Meet the company perfecting audio Bibles and other tech solutions for global missions.
Today, you probably take it for granted that you can carry a year’s worth of audio data on a device that fits in your pocket. And when you consider the ease with which most of us can access the internet to stream content, we quickly surpass the threshold of content anyone could consume, even if they lived dozens of lifetimes.
But what happens in remote locations with no access to mobile phone and Wi-Fi? Apart from human storytellers, how would you hear the single most important story the world has ever known? That’s where MegaVoice—one of Seed Company’s innovative partners—shines. Sometimes literally.
What Is MegaVoice?
The Short Answer
MegaVoice is the company behind some of the most innovative technological solutions to problems faced by real missionaries and humanitarians all over the world. They have one of the largest databases of audio Bible recordings in dozens of languages, and they are the creators of the first solar-powered audio Bible.
Now for the Long(er) Answer
The longer answer requires a bit of time travel.
You’ve entered Australia in the late 1980s.
A man named Tom Treseder is dreaming of an audio Bible for all people.
Sounds easy for 2023.
But we just stepped back to 1986, and computers aren’t as fancy as what we currently use. They lack the terabytes of storage we’ve come to expect. Most chips can only store a few seconds of audio data, making Tom’s dream an impossibility.
But God connected Tom with Ken Crowell, an engineer who designed and built fixed tuned radios. Together, Tom and Ken set about creating a dependable, solar-powered device that could store and play back as much of the Bible as possible.
Moving into the Future
As technology developed, the pair managed to fit 15 minutes of Bible playback—then 30, a full hour, and more. Soon, the dream became reality.
Today, MegaVoice devices can play Scripture in more than 4,500 languages using a battery that charges in the sun and withstands frequent use and re-charging for years, without wearing out. According to their website, MegaVoice is also home to an expansive Scripture audio library with 8,400 Scripture titles. Playback times range from a few minutes to 320 hours!
What MegaVoice Makes
Though MegaVoice began with a vision to create sturdy, portable audio Bibles that did not depend on access to a reliable electrical grid, they now do much more.
Their range of products includes bluetooth speakers, tablets with videos showcasing the Bible in sign language, stuffed animal companions that can house audio players, solar charging headlamps and lanterns, SD card security solutions, and—of course—audio Bibles.
Each product is developed with the Great Commission in mind. In the mission field, things that can go wrong often do. For that reason, MegaVoice’s line of tools can go anywhere and survive nearly anything. God’s grace triumphs over Murphy’s Law.
The devices produced by MegaVoice are meticulously engineered to meet physical and spiritual needs, even in places where sharing God’s Word is dangerous.
Why MegaVoice Matters
If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you believe in the importance of Bible translation—providing people from every tongue, tribe, and nation with access to the gospel in their heart language.
While the written word in every language is a noble goal, we would be foolish if we did not face the reality that many languages are oral-only or predominantly oral. According to research from the International Orality Network, 80% of the world’s population prefers oral communication. In addition, audio Bibles allow missionaries to more easily reach those who are blind, vision impaired, or simply can’t read their language.
But MegaVoice didn’t stop there. What about those who cannot hear? Well, MegaVoice’s new tablets come with videos that feature the Bible in various sign languages. So now it is easier than ever for missionaries to bring the Bible to the Deaf.
MegaVoice is dedicated to helping missionaries regardless of where they plan to take the Word of God. The security solutions that MegaVoice builds into their products make it possible to circumvent situations where bringing light into the darkness is a punishable offense.
By using a combination of encryption, proprietary data cables, and unique file conventions, MegaVoice equips missionaries all over the world with tools they need to provide God’s Word to those who need it while protecting them from those who would keep them from it.
Even outside the context of sharing the gospel, MegaVoice is meeting needs with their lights, lanterns, radios, and speakers. In regions without electricity, light on demand is a need often met with dangerous kerosene lamps. In the midst of a disaster, access to radio broadcasts can be vital to saving lives by providing pertinent information quickly.
Pray for Our MegaVoice Partners
Bringing the gospel to every person in the language they know best is a daunting task. That’s why Seed Company partners with innovative organizations like MegaVoice. We invite you to pray with us for the work they do and the people whose lives will be transformed as a result.
Father, thank you for the grace you give. Thank you for the intelligence you’ve blessed us with and the people who use it to find new ways to grow your kingdom. Please bless the work that we do with MegaVoice. Give wisdom, direction, and unity to MegaVoice leaders and partners. Thank you for bringing a new generation into your fold. Amen.
