Author: Simon Bartz, 28 June 2024
‘We came to Bahrain to earn some money and send it home (to India) so that our children will not be illiterate like us. Pastor told us that he would show us a film. We were overly excited, thinking it may be one of the latest Hollywood ones. When we watched The Jesus Film in our own language, most of us were crying. We think our life is full of struggles and problems. After I saw the film, I realised that Jesus went through worse things, even torture.
‘Then Pastor gave us audio Bibles. When I call home, I now tell my children stories from the Bible. I have begun attending church and I hope I will be able to be baptised soon. It is a joy for me to be able to learn about Christ and try to be like him.’
Prasad’s story above is one of countless testimonies we read every year from migrant workers in the Gulf.
Here’s another, from Mariam: ‘I am from India. I got married at 13 and had my first child at 14. My husband is addicted to alcohol and he beat me up. To take care of my family and educate my two children I borrowed money from people and arrived in Bahrain. Life is hard here. I work in people’s houses and some of them do not treat me well. I used to worry about everything and get angry but then they (Bible Society in the Gulf) gave me an audio Bible. Listening to the word of God changed my life. I feel God speaking to me in my ear. I try to apply all the lessons I learned in my own life. I don’t worry or get angry now because I know God loves me.’
Prasad and Mariam were just two beneficiaries of the End-to-End project run by Bible Society in the Gulf and supported by you here in England and Wales.
‘With the End-to-End project, every year we take one church and work with them throughout the year, disciple them and see how the church grows,’ said Dr Hrayr Jebejian, General Secretary of Bible Society in the Gulf. ‘It allows unreached people to watch, listen, read and experience the transformative power of the gospel. Together, we’re bringing people into the Kingdom of God through the word of God.’
The most recently completed End-to-End project engaged migrant workers from the Telugu community. Telugu speakers from India make up the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.
Pastor John Wesley (what a wonderful name!) leads a Pentecostal Telugu congregation mostly made up of domestic helpers and construction workers. The vast majority of them toil for long hours to support their families back home and live in cramped conditions in migrant camps cut off from the rest of society. Many have lost hope and are depressed. John and his wife Kalyani visit 19 labour camps on a regular basis to minister to these people.
‘We receive various resources from Bible Society such as Bibles, both audio and printed, Scripture portions, discipleship through storytelling and visits of the Bible Society staff,’ says John. ‘Now our team of volunteers is equipped to reach the unreached.’
‘We have many challenges at the camps,’ adds John. ‘(Sometimes) lack of permission to enter, unfriendly guards, antagonistic people and no space for meetings. Sometimes, we just stand outside in the open air. Kindly pray for the people being reached.’
It’s your support that makes this life-changing work possible. When you donate, you’re there for Mariam and Prasad. You provide the Bibles that Pastor John Wesley and his wife are sharing with migrant workers.
Give the Bible to a migrant worker
This story first appeared in Bible Society’s magazine Word in Action.
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Give the Bible to a migrant worker
The Gulf’s impoverished migrants are turning to Jesus. Put the Bible in the hands of someone seeking God today. You can help meet an urgent need. The wealthy Gulf countries are full of migrant workers who live in appalling conditions.
Thirty-four years of sharing Jesus in the Gulf
Hrayr Jebejian shares the Bible with the immense populations of impoverished migrant workers in the Gulf countries. He explains what that looks like and what he’s hoping to achieve this year with your support
What happens when a migrant worker receives the Bible?
God is at work in the Gulf, where your donations put the Bible in the hands of hard-pressed migrant workers. These are the people who build the skyscrapers in cities like Dubai and work in the homes of the super-rich. They live in appalling conditions, but your support is introducing them to Jesus.
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