Audio Bibles for the Blind
2006 Stories
Read Audio Bibles For The Blind's "Story of the Month"
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien | 2005 Stories |
Georgia Dilworth
January 2006
Georgia Dilworth’s beloved old Bible was so well-used, it literally “opened itself” up to her favorite passages.
Truly, God’s Word was the cornerstone of this 81-year-strong, rich, independent life––even though it included a daughter, two grandchildren and a canine family of one German Shepherd, a Chihuahua and four Dachsunds.
Of all her blessings, “The Bible gives me peace that I cannot find anywhere else,” Georgia declares to this day. So some years back, when optic neuritis stole Georgia’s ability to read her cherished Bible, this dear lady was understandably distraught.
For nearly two decades, there was a hole in Georgia’s life. “I felt lost without my Bible,” the Texan told us. “I thought I had lost my Bible forever. It was like the water in the well had gone dry.”
Georgia had worked her whole life. Even after her husband’s passing in 1989, she had prided herself on being vital and self-sufficient. So the loss of this freedom was overwhelming. She found herself relying on memory and radio programs for even passing scraps of Scripture.
Then one day, the folks at Austin’s Talking Book Library referred her to Audio Bibles for the Blind. Georgia contacted us––and found her loss erased within moments. That’s because we gladly told her that we would rush her a recorded copy of God’s Word she could listen to at once.
“I was thrilled to hear that Cliff Barrows of the Billy Graham ministry was the narrator,” Georgia recalls now. “He has such a nice, strong voice!”
Today, Georgia ’s life has changed. She tells us, “I have peace again now that I have access to the Word, because of my Audio Bible, that I wouldn’t otherwise have. My Audio Bible got the spring [inside me] going again!”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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David Moore
March 2006
“My Audio Bible led me to the Lord and helped me to become a whole person...”
Hang on, my friend–– for these words are just part of one of the most overwhelming testimonies I’ve ever received of a life changed through Audio Bibles for the Blind.
And yet it’s only one of the many souls you’ve helped reach through your support of this ministry.
Indeed, if I could invent a life-story to showcase all that Audio Bibles for the Blind could mean to one person, I would hardly dream up one like David Moore’s.
Born with congenital damage to his optic nerve, David could make out colors and shapes until he was 12. Since then, he has seen only light and dark.
David spent many of his early years questioning God’s existence. Amazingly, this same, desperate search led David to acquire his very first Audio Bible.
In fact, David listened to his Audio Bible so intently––still longing to find the truth once and for all––that he memorized scores of verses. He even grew locally famous as a perennial caller to a Bible trivia show, as the non-believer who never missed an answer!
In fact, that notoriety even led to David meeting his future wife, who recognized his voice from the radio as they sat beside each other on a bus ride.
Even with this knowledge, it wasn’t until 1999 that David realized the truth. Mind you, it was no religion or person which helped him see the truth. It was while listening to his Audio Bible that David finally saw the love of God––embodied in Jesus Christ.
David’s life has never been the same. “I used to be a half a person,” he says now, “but now that I have the Holy Spirit (and my wife Traci), I am a whole person.”
David’s whole life now shines with promise! As you might have already guessed, God has given him an incredible ability to memorize. The same talent which helped him learn so many Bible verses has enabled David to solve incredibly complex mathematical equations in his head.
Well, thanks to this gift, David is on his way towards finishing a hard-earned Master’s degree in Mathematics at Ohio State University, with a goal of someday, the Lord willing, teaching at the college level.
Yet for David, his talent’s greatest gift is the chance to harbor God’s Word in his heart. “[My Audio Bible] has totally changed my life because I am able to listen to the entire Bible instead of waiting until Sunday and hear a verse or two at church. Now I can read it on my own, whenever I want.”
David and Traci are so grateful for his Audio Bible that while visiting her mother in Sarasota last year, they came and visited our campus. We were touched to see David gently run his fingers over our equipment and witness the entire production process––from recording to winding tapes, burning MP3’s, filling albums and shipping.
“I loved being able to see all of the machines that put the Bibles onto cassette and MP3,” he said afterwards, “as well as being present at the time when the recording of the Children’s Old Testament was taking place.”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Nadine Ingels
April 2006
Deep in Missouri’s heartland, 74-year old Nadine Ingels lives surrounded by the things that mean the most to her: her faith, her memories, her home . . . and her Audio Bible cassette tapes.
Does that last part sound unlikely? Then please step into Nadine’s touching story with me and see for yourself how your gifts to Audio Bibles for the Blind truly do change lives in unforgettable ways.
Macular degeneration may have robbed Nadine of much of her sight, yet it has not deprived her of a rich life. Nadine remains quite independent. Yet there is one part of her life she is glad to depend on––her Audio Bible.
You see, until a few years ago, Nadine ran their family farm with her beloved husband, Boone. Boone Ingels was the fifth generation to bear that name and proud to be a direct descendant of Daniel Boone.
Yet Boone’s proudest heritage was not his lineage, but his years of devotion to his church. Boone Ingels truly loved going to church. And he loved his God.
In fact, only one thing managed to stop Boone’s church attendance––a severe stroke. The devastation of Alzheimer’s followed hard on its heels.
Yet, despite her own challenges, Nadine visited Boone in the nursing home every day, faithfully, for six years. Every morning and again each afternoon, she played for him the Audio Bible she had requested for her own visual problems.
For the last six months of his life, Boone’s mind would lose its grip on the God of his youth and the faith he had once cherished. Yet without fail, Nadine would visit and play her Audio Bible. And without fail, hearing the Word of God revived Boone’s memory of his love for God, if only for a few hours.
On December 10, 2004, Boone passed away. Although she misses him tremendously, Nadine knows that he is with God. And she is enormously grateful for the gift which her Audio Bible bestowed on her and her beloved.
“The tapes,” she says, “helped him right up until the day he died.”
Today, Nadine listens to the Audio Bible tapes alone. Every day in her farmhouse, she turns on her Audio Bible and senses a faithful presence. “God has been with me all of these years,” she affirms. Nadine loves the Word with the same kind of devotion with which she cared for Boone and her farm.
“Your (Audio Bible) tapes,” Nadine tells us with deep emotion, “have been a blessing to me, to my husband, and to his nursing home roommate.”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Janice Klann
May 2006
Janice Klann loves music so dearly that she used to not only sing in, but conduct choirs.
But the “wet” variety of macular degeneration––the fastest moving and most destructive––has changed all that. From fuzzy vision in 2000, she has now lost all of her central and most of her peripheral sight.
Today, she can no longer see well enough to read music at all. The only songs she can sing are those she memorizes.
Janice once sang duets with her husband, Harvey, and had done so ever since the couple were young adults. Today, they do so infrequently, due to the difficulty of memorizing music without seeing it.
Janice loved to sew, but now she can’t see the needle and thread. Macular degeneration has made impossible all but the smallest tasks in her life.
Most of all, Janice always cherished God’s Word. She had a shelf-full of Bibles which she loved to read, compare and contrast with each other. She has read the Bible so often, she could at one point in her life flip to any book and chapter at a second’s notice. But macular degeneration…
… Well, you know what I’m saying.
Actually, macular degeneration hasn’t kept Janice from holding the Bible at the center of her life. Not at all.
You see, Janice’s local library contacted Audio Bibles for the Blind on her behalf. And far away from her home in Rogers City, Michigan, we were able to help send Janice her very own cassette Audio Bible.
The gift “opened up” Janice’s Bible once again. Yet there was a problem. Janice’s specific vision challenges made it difficult for her to locate specific chapters and verses on cassette. And for a “power user” like her, that limitation made an enormous difference.
Once again, we were able to help. That’s because our new MP3 Bible is so simple that even without sight, users can navigate with the single click of a computer key. Since receiving her very own copy, Janice is now able to easily find specific chapters and verses in seconds!
“It had been a year since I had been able to read my own Bible,” Janice tells us. “Thank you for your ministry. God is providing for my needs!”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Josephine Durham
July 2006
When Josephine (Jo) was a newborn infant, she received too much supplemental oxygen, which prevented her eyes from growing properly. Today, she is congenitally blind. She can see some color, but cannot read print.
As a child, Jo attended two years of public school before transferring to a special Sight Saving class for the visually impaired. In third grade, Jo’s church presented her with her first Bible—the same one all the other children received. The only difference? Jo couldn’t read hers. Jo’s mother had to patiently read the Scriptures to her.
After Jo completed the difficult task of learning braille, she acquired a braille Bible and was finally able to read the Bible for herself. But Jo still found that having the Bible read to her was easier than trying to read it in braille. Although the braille Bible was a great tool for Jo, it was bulky and cumbersome. Its 25 volumes took up an entire bookcase!
Jo continued her education at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, and then took a job at Doubleday using the Dictaphone. While working there, she met Fred Durham, one of the volunteer van drivers who helped blind people in her area attend various events and functions. They married exactly one year later.
In 1988, before undergoing a risky eye surgery, Jo wanted to see the country with the limited vision she had. Fred took a leave of absence from his job, bought a small camper, and began touring the country with Jo. When they returned, Jo underwent the surgery, but it was unsuccessful, and her eyes deteriorated even further.
Some time thereafter, Jo’s mother began losing her eyesight. Jo and her mother switched roles: Using her braille Bible, Jo patiently began reading God’s Word to her 97-year-old mother each day until she passed away in April 1999.
Then in 2003, something wonderful happened. Jo attended the National Convention for the Blind and signed up for her first audio Bible. What a blessing! “ An audio Bible would have been great for my mom,” Jo said. But Jo didn’t know about audio Bibles then.
Today, Fred and Jo have been married for 49 years. They have three children and five grandchildren. Their camper has become their “permanent” home, and they spend their time visiting family, making new friends, and enjoying God’s creation.
Jo donated her braille Bible to the local library because it was too big to carry in the trailer. She relies on her audio Bible—now an MP3 version. Jo finds it “a wonderful blessing. It takes up SO much less space than the braille Bible, and it’s easy to use. . . . [And] with a person narrating the Bible, it brings out a new meaning to the Word!”
In March of 2006, Fred and Jo’s travels finally brought them to Florida, so they decided to visit the Aurora Ministries campus, home of Audio Bibles for the Blind. En route, they visited a church where they met a blind woman named Michelle. She had not heard of Audio Bibles for the Blind and was excited to learn how to get her own audio Bible.
But Michelle was not the first person that Jo has referred to Audio Bibles for the Blind. As Fred and Jo put it, “ We put each trip in God’s hands, and He puts people in our path that need encouragement—or an audio Bible!”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Mrs. "W."
August 2006
Mrs. W, a visually impaired person, wanted to serve God. Her church had a 24-hour prayer ministry, and she felt called to offer her services for the wee hours of the morning—the hours the church had difficulty enticing others to cover. She was excited to be able to serve in this way . . . until she found out she couldn’t do what was being required of her.
Each prayer warrior was asked to read portions of a particular prayer book, and Mrs. W’s vision impairment made it impossible for her to read. Mrs. W. was devastated. She had so wanted to be able to do this important work for her church!
But Mrs. W. didn’t give up. Instead, she prayed that the Lord would provide some other way for her to meditate on His Word and to still be equipped for the prayer ministry.
That same week, as she and her husband approached their home, they noticed a delivery box at their door. Neither of them could recall placing an order for anything. At first they thought they should send the suspicious “thing” back and refuse to pay for its contents, but then Mr. W. encouraged his wife to open it first.
Imagine her delight when Mrs. W. found a set of Audio Bibles for the Blind tucked inside! Even though she couldn’t read the prayer book, she could listen to and reflect on God’s Word. God had answered her heartfelt prayer. She could join the prayer ministry after all!
But where had the tapes come from? From Mrs. W.’s perspective, it had taken God less than a week to answer her prayer. But God had actually “started” the process long before Mrs. W. lifted her request to the Lord—before she even knew of her need.
Way back in October 2002, Dr. Cynthia Snell, Mrs. W.’s ophthalmologist, stopped by our Audio Bibles for the Blind booth at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. She was intrigued by our ministry, and we later sent her a sample of our New Testament cassettes. We also sent a display explaining our ministry for her to place in her waiting room.
Since then, God has given Dr. Snell numerous opportunities to introduce her visually impaired patients to Audio Bibles for the Blind. But for some reason, when Mrs. W. stopped by her office for a routine exam, Dr. Snell forgot to tell her about our ministry.
Knowing that Mrs. W. could really use a set of audio Bibles, however, she went ahead and filled out the paperwork and had a set of Audio Bibles shipped to Mrs. W. That was the box that miraculously appeared on Mrs. W.’s doorstep in answer to her prayer!
When Mrs. W. returned to Dr. Snell’s office for a follow-up appointment, she related the story of the suspicious box that had mysteriously appeared on her doorstep. As they each shared their own side of the story, they were both able to appreciate the beautiful way God weaves our lives together to accomplish His will.
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Cindy Hartwell
September 2006
As you may know, Audio Bibles for the Blind receives tens of thousands of requests for Audio Bibles from people around the world every year. But did you know that not everyone who needs an Audio Bible has trouble seeing?
Cindy Hartwell is one of those people. While serving in the Army, Cindy suffered severe debilitating injuries that left her needing assistance with many of the things most people take for granted. Cindy needs help picking up fallen objects, keeping her balance, moving around in her wheelchair, answering the phone, calling 911 – even holding a book and turning pages. (This is typically called having a “print handicap.”)
Fortunately, Cindy receives assistance with most of these tasks from her faithful service dog, Joel. Joel pulls her wheelchair when Cindy’s pain is too extreme. He provides steady support to help prevent falls. Joel even has a special signal to give if her blood sugar is low.
But Joel does have his limitations. Joel can’t read. That’s why Cindy was so grateful to receive her Audio Bible.
Cindy grew up believing in the existence of Jesus as God’s Son, yet she always sensed something very important was missing from her life. She began meeting with a Christian woman who led Bible studies using an Audio Bible. God began to draw her to Himself, as she studied the Bible, and as she saw the leader’s faithful witness. Cindy was coming to realize her need of embracing Christ as her Savior.
God was also at work providing for Cindy’s physical needs by bringing Joel into her life in a special way. The military program where Cindy got Joel was run by a wonderful Christian woman named Pam. Pam had gone to the local shelter to look for service dog candidates. Joel was there. He had been so badly abused by a former owner that the shelter felt he was not adoptable. But when Pam looked into Joel’s eyes, she knew God had a very important purpose for this dog.
Pam was tempted to give up on Joel on several occasions, but God kept telling her to press on. Then, the first time Pam talked to Cindy on the phone, she knew Joel was God’s gift to Cindy. At first Cindy didn’t want a golden retriever, but God has a way of working on hearts. From their first meeting, Cindy said, “He was mine and I was his.”
God’s gracious provision of Joel touched Cindy deeply. She started studying the Bible with renewed passion. Using her new Audio Bible she began spending time in God’s Word every day. Her desire now is to learn everything she can about the Lord and share it with everyone who crosses her path.
Today Cindy leads a support group for people who need service dogs. She leads Bible studies using her Audio Bible. And, whenever she takes people for a ride, she plays her Audio Bible on the way. She believes that “immersion helps people learn and believe.”
Cindy has already seen several people come into a relationship with Christ as their Savior because they heard her Audio Bible. And now that Cindy has a combination cell phone-MP3 player, Cindy will be playing her Audio Bible more often and in more places than ever!
And whenever she has the opportunity, she tells people about the wonderful ministry of Audio Bibles for the Blind. Many of the people she serves have great difficulty holding a book, turning its pages, or reading the print. She tells them about the Audio Bible, but they often respond that there is no way they could afford one, that it would be too expensive, that they have all they can do to put food on the table.
But when Cindy tells them that Audio Bibles are provided completely free of charge to those who qualify and need them, they are thrilled! Because of Audio Bibles for the Blind, these people are able to listen to the most valuable book ever written—a Book they would not be able to experience for themselves were it not for the ministry of Audio Bibles for the Blind.
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Susan Green
October 2006
Born four months early, Susan entered the world weighing just 2 pounds 2.5 ounces. A tiny preemie, she was immediately placed in an incubator. For fourteen long months, Susan remained in that incubator - fighting desperately for her life. And God kept her alive. She beat the odds and pulled through. Obviously, God had special plans for this tiny little girl!
The incubator oxygen that was so needed during those 14 months of development destroyed the retinas in both her eyes. Susan was left with severely limited vision in her right eye and no vision in her left eye. Despite her vision loss, Susan attended public school for three years before transferring to a sight saving school in fourth grade.
Wherever she went, it was clear that God was helping and working in her life. In grades seven through nine, God gave her a teacher who paid special attention to her and helped her succeed. God also sent people into her life who had “something” in their lives that she knew she was lacking. Susan desperately wanted that “something.”
When the local Blind Services office sent in a qualification form for Susan to receive an Audio Bible, God showed her what that “something” really was. Susan’s Audio Bible helped her see her need for a Savior!
After high school graduation, Susan settled in Charlottesville where her parents ran a little grocery store. She began attending church and went to work at Virginia Industries for the Blind. There she met a special man named Larry who later began attending church with her. They continued dating and eventually married in that same church.
Susan’s mother-in-law, Ruth, was a diabetic and Susan offered to let Ruth borrow some of her Audio Bible tapes. From then on, Ruth listened to the Bible every day. Susan and Ruth would share the tapes, trading them back and forth.
If only we had been alerted to their need, they EACH could have had their OWN Audio Bible!
As Ruth listened to the tapes again and again, she noted some of her favorite passages and asked that they be read at her memorial service. Ruth loved the book of Job. Susan especially enjoyed the Psalms.
Although Ruth has now passed away, Susan continues to listen to her Audio Bible “all the time.” It was a particular comfort to her during the uncertain days when her husband was undergoing open-heart surgery. She sees her Bible as a “window to the past and to the future.” Susan’s Audio Bible helps her see how God has worked in her life in the past and assures her that His hand will guide her in the future as well.
And it is easy to see God’s hand in her life. From those first difficult months when God granted her the precious gift of life, to His drawing her to Himself through her Audio Bible, God has had special plans for Susan, and she has served Him well.
In 2001, Susan began taking Bible classes through her church and became the first woman in her church to obtain the two-year Bible degree. She is also actively involved in a printing ministry at her church where they print evangelistic materials and distribute them around the world.
Today, Susan “reads” her Bible with our MP3 Bible for her PC, and she loves it! The incubator may have stolen her sight, but not her ability to hear God’s Word clearly. She especially appreciates hearing how Jesus related to people in such a personal way. She loves how He modeled a relationship with the Father and how He showed us how to live our daily lives. “It’s a blessing to ‘read’ the Bible whenever I want now,” she says. “Without access to the Bible, you feel left out of half of your life!”
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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Denien Failla
November 2006
Because of gifts from friends like you, Denien Failla received an Audio Bible for the Blind. Now, she says, a tremendous burden “has lifted from my soul.”
Not long ago, when Denien was a young woman, she used to sit down and read the Bible all the time—it was like an old friend. Today, Denien has multiple sclerosis, restrictive lung disease, and is legally blind. When she lost her sight, she lost a lot, but she considers losing her ability to read God’s Word as her greatest loss. Without the ability to read her Bible, she was hurt spiritually.
Even so, Denien found spiritual purpose through caring for her autistic son, Tony. The two of them were like partners, and Denien always felt that serving Tony was her best way of serving Jesus. Her love and devotion for Tony was deep—and vigilant. Although Tony looked perfectly fine, things could go wrong quickly and without warning. He required constant care and supervision.
On April 14, 2006, Denien had to leave Tony in someone else’s care for just 10 hours. When she returned, she found Tony dead on the floor in their kitchen. The person charged with his care wasn’t paying careful attention and didn’t provide the medication Tony needed. He died of a seizure at age 18, just two months before graduating from high school—a major achievement for someone with autism.
Denien was devastated. How she longed to cradle Tony in her arms, but he had gone to be with Jesus. In the midst of her grief, she stumbled across an unopened box that had arrived around the time of Tony’s death. She had no idea what could be inside. When she opened the box, she found “the beautifully mastered art piece of the Bible on tape that helps me to see the light.”
Shortly before Tony’s death, Denien had heard about Audio Bibles for the Blind through the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Program and had requested a copy. Not knowing what was in the box, she had set it aside when it arrived. But in God’s perfect timing, He guided her back to that mysterious box just when she needed it the most.
According to Denien, she discovered her Audio Bible just in time. God’s Word, made available to her on her Audio Bible, is now helping her through her most painful journey. “Through hearing God’s Word, I am better able to press on and find what God’s next purpose is for me in life. . . . My son, Tony, is now with Jesus. I am still so sad and miss him all the time, but I know that one day I’ll be with Jesus—and with Tony once again.”
For Denien, her Audio Bible for the Blind is a God-send. “I was without my Bible for so long—now I listen to it all the time. . . . Having the Audio Bible means the world to me! . . . [It] is crafted well, the sound is great quality, and the voice is so strong and clear. It makes it easy for me to listen.”
And Denien does listen to her Audio Bible—every night and throughout each of her days. She is now in a support group and because of her Audio Bible, is now able to participate in Bible studies, which she loves.
Recently Denien sent us a letter thanking us for her Audio Bible. She included a donation to our ministry. That donation caused her to be “hurting in her pocket,” but she believed God had prompted her to do so, and she trusted Him to provide for her financial needs just as He had provided for her spiritual needs through her Audio Bible for the Blind.
Her letter also included a sincere and heartfelt request. “Please promise me you will always make these Bibles free to people, because without you, I would still be spiritually depressed, and there are more people hurting.”
It’s a request we intend to meet. Audio Bibles for the Blind has always provided all of our Bibles and other resources completely free of charge to those who need them. That’s because people like you who know the power of God’s Word have consistently supported Audio Bibles for the Blind with your prayers and gifts.
Georgia | David | Nadine | Janice | Josephine | Mrs. W. | Cindy | Susan | Denien |
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