A team reading a Bible passage before a match. (Photo by Altin Serani)

A football tournament organised by the Bible Society of Albania and its partners is bringing together churches from different denominations and getting hundreds of young people to read the Bible.

As evening falls over Tirana, Albania’s capital city, two groups of young men stand quietly on a football pitch, heads bowed solemnly as they read Scripture. They take it in turns to read a verse out loud and when they have read the passage, they pray together.

A few minutes later, the scene is transformed: the whistle blows and the football match begins, energetic young men running and shouting to each other and the spectators cheering and whistling.

Pre-match Bible reading (Photo by Altin Serani)

This match is just one of many being played in Tirana and other towns as part of ‘The Living Word Football Tournament’, organised by the Bible Society of Albania, its church partners and the International Federation of Evangelical Students (IFES). Their aim is to use sport to take the Bible’s message to a generation of Albanians who are no longer interested in Christianity.

Think creatively

“Here in Albania, as in many other countries, churches are struggling to get young people involved in church life and are needing to think creatively and strategically about how to attract them,” notes Gjergj Ndoci of the Bible Society. “We have found that sport is a powerful tool for getting young Albanians interested in the Bible and back to church.”

The tournament is certainly proving popular: Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic churches are fielding 16 teams, involving 160 players. Not all of them are from Christian backgrounds – some have no faith, some have recently converted from Islam, and others are still nominal Muslims.

“These young men have been invited to take part in this tournament by the team leaders in the hope that they will enjoy it and be touched by the warm fellowship and by the Bible passages they read before each match,” explains Mr Ndoci.

Shooting for goal! (Photo by Altin Serani)

The players are supported by hundreds of spectators, who not only turn up to watch the matches but also talk about it on social media. ‘The Living World Football Tournament’ Facebook group has nearly 200 members who encourage one another and share match updates and photos of the teams in action.

“It has been a great pleasure and honour to take part in this tournament,” writes Altin Serani, a player in one of the teams which made it through to the semi-finals. “I strongly believe that everyone who has participated has grown in a very positive way, learnt about their strengths and weaknesses and been encouraged by God’s Word. God bless you!”

Aliko Murataj, another player, commented: “Praise the Lord that this sporting activity has helped to bring new people to God.”

Booklet of John’s Gospel

Families and friends of the players turn out to support the matches. (Photo by Altin Serani)

“It has been so encouraging to see this community of sports enthusiasts – both players and spectators – really embracing both the football matches and the Bible-reading element,” says Mr Ndoci. “At the very start of the tournament, each player received a booklet of John’s Gospel. And each week, the teams are given a Bible passage to read together before their match, and which they are encouraged to meditate on during the week.

“We have been very impressed at how committed they are to the matches themselves and to the Bible readings. Whichever players we talk to, whatever their church or faith backgrounds, they all tell us how thrilled they are to be part of this tournament and to be playing football together. It is a proving a great tool to promote Christian unity.”

The Living Word Football Tournament kicked off in late April. The final match will be held on May 23. The Bible Society hopes to make this an annual event – please pray for God’s blessings on this important initiative.

Christians at the official opening of Beacon Bookshop.

Christians in northwest Bahrain now have easier access to Bibles and other Christian resources thanks to the opening earlier this month of a new Bible Resource Centre in the coastal town of Al Budaiya.

The new centre was opened by the Bible Society in the Gulf and ‘Rivers of Joy’ – a non-denominational church. It is called Beacon Bookshop and aims to serve Christians from all walks of life and speaking a variety of languages. More than 40% of people in Bahrain are migrant workers and account for most of the country’s 9% Christian population.

Gossip the Gospel

Enjoying the Christian resources at the new centre.

“The purpose of Beacon Bookshop is to gossip the Gospel,” smiles Adriana, an expatriate from Holland, who volunteers at the new centre. Adriana’s sentiment resonates with Hrayr Jebejian, who leads the Bible Society in the Gulf.

“Adriana is absolutely right – what else could be more meaningful than to gossip about the Gospel?” Hrayr Jebejian comments. “This kind of gossip does not harm people but brings them close to Jesus. This new centre’s purpose is to be a true beacon to the community, sharing the breath and light of God so that people can experience a life-giving relationship with Christ.”

The entrance to Rivers of Joy Church, where the new centre is located.

Al Budaiya has been the scene of much upheaval in the past few years. Many of its shops and businesses were destroyed during the protests that broke out across the country in early 2011, and tensions continue to simmer, with sporadic protests. In addition, migrants workers here and across the Gulf face many hardships, including loneliness and poor working and living conditions.

Practical and spiritual support

The Bible Society of the Gulf is committed to partnering with churches in Bahrain and other countries in the Arabian Gulf to reach out to migrants and offer them practical and spiritual support.

“Please pray that this new centre and the other two in Bahrain will help the churches to offer the hope and comfort in God’s Word to all who need it,” says Mr Jebejian.

The Bible Society in the Gulf runs 22 Bible Resource Centres in Kuwait, Bahrain, the  United Arab Emirates,Qatar and Oman.

Click here for previous stories about the Gulf.

11-year-old Donovan

Donovan is only 11 but has already experienced a great deal of hardship and fear. Brought up in a tiny house made of wood and cardboard with no running water in a very poor area of west Mexico, deprivation and violence have been an ever-present part of his life.

As well as having to become streetwise from a very young age to avoid the drug dealers, thieves and addicts who prowl his neighbourhood, Donovan also spent a great deal of time hiding under his bed to escape the rages of his alcohol and drug addicted father who fought regularly with his mother.

Worried that he was the cause of his parents’ fighting and often left at home alone as his mother went out with her friends, Donovan felt unloved and angry. Following his parents’ example, Donovan used bad language and rebelled against authority.

“I was such a bad boy,” he reflects.

Didn’t believe in God

Although his parents didn’t believe in God, and made their views known to their son, when a local church invited Donovan to come to a summer Bible school, he wanted to go. It was something to do and it could be fun, he thought.

It was a turning point for Donovan. For three months he went to the classes, hearing Bible stories for the very first time and learning about Jesus. The unhappy, restless boy hungrily soaked up the stories and thought about them as he went home to his dysfunctional family. For the first time in his life he felt a ray of hope despite his circumstances.

At the end of the summer school, the church ran a competition to see which children had remembered and understood the Bible stories. Donovan won the competition and was given his first Bible, provided by the Bible Society of Mexico.

The very best gift

“It’s the very best gift I have ever received,” he smiles. “There are things in the Bible that at my age I don’t fully understand. But what I do understand is that Jesus gave his life for me and that he loves me.”

One of the most important things he learnt from reading his Bible was that you can pray to God and ask him for help – something that had a huge impact on Donovan.

“On my birthday I asked God to help my Dad. He was in rehab (a drug rehabilitation clinic) and I missed him so much. I promised God that if he would help my Dad get better so he could come home, I would read and study the Bible every day. The day after my prayer, my Mom and I went to the clinic to visit my Dad and take him a slice of birthday cake. He told us that he was being discharged that very day because he was healed. I was so happy!

Only God can do this!

“Life has got so much better. My Dad doesn’t take drugs any more, I don’t feel scared all the time, we live in a better house, I obey my parents, I don’t swear and my mother comes to church with me. We’re both praying for my Dad’s salvation. Only God can do something like this!

Some of the hundreds of thousands of children at risk who are learning about Jesus through the Bible Society’s project.

“If I hadn’t gone to that Bible School and learnt about Jesus I could have ended up like so many of the other kids in my neighbourhood who steal things and take drugs. I’m so happy because I found Jesus in the Bible and he has helped me and my family so much.

“My favourite bit in the Bible is Psalm 23 because it shows me that I’ll never be alone.”

The Bible Society of Mexico is working with churches, orphanages and government institutions across the country to bring hope and help to hundreds of thousands of children at risk, including street children. Please pray for this important work.

The cross tattooed on the inside of Girgis’ wrist

The name Girgis is a Christian one. It’s hard to have this name in Egypt today. It makes people think of the famous St George, of whom the Orthodox Coptic Christians are so proud, and Girgis is convinced that this is what cost him his job in a government ministry in Cairo. His name, along with the small cross tattooed on the inside of his wrist, make it impossible for him to disguise the fact that he is a Christian.

Talking about the Bible

Girgis and Youssef outside the Bible Society of Egypt’s shop in Giza

Girgis is not bitter, and certainly not fatalistic: forced into early retirement when he still had a family to feed, he took the only job he could find, working in the offices of a small company in the centre of Giza.

It is an understatement to say that he was pleased when, 18 months ago, the Bible Society of Egypt opened a shop on the ground floor of the building. He got into the habit of talking at length about the Bible with Youssef, one of the shop’s two employees, and they became friends.

Half a month’s salary

Girgis and his Bible

Girgis earns 300 Egyptian pounds (US$ 44) a month. Over the years, his eyesight has deteriorated a lot and he dreamed of buying himself a large-print Bible. But the one he wanted cost 150 Egyptian pounds, far more than he could afford. So Youssef came up with a credit agreement for him and for all the other Christians in the building. Girgis is now buying his Bible in three installments, with the third being paid for him by the Bible Society.

He is very proud of his new Bible. “I especially like reading the Psalms and the Gospels, but I also like the story of Joseph,” he says. “In today’s context, the Bible helps me to cope with the challenges I face every day and it gives me great encouragement.”

The pyramids in Giza

Hmong women and children preparing food.

The incredible story of how one Hmong church in rural Laos grew from the faith of one man and is now bursting at the seams. But Bibles are very scarce.

“We are truly blessed to be able to worship here,” says Pastor Va Cha, as he looks fondly at the modest wooden church that he helped build 10 years ago. “One of the very first things we did as a community when we moved to this area was build our church.”

Va and his congregation are from the Hmong ethnic minority ethnic group who number more than 400,000 in Laos. In 2003, his entire village – around 300 families – were among thousands of Hmong people who moved from the mountains in north Laos to Vientiane Province, where fertile land was more readily available. The people from Va’s village all settled together.

Changed people

Pastor Va Cha

It was a fresh start for a changed people – just prior to moving all of them had given up their animist beliefs and become Christians through Va’s faith. He became a Christian in 2000 through listening in secret to FEBC radio programs in the Hmong language.

“I was fiddling with my radio one day and was excited to hear a broadcast in my mother tongue,” he says. “I stopped to listen and although I didn’t fully understand the things they were talking about, I felt soothed. So I kept listening in secret every day and one day I said the sinner’s prayer and gave my life to Christ.”

Va knew that he had to keep his new faith hidden. Turning his back on the traditional Hmong beliefs would have dire consequences, especially as his father was a well-respected shaman.

Va Cha’s father was addicted to drugs that he used as a shaman.

Gave each other courage

But over the next three years Va met three other Hmong people from other communities who had become Christians. Together they gave each other the courage to start sharing the Gospel.

His father was furious and tried to harm him by casting spells. But Va kept talking to him about Jesus. His father often used drugs as part of his shamanistic ceremonies and had become addicted to them. One day, in a drug-induced trance, he met the God that his son kept telling him about and became a Christian. One by one, everyone in the village turned to Christ, too.

“Now our church is bursting at the seams with all the people who come,” smiles Va, who plans to build an extension to accommodate his rapidly growing congregation. “We still pray daily for protection because although things are getting easier, Hmong people continue to be a marginalised group in Laos. But we praise God that we are able to worship him and that we have our own church.”

A young Hmong girl feeds a hungry baby.

Main religion among the Hmong

As Christianity grows among the Hmong people (in fact, it has become the main religion of Hmong communities in Vientiane Province) they face a significant challenge: a shortage of Bibles.

“We only have five Hmong Bibles in our church – not nearly enough to go round,” says Va. “We place great importance on being able to read God’s Word in our own language, so we are teaching our children to read Hmong, which uses roman script, in the belief that God will one day provide a Bible for every Hmong Christian. This seems far out of our reach now but we know that God never forsakes those who follow him and we keep praying.”

Text and photos by Grace Smith, Communications Officer – Bible Societies of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

The Prime Minister (right) gets a Chadian Arabic New Testament from Bible Society General Secretary Jérôme Altana. (www.gouvernementdutchad.org ©AA)

‘You can imagine my emotions…’

Earlier this month the Prime Minister of Chad, Mr Joseph Djimrangar Dadnadji, broke away from meetings with international leaders to attend the dedication of the Chadian Arabic New Testament at a local church in N’Djamena, accompanied by most of his cabinet.

“You can imagine my emotions,” said the Prime Minister, “because you know what the Word of God means to me. As the prophet Isaiah said, ‘the Word is like rain, when it falls it has impact.’” (He was paraphrasing Isaiah 55:10).

Arabic and Roman script

The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Bible Society of Chad for the new translation, which will help Chadians read the Bible and promote bilingualism. (Chadian Arabic is the joint first official language in Chad, along with French.) He also praised their decision to print editions both in Arabic and Roman script.

The government’s website declares, “Now colloquial Arabic speakers will have no difficulty in reading the New Testament published in Arabic by the local Bible Society of Chad.”

Bible Society General Secretary Jérôme Altana said he hoped that the New Testament would contribute to national unity as 60% of Chad’s 11 million people speak Chadian Arabic. He thanked the Prime Minister for the President of Chad’s generous gift to help make the cost of the New Testaments affordable for local people, and also to help with its distribution across the country.

Children who attended the dedication.

Audio recording in a rich mix of Arabic accents

Nearly 800 people attended the dedication ceremony, joining in prayer and thanksgiving for the new translation. Excerpts from the audio recording of the new translation were also played during the service. The audio version includes a rich mix of Arabic accents from five different regions across Chad. The new translation will also soon be among the 245+ languages available digitally through the YouVersion Bible app.

This new translation is the fruit of 15 years of work by the Bible Society of Chad and its partners, WEC International and SIL International. Work is well underway on the Old Testament, which is due for completion in 2016. It will be the very first time the Old Testament will be available in Chadian Arabic.

Please pray that the New Testament will have a significant impact on this nation and God will help the translation team to complete the Old Testament as soon as possible.

Emmanuel Coulibaly

“God bless those who have come to our aid today. It makes all Mali’s Churches feel proud.” Emmanuel Coulibaly is an elder at the church in Yirimadio, a suburb of Bamako, the capital of Mali. Today he is taking receipt on behalf of his church of sacks of rice donated as part of the project Humanitarian Aid for the Churches, which is being supported by the French Bible Society.

Rice and Bibles

Jokebed Touré and her Bible

There are two elements to this holistic project being run by the Bible Society in Mali. Sacks of rice and other grains are being delivered to churches in the south affected by famine and the large-scale influx of Christians fleeing the arrival of jihadists and war in the north. At the same time, Bibles are being provided to Christians from the north taking refuge in the south who have lost everything, including their Bibles.

Jacques Dembélé, Executive Secretary of the Bible Society in Mali, has seen for himself that people are equally grateful for the food aid and the Bibles.

“We northern Christians find it vital to read and listen to God’s Word in order to resist the advance of Islamic extremism,” said Jokebed Touré, a young woman who has taken refuge in one of the camps in Bamako but hopes to return to the north soon. She received a Bible in the français courant (Today’s French) translation from Mr Dembélé.

Refugees continue to arrive

André Théra and Jacques Dembélé

“I can’t find the words to express our gratitude,” said Pastor André Théra, president of the crisis committee in Bamako. “This aid has come at just the right time. We are receiving fewer donations now, but refugees continue to arrive. Every week, one or two more families join us.”

There are currently around 500 Christian refugees from the north in camps in Bamako alone, and more are living with relatives. It is a significant burden for Christians in the south to take care of Christians from the north as well as finding enough food for their own families. Food distribution efforts are therefore needed both in Bamako and in the villages.

A young girl pounding maize.

Christians and Muslims

In one village near Bamako, Mr Dembélé met Rosine*, a 14-year-old Muslim.

“The Christians are sharing with us the little that they have,” she told him. “I feel happy when I pound the millet or maize they give us, because I know that my parents and I will have something to eat.”

An unprecedented crisis

Thanks to the food aid that the church in Dafara, and many other churches, is receiving, whole villages are surviving. The aid has come just in time.

Pastor Enock Coulibaly

“The crisis we are experiencing is unprecedented,” explained Pastor Enock Coulibaly from Koutiala, a village around 400 km east of Bamako. “We have suffered times of famine in the past, but then the country was not divided and the Christians were not facing such huge challenges. Our Church has 73 places of worship in this region, and 80 per cent of Christians are affected by the famine. This little girl I am holding came to stay with me, along with her parents, because there is fighting near their home.”

‘Far away from us’

Pastor Coulibaly added that he was very touched that the Bible Society team had come as far as his village to bring Bibles and sacks of rice.

“It reminds us that, although Christians are far away from us, they share our suffering. And your role is vital, because – as you are very aware – spiritual wellbeing is very closely linked with physical wellbeing. If the Bible Society didn’t exist, it would have to be created!”

* Name changed to protect her identity.

These disabled men look forward to their weekly football matches.

Disabled people in Liberia, many of them maimed during the country’s decade-long civil war, are finding hope and building new lives through Christian outreach programs. The Bible Society of Liberia is providing thousands of Bibles for them.

Each week, a group of men gather together on a sandy field in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city, to play football. But this is no ordinary football match. Most of the players only have one leg and move around the pitch on crutches. Those who have two legs are missing an arm. But they all have one purpose in mind – to have a good game of football and enjoy each other’s company.

Not long ago, these men weren’t playing football or doing anything much. Like many other disabled Liberians, they were on street corners or in market places, trying to earn a living by begging. Very few disabled people can find work and most disabled children don’t get to attend school.

The disabled football players with their Bibles.

Visible reminders of brutal conflict

About 16% of the population is physically disabled, with a significant proportion of them maimed during the war. As Liberia rebuilds itself and puts its violent past behind it, they are one of the most visible reminders of the brutal conflict. Although the government, local charities and NGOs offer some assistance, there are so many people with disabilities that not all are able to access this help. Those that can only have their very basic physical needs met.

But last year the Bible Society of Liberia began working with the churches and a national charity for the disabled called The Group of 77 to offer emotional and spiritual support to these hurting people. Church volunteers have been trained as counsellors and the Bible Society has provided 10,000 Bibles for free distribution.

“We are already seeing how much this kind of support means to disabled people,” notes Bible Society Program Officer Moses Prowd. “They are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as many are now engaged in productive activities. They are playing sport and learning new skills, and some have also set up advocacy groups to help advance the cause of the disabled in terms of employment and education.

Alfred Kollie

Given them confidence

“By reading God’s Word and discussing it with counsellors, they are learning that they do have great value in God’s eyes, and this has given them the confidence to start rebuilding their lives. Many who were lonely and marginalised are now practising Christians and are part of church life.

“One young man, Alfred Kollie, lost one of his legs during the war and thought his life was over. But he is now studying computer science and is an evangelist in a local church. He has been a real inspiration to his friends and other disabled people.

“It is our prayer that many more people with disabilities will come to know of God’s love for them and that this knowledge will transform their lives.”

These are the sentiments expressed by UBS General Secretary Michael Perreau.

Michael Perreau

“The values Pope Francis embodies and which are so palpably expressed in the name he has chosen for his papacy are an encouragement to us to double our efforts to make the Word of God accessible through translating and distributing the Bible, and through biblical-pastoral projects,” says Mr Perreau.

Close relationship

An Argentinian, the new pope has enjoyed a close relationship with the Argentine Bible Society for many years, supporting and encouraging its work to make the Bible available and accessible to Argentinians from all walks of life. He participated in the dedication of the first Wichí Bible, published by the Bible Society in 2002 and, along with leaders of the Orthodox and Evangelical Churches, supported the Bible Society’s initiative to establish an annual National Bible Day on the fourth Sunday of September.

“I remember when we asked him if he would support the Bible Day initiative,” recalls former President of the Argentine Bible Society Pastor Salvador Dellutri. “He told me, ‘Only the Word of God can bring positive change to this country. Everything you do to spread the message of the Bible will have my strong support.’”

Martha Dergarabedian, former President of the Argentine Bible Society, with Cardinal Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis.

“As well as participating in many of our official events, Cardinal Bergoglio also visited our offices and shared devotions with our staff,” says Argentine Bible Society General Secretary Ruben del Ré. “When he wanted to buy Bibles he would telephone us and pay for them himself. He also made significant personal financial contributions to our work.

Getting young people into the Bible

“Last year I had the opportunity to give him a copy of the newest Spanish Bible translation – the Reina Valera Contemporánea – along with other Bible materials for children. He is particularly passionate about getting children and young people into the Bible.”

Beneficiaries of the Bible Society of Argentina’s ‘Kids at risk’ project. The new pope has always been supportive of the Bible Society’s work.

Alexander Schweitzer, UBS Global Bible Translation Director, says that the election of Pope Francis will be a ‘vitalising experience for a 2,000-year-old institution.’

Fervent engagement for the poor

“Pope Francis embodies several ‘first ever’ aspects: he’s the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American pope, and the first to choose St Francis of Assisi as the patron of his papacy. He combines modesty, not least in his lifestyle, with fervent engagement for the poor, and traditional Catholic theology with courageous advocacy for human rights.

“He is a man of the universal church with an ecumenical spirit and he is a pastor, who knows the reality of ‘simple’ people. The new Pope is a truly biblical person whose faith and actions are deeply rooted in the Bible and inspired by the Word of God.”

“As a long-time friend of the Bible Societies Pope Francis knows that our raison d’être is the call to collaborate in the incarnation of our Christian faith,” says Mr Perreau. “We assure Pope Francis of our renewed availability to serve the Catholic Church in her endeavours to make the Word of God the centre of new evangelisation.”

United Bible Societies, is made up of 146 Bible Societies operating in more than 200 countries and territories. As the world’s largest Bible translator, publisher and distributor, it is committed to working with all Christian Churches in its mission to make the Bible available to all people everywhere.

Children dancing at the Bible Fun Day in Nairobi.

Around 700 children in Nairobi recently attended a fun day organised by the Bible Society of Kenya – more than double the number that came to the first one, held a year ago. The annual event is part of the Society’s efforts to give children a good grounding in the Bible.

“In Kenya, children make up an unusually large proportion of the population,” comments Bible Society General Secretary Elizabeth Muriuki. “In fact, a quarter of Kenyans are aged between 5 and 14! So if we want to help build our country’s future on the solid foundations of God’s Word, it is vital that we provide opportunities for this generation to encounter and understand the Bible.

Sunday School teachers at a Bible Society training event, learning how to teach the Bible in a fun and effective way.

“We are doing this in a number of ways: developing affordable and attractive materials for schools and Sunday Schools, training teachers in how to teach the Bible effectively, and reaching out to children themselves through events like the ‘Bible Eagles Fun Day’ in Nairobi.

There were many activities on offer at the Bible Fun Day.

“We knew that children had thoroughly enjoyed the first fun day but we didn’t anticipate that double the number of children would attend our most recent one! More schools and churches wanted to bring their children and they all had a great time.

“We had Bible lessons, singing, dancing and lots of activities – bouncy castles, face painting, a climbing wall, camel and horse rides and so on. We also had a good lunch together. We are very grateful to Daima Milk and Ribena, which sponsored the juice and milk and the blue Bible Society t-shirts, which were given to the children.

“We pray that the Bible Eagles Fun Day will become a premier event for children in Nairobi and its surrounds for many years to come. Please pray for all our work to make God’s Word known and loved by a whole new generation of Kenyans.”

The Bible Society distributed nearly 250,000 Bibles to schools and nearly 32,000 Children’s and Youth Bibles during 2012. More than 130 Sunday School teachers were trained in how to get children into the Bible.