Using MegaVoice to 'Ignite the World' by the fire of God's love to reach others with the Gospel

Using MegaVoice to 'Ignite the World' by the fire of God's love to reach others with the Gospel

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

CHISWICK, NSA, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- It was in January 1988 that the then State Director of Bible Society in Australia (NSW-ACT), Tom Treseder, invented what today is known around the world as MegaVoice.

Tom Treseder displaying his MegaVoice in his rowing boat (Photo: Ramon Williams)

This world champion rower and sculler, who has just celebrated his 80th birthday, was concerned that 1.3 billion people are illiterate and therefore cannot read the Bible. Indeed he later learned that around 60% - 70% of the world is not reading anything substantial.

Tom told ANS, "I asked the Lord if it were possible to design a Bible that everyone could hear, (in their own language!) It needed to be water, sand and vermin proof, have no moving parts, lightweight yet robust, easy for the blind and disabled to operate, hold any message in any language and be powered without the need for a power point as most people in the world don't have a power point."

He added with a smile, "That's not a bad prayer is it?"

He was right, and now all these years later, MegaVoice has become the first solar powered, digital audio Bible is reaching out around the world and non-readers on every continent are now beginning to have access to the Scriptures in their own language, in a form they can readily understand.

And today, MegaVoice International produces an ever-expanding line of solar powered digital audio players for Christian and humanitarian use. MegaVoice are designed to best suit the unique requirements of ministries distributing them.

It is also home to an expansive Scripture audio library with 8,400 Scripture titles in 4,600 languages and dialects. Scripture titles, with playback times ranging from a few minutes to 320 hours duration, can be loaded onto the growing line of digital audio players.

Mike Maksimowicz showing how to use the MegaVoice Envoy

Now, Charles Cibene, the CEO of MegaVoice, has shared a story by e-mail of how one particular ministry, Ignite the World Ministries (ITWM) -- http://ignitetheworldministries.org -- led by evangelist/teacher, Mike Maksimowicz, is doing extraordinary things with these exceptional tool.

Cibene said, "ITWM's stated purpose is to bring hope to the nations through the transforming power of Jesus Christ by way of evangelistic crusades, evangelism training & church planting, compassion relief projects and prayer. And it is happening - Mike makes trip after trip from his ministry base in Oregon to work with local church leaders and evangelists in South East Asia whom he lovingly refers to as 'igniters' - those ignited by the fire of God's love to reach others with the Gospel.

"Mike has successfully used 'Igniter teams' together with the MegaVoice for several years to help evangelize people in the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and China. On his most recent trip to Cambodia he revisited 20 ITWM clean water projects and 37 growing church plants and reports that many people have come to Christ by listening to the MegaVoice audio Bibles he left there with 'igniters' as far back as 2009!"

One of the ITWM "igniters"

He went on to say, "During May, Mike encouraged and trained 20 Vietnamese for the work of evangelizing the Hmong - a tribal people group living in the beautiful highlands of Vietnam bordering Laos and China. The igniters, who will travel on motor bike and foot, expressed great excitement in receiving the audio bibles for their evangelistic work. In another area of Vietnam Mike listened to 'stirring accounts' of evangelism and miracles from a Vietnamese pastor who uses the MegaVoice to reach non-reading villagers. The pastor has already planted 70 churches!

"While in Laos, ITWM workers met with some very courageous Christians, some of whom had been imprisoned for their faith. In spite of ongoing persecution, Laotian Igniters are actively planning for more evangelism and church planting. All ITWM trainees agreed that having MegaVoice audio Bibles to distribute to new believers will be a very valuable resource - one that can be easily delivered to the villages."

He concluded by saying, "MegaVoice is thankful for ITWM and all of the other ministries receiving this email. To know so many of you are faithfully leaning on the Lord to supply for mission trips, Bible translations, audio Bible recordings, living abroad - so that others may inherit eternal life - is truly inspiring."

If you would like more information on MegaVoice, please go to their web site at: http://megavoice.com 

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