The WIFI Bible: Broadening the reach of the Gospel in PNG
Last December, the new WIFIBible hit the airwaves in Papua New Guinea. Lukas Schadegg shares the vision behind this new way to spread the Gospel.
Story: Stephanie Gidney Photos: Lukas Schadegg
The WIFIBible is a little box that transmits an open wireless signal which anyone with a wireless mobile phone, tablet or laptop can connect to and download biblical resources from for free. The small but powerful box contains Bibles, including audio ones, movies, including the Jesus film, Christian songs and apps in 9 different Tokples languages – over 12GB of Good News!
The demand
In 2013, Lukas Schadegg arrived in PNG to join the staff of Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship (CRMF), the technology services section of MAF in PNG. He soon heard about the demand for Bibles in the country. ‘In the western world there are always more Bibles than interest,’ Lukas comments. But in PNG he was stirred by the reality that ‘there are more people in remote places who would like a Bible than CRMF can supply. How can CRMF distribute more Bibles to remote people who would like to have one?’
‘At the beginning of 2014, I talked with an MAF pilot who shared about a long existing idea to share digital resources on the plane via Bluetooth. I started to research different hardware and possibilities. We heard from MAF US about the Librarybox project – created to share resources via WIFI.
That seemed to be exactly the right device to share Biblical resources for free.’
PMVs
‘The CRMF team programmed a new website for the box and modified the software, to make it as easy as possible to access and consume the content. We decided to field test the WIFIBible project on the public motor vehicles (PMVs), or buses, as they cover a lot of people. The PMVs travel up and down route 100, the main highway connecting Lae, Madang and the Highlands as far as Enga province. Once we see that it works we will expand the project into remote places.’
‘There are now WIFIBibles placed in three PMVs, but more are confirmed – we ordered 50 boxes for this first test release. A lot of drivers are really interested to have one. Ten WIFIBibles have been delivered to Christian bookstores, and one is positioned in a remote bush hospital.’
Looking forward
‘The mobile market is growing worldwide. The increasing use of mobile phones and even smart phones is also a trend in PNG. We want to use this trend to spread the word of God. Everywhere people are sitting and waiting. People close to the device can get a free copy of the TokPisin Bible for their mobile phone and have the opportunity to explore the content while they travel. A lot of people can’t read so the audio Bible is a real blessing to them.’
The next stage will be to install devices in additional places, like MAF Bases, MAF planes and market places. ‘In the end we hope to have the WIFIBible even out in the bush. We are convinced that in the near feature even the bushman will own a smart phone.’ Not only will people be able to hear the Gospel for themselves, but the resource will also challenge and hopefully reduce the issue of false teaching, which is a concern reported by many pastors.
800 files a day
The CRMF team are working on a way to monitor the uptake of the service, but early feedback suggests people really like it. Users are already asking for more resources – more songs, a Bible dictionary and concordances. As Lukas reports, ‘One guy who I showed how to download the Bible said: “That’s what I have been looking so long for, to get the Bible on my mobile.”
Lukas estimates that once all 50 WIFIBibles are in place, CRMF could be distributing 800 files of Good News a day. ‘That is exciting, and it’s just the beginning!’
‘The WIFIBible is providing free and healthy content for the mobile phones in PNG. Like in the West, a lot of people use their mobiles to consume pornography and other bad stuff. We pray that this project will glorify God and that the word of God will change people’s lives!’