faithful presence. “God has been with me all of these years,” she affirms. Nadine loves the Word with the same kind of devotion with which she cared for Boone and her farm.

“Your (Audio Bible) tapes,” Nadine tells us with deep emotion, “have been a blessing to me, to my husband, and to his nursing home roommate.”

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Janice Klann
May 2006

Janice Klann loves music so dearly that she used to not only sing in, but conduct choirs.

But the “wet” variety of macular degeneration––the fastest moving and most destructive––has changed all that. From fuzzy vision in 2000, she has now lost all of her central and most of her peripheral sight.

Today, she can no longer see well enough to read music at all. The only songs she can sing are those she memorizes.

Janice once sang duets with her husband, Harvey, and had done so ever since the couple were young adults. Today, they do so infrequently, due to the difficulty of memorizing music without seeing it.

Janice loved to sew, but now she can’t see the needle and thread. Macular degeneration has made impossible all but the smallest tasks in her life.

Most of all, Janice always cherished God’s Word. She had a shelf-full of Bibles which she loved to read, compare and contrast with each other. She has read the Bible so often, she could at one point in her life flip to any book and chapter at a second’s notice. But macular degeneration…

… Well, you know what I’m saying.

Actually, macular degeneration hasn’t kept Janice from holding the Bible at the center of her life. Not at all.

You see, Janice’s local library contacted Audio Bibles for the Blind on her behalf. And far away from her home in Rogers City, Michigan, we were able to help send Janice her very own cassette Audio Bible.

The gift “opened up” Janice’s Bible once again. Yet there was a problem. Janice’s specific vision challenges made it difficult for her to locate specific chapters and verses on cassette. And for a “power user” like her, that limitation made an enormous difference.

Once again, we were able to help. That’s because our new MP3 Bible is so simple that even without sight, users can navigate with the single click of a computer key. Since receiving her very own copy, Janice is now able to easily find specific chapters and verses in seconds!

“It had been a year since I had been able to read my own Bible,” Janice tells us. “Thank you for your ministry. God is providing for my needs!”

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Josephine Durham
July 2006

When Josephine (Jo) was a newborn infant, she received too much supplemental oxygen, which prevented her eyes from growing properly. Today, she is congenitally blind. She can see some color, but cannot read print.

As a child, Jo attended two years of public school before transferring to a special Sight Saving class for the visually impaired. In third grade, Jo’s church presented her with her first Bible—the same one all the other children received. The only difference? Jo couldn’t read hers. Jo’s mother had to patiently read the Scriptures to her.

After Jo completed the difficult task of learning braille, she acquired a braille Bible and was finally able to read the Bible for herself. But Jo still found that having the Bible read to her was easier than trying to read it in braille. Although the braille Bible was a great tool for Jo, it was bulky and cumbersome. Its 25 volumes took up an entire bookcase!

Jo continued her education at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, and then took a job at Doubleday using the Dictaphone. While working there, she met Fred Durham, one of the volunteer van drivers who helped blind people in her area attend various events and functions. They married exactly one year later.

In 1988, before undergoing a risky eye surgery, Jo wanted to see the country with the limited vision she had. Fred took a leave of absence from his job, bought a small camper, and began touring the country with Jo. When they returned, Jo underwent the surgery, but it was unsuccessful, and her eyes deteriorated even further.

Some time thereafter, Jo’s mother began losing her eyesight. Jo and her mother switched roles: Using her braille Bible, Jo patiently began reading God’s Word to her 97-year-old mother each day until she passed away in April 1999.

Then in 2003, something wonderful happened. Jo attended the National Convention for the Blind and signed up for her first audio Bible. What a blessing! “ An audio Bible would have been great for my mom,” Jo said. But Jo didn’t know about audio Bibles then.

Today, Fred and Jo have been married for 49 years. They have three children and five grandchildren. Their camper has become their “permanent” home, and they spend their time visiting family, making new friends, and enjoying God’s creation.

Jo donated her braille Bible to the local library because it was too big to carry in the trailer. She relies on her audio Bible—now an MP3 version. Jo finds it “a wonderful blessing. It takes up SO much less space than the braille Bible, and it’s easy to use. . . . [And] with a person narrating the Bible, it brings out a new meaning to the Word!”

In March of 2006, Fred and Jo’s travels finally brought them to Florida, so they decided to visit the Aurora Ministries campus, home of Audio Bibles for the Blind. En route, they visited a church where they met a blind woman named Michelle. She had not heard of Audio Bibles for the Blind and was excited to learn how to get her own audio Bible.

But Michelle was not the first person that Jo has referred to Audio Bibles for the Blind. As Fred and Jo put it, “ We put each trip in God’s hands, and He puts people in our path that need encouragement—or an audio Bible!”

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Mrs. "W."
August 2006

Mrs. W, a visually impaired person, wanted to serve God. Her church had a 24-hour prayer ministry, and she felt called to offer her services for the wee hours of the morning—the hours the church had difficulty enticing others to cover. She was excited to be able to serve in this way . . . until she found out she couldn’t do what was being required of her.

Each prayer warrior was asked to read portions of a particular prayer book, and Mrs. W’s vision impairment made it impossible for her to read. Mrs. W. was devastated. She had so wanted to be able to do this important work for her church!

But Mrs. W. didn’t give up. Instead, she prayed that the Lord would provide some other way for her to meditate on His Word and to still be equipped for the prayer ministry.

That same week, as she and her husband approached their home, they noticed a delivery box at their door. Neither of them could recall placing an order for anything. At first they thought they should send the suspicious “thing” back and refuse to pay for its contents, but then Mr. W. encouraged his wife to open it first.

Imagine her delight when Mrs. W. found a set of Audio Bibles for the Blind tucked inside! Even though she couldn’t read the prayer book, she could listen to and reflect on God’s Word. God had answered her heartfelt prayer. She could join the prayer ministry after all!

But where had the tapes come from? From Mrs. W.’s perspective, it had taken God less than a week to answer her prayer. But God had actually “started” the process long before Mrs. W. lifted her request to the Lord—before she even knew of her need.

Way back in October 2002, Dr. Cynthia Snell, Mrs. W.’s ophthalmologist, stopped by our Audio Bibles for the Blind booth at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. She was intrigued by our ministry, and we later sent her a sample of our New Testament cassettes. We also sent a display explaining our ministry for her to place in her waiting room.

Since then, God has given Dr. Snell numerous opportunities to introduce her visually impaired patients to Audio Bibles for the Blind. But for some reason, when Mrs. W. stopped by her office for a routine exam, Dr. Snell forgot to tell her about our ministry.

Knowing that Mrs. W. could really use a set of audio Bibles, however, she went ahead and filled out the paperwork and had a set of Audio Bibles shipped to Mrs. W. That was the box that miraculously appeared on Mrs. W.’s doorstep in answer to her prayer!

When Mrs. W. returned to Dr. Snell’s office for a follow-up appointment, she related the story of the suspicious box that had mysteriously appeared on her doorstep. As they each shared their own side of the story, they were both able to appreciate the beautiful way God weaves our lives together to accomplish His will.

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Cindy Hartwell
September 2006

As you may know, Audio Bibles for the Blind receives tens of thousands of requests for Audio Bibles from people around the world every year. But did you know that not everyone who needs an Audio Bible has trouble seeing?

Cindy Hartwell is one of those people. While serving in the Army, Cindy suffered severe debilitating injuries that left her needing assistance with many of the things most people take for granted. Cindy needs help picking up fallen objects, keeping her balance, moving around in her wheelchair, answering the phone, calling 911 – even holding a book and turning pages. (This is typically called having a “print handicap.”)

Fortunately, Cindy receives assistance with most of these tasks from her faithful service dog, Joel. Joel pulls her wheelchair when Cindy’s pain is too extreme. He provides steady support to help prevent falls. Joel even has a special signal to give if her blood sugar is low.

But Joel does have his limitations. Joel can’t read. That’s why Cindy was so grateful to receive her Audio Bible.

Cindy grew up believing in the existence of Jesus as God’s Son, yet she always sensed something very important was missing from her life. She began meeting with a Christian woman who led Bible studies using an Audio Bible. God began to draw her to Himself, as she studied the Bible, and as she saw the leader’s faithful witness. Cindy was coming to realize her need of embracing Christ as her Savior.

God was also at work providing for Cindy’s physical needs by bringing Joel into her life in a special way. The military program where Cindy got Joel was run by a wonderful Christian woman named Pam. Pam had gone to the local shelter to look for service dog candidates. Joel was there. He had been so badly abused by a former owner that the shelter felt he was not adoptable. But when Pam looked into Joel’s eyes, she knew God had a very important purpose for this dog.

Pam was tempted to give up on Joel on several occasions, but God kept telling her to press on. Then, the first time Pam talked to Cindy on the phone, she knew Joel was God’s gift to Cindy. At first Cindy didn’t want a golden retriever, but God has a way of working on hearts. From their first meeting, Cindy said, “He was mine and I was his.”

God’s gracious provision of Joel touched Cindy deeply. She started studying the Bible with renewed passion. Using her new Audio Bible she began spending time in God’s Word every day. Her desire now is to learn everything she can about the Lord and share it with everyone who crosses her path.

Today Cindy leads a support group for people who need service dogs. She leads Bible studies using her Audio Bible. And, whenever she takes people for a ride, she plays her Audio Bible on the way. She believes that “immersion helps people learn and believe.”

Cindy has already seen several people come into a relationship with Christ as their Savior because they heard her Audio Bible. And now that Cindy has a combination cell phone-MP3 player, Cindy will be playing her Audio Bible more often and in more places than ever!

And whenever she has the opportunity, she tells people about the wonderful ministry of Audio Bibles for the Blind. Many of the people she serves have great difficulty holding a book, turning its pages, or reading the print. She tells them about the Audio Bible, but they often respond that there is no way they could afford one, that it would be too expensive, that they have all they can do to put food on the table.

But when Cindy tells them that Audio Bibles are provided completely free of charge to those who qualify and need them, they are thrilled! Because of Audio Bibles for the Blind, these people are able to listen to the most valuable book ever written—a Book they would not be able to experience for themselves were it not for the ministry of Audio Bibles for the Blind.

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Susan Green
October 2006

Born four months early, Susan entered the world weighing just 2 pounds 2.5 ounces. A tiny preemie, she was immediately placed in an incubator. For fourteen long months, Susan remained in that incubator - fighting desperately for her life. And God kept her alive. She beat the odds and pulled through. Obviously, God had special plans for this tiny little girl!

The incubator oxygen that was so needed during those 14 months of development destroyed the retinas in both her eyes. Susan was left with severely limited vision in her right eye and no vision in her left eye. Despite her vision loss, Susan attended public school for three years before transferring to a sight saving school in fourth grade.

Wherever she went, it was clear that God was helping and working in her life. In grades seven through nine, God gave her a teacher who paid special attention to her and helped her succeed. God also sent people into her life who had “something” in their lives that she knew she was lacking. Susan desperately wanted that “something.”

When the local Blind Services office sent in a qualification form for Susan to receive an Audio Bible, God showed her what that “something” really was. Susan’s Audio Bible helped her see her need for a Savior!

After high school graduation, Susan settled in Charlottesville where her parents ran a little grocery store. She began attending church and went to work at Virginia Industries for the Blind. There she met a special man named Larry who later began attending church with her. They continued dating and eventually married in that same church.

Susan’s mother-in-law, Ruth, was a diabetic and Susan offered to let Ruth borrow some of her Audio Bible tapes. From then on, Ruth listened to the Bible every day. Susan and Ruth would share the tapes, trading them back and forth.

If only we had been alerted to their need, they EACH could have had their OWN Audio Bible!

As Ruth listened to the tapes again and again, she noted some of her favorite passages and asked that they be read at her memorial service. Ruth loved the book of Job. Susan especially enjoyed the Psalms.

Although Ruth has now passed away, Susan continues to listen to her Audio Bible “all the time.” It was a particular comfort to her during the uncertain days when her husband was undergoing open-heart surgery. She sees her Bible as a “window to the past and to the future.” Susan’s Audio Bible helps her see how God has worked in her life in the past and assures her that His hand will guide her in the future as well.

And it is easy to see God’s hand in her life. From those first difficult months when God granted her the precious gift of life, to His drawing her to Himself through her Audio Bible, God has had special plans for Susan, and she has served Him well.

In 2001, Susan began taking Bible classes through her church and became the first woman in her church to obtain the two-year Bible degree. She is also actively involved in a printing ministry at her church where they print evangelistic materials and distribute them around the world.

Today, Susan “reads” her Bible with our MP3 Bible for her PC, and she loves it! The incubator may have stolen her sight, but not her ability to hear God’s Word clearly. She especially appreciates hearing how Jesus related to people in such a personal way. She loves how He modeled a relationship with the Father and how He showed us how to live our daily lives. “It’s a blessing to ‘read’ the Bible whenever I want now,” she says. “Without access to the Bible, you feel left out of half of your life!”

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Denien Failla
November 2006

Because of gifts from friends like you, Denien Failla received an Audio Bible for the Blind. Now, she says, a tremendous burden “has lifted from my soul.”

Not long ago, when Denien was a young woman, she used to sit down and read the Bible all the time—it was like an old friend. Today, Denien has multiple sclerosis, restrictive lung disease, and is legally blind. When she lost her sight, she lost a lot, but she considers losing her ability to read God’s Word as her greatest loss. Without the ability to read her Bible, she was hurt spiritually.

Even so, Denien found spiritual purpose through caring for her autistic son, Tony. The two of them were like partners, and Denien always felt that serving Tony was her best way of serving Jesus. Her love and devotion for Tony was deep—and vigilant. Although Tony looked perfectly fine, things could go wrong quickly and without warning. He required constant care and supervision.

On April 14, 2006, Denien had to leave Tony in someone else’s care for just 10 hours. When she returned, she found Tony dead on the floor in their kitchen. The person charged with his care wasn’t paying careful attention and didn’t provide the medication Tony needed. He died of a seizure at age 18, just two months before graduating from high school—a major achievement for someone with autism.

Denien was devastated. How she longed to cradle Tony in her arms, but he had gone to be with Jesus. In the midst of her grief, she stumbled across an unopened box that had arrived around the time of Tony’s death. She had no idea what could be inside. When she opened the box, she found “the beautifully mastered art piece of the Bible on tape that helps me to see the light.”

Shortly before Tony’s death, Denien had heard about Audio Bibles for the Blind through the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Program and had requested a copy. Not knowing what was in the box, she had set it aside when it arrived. But in God’s perfect timing, He guided her back to that mysterious box just when she needed it the most.

According to Denien, she discovered her Audio Bible just in time. God’s Word, made available to her on her Audio Bible, is now helping her through her most painful journey. “Through hearing God’s Word, I am better able to press on and find what God’s next purpose is for me in life. . . . My son, Tony, is now with Jesus. I am still so sad and miss him all the time, but I know that one day I’ll be with Jesus—and with Tony once again.”

For Denien, her Audio Bible for the Blind is a God-send. “I was without my Bible for so long—now I listen to it all the time. . . . Having the Audio Bible means the world to me! . . . [It] is crafted well, the sound is great quality, and the voice is so strong and clear. It makes it easy for me to listen.”

And Denien does listen to her Audio Bible—every night and throughout each of her days. She is now in a support group and because of her Audio Bible, is now able to participate in Bible studies, which she loves.

Recently Denien sent us a letter thanking us for her Audio Bible. She included a donation to our ministry. That donation caused her to be “hurting in her pocket,” but she believed God had prompted her to do so, and she trusted Him to provide for her financial needs just as He had provided for her spiritual needs through her Audio Bible for the Blind.

Her letter also included a sincere and heartfelt request. “Please promise me you will always make these Bibles free to people, because without you, I would still be spiritually depressed, and there are more people hurting.”

It’s a request we intend to meet. Audio Bibles for the Blind has always provided all of our Bibles and other resources completely free of charge to those who need them. That’s because people like you who know the power of God’s Word have consistently supported Audio Bibles for the Blind with your prayers and gifts.

For The Troops
October 2007

We have before us an opportunity so extraordinary I simply had to write . . . because if I phoned I’m afraid my emotions would get the best of me.

You see, I recently heard from a recipient of one of our Audio Bibles.

This brave soul has vision in only one eye. He has no legs and only one hand. My first conclusion was that he was living in a remote area in a Third World country where quality medical care is scarce at best.

But he was an American. A severely wounded member of our armed forces. And he could not have been more grateful for an Audio Bible.

You see, our American servicemen and women sacrifice everything to defend the freedoms we hold so dear . . . including our freedom to worship freely without fear of persecution or imprisonment.

For a long, painful season in their lives, they give up their families, their jobs, their hopes and dreams . . . and sometimes their very lives . . . all for you and me. Many permanently sacrifice their physical health, like the brave soul I just described.

This war in particular has introduced a new term into our vocabulary: POLYTRAUMATIC INJURY.

One of our partners explains: “What we’re seeing in Iraq, increasingly, is unlike much of what we’ve seen in the past. Soldiers used to return to us with severe damage to one hand or one foot — maybe an entire arm or leg. But this war — and these wounds — are different; more and more soldiers are arriving to us with horrible, polytraumatic injuries . . . the loss of both legs, an arm, and vision in one eye — or both hands and complete vision loss — and so on.”

As you can imagine, these wounded warriors often spiral into a pit of depression and despair. And for some, the greatest pain is not even physical. You see, at their time of deepest need, they are unable to read a traditional Bible, whether because of blindness or because they are literally unable to hold God’s Word and turn its pages.

It must be like drowning with a safety line dangling in front of your face . . . BUT YOU'RE UNABLE TO GRASP IT.

I’m writing you today because God is calling this ministry to be the safety line for these brave Americans who have sacrificed so much.

Right now, using our network of friends and partners, we have an opportunity to distribute Audio Bibles to our wounded American warriors.

But we must act today. So many are depending on us. Frankly, we never know how much time we have before it’s too late. One caregiver explains, “We’re giving soldiers your Audio Bibles — and they’re all requesting them. At such a serious and painful time in their lives, many of them are reaching out to God in search of meaning . . . answers . . . they want to reconnect with God.”

Another says: “Your Audio Bibles provide one of the brightest beams of light for these soldiers who arrive to us for long rehab stays and who have lost their vision and, sometimes, two or three limbs.”

But so many more are waiting and praying for God’s Word. We can let these brave, struggling men and women know they are not alone. We can throw them the only lifeline they will ever need: the Bible in a format they can easily use and understand.

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Dalgix Galina Mihajlovna
August 2007

Dalgix has a very special message for you . . .

The letter I recently received from Dalgix touched my heart so deeply, I wanted to share it with you immediately.

You see, I have no idea how Dalgix lost her sight. I don’t know where she works or the names of her daughter and granddaughter.

What I do know is that this grateful Russian grandmother depended on Audio Bibles for the Blind — on you and me — for what she calls “a priceless gift” . . . the gift of God’s Word on tape in a language that she can understand.

Thanks to your generosity and partnership, we were an answer to Dalgix’s prayers . . .

“I received your package. I was immensely happy that you have not rejected my request and have sent me the Bible on tape and a player. I have been listening to the Word of God not only at home but I also take the player and the tapes to the place of my employment, where other blind people work and can listen with me.

It has been the desire of my heart that more and more people could come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I tell others about my faith in the Lord and how He alone is able to change a human heart when one receives Jesus as one’s personal Savior and Lord.

My daughter and granddaughter take me to church and we are so thankful to the Lord that only He is able to watch over us in these difficult times. I want to thank all the laborers for your mercy and for the joy you caused my soul when you have given me such a priceless gift.”

Not only did you help impact Dalgix’s life, but think of all those who she is leading to Christ as a result of the Audio Bible you helped provide through your gifts and prayers.

But please also think of all those who remain blind, not just physically, but spiritually as well.

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Floyd Meyers
July 2007

This is one story I just had to share . . .

Floyd enjoys few things more than working with his hands.

He’s what the kids today call “old school.” You’d like him if you could meet him. Everyone does. A World War II veteran, he’s quick to share amazing stories from his experiences driving a truck in Germany, Holland, and Iceland.

And he’d never let you forget that he helped build the Macanaw Bridge in Michigan and once worked as a forester planting new trees in Geneva, Switzerland.

I could listen to Floyd’s stories all day long. But there’s one that I absolutely must share with you today . . .

. . . because as a dear friend of Audio Bibles for the Blind, you played a critical role in how it turned out.

You see, eventually Floyd retired to farm the land that his wife, Sylvia, grew up on. In his spare time, he’d hunt and enjoy God’s great outdoors. Independent to the core, Floyd never forgot Who is in control. That’s because his mother helped develop in him a fierce love for the Lord at a very early age. Night after night, they would read God’s Word.

Well into adulthood, the Bible was something Floyd depended on. And then . . .

Floyd’s corneas began to deteriorate. One love after another was stripped from him, beginning with hunting, then driving, then tending to his land. The list goes on and on. But if he was sitting beside you today, Floyd would tell you that nothing pained him more deeply than being unable to read God’s Word, his anchor through so many experiences and a lifetime of ups and downs.

Because you are such a faithful friend of this ministry I have a feeling that you can empathize with Floyd’s love of the Bible. But can you imagine having it taken from you in your time of greatest need?

Can you imagine the joy and peace of God’s Word being returned to you through Audio Bibles? Fortunately, thanks to you, Floyd doesn’t have to imagine. For him, that joy is real.

Through your generosity and prayers — and that of all our friends — we were able to get an Audio Bible to Floyd when he needed it most. And now . . .

“I tell everyone about getting Audio Bibles,” he says. “I tell all my legally blind friends about Audio Bibles so they can get them too. I tell anyone who will listen.”

I want to personally thank you for helping make such an incredible difference in Floyd’s life through your gifts and prayers. His love of the Lord is greater than ever. And because of you, God was able to use this ministry to return to Floyd what he loved most: His Word.

I also want to remind you that right now there are 2,500 men and women like Floyd who contact us each month for Audio Bibles. Only through your generous support can we continue rushing Audio Bibles FREE OF CHARGE to those who need them most.

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Pierre Simon
June 2007

“If I just had a New Testament
cassette, I could learn the Bible . . .”

Pierre Simon was beyond blind. He was a dead man . . . spiritually speaking, that is.

A Haitian witch doctor, Pierre worshipped the Loa, “disembodied spirits” believed to walk the earth among the living. His “patients?” Poverty-stricken and ill-educated villagers, desperately looking for help and hope.

To Pierre, they were nothing more than prey — victims of his curses, manipulation and greed.

Rarely have I heard of a person more dead in spirit and soul. Rarely have I learned of someone more in need of new life in Jesus Christ.

Lost in his lust for power, the eyes and ears of Pierre’s heart were squeezed shut to any message of God’s salvation. Blind to the core of his being, there was little hope for the veil of evil to be lifted from his eyes.

Yet, I am reminded that, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

You see, the Lord eventually drew Pierre to Himself though the ministry of a pastor . . . and the Lord chose to work strongly in the heart of this man. So much so that his appetite for power and control was replaced with a desire for true salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus.

Pierre , after coming to know the Lord, longed to grow deeper in his faith. And God left this desire to burn in Pierre’s heart. It surpassed any worldly appetite he ever had in the past. It consumed his life . . . his thoughts . . . his heart . . . his days. Yet God allowed it to remain unfulfilled . . .

“If I just had one New Testament cassette, I could learn the Bible and minister to people,” Pierre exclaimed.

As a good friend and partner of Audio Bibles for the Blind, you know as well as I that we are the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. We are His mouthpiece. We are commissioned to

proclaim the Good News from one end of the earth to another. And it was through the moving of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of friends like you that Pierre’s urgent prayers were answered . . .

He received not just one but 24 tapes — the entire New Testament — in his native language, Haitian Creole! Now, instead of spewing curses, Pierre proclaims the Word of God to all who would hear. He has listened so frequently to his New Testament that he now quotes Scripture all the time to people around him – and Pierre has even introduced numerous others to the Lord he now knows.

“I am very happy,” he says. “Now I can tell them about the Lord!”

This is the kind of miraculous transformation you are a part of every time you help provide an Audio Bible for someone like Pierre. This former witch doctor is living proof that God works through the generous hearts of friends like you to help make life-changing, eternal differences throughout the world.

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David Schomer
May 2007

“The first thing I’ll see is the face of Jesus.”

As a valued partner of Audio Bibles for the Blind, I want you to be among the first to read the words above.

You see, by God’s grace, you helped make them possible. And you need only to read the story below to realize just how miraculous they are coming from someone like David . . .

. . . someone who once believed he was in hell.

I’m not exaggerating. David was struck by a vehicle while helping a woman whose car had spun out of control and slammed into a guard rail.

David, a young father, was unconscious the first 40 of the 48 days he was in the hospital.

By his side were his distraught wife and three young children.

As he faded in and out of consciousness, his wife explained that he had been in a car accident. Disoriented by pain medication, the memories of others he had seen die in auto collisions came flooding back. Worst of all . . .

. . . when he opened his eyes there was only a veil of black! In his mind, he was dead. David searched for the face of Jesus but found only impenetrable darkness.

“I thought I was in hell,” he says emotionally.

Before the accident, David had been raised in church . . . he knew the Bible stories . . . but he did not know the Lord. Before the car struck him down, he could see, but the eyes of his heart were closed.

“We were going completely down the wrong path as a family,” David explains. “We were not going to church.” The accident left David blind, but his interest in developing a closer relationship with Jesus grew. The Lord led him to Audio Bibles for the Blind and he’s been a radically changed man ever since . . . thanks to the gifts of friends like you . . .

Totally blind, David listens to his Audio Bible every night. He recognizes that he will sacrifice much here on this earth but has everything to gain in heaven!

“I’m going to miss seeing a lot of things in my kids’ lives,” he says. “My daughter’s face at her wedding . . . my son sliding across home plate. But I will get to see them in heaven . . . AND SEE THE FACE OF JESUS! It’s all worth it. The first thing I’ll see is the face of Jesus!”

Can you imagine . . . a man who is thankful he’s blind because the eyes of his heart are now opened to our Lord’s saving grace?

This is the kind of unrelenting joy you are helping provide through every Audio Bible you help put into the hands of someone like David. You see, God works through the generous hearts of friends like you to help make a life-changing, eternal difference.

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Glenn Langston
March 2007

Have you ever stopped to consider just how much printed material is available to you? Libraries are filled with books. You can access the Internet with just a few keystrokes. Newspapers, magazines, and even this letter can be delivered to your doorstep. You can read just about anything you want—including God’s Word—at any time you want.

But not everyone has that privilege. Glynn Langston is one of those who doesn’t. He was born in Houston, Texas, as a premature twin. His brother lived only three days, but God kept Glynn alive. Even so, because he was so small, he was given a tremendous amount of oxygen, which left him blind. Yet, he has developed a very special “vision”!

Throughout his childhood, despite his blindness, Glynn’s parents expected him to do his everyday chores and helped him be as “normal” as possible. They encouraged him and challenged him. When they were dissatisfied with the quality of education he received at the state school for the blind, they transferred him to a local school. Glynn became the first blind student to attend regular classes in the Texas school system. He graduated magna cum laude in 1967.

Glynn went on to make the dean’s list at Southwestern University, was named to the Who’s Who among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and graduated with honors and a double major in history and public speaking. He also met his wife at the university—on a “blind” date!

After college, Glynn and his wife moved to Europe where they served as missionaries for 22 years. Throughout his ministry, Glynn realized that God was always more concerned about spiritual blindness than physical blindness. But his own blindness made him keenly aware of the difficulties visually impaired people face when it comes to getting to know God.

Only a tiny fraction of printed materials are available in Braille, and what is available can be expensive—and bulky. When Glynn received his Braille Bible at age 10, it filled six feet of shelf space!

Even so, Glynn is committed to making more Christian literature available to the blind and visually impaired. In the last 12 years since moving back to the United States, Glynn and his wife have devoted their lives to Insight International, a worldwide Braille outreach ministry. In his travels thus far, he has reached

out to more than 150 million blind people. His heart’s desire is to place free biblical literature into the hands of the visually impaired, so more souls can know and respond to the Lord. Although Glynn’s ministry emphasizes Braille literature, he realizes that not everyone can benefit from Braille. Of the 240 million people worldwide who are visually impaired, only 10 million use Braille. Many more rely on audiocassettes.

That’s why Glynn was so enthusiastic when, in 1995, he was introduced to Audio Bibles for the Blind. His budget would never allow him to purchase Audio Bibles for everyone he met who needed one. “They’re expensive!” exclaimed Glynn, “But Audio Bibles for the Blind sends high-quality Audio Bibles out to anyone who needs them—worldwide—completely free of charge.” And Glynn was especially excited when he heard that Audio Bibles for the Blind has nearly 70 languages available!

Since discovering Audio Bibles for the Blind, Glynn has told numerous people from around the world about our ministry. “[I] refer a lot of people to Audio Bibles for the Blind,” Glynn says, “and you meet every need … and always make certain every one of them has an Audio Bible in their language!”

“It’s amazing where your Bibles go,” Glynn continues, “I receive letters from small tribes and villages in places such as Zimbabwe . . . some of the places only have solar-powered players, some have hand-cranked devices—often one precious Audio Bible is passed around to many people with one player being available. So it’s astounding to know where the Word of God is able to permeate.”

Today, when he speaks of our ministry, he says, “without you, many people would not have the opportunity to know Christ and spend eternity with God in heaven-it’s just that simple.”

I am so thankful for your ministry,” Glynn says, “ I commend every person that has a part . . . [in] sending the Word of God to the blind.” And that, my friend, includes you!

Tammie Pace
January 2007

Today, I want to introduce you to an incredible woman who also has an incredibly positive attitude about her blindness.

Tammie Pace was an ambitious and successful woman. She was the first African-American female promoted to captain on the police force in Houston, Texas—the fourth largest city in America. She was also the first female from the Houston Police Department to attend the FBI National Academy. She even became the first female commander placed in charge of the training academy.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Tammie also taught police sciences at a college, owned her own business.

But success and achievement don’t come without cost—no matter how talented you are. Tammie Pace was no exception. After each exhausting day, Tammie would go home and yearn to study God’s Word. Sometimes she was just too tired. At other times, she stayed up until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. to read her Bible, only to awaken the following day exhausted from lack of sleep.

Realizing she couldn’t maintain her hectic schedule forever, Tammie began to pray that God would find a way for her to spend more time in His Word. God answered her prayer, but in a way she had never anticipated.

In 2000, Tammie was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). By 2003, her vision had deteriorated to the point she felt she could no longer do her job justice, so at age 44, she retired from her prestigious position as police captain.

“Blindness became for me a whole different world;” Tammie says, “you can’t even describe it to people. Yet I never feel victimized; I’m still grateful to God. . . . You use your physical senses to connect with the world, but you use your spiritual senses to connect with God—that has not been taken away from me.”

Despite her disability, Tammie’s faith in God never wavered. In fact, as a result of her impairment, Tammie was forced to retire. Now she spends hours and hours each day with her Audio Bible—filling her life with God’s Word in a way she was never able to do before.

God actually answered Tammie’s prayer in two parts. Blindness alone would have left Tammie cut off from God’s Word altogether because she could no longer read. But God allowed her to learn about Audio Bibles for the Blind shortly after she lost her sight. She requested a copy, and thanks to the generous gifts of friends like you, we shipped one right out to her.

" I received my Bible in no time flat, and I was very impressed,” Tammie says. “[The Audio Bible is] so nicely put together and packaged [and] I love the voice on the Bible [Cliff Barrows]. It’s better than any [recorded voice] I’ve ever heard.”

In addition to spending hours a day in God’s Word, Tammie is active in her church in their encouragement ministry and as a decision-time counsellor. As a motivational speaker, Tammie has also spoken in the public school system, to women’s ministries, and to police academies. She has even started doing some inspirational writing.

In Tammie’s own words, “God has been so gracious my whole life!” In spite of her blindness, God has provided her with a home, a pension, many activities to keep her busy, and an Audio Bible to hear His Word.

Today, Tammie wants to help others. Even though Tammie was under no obligation whatsoever to give us anything, she sent us a generous donation, saying, “ My Audio Bible means so much to me that I wanted to help others have access to the Word.”

Tammie knows firsthand how valuable an Audio Bible is to someone who needs to hear God’s Word. She also understands that we cannot produce Audio Bibles and place them into the hands of those who need them unless people support Audio Bibles for the Blind. It is donations like hers that allow us to give away nearly 30,000 Audio Bibles each year.