"It took Richmond theology student Alpheaus Zobule nearly a decade to make the New Testament available to the people of the tiny South Pacific island where he grew up. But in one April day, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake dealt his work a powerful blow.Back in January, 2007 I blogged on an earlier story by Michelle Boorstein on Alpheaus Zobule's remarkable quest to make the Scriptures available to a society that had no written language.
Zobule, a 38-year-old son of subsistence farmers from the Solomon Islands, came to the United States in his 20s and earned master's degrees in linguistics and theology, all so he could find a way to make the Bible available to fellow islanders, whose language had no written form."
The April 2, 2007 earthquake that hit the Solomon Islands destroyed much of Zobule's library and resources he was using for Biblical translation as well as stocks of printed copies. These Bibles printed in the Lungga language served a dual purpose -- to teach the people to read and write in their oral language, and to teach them about the Lord.
The extent of the loss is not fully known, due to the remoteness of the islands, but donations are starting to pour in. The article provides information on how to assist in rebuilding this ministry.
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