PARAGUAY

Bernardo is a very helpful boy. His teacher asks the students if they can find out how many sick people there are in the neighborhood. Bernardo volunteers and learns there are five. The teacher urges the students to act by setting aside some of their own lunch money to buy fruit or something else for them. Bernardo and his friends do so and are very happy. The student’s action serves as an example, and soon the adults also begin to help the sick in their neighborhood.

This is the summary of one of 106 stories written by Nelson Aguilera in the context and the heart language of the Paraguayan people: Guarani Jopara. During the initial three-year project, RadioNET trained facilitators to use these stories to teach biblical values to children and youth in public and private schools, as well as in churches and their supporting ministries.

The Stories that Change audio recordings are approved by the Ministry of Education for distribution and use in public schools across Paraguay. To also obtain the approval of the written texts, we are required to present them in a book format, which inspired us to publish the stories in color with illustrations. We plan to publish two books for children and two for youth, 10 stories in each book, and we look forward to more as funds become available. It was exciting for us to hold our first copy of Stories that Change in print.

A current challenge is to distribute the books and audios so they can be used for teaching values and for evangelism. Local churches, private schools and Christian ministries are interested to use these resources and to help distribute them.

Our vision for Stories that Change is to connect with people’s hearts. To motivate reflection. To think deeper. To make decisions. The stories offer practical advice for life and challenge the audience to change their habits and ways of thinking. As listeners (or readers) identify with the characters in these stories, biblical content and values become relevant and can be applied more easily in their own lives. Bernardo will challenge anyone to ask: What could I do to help people in my neighborhood? What am I willing to give up for others?

The stories are useful to create a platform for group and personal evangelism, with the possibility to reenforce the content with a Bible story or verse. They are one of several resources we now offer through social media, over many local radio stations, and through our own Radio Online program Ñane Ñe’ẽtépe (“In our language”). The audios are available for download for free. (The first book will be available very soon.)

We pray that God will continue to change the stories of many individuals and families in Paraguay or wherever these stories in Guarani Jopara will be heard.