A young migrant worker with copies of the ‘Hope’ booklet.
Sixty thousand migrant workers in the Gulf who are spending Christmas away from their families have been given copies of a Scripture booklet about hope. The booklet has proved so popular that the Bible Society in the Gulf is urgently printing more copies and translating it into several more languages.
The booklet, simply entitled ‘Hope’, is already available in English, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Tagalog, Tamil, Amharic and Arabic. In January, it will also be available in Nepali, Kannada, Armenian, Punjabi, Bengali and Mandarin. It has been distributed to migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Yemen.
Tough times
“Times are tough for everybody, but even more so for those who live away from their families and countries and are abused and discriminated against,” says Bible Society General Secretary Hrayr Jebejian. “Our purpose with this booklet is to reach out with the message of the Gospel to everyone who feels depressed, lonely, or desperate. Our hope is that the Good News will fill their hearts with hope, joy and love.”
Front page of the ‘Hope’ booklet in English.
Real-life situations
The 44-page booklet, produced by the Bible Society in collaboration with churches in the UAE, talks about real-life situations, such as debt, loneliness and bereavement, and uses Scripture to illustrate God’s love for all people.
“This booklet does not attempt to prescribe a solution,” it says in the introduction. “It seeks to draw your attention to God’s Word…to encourage, comfort and guide you. The words of Scripture point to the God who made you. He cares, provides for and protects those who have put their trust in Him.”
The Bible Society in the Gulf is committed to making the Bible available to Christian communities in the seven countries it serves. The vast majority of Christians here are migrant workers from a wide variety of countries, speaking many different languages. As well as translating, publishing and distributing the Bible, the Bible Society partners with the Churches and helps people to read and understand the Bible. Click here to go the Bible Society in the Gulf’s website.
