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January 2022
Beloved friends of the Bible Society of Egypt,
How beautiful and wonderful is the Word of God. We must thank God for the written Word, so easily available for you and I to read and study every day through various means, printed and digital. We become so accustomed that we often forget to thank God for this great blessing.
 For many years, the great challenge facing the Bible Society of Egypt has been how to provide the Word of God to the blind and visually impaired, due to the high cost of printing in Braille, and pricey audio devices. So, we were extremely grateful when a friend of the Bible Society gifted us with a specialized Braille printer. In 2021, our team was able to review and revise the Biblical text in Braille and start printing the complete Bible. It takes 16 large volumes to contain the Old Testament, and 5 volumes for the New Testament.
Magdy, one of the volunteers reviewing and packaging the Braille Scriptures, reminds us that “Making the Bible available in Braille actually serves the whole family, as the visually impaired person is often the only literate person in the family and able to read the Bible to their illiterate household.”
The cost is still a big challenge as a single Bible costs more than 3,500 Egyptian pounds ($225). We sell the Bibles for less than 100 pounds ($6).
 During 2021, we imported 12,000 MegaVoice units. This audio device is straightforward and easy to use, with clear sound quality, and specially designed for the visually impaired and for those who cannot read. The audio files of the Bible were uploaded to all devices in record time, for distribution during the second half of 2021 at a 75% discount.
One of the recipients says: “Having this device in my hand means the presence of God in my house. I always feel that God is with me and speaks to me all the time while I hear His Word. I do not hear God’s Word alone, but many times my family listens with me. Sometimes my neighbors join to listen with us as well. For me, this device is a treasure, as Psalm 119:162 says, ‘I rejoice at Your Word, as one who finds great treasure’.”
 A minister who is serving blind students tells us of their great joy upon receiving the device. One stated that for the first time he was able to listen to the Word of God at any time, without relying on a member of his family to read to him.
Another was so happy to finally hear the Book of Revelation, as no family member had ever read the whole book to him, only a few chapters. He had waited so long, so eager for this, that he spent the whole night listening to the entire book.
Everyone is pleased with the ease of using this device, how they can find any chapter in any book without difficulty.
This distribution has greatly encouraged us all. We thank God who gave us this opportunity to communicate His Word to our loved ones who are deprived of the blessing of sight. And we thank God for your continuous support and help in providing God’s Word to them, whatever the cost. We pray that we can reach everyone in need of this service throughout the country.
Click on the following link to see a message from one of our visually impaired dear ones.
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