W@W!Word at WorkTHE MAGAZINE OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

SUMMER 2015

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WelcomeJohn DohertyGeneral Secretary BSNI

Putting first things first

I have recently been thinking howimportant it is that the Bible shouldbe at the heart of all my workconversations. The clue is in thename of our organisation: the BibleSociety in Northern Ireland, and inour Vision Statement: to “...reacheveryone with God’s Word in alanguage and medium they canaccess and afford, so that eachperson might experience God’spurpose for their life.”

Jesus recalled this ultimaterelationship when asked about the‘greatest commandment’. Hereplied: “ ‘Love the Lord your Godwith all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your mind.’ This isthe first and greatestcommandment. And the second islike it: ‘Love your neighbour asyourself.’ All the Law and theProphets hang on these twocommandments.” (Matthew 22: 38-40). We are to focus on ourrelationship with God and then givepractical expression to it among thepeople around us. So too for ourBible Society, as we create access to

Scripture for people near and far.

Although a relatively small charity,BSNI has some essential statutoryobligations; on the plus side,however, we meet supporters allover the country, partner with otherMission agencies, and make theconnections that place Bibles intonew hands. That is the purpose ofall our publications, meetings, visits,presentations, purchases and sales.

What about you?Is God’s Word in yourconversations? Are you part of agroup that studies the Bibleregularly? Could you carry a Gospelin a pocket or handbag for someonewho doesn’t know Jesus? Why notshare your faith with someone youknow who is not a Christian? Orshow friendship to neighbours fromanother land and offer a NewTestament in their first language?You and I are all part of the onemission: to enjoy and to shareJesus, and the Bible is the text thatdefines what we believe.

Make the Bible an essential part ofyour life and be ready to share it!

Being rooted in Christ through His Word will draw us to love Him in a deeper way, away that spills over and touches those around us.

4-5 An Invitation Like noOtherA Paraguayan Wedding with a difference.

6 The Greatest Gifts What your Christmas Giftsachieved in 2014.

11 Tell it to YourChildren…A call to share Christ with‘the next generation’.

16 Translations –Thanks to Locals Read how specialdonations are translatingGod’s Word!

3 International NewsBible Societies in Egyptand France stand underpressure.

7-10 Prayer at WorkPull-out weekly prayerpages and Bible-a-MonthProject prayer.

12-13 News Snippets atHomeWhat has been happeningwith the Bible Societyhere?

14-15 Summer AppealIncredible Project - BiblesInstead of Weapons:Dominican Republic

Summer 2015

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Two Rows by the SeaThe brutal killing of the 21 youngChristian men by ISIS in Libya inFebruary rocked the Christiancommunity. These Egyptian menwere simple labourers who hadgone to Libya for work to supporttheir families.

Ramez Atallah, General Secretary ofthe Bible Society in Egypt (BSE),recalls the morning the news broke:‘As I arrived at office feeling sad anddepressed, I met a young co-worker… “I am encouraged” shesaid, “because now I know thatwhat we have been taught in historybooks about Egyptian Christiansbeing martyred for their faith is notjust history but that there areChristians today who are braveenough to face death rather thandeny their Lord! …the Gospelmessage can still help us to hold onto the promises of God even whenfacing death!”’

BSE began the distribution of 1.65million Scripture leaflets just 4 daysafter the killings. Entitled ‘Two Rows

by the Sea’, they contain Biblepassages and a very poignant poemabout the faith of the young men.The English version can be obtainedfrom us.

French Bible Society AttackedThe French Bible Society launchedZeBible a few years ago. Thisproject, to make God’s Word moreaccessible for young people, beganwith a Youth Bible, then the ZeBiblewebsite. This interactive approachproved very successful and themodel has been adopted by otherFrench-speaking Bible Societies.

However, following the CharlieHebdo attacks in Paris, thousands ofwebsites were sytematicallytargeted. “Three of the ZeBiblewebsites were hacked a few hoursapart,” said Emmanuel Yeremian, who manages them. The home pagewas replaced by Islamic propaganda

Taking time to read “Two Rows by theSea”.

The English version of the Scriptureleaflets distributed in Egypt.

Launch of “ZeBible”, the Youth Bibleproject.

Some Bible Society colleagues around the world havebeen facing difficult times. We are frequently amazed bythe faith and resilience of our brothers and sisters whokeep on standing.

We are frequentlyamazed by thefaith andresilience of our brothers andsisters

International News

in Arabic and French, andpornographic content appeared. Itwas shocking to see this happen,particularly on a youth site.

Thankfully it was amended quickly.Many are accessing God’s Wordonline; in some cases it is their onlyoption. Attacks are sure to come asthe enemy does not want God’sname to be glorified in any way.

Pray that God will stopthese kinds of attacks intheir tracks. We want tosee technology being usedto further His kingdom!

The National Bible Society ofIrelandIt is with regret that the BibleSociety in Northern Ireland haslearned that the Board of TheNational Bible Society of Ireland hasfound it necessary to close their‘Bestseller’ bookshop in Dublin. Ourprayers are with all those who areimpacted by this closure, especiallythe four staff members and theirfamilies. The National Bible Societyof Ireland is an independentorganisation, and part of thenetwork of United BibleSocieties. We understand that theNBSI Board hopes to continue theBible ministry in the Republic ofIreland for the future. The BibleSociety in Northern Ireland willendeavour to encourage such Bibleministry through the network ofUnited Bible Societies.

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It’s exciting to receive aninvitation to a wedding, buthow would you feel if youreceived an invitation to awedding celebrating theunion of twenty-sevencouples?

Well this is what happened to theParaguayan Bible Society (PBS). Theinvitation came from the HuguaChini community, which translatesas ‘at the edge of the end of theworld’. This community is foundalong the Paraguayan River in theworld’s largest tropical wetland. Lifethere is tough, relying on the riverfor transport, sanitation anddrinking. For years it was anextremely dangerous place, but thisall changed when the El Amanecer(The Dawn) boat visited.

Run by PBS, the boat travels alongthe river bringing medical,

educational and spiritual care toriverside communities. For fouryears the boat visited Hugua Chiniand gradually the crew began to seea change in the people.

At first glance, Hugua Chini lookslike paradise. However, firstimpressions can be deceptive as notall is as it first appears. Thecommunities here exist in isolation,going without food for months at atime, struggling without clean waterand with high levels of disease.Medical care is scarce, and housingand school buildings mostlycomprise sticks and tarpaulins in theshade of a tree.

The community was a group ofvillages with no law and highalcohol consumption. The peoplesurvived by robbing neighbours orthose who dared to venture throughthe area.

An Invitation Like no Other

Twenty-seven couples – from young toold - received a special wedding gift ofGod’s Word.

El Amanecer arriving on the riverbank of Hugua Chini with a very special cake,clothes and Bibles!

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Changed People

Through El Amanecer, PBS havehelped to build a school and achurch. The people have beentaught to cultivate, to fish and toexploit natural resourcesresponsibly.

”Through the provision ofGod’s Word the attitudeand actions of the peoplehave changed and the areano longer has the samelevel of danger or crime”.

It was a result of this teaching and adesire to live in a way pleasing toGod that the invitation was sent toPBS.

Twenty-seven couples, some at thebeginning of their relationship,some much older with families,wanted to legalize their union beforethe law and before God. Thesecouples wanted a wedding and theywanted PBS to be involved.

The Joyful Day

The El Amanecer set sail with PBSstaff members, volunteers, a teamof ministers and a governmentofficial aboard. The journey wasn’teasy, taking 15 hours and travellingthrough two storms. The crewfeared the formation of tornadosand capsizing, but thankfully thedestination was reached witheveryone safe and full of joy at whatawaited them.

The boat docked and preparationsstarted. Volunteers decorated thechurch, dresses and suits weredelivered to the brides and grooms,a meal was prepared to serve to the300 guests, and the wedding cakewas put in place for everyone toadmire. This cake had beengenerously baked by a volunteerwho had decorated it on the way, onboard the El Amanecer. No detailwas ignored as PBS wanted eachcouple to know their value and theirworth.

With all the preparation done theceremony began. The coupleswalked down the aisle and took theirseats at the front of the church.Some mothers sat with their babiesin their arms while older couples satholding hands. The vows werespoken and the couples all knelttogether in prayer.

Before the ceremony ended PBSgave each couple a wedding gift of aBible and they were encouraged tocontinue cementing their love withthe help and knowledge of the Wordof God. All that was left to do was tojoin together in the celebrationdinner and to cut the cake! What anamazing celebration to be involvedin and a brilliant testimony of whatis being achieved through themission of the El Amanecer boat.

We recently wrote to oursupporters with detailsabout this project and howthey could get involved. Ifyou would like copies ofthis letter to pass on toyour church members thenget in touch!

The ParaguayanBible Societyhave helped tobuild a schooland a church.

Couples joining in prayer during their joint wedding ceremony.

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We thought you might like to knowjust how much this little alternativegift catalogue was able to achievethrough gifts given for Christmas2014.

Some of you asked your friends andfamily to ‘buy’ you an alternativegift, some of you ‘bought’ them forSunday School pupils, neighbours,friends or elderly relatives...Whatever way you have used TheGreatest Gift, here’s what YOURgifts achieved last Christmas…

Senegal: The Toucouleur people ofSenegal speak the Pulaar languageand don’t yet have a full Bibletranslation. Last Christmas yourGreatest Gift donations raisedenough to cover the cost oftranslating 459 Bible verses for theToucouleur people.

Lesotho: The Bible Society inLesotho is reminding forgotten andisolated people that God sees them,loves them and knows them byname. Your gifts will enable 3,315lonely people to be visited andgiven the gift of Scripture.

Serbia: The Bible Society hasopportunities to share the freedomof Christ with kids living in post-conflict Kosovo, calling them intothe true freedom they long for. 1,540Children and Young people arereceiving New Testaments thanks toyour Greatest Gifts!

Philippines: For Christians in thePhilippines who are blind orseriously visually impaired,accessing the Bible is very difficult.‘MegaVoice’ is an easy to use, solar-powered audio player that holds thewhole Bible. 207 people in thePhilippines will have MegaVoiceplayers thanks to you!

Bulgaria: Pastors in Bulgaria arevisiting prisoners and their families,offering prayer, Bibles andChildren’s Books. Last ChristmasGreatest Gift raised enough to coverthe cost of Scripture materials tocomfort 1,188 prisoners or theirfamily members.

Peru: Children living in the povertyof shanty towns are being fedthrough the Bread of Lifeprogramme which feeds theirbodies and their souls. Trainedvolunteers give hundreds ofchildren a simple meal each day andteach them about Jesus… thank youfor feeding 179 children for 3months!

Thanks to each of you whogave The Greatest Gift tofriends and family this year.Be encouraged. Yourgenerosity is helping bringthe light of Christ to peoplein need.

Lesotho. Reaching isolated peoplewith God’s Word.

Philippines. Listening to the Bible on aMegaVoice player.

Senegal. The Pulaar Bible translationteam.

Peru. Feeding children with the ‘Breadof Life’ programme.

The Greatest GiftsEvery Christmas for the last 9 years, we have created a‘catalogue’ of alternative gift options. The Greatest Giftgives the opportunity of replacing some of thoseChristmas ‘trinkets’ with lasting treasure.

Your generosityis helping bringthe light ofChrist to people in need.

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Bolivia Pray for MrsFanny Cossío and theteam in Bolivia,especially for protectionon those working withchildren and teenagers.Pray too for the ministryto women and childrensuffering or alone due todomestic violence. Prayfor other distributionprojects also.

Germany Pray for theBible Society booth asthey attend theNationwide Exhibition ofthe Protestant Churchesin June. Pray that thiswill successfully raiseawareness of thewordwide hunger forBibles. May they seegreater support for Biblemission. Pray for GeneralSecretary ChristophRösel.

Austria Thank God forvarious activitiesdesigned to reach out toyoung people. Pray forthe Scriptures in manylanguages reaching

refugees and prisoners.Please pray for JuttaHenner as she managesthe team, projects anddistribution.

Belgium (Flemish)Pray for the Bible work inthis country. Ask God toguide the work ofGeneral Secretary PascalLauwert so that God’sWord can be available inthe necessary formats toengage people of allages.

Belgium (French)Maythe 2,500 copies of theWords of Freedombooklet for prisonerschange lives. Pray that‘Mark’ and ‘Luke’magazine Gospels will bewell received in thissecular country. Pray forthe travelling BibleExhibition and forGeneral SecretaryGermain Mahieu.

England & Wales Pleasepray for the work ofraising support to makethe Bible availablearound the world. Prayfor efforts to encourageBible engagementlocally, in thisincreasingly secularsociety. Pray for CEOJames Catford whomanages a sizeableteam.

Scotland Praise God thatduring the 2014Commonwealth Games,over 750,000 copies ofLuke’s Gospel weredistributed – theequivalent of 30% of allScottish households.Pray that there will berich fruitfulness incommunities aroundScotland. RememberCEO Elaine Duncan.

Keep on praying!Thank you

There has been amazing churchgrowth in Cuba over the last tenyears. Now there’s a big demand forBibles! Bible Societies around theworld are joining together to try andmeet this need; by praying andraising funds we hope to place onemillion Bibles in Cuba. Over 300,000have been placed since 2013.Give thanks that every day morepeople are turning to God in Cuba.Praise God that his children aretaking their place in his family.

Pray that funds will be raised tocover the cost of placing Bibles withpeople. Ask that each personseeking God’s Word would receive itin a helpful format and that their faithwould grow.It is wonderful that the church in thisonce closed country is experiencingsuch freedom; pray that this wouldcontinue. Pray that political leaderswould know God’s wisdom. Pray forthe church leaders as they lead apassionate group of people.

Prayer at WorkPULL OUT AND KEEP PRAYER GUIDE

SUMMER 2015

MAY 17-23

MAY 24-30

Bible-a-Month Project May: Cuba

Join the Battle

Bible Society Ministry can be difficult. Yourprayers call God’s blessing down on those onthe front lines. Thank you for joining the battlethrough prayer!

Welcome to ournew look prayerpages. Please pullthis centrefold outand keep it withyour Bible or prayermaterials. Yourfaithful prayersmake a differenceto those on theground in ministry.

Your prayers call downhope when times aretough, bring God’s lightinto dark situations and liftthe heads of the weary.Please know that prayer isa powerhouse. Thank you!

*FCBH: Faith Comes By Hearing.Programme providing audio Scripturefor listening groups through localchurches. **Good Samaritan Project:Bible-based HIV/AIDS education.Workshop based training. TAZI:Term used to refer to people fromstrong Islamic tradition. TraumaHealing: Bible-Based counselling forsurvivors of national trauma.

This month £4 could place a Bible intothe hands of someone hungry forGod’s Word.

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MAY 31-JUNE 6 JUNE 7-13 JUNE 14-20 JUNE 21-27

The Nepal Bible Society is seeking toprovide Scriptures to those whohave never heard about Jesus norhad the opportunity to read theBible. They will also provide Biblesto Christians who have never hadthe opportunity to own one.It is hard for us to imagine being aChristian and not having the Bible.Pray for the many families in Nepalwho would love a Bible. Pray thatthis project would allow the gift ofGod’s Word to be received and read.

Please pray that more people inNepal would know Jesus. Ask thatas the Bible is received in differentcommunities, God’s saving gracewould be accepted. The Nepal Bible Society is doing anamazing job in difficultcircumstances. Pray for God’sblessing on staff, volunteers andpartner organisations. Give thanksfor all that has been done and askGod to continue directing them inHis way.

Bible-a-Month Project June: Nepal

This month £4 couldengage a whole familywith God’s Word.

Botswana Pray forGeneral SecretaryGabriel SeutlwadiTsuaneng as he leadsBible work here. Ask Godto guide the staff,particularly thetranslation and literacydevelopment teamsworking on the Kalanga,Naro and Shekgalagarilanguages.

Burundi Give thanks forthe FCBH*, GoodSamaritan** and TraumaHealing ministries. Praythat God will bless manyhearts through them.Pray too for the work tocreate a Kirundi StudyBible. Pray for the teamled by MarjorieNiyungeko.

South Africa Thank Godfor the new CEO, RevDirk Gevers. Ask God togrant him wisdom. Prayfor the translationprojects, literacy projectand all the efforts tomake Bibles available tostudents in schools inpoor areas.

Madagascar Give thanksfor the team workingunder General SecretaryHubert L. Rakotoarivony.Please pray that thecelebration of the 50thAnniversary Jubilee willhave a positive impacton the whole nation.Pray for the Bible Workto thrive in the ComoroIslands also.

Bulgaria Ask God toencourage GeneralSecretary RadoslavApostolov who workswith one other staffmember. Give thanks forScripture beingdistributed to prisoners,orphanages and peoplewith Visual disabilities.Pray for the work on theBulgarian Contemporarytranslation.

Croatia Pray for the Biblework of the small teamled by Damir Lipovsek.Ask God to guide thework of the translation ofthe Modern CroatianBible. Pray for the plansbeing formed to host afootball tournament foryoung people.

Albania Give thanks foreverything the smallteam led by Altin Hysiare able to achieve. Prayfor the prisonersreceiving Scripture andfor the ongoing work onthe Inter-confessionalOld Testamenttranslation. Ask God tocontinue to meet theirneeds.

Italy Pray for ValdoBertalot and the team asthey raise support forneeds around the world.Pray for the ongoingtranslation into ModernItalian and the plans topublish the NT in 2017 tocoincide withcelebrations marking 500 years since theReformation.

Brazil Give thanks formillions of Scripturesdistributed in 2014. Manyare still unreached withGod’s Word. Pray forefforts to reach moreremote regions, fortranslation work andrevision of the AlmeidaBible. The large team isled by Rudi Zimmer.

Chile Give thanks forprogress on the RomanyOld Testamenttranslation. Pray for Pro-Family and Messengersin Action projectsbringing assistance andGod’s Word to families,hospitals and the poor.May God bless GeneralSecretary FranciscoViguera and the team.

Colombia Pray for BibleSociety work in thiscountry particularly workwith schools, colleges,churches and pastors.Ask God to guideministry led by GeneralSecretary Antonio Laraand pray for thepopulation to be reachedwith the Gospel.

Mexico Ask God to helpthe translation into 4different languages aswell as Mexican sign-language. Pray too forFCBH*, ministry toVisually Impaired andchildren at risk, as wellas material for SundaySchools. Pray forGeneral Secretary Danielde los Reyes.

Malawi Give thanks forthe team led byClapperton Mayuni. Prayfor the Elhomwetranslation team, theGood Samaritan**,FCBH* and Literacyprogrammes. Pray toofor the efforts to resourceSunday Schools withrelevant Scripturematerials.

Mozambique Pray for theBible work in thiscountry and ExecutiveSecretary Valente TomasTseco. Pray for the teamswho are working onseven separatetranslation projects. AskGod to continue Hisprovision for this vitalwork.

Angola Ask God to guideand provide for the workof ongoing translationprojects. May manymore people soon haveaccess to Scripture intheir heart language.Pray for General SeretaryAlfredho Kalumba.

Argentina Thank God forthe new Bible in the TobaQom language and thebeginning of West TobaOld Testamenttranslation. Please prayfor peace in the countryin this election year. Prayfor the team led byRuben Del Re.

“I call on you, myGod, for you willanswer me”Psalm 17:6

Hong Kong & Macau Givethanks for 65 years ofBible Society ministry inHong Kong. Ask God touse the commemorativeactivities to open up newopportunities forScripture engagementand distribution. Pray toofor work on Macau Islandand for HonorarySecretary Yee Po(Thomas) Soo.

China Pray for Bible workin China and thepartnership with theAmity Printing Companyin Nanjing that seesmillions of Chinese Biblesprinted each year. Prayfor Mr Kua Wee Seng ashe co-ordinates theextensive work includingtranslation, printing,distribution and holisticministry.

Singapore & BruneiPlease pray for the effortsto support the needs ofthe Churches. Pray forpartnerships that areenabling Bible Advocacywork and customisedtours. Pray too for theBible Resource centre inBrunei. Pray for the largeteam managed by EzekielTan.

East Caribbean Pray forfunding and humanresources for the work toprogress, particularlywith the ministry amongstudents. Ask thatvolunteers will remain

dedicated and many liveswill be changed. Pray forGeneral Secretary OwenWilliams - he is the onlystaff member.

Dominican RepublicPraise God fordistribution projectsincluding FCBH*, ‘Growand Learn’, and ‘SchoolBible Week’. Pray for thecampaign ‘The Bible,Ensuring WholesomeFamilies’, designed tohelp restore Biblicalfamily values throughoutthe country. CarmenCheco de Acostamanages the ministryhere.

Netherlands Antilles &Aruba Ask God to helpArmin Elisa who leadsthis team. Pray forongoing work on thePapiamentu BibleRevision and the specialmaterials to equip leadersto help people affected bydomestic violence. MayGod, through His Word,set people free.

Cyprus Pray for the teamof just two and the workled by General SecretaryMichail Chatzigiannis.Ask God to provide thenecessary funding toenable the continueddistribution of NewTestaments to Soldiersand to School Children.

Spain Give thanks thatthe first SpanishChildren’s Bible is almostcomplete. Pray that it willbe published without

delay and that it willbring many childrencloser to God. Pray forGeneral Secretary JoséLuis Andavert Escricheand the team as theypromote the Biblemessage.

Greece Thank God for thefree distributions even intimes of financial crisis.Please pray that the Biblewill have a positiveimpact on people’s lives,providing them with realpeace and hope. MayMichail Chatzigiannisknow wisdom as hemanages the team inGreece.

North Korea Thecontinued politicalisolation and economicdifficulties in North Koreahave placed people inpoverty and facingdisease, without religiousfreedom. Please pray thatdoors will open so thatpeople can hear the goodnews of Jesus andreceive His Word.

South Korea 2015 seesthe 120th anniversary ofBible ministry. Thank Godfor His faithful guidanceand for the support andprayer of the localchurches. Please pray forcontinued blessing on thevarious ministries makingGod’s Word available.

Japan Pray for Bible workmanaged by Mr MakotoWatabe. Ask God to helpwith the differentelements of ministry herefrom translation to

publishing and Scripturedistribution. May Godalso help promotecontact with localsupporters and goodrelationships withchurches.

Denmark Pray forincreasing support fromDanish donors towardsprojects around theworld. Pray that the newBible to be launched foryoung people will reachmany hearts. Pray forrecruitment of a newGeneral Secretary. (Workincludes Greenland andthe Faroe Islands).

Finland Pray that newways of reaching peoplewill be found and thatmore people will valuethe Bible in their lives.Pray that more prayerfuland financial supporterswill be found to partner inprojects around theworld. Pray for CEOMarkku Kotila.

FranceMay theinteractive ZeBibleinitiative help manyyoung people discoverthe Bible as a source oflife. Pray for prisonersreceiving the Words ofFreedom booklet. PraiseGod for His guidance intimes of change. Pray forthe new GeneralSecretary, JonathanBoulet.

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JULY 5-11

JUNE 28- JULY 4

JULY 12-18

JULY 19-25

Shekgalagari is the language spokenby the Bakgalagari people ofBotswana. These people have neverhad the Bible in their language, andso the Bible Society in Botswana istranslating the New Testament intowords they will understand.Pray for the many people involved inthis translation process – translators,reviewers, consultants, staff andvolunteers. May each know God’sguidance as they carry out their vitalroles.

Pray with anticipation about how thistranslation will impact theBakgalagari people. Pray thatthrough God’s Word, lives will betransformed and communitiesstrengthened.There is also a teaching element tothis project. Pray for work beingdone to help those in the Bakgalagaricommunity who are illiterate. Praythat once this translation work iscompleted many more will be ableto connect with the words.

Bible-a-Month Project July: Botswana

JULY 26- AUGUST 1

This month £4 could help peoplewanting to understand God speakingto them.

Haiti Praise God for thefaithfulness of the staffled by Ms Magda Victor.Give thanks for excellentScripture distributiondespite hardships andfor good Churchrelationships. Pray forthe completion of theCreole Study Bible andfor peace in this electionyear.

Ecuador Thank God forthe many elements ofthis work led by FreddyGuerrero. Pray forministry to reachchildren, the illiterate andpeople in remoteregions. Pray too for theTrauma Healing ministryfor refugees. Ask forGod’s kind provision tocontinue.

America Please pray forthe new President, Dr.Roy L. Peterson and theBoard of trustees. Theyare leading a renewedmission effort to see theworld reached withGod’s Word andAmericans engagingwith Scripture. Pray forthe huge task ofrelocating the officesfrom New York toPhiladelphia.

Canada Pray for youngcampers receiving theAdventure for Life Bible.Remember too the Keyto Freedom Bible forprisoners and The SeedNew Testament, Psalms& Proverbs for peoplewho are marginalised.Pray for moreopportunities to spreadHis Word.

Iraq Thank God for Hislove and peace, despitedifficult conditions. Prayfor protection for theteam so that they maycontinue to bring food,medical and spiritualassistance. Pray for thecompletion ofregistration in Baghdadand the Kurdistan region.

Gulf States Please prayfor the Bible Engagementprogrammes, storytellingworkshops for churchleaders, distribution ofScriptures in 150languages and AdultLiteracy programmes forthe many illiteratemigrant workers.

Israel Praise God forScriptures beingdistributed in StreetMinistry and largeevents. Pray for theministry to Refugees andspecial Gospel in sign-language. Pray too forthe different formatsbeing used to reachyoung people with theGospel message.

Palestine Ask God to usethe "Bible Day" event tounite differentdenominations aroundScripture. Pray for peaceas the political turmoil iscausing the Christiancommunity to shrink.Please pray that light willshine in the land of ourLord.

Estonia Pray for BibleWork in this very secularcountry where God’sWord is not widelyknown. Ask that God willspeak through BibleAdvocacy work usingRadio programmes,exhibitions, workshopsand conferences. Prayfor General SecretaryJaan Bärenson.

Slovakia The mainreligion is Christianity,but few Slovaks read theBible regularly. Praisethe Lord for religiousfreedom and ask God toguide and protectGeneral Secretary PavolKrasnocvetov, the smallteam and their work ofpromoting the Bible.

Slovenia Pray for the ‘H+’Bible Study course andthe new ‘Life with Jesus’modern NT translation.Ask that these will bringabout greaterunderstanding of Jesusand result in changes tothe lives of Slovenians.Pray for the small team led by Matjaž �Crnivec.

Belarus Ask God to blessthe efforts of the smallteam managed by IgorMikhailov. Ask that God’sWord will be a blessingto those still impacted bythe Chernobyl disaster25 years ago. Pray forScripture being placedwhere students canaccess it.

Jordan RememberGeneral SecretaryMunther Al-Namat, staff,volunteers and partners,as they minister in adifficult environment.They are reaching Syrianrefugees with food andScripture as well astraining leaders inTrauma HealingCounselling. Pray too fortheir ‘Truth for the Youth’programme.

Egypt Pray for GeneralSecretary Ramez Atallah,the large staff team andwide network ofvolunteers. Ask God toreach people through theBookfairs, Children’s andAdults’ Literacy Projects,the vast distributionnetwork, Kids Festivalsand much more. Pray forprotection on the wholeteam.

Lebanon Pray for reliefwork to Syrian refugees,for children attending the‘Bible World’ Exhibition,and the interactive youthprogramme. Pray for thelaunch of the WesternArmenian Study Bibleand the One-Year Bible.May God give wisdom toMichael Bassous, thestaff, board, partners andvolunteers.

“If you believe, youwill receivewhatever you askfor in prayer”Matthew 21: 22

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AUGUST 2-8 AUGUST 9-15 AUGUST 16-22 AUGUST 23-29

The Bible Society of Uruguay isrunning a very ambitious projectsupporting the work of SundaySchools. Not only are they providingchildren with their own copy of theBible, they are training teachers andstrengthening the impact of theirministry. Pray for the Bible Society of Uruguayas they take on this huge task. AskGod to equip and sustain them withall they need as they start on thisthree-year mission.

Thank God for all the volunteerSunday School teachers - for theirlove, willingness and compassion.Pray that this project would helpthem in their work and that they willbe able to pass on the knowledgethey receive from the training.Pray for all those children who willreceive a Bible. Pray they will knowthis is more than just a book, thatthrough reading their Bible and goingto their Sunday School they willmeet Jesus.

Bible-a-Month Project August: Uruguay

This month £4 could help a valuableministry impact the lives of youngpeople.

^

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India – ‘Jesus the True Friend’When a child in an Indianorphanage is given God’s Word,they love to share it with others!There are thought to be 8 millionhomeless children in India. Thereare thousands of orphanages, eachhousing anywhere from 15 to 1,500children. Of all these orphanages,those that are run by Churches andChristian Organisations are the onesthat are known to provide the bestcare. Last year the Bible Societypartnered with 12 orphanages,providing 40,000 children withScripture, 10,000 notebooks, 3,000schoolbags and pairs of shoes.Practical love in actiondemonstrates the deep concern ofChrist for the needs of the wholeperson. This project is continuingwith support from PresbyterianYouth in Ireland.

Egypt – LiteracyMany poorer children in Egypt leaveschool before completing Primaryeducation. Their parents are oftenilliterate and unable to help them,and school is hard without support!The Bible Society run literacyclasses for these children, helpingthem improve their reading and stayin the classroom longer. They alsoget to learn about Jesus and areexcited about being able to read theBible themselves – often somethingtheir parents have longed to do. Weare thrilled to support this projectthis year, knowing that there arebetween 7,000 and 10,000 studentsof all ages enrolled in these 18-24month literacy courses.

Ghana – Braille for SchoolsThe Bible Society in Ghana works inpartnership with 5 schools teachingpupils from 5 years to 20 years old.These pupils rarely have theopportunity to engage withScripture as they have severe visualdisabilities. So it is exciting that1,010 pupils were reached last yearwith specially designed materialssuch as: Love & Crime; Love NeverFails; Be the Best you can be; Let usPray. These are impacting childrenand youth along with specialHIV/AIDS awareness materials and450 MegaVoice, Bible audio players.

These are just three of the projectsthat we are supporting in 2015 thathave a direct impact on children. Weare also supporting children’sScripture projects in Argentina,Costa Rica, France, Gambia, Malawi,Peru and Romania!

One happy child! Such joy fromreceiving a Bible!

Over 1,000 pupils in Ghana receivedBraille Scripture last year.

Helping educate some of the poorestchildren in Egypt.

Children in India love to share whatthey are learning.

Tell it to Your Children...Bible Societies all around the world take seriously the callto ‘tell it to your children…’ a message that resoundsclearly throughout the Bible. Jesus gathered childrenaround Him, singled them out and used them asexamples of faith! We are excited to be supporting anumber of projects with children this year. Here are just afew amazing opportunities to show God’s love…

Jesus gatheredchildren aroundHim, singled themout and usedthem as examples of faith!

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News Snippets at Home

New Look for

We hope you like our new lookmagazine. We have kept the contentsalmost entirely the same, justfreshened up the appearance.

We all need a little‘facelift’ from time totime and Word at Workhasn’t had one for quitea few years. Thank youfor continuing to take aninterest in the work ofBible Societies. Pleasepull out the centrefoldand keep on praying forthe ministries around theworld!

BSNI Honorary Treasurer

Having indicated his intention tostand down quite some time ago,the Society has regretfully acceptedthe resignation of long-timeHonorary Treasurer, Noel Lavery.

Noel has many calls on his time, both in his roleas a senior civil servant and as a leader in hislocal church. Everyone at BSNI wishes him wellas we record our thanks for his years of service.

Happily, Noel has bowed out on a ‘high’. 2014was a record year for the Society, buoyed bytwo generous bequests. This means that,already in 2015, over £500,000 has beenpledged in support to Bible projects worldwide.

From Abidjan to Belfast

‘The Meeting Point’ on LisburnRoad, Belfast is an Outreach centrerun by the Presbyterian Churchattracting people from dozens ofnationalities.

One couple from the Ivory Coast, asked the stafffor a Bible each - a simple request, it seemed!They speak Dioula, a language name that isrecorded in nine different forms! With a littlehelp from Jean Kouassi, our colleague in thecapital Abidjan, two Dioula Bibles were in ourhands within 48 hours! We trust that throughthese Bibles, this couple will be helped to find alasting faith in Christ.

W@W!Word at WorkTHE MAGAZINE OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

SUMMER 2015

Gifts and Gift Aid

You may not know that we have apolicy for using the money we claimfrom HMRC through Gift Aid.

As many of you pay tax and have completed GiftAid forms, we are able to claim 25% on lots of thedonations we receive. Each year we make a pledgeto fund selected projects through Bible Societies allover the world. We always pledge more to theprojects than we receive in gift value, so our GiftAid claims are added to the amount received. Thisway we are able meet our pledge and reach evenmore people with the Word of God!

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Amazing Journey Update

Last time we mentioned the plannedprinting of 40,000 copies of Luke andActs for this Schools Storytellingproject.

Happily these have now arrived from the Printerand have been immediately put into use in PrimarySchools. Pray that God will bless each child whoreads the stories that Luke has so carefullyrecorded.

We are partnering with PreceptMinistries NI to host R T Kendallwho will speak on the theme ‘Wordon Fire’.He will teach in two sessions on Monday 7September 2015 at the Assembly BuildingsConference Centre, Belfast.

Afternoon (2.30 - 4.30pm): “The Word of God:leading a generation - will you respond?” Therewill also be a Q & A session. Tickets £14

Evening (7.30 - 9.30pm): “The dynamic role ofthe Word of God, the Holy Spirit and You”.Worship will be led by Nigel Cameron. Tickets £16

Full details are available on our website atwww.bsni.co.uk - follow the link on theadvertisement there to buy your tickets online.

Royal Black Institution - Charity of the Year!

We are grateful that BSNI was chosen, along with Mission AviationFellowship, to benefit from this special funding.

BSNI has received £42,500 which will increase our support of a Trauma Healing project in SouthSudan. It provides an essential ministry to families who have lost loved ones in their years of conflict.MAF are supporting the Bible Society project by flying the Bibles into the country for our colleagues todistribute at a series of workshops and training sessions for church pastors.

John Doherty with members of the Royal Black Institution, Colin Davies from MAF and Maud Kells. Originally fromCookstown, Maud was rescued from DR Congo by a MAF pilot.

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Dominican Republic

“Gunmen in Dominican Republic openfire on reporter”. “Dominican Republicwomen recruited for prostitution”. “Manlynched in Dominican Republic astensions run high”.

The newspapers are full of it. Gun crime, gangs, theft,murder… the crime rates are rising and people arebeing drawn into a lifestyle that is dangerous anddamaging. It is heart breaking for the DominicanRepublic Bible Society (DRBS) to read these headlinesand to see the hurt and destruction in the lives ofpeople within their own community – and so they’redoing something about it!

A few years ago the chief of police in Puerto Plataapproached DRBS. Many of the crimes beingcommitted involved the use of homemade weaponsand dangerous firearms. In most cases these weaponswere illegal without any record of ownership. Thepolice department asked if anything could be done totackle the crime rates.

The ‘Bibles Instead of Weapons’ project was set up.People were encouraged to come forward andexchange their weapon for a Bible.

How do you think people responded to that invitation?It might surprise you.

Surprising Response

In one city alone at least 3,000 people came to hand intheir weapon and receive a Bible. On top of this DRBSdistributed thousands of Scripture portions and flyerswith Bible verses on them. People’s reaction to thissimple offer was astounding and DRBS recorded manypeople handing over their weapons and expressing “Igive my weapon and my soul, praise the Lord!”

In the neighbourhood of Capotillo a lady arrived with aknife saying that just days ago her husband hadthreatened to kill her with it. She received a Bible.

A man traded his gun for a Bible. People were shockedto see him return the next day a completely changedman, spiritually and physically. He was well dressed,shaved, trimmed and standing with his Bible in hand.

Not all weapons came in the shape of knives or guns.A man approached DRBS and the local police withwhat he considered to be his weapon – a bottle ofrum. Alcohol had been destroying his body for years.He asked them to pray for him – he no longer wantedto drink but wanted to be accepted by his family. Thatday he received a Bible and accepted Jesus as hisSaviour.

The ‘Bibles Instead of Weapons’ project is certainlyworking and so DRBS will keep on going to the streetsand offering an exchange. Working in various citiesthey will work to see 5,000 people each year exchangetheir weapons and will continue to promote the workin newspapers, on the radio and on television.

It is amazing to think how many thousands of peoplehave been impacted by this project – not justindividuals, but families and communities; andwonderful that it is not simply the absence of violencebut the presence of the Lord. These harmful weaponsare being replaced by the mightiest and most powerfulweapon of God’s Word,

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper thanany double-edged sword, it penetrates even todividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judgesthe thoughts and attitudes of the heart.Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Bibles Instead of Weapons

Team member giving a Bible to a man in exchange for aweapon.

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I give myweapon andsoul, praise theLord!

Please Join in!

It’s wonderful that this project is being supported bypolice departments and churches in the DominicanRepublic. While DRBS is available to visit areas and setup exchanges, supplying the Scripture and resourcesthat are needed, it is the local church that remains inthe area and works with those who come forward.Many people who make an exchange allow their nameto be recorded. This list is passed on to the churches inthe area who commit to praying very specifically forthe names written down. We may not be able topublish a list of names here but please do rememberto pray for this incredible work and for all those whoare taking the brave step of giving up their weapon.

Pray for the Bible Society team who co-ordinate theexchanges, that God will keep them safe as they stepout for Him. Pray for the churches who follow-up withthe people who express an interest. May they be ableto help these new believers step into all that new life inChrist means. Ask God to use this remarkable projectthe build a safer future for the children of theDominican Republic.

Imagine what difference you could make if you madeit possible for even one Bible to be given in exchangefor a weapon in the Dominican Republic. It costs DRBSjust £3.00 to provide a Bible but they need us to coverthat cost. Remember, they hope to make 5,000exchanges each year – that’s a big number but wehave faith that this can be covered. Please take aminute to fill in the form that came with yourmagazine and help place Bibles instead of weapons.

A Bible for a weapon

The strong response to this appeal has seen many kind ofweapons being exchanged.

The team gathered to begin exchanging weapons for Bibles,praying with people and sharing Jesus.

This project is helping build a safer future for the childrenof the Dominican Republic.

Word at WorkTHE MAGAZINE OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

SUMMER 201527 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NBTelephone: 028 9032 6577email: GSec@bsni.co.ukweb: www.bsni.co.ukFind us on Facebook and TwitterN.I. Registered Charity No. XN46187 Published in January, May and September. Circulation 12,500

Thanks to Local Folks

All of these Scriptures have twofeatures in common:

1. They were made possible by the generosity ofpeople from Northern Ireland.

2. The money that supported the translation orproduction process came in the form of a Will. Suchgifts provide an enduring blessing to futuregenerations when the Bibles are finally published,sometimes many years after a Will has been written.

These are just some examplesfrom the past 12 months:

The Tagulandang New Testament for over 100,000speakers in North Sulawesi, Indonesia – a gift from aBelfast woman, supplemented by two Northern IrelandTrusts.

The Moore Bible for 6 million Mossi people in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire – part funded by the gift of a lady from County Londonderry.

Printing of the Bassar (N’Tcham) Bible in Togo and the Ngambaye Bible in Chad – both financed in part by another County Londonderry woman’s Will.

Is it possible that you would liketo support a first-time Scripturetranslation, or the production ofthe first copies of a new Biblethrough your Will? We arealways happy to provideinformation and advice so thatyou can make informedchoices. Telephone JohnDoherty at 9032 6577

Bassar Bibles

Tagulandang NewTestament

Moore Bible