Orality Journal Volume 3, Number 1, 2014 | Page 22

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Orality Journal, Volume 3, Number 1, 2014

Amber Alexander

The story set would be in their
They also like to listen to and
language and in a storytelling
tell stories. Their stories could
style. It would direct them in
have happened that day or a
following Christ and what it means
hundred years ago. Along with
to be the Church. Every
singing and storytelling,
The story set
story was to be biblically
the Sweater People love
sound, understandable would be in their to watch television and
to the average person, language and in a listen to the radio. All
and easily remembered storytelling style. of these forms of oral
and passed on from one
communication can be
person to another. We also wanted
used in telling this people group
to see these stories used in starting
the stories from the Bible.
evangelistic groups among the
Muslim Sweater People and the
Third, the Sweater Person can
planting of house churches. Our
relate to the setting of the stories
timeline was to finish this task in
in the Bible. They can also relate
two years.
to the people in God’s word. The
place where the Sweater People
Why Bible Storying?
live has many similarities to the
One might ask: Why storying? Bible
places and settings of the Bible.
storying is the ideal tool to reach
For example:
the Sweater People for a number of
• Their home sits in a valley
reasons. First, the Sweater language
surrounded by the Himalayan
is only spoken and not written.
Mountains. You can almost
They do not have an alphabet.
picture Moses going up to a
mountain to talk to God or
Second, the Sweater People are oral
a Psalmist singing about the
communicators. They live in an
mountains God created.
area with one of the lowest literacy
• The political situation could
rates in the country. Only 20% of
be perceived as similar to
Sweater women, on average, are
Israel’s situation during the
literate. They love to sing and tell
time of Jesus’ birth. The
stories. Some of the songs they
Sweater People believe they
sing are new, but many have been
are a chosen people under the
passed down from generation to
rule of pagan idolat