Day 15 - Media

Twenty years ago Pashtuns listened to the shortwave radio for news and information.  Nowadays urban Pashtuns enjoy a plethora of available FM radio and TV stations.  New strategies are needed to adjust for this change.  Some of the rural population exists as a potential shortwave radio audience; however, rural Pashtuns are resistant to differing religious ideas.  Drawing in this reluctant audience demands creativity.  

The New Testament is available in a major dialect.  The Old Testament is being produced in two different dialects.  Evangelistic and discipleship literature and cassettes are available in Pashtu, along with the Jesus Film.  Producing material is much easier than distributing it.  People don’t want to get caught with Christian material in their homes.  One young man’s father found out he was taking a Bible correspondence course and threw him out of the house.  The Lord used this for good as the young man ended up staying with his cousin who started taking the courses.  Though the young man never came to faith, his cousin did. 

One option in dealing with the difficulty in distribution is to make materials available on the internet.  Internet clubs exist almost all over the Pashtun world and many families, even in the village areas access the internet from their homes. 

Pray that: 

• God will provide people, anointing, and creativity for the development of new radio programs, and new media strategies for reaching Pashtuns.

• God will raise up people to produce and oversee Web sites for Pashtuns at the curious, seeker and believer levels.

• Bible translation projects will be protected and anointed, and that Scriptures will be developed in Southern Pashtu.

Romans 10:17 Yet, faith comes from listening to this message of good news – the Good News about Christ.