“Stop passing out this book in our community. It is a conversion book!”

Steeped in animism and other false religion, the Krupto tribe lives deep in the hills and forests of a Creative Access Nation. When Bibles International translated Bible storybooks and portions of the New Testament into Krupto, local leaders were outraged. One of them made a PDF of the New Testament books and distributed it to the community with a stern warning to not read this “book for converting people to Christianity.” Ironically, this only made the Krupto New Testament go viral! People are sharing it rapidly within the Krupto districts.

Yet the hold of their traditional religions remains strong, making Krupto people hesitant to follow Christ. Only a mere 0.04 percent of Krupto people profess Christianity. However, just 25 years ago that percentage was a flat zero. The precious few who have embraced the gospel are the first fruits of a harvest God longs to have among this people group.

A snake bite leads to life

A married couple were the first to receive Christ in the Krupto tribe. They eagerly shared the gospel with their son, Aiman, but he had no respect for their faith. Aiman’s father gave him a New Testament in their nation’s language (not the Krupto’s heart language), but Aiman simply put it on a shelf.

A few months later, Aiman’s interest changed drastically after he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Having no medical help, Aiman went home fearing he would die. As he lay on his bed, his eyes fell on the New Testament still sitting on his shelf. Picking it up, he took his first step of faith, crying out to Jesus to save him. In the morning he awoke with the New Testament still in his hands. The pain was gone. He had been healed physically and spiritually. From that time on, Aiman became a follower of Christ and told others in his village about Jesus.

Fruit from the Word

Tenzin is another of the first fruits. Before becoming a Christian, Tenzin had only attended a few days of schooling in his lifetime. Hearing the Bible read aloud in church motivated Tenzin to teach himself how to read. Since then, he has been active in the New Testament translation process and now leads Bibles International’s literacy efforts among the Krupto. Recently Tenzin took his first steps to go into ministry full time.

Bibles International’s booklet of 40 Bible stories was published in Krupto, but most Krupto are illiterate and have had little interest in learning to read their own language. Only recently have literacy efforts started to take root.

To reach the people more immediately, Bibles International recorded audio versions of the Bible stories and distributed them on micro-SD cards for cell phones. Chivy, another of the Krupto people’s first fruits, was the key voice in recording the stories.

After receiving the micro-SD cards, three Krupto families listened to the songs and stories nonstop for several days and were dancing with joy as they understood the message. The seed has been planted, but the true harvest will be slower in coming. A Krupto person experiences significant persecution when one accepts Christ as Savior and is baptized. Several have made professions and then backslid when persecution broke out.

God has brought forth the first fruits. Bibles International is playing a vital role in watering the soil through literacy and Bible translation. Will you join with us in praying that the Lord of the harvest will add many more to these first fruits?

[All names are pseudonyms]