Imagine how your life would be different if you didn’t know how to read or write. Do you think you would have a good job? Would you have the same knowledge? Would you travel very far from home?

Now picture the Ama people in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea. Not only are most of the people illiterate, they also don’t have TVs, cell phones, GPSs or any other technology we take for granted. There might be a radio or two in the village, but it may not have working batteries. The fact is, the primary source of Ama news and information is the spoken word. When someone comes from a distant village, everyone gathers around excitedly to hear the latest news. This is how knowledge is disseminated.

How do you think the Ama can best be reached by the Gospel? By sending a missionary to speak to the villagers, of course! The Ama people are culturally wired to listen. But they have lived their entire lives as animists who distrust and fear the many spirits of the jungle. They will also distrust the God of Heaven until they understand what His Son did for them.

When I worked among the illiterate people of May River 20 years ago, I discovered that they are very eager to learn to read. They were fascinated by the “talking paper” that spoke in their language. As they learned to read, I would give them a Bible and tell them it contained the words of God’s Son. You should have seen their faces as they wrapped their arms around it in excitement. God’s talking paper will teach the Ama people that they can trust Him.

• Twitter