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Welcome...For many years wehave provided a freePrayer booklet tohundreds ofsupporters on request.It contained shortparagraphs from eachof the 146 BibleSocieties around the

world, packed with prayersuggestions. Each week it allowedour supporters to pray for Bibleprojects outlined by (usually) threeof these Bible Societies.

Now that information is only goingto be available Online, but becausewe regard it as a vital support forour ministry, we are increasingeach of our three magazines in theyear to 16 pages, to allow us toinclude a four-page pull out Prayersection. The traditional Prayerbooklet was well appreciated bythe 800 recipients, but this changemeans that prayer information willnow reach the 12,000 or so readersof our magazine. So we encourageeveryone to use these extramagazine pages to enable them topray regularly for the work of BibleSocieties, both here in NorthernIreland, and through ourpartnership with other Societiesaround the world.

Imagine the impact of thousands ofvoices raised to God in prayer – forpeople, specific situations indifficult countries, and freshopportunities. This is also a meansto give thanks for breakthroughsand success stories. Terrific!! Andfor those who like to receivefortnightly updates in the form ofan attractive and colourful e-zineinto their Inbox, we will happilyadd them to the list of 700 peoplewho already receive our PrayerCircle email. Just send a message to

Julie@bsni.co.uk and she will addyou to the list.

We hope that you will find things tointerest you throughout thismagazine. We appreciate that wecan only give you a glimpse of ourwork but we are always happy tolink you, your church or yourchurch group with a project in acountry of your choice so that youcan connect with their joy atreceiving Scripture and in turn feelblessed as, each day, you read theBible in your own home.

As an encouragement to regularBible reading, BSNI has recentlyproduced a free Daily BibleReading Guide for 2013. It sets outa short reading for each day,providing the essential pattern weneed if we are to be regular in ourquiet time of reading andreflection. Happily the free Guidehas ‘sold out’!

Welcome to the New Year andto our new look Word at

Work!Thank youfor theinterestyou takein ourworkand welookforwardto

meeting many of youas we respond to invitationsto come along and share inyour Sunday worship or yourmidweek group meeting.

John Doherty General Secretary BSNI

Above: 2012 Prayer Diary –the last printed version.Below: Daily Bible ReadingGuide 2013

New Year, New Look

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News Snippets at Home

“I support the Bible-A-Month club because I really believe that when we put theWord of God into someone’s hands we are giving them so much more than a book.

The Bible says in Psalm 119 that this Word will bring Light, it will give hope, it will revive us.

Jesus says that his words are Spirit and Life and Paul says that this Word is God breathed.

God created the universe by speaking and sustains it by His Word.

Jesus is the Word made flesh, so when we come in contact with the Bible, we are coming in touch with him.

A wonderful description is found in 1 Thessalonians 2;13 ‘... you welcomed it notas the word of mere men but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually atwork in you who believe, exercising it’s superhuman power in those who adhere totrust in and rely on it.’(Amplified Bible) I can put all this into someone’s hands for£4 a month, the cost of a coffee and a scone, a magazine, a cinema ticket, aMcDonalds, 5 chunky Kit-Kats… I think it’s a good investment.”

One of our supporters in Carrickfergus hosted a Coffee Morning in December. Isabel opened her home tofriends (old and new) who came and enjoyed homemade treats and bought Christmas Cards and handmadeitems. This was a fun way to introduce her friends to the Bible Society and she raised £250 for Bible Societyprojects. Perhaps this is something you would be able to do? Isabel is planning on beginning a Bible SocietyPrayer Group in Carrickfergus. Contact us at Bible House on 9032 6577 if you would be interested or emailJulie@bsni.co.uk

BAMC Prayer Partner: Janet Atkinson

Carrickfergus Coffee Morning

A significant part of BSNI’s contribution towards the worldwide Bible Society projectswas made possible by the three bequests that were received during the year. Duringthe next few weeks, we will be circulating a copy of a free booklet. “My Will, God’sWill” offers guidance on key aspects of making a Will and it is being sent to thosesupporters who have been recently added to our mailing list. While Gift Aid makesa big contribution to these international projects, bequests enable BSNI to makelonger term commitments to Bible translation projects. Once published, thosenew Bibles will impact the lives of people for generations to come.

If you would wish to secure a copy of the booklet, please ring us at 9032 6577. JohnDoherty is happy to speak in confidence to any supporter about these possibilities.

From NI with Love...

Amazing Amounts of Acts!

Last year BSNI provided 5,500 copies of Acts to support the Amazing Journey storytellingproject in local schools. It continues to be a joy to support this Baptist Youth schoolsproject – a partnership that has continued now for over 12 years! Give thanks for themany openings that are still available in Primary Schools to the Amazing Journey. Prayfor Rachel Brown as she leads this ministry, for the volunteers from local churcheswho work along with her and especially for the children who receive God’s Word,that many of them and their families will be moved by the message and drawn toknow more about Jesus. Pray too that God will continue to enable us to provide thenecessary Scripture for AJ, that we will be able to source what is needed as well ascover the costs.

Our 2013 Bible-A-MonthPrayer Partnership Calendar

Bible Society ofCôte d’Ivoire: Factfile

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Bible House InAbidjan

Start of ABCI work: 1903Vision: To perform effectively, the widest possibledistribution of the Scriptures.

Mission: To give the Word of God to everyone, and tohelp everyone to enter into dialogue with it.

Activities:

Translating the Scriptures into national languages

Distributing the Holy Scriptures as much as possible, effectively and wisely

Producing the Scriptures in appropriate formats and developing new tools to address the concerns of specific groups (youth, women, families, HIV/AIDS patients, street children, victims of natural disasters or war, people living in poverty)

Preparing people to read God’s Word in their heartlanguage through literacy programmes

Bringing God’s Word to hospitals, prisons and orphanages

Listening to Scripture through ‘Faith comes by Hearing’ programmes

Educating churches and Christians on how to support Bible work financially and through prayer

More Info :Since the formation of ABCI the complete Bible in fourlanguages (Guro, Baule, Cebaara, Tagbana) and theNew Testament in four languages (Alladian, Bete,Caman, Gban) have been published. Currently, sixother translation projects (five Bibles and one NewTestament) are underway.

ABCI distributes over 75,000 copies of the Bible eachyear to meet the needs of the Church.

Côte d’Ivoire: Factfile

Ivory Coast

Population: 21,952,093 people

Land area: 322,463 km² (you could fit Northern Ireland into it over 20 times!)

Capital City: Yamoussoukro

Languages: 77 (official language is French, and Dioula is the most widely spoken dialect)

Ethnic Groups: Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques orGur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8%

Literacy (age 15 and over, can read and write): 56.2% of population

Population below poverty line: 42%

More Information:Côte d’Ivoire became independent in 1960.Over the years it has been one of the mostprosperous of the West African states. With 68%of the population engaged in agriculture, it isthe world’s largest producer and exporter ofcocoa beans and a significant producer ofcoffee and palm oil. This, however, does notprotect it from political turmoil. Since the endof the civil war in 2003, unrest continues todamage the economy, resulting in the loss offoreign investment, slow economic growth,and hundreds ofthousands ofIvoiriansdisplaced inand out ofthecountry.

Chart showing religious make-upof Côte d’Ivoire

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God’s Word for the Didas

Who?The Didas are a large active language group in Côted’Ivoire, with nearly 200,000 speakers. They were oneof the first groups to receive a Christian witness,when a Liberian itinerant preacher, Prophet Harris,arrived in 1913 and preached the Good News.Carrying a cross, a Bible, and a gourd for baptizing,he told the Didas that they should wait for whitepeople who would come and explain the Word ofGod. Today about 70% are Christian, although oftenthere is little understanding of the complete lifeChrist offers.

Why?The Didas still await the Word of God in their mothertongue so that they can properly understand what itmeans to claim God as Christ and Saviour – to knowGod, to know His will in their lives, and to becomecomplete in His grace.

‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitablefor teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for

training in righteousness, that the man of God maybe complete, equipped for every good work.’

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

What?Translation work on the New Testament began in the1970’s by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL),but due to numerous problems it wasn’t completed.In 2002, when civil war broke out, SIL expatriatepersonnel had to leave the country and the draft ofthe New Testament was brought to ABCI for safekeeping. It wasn’t until 2008 that the work restarted,this time by ABCI.

But this wasn’t the end of the problems! Civil unrestcontinued, greatly affecting the work over the lastdecade. At times progress was slow as members ofthe translation team were prevented from travellingto work and equipment had to be protected againstattacks (during periods of unrest, staff have hiddentheir lap tops in their huts to save the vitaltranslation work!). Work is also affected by every dayissues such as computer difficulties and healthproblems within the translation team.And yet, after five years of faithful work, muchprogress has been made. In fact, the final checkingand preparation for typesetting is nearly complete –the end is in sight for the Dida New Testamenttranslation! We join with ABCI in praying that during2013 the New Testament will be printed and theDidas will finally have God’s Word in their heartlanguage.

What can you do?This project needs prayer and support. Working instressful, dangerous and sad situations, this team ofpeople have been devoted to making Scriptureavailable to the Didas. The end may be close, but inorder to complete this translation and to see itplaced in the Dida’s hands, ABCI needs your help...

Bottom image: Translators receive training. MargaretBouhoussou is pictured on the right. Turn to page 13to read about Margaret, a Northern Ireland lady whocommitted her life to God’s mission in Côte d’Ivoire.

If you would like to make a gift to bringthe completion of the Dida NewTestament a little nearer, please makeyour cheque payable to ‘BSNI’, mark yourenvelope ‘Dida’ and send it to BibleHouse. You can also use the Address sheetsent by post with your magazine. Pleasealso join with us in praying that manylives would be made complete as the Didasget to know Him through His Word.

Cebaara Bible dedication, a few years ago. The Didas lookforward to similar celebrations!

BSNI supporters are partnering with 145 other Bible Societies working in 200 countries6

It’s more than giving out BiblesBSNI staff love getting the opportunity to speak togroups and churches all over Northern Ireland. It’sgreat to be able to share about the variety of ourwork, tell stories of what is happening around theworld, and encourage people to play a part in God’smission. People react differently to this challenge,but one remark that is often heard is,

“I thought you just gave out Bibles – but you do so much!”

You’ll see from reading through this magazine thatwe really are involved in so many different kinds ofprojects, all working to make God known through hisWord.

There are 146 Bible Societies in the Fellowship andevery year there are thousands of projects run –translating, publishing, distributing and engagingwith the Word. It is a privilege that we get to play apart in this huge mission by supporting (funding andpraying for) some of these projects each year. In 2013 we are supporting 38 projects in 36countries. Here’s just a glimpse of what theseinclude...

Translation- Bibles and New Testaments in 32 languages in India

- Translating the Pulaar Bible in Senegal- Translation of the Kirundi Study Bible in Benin

Children and Young People- Supplying schools in Ghana with Braille Bibles for those who are blind

- Giving teenage gang members in Guatemala a second chance

- ‘Bread of Life’: giving kids breakfast and Scripture materials in Peru

Distribution- Sharing Scripture materials with business communities in Lesotho

- Bringing God’s Word to islands in the South Pacific on the Dayspring Yacht

- Taking the Gospel to the border villages of Armenia

Churches- Engaging with churches in Lebanon- Introducing the New Testament in four languages to be used in worship services in Belarus

- Equipping churches with Scripture in Laos

Other projects include a focus on women, outreach toother religions, Bible printing in China, audienceswith special needs and people at risk. To see the hugevariety of projects visit www.bsni.co.uk/projects.

What a joy to make God known to people throughthese projects! We have committed to support these38 projects, but we rely on you to help us with this! If you would like to support any of these projects visitour website to find out what you can do or give us aring on (028) 9032 6577.

It’s more than giving out Bibles, it’s aboutchanging lives by making God known – andyou can be a part of this great mission!

The Pulaar translation team at work in Senegal Boys get to read Scripture when the BibleSociety visits a border village in Armenia

Apatani believers in India awaitthe Bible in their language

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: January - AprilPrayer at Work

Welcome to our newest PrayerResource. These pages aredesigned to replace the AnnualPrayer Booklet that many ofyou will have been familiarwith. Each edition of Word atWork will now contain these‘Prayer at Work’ pages.

Please pull out this centrefoldand keep it somewhere that willremind you to pray – maybe withyour daily readings, in your Bible,or stuck to your memo board...

The material is broken down intoweekly prayers for yourconvenience, and each pageholds a month’s material.January, May and September willhave some weeks off due to thetiming of the magazines.However, if you commit topraying each week that hasprayer material – you will prayfor every Bible Society this year.

We trust you will find thismaterial helpful, encouragingand insightful.

If you would like to use thiswith a prayer group, feel free tomake copies, or ask for more.

Bible-A-Month PrayerPartnership

Northern Ireland: Thank God forprovision for the projects we support athome and abroad during this hard eco-nomic time. Ask that churches willremain passionate about spreading HisWord. Ask for guidance when speakingto groups and churches and communic-ating in print, on-line, and on Facebook.Pray for the Amazing Journey BibleStorytelling project in Primary schools.

Ireland: Pray as the Society grappleswith the continuing economic slumpwhich is impacting their bookshop inDublin; and the threat of increased coststhat are outside their control. Pray forwisdom for Judy Wilkinson and theBoard in these issues. Give thanks for thewitness of the bookshop in the heart ofDublin, and for the partnership of thetwo Bible Societies in Ireland.

Côte d’Ivoire: Pray for final checks onthe Dida New Testament, that it will beready as planned in 2013, and for theliteracy programme (which BSNI ishelping support) in preparation. Ask forguidance, inspiration and perseverancefor the team involved in the BaouleRevision and Study Bible project. Ask fornational stability and peace.

Burkina Faso: Praise God that the SanOld Testament translation is in finalstages, pray that people will welcomethe new complete Bible. Pray fortranslation in Bissa, Moore, Dagara Lobrand Lyele languages. Ask for health andresources for the translation teams tocomplete their work. May thepartnerships with churches grow andmay God impact many communitiesthrough FCBH* and literacyprogrammes.

Our Bible-A-Month Prayer Partnerswill notice that along the bottomsection of each prayer page is prayermaterial for the Bible-A-Monthcountries in their table-top calendar.This replaces the pages that we usedto put together for you. There is alittle less information, but no lessprayer material.

If you are not one of our ‘Bible-A-Month’ Prayer Partners, it doesn’tmean you cannot pray! Our Partnersdonate at least £4 a month, to place aBible-A-Month... a simple idea, but apowerful, life-changing one!

Maybe you would like to become aBible-A-Month Partner? It is simple,just give us a ring and ask for aCalendar. You can set up a DirectDebit, send monthly donations, oras many others do, send quarterlyor annual donations.

Whatever you do... dosomething!

*FCBH: Faith Comes By Hearing - A programme providing audio Scripture for listening groups, setup through local churches. Good Samaritan Project: A Bible-based HIV/AIDS educationprogramme. Workshop based, multi-media training. Lectio Divina (Divine Reading): A recently revived, ancient and meditative approach to reading Scripture.

January 27 - February 2

Bible-A-Month Calendar (Jan): UKRAINE

Project Intro:According to Ukraine’s Minister ofSocial Policy, there areapproximately 95,000 orphans andchildren without parental custodyliving in Ukraine. These childrenfeel abandoned and isolated fromthe rest of society. While there aremany volunteers visiting thesekids, Scripture materials aredesperately needed.

Please pray for this project to give Bibles to children in orphanages.Pray that funding would be received to provide Scripture (just £4could give two Children’s Bibles!) Ask that the children would knowGod’s fatherly love through the kindness and care of the volunteers.

The Ukrainian Bible Society is running a wide variety of projects.Pray that God’s hand would be on all these efforts, asking that Hewould be revealed as Scriptures are distributed in schools, amongstsoldiers, to those who are disabled, in prisons, amongst ethnicminorities, to those who are visually impaired, in retirement homes,to the homeless, and in hospitals.

The Bible Society staff in Ukraine are constantly looking for ways toimprove their key service – Bible distribution. This may meanchanges to the main office and Bible shop, and trying to servecustomers in a more efficient way. Pray that the staff would knowGod’s guidance as they carry out this work.

With just £4 this month you could give two orphans their first present

Bete Literacy class, Ivory Coast

�

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: February 2013Prayer at Work

Costa Rica: Give thanks forrelationships forming through theproject to strengthen ChurchLeaders in Bible and Mission.Pray for ongoing funds to providesubsidised Bibles to the poor,praise God for provision so far.Pray for the project Building aCulture of Peace tackling violencethrough God’s Word.

El Salvador: Pray for efforts toconnect with youth throughFacebook. Ask for continuedprovision to maintain BibleMinistry in the country and prayfor strong relationships withchurches, individuals and otherChristian Organisations. Givethanks for staff and boardmembers, asking God for clearguidance for the Bible Mission.

Nicaragua: We are thankful foropportunities to bring God’s Wordto families. Pray for the projectreaching 6,000 child cancerpatients each year, to encouragethem and their families throughScripture. Pray for successfulefforts to reach street childrenwith God’s love. Praise God for theMiskitu literacy project, enablingpeople to interact with God’sWord for the first time.

Cuba: Thank God for manyopportunities to make God’s Wordknown. Pray for efforts to impactspecial audiences with Biblicaltruths, including children andyouth, the deaf, elderly andimprisoned. May God bless the 3Bible Seminars being organised in2013 by the Bible Commission,that they will impact the leadersattending and that goodrelationships will be formed. Prayfor increased Bible distribution.

Puerto Rico: Please pray for thesmall staff team and the Board ofthe Bible Society in Puerto Rico.Give thanks for the ongoing BibleMinistry that is planned for 2013and pray for clear guidance forthe way forward. Pray for strongrelationships with the churchesand for increased local supportfor the work of Bible Mission.

Dominican Republic: Pray for theBible Society and their churchpartners as they work to reachyoung people with hope,intervening in the downwardspiral of violence. Pray for plansto impact children through the‘Grow and Learn’ Sunday Schoolresources. Ask God to provide thenecessary funds to make this andother projects possible.

Guatemala: Thank God for theyoung people whose lives havebeen changed through God’sWord. Pray for ongoing work withteenage gangs and for an end tothe cycle of violence. Pray forstrong relations with Christianorganisations and Churches andfor guidance for staff and boardmembers. Pray for ongoingtranslation work into Mayanlanguages including Poqomchi’and Cubulco Achi.

Panama: Pray for the mission toreach the Kuna Ayala people witha full Bible. Please pray thattranslation work will progress welland funds will be available forprinting and distribution. Wethank God that He has a messagefor all and ask you to pray forefforts to reach those working inthe ‘Red Light Districts’ andchildren at risk.

Bangladesh: Lift up ongoing ruralministry through literacy andFCBH* groups. Praise God for therelationships with local churchesthat facilitate these groups. Givethanks for the opportunities towork with volunteers and churchpartners in spreading God’s Wordto people of other faiths, throughevangelistic outreach in towns andcities.

Sri Lanka: Give thanks for therecently launched audio version ofthe Sinhala New Testament; praythat this will be a huge help tothose who cannot read or whoprefer to listen. Pray for ongoingtranslation, revision andpublishing projects to make God’sWord more accessible to all. AskGod to provide funds in thesedifficult times to enable plannedwork to proceed.

Myanmar: Praise God foropportunities to provide His Word.Pray for efforts to make Scriptureavailable to growing groups ofethnic minority Christians. Prayfor plans to distribute 100,000Bibles at bicentenary celebrationsof the first Missionary to Myanmar.Pray for strong partnerships withchurches, that they will makegood use of resources to reachyoung people of differentbackgrounds.

Maldives: Give thanks for BibleSociety ministry in the Maldives.Pray that they will be able toprovide God’s Word to those inneed of it. Pray too for continuingtranslation and publication as wellas strong relations with churches.May God keep the staff and boardmembers safe and bless all theirefforts.

New Zealand: Praise God forpartnerships with churches andChristian organisations toencourage Scripture use. Givethanks for Action Groups whopromote the Bible and the BibleSociety throughout the islands.Pray for Francis Burdett who isrelatively new to leading theteam. Pray for Old Testamenttranslation into the Tokelauanlanguage and ongoing revision ofthe Maori Bible.

Australia: Ministry has recentlybeen re-structured to combine theefforts of each State. Pray for theBoard and Greg Clarke, the newCEO, as they seek to see theministry grow. Give thanks forconsistent support for Bibleprinting in China and acommitment to programmes inmany other countries. Thank Godfor continuing translation on 8indigenous Australian languages.

East Timor: We thank God for theearly beginnings of Bible Societywork in East Timor in recent years.Please pray for strengtheningrelationships with churches anddeveloping partnerships. Pray forone ongoing translation projectand plans to commence a secondbefore too long.

Honduras: Thank God that severalindigenous translations are nowdrafted, pray they will soon beready for publication anddistribution. Pray for the health ofGeneral Secretary Jorge Gomezwho leads work in this countrylong wracked by corruption. Prayfor projects to reach children, theMishkito speakers in the remotenorth, and the project todistribute 100,000 Bibles this year.

February 24 - March 2

Bible-A-Month Calendar (Feb): FIJI

Project Intro:The Dayspring Yacht Mission exists totake God’s Word to the outlyingislands of the South Pacific – tobuild and strengthen relationshipswith the churches and communities:and to reach those who havesuffered from the effects of naturaldisasters with the Word of God.

Please pray for the Dayspring Yacht Mission trips. Pray for protectionand guidance for volunteers and crew as they travel betweendifferent islands. Ask that God would open the hearts of those on theislands to welcome the mission team and to accept Gods’ Word intheir communities and lives.There is much need for translation work in the South Pacific area.Pray for blessing on the current translation projects – for wisdom forthe translators and excitement for those who wait for the Scripturesin their heart language.The Bible Society in the South Pacific has a heavy focus on workingwith children and young people. Please pray for God’s blessing on allof the efforts made by the staff and volunteers, the partnerorganisations and the churches in the various islands of the region.Pray that as the Bible is introduced into the lives of the children theywill understand the gift that God offers in the invitation to becomeHis children.

This month, £4 could supply a Bible to those who have suffered from the effects ofnatural disasters in the Pacific

February 17 - 23February 10 - 16February 3 - 9

Bible SocietyVolunteers, Nicaragua.

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: March 2013Prayer at Work

Indonesia: We give thanks forBible Society ministries inIndonesia. Strong partnershipsare vital as the region has 6,000inhabited islands and 722 spokenlanguages. Pray for translation,typesetting, publication,distribution and literacy trainingin minority languages. Prayespecially for the TagulandangNew Testament translation, partfunded by a legacy from an NIsupporter.

South Pacific: Praise God that theFijian New Version Bible is nowavailable. Pray blessings on thesmall Staff team, the Board,partners, churches and volunteersthat they work with. Pray for the‘Dayspring’ Yacht ministry thatworks with the Bible Society tobring Scripture to churches on themany islands of the South Pacific.

Papua New Guinea: Thank Godfor enabling translation work tocontinue on several languages.With 840 languages spoken inPapua New Guinea, there are stillmany people who are withoutScripture. Literacy is low andreading materials are scarce, soGod’s Word is a rare commodity.Pray for FCBH*, Literacy Groups,Study Groups for women, PrisonLiteracy and ministry to StreetYouth.

Philippines: Pray for the specialefforts to make God’s Wordaccessible to people who areblind. Give thanks for theproduction and distribution ofScripture in Braille as well asMegaVoice audio players. Ask theLord to graciously speak to eachperson receiving these Scriptures.

Pray too for May They Be One, theproject to distribute 5 millionBibles to poor families.

Nepal: Ask for lasting stability andpeace. Pray for work on the NewRevised Version Nepali Bible andaudio-Bible recording, forsufficient energy supplies andequipment. Ask for help indeveloping a Study Bible and inplacing ‘One Bible for everyChristian Home’. Ask for provisionand protection as the team, led byTej Jirel, bring Scripture to remoteparts of Nepal.

Micronesia: Pray for the work inthis very poor environment, thatGod will enable subsidised Biblesfor Churches to continue. Pray toofor ongoing New Testamenttranslation into the Carolinanlanguage and for revision of theMarshallese Bible as youth cannotunderstand the script of theexisting version. Pray for goodhealth for translators and funds tosee these projects through.

India (& Bhutan): May the Lordbless the leadership, staff,volunteers and Board of thismassive Bible Society. Pray foreveryone involved in the manytranslation projects, for health,availability and funding. Givethanks for FCBH*, literacy proj-ects, ministries to sufferingwomen, elderly, blind, poor andchildren. Pray for the teams ineach of the State Auxiliaries.Remember the work in Bhutan.

Pakistan: Thank the Lord forreaching many people through theScripture resources in Urdu. Pleasepray for translation projects inseveral languages including Siraiki

which is spoken by at least 20million people. Ask God to keepthe staff, board and volunteerssafe as they serve Him. Pray forefforts to encourage those whoare poor or persecuted.

Turkey: Thank God for muchinterest in Book Fairs by people ofdifferent backgrounds. Pray thatthe newly located Bible House inIstanbul, will bring newopportunities and that strongerpartnerships will develop with theChurches. Give thanks for goodadvances on the Kurdish OldTestament. Pray for additionalScripture translation andpublication, led by Ms TamarKarasu.

Armenia: Give thanks foropportunities to make God’s Wordavailable to people of manydifferent backgrounds. Pray for‘Moving Gospel’ - bringing theGospel to remote border villages.May God help reach children withScripture in relevant formats andmay the website be successful inreaching a wider audience.

Georgia: Georgia is a strugglingnation in need of hope. Pleasepray that the Word of God will bea source of light for those whoreceive it. Ask God to use theBible Society to comfort theinternally displaced children andtheir families living in refugeesettlements. Pray for the work ofcreating a Modern Georgian BibleTranslation, that this will helpplace Scripture at the centre ofChurch life.

Azerbaijan: May God protect andhelp staff, board, translators andvolunteers in Azerbaijan.

Pray for guidance in their mission,especially for the teams working onAzeri, Talish and Udi translations.Praise God for opportunities to shareGod’s Word through FCBH* and askfor continued funding to make thispossible. Pray too for Scriptureministry to migrants.

Uzbekistan (& Turkmenistan): May thestaff and board be protected anddirected as they seek to make God’sWord known in this Muslim-majoritycountry. Pray for greater freedom toworship and a way to make more Biblesavailable for distribution throughchurches. Pray also for neighbouringcountry Turkmenistan, and the smallnumber of Christians there.Tajikistan: Give thanks for the Scripturemission opportunities. Pray for staff,board members, volunteers and churchpartners. Pray that God will make thecontinued translation of Scripture intolocal languages possible and thatprovision will be available for specialaudiences. Pray for effective leadershipin the Bible Society after a difficultperiod.Kyrgyz Republic: Praise God for a BibleSociety presence in Kyrgyzstan, praythey will soon be able to register as alocal organization. Ask that they mightbe more readily accepted by localchurches and other organisations. Prayfor local churches as restrictions onworship, high unemployment and pooreconomy, have forced many Christiansto emigrate.Kazakhstan: Give thanks for staff andBoard as they work to make God’s Wordavailable in this large country. Ask forhelp with plans to reach children,young people, prisoners and remotevillages. Pray too for the success ofLectio Divina, that this may draw manypeople closer to God through prayerand Scripture.

March 24 - 30

Bible-A-Month Calendar (Mar): BOLIVIA

Project Intro:In Bolivia, Quechua is spoken byover 2 million people. Like anyliving language, it is changingconstantly and dramatically, and sothere is a need for a new, up-to-date and relevant Bible translation.Translation teams are working tomake God’s Word understood by allin Bolivia.

Please pray for all the Quechua speaking Bolivians, for patience asthey wait for their new translation, that they will hear God’s Word tothem as they wait. Also remember the other language groups whodesire the Bible in their heart language – the Aymara people andthe Weenhayek people.

Approximately 70% of Bolivians are in poverty. Pray for guidance forthe staff of the Bolivian Bible Society, that they would know howbest to care for these people. Ask that as people living in povertycome into contact with God’s Word, they would understand Hismessage of love and hope to them.

The Bolivian Bible Society is always striving to bring God’s Word tothe people of their country in the most appropriate and significantways. Pray that funding will be received so they can obtain the rightmaterials, and that doors will continue to be opened so that theycan distribute Scriptures in safety – to women, children, farmers,and in the workplace.

This month, £4 could supply a Bible in a relevant and up-to-date translation

March 17 - 23

March 10 - 16

March 3 - 9

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Pull-out and keep prayer guide: April 2013Prayer at Work

Mozambique: Give thanks for allthe translation projects and praythat these will make goodprogress this year. Praise God thatHIV/AIDS sufferers and theirfamilies are being reachedthrough the Good Samaritanprogramme. Pray for strongerconnections with churches andleaders and for blessing uponboard, staff, translation teamsand volunteers.

Malawi: Pray that holisticministries will lead many to theLord Jesus. Praise God forcontinued work on the ChichewaStudy Bible, pray this will helplaypersons who lead manychurches. Ask for blessing on theFCBH* programme. Rememberwork on the Elhomwe Bible andplans to reach thousands ofchildren with Chichewa Scripture -both with BSNI support.

Madagascar (& Mayotte &Comoros Islands): Give thanks forthe strong team working inMadagascar and the ways theymake God’s Word known throughlistening groups, HIV/AIDSawareness and other ministries.Pray for help and funding for theMalagasy Study Bible. Pray forpeace and political stability. Praytoo for Bible work on Mayotteand ask for more openings for theGospel on the Comoros Islands.

Congo (Democratic Republic):There are many opportunities toshare God’s Word with hurtingpeople. Pray for programmesbringing hope to those displacedthrough Rebel attacks, to abusedwomen, suffering children,

prisoners and people withHIV/AIDS. Ask God to help theTranslation projects and meet theneeds for additional distributioncentres. Ask the Lord God to speakto many people through theFCBH* programme also.

Congo (Brazzaville): Give thanksfor the staff and Board in thisfairly young Bible Society. Pray forblessings on the ongoing Good Samaritan and FCBH*programmes and literacy work,and for help with translationprojects in several languages. AskGod to meet all needs, fromequipment to good health withinthe teams. Pray too that God willprovide financial needs tocontinue the ministries.

Central African Republic: ThankGod for this new work that beganjust a few years ago. Ask God tohelp the team as they work tomake His Word known andavailable. Give thanks for literacywork with women’s groups andfor the FCBH* programmes.Please pray that God will providethe needs to enable ministry toexpand further into the country.Pray for strengtheningrelationships with Churches andChristian organisations.

Togo: Pray for ongoing projects toreach children, youth, thoseaffected by HIV/AIDS, prisonersand addicts. Also pray for literacyand FCBH* listening groups -reaching people of differentlanguages. Give thanks that Bibletranslation work is progressing ina number of languages includingLama, Mina, Bassar, Kabiyeamong others. Ask God to use theHandwritten Unity Bible project todraw many people to Him as theyengage with Scripture.

Sierra Leone: Thank God for thetranslated and printed Krio Bible.Pray that God will stir people’shearts so that His message will bewell received. Give thanks forFCBH* listening groups that areimpacting different languagegroups. Ask God to help thevolunteers reaching young peoplewho are surrounded by violence.

Benin: Praise God for some abilityto raise funds in Benin and for theimpact of FCBH* which is providi-ng Bible access throughout thecountry. Pray for strengtheningrelationships with church partnersand the literacy programme whichis developing and growing. Prayfor the development of a new sitespecifically for literacy promotion.

Scotland: Pray for Elaine Duncanand the team as they engage withpeople at festivals and Bibleevents. Give thanks for ‘Bring yourBible to Brunch’ initiative for BibleSunday and for their mobileBibleworld trailer, an interactiveteaching programme for schools.Pray that their support for Biblework abroad would continuallyincrease. Give thanks for the longstanding close workingrelationship with BSNI.

England & Wales: Pray for Bibleengagement through a film-making competition, postercampaigns, and contributions tothe ‘Theos’ think tank and a lobbygroup in Westminster. Pray forpartnerships with other BibleSocieties to develop the capacityof their ministry. Pray that effortsto achieve widespread distributionand understanding of the Gospelwould be greatly blessed.

Guinea: Give thanks thattranslation continues in Toma andPular languages. Pray that God willcontinue to provide all the needsfor these teams. Give thanks thatthe FCBH* project is having animpact on the Kissi and Kpèlèècommunities. Ask for God’s help toestablish literacy groups throughchurches and complete thebuilding work on Bible House.

Gambia: Rejoice for the completeJula New Testament. Pray forblessing on the Jula Old Testamenttranslation and literacyprogramme. Pray that many wouldrespond to the Gospel through it.Give thanks for FCBH* listeninggroups among the Mandinkepeople – many are illiterate in thismain language group. Ask God tobless the School Bible quiz andpray for opportunities to placeBibles in Schools.

Ghana: Thank God for the projectto place 1 million Bibles withschool pupils. Give thanks for thelives being changed and the youngpeople who now own Bibles. Prayfor translation of a first Bible inDagaare, the Komba NewTestament and the Esahie OldTestament. Pray too for the literacyclasses to help Esahie speakersread God’s Word.

Gabon: Pray for strengtheningrelationships with churches,enabling further ministry. Pray forthe impact of the Good Samaritanproject tackling HIV/AIDS anddiscrimination towards sufferers.May the Biblical values beingpromoted make a lastingdifference. Pray for work on theYinzebi Old Testament translationand the Fang Bible revision.

April 21 - 27

Bible-A-Month Calendar (April):SENEGAL

Project Intro:Under the care of their ‘Master’,children learning the Koran areoften forced into begging on thestreet and are subject to severepunishment when they do notreturn with enough money. Thesechildren, as young as five, areliving away from home andwithout hope.

Please pray for these children in Senegal. Pray that God would protectthem when they are out on the street and when they return to their‘Master’. Pray for the Bible Society in Senegal as they work to bringhope to these lost children, and sensitize the families as to how theirchildren are living.There is a small team of people working with the Bible Society inSenegal. Ask that God would equip them as they carry out thismission, and direct them on how and where to use their gifts. Praythat this team of three would feel supported in their work and knowthat they step out in the power of God.People receiving Bibles cannot always read the words, even in theirown language. Literacy classes are so important to enable people tofully understand God’s Word. Pray for literacy classes that are beingrun for different audiences in Senegal, that people would be availableto teach and that people would be receptive to their teaching.

This month, £4 could help a child return home

April 14 - 20March 31 - April 6

April 7 - 13

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11 This year BSNI is supporting Bible work in 36 countries from Albania to Zambia! 11

God Answers Prayer!!!

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him;tell of all his wonderful works...

...Remember the wonderful works he has donePsalm 105:1-5 (NRSV)

We have so much to be thankful for! Week after weekwe receive good news from Bible Societies telling ushow prayers have been answered. God is definitely atwork in this world! Let us ‘remember the wonderfulworks he has done’.

Smiles in South SudanIn our Summer 2012 magazine we asked you to prayfor the new Bible Society in South Sudan (BSSS), forour colleague Dr Edward Kajivora, and his small teamwho face many challenges. God answers prayer!Within the first six months of opening, BSSS had soldout of Bibles – including 6000 copies of the newlytranslated Dinka Padang Bible which had beenlaunched in April. Thanks to funding from partnerSocieties they are expecting to be able to sell more.Dr Kajivora says, ‘Signs of the Christian faith areeverywhere! Although things are tough, we continueto trust in the Lord’s promises and are thankful forthe prayers of people around the world who supportour work.’

Eager for God’s Word in LatviaIn May 2012 our ‘BSNI Insight’ email gave a prayerrequest for Latvia. Funds were needed so thatScripture could be distributed. God answersprayer! In October 2012 the new translation of theBible in modern Latvian was launched (see Page 12).People who had been waiting years for a Bible theyunderstood, eventually had it. Rev Krister Andersson,General Secretary of the Swedish Bible Society, was atthe launch, “Now God is speaking directly to you,without any barriers. It’s a miracle!”

Lebanon’s ‘Year of the Bible’In August 2012 our ‘Prayer Circle’ friends prayed forLebanon. 2012 was their ‘Year of the Bible’, and theyplanned to print and distribute 200,000 'Good NewsArabic' New Testaments. We prayed that theScriptures would be well received, that people wouldgladly accept them, and their hearts would bestirred. God answers prayer! The NewTestaments were printed in time and over the courseof just one weekend they were all given away! At oneevent 22,000 young people held their NewTestaments up high and pledged to uphold the Wordof God and read it daily. This created such an impactthat it was broadcast on local and internationaltelevision channels.

Praise God that He answers prayer – we only needto remember the wonderful works he has done to seethis. Please keep praying for the work of the BibleSociety worldwide, and take time to thank God forwhat He does.

Eager purchasers of the Latvian Bible

Young people uphold the Word of God

If you would like to receive our fortnightly ‘Prayer Circle’email, simply send your email address to

julie@bsni.co.uk.

As a regular reader, you may be aware of the linksthat BSNI has to another 145 Bible Societies. Here wewant to introduce you to some of our GeneralSecretary colleagues within the Europe-Middle EastRegion, as a reminder that this is truly a globalministry.

Valdis Teraudkalnsleads the Latvian BibleSociety from their BibleHouse in Riga. Foryears, we were aware ofa new Bible translationthat had commenced in1995 to replace a Biblethat was first publishedin 1739. The translatorswent back to theancient manuscripts to

create what one archbishop has described as ‘a clearand precise translation’.

The new Bible, which will be used by all thedenominations in Latvia, was publicly launched on13th October 2012. Within 2 days, all 3,000 copieswere gone. A new edition containing variousAdditional Reading Helps will soon be available and adigital version is to follow. Well done Valdis. So muchaccomplished by a team of two!

In China, the Government, China Christian Counciland Bible Societies enjoy a harmonious partnershipwhich has enabled Bible printing and distribution ata level often described as ‘a modern miracle’. LastNovember, a special ceremony at the Amity Press inNanjing celebrated the printing of the 100 millionth

Bible there - 60 million ofwhich have beendistributed by thechurches within China.

Key to this success hasbeen the long timecommitment of Kua WeeSeng, the Bible Societies’representative in China.His stature among theChurches andGovernment officialshas enabled a smooth

and continuing expansion of Bibleprinting and distribution throughout the country.Wee Seng and a senior Chinese Government officialvisited here in November 2005, to express thanks forour continuing support for the Amity Press. That timeis still fondly remembered.

Friends in faraway places

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Tamar Karasu (Turkey) and Dina Katanacho(Galilee) hold positions that are challenging at the

best of times. Recently Tamar(left) has been relocating theirentire operation in Istanbul tonew premises. Religious tensionhas not prevented thecompletion of the Kurdish NewTestament (with BSNI support)and work is continuing on theOld Testament.

Dina’s ministry, based inNazareth, has included aheavy emphasis on thespiritual needs of Arab-Israeli

women, and she hasachieved the widespreaddistribution of a Scripturebooklet entitled ‘I amWoman’. This has created arich vein of opportunitiesfor the sharing of theGospel. At times, sheworks alone but theFellowship has been vitalin its support for thesensitive work that she isdoing. (Dina is picturedon the right.)

As Executive Director of the Bible Society of Russia,Anatoly Rudenko (below) is responsible for Biblework extending across nine time zones from thecountry’s western borders with Finland and Poland

to the NovosibirskBranch in Siberia.BSNI has supported anumber ofdistributions, includingMegaVoices in Siberiaand Bibles for theRussian troops. Inaddition to five currentBible translationprojects, BS Russia alsosupplies many of theformer Soviet

Republics with Russian language Scriptures, althoughrestrictive practices by some governments can makethe import of Scripture problematical.

Please pray for all of these colleagues,relating the information above to currentstories about their country that are being

carried almost every day in theworld’s media.

11(If you missed the first article, you can find it on our website atwww.bsni.co.uk/articles/54-word-at-work in Autumn 2012 edition.)

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Life For God: Leaving a Legacy

You may remember the article ‘Skills for God: A Linkin a Chain’ in the last edition of Word at Work, wherewe took a brief look at the work of MargaretBohoussou in Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast). Here wecontinue the story...

It quickly becomes clear, on speaking to Margaret,that life in Côte d’Ivoire was not always simple.There wasn’t always fresh running water... a wage atthe end of the month... or even safety in her ownhome... yet Margaret speaks of many more positivesthan negatives – a testimony of God’s goodness andher devotion. Côte d’Ivoire is where Margaret

married and raised afamily, where she foundbelonging, fellowship,community and faith indeep measures.Margaret speaks of aprotective, caring culturewhere people genuinelylook after one anotherand a vibrant, joyouschurch!

Margaret left Côted’Ivoire last year, toreturn to freezing cold

Northern Ireland. Officially retired, but by no meansfinished serving the Lord, she joined the staff team inBelfast for a number of months between Septemberand December, completing checks on the San BibleRevision for Burkina Faso. This was the project shehad been working on just before leaving Côted’Ivoire. Praise God for technology allowing Margaret

to receive and sendcorrected work toBurkina Faso by email.Margaret wellremembers the dayswhen material had tobe hand-delivered!

When asked abouthighlights of her work,Margaret points todedication servicesthat she attended,sharing the joy withpeople who have

been eagerly awaitingScripture. At the dedication of the Bobo Medara Biblein Burkina Faso, the crowd were welcomed with aspeech declaring that the message of the Bible wouldchange the hearts of the people. They would nolonger settle disputes with swords! Margaret recalls

other such dedications where the eagerness and joywas palpable among the people who had long beenwaiting for God’s Word.

Not only has Margaret left her mark in terms of thetranslation projects she contributed to, but shespeaks of her joy in working along with thetranslators - seeing them grow in their faith andhelping develop their skills as she got to know themand visit them in their own locations. Margaret wasalways struck by how welcoming people were, andhow thankfulthey were thatshe washelping bringGod’s Word totheircommunities.Thisthankfulnessfor God’s Wordis not soreadilyexpressed here.

Perhaps Margaret’s experiences, choices and passionfor sharing Scripture will have an impact on those ofus who rub shoulders with her now. Someone sopassionate about God and His Word cannot help butleave a legacy wherever she goes...

Please keep Margaret in your prayers as shecontinues to settle back into Northern Ireland afterbeing away from here for so long. Praise God thatshe quickly found somewhere to live and settled wellinto church life in Ballymena. Pray too for theongoing translation work in West Africa, especiallythe countries that Margaret’s work impacted - Côted’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal. We will becontinuing to support translation work in West Africa,so if you are passionate about bringing God’s Word topeople who are still waiting, feel free to get in touchfor more information.

Launch of the Jula Bible, with much celebration!

Dr Lynell Zogbo markingMargaret’s ‘retirement’ from

Côte d’Ivoire

Bible House in Côte d’Ivoire, whereMargaret was based for many years

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International NewsWorking together in a common causeWhat do Australia, Canada, Denmark, England/Wales,Finland, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand,Norway, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerlandand the USA have in common with Northern Ireland?

Together, they comprise the 16 Resourcing BibleSocieties within the United Bible Societies. They areblessed in not only their ability to raise enough fundsto support their local ministry but, together, theysupport the ministry projects of the other 130 BibleSocieties worldwide.

All these Societies come together as the United BibleSocieties. Last year almost $40 million (£26 million)was raised by them to support over 400 Bibletranslation projects and 1,000 Scripture distributionprogrammes. Northern Ireland contributed £360,000to this budget. Your support plays a significant partin this global effort to make the Word of God knownand available. In 2011 over 32 million Bibles and 358million New Testaments, Gospels and other Scriptureitems were distributed and 400 Bible translationprojects made progress towards completion.

South African MilestoneSetswana was the first indigenous language group inSouth Africa to receive a Bible - 155 years ago. Nowthe Bible has been received by the last indigenouslanguage group.

The excitement began on Friday 26 October as thefirst complete Bibles in the isiNdebele languagearrived by ship in the docks of Cape Town! Theofficial launch of the isiNdebele Bible took place on24 November, with great celebrations includingchoirs, bands, singers, preaching and much more. Inattendance were church and community leaders aswell as government officials, all recognising thesignificance of the occasion. This is the final of the 11official languages in South Africa to receive a fullBible translation! Praise God for this momentousachievement!

The first public reading evermade from the isiNdebeleBible in South Africa!

Struggling to surviveThe impact of the global recession continues to take its toll. Many economies have been ravaged by the debtsthat governments allowed to accumulate, and the downturn has impacted trade, commerce and ...Bibleministry. Most Bible Societies outside Western Europe finance their ministry programmes from the surplus thatthey make on their Bible sales. Several countries have seen a collapse in Bible sales, and in addition, there is anincreasing trend among a price conscious public to buy unseen products on the Internet. These two factorscombine to create serious difficulties for Grant receiving Bible Societies (130 fall into that category) and thesupport from the 16 Grant making Societies (including BSNI) has become priceless. Sadly, it appears that therecession is to be with us for some years to come...but God has surprises in store!

Violence in the Middle East

Bible Society work is at the heart of everycommunity so it was no surprise to learn thattwo of our colleagues in Syria had beenkidnapped as they travelled along the roadleading to the capital, Damascus. There wasrelief when news came through after 14 daysthat they had been released unharmed.Please remember that in every situation ofconflict that you read or learn about, it isprobable that Bible Society personnel are atrisk of harm. We do well to keep them in ourthoughts

Bookfairs are very popular in Syria, and otherMiddle-Eastern Countries. This is a useful way to make

scripture openly and legally avaiable to those who desire itThe Digital RevolutionImportant developments have been taking place inBible access in the past two years that rival thesignificance of the invention of the printing press.For some years it has been possible to download acomplete Bible text on to a phone or a computer,complete with advanced search functions. Cool youngpeople can be seen in churches everywhere followingthe Bible readings on their phone. There has recentlybeen an explosive growth in the number of peoplewith phones (almost 6 billion mobile phonesubscriptions worldwide).

Bible Societies around the world have been workingtogether to ‘digitalise’ all the available Scripturetranslations and the digital library has now at least215 Bible translations available for download on tomobile devices. That represents almost 50% of thelanguages in the world today that already have acomplete Bible text. And the service is now free touse! What does this all mean? Quite simply, God hascreated the means by which ‘unreached’ people canbe ‘reached’ with the Gospel. Put another way,Christians today have the means to make Scriptureavailable to billions on this planet in ways thatprevious generations could never have imagined.Now there’s a topic for prayer!

New in BotswanaIt is not often that Botswana makes the news.Located between Namibia and South Africa, the landis 70% desert. But now they have been able torejoice. On 10th November 2012 the Naro NewTestament was launched to public acclaim. Eachtime we read of these developments, we marvel atthe huge choice of Scripture available to us. Perhapswe should envy them their joy at this newexperience!

A very special Bible

This picture tells a remarkable story. It isthe 100 millionth Bible to travel down theproduction line at the Amity Press inNanjing, China. While many are printed forexport orders, 60 million have now beendistributed within China. In China, theycall it ‘a miracle’.

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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

SPRING 2013

In Spring 2012 we asked oursupporters to help us support a veryspecial project in Ghana – ‘1 MillionBibles’! This project has been a hugesuccess and 1 million school pupilshave now received the Word of God.Lives are being changed thanks to youand supporters all over the world!Here are a few testimonies frompupils...

Bernice, 14 years old. “I have cometo know Jesus as my Saviour as I readthe Bible. In addition, I have readabout so many characters whopersevered though difficultcircumstances and were helped byGod. I began asking for God’s helpeveryday and now I do much betterin my studies. My colleagues are verysurprised to see the changes in mylife. I thank God for this Bible.”

17 year-old Fred. “Look at me! I havelived a very terrible life. I used tosteal my parent’s money, fight andcause riots in my school andcommunity. This is the third schoolafter been sacked several times frommy previous schools. Today, my storyhas really changed because eversince I received this Bible, God hasspoken to my heart when I read somepassages. I felt a deep convictionthat God is not pleased with mylifestyle and felt his love for me allthese years of wickedness. I havestopped stealing, fighting andfornication. I think my life ischanging as I continue to read theBible. The Bible is the best thing thathas happened to me.’’

The ‘Jubilee Edition’Bible containsmany usefulintroductory pagesfor young people who arenew to the Bible.

1 Million Bibles: GHANA