In the remote regions of Kenya—from the dust-laden fields of Tot in Elgeyo Marakwet to the quiet villages of Loruuk in Samburu County—a spiritual hunger is witnessed in oral communities that literacy simply cannot reach.
Historically, these remote territories are shaped by fierce rivalries and cyclical cattle rustling between neighboring pastoralist groups like the Marakwet, Pokot, Turkana, and Tugen along the valley, or the Borana, Gabbra, and Samburu further north. Generations have grown up learning the language of retaliation, where borders are defended with blood and literacy cannot bridge the divides.
Courtesy of OMU(Operation Maliza Uhalifu) Sports for Peace & Multi-Language Audio Bible Outreach, the hostility is no longer witnessed when the team is playing a football match. Youth from communities locked in generational cycles of conflict find themselves shoulder-to-shoulder, playing in the same field as each team strives to win. Sports create a bond among the youth of various communities, acting as a vital bridge in managing conflict by replacing suspicion with sweat and shared goals. It turns opponents into teammates, creating a rare neutral territory where dialogue can finally take root and the word of God finds a purpose. Aside from the trophies the winners received, the teams received audio Bibles in their various languages. This was a new kind of gift shared. With the audio Bibles, they heard the word of God in their heart language for the first time.
Shukri Bogala, a football player from Marsabit and a former Muslim, recently surrendered his life to Christ. Out of the 23 young men who traveled with his team, Shukri and one teammate were the only two Christians—surrounded by peers who had yet to hear the Gospel.
Shukri Bogala receiving an audio Bible from Theovision’s Duke Obiri
When Shukri received his first Audio Bible, his newly converted teammate borrowed it—and refused to return it. The audio scriptures were so captivating, so alive, that Shukri had to return the very next day, urgently requesting another audio Bible for himself. As he walked away with another Audio Bible in his language, he carried more than a device; he carried the light of Christ back to his team of 21 young men.
In the pastoralist regions of Loruuk, Joshua wanted nothing more than to read God’s Word, but literacy stood in the way. Attending the local Gumbaru (adult literacy) school was not enough; his heart longed for a deeper connection to Scripture. Everything changed the day he was equipped with an Audio Bible and could relate to Scripture in his local language.
Joshua leading an audio Bible Listening group session
Joshua didn’t keep the message to himself. He returned home and immediately gathered his neighbors under the shade of the trees. The transformation has been so powerful that Joshua is desperately pleading for more Audio Bibles and for hands-on team training to reach the rest of his village.
Every Audio Bible placed in the hands of a believer like Joshua or Shukur doesn’t just touch one life—it feeds an entire village, a whole football team, and generations to come. Answer their call and send the Gospel into places where print cannot go.