Imagine living your life in darkness, unable to see the faces of your loved ones, or read your favourite book. Picture yourself not being able to read the Bible, a source of comfort and guidance for many. Today, this is a reality for millions of people around the world.

In Costa Rica there are currently over 234,000* people living with visual impairments – a number that is expected to grow in the coming years. Many people in this community face not only physical challenges, but also isolation from both secular society, and Christian communities. For a long time, accessing God’s Word has been a distant dream for many due to the scarcity of Braille Scriptures and the resources required to produce them.

With your help, the Bible Society of Costa Rica can change this.

In partnership with the National Foundation for the Blind and the National System of Libraries, the Bible Society is working to produce and provide Scriptures in Spanish Braille to those who need them most. This project is about more than just distributing Braille Scriptures – it is about transforming lives and breaking stigmas that this often-overlooked community face every day.

Today, your support will help:

  • Provide Access to Scriptures:

    Making the Bible and portions of Scripture available in Spanish Braille and extra-large print to enable the blind and low vision community to read God’s Word for themselves.

    • Promote Dignity and Inclusion:

    Challenging societal misconceptions and educating the Costa Rican public on the dignity and value of all people through the Scriptures to instigate a culture of love towards each other.

    • Empower Lives:

    Providing skills and workplace training to the visually impaired community with an aim of helping them integrate into the workforce. Additionally, providing training to workplaces on how to incorporate people with visual disabilities into their staff team.

    Your support today can make a difference in the lives of blind individuals and their families, giving them the tools to know and share God’s love, whilst also giving them the skills they need to find work.

    Meet Efren

    Efren is 44, and has a passion for technology, carpentry, and embroidery. Before being diagnosed with optic nerve damage which led to limited vision, Efren worked as an IT technician and served as a reader at the Cathedral in Cartago.

    Unfortunately, Efren’s diagnosis meant that he had to set some of these passions aside due to the lack of large-print and Braille resources, which also meant that he could not read his Bible.

    However, receiving a Braille Bible from the Bible Society has opened a new world for him – one of renewed independence and connection to God through His Word.

    Speaking on receiving his Braille Bible, Efren said, “Being able to read the Bible on a personal level is something that I feel will be a great support in my life.”

    Will you partner with us to help individuals like Efren regain the ability to engage with the Bible on a personal level?

    More than a Bible

    Whilst distribution of Braille and large-print Bibles is a core aspect of this work, the Bible Society also facilitates around 25 workshops each year. Recently some of these workshops have included voice-over training, self-awareness and body image sessions, and an entrepreneurship course.

    This course consisted of three sessions focussing on aspects of starting a business with the goal of providing tools to empower blind individuals and help them enter the workforce more effectively. Facilitator, Ana Cambronero, commented how it had been an extremely enriching experience for both her and the participants.

    With your support, the Bible Society can help to empower more visually impaired people.

    How can you help? 

    Pray 

    • Pray for the people receiving a Braille Bible, that it will be a blessing to them and help them to build a deeper relationship with God.
    • Pray for the workshops run by the Bible Society, that they will be safe places for learning and personal development.
    • Pray for innovation and creativity amongst the team around helping visually impaired people to engage with the Bible.

    Give

    • £15 could provide 1 portion of Scripture in Spanish Braille for a visually impaired person.
    • £60 could provide a workshop for 20 participants, helping them to develop skills that will enable them to enter the workforce.
    • £126 could enable 14 blind people to attend the entrepreneurship course, giving them the skills to start a business or enter the workforce.
    • £400 could supply one visually impaired person, like Efren, with a full Braille Bible, enabling them to read God’s Word for themselves.

    Share

    Tell others about Efren and how his life was changed when he received a Braille Bible. Perhaps you could include this project in your church prayers, or you could host a fundraiser in support of this vital work. Please contact the office if you would like to invite a speaker to come to your church or group. 

    Thank you for your continued support of Bible Mision around the world.


    *Source – Vision Atlas – www.iapb.org