Indepth Issue 10 Middle East - Winds of Change

InDepthTransforming lives through God’s Word

Issue 10 • 2011 Biblica.com

Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Matthew 3:3, NIV

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12 Streams in theDesert

Engraving inStone

What’s Happening Globally

MIDDLE EASTWinds of Change

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Keith Danby International CEODoug Lockhart CEO North America

Evelyn Lemly President Global Resource Development and Communication

President Biblica FoundationScott Bolinder President Global Publishing

Bob Dinolfo Global CFOBenedict Omollo Group Vice President AfricaStephen Cave Group Vice President Europe

Middle East kept confidential for security purposes

Somporn Sirikolkarn Group Vice President Asia PacificEsteban Fernandez Group Vice President Latin America

MISSIONTransforming lives through God’s Word

VISIONThe work of Biblica will be complete when

every person in the world is given the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ

through God’s Word and be transformed.

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BRINGING THE BIBLE TO PEOPLE SINCE 1809

CELEBRATING

200YEARS200CELEBRATING

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Dear friends,

Lately, the Middle East has been the lead story on the evening news, internet, and the front page of our newspapers. Today it is very much the focus of world attention, but an important part of what is happening in the Middle East is not being told.

There is a “wind of change” blowing throughout the region. This is an exciting time for ministry in the Middle East!

As the people seek personal freedom, I anticipate increased openness to the gospel. Many are re-evaluating what they believe and are searching for answers to life’s important questions. Many are interested in spiritual things and the true meaning of life.

Biblica has been working for decades sharing spiritual truth in this Islamic region.

Join us as we ask God that people in the Middle East will have courage to seek truth. Pray that they will receive and read the Bible and experience God’s love. Join with us in the important work to make God’s Word accessible in this volatile area of the world.

Sincerely in Christ,

Doug LockhartCEO North America

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I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;

turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

Show me the wonders of your great love,

you who save by your right hand

those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Psalm 17:6-7, NIV

MIDDLE EASTWinds of Change

Fundamentalist Islam holds nearly a billion people in the

Middle East hostage to fear and religious conflict. Christians here are among the most persecuted in the world for their faith.

Ironically, the Middle East is the birthplace of the gospel of peace and salvation. Yet the Church is often persecuted and forced underground.

While ministry involves risks, Biblica is committed to sharing the light of God’s Word with this dark and unstable region. Biblica has been working in the Middle East for decades, and our programs are well-established. This year, we are expanding our Scripture outreach to local churches and ministries.

To help people with a Muslim background understand the Bible, we translated the Gospels and other biblical resources to

include notes that shed light on Christian terms like “baptism,” “redemption,” and “grace.” These notes also connect familiar references in the Qur’an to biblical truth—such as informing readers that Jesus the Messiah is referred to in the Qur’an as the prophet Isa.

We continue to establish new bookstores, ministry centers, and participate in book fairs and outreach events to bring the hope of the gospel to the Middle East. We continue to strengthen the Children for Christ (C4C) movement and train leaders to plan and conduct C4C programs in future years.

Please pray for the protection of Biblica staff and all Christians who face harassment, imprisonment, and even death for sharing their faith in this part of the world. The specific locations of our work are kept confidential to protect staff, who daily risk their lives in service to the gospel. u

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Biblica InDepth • Issue 10 • 2011

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your

neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:43-45, NIV

Christians continue to suffer persecution throughout the world. The pressures on believers in the Middle East are acute—and can range from ostracism to martyrdom.

Muhibb* led his 4-year-old son, Ibrahim, to Christ. The boy grew in Jesus and began memorizing Bible verses. One day, a clash with their fundamentalist Muslim family ensued over their new-found faith in Christ. Ibrahim was playing with his cousins and brandishing a toy plastic sword in his hand. Holding the sword downward, Ibrahim proclaimed, “His father’s cross!”

Muhibb stood paralyzed, hoping no one heard what his son had said. However, his uncle jumped from his chair and violently threw Ibrahim to the floor, kicking the small boy in the face. By the time Muhibb was able to reach his son to protect him, Ibrahim was already unconscious.

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Ibrahim was rushed to a hospital, but God chose to take him home to be with Him. A precious little boy fell asleep and awoke in the arms of Jesus. Ibrahim was playing as all children do, yet he was killed for his casual reference to the Cross of Christ.

In areas of the world where persecution is minimal, we take for granted the peace and basic necessities that brothers and sisters in Christ in volatile areas pray for every day. Christians living in the Middle East need our support in their daily service to Christ.

Biblica partners with local churches and other ministries worldwide to strengthen people with God’s Word. This year, with your help, Biblica will reach 8.48 million children and adults in the turbulent Middle East by: •translating the New Believers Bible into

Arabic •producing audio Bibles to reach the 40

to 50 percent non-literate population •growing ministry to children and teens •providing God’s Word through book

fairs, local churches, bookstores, and individual outreach

•printing the Arabic NIV Study Bible and the New Believers New Testament

•completing the Sorani New Testament translation u

*name changed to protect identity

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YOUR PRAYERS AND GIFTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Pray for strength for believers who face persecution and enlightenment for those who do not yet know Christ. Believers have great potential to communicate the gospel through their lifestyles, work habits, and relationships.

Give generously so the Middle Eastern Church is strengthened as more church leaders are trained, more children’s ministry is funded, and more translations are completed.

Need: To reach 8.48 million children and adults in the Middle East with God’s Word

Impact: Children and adults receive the life-transforming message of the gospel

Action: Give generously to provide biblical resources and programs to strengthen the persecuted Church

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“Thank You, Jesus, that You died for me.

Thank You for redeeming me.

Lord Jesus, I love You!”

ENGRAVING IN STONE

“Let the LITTLE CHILDREN come to me, and do not hinder them,

for the KINGDOM OF GOD belongs to such as these.”

Luke 18:16, NIV


Born in a small village in Egypt, Mary lives in one of the most

troubled regions of the world. She was once an angry little girl who hated to study and was disobedient to her parents. She had few friends because she was difficult to get along with, so she felt that nobody loved her. She said, “My only wish is to find someone who truly loves me.”

When Biblica’s Children for Christ (C4C)program came to Mary’s village, she learned about the unconditional love of Jesus Christ through dramas, crafts, Bible stories, and song. Children for Christ (C4C)opened a new world to her—now Mary knows that someone truly loves her, and that knowledge has changed her life. Mary is overwhelmed by emotion as she relates what God has done for her: “Thank you, Jesus, that you died for me. Thank you for redeeming me. Lord Jesus, I love you!”

As a result of Biblica’s Children for Christ (C4C) program, Mary’s behavior has now changed. “I was doing lots of bad things before but now I have changed,” she said. Her anger melted into gentleness. She is a kinder eight-year-old girl who now knows she has a God who loves her.

Children for Christ (C4C) is a 10-day, Bible-based outreach program for children in areas hostile to the gospel. It began in 2000 with 7,000 children, and has grown to reach over 1 million children in Egypt, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. In partnership with 900 local churches, 100,000 youth will be reached this year by engaging them in the gospel through music, games, and Bible study resources.

The program has become so successful it has developed leaders from within the program. Leaders who were involved as children are returning to teach: “When I was

a young girl I attended Children for Christ (C4C) and now I am a leader,” said one leader. “I learned many things that touched me, and now I can teach the children. Teaching the Bible to kids is like engraving in stone.”

After participating in C4C, children can join a follow-up, three-month discipleship program, Children for Christ Discipleship (C4CD). This discipleship program will build children’s spiritual foundations through Scripture booklets and activity materials. This year, C4CD will reach 20,000 children. Because children naturally take the messages they hear and the biblical resources they receive home to their families and friends, entire families are coming to Christ! u

“Teaching the Bible to kids is like

engraving in stone.”

Need: Reach 100,000 youth with the gospel in the Arab World

Impact: Change lives with the power of God’s Word

Action: You can give a child the opportunity to learn about Jesus

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DIFFICULTY, DANGER, GOD’S WORD

A young man with a passion for God’s Word and the Kurdish people was leaving Egypt to return to Kurdistan. While en route to the Cairo airport, had

two large envelopes thrust into his hands as he was returning to Kurdistan. “Bring to birth the Kurdish New Testament!” he was told.

At that time, the Kurdish people did not have a Bible in their own language. There was an Arabic Bible, but while some older Kurds speak Arabic, younger ones equate it with Iraq’s former genocidal policy and refuse to learn it.

One envelope contained print-ready film for the Kurdish New Testament, and the other contained cash to pay for the printing. At this time, Saddam Hussein was conducting bombing raids to try to rid northern Iraq of the Kurds. There was no electricity, no clean water, and few of the bare essentials, such as food and milk. And there was no paper to print the Scriptures.

“My word that goes out from my mouth…will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11, NIV


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Biblica brings God’s Word to people in their everyday language. We translate the Bible into languages spoken by 1 million-plus speakers. In addition to the Kurdish Old Testament, we are completing the Arabic NIV Study Bible and New Believer’s Bible.

Need: Make God’s Word accessible throughout the Middle East

Impact: Transform this turbulent region with the gospel

Action: Give to help complete and print these translations

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Undaunted, the young man arranged for a “donkey train” to transport paper over the mountains. The paper was used to print the first 10,000 copies of the Kurdish New Testament.

A “CHANCE” ENCOUNTERCollege student Arun* scanned the radio for something to listen to while driving to work. He stumbled upon an unfamiliar station and was captivated by what he heard. For days, Arun couldn’t get the verses and incredible stories out of his mind.

He went to a trusted professor at the university and told him what he had heard. His professor brought out a copy of Biblica’s recently completed Kurdish New Testament.

“Be careful. This book will change your

life,” he warned Arun.“I was struck by the fact that God knows everything and that the living God affects human life,” Arun said. “In my shock I shouted: God, if it is true that You live, change my life, bring peace to my life!”

Arun went to his uncle seeking advice and told him, “I want to be a Christian—I am no longer a Muslim.”

“Don’t do that,” his uncle said. “It will be very difficult for you and bring danger and heartache to our family.”

Still, the young man insisted. “I was blind, but now I see,” he said later.

*name changed to protect identity

SEVEN YEARS LATERSeven years later, Arun is now a part of Biblica’s translation team working on the Kurdish Old Testament. When it is completed in 2012, the Kurds at last will have the complete Bible in their language.

Today there is a growing church in Kurdistan, thanks to one man’s determination to bring God’s Word to the Kurds. Partners like you make it possible for us to continue translating God’s Word. We see the fruits of this labor multiply and raise up new believers—believers like Arun, who is now translating God’s Word so others may be transformed for eternity. u

Imagine you live in the Middle East. In some countries it is against the law to possess a Bible, and being caught with one could amount to a prison sentence.

If you want to purchase a Bible, you must first have a contact who will share information on which bookstore sells Bibles. Then that person must introduce you to the staff, so they don’t think you’re a government official eager to catch them selling illegal Christian materials. Next, the staff will take you to a back room where the Bibles are likely to be, because they cannot be displayed publicly.

The average North American family has four or more Bibles in their home and easy access to more. Maybe that’s why it can be hard to imagine that millions around the world must go to great lengths to have a Bible of their own.

Are you willing to go such great lengths to own God’s Word? Many of us have no idea what it would be like to seek out Scripture through this clandestine fashion because we can’t comprehend what it’s like to live where the Bible is illegal.

WINDS OF CHANGEBut praise be to God, there has been an incredible opportunity to share God’s Word in one gospel-resistant country! One of our colleagues recently shared this exciting story about a Biblica Middle East bookshop:

“Despite great personal risk, the manager of one bookshop requested we send as many Scriptures as possible because he recognized a great window of opportunity in his country. This opportunity to bring the gospel into this restricted nation is truly an indication of the winds of change across the Middle East!

StreamsDesertin the


“In response, we sent 11,000 Scripture pieces to the bookshop. Usually, we can only get in 30 to 40 pieces at a time, maybe 100 at the most. And the $70,000 to provide the materials and transport them was not in our budget. Where would we get the money? We prayed, and the very next day one of our ministry partners came unannounced to us and said the shipment to the bookshop is fantastic news, and he offered to pay half!

“The next hurdle: by the grace of God we already had all the materials available—but how would we get them across the border? The next day we found a company that had space in their containers, and they were willing to take our shipment with him.

“God created this opportunity. He heard our prayers, and He answered them. Now we pray the materials get into the hands of people who are looking for them.

“Yes, I truly believe the winds of change work in God’s ways and His timing. It is up to Him to reveal Himself and it is up to us to be His instruments. The time is now to obey!”

Biblica establishes bookshops to make Christian materials available in gospel-resistant countries. Because theses operate “underground,” courageous local believers often risk their lives to staff the stores and provide God’s Word. This year, Biblica will establish bookshops in four countries, with a potential reach of 150,000 people. With your prayer and financial support, these will become self-sustaining after three years as Streams in the Desert. u

Each one will be like a SHELTER FROM THE WIND and a REFUGE FROM THE STORM, like STREAMS OF WATER in the desert

and the SHADOW OF A GREAT ROCK in a thirsty land.Isaiah 32:2, NIV

Need: Make God’s Word accessible throughout the Middle East

Impact: Transform this turbulent region with the gospel

Action: Give to help complete and print these translations

Due to the sensitive nature of this program, specific project locations and content are kept confidential.

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REACH 4 LIFE Saves Lives“I want to thank the people of Reach 4 Life (R4L) who took their time and came to our school. My life has changed so much since. On the 24th August 2008 I lost my mother, and I was so angry I tried to commit suicide. Then I remembered what I was taught in Reach 4 Life that God cares for me and loves me. I started reading my Reach 4 Life book every day and it calmed me. It is not easy to deal with the death of a parent. It is very painful but Reach 4 Life helped me. Carry on doing the good work; you are life savers.” —Percia, 9th Grader, South Africa

COMMUNITY BIBLE EXPERIENCEKenya & Uganda

Several African churches began their Community Bible Experience this spring. About 6,000 participants

in Kenya and Uganda spent several weeks reading the entire New Testament using The Books of the

Bible. Community Bible Experience officially launches in Africa and North America this fall. For

more information, visit biblica.com/cbe.

GLOBAL MINISTRY UPDATESThrough our partnerships with local churches, ministries, and donors like you, people worldwide are receiving God’s Word and the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Here are some highlights.

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IAGLOBAL MINISTRY UPDATESThrough our partnerships with local churches, ministries, and donors like you, people worldwide are receiving God’s Word and the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Here are some highlights.

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Life Can Be Different With R4LViorel from Romania participates in the Reach 4 Life

(R4L) program from prison: “I am here from long time ago and being locked in, I had nothing better to do than to read this book (R4L New Testament). I still have friends outside and I’m looking forward

to my release to let them know that life can be different if we make the right choice.”

Biblica’s Reach 4 Life ministry in schools,

prisons, churches, and orphanages will reach 19,000 Europeans through this

Scripture-based HIV-prevention message this year. Pray they learn they

have a God who loves and cares for them.

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Reaching Japan with God’s WordBiblica is partnering with Christians in Japan to provide hope to earthquake and tsunami survivors through When Your Whole World Changes, Beside Still Waters, and children’s booklet The Survivors.These resources providebiblical answers toquestions of uncertainty, fear, loss, and grief.

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Haiti: 18 months laterAlmost 18 months after the devastating earthquake, Biblica continues ministry with partners in Haiti. To date, we have shared 226,000 biblical resources with survivors, as well as soccer balls and blankets for children. Our partners have reported more than 85,000 professions of faith!

GLOBAL MINISTRY UPDATES(Continued)

Hope for the HighwayIn 2010, the Christian Motorcycle Association saw the greatest growth around the world, with 27 countries involved in taking Biblica’s Hope for the Highway New Testament to bikers. Pray that in 2011, many more riders’ lives will be changed by the gospel.

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Dear friends,

You have just read of the “winds of change” blowing through the Middle East. The power of God’s Word is the one thing that remains constant in this region that experiences relentless change.

As Christ’s witnesses, we are active participants in God’s life-giving work in this world. The stories in this issue give just a glimpse of what is happening in the Middle East and around the world today. Through Biblica’s ministry, you can join God in the many creative ways He works to bring people to Himself and give them lasting hope.

I am deeply thankful for the global staff, ministry partners, and donors who faithfully serve God in proclaiming the message of salvation by sharing His Word. Your unwavering prayers and generous gifts have allowed us to share the gospel message through Bible translation, publishing of Bibles and biblical resources, and Bible engagement programs so people may encounter Jesus Christ as their Savior.

We are honored that you continue to come alongside us in your prayers and with your giving. Together, we can shine the light of God’s Word in this dark world! May God richly bless you as together we continue to extend God’s love and mercy to people living in spiritual darkness.

In His Service,

Keith DanbyInternational CEO

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me

will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12, NIV

© Christina Rizk

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Indepth Issue 10 Middle East - Winds of Change

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