05/26/2026
THE LONG RUN: BIBLES ARE FORBIDDEN — BUT GOD’S WORD IS STILL SPREADING
Maya* had never heard the story of Jesus’ resurrection.
In fact, she had never heard of Jesus at all.
Maya grew up in a place where owning a Bible could lead to severe punishment or even death. Later, while living in another country, she began searching for someone with the power to heal her son of cancer.
She visited shamans and healers, but nothing changed.
Then local Christians prayed for her son.
And his health immediately began to improve.
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Jesus used stories so people could understand
In Mark 4:33, we read:
“Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.”
Interested in this God she had never heard of, Maya attended a Bible study.
But she still struggled to connect with what she was hearing.
She needed to hear the gospel in a different way.
StoryRunners partnered with missionaries serving Maya’s people group to produce Bible stories that were biblically faithful, natural to share and easy to retell in her language.
Suddenly, the things Maya had heard from Christians came alive.
Hearing the story of Jesus’ resurrection shocked her.
Before that moment, she had not realized Jesus was a real person.
“I still felt like I had to keep going to the shaman,” she explained. “But hearing that God raised Jesus from the dead, I know that God is the only one with the power to heal.”
Today, Maya is part of a community of believers who are discipling her.
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This is why oral Bible stories matter
In many places around the world, owning Christian material can place believers in danger.
But stories, safe in believers’ hearts, can still be shared from person to person, even in difficult places.
Through oral Bible stories, people are hearing God’s Word for the very first time — and sharing it with others.
These stories change lives.
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Because you are part of this story
Your prayers and partnership help make it possible for people in difficult places to hear God’s Word in a way they can understand and naturally share with others.
And in places where Bibles may be forbidden, God’s story is still changing lives.
Your partnership helps more people like Maya hear God’s story for the first time.
https://www.storyrunners.org/give/
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A simple next step
Would you pray for believers living in places where following Jesus can come with severe persecution?
And would you pray for people hearing the gospel for the first time through oral Bible stories?
Maya’s story is a reminder that God’s Word is still reaching people in places where access to Scripture is limited and faith can come with great cost.
And sometimes, hearing the story of Jesus for the first time changes everything.
Name changed for security purposes.
