Contact Us for more information on Talking Bible use and opportunities for your church or mission experience. 1-800-318-7262

Our Mission:

To serve the Lord Jesus Christ by producing and preserving single-voice audio recordings of translated Scriptures in hundreds of languages to make these recordings available in Talking Bibles for people around the world who cannot read.

History:

The vision of producing single-voice recordings of the Bible was inspired by Dr. Harvey T. Hoekstra, missionary and Bible translator. When Dr. Hoekstra realized that most of the people he worked among could not read, he changed his focus to include them. In 1967, he began making audio recordings for nonreaders. As a result, many more people had access to God’s Word in their own language and came to faith in Christ.

The efforts grew to include recordings of many Bible translations, making them available in other parts of the world, too. In 1989 Dr. Hoekstra established Audio Scriptures International, now Talking Bibles International, in Escondido, California for the purpose of producing, distributing and preserving audio Scriptures in as many languages as possible. Before long this ministry had produced or acquired more recorded translations of entire New Testaments than any other audio Scripture organization in the world.

Things changed when Mark Hoekstra, Harvey's son, created the Talking Bible® . . . a self-contained listening device created to look like a printed Bible . . . the Talking Bible contains an entire New Testament . . . it has revolutionized the way illiterate people can be reached with the Word of God.

To place this powerful evangelism tool in the hands of millions, Paul Hoekstra formed the Adopt-a-Village ministry in 1998. Within a few years this program resulted in the placement of Bible listening kits in nearly 20,000 villages in India alone.

Now, Adopt-a-Village and Audio Scriptures International have come together under the banner of Talking Bibles International. A move of wise stewardship, maximizing the impact of the Talking Bible in the heart languages of people around the world . . . BECAUSE THEY NEED TO HEAR.

Thank you for your interest in Talking Bibles International's Audio Scripture Resource Center. In business since 1989, our mission is to provide God's Word in audio in an easy to use format for the blind, visual impaired and those from oral culture where reading is not part of normal daily living activities.

We will be adding additional audio Scripture products over the next few months, so come back regularly.

You can contact us at: by phone at (760) 745-8105.

We are located at: 419 East Grand Avenue Escondido, CA 92025

Talking Bibles International, formerly Audio Scriptures International, was founded by Dr. Harvey Hoekstra, missionary providing God's saving Word in a format easy to use by people who cannot read.

Neighborhood Outreach - Look around your own neighborhood for people who speak the various languages that audio Scriptures are available in. Use the Portrait of Jesus - The Greatest Person Who Ever Lived in your personal outreach into your own neighborhood. The Portrait of Jesus is available in over 50 different languages.

Traveling - Take some audio Scriptures with you to give to people you meet. For example if you are going to Ethiopia take some Amharic Scriptures with you to give away to special people you meet along the way. Give one to the taxi driver he'll be very surprised you have a gift just for him in his own language. Give one to the maid or house keeper where you'll be staying. Give an audio Scripture tape to the guard out side the gate who stays up all night so you can sleep in peace.

Short term mission trip - Take some audio Scriptures in the language spoken where they are going. Going to Malawi, Africa? Take audio Scriptures in Chichewa! Give a cassette or a Talking Bible to the pastor you meet. Give one to the family that spent half their life savings feeding you a chicken they could never afford to eat themselves. Be a blessing and give a Talking Bible to all who are kind to you on your trip away from home.

Blind - Give a blind person with a Talking Bible. One blind man in India who received a Tamil Talking Bible stayed up all night to listen. He started and would not stop listening until he heard the whole story for himself from Matthew through Revelation. For the first time in his life he got to hear the whole New Testament. Blind from birth and unable to read Braille he was without a Bible he could use. Someone blessed him with a Talking Bible. Think about doing that for someone when you travel or on your next mission trip or if you like we'll give a blind persona Talking Bible on your behalf. A tax deductible donation of $72.00 we'll place a Talking Bible in the hands of a blind person. This person will be dicipled by a local evangelist or pastor in the country the blind person is living in.

Orphanages - Many of the little children have never heard about Jesus. They don’t get to sing ?Jesus loves me this I know - because the Bible tells me so?. Many children have never had a Bible - many are cared for by adults who can not read to them so they have never heard the precious Words of comfort found in the Bible just for them. You can make a defense, by giving the orphanage you are going to visit a Talking Bible to play for the children. Even if it's English - all over the world children are trying to learn English - they love it.

Hospitals, Clinics and Hospice care - On the long lonely nights and in the quit afternoon hours God's Word comes alive. Many find comfort in the promises Jesus made. "Come to me all you who are weary and ... " Many who are weary and tired are comforted to know Jesus loves them and are there with them now and in the life to come.