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Welcome...Recently I have been reflecting on howthe Charitable sector is faring in thesetroubled times.

Most Mission Agency representativesthat I work with are under severepressure as they seek to maintain theirprogrammes at home and abroad atcurrent levels. Although their passionfor the Gospel remains undimmed,

forward planning is becoming ever more difficult. Inour Bible Society, for example, it requires faith andsteady nerves to commit funds to a 5-year NewTestament translation project knowing that it wouldbe unthinkable to send the translators home andtell their people “Wait a little longer for the firstwords of Scripture in your language.”

Mission Agencies are challenged in the same way asindividuals, families, and churches by insecurity ofincome and uncertainty about the future. What isthe individual to do, especially if they have givenlong-time support to a number of worthy causes?Here are some thoughts for you to ponder, both foryourself and also for your church/church group:

1) Is it time to be more selective and focus on those agencies which best reflect the imperative of extending Christ’s kingdom here and across the world? Choosing a smaller number of charities would help make your prayer life more focused, and your financial giving more strategic.

2) According to the Charity Commission, “There may be more than 10,000 charities already operating in Northern Ireland”. Given even the legendary generosity of our people, that figure is not sustainable. Also, while many Christians give to good causes which do not have a religious ethos, the reverse is not true. I can’t recall BSNI ever receiving a gift from someone who did not have a love for Scripture. Perhaps Christians should first ensure they are supporting Christian organisations before goingon to consider other ‘good causes’ for support.

3) This principle also applies to churches. Rather than trying to support lots of charities (Christian and non-Christian), church committees might prioritise their giving in line with their Mission vision. Church members also

need to pray for that work, so the whole church needs to be kept informed and encouraged about how God is using their gifts to change lives.

4) Finally, while it is currently tempting for individuals and churches to reduce support for Christian work, we should all remember that the Church has survived to the 21st century only because of the historical commitment of others to spread the Gospel. Mission is not an optional extra – it is a fundamental living out of our faith.

It was Paul who identified a clear priority when hewrote to Christians in Rome “How then will they callon him in whom they have not believed? And howare they to believe in him of whom they have neverheard? And how are they to hear without someonepreaching?” (Romans 10.14 - ESV). Paul would haveconsidered his task impossible without his scrollsand the Bible today remains an essential tool forteaching people about Jesus.

With God’s grace, and your prayers and gifts,BSNI will continue its mission to change thelives of people all over this world by helpingthem to get access to that tool - the Bible.

John Doherty General Secretary BSNI

With God’s Grace, and Your Prayers and Gifts

An opportunity forChristians to shareMegaVoice audio playerswith the blind communityin the Philippines. (page 4)

Did you know that BSNI,having begun in 1807, has beenlocated in Howard Street since1932 – 80 years!

Margaret Bohoussou (née Linton) returned to Ballymena, Northern Irelandearlier this year, after 22 years of working with translation teams in the IvoryCoast. Margaret’s unassuming, gentle nature cannot hide her passion for God’sWord and her unswerving commitment to translation. This gentle lady has a heartlike a lion, enduring much trial, and even danger, to remain rooted to the calling ofGod upon her life.

Margaret left her teaching post in Scotland when God guided her to use her language skills in the Ivory Coast,initially working with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Here she came in contact with DrLynell Zogbo, a Bible Society translation consultant who employed Margaret as hersecretary. Margaret’s linguistic skills and eye for detail were quickly channelled intochecking translation manuscripts for accuracy, completeness and consistency.

Margaret went on to work on 9 different translation projects spanning the IvoryCoast, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal. Her first project was the Bete NewTestament, which began in 1987, a few years before Margaret arrived, and finishedin 1997. She speaks of difficult progress due to many factors from illness to politicalunrest. The difficulty continued and work is still ongoing on the Old Testament.One of the translators is a 64 year-old Village Chief who Margaret trained fromscratch to use a computer. Margaret could not over-stress the importance of havingheart-language speakers, such as the Chief, working on translation. Praise God thatthere is also a Bete literacy project with 80 people learning to become teachers, tohelp others read God’s Word in this war-torn region of the Ivory Coast.

More recently, Margaret worked on the Seereer Bible - the first Bible ever publishedin a language for Senegal! This project demonstrates how technology has impactedtranslation. All the checking was carried out by email and Margaret only travelled

to meet the team in Senegal once, at the final stages of proof checking.

Cebaara, Tagbana, Baoule, Akye, Dida, Anyi and Dan translation teams have all benefitted fromMargaret’s expertise, taking her throughout the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Senegal. This was meticulous,time intensive work with pages of checklists to work through on each manuscript - from Page Headers, toChapter numbers, to punctuation and consistent use of names – a calling that few of us could do. WhileMargaret recognises the importance of accuracy in translation, she does not see herself as especiallyimportant. She describes herself as ‘a link in a chain’ made up of many people - whether in Northern Irelandpraying, giving or fundraising, or in WestAfrica translating, looking after accounts, orpatiently checking manuscripts. We are alllinks in a chain connecting continents.

There is such hunger for God’s Word in WestAfrica. Communities are eager to seetranslation begin and ecstatic when Scriptureis published. Margaret attended Biblededication services where she saw a hungerfor Scripture in stark contrast to the apathyoften evidenced here. Perhaps we shouldtake this challenge on board, allowing it torekindle a desire to know God better throughthe priceless gift of Scripture?

In the next instalment:‘Life for God: Leaving a Legacy’

Skills for God: A Link in a Chain

Margaret Bohoussou

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Teaching a Beteliteracy class

Dr Lynell Zogbo (right) with Dida translation team.Margaret still worked with her until retirement.

I hear God’s WordPhilippines

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“Come and hear, all youwho fear God; letme tell you what hehas done for me.”Psalm 66:16 (NIV)

Hearing God’s Word in the PhilippinesImagine... as you leave the house to go to church youpick up your Bible and go to put it in your bag. Butwhat if your Bible isn’t a neat little book? What if itwas 45 huge volumes of Braille that you couldn’tpossibly attempt to take anywhere?

This is a reality for many people who are blind. Ifthey have a Braille Bible – which is hard to obtain,expensive to buy, very large, and requires a lot oftraining to understand – they often struggle to use it.

At the Bible Society, we believe in making the Biblenot only available but understandable for all people,and so we are working to make God’s Word moreaccessible for blind people.

The Bible Society in thePhilippines (BSP) has partneredwith Resources for the Blind todistribute MegaVoice DigitalBibles. These are pocket-sized,solar-powered Scriptureplayers that blind people canlisten to, using the raisedbuttons to navigate their waythrough the recording. Theycost around £25 which, incomparison with Braille,makes them a littlemiracle!

BSP have been workingon projects for the blindsince 2006 and this isthe third year that theyhave distributed atleast 1,000 MegaVoicePlayers in Tagalog, themain language in the

Philippines. They hope to go on to record the Biblein the Cebuano language this year for futuredistributions.

Many lives have been impacted and greatly changedas people listen to God’s Word...

Pia May speaks of how she used to have to findsomeone willing to read a Bible to her if she was tohear God’s Word. ‘…now, anytime, I can listen to it asoften as I want to. It helps me improve, develop andincrease my faith...’Blind Pastors, like Pastor Jampil, are usingMegaVoices in their churches, in their teaching andin visitation. “...I want it always in my pocket...” It iswonderful to have a Bible to carry around and sharewith others.

There are countless stories of the life changingpower of God’s Word and we are thrilled to besupporting this project.

Please pray for this work, that many more peoplein the Philippines will know God as they listen to

His Word. Please also consider if you couldprovide one (or more)MegaVoice Players to blindpeople in the Philippines. Itcosts just £25 for oneMegaVoice! You can send a giftto BSNI marked ‘Philippines’, orif you were mailed this magazinethen use the reply slip enclosed.

Pastor Dong Jampil,

a blind MegaVoice user.

These school boys in Manila, Philippines, are carryingone Braille Bible between them!

Are you a member of a churchgroup?Please share this project with theother members of your group. Justthink how many MegaVoice Playersyou could provide to people in thePhilippines if you worked together! If you think your group would beinterested in supporting this projectthen we would be happy to provide youwith additional copies of the projectinformation, and let you borrow aMegaVoice.

MegaVoice audioScripture Player

Christmas is Coming...

Christmas is not quite just around the corner but beforewe know it, the shops will be full of the usual non-essential gift items and Christmas music will be playingeverywhere we go. There is a definite sense of tighteningthe belts this year, but no doubt people will go as mad asever, racking up Credit Card debts and receiving all sorts oftrinkets and cosmetics that will fill drawers and bathroomcabinets, or even be dropped off at their local charity shopsin January! Perhaps this sounds a little cynical but it has tobe said, there is so much more to the Christmas season thanSanta, reindeer and elves!

The Bible Society is eager to focus on the joyous reason forcelebrating Christmas; the reason why we all get a break from work, spend time with loved ones, treat each other and eat too much isn’t simply to cheer us all up for a weekin the winter. It is much more than that and we must remember, and remind others, that we are celebratingthe birth of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe there are more meaningful things we can do toshare our joy and hope with others. We are offering you a few alternatives that might help you pass on the truesource of blessing, peace and hope this Christmas.

Christmas CardsThis year we have produced a Bible Society Christmas Card that focuses on the birth of Jesus. Each card containsMatthew’s account of the Birth of Jesus on the inside, with a Christmas Greeting and space for you to write yourown message. The beautiful painting on the front is local artwork that is displayed in St Andrew’s ParishChurch, Glencairn in Belfast, making it all the more interesting.

The Christmas Cards come in packs of 10 with envelopes at £4.50 per pack (not including postage andpackaging if required). Feel free to call in to Bible House to get your cards, or if you would like to see a sample.This is such a simple way to share the Gospel with your friends at Christmas. Why not share Christ at Christmas?You just never know what impact a little card might have...

The Greatest GiftOnce again we are providing you with an Alternative Gift catalogue – ‘TheGreatest Gift’ – that offers you the chance to buy a loved one a gift with adifference. You can see from the enclosed Greatest Gift leaflet andresponse slip that this is an opportunity to make a donation gift onbehalf of a friend. You select the project you would like to supportand send us your donation. We will return a postcard-style voucherto you that can be given to your relative or friend telling them thata ‘Greatest Gift’ donation has been made on their behalf. Theprojects this year are simply life-changing for the recipients. Theyare:

Braille Scriptures for Children and Adults in Costa RicaBibles for Schools in The GambiaMaterials for an Adult Learner in Literacy Classes in KenyaThe cost of a 15 minute Scripture Radio Programme in CambodiaScripture and food for 10 children in Peru’s ‘Bread of Life’ feeding programmeTranslate a verse into Kurdish through the Turkish Bible Society

Why not give your friends a more meaningful gift this Christmas? Give theGreatest Gift of all, God’s Word that leads people to salvation.

Specially designed Bible Society Christmas Card

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News Snippets at Home

For years, the United Bible Societies have been producing an annual Prayer Booklet thathas been a wonderful resource for many of our supporters who faithfully pray for BibleSociety Ministry. Thank you to all of you who support us in this vital way – there is noway to measure the value of prayer, it is simply priceless. Unfortunately the PrayerBooklet is no longer going to be produced each year, so we have had to look at adifferent way to provide this essential material to you, our praying friends. Beginningin the January edition, we will be including additional pages in the centre of yourWord at Work magazine that will be solely dedicated to prayer. You can pull the pagesout and keep them with your devotional material or bring them to your prayer group,or if you need extra copies for your midweek or small group, we can provide these.These pages will also include the Bible-A-Month Prayer materials that have beenprinted in the magazine for a number of years now.

We cannot thank you enough for the prayers that you make for Bible Societyministry. To us, prayer is the most powerful support our partners can provide tothe ministry of Bible Societies.

Each year we produce Sunday Worship resources forchurches to use on Bible Sunday. This year’s material isnow on the website and is free to download, copy and usein whatever way your church finds beneficial. BibleSunday has been a tradition in many churches for manyyears. There are traditional dates that the Presbyterian,Methodist and Church of Ireland Churches tend to use, butreally, the material can be used on any Sunday to best suiteach individual church.

This years’ theme is ‘Signposts’ and the material is all basedon John 5:36-47 and Psalm 19:7-14. The resources draw outthe simple truth that God’s Word points us to our Saviour andguides us in living a life that aims to please Him alone. If yourchurch does not usually hold a Bible Sunday, perhaps you couldprompt your minister or pastor to consider looking at theresources on our website? We are sure that there is material thatmost churches would find challenging and helpful.

Popular Bible Sunday dates are: 28th October (Church of Ireland) and 9thDecember (Presbyterian and Methodist Churches).

New Look Prayer Resources

Bible Sunday

Sometimes we make mistakes, and we’d like to apologise for one we made in our lastmagazine...We expressed our thanks to the Methodist Women in Ireland for the generous gift they gavetowards Bible work in Papua New Guinea. However, we stated that this money was going tofund translation work, when in fact it is going to support Women’s Bible Study Groups andliteracy training in Papua New Guinea. (Get more info on this project by emailingprojects@bsni.co.uk)

Please accept our apology for this mistake and know that we are so grateful for the supportthe MWI gives.

Whoops! We Made a Mistake!

We want to say a huge thank you toMrs Betty Stewart for her marathoneffort in May. It is not often thatsomeone decides to engage in asponsored event for the BibleSociety, so we were thrilled to hearthat Betty had run the marathonand shared the sponsorships thatshe had raised between 3 charities,including the Bible Society NI.This truly was a Marathon effort asshe donated £350 to Bible Missionand was joined in the last 5 milesby her grandson Aaron, who youcan see with Betty in the photo.

Perhaps you could take up achallenge like this, or encouragesomeone else to? Maybe yourladies group could organise asponsored walk? Or your churchyoung people could do asponsored read-a-thon? There arelots of ideas. We even had oneindividual who celebrated her 40thbirthday with a sponsoredparachute jump, for a Bible Societyproject in Peru. If you are thinkingof a sponsored event, you may find the online sponsorship page onJustgiving to be helpful, you can select the Bible Society in NorthernIreland as your preferred charity and your friends can donate throughthe site. It is simple to set up and even easier to donate through. If youwould like more information on this, you can speak to Leah on 90326577 or email her at projects@bsni.co.uk

One local NI business man made anunusual gift to us this year, areconditioned computer. The computerthat held our database – a very importantcomputer indeed – was somewhat oldand was slowing down. We were getting alittle anxious that it might just give up onus altogether when a very kind supporteroffered to provide us with a replacement.As you can imagine, we do not relishthese kinds of costs, so it was withgratitude that we accepted this gift inkind.

Our new computer is now up and runningand doing a sterling job of hosting ourdatabase. We are grateful for this unusualgift which has enabled more of ourresources to go into Bible ministry.

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Donations with a Difference

Computer Donation A Marathon Effort

A Bible in the Moore LanguageNo, this has nothing to do with colleagues in Bible House who happen toshare Moore as their surname. The Moore Bible translation project inBurkina Faso is being made possible through a bequest by a CountyLondonderry supporter. What a wonderful way to ensure that people willbe able to read Scripture in their own heart language for the very firsttime!

We still enjoy providing progress updates to a pastor in England whoseaunt in Belfast made a bequest in her will that we are using to translateanother New Testament for a community in Asia. What a legacy to leavebehind – enabling God’s Word to be made available to an entire peoplegroup. Would you like to leave a powerful legacy?

Some readers will not be aware that the Society has anexcellent booklet which answers many questions prior toapproaching a solicitor to help you make a will. Entitled MyWill, God’s Will, this is available free of charge to anyonerequesting it. Telephone us at 9032 6577, or email Campbellat admin@bsni.co.uk. You can also view the Will Pack on ourwebsite at www.bsni.co.uk/articles/120-my-will-god-s-will

We love that in every issue of Word at Work we get toshare with you stories of how God’s Word is spreadingthroughout the world and having an impact on the livesof so many people. It’s great to know that as peoplearound Northern Ireland read these stories they arepraying for the work of the Bible Society and asking Godto bless all the work done.

We want to say thank you to the people who usethese ‘Prayer Counts’ pages, whether it’s in your ownindividual reflections, with a prayer group, or as a churchgroup or congregation. As so many people offer their prayersto God we know that he hears them and answers in ways wecannot imagine.

‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more thanall we ask or imagine, according to his power that is atwork within us, to him be glory in the church and inChrist Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!’

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Thank you for your prayers!In every issue we feature three or four countries and ask for you to pray

for certain projects that are being run by the respective National Bible Societies. Youmay not know, but these countries are taken from our Bible-a-Month Prayer Partnership

Calendar. This is a resource that we have used in Northern Ireland for many years encouraging people topray for specific countries and to support Bible Mission there by giving one or more Bibles each monthto people who do not have one due to poverty, unavailability or unawareness. It takes just £4 amonth to make this happen. Is that something you could consider giving?

Prayer CountsBible-A-Month Partnership

Bible-a Month PartnershipAs a Bible-a-Month partner you will receive an attractivetable-top calendar free each year. This displays one monthper card giving you information on the country and projectselected for that month. You will find out exactly what your£4 would achieve and what you can pray about for thatcountry.It’s up to you how you support this partnership – by DirectDebit a few times a year, card, cheque or cash each month.And you don’t have to give just £4... the more you give, themore Bibles we can give!

Please consider whether you would like to become a Bible-a-Month partner of the Bible Society in Northern Irelandand commit to giving as little as £4 a month to share God’sWord with different individuals who thirst for Scripture. Ifyou are interested in making this commitment then pleaseget in contact with us – simply give us a ring on (028) 90326577 or email Leah at "projects@bsni.co.uk". We wouldlove to hear from you!

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OCTOBER: GEORGIAVictims of Conflict - Displaced by War

Interesting Facts:There are 220,000-240,000 internally displacedpersons in Georgia following times of war.

Project Focus:Many of these families are now living in hastily-built inadequate collective centres in Georgia.Most of these families will never be able toreturn home. Over 5,000 children are stillsuffering greatly from the traumatic changesthey have endured; they left all their possessionsbehind when they fled and there is no money toreplace what they once had. The Bible Society inGeorgia (BSG) wants to show support for thisgroup of people by distributing age-appropriateBibles that they can share with their families.

Prayer FocusPray for God's comfort for all refugees and displacedpersons in Georgia. Pray that they will find hope inGod’s Word and that they will know the power ofJesus’ love for them.There is uncertainty throughout Georgia as theirindependence and self-sufficiency fall short ofexpectations. BSG is certain that their job is to makeGod’s Word available to everyone in their country.Pray for the staff as they strive to make this a reality.Ask that God would give them wisdom as they seekthe best way to make God known by the people.Pray that Scriptures would become available inappropriate formats to meet the needs of differentaudiences. BSG is running projects with the visuallyimpaired, the Orthodox Church, Muslims, and thosein rural areas. Pray that they would understand theScriptures available to them.“Violence will disappear from your land; thedesolation and destruction of war will end. Salvationwill surround you like city walls, and praise will beon the lips of all who enter there.” (Isaiah 60:18 NLT)

Children read Scriptures at the kindergarten in Tserovani,a camp for internally displaced families near Georgia.

Georgia

Georgia

Prayer Counts

In June 2012 our Bible-a-Month partners supporteda project in Nicaragua helping child cancer patientsand their families in hospitals. Their prayers andgifts helped to provide the kids with illustratedchildren’s Bibles, their families with Bibles, anddoctors and nurses at the hospital with Scripture.The people there are so grateful for the support...“I thank each and every one of you for your visits,prayers, and the Bible that you gave to mydaughter. You all do an important job by sharingwith us the Word of God. I have learned many Biblestories that have given me strength andencouragement. Thank you very much and may Godbless you.” Mariluz Suarez, parent of a 4 year oldpatient“Thank you for the Bible that you gave me. With it,I have been able to be more patient and let God actin my life. One of the Bible stories that impactedme the most was Psalms 91:1. It says, “Whoeverdwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest inthe shadow of the Almighty.” Without God, nothingis possible. Now, when I have to return home, I willbe an active member in my church. That will be myact of gratitude for saving my life.” Edwin AlfaroMorales, 13 year old patient“The Bible that Bible Society gave me is reallypretty. In my community, no one has one and myfriends always ask me to read them a Bible story.”Belkis Mesis, 12 year old patient

Thank you for your prayers and gifts for thesechildren and their families. Please continue to use the prayer resources in ‘Wordat Work’ and lift up the work of the Bible Society tothe Lord – He will hear your prayers and use themin ways we cannot imagine!

The Impact of Prayer andGiving

Francella, 13, was diagnosed with stomach cancer

6 years ago. She and her mother find great

comfort in reading the Bible. Nicaragua.

Bible SocietyVolunteers, Nicaragua.

Your gift of £4 could help provide aChidren’s Bible

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BrazilPrayer Counts ChinaDECEMBER: CHINABibles for China’s Millions

Interesting Facts:Just 3-4% of the population of China is Christian,however this continues to grow.

Project Focus:With the growth of Christianity comes an increasein demand for Bibles. However, with more than90 million people in China living on less than 65pa day, a Bible is just too expensive. Bible Societiesare working in partnership with the AmityPrinting Press at Nanjing, which has the capacityto print up to 12 million Scriptures in one year.Bible Societies are covering the cost of printingpaper - £494 for one bale which produces 630Bibles – so that Bibles can be sold at a reducedprice or used for free distribution by churches.

Prayer FocusGive thanks to God for the many Bibles that havebeen printed and distributed in China – 100 millionBibles have been printed, 58 million of which havebeen distributed in mainland China! Pray for eachperson who receives a copy of the Bible that theywould be able to read and understand the Word ofGod and be nurtured and transformed through it.

Pray for the partnership between the Amity PrintingPress and the Bible Societies, that it will remainstrong and be fruitful. Pray that funds will continueto be received so that Scripture can be printed anddistributed within China.

The majority of Christians in China live in rural areasand a high percentage of them are illiterate or semi-literate. Pray for God’s guidance as local churchesand volunteers set up literacy classes helping peopleto learn to read, and understand God’s Word.

‘The Lord says, “I will guide you along the bestpathway for your life. I will advise you and watchover you.”’ (Psalm 32:8 NLT)

Elderly men outside a rural church in Henan Provincehold up the Bibles they have just received.

China

Doing well in Bethlehem

NOVEMBER: BRAZILLight of the Amazon

Interesting Facts:There is a wide gap between the rich and poor inBrazil, with a third of the population of Rio deJaneiro and Sao Paulo living in slums.Project Focus:People living in rural areas along the AmazonRiver often lack healthcare, communication,education and Scripture. The ‘Light of theAmazon’ project was set up by the Bible Society ofBrazil to reach out to the people of the Amazonwith the care that they need, including spiritual,medical and social assistance. Using a hospital-boat called "Light of the Amazon III", manyvolunteers travel along the Amazon River bringingthe love of God to the people through his Wordand by providing healthcare and practical service.

Prayer FocusPray for the staff and volunteers of the “Light of theAmazon III”, that they would know God’s strengthas they travel and meet new communities. Praythat those receiving medical assistance would do soin the knowledge of God’s love and that they wouldhold close the words of Scripture that they receive.

Brazil is home to a Bible Printing Press. This yearthey face the challenge of developing new facilities.Pray that those involved in this process would beable to make decisions with certainty and God’sdirection.

Praise God that in 2011 the Bible Society of Brazildistributed an amazing 7.9 million Bibles in print,and a further 20,000 in non-print formats. Pray thateach person who received one of these Bibles willhave been impacted by the words they read,downloaded, listened to or watched.

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from theboat, and he had compassion on them and healedtheir sick.” (Matthew 14:14 NLT)

A woman reading a Bible received as part of the Light ofthe Amazon programme.

Brazil

Just £4 meets the cost of paper for5 Bibles. Will you help?

Your gift of £4 could provide a free Bible

News at Home

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Wonderful Opportunities

Amid the Carnage...In past months we have watched developments in the Middle East with greatanxiety. Although places such as Egypt, Lebanon and Syria may seem remotefrom us here, these are all countries whose turbulent politics are impactinggreatly on their people, and also on the wider region. Each has a vibrantBible Society operation that has a crucial role to play.

Most attention recently has been on Syria andthe brutal battle between the Government ofPresident Assad and the Free Syria forces. Itis distressing not only to learn about the lossof life there, but also to realise that thefighting is taking place in the largest citiesof the country where the Bible Society hasits Bible bookshops. Much of the work thatis going on throughout the Middle East isof a confidential nature in order to protect ourcolleagues, but we would be happy to brief you on the amazingrange of distribution projects and resources that are still being organised,despite the chaos, which you and your church could commit to prayer.Happily, BSNI is supporting BS Lebanon to print and distribute 200,000copies of the Good News Arabic New Testament during the month ofSeptember.

Doing well in BethlehemSome of our readers mayrecall the murder of ourcolleague Rami Ayyad inGaza in October 2007.He managed the Biblebookshop there for thePalestinian Bible Societyand was a prominentmember of Gaza BaptistChurch. He was just 29years old and his wifePauline was expectingtheir third child. One ofour supporters was inBethlehem at Easter andmet Pauline and alsosome of our colleagues

from the Bible Society. The little girl pictured inPauline’s arms is Sana, who was born after herfather’s death and is sister to George and Wisam.Pray for this family: give thanks that they are doingwell, and that they are being well supported by theirfriends in the Bible Society.

International News

Mike Bassous, General Secretary,Bible Society in Lebannon

George Andrea, Bible Societyin Syria

Polish and English in one

New Testament

A few years ago we found that there was

quite a demand for a diglot English – Polish

New Testament as we sold several hundred

copies. ‘Diglot’ simply means that the two

languages are displayed in parallel columns

and this is a great help to anyone who is

seeking to improve their English. We are

hoping to participate

in a fresh print run in

the coming months

and this will be of

interest to anyone in

contact with people

from Poland living

here. Remember too

that we stock

Scripture in 50 other

languages.

32,157,593Bibles

That is the number of Bibles distributed by the 146Bible Societies during 2011. This is only part of thestory as a further 29,209,154 New Testaments andGospels plus an amazing 320 million other ScriptureSelections were given out to individuals and churches.It is at times like this that we are reminded about thescale of work in which we are partners together.

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27 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NBTelephone: 028 9032 6577e-mail: GSec@bsni.co.ukwebsite: www.bsni.co.ukN.I.Reg. Charity No. XN46187

Published in January, May and September.Design: Tracey AllenCirculation: 12,500

It is just over a year since John Doherty visited four Bible Society projectsthat BSNI has been supporting in Peru. One of these is the Bread of Lifeproject in the Pachacutec slum on the outskirts of the capital, Lima. Sofar, the Peruvian Bible Society have provided over 4,000 children at anumber of locations with holistic care comprising a daily nutritiousbreakfast, Bible classes and age-appropriate Bible teaching materials.“The children have been introduced to the Gospel and Christian valuesand encouraged to develop good habits such as tidiness, discipline,punctuality and cleanliness”, Pablo from the Bible Society of Peruexplained.

One way to illustrate the impact of this ‘Pan de Vida’ (Bread of Life)project is to study the words of the prayer offered for the food by Mayumi Mescco, one of the project leaders. She prayed:

“Thank you beloved Father for the breakfast and food that is being provided to us, let us miss nothing Holy Father. Wethank you Lord and also thank the brothers that have sent us this breakfast, Lord – they have such a big heart to send usthis food, the brothers of the Peruvian Bible Society. We thank you a lot Holy Father and we would like to ask for moreblessings to them. Today in every house there will be breakfast so that they can study in a right way.... We beg you to helpeach and every child; cover them with your holy mantle because in the future they will be worshipping servants, Lord,your sons Holy Father, young people that will praise you. Today they are children but tomorrow they will be young peoplethat will teach your Word, Lord, to the next generation, and they will testify your Word, Lord”.

You can follow this link to a short Youtube video that shows the children enjoying breakfast and it will help you to share inMayumi’s prayer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gPGiaUHJZY&lr=1

BSNI hopes to continue to provide funds to this project in 2013.

Update on the Bread of Life project, Peru