Word at Work Spring 2015

CONTENTS Spring 2015

Projects for 2015.....................…...3

God at Work in Togo.....4-5

A report of Leah’s visit to a Bible dedication service...and much more.

Bolivia ‘Families’ Ministry......11 The reports the news media don’t broadcast.

REGULAR ITEMS

Local News Snippets...........................................…6

Prayer Pull-Out Pages........................................7-10

International News..........................................12-132

Welcome...Sometimes we are left amazed atthe surprises that God has in storefor us…

In our Autumn magazine I wroteabout difficulties being experiencedby our colleague Rev ChristopheKongo Kote, General Secretary in theDemocratic Republic of Congo. At a‘chance’ meeting in theNetherlands, he had told me about

the completion of their first ever Bible translationsfor the Alur and Lendu languages. After over 30years of toil, both translations had been completed,typeset and proofed. The target audience ran intomillions, they were ready to go …but there were nofunds to print the two texts.

It may seem strange to a passer-by that so manyyears of work could be invested by translatorswithout the certainty that their finished manuscriptwould ever see the light of day. But such are themany factors governing Bible translation work,there is no way to estimate when the task will becomplete. Illness, even death and civil unrest can allhave a serious impact on a project and even whenthe final manuscript has been proofed for the lasttime, there is often a kind of hiatus while everyoneconsiders how the printing cost will be met.Certainly, the presses will not be loaded with paperuntil the necessary funds are in place. Christophewas experiencing such a delay when I met him inJune and although I promised that our Bible Societywould do anything that we could, even I could notimagine how things would turn out. There wereother plans at work.

I am reminded of words in Jeremiah where Godspeaks kindly to the people who have been carriedinto captivity:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says theLORD. “They are plans for good and not fordisaster, to give you a future and a hope. In thosedays when you pray, I will listen. If you look forme wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will befound by you,” says the LORD. “I will end yourcaptivity and restore your fortunes. I will gatheryou out of the nations where I sent you and willbring you home again to your own land.”( Jeremiah 29.11-14 ESV)

I had been uncertain about attending thatparticular meeting and was unaware of Christophe’schallenges.

I could never have anticipated the generosity of thosewho would read our magazine and make it possiblefor BSNI to fund the production of both Bibles.

In the end…as I write these words, production isunderway in South Korea of 10,000 copies of both theAlur and Lendu Bibles and, in addition, we have beenable to finance the deficit to publish the first Bassar(Ntcham) Bible in Togo. Based on Leah’s account of hervisit to Togo (see Pages 5 – 6), we can all now imaginethe joy there will be when all three Bibles arededicated.

Isn’t our God full of wonderful surprises?!And aren’t the prayers of our supporters so

worthwhile!

John Doherty General Secretary BSNI

So near and yet....

Rev Christophe Kongo Kote,General Secretary of the Bible

Society in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo steering a

motorbike used to reachremote areas.

This year we are supporting projects in 45 countries… here are justa few of them…

Translating the Bible into Shekgalagari in Botswana. This will be the firstBible in their heart language that the Bakgalagari people will have everreceived.

Covering the cost of the paper used to print Bibles in the huge AmityPrinting Press in China. These printed Bibles will go to China’s Millions,reaching out to them with God’s saving grace.

Teaching people in Burkina Faso to read and write in their heartlanguage, and as they learn this vital skill, introducing them to the wordsof Scripture.

Producing and distributing Scripture Portions in Spanish Braille toadults and children who are visually impaired in Costa Rica. Reading thebraille words will allow these people to know that God speaks theirlanguage.

Encouraging people to listen to God’s Word in Togo through FaithComes by Hearing groups. Providing audio Bibles (Proclaimers) to thosewho cannot read will allow them to fully understand and engage withthe words that God speaks.

Distributing one million Bibles to people in Cuba. This huge mission, in aonce closed society, is allowing many people to open a Bible of theirown for the first time.

Travelling in a boat giving educational and medical care to the riversidecommunities. The churches have grown and now the Paraguayan BibleSociety wants to help strengthen the people and bring training for thosein leadership.

Sharing the Good News with migrants through storytelling. The BibleSociety in the Gulf is training church leaders in the art of storytelling sothat in this oral society where many are illiterate, God’s Word can betold.

Bibles instead of weapons. Gang warfare and crime levelsare increasing in the Dominican Republic. The Bible Societyin partnership with the police department have made a pleathat they will give Bibles in exchange for weapons… andpeople are responding.

Reaching everyone with God’s WordWe’ve only been able to highlight a few of the projects – ifyou would like to find out moreinformation about the 45 countriesBSNI is supporting during 2015 thenvisit our websitewww.bsni.co.uk/projects or like uson Facebook

So near and yet....

Helping more people in Botswana

know the excitement of owning the

Bible at last!

Tobacco farmer in Cuba receives his

very first Bible. 1 million people

are being reached.

Partners Aroundthe Globe

Switching weapons for Bibles in

one of the most violent places...

Dominican Republic.

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Travels to Togo The Mina Launch

Leah McKibben, our Project Manager, writes: I boardedthe plane in Paris clutching my passportand asking God for courage as I travelled to a placeI’d never been – a place where I didn’t know theculture, the people or the way of life. It felt like ahuge step to be taking but I knew that God wastaking me to Togo for a reason… I just wasn’t surewhat that reason was as I got on that plane!

I soon discovered that Togo is a beautiful country,stretching north from golden beaches through themountains to the savannah. It’s not only the land thatis beautiful but the people too. Everywhere we wentwe were greeted with warm handshakes andgreetings, and the colour and vibrancy of thepersonalities were enough to make me want to bepart of that life for a lot longer than the ten days I wasthere.

The Bible Society of Togo (BST) was having a time ofcelebration. Their translation work on the Mina Biblewas finished and they were holding a huge event todedicate it and give it to the people. It was a pleasurefor me, along with a colleague from the Netherlands,to be welcomed by them to attend this event anddiscover what it is like when people receive the Biblein their heart language.

We arrived at the church centre – a recently renovatedcinema – in the centre of Aneho. The area around thistown and stretching to the border of Benin is largelywhere the approximately 200,000 Mina speakers live.The place was already buzzing with activity as peopletried to find a seat and BST staff members hurriedabout organising the last minute details. We gotshown up to the stage where we were able to see allthat was going on and watch as over one thousandpeople tried to squeeze into the building.

Once all the dignitaries were seated – board and staffmembers, church representatives, and three of thetribal kings – we were ready to begin. The first part ofthe programme was given to speeches, allowing allwho had been involved in the translation process tobring words of thanks. It took a long time to getthrough all the speeches but it was wonderful to listento the excitement that these people had and to taketime to recognise God’s hand at work in the process ofbringing His message to the Mina people. When thevery respected King of the Mina people stood to bringhis approval of this Bible the crowd was thrilled, evenmore so when he began to sing the words of ‘Nearermy God to thee’.

Mrs Da Dede Massan Hunlede (a Togolese T.V. personality) holds up the brand new Mina Bible.

When the last speech had been given and it wasannounced that they were going to bring the firstMina Bible in there was a sudden shift in theatmosphere. Suddenly there was a sense ofanticipation and restlessness. People began to get outof their seats and those with cameras and iPadsstarted to run to find the best place to capture themoment. Loud music erupted from the speakers andfrom the back of the room came a line of children.Each child, dressed in traditional Togolese clothing,came in carrying a sheet of paper with a book of theBible written on it. They danced down the aisle aspeople cheered and clapped along. The musicstopped. There were a few seconds of silence then,louder than I’ve ever heard it before, the HallelujahChorus was played out across the room. From thevery back of the room you could see a small childholding a Bible high in the air. Between the lines ofchildren this Bible was slowly paraded to the frontwhere it was passed to Mrs Da Dede MassanHunlede, a Togolese T.V. personality. She held it upfor the people to see. The cameras flashed, thepeople cheered and smiled and cried. It truly was amoment that cannot be forgotten. The Mina Biblehad arrived.

I glanced at the programme and saw that there werestill some speeches to be made and prayers to be said,so I was very surprised to see that people werebeginning to leave – not just a few people but themajority of the crowd. I couldn’t understand how theycould leave when there was so much joy in this place!But when I started to see some people come back intothe room with Bibles in their hands I understood; theyhad begun selling the Mina Bibles outside and peoplewere too desperate to get their hands on them to waituntil the end of the event. So as I sat on the stage andwatched people file back into their seats I could seethe smiles on their faces as they touched the pagesand read the words in their heart language for thefirst time.

These people – lay people, pastors, BST staff members– had never been able to read the Bible in their ownlanguage. From this time on they will be able toengage with God’s Word in a completely new way. In aplace where there is so much false teaching anddifferent religions, the Mina people will be able toread the direct Word of God and know that it is thetruth.

As we left that place of celebration and I sat on theplane ready to come home I realised why God hadbrought me to that place. He showed me just howalive His Word is. It is a message that will neverchange, will never fade away, and will continue to turnnations to Him. I realised that He has called us to bepart of this exciting, vibrant mission. He wants each ofus to be involved in the process of spreading Hismessage to the nations. So as I think about that MinaBible being held high in the air as the HallelujahChorus rings out, I am humbled to think about all thepeople who were involved in that work – thetranslators sitting at lap tops, the Bible Society staff inother countries writing letters and making phone calls,the people in churches across the world praying forthe work. What an honour it is to be asked by the Kingto work for Him.

I would love to tell you so much more about my travelsto Togo, so give Bible House a ring and ask me to comeand speak to your church or organisation. I’ll tell youabout Faith Comes by Hearing (see page 14‐15),Spiritual Food for Prisoners, their Youth Bible Quiz,Literacy classes and translation work.

Left: The Board of BST meet Leah (Front, left) and colleagues from theNetherlands.

Right: GeneralSecretary, Mrs Estelle

Akouegnon, holds theMina Bible. 5

During 2014, Leah and John spoke at 81 different venuesabout the place of the Bible and the Society’s role inmaking it available worldwide. On every occasion, themessage of encouragement was welcomed by churchaudiences of all ages. Interestingly, an increasednumber of these invitations (49) involved SundayServices. If you are making plans for the year ahead,perhaps there is a special occasion when you wouldlike to invite us to be involved. There is still space inthe diary during the months ahead.

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The Amazing Journey Bible Storytelling project for Primaryschools is now in its 16th year and it has a new co-ordinator,Aaron Riddle. BSNI is continuing to support this project whichis run by the Baptist Youth department, supplying Aaron andthe Volunteer storytellers with Scripture for the children to takehome to their family. We are currently printing a further 40,000Portions (the books of Luke and Acts) so that this project cancontinue to make full use of the access it currently enjoys tolocal schools of all denominations. We trust that Aaron andhis team will continue to see many blessings through thisproject.

News Snippets at Home

Getting the habit - the discipline of Bible Reading

A good number of churches have availed of our Daily Bible Reading Guide – our free gift to help clergy to introduce their people to reading the Bible in asystematic way. Some copies are still available if your church did not place an order before the end of the year. Just give us a ring on 9032 6577.

Continuing support for the Amazing Journey

Coming to a church near you!

Carrickfergus Prayer Group Coffee MorningIsabel, who hosts the Prayer Group in Carrickfergus, started thegroup after a coffee morning 2 years ago. She decided it was timeto raise a little more awareness, this time with a little help from thePrayer Group.

It is amazing what a simple coffee morning can do. Over 30 peoplecame and went on Saturday morning 29th November. Lots ofhomemade treats from Marmalade to Cakes, to craft items weresold to make an incredible £518.20! We would love to see morepeople as keen to make a difference!

If you could host a prayer group in your area, or even a once-offcoffee morning, do get in touch. We will do whatever we can toprovide prayer material and other Bible Society resources.

Pull-out and keep prayer guide: January 2015

Prayer at WorkEthiopia: Pray for the many ongoingtranslation projects and for the efforts toreach young people and poor familieswith the biblical message. Ask God toguide the work of Good Samaritan**,Trauma Healing� and FCBH*programmes. Pray for General SecretaryYilma Getahun.

Eritrea: Pray for the Bible Work in thiscountry led by Minasse Haileab as theywork to share the biblical message. AskGod to guide the translation of the BlinBible. May funds continue to be availableto subsidise Bible costs.

South Sudan: Please pray for peace, sothat the Bible Society can share the loveof God. May God protect ExecutiveSecretary Edward Kajivora and the staff.Pray for him, the new HIV project and theCoordinator as she establishes thisministry, for ongoing translation projects,and for the Trauma healing project.

Sudan: Ask God for lasting peace. Pleasepray for leaders who will protecteveryone who seeks to live a peacefuland respectful life. Pray also that theWord of God will touch the hearts of ourpeople. Please pray for safety for thestaff.

*FCBH: Faith Comes By Hearing - A programme providing audio Scripture for listeninggroups, set up through local churches. **Good Samaritan Project: A Bible-basedHIV/AIDS education programme. Workshop based, multi-media training. uTAZI: Termused to refer to people to be reached who are from strong Islamic tradition. TraumaHealing: Bible-Based counselling for survivors of national traumas such as epidemics,disasters, war etc.

January 25 - 31

January - April 2015

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Bible-A-Month Project January: Armenia

Please pray for the people living on the border villages inArmenia. These areas are constantly under threat ofconflict. Pray for calm and peace for those living in fearand ask that God’s Word would provide a message ofcomfort and reassurance.

The Bible Society in Armenia is helping people in theseremote areas have a first experience of opening the Bible.Pray for the revelation of God’s Spirit as children,students, teachers and parents read His Word for the firsttime.

Thank the Lord that the Bible Society in Armenia hasbeen given the rare opportunity to work with the army.Pray that each soldier who receives a Bible will grow inthe Lord’s strength.

This month, £4 could help engage whole villages living on the borders with God’s Word

The Bible is being taken to theremote areas of this country,reaching people groups that areoften forgotten by the rest ofsociety. Scripture is beingdistributed, Bible studies beingheld… and more people areseeing the Bible as the livingWord of God rather than anancient sacred text.

“This is the confidence we havein approaching God: that if weask anything according to his

will, he hears us. And if we knowthat he hears us

—whatever we ask—we know that we have what weasked of him.” (1 John:14-15 NLT)

God is not distant. He is HERE.Christmas has reminded us ofEmmanuel, God with us – wemust carry this into our new yeartoo. Prayer is a conversation withour intimate, loving Father. Hewalks with us, He listens to usand he cares for us. In 1 Peter5:7 He tells us to cast all ourworries on Him… why? Because He cares for us.

Thank you for praying for BibleSociety ministry all around theworld. Thank you for castingcares, bringing burdens andasking for answers. Theseministries cannot happenwithout Him. God is themiraculous provider, the hopebringer and the restorer. He ischanging lives in answer to yourprayers. Thank you!

Faith Comes byHearing Group with

Street Kids inEthiopia

Bible-A-Month PartnersYou do not have to be one of our‘Bible-A-Month’ Prayer Partners topray for the highlighted country atthe bottom of each prayer page. Ifyou are a BAM Partner, we hope youenjoy your 2015 calendar.

BAM is a very simple concept, ourPartners donate at least £4 a month,to place a Bible-A-Month... a simpleidea, but a powerful, life-changingone!

To become a BAM Partner just giveus a ring and we will send you aCalendar with some moreinformation.

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: February 2015Prayer at Work

Liberia: Please pray that theGovernment will grant apermit for a New Bible Houseto be built and that thebuilding arrangements will gosmoothly. Ask that donors willsupport the new translationsinto the Dan (Gio), Mann andGola languages. May Godbless the distribution to newBelievers and Scripture forSecondary School pupils.Guinea: May God guide andprovide for Bible Society workas the team seek to engagepeople of all ages. Pray forthe Good Samaritan**programme, Literacy workand the translation of theBible into the Toma language.Remember General Secretary,Robert Iffono, staff,translators, volunteers andBoard Members. Pray too forgood relations with theChurches.Sierra Leone: Ask the Lord tomeet people through theGood Samaritan**, FCBH* andLiteracy programmes. Prayfor provision to distributeScripture materials to theMilitary as well as Youth andAlpha courses. Pray forongoing translation andrevision work. RememberJames Maada Coker as hemanages all these differentteams.

Gambia: Thank God forencouragements Henry Akapoand the team have seendespite the difficult economicand religious backdrop. Praythat God’s Word will have areal impact through FCBH*.Ask for God’s blessing as thecountry celebrates 50 years ofindependence.Senegal: Pray for the sensitivework including literacy classesfor women and children andpeople from other faiths. AskGod to help progresstranslation into the Seree andPulaar languages and toenable Scripture distributionsto underprivileged childrenand youths. Côte d’Ivoire: Thank God forcontinued support fromchurches and individuals. Prayfor General Secretary JeanKouassi Kouame, the staff andtranslation teams. Please prayfor safety for the distributionteam who work in challengingcircumstances. Pray that 2015elections will be peaceful. Ghana: Thank God for 50years of Bible Society work inGhana. Pray for GeneralSecretary Erasmus Odonkor,staff and committees duringthe re-organization. Givethanks for faithful donors.Remember FCBH*, GoodSamaritan** and Literacyprogrammes and the Gurunetranslation.

Cameroon: Praise God for thework led by Luc Gnowa.Thank God for the GoodSamaritan** programme andministry to teen Mums andexploited women. Pray forthe revision of the MangakaBible and the Podoko OldTestament translation. Ask forGod’s provision for each ofthese ministries and for safetyfor the teams.

Gabon: Ask God to provide amuch-needed distributionvan. Give thanks for theFCBH* and Good Samaritan**programmes. Pray for theHIV/AIDS awareness andprevention work with youthand children. Pray for 2 BibleRevision projects and the OTtranslation into Yinzebi. Askfor wisdom for ExecutiveSecretary Thierry Mabiala andthe ministry teams.

Cenral African Republic:Praise God that political andreligious authorities attendedthe Sangho Bible launch.Thank God for protectingGeneral Secretary SylvainNdjendolé and staff whenrebels looted the officesseven times. Some staff wereforced into refugee camps.Ask God to turn challengesinto opportunities and prayfor peace.

El Salvador: Pray for theteam led by Pablo Gonzalezas they work with families tobreak the hold of gangs onthe next generation. Pray forthe ‘Second Chance’ projectsharing Christ with gangmembers in prison and forthose being reintegrated intosociety. Pray too for the workof developing Facebookdevotions to reach youngpeople.Nicaragua: Give thanks forthe teams led by FreddyFonseca Pérez. Ask God tobless the distribution ofScripture to indigenousMiskitu communities. Pray forthe special project to comfortchildren in hospitals andtheir families. Ask for God’swisdom in the efforts totackle domestic violence andwork to train and resourcepastors.Puerto Rico: Pray for GeneralSecretary Heriberto Martinez-Rivera. Pray too for eachmember of the team andBoard. Ask God to guide thework of Bible Society's staff,so that God’s Word can bemade available in thenecessary formats to engagepeople of all ages. Pray thatmore churches andindividuals will support thework and for strongpartnerships with othermission agencies.

February 22 - 28 February 15 - 21February 8 - 14February 1 - 7

Bible-A-Month Project February: South PacificFiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati,Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu, CookIslands and the French Polynesiancountries… a huge area with awide variety of languages spoken.The people of the South Pacificneed to receive Scripture in theirheart language so that they canread and engage with God’s Wordin a very personal way.

Pray for those receiving Bibles, that God will speak tothem words of comfort, strength and joy. Prayspecifically for children who are receiving comic-styleScriptures, that they would come to know Jesus throughthe words they read and the pictures they see.

The Bible Society in the South Pacific is based in Fiji butcovers a huge area taking in many different islandgroups. Pray for safe travel for the team as they visit thedifferent islands.

There are language groups that are waiting for God’sWord. Please pray for the many translation teams in theSouth Pacific – remember those working on the TuvaluRevised Bible, Fijian Reference Bible, Maori OldTestament and the Tongan Contemporary Old Testament.

£4 could allow someone the joy of receiving their own Bible in their heart langauge

Pull-out and keep prayer guide: March 2015Prayer at Work

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Bible-A-Month Project March: KenyaThe Bible Society of Kenya (BSK)wants to give young people theopportunity to read and engagewith God’s Word. Pastoral supportteams are trained to teach theBible in the classroom, helpingyoung people to develop in theirfaith and become mature, morallyupright and responsible membersof society.

Please pray for the children as they read their Bibles, thattheir lives will be transformed. Also pray for the staff ofBSK as they train the classroom pastoral support teams.

BSK, along with other agencies and churches, hasdesigned and developed the teaching material tospecifically tie in with the curriculum followed by theschools in Kenya. Pray that these materials would be usedin all schools they are presented to, and that childrenfrom other faith backgrounds would also benefit fromthem.

In accordance with the vision of BSK, pray that as theyreach out to people with Scripture, God would speak topeople’s hearts and minds, the Spirit of God wouldtransform their lives for their own good, the good of theircommunities and society at large.

This month £4 could supply a young person with their own Bible

Cuba: Give thanks for BibleSociety work led by AlainMontano in this previouslyclosed country. Pray for the‘One Million Bibles’ projectproviding Scripture forChurches who have had nonefor so long! Pray too forScripture for Prisoners, YouthClubs and Families withchildren.Panama: Thank God for theBible in the Kuna language,may it be well received. Prayfor the plans to build a newdistribution centre. RememberGeneral Secretary Marco Gómezand staff. Pray also for theirpartners who work to rescuechildren at risk and for theproject to share Christianvalues with the police. Honduras: Pray for JorgeGómez who leads the team inone of the most violentcountries in the world. Pray forministries to challenge violenceand domestic abuse as well asdistribution in hospitals andfactories. Guatemala: Pray for importantelections in 2015 for thepositions of President, Congressand Mayors. Please pray thatthose elected will fear God andfight corruption. Pray for Bibletranslations into the Achí andPocomchi’ languages. Pray forGeneral Secretary Saúl SosaUrízar and the team he leads.

Micronesia: Pray for the Biblework in this island countryand for the population to bereached by the biblicalmessage. Ask God to guide thework of Bible Society staff, sothat the Word can be madeavailable in the necessaryformats to engage people ofall ages.East Timor: Give thanks forBible Society work in this verypoor country. Pray that thestaff will see God’s provisionas they work to make HisWord available. Ask foropportunities to reach peoplewith the message of Jesus.Pray for good partnershipsand church relations. Australia: Please pray for thefunds to translate and publishBibles and New Testaments inthe languages of theIndigenous population of theOutback and Far North ofAustralia. Pray for CEO GregClarke as he manages thevaried ministries of the teamssituated in several locations. New Zealand: Please praythat the Bible is held up inNew Zealand society again asGod's living Word. Pray for thecontinued strengthening ofpartnerships with the Church,as together, they seek to sharethe Bible with all NewZealanders. Pray for CEOFrancis Burdett, the staff,volunteers and Board.

Bangladesh: Pray that theGovernment may respect thepeople, so that there will behope for the future of thechurch and mission. Pray thatthe future General Secretarywill be an enthusiastic anddynamic leader with aprayerful, loving heart. Ask Godto raise up more prayerpartners and supporters.Sri Lanka: Praise God for 202years of ministry in Sri Lanka.Pray for the project inpartnership with localchurches, "The Bible andFamily". Pray for thedeveloping publications inBraille and sign language. Praytoo for the team led by RevLakshani Pemkusum Fernando. Myanmar: Give thanks for thedifferent projects led by KhoiLam Thang. Pray for the impactof Scripture resources for BibleColleges, and the project toreach 9,000 young people. Praytoo for the Listening andLiteracy groups and theongoing translation work. Pakistan: Please pray for theBible Reading, Memory Verse,Bible Quiz, Bible Essay, BibleArt and Sports Festivals whichare regular events held everyyear. Ask God to protect GeneralSecretary Anthony Lamuel andall staff as they often comeunder terrorist threat. This canbe a difficult and dangerousplace to be a Christian.

Indonesia: Pray that manypeople will find new life inChrist through LiteracyProgrammes in the BeluDistrict. Pray for plans todistribute 100,000 Bibles inremote regions and for ongoingtranslation work. RememberGeneral Secretary HarsiatmoPranowo and his team.South Pacific: Thank God fortranslation projects in Vanuatu,Solomon Islands, Tuvalu,Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, Wallis andFutuna, and Samoa. Pray for allinvolved and General SecretarySolomone Biaukula Duru. Prayfor Church partnership to helppeople in remote areas to readGod’s Word. Papua New Guinea: PraiseGod for General SecretaryMilton McMahon who leads theteam as they engage in varioustranslations. Pray also forliteracy classes in prisons andcommunities, for women’sstudy groups. Praise God livesare being radically changed. Philippines: Pray that manylives will be transformedduring National Bible Week.Praise God that over onemillion Bibles have beendistributed and pray that thevision of distributing fivemillion Bibles to people inpoverty will be realised. Prayfor the team led by NoraLucero and for more strategicpartnerships.

March 22 - 28March 15 - 21March 8 - 14March 1 - 7

Azerbaijan: Pray for BibleWork in this country and foropportunities to reach peoplewith the biblical message. Askfor God’s guidance andprotection for Churches andall those witnessing here asChristians face increasingopposition. India: Pray for a powerfulimpact through manyministries spread over 14regional Auxiliaries. Theseinclude vast translation work,distribution to orphanages,hostels, people with leprosy,people working in the sexindustry and much more. MayGod help Mani Chacko leadthe extensive work. Nepal: Tej Jirel leads thework in Nepal. Pray that therewill soon be a constitutedDemocratic Republic ofNepal. Praise God forcontinued growth in BibleSociety activities reachingyouth, children and women.Pray for FCBH* and the ‘Biblefor Every Home’ project.Afghanistan: Pray for thesensitive work in this countryand for safety for allChristians living, worshippingand ministering there. AskGod to open up opportunitiesso His Word can be spread invarious formats to engagepeople of all ages.

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: April 2015Prayer at Work

Bible-A-Month Project April: Mexico

After seven years of translationwork the Tojolabal NewTestament is nearly finished.This year it will be publishedallowing people in Mexico toread and understand God’sWord for themselves.

Pray for all Tojolabal speakers who are waiting to receiveScripture in their heart language for the first time. PraiseGod that the work is nearly finished and soon they’ll be ableto hold it in their hands.

Pray for the translators who have faithfully worked on thisproject – Jose Lopez, Demetrio Lopez and Raul Mendez.Thank God for the wisdom He gave this team and ask that Hewould continue to bless them as they see the fruits of theirlabour.

The Bible Society of Mexico is running many other projects.Pray that God would be revealed through literacy classes,Faith Comes by Hearing groups and through the provision ofScripture in Braille to those who are visually impaired.

This month £4 could help provide new Tojolabal language Scripture for the first time

Georgia: Pray for peace andsolutions for the thousandsinternally displaced andhomeless families. Pray for thedistribution of scholarlyeditions for Bible Students andfor Scripture in prisons.Remember Executive DirectorAvtandil Guruli and the wholeteam. Moldova: Thank God for Hisblessings and protection on theteam led by Anton Placinta.Pray for successful distributionto public libraries and peoplein need. May all who receivethe Bible apply it to their dailylives. Pray for political andeconomic stability.Armenia: Give thanks to Godfor successful development ofBible Society projects to reachBorder Villages, Soldiers andSchools as well as theproduction of Large Print andBraille Scriptures. Pray for theteam and General SecretaryArchbishop Yeznik Petrosyan.

Kyrgyz Republic: Pray forExecutive Secretary ValentinaAn, the small team and Board.Ask for help in the distributionof affordable Russian Bibles toChurches, Scripture for childrenand Audio Scriptures. Pray toofor ongoing Kyrgyz OldTestament translation.

Ukbekistan: Pray for the desireto see two Bible Societylibraries opened in separateregions. Pray for the FCBH*programme, the Bible forpeople with Visual impairmentand ‘Lessons for Youth’resources. Ask God to guide thework of the staff led byKhalmat Ashirov. Tajikistan: Pray for Shuhratwho is managing the BibleSociety Work in this country onan interim basis. Ask God toguide ministry here, open upsome doors for ministry andprotect all who seek to makethe name of Jesus known.

Chad: Pray for Jérôme Altanaand staff and the teamsworking on 3 Bible translations:Lele, Chadian Arabic and Kera.Ask for funds to print 8,000 Kimand 5,000 Ngambaye Bibles thisyear. Pray for FCBH*, TraumaHealing and Bibles forSchools.Congo (Brazzaville): Pleasepray for the 4 ongoing Bibletranslation projects. Pray toofor Literacy training and forspecial literacy work withpeople who have visualdisabilities. Ask for God’sblessing on the GoodSamaritan** programme withchildren. Pray for GeneralSecretary Landry Mangoyo andstaff.

Democratic Republic of Congo:Thank God that Bibletranslations into Alur, Lenduand Swahili-Congo are almostcomplete. Pray for the 3additional translations.Remember Trauma Healing ,FCBH*, Good Samaritan**, andLiteracy programmes. Askprotection for General SecretaryChristophe Kongo Kote andstaff.

Burkina Faso: Give thanks forthe launch of the new version ofthe Bible in Mooré and thecompletion of Bible translationsinto Dagara and Gulmancema.Continue to pray for TAZIu,Sunday School and Literacyprogrammes. RememberDramane Yankiné who leads theteam.Benin: Please pray for thosewho have recently received theBible in their language, may theLord speak directly to theirlives. Pray too for ongoingtranslation, FCBH* and Literacyprogrammes, managed byDaniel Hounzandji. Pray forpeaceful elections in 2016.Togo: Thank God for GeneralSecretary, Estelle Akouegnonand the team working on manyministries including 3translations, FCBH* andWomen’s Literacy groups. Theyalso carry out distribution toprisoners, drug addicts, peoplein military service and youth.

April 26 - May 2

April 19 - 25

April 12 - 18

March 29 - April 4 April 5 - 11

Our colleagues in Boliviarefer to them as Familiaspendiendo de un Hilo –Families hanging by athread. It is an aptdescription of theconditionof many people who areimpacted by grindingpoverty, gang violenceand crime. The goodnews is that the BibleSociety in NorthernIreland has been able

to support this projectthroughout the past year, and our supporters

have provided us with over 90% of the funds thatwe needed.

God is changing families like the Paniaguas as He speaks into their hearts through His living Word.

Ministering to families in Bolivia11

One family, the Paniagua family, had particular reason to begrateful for the books with which they were supplied. Thefather says: “I was not patient, but after reading the biblicalstudy books I am feeling that God is helping me and now I ammore patient in my life and work. I have learned how to bepatient. My faith has grown. We saw this when my olderdaughter got admitted into the hospital. In that time, my wifeand I read the book “God’s Promises for the family”. In thatbook, we read that God has a healing promise for us. This lessongave us peace even when our daughter died. This was the biggesttest of our faith. We understood that God has a plan foreverybody. It was really important for us to have this materialbecause it helped us to face this sad moment in our lives. Afterthis sad experience, every morning before I go to work we do adevotional in my family. We thank God for the promises that hehas for all of us. Thank you very much.”

We pass on this message of hope, demonstrating as itdoes, that the Bible tells of a power that can heal andcomfort and encourage. We trust that many morefamilies will benefit into the future, through thesupport that you have enabled us to provide to ourcolleagues in Bolivia. Thank you.

The project had a simpleobjective: To strengthen theties that hold familiestogether through ‘betterunderstanding,communication and goodpractices’. Staff andVolunteers use passagesof the Bible to show thatthey have importantresponsibilities ashusbands, wives orparents. But it hasrequired a great dealof dedicated work by

everyone involved.

When I met the GeneralSecretary of the BibleSociety of Bolivia at ameeting in theNetherlands a few monthsago, Mrs Fanny Cossio andher colleague Rolandogave me samples of thebooks that they areusing in their familywork. So far this yearthey have providedthese booklets to over3,600 families andalmost a third of

these families have decided tofollow a daily Bible Study guide so that the Biblecan speak more powerfully into their lives.

Families being supported in Bolivia

‘Families H

anging by a Thread’ Booklet

‘God’s Promises for the Fam

ily’ Booklet

‘God Speaks to the Family’ Booklet

Last Easter we told our supporters about the exciting window of opportunity that had opened for the distribution of Bibles in Cuba.

Our colleague Rev Alain Montana had estimated that thechurches desperately needed 960,000 Bibles and BSNI hadjoined with some other Bible Societies to pledge to provideone million Spanish Bibles.

International News

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Cuban Openings

Our supporters responded most generously,contributing £38,806 to this special Appeal, andso far BSNI has provided £40,625 towards thecost of printing and shipping Bibles to the island.Bernt Olsen, from the Norwegian Bible Societyvisited Cuba recently and reported that Alain isdoing a great job and is using his excellentrelationships with the churches to take advantageof this opportunity.

Currently, the Cuban regime is tolerant of ourinitiative.We trust that this window will remain open sothat we can continue to take advantage of theopportunity that God has provided.

Prayer Cards produced with our Cuba campaign in Spring 2014

H

Above: Alain Montana (left) sharing God’s Word witha Tobacco farmer for the first time!

Mary Jones WorldMary Jones World is a new state of the art visitor andeducation centre that tells the story of Mary Jones andThomas Charles, and the impact of the world's best-selling book – on Wales and the world.

The Centre was created in arefurbished church by our sister BibleSociety in Swindon and is set in Bala,Gwynedd in the heart of North Wales.It was officially opened on Sunday 5October 2014 by Leta Jones, thegreat, great, great granddaughter ofThomas Charles. It commemoratesthe life of the young Welsh girl,whose brave cross countryjourney from her home to Bala in theyear 1800, resulted in her obtainingthe Welsh language Bible she hadlong desired. It took all the moneyshe had earned from doing choresover an extended period.

Her story reflected the scarcity of Scripture forordinary people at that time, and it gave rise to theestablishment of the first Bible Society in London in1804 to make the Bible more widely available. That inturn led to the beginning of the work here in Belfast in1807. From 1 April 2015 Mary Jones World will beopen to the public, and if you are in that scenic part ofWales, it would be well worth a visit.

Heartbreak in Iraq

I met a little girl

‘...I noticed a little girlbeaming at me...’

A mother’s agony

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The Bible Society in Iraq is a small team that has beenworking for years to provide Scriptures to Iraq'sbeleaguered Christian community. The team memberscannot be identified for safety reasons. One of the teamwrote the following report:

I’ve been working with the Bible Society in Iraq for anumber of years, providing Scriptures for the pressuredChristian community. I’ve heard and seen extremelyupsetting things over the years, as life got harder andharder for Christians, but never have I seen andexperienced the levels of heartbreak that arehappening now. Here are just two short stories ofpeople I’ve met in Iraqi Kurdistan, where they fled towhen IS took over their towns. (We’re providing aid,such as food, and bedding for the refugees, as well asScriptures for those who want them).

I was walking through a refugee camp when I noticed alittle girl beaming at me. Her happy face shone outamidst the sadness around her. “Hello, mister,” shegreeted me, smiling broadly. I greeted her back andasked her what was making her so happy. She askedme if I had any children and I told her that yes, I had adaughter a little older than her. She then asked me ifmy daughter had a bed to sleep on. I told her yes, andasked why she wanted to know. I’ll never forget heranswer.

“For a whole month since we got here my little sister andI have been sleeping on the ground, without a mattress. I just want to live like a normal girl again, with toys and abed and a house to live in. Today, I’m so happy becausetonight will be the first night I’ll be sleeping on a mattressagain! Thanks so much for bringing me a mattress…andsay hi to your daughter for me!” She turned and walkedaway, leaving me speechless and filled with questionsabout how we can stop the suffering of these innocentchildren.

Aida’s story is difficult to tell. As IS forces raged throughQaraqosh, a town 20 miles from Mosul, Aida and herhusband – both Christians – knew they had to get theirchildren to safety. They arranged for their three oldestchildren to escape the city, but their little toddler stillneeded her mother. For two weeks, they hid at home…then the militants came to their neighbourhood andannounced that all Christians had to assemble to betaken to another city. Aida and her husband wept as theywalked up to the waiting bus, knowing they were sayinggoodbye forever to their home, neighbourhood andfriends.Then Aida noticed some of the militants looking at herdaughter, who was in her arms. She held her even morefirmly but one of the men grabbed the child and took heraway. Aida and her husband followed, weeping andpleading for their daughter, but they were told that theywould be shot and were forced onto the bus.

“It was the hardest moment in my life,” Aida told me. “I feltdead inside. I wish they had killed me rather than take mydaughter from me.” Devastated, Aida and her husband, alongwith other Christians, were taken away in the bus and endedup walking for more than seven hours to reach the safety ofErbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, where they were reunited with theirother three children.

Aida and her husband remain firm in their faith,and pray without ceasing, for their daughter’sreturn. Please pray for many like the little girlwith no home, and Aida’s family, who havesuffered so much.

Aida’s story isdifficult to tell

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Faith Comes by Hearing in Togo

Prison in KaraOur second trip to a FCBH group was completelydifferent. This time we were taken to visit a prison onthe outskirts of the city of Kara. After a slightlyintimidating time of waiting with the guards outside theprison walls the doors were unlocked and we wereushered inside. It was quite nerve-racking walkingalong the corridors where men lingered and watched asyou passed, but the atmosphere changed dramaticallywhen we entered the room used for church. A few menwere already gathered, singing and beating the drums,but within a few minutes there were at least sixty menin the seats, and not long after that a small group ofladies joined from the women’s prison. The meeting Iwas about to witness was going to be like nothing I’dexperienced before.

For many years Bible Societies have used the ‘Faith Comesby Hearing’ project (FCBH). By using a Proclaimer (a wind upaudio Bible) people can gather and listen to God’s Word orsit in their own house with a personal device and reflect onGod’s message to them. This is an incredible tool for thosewho cannot read, those who are visually impaired and forthose who do not have access to the written word or nodesire to read it.

You will have read on pages 4�and 5 that Leah McKibbenhad the opportunity to visit Togo in early December. Shewas delighted to be able to see this project in action, andhere she shares two of the experiences she had.

The first FCBH group we visited was in a tiny church in themiddle of the bush. It was dark outside when we arrivedand so by the light of the stars and a couple of mobilephones we made our way through the long grass to a littlestone hut with a tin roof. As we walked through the door wecould hear the words of the Bible coming from a Proclaimeron a table at the front of the church. The only light in thebuilding was coming from an oil lamp and one flash light,and so we knew there were a group of people sitting onbenches but we couldn’t make out anything about them orhow many there were.

After a time of listening to the first chapters of Acts thegroup was asked by thepastor if anything hadcaptured their attention.Discussions about Saul’sconversion and Peter’sescape from prisonfollowed and then thegroup were asked ifanyone wanted toshare their testimony.The hands shot intothe air…

Church in Kara

SpecialAppeal

Essomezei Bakai, 59 years old, is the Chief ofthe village“Listening to theProclaimer I haveacquired a set of valuesto rule my house as afather and a husband. Myattitude has changed andpeople now have respectfor me – that is how Ibecame a chief. Peopleknow God’s Word hasgiven me wisdom. TheWord has encouraged me to be bold and keeppersevering. I have had troubles but I see that God hasa wide door open for me in the future.”

“My life was transformedwhen I listened to theProclaimer. Before whenI heard people preachingI thought it wasexaggerated. Now when Ilisten to the wordsstraight from theBible withoutinterpretation I believeit. Now I’ve invitedfriends to join thegroup.”

Meheza Siro, 17 years old

Faith Comes by Hearing in TogoMacaire Gbikpi, the FCBH co-ordinator for Togo,

stands beside a banner showing all the placeswhere they have the project in place

The singing continued, during which the Proclaimer wasbrought and set on a table. I’ll never forget the look onone older gentleman’s face as he saw the device, smiledand rubbed his hands with glee.

This was obviously a time he looked forward to eachweek. After the singing came a time of prayer. Thiswasn’t simply a person leading in prayer from the frontbut time was given so that the prisoners could speakout their own prayers. All at once the room was filledwith the sound of prayer – people shouting, peoplecrying, people authentically calling on the name ofJesus. These prisoners in a place of captivity werecalling on the God who could set them free.

Those gathered were given the opportunity to sharewhat difference this project has made in their lives –again many hands were raised…

Daouda Massaou, 40 years old“I was invited to listen to the Proclaimer. At first I saidno. I used to be angry and not forgive people. When Ifinally did listen to the Proclaimer I heard Matthew 6. Ilistened to it and I asked them to play it again. My heartstarted to beat and I knew something was wrong. I listento it every week now. My wickedness is gone. Now ifsomeone hurts me I will play them the Proclaimer.”

Essozimma Louis Bebeyi, 33 years old“I was a dark mess outside prison. About two years ago afriend in prison talked to me about God. He asked mewhy I didn’t pray. I explained that I would prefer not towaste my time. My friend counselled meand told me to fight for my salvation –not to look to others but to look toChrist. I started reading the Bible andgave my life to God. I listened to theProclaimer… the verse Romans 8:28has had a great impact on my life. Iused to think that God does not love mebut I heard this verse and found outthat God does love me and that is whyhe brought me here – so I could see hisgood works in my life. He loves me. I seethat Christ lives in me today. I don’tknow how to express the joy that theLord has put into my heart. I don’tknow how to express his goodness. He ismy personal God and saviour. No onewill do anything for me apart from God– he will support me for the nine yearsthat I am here. I want to call on myfriends who don’t know God to givetheir lives to Him.”

Seeing the FCBH project in action and hearing how it isimpacting so many lives was incredibly inspiring andchallenging. This is a vital project that changes individuallives, families and whole communities. The Bible Society inTogo are delighted that we will be partnering with them in2015 to help with the running of this project all over Togo.Will you join us?

Please pray for the members of these groups and help us tocover the costs that will support existing groups and allownew ones to be started.

One Proclaimer costs around £20.00 and this can changemany lives…

Leah experiencing a Churchmeeting by lamplight in Kara.

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27 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NBTelephone: 028 9032 6577e-mail: [email protected]: www.bsni.co.ukN.I.Reg. Charity No. XN46187

Published in January, May and September.Design: Tracey AllenCirculation: 13,000

BSNI have been working with Precept Ministries (N. Ireland) to create a special event that would underline the importance of our Bible for this generation and speak into our life experience today. Both agencies are passionate about seeing people prize their Bibles, to have confidence in its message

for our land, and to share it with others.

The result is that we have invited R T Kendall, the renowned Bible teacher now living in Hendersonville, Tennessee, to speak at the Assembly Buildings Conference Centre,

Fisherwick Place, Belfast on Monday 7 September 2015 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm (just a fewmetres from Bible House).

Afternoon SessionThis is open to all but will be of particular interest to church leaders who have the challenge ofdeveloping a biblical ministry at a time when the Bible is fast disappearing from the radar ofmany people in Northern Ireland

Evening SessionThe evening session will incorporate a time of worship and R T Kendall’s address will seek toencourage everyone who has a love for the Word of God.

Tickets are available from Monday 26 January 2015. Tickets can ONLY be purchasedOnline at https://getinvited.to/bsni-precept-ministries/word-on-fire-r-t-kendall/

Only 950 tickets are available for each session and anyone interested is advised tomove quickly in order to secure their seat.

Alternatively, visit our website at www.bsni.co.uk and follow the link.

WORD ON FIRERT KENDALL

Monday 7 September2.30pm & 7.30pmAssembly BuildingsConference Centre