Issue 47 • 2020
The BMS World Mission magazine
The long road ahead for Bangladesh’s rural poor
COVID-19 We must act now A NATION IN EXILE The Venezuelan refugees finding reasons for hope THIS IS WHAT A BMS WORKER LOOKS LIKE And it may surprise you
Editorial
IN ALL OF THIS, GOD IS STILL SOVEREIGN Hannah Watson WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO BMS World Mission works in fragile states and unevangelised communities, serving some of our world’s most marginalised people. We have a vision to transform one million lives in God’s strength by 2020. With your help, we send UK Christians and support local believers, working alongside trusted partners on four continents. We serve through church, development, education, health, justice, leadership and relief ministries, and our highest goal is to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ and experience life in all its fullness.
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April 2020
his is my second attempt at writing to you, dear BMS World Mission supporters. The first draft was before we knew the full extent of how the global Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic would affect us all. I talked about the wonderful BMS workers making a difference where they are (page 7), and asked you to pray for Venezuelan refugee families finding hope in Peru (page 10). But with my second attempt, it’s hard to know where to begin. Does this incredible work you’re supporting no longer matter, now that the threat of Covid-19 casts its shadow across the world? Well – of course it still matters. Of course these brave people need our support more than ever, when we don’t know how difficult their lives and work may become as this novel Coronavirus creeps across the globe. We need to celebrate good news stories still coming from the countries we work in. I hope you can do that as you read Issue 47 of Engage. But more is needed. UK Christians need to step into action now, to support countries where the spread of the Coronavirus would be beyond devastating. Where overcrowding or a lack of hospital spaces would mean untold thousands would die. The Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic is a global emergency. And it requires a global response. That’s why you can now give to our Covid-19 appeal, as BMS co-ordinates a global Christian response to the crisis. Go to www.bmsworldmission.org/coronavirus-appeal to give now, or find out more on page 4.
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God bless you, BMS World Mission, PO Box 49 129 Broadway, Didcot, OX11 8XA
Hannah Watson Editor
We look forward to hearing from you!
Write to me at magazine@bmsworldmission.org
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In this issue
4. News
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Coronavirus: a global crisis requires a global Christian response
The Venezuelan refugees finding reasons for hope
5. Living a post-Resurrection mission Dr Kang-San Tan on living in the light of Jesus rising again
6. The big read And other incredible ways you’re raising support
7. From the corners of the world This is what a BMS worker looks like
14. The long road to Dhaka A brighter future for Bangladesh starts with its children
18. A letter from… Albania “We were pleased to open the day after the earthquake”
19. Letters The little girl with a big heart for South Sudan
BMS World Mission Website: www.bmsworldmission.org Tel: 01235 517700 Email (general): mail@bmsworldmission.org
Managing Editor: Jonathan Langley Editor: Hannah Watson Design: Malky Currie Front cover photo: Hannah Watson
The Baptist Missionary Society: registered in England and Wales as a charity (number 1174364) and a company limited by guarantee (number 10849689).
The views and opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of BMS World Mission.
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© Copyright 2020 BMS World Mission ISSN 1756-2481
News
COVID-19:
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC REQUIRES A GLOBAL CHRISTIAN RESPONSE As the world readies itself for the long fight against the Covid-19 Coronavirus, BMS World Mission’s Coronavirus appeal allows you to become part of the solution to this global health crisis.
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he Coronavirus crisis has touched us all. The worlds we inhabit are shrinking. Borders are closing, international travel has halted, and a large majority of the UK’s population is ready for self-isolation. Covid-19 is an international crisis of frightening proportions, and yet it threatens to disrupt instead of strengthen our local and international bonds. As Christians, we must not let that happen. At a time of crisis, it’s easy to look inwards, but raising our eyes beyond our own horizons reminds us that hope is alive. In Chad, temperature screening is in place at the incredible BMS-supported Guinebor II hospital in the Sahel. In a country without ventilators, it’s critical that staff act quickly to make sure those at risk are sent to a hospital where they’ll get the correct support. Our workers in this critical centre of health are already preparing for their response as Chad tackles early cases of Covid-19.
And BMS recognises that in refugee camps and displaced people settlements, in countries like Chad with limited medical resources, and in places with low levels of health education, Covid-19 will be devastating. That’s why we’ve opened up giving towards our Coronavirus appeal. Give today, and you’ll get emergency food provision to the poorest of the poor whose livelihoods will be decimated by the virus. You’ll buy protective gear for medical workers in Covid-19 hotspots. You’ll help to educate people in at-risk contexts in how to prevent the disease spreading. And you’ll build capacity among churches, so they can help people to help themselves in the face of this terrible pandemic. If our hearts are breaking because of the effects of Covid-19 here in the UK, they are likely to be far worse beyond our borders. Become part of the solution. Head to our website to give what you can.
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www.bmsworldmission.org/ coronavirus-appeal
Go online to give today. 1. You’ll REBUILD livelihoods 2. You’ll provide MEDICAL
HELP
3. You’ll fund public HEALTH
EDUCATION
4. You’ll STRENGTHEN CHURCHES and communities
From the General Director
LIVING A POSTRESURRECTION MISSION Kang-San Tan
THE BIGGEST RELIEF RESPONSE OF A DECADE You raised over £650,000 when earthquakes struck Nepal.
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hen Nepal was struck by two deadly earthquakes in the spring of 2015, the world stopped. Over 8,000 people were killed, and an estimated 8 million others were affected. But BMS World Mission supporters, along with our partners in Canada, the USA, The Netherlands, Germany and Bangladesh, quickly
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leapt into action and raised £652,148. Your generous support rebuilt 52 schools that were destroyed, and built them back better. They’ve been made with earthquake-resistant roofs, stronger walls and foundations. Five years on, the project has reached completion. Children have a space place to learn, and hope in their lives once again. Thank you.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR 2020 BMS World Mission and Spurgeon’s College join forces
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ombining over 250 years of BMS’ missional expertise with the academic rigour of Spurgeon’s College, the partnership will equip a new generation of students to meet the exciting challenges of modern mission. A training course will be created, based
ohn 21 speaks powerfully about God’s love, fresh hope and new beginning after Jesus rose from the dead. What is so special about Jesus? Many question whether he wasn’t just a man who died – and even if he really rose from the dead, ask how Christians can claim that at the cross the evil of the world has been dealt with. There were other Messianic movements from about 50 BC to 150 AD. But none of these leaders claimed that their deaths would carry any significance for the wider world beyond Israel. In Jesus’ case, we find that he believed himself called to die the world’s death so that all creation may be healed and renewed. And within a short while of the crucifixion of Jesus, his disciples appeared in public, proclaiming that God had raised Jesus from the dead, sealing a new dimension of life over which death has no authority. Resurrection says that a new world, a new order of being has come into existence. At Easter, we remember God making a way through death, and BMS’ highest goal is to invite Christians to live such a postResurrection mission. In difficult times, now, more than ever, we share Jesus and seek the renewal of all creation.
at BMS’ hub in Birmingham, but its benefits won’t be restricted to the UK. It’s envisioned that the course material could go global, used by BMS’ partners who deliver missiological training in their home countries, and enriching communities both near and far in the challenging times we face.
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Thank you
Our extraordinary supporters Not by halves Reverend Andrew Scott’s running journey began when he spent a week with BMS mission workers, the Gregory family, in Albania. “I was shocked at the levels of poverty,” says Andrew
“So, when an appeal letter came in the post, it felt natural to do something.” Signing up to a half marathon, Andrew raised over £300 for a BMS-supported community centre in Tirana (read more on page 18), triggering
a generous donation from his parents who’d promised to double their gift if he ran a personal best! “My prayer is that Albania would experience some of what Jesus said in John 10: 10,” says
Andrew. And along with all our BMS supporters who allow the important work in Albania to continue, you’re part of that answer to prayer. Thank you, Andrew!
The Big Read Standing with survivors A huge thank you to all who gave to our South Sudan’s Conflict Survivors appeal.
Combining a love of reading with a love of God’s word resulted in Green St Green Baptist Church, Bromley, hosting ‘The Big Read’ – one of the most dedicated fundraising events we’ve come across!
A group of incredible BMS supporters came together in a sponsored attempt to read the entire New Testament in one weekend. “The church had held
several fundraisers for BMS work in Chad, and we wanted to do our bit,” explains Pat. The event raised over £1,300 for Guinebor II, BMS’ mission hospital in Chad. With six new mission workers joining the project in 2020, the money will go to incredible use. Watch this space for Operation: Chad: our Harvest appeal coming in 2020!
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Over £237,400 has been raised so far to help survivors of Africa’s largest and most brutal refugee crisis, and others around the world. Thank you for sharing God’s love with people as they rebuild their lives. It’s not too late to give. Head to www. bmsworldmission.org/ survivors to find out more.
Profiles
The incredible workers you support Words: Hannah Watson Photos: Hannah Watson, Jacob Barrell and Melanie Webb
THE PASTOR WHO EMBRACED A TOWN IN MOURNING. THE PASSIONATE TEACHER CARVING A BRIGHTER FUTURE. THE MAN HOLDING THE DOORS OF JUSTICE OPEN FOR THE OPPRESSED. This is BMS World Mission. These are the workers you support.
Pastor Amilcar is one of the kindest people you could meet. He can’t walk ten paces through the streets of Pisac, Peru without locals stopping to kiss him on both cheeks. He’s got a kind word for everybody, asking after relatives and how business
is going. He’s not from this town, but Pastor Amilcar’s gentle reflection of Jesus’ love for this place has meant that, one by one, people here have come to know Christ. Taking Amilcar almost by surprise, a fledgling church has formed in Pisac, borne out of his witness. This village in the Andes is a long, meandering drive from the city of Cusco, where Pastor Amilcar faithfully leads his congregation. So why would a busy pastor embrace such an unassuming place, over an hour away?
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got Pisac may be a small town, but it’s the e brok d a heavy history. In 2010, a floo es splic h whic r, banks of the Vilcanota rive the of y Valle ed its way through the Sacr You can Incas in which the town is nestled. cross you time each er pow feel the water’s the of s side two the ting nec the bridge con of y man ple, peo 12 d kille d floo town. The why is This them parents to young children. Pisac. He’s Pastor Amilcar is drawn back to ilies who fam committed to mourning with are still recovering. help. “After the tragedy, people needed all but , food and hes They needed clot ple really these things were temporary. Peo Pastor needed help that would last,” says of form Amilcar. That help has come in the c, Pisa in sharing Jesus’ love with people ldn’t do but Pastor Amilcar knows he cou porters. sup BMS out anything he does with you ple peo for love r “Thank you for you of your ause Bec . you s bles don’t know. God r lives support, families here will have thei .” med transfor ’ church This is what your support of BMS like s look planting ministry looks like. It th. dea of ow life springing from the shad It lcar. Ami or Past It looks like supporting g. rnin mou in n tow a ng looks like embraci
of colour. She’s always Esther Sarker’s Facebook feed is a riot for children – a kind ties activi posting craft ideas, visual aids and le are born to teach, peop Some job. of digital mood board for her she convulses way the from clear It’s . and Esther is one of them say. From the s pupil her s thing funny the of into giggles at some ated by hand. And from student workbooks she’s meticulously illustr out that one of her the compassion she radiates when she finds owns one outfit to only h pupils from a poor, rural area in Banglades wear to school. h and Education Esther is a recent recruit to the Social Healt ha. It’s a project Sang ch Chur ist board of the Bangladeshi Bapt starting at the very ren, child h’s lades Bang transforming futures for to provide preschool youngest age, by equipping local teachers 14 to read more education to marginalised areas. (Turn to page ng this transformation about how BMS supporters are the ones maki possible.) ultant heading up the For Louise Proctor, BMS’ Educational Cons She understands le. ensab project, Esther’s input has been indisp over four years. to t adap to had has the local context that Louise ening,” says happ ’s what of re pictu real a “Esther can get more of ips with the teachers, Louise. “She’s starting to build up relationsh up more to her, and and we’re hoping that they’ll begin to open share their stories and difficulties.” It’s important to Esther’s faith infuses everything she does. Christian kids, are as well her that Hindu and Muslim children, as ss of the preschools. witne the gh getting to know who Jesus is throu ty has needs. socie “Our r. Esthe says “We can spread that light,” . If our ation educ s acces to e chanc And rural areas have little Jesus e.” futur our are ren child then lop, country wants to deve to him. come to children taught that space should be made for little ers teach le enab you And by supporting BMS education projects, love who ers teach – like Esther who take that teaching seriously share his love with the their jobs, who love Jesus, and who want to children they teach.
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Luis Alfredo Manjate is a man with a plan. As the Executive Director of BMS partner the Mozambican Association of Christian Lawyers, he wants nothing more (and nothing less) than to turn the Mozambican justice system around, and ensure people’s rights are upheld. Excited to have found a calling where he can marry his profession as a lawyer with his faith, Luis is passionate about working for a Christian organisation which holds the doors to justice open for widows, for orphans, for the vulnerable. And with an arresting gaze, and a smile that creeps in at the corners of his mouth when he wants to check he’s being understood, Luis is a lawyer you’d want on your side faced with any kind of trouble. “It’s a great privilege to be here in an environment where you can talk about God,” Luis says. There are cases he’s received, where, instead of turning reflexively to litigation and courthouse disputes, he’s been able to resolve the conflict by giving advice, praying for the parties involved and sharing the Word of God. For Luis, bringing justice means bringing peace. “The support that has been given to us has meant we can make justice real to people,” Luis says, as he thanks all BMS supporters who have helped make his work possible. “The privilege we have of providing justice for people is being fulfilled.” By supporting BMS justice ministries, you’re binding up the broken-hearted and bringing peace to the oppressed. You’re sharing God’s love with people when they need it most. And you’re fuelling workers like Luis who have their hearts set on serving God and the people made in his image. •
Thank you As a BMS World Mission supporter, you enable over 200 workers like Pastor Amilcar, Esther and Luis to make a difference where God has placed them. From all corners of the globe, your generosity means BMS-supported workers can make life better for the people around them, be it through church, education or access to justice, or any of the ministries BMS works through. But not only that. Through their work and their witness, they’re transforming people’s perceptions of the God they serve – a God who cares for the vulnerable, the lonely and the lost. None of this would be possible without your giving. Thank you.
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Pray for Venezuela
Threatened, bereaved, kidnapped: these are the stories of resilient Venezuelan settlers in Lima, Peru. They represent just some of the people caught up in the second largest refugee crisis in the world, a mass exodus of five million, living in exile across the globe. Smiling faces welcome people into a church full of joyful chatter. It’s nine o’clock in the morning, and the mouthwatering aroma of cornflour patties reaches every corner, wafting its way over to children who are singing and dancing to Christmas tunes. These delicious fried buns, otherwise known as ‘arepas’, leak melted cheese and tasty ham. Breakfast is served.
Arepas are a taste of home and staple comfort food for the 100 Venezuelan asylum seekers here today at the Primera Iglesia Bautista de Lima (First Baptist Church of Lima) in Peru. Working in tandem with the Peruvian Baptist Convention (CEBP), BMS World Mission workers Daniel and Regiane Clark chose this centrally located church to host a social action event dedicated to
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supporting Venezuelan settlers. Every room in this large church offers a free service, thanks to Regiane’s careful planning. In the central hall is an experienced doctor, with a volunteer dentist checking people’s teeth and teaching children good oral hygiene. Upstairs sit psychologists, expert lawyers and a physiotherapist, all offering advice and a listening
Carmen’s faith upheld her when her husband, who had to remain in Venezuela, tragically passed away.
A crowd of children watch a volunteer dentist in action.
Arepas are a taste of home for so many Venezuelan refugees.
ear. Outside, volunteers host children’s games and even a puppet show. Everyone has given up their Saturday to serve. And what volunteers offer their Venezuelan guests today provides a striking contrast with what they’ve left behind. “We couldn’t find any food in the supermarkets,” says Carmen Mora, a mother of three who arrived in Lima in January 2019. “You needed to get up early to join the queue. You’d stay there until 6pm – and then the food would have run out.” Carmen is one of the 800,000 Venezuelans who have fled political persecution and desperate poverty to arrive in
Volunteers host games that give children a chance to be children again.
Peru, a country now home to the second largest population of Venezuelan refugees after Colombia. “The idea was to come to Peru, earn a living to send back home and then return when the situation improved,” explains Daniel, who heads up a BMS-supported Baptist Seminary in Lima. “But now they have no hope of returning to Venezuela. Or there’s nothing for them to go back to.” Carmen decided to leave when her home’s electricity, gas and water were cut off. She gathered her children and grandchildren to take a series of buses across Colombia and Ecuador to Peru. It took a
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terrifying and uncertain six days. Her eldest son and her husband remained, her son wanting to complete his studies and her husband committed to working at a company he’d been loyal to for 25 years. “But then my husband started to get ill,” Carmen explains. “They said he had a type of hepatitis. But it was pancreatic cancer. With the lack of treatment there – everything was so expensive – he died.” There was no way Carmen, a Venezuelan with an unresolved refugee status, could leave Peru to attend the funeral. “But my faith in the Lord has strengthened me,” Carmen says. “Please pray for my son
They have no hope of returning to Venezuela
TIMELINE OF
A CRISIS
2014 Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans take to the
streets to campaign for the removal of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. In three months of violent demonstrations, 43 people die.
2015 Inflation surpasses 180 per cent, forcing the Government to make more cuts to public spending, culling subsidies for food and medicine, leaving poorer Venezuelans destitute. Power cuts start to become a part of everyday life.
2016 Hospitals fail due to the lack of medicine, clean water
and electricity. Over half of Venezuela’s healthcare professionals leave the country.
2018 The UNHCR reports that over 3 million people have fled Venezuela due to lack of food, water, medicine, gas and electricity. Once bustling cities become ghost towns.
2020 More than five million people have fled the country, almost 20 per cent of the country’s population.
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Together we are praying and doing who stayed in Venezuela, that God would console him.” Today might be the closest to home that people like Carmen have felt in years. “When you’re with other Venezuelans – it makes me feel at peace,” says fellow settler Barbara Marquez. Christmas has turned her thoughts back to her homeland. “I’ve laughed all day, had a chance to celebrate. This has been a rollercoaster, but I thank God for your support. It brings the feeling of heaven just that little closer to Earth.” Barbara is just 26 years old. Her dream one day is to travel, to embark on a very different type of voyage to the one she felt forced to take across Latin America. “I left my mum, my dad, my home, my whole life,” she explains. “The journey was dangerous because of the street riots. And everything was so expensive.” Barbara and her husband sold everything they had. “You want to take everything and everyone with you. Even the dog!” She laughs a little, brushing away tears. “But it was the right decision.” And it’s events like these that have helped Barbara feel her difficult choice was the right one. Her face lights up as her three-year-old daughter brings her a large bowl of food supplies. She picks up the items one by one to show the girls; arepas, cooking oil, gelatine, lentils, pasta and milk, each
Barbara jokingly introduces her children: “This is Victoria – she’s three and is Venezuelan. And here’s Valeria – she’s one and is Peruvian.”
accompanied by an excited exclamation: “Look!” She also took her youngest daughter, Valeria, to the doctor at today’s event. Valeria struggles with a condition called hip dysplasia. “They say her hips are aligning,” Barbara says, delighted. “God is healing her!” But leaving the past behind hasn’t been easy. “My eldest son was kidnapped,” says Diana*, visibly shaken as she recounts the events. “They only kept him for two hours, but after that he was traumatised.” As a university student, he’d been taken away in a car and interrogated by political investigators before they decided he was no threat and released him. Her son decided to leave for Peru immediately. Diana felt like she might never see him again. Diana and her husband gave up their electrical engineering business to sell food on the streets of the Peruvian capital so they could be reunited with their son. “As a business owner it’s so hard to start again at zero,” she explains. “Many of us have studied at university. But because we don’t have any documents, we can’t find proper work.” For legal employment,
“I’m so grateful to God. He’s supplying all we need to help,” says Dorcas.
asylum seekers need to have refugee status, for which the waiting list is becoming increasingly long. But hope is emerging. The day before the event, Brazil began a process to accept Venezuelan asylum seekers as refugees. The news left Robert, a professional Taekwondo coach who has been seeking political asylum for three years reeling with excitement. He hopes that soon neighbouring countries like Peru will begin the same process. The gathering is the second of its kind, and Regiane and Daniel, along with the CEBP would not have been able to organise it without your support. “It’s with your help that we’ve been able to do campaigns like this. It’s incredible that total strangers help from so far away,” says Pastor Homero, President of the CEBP’s social action projects. “There is so much need here. It’s all done in the name of the Lord. It leads people to Christ.” Supporting hundreds of thousands of refugees is a mountain of a task for Peruvians to tackle alone. “We don’t have all the resources here,” says Dr Dorcas Gambini, a psychologist
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who is volunteering her time to counsel those who need support today. But when God’s people work together, he makes seemingly immovable mountains move. “You heard us and offered us help. Together we are praying and doing,” says Dorcas. • *Name changed.
I thank God for your support
PLEASE PRAY for Daniel,
Regiane and the Peruvian Church as they seek to show the love of Christ to Venezuelan refugees:
• Pray for wisdom and strength for those leading events to support Venezuelan settlers.
• Pray for Carmen’s son in Venezuela, that God would console him and protect him.
• Pray for Barbara’s daughter Valeria, that God would heal her hip dysplasia.
• Pray for Diana and her family, that they
would overcome the trauma they’ve faced and find fullness of life in Peru.
Bangladesh
Words: Hannah Watson Photos: Hannah Watson and Melanie Webb
The long road
to Dhaka
How do you make a difference in a country routinely devastated by natural disasters, with one of the world’s fastest growing economies, refugee crises and population sizes? For BMS World Mission teacher, Louise Proctor, you start with the nation’s three-year-olds. A pen without ink “Do you have slums in the UK?” James, our driver and translator, asks. I’m on the road with Louise Proctor, BMS World Mission’s Educational Consultant in Bangladesh, and James is driving us to school – to a BMSsupported preschool in Indurkani, to be exact. We’re here to see the difference BMS supporters are making in the lives of Bangladeshi families by making education possible for their children. Curiosity has been the theme of our long car ride out of Dhaka, and the questions from all sides have flowed thick and fast. There have been questions about culture, family, religion, and language. About
schooling, and about what everyone’s favourite fruit is. The traffic thins out, and we speed past a flock of brightly coloured dented metal trucks, green vegetation, blue sky. And then the road runs out. We continue the journey to school on foot. Inside Indurkani preschool, it’s a humid 35 degrees, despite the puffball white clouds in the sky outside signalling that autumn is on its way. The preschool pupils, children aged between three and five and sublimely cute in their excitement, are gathered at the back of a room so dark your eyes take a moment to adjust. They’re thrilled to be at school, even though its corrugated iron roof traps the heat. Even though there’s no
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electricity, lighting or running water. And even though one of the little boys only owns one shirt and one pair of shorts. Louise worked in a village primary school in Scotland before she was called to join the preschool project with her husband Phil, a BMS engineer, over four years ago. Dreamed up and run by passionate Christians from the Social Health and Education board of the Bangladeshi Baptist Church Sangha, the project equips teachers to provide vital preschool education to poor, rural areas. 30 schools have been set up so far, and their progress is overseen by Louise. Indurkani is one of the newest
In a country where preschoolers must pass an exam to continue their education, Louise supports teachers giving these children the best start in life.
schools on her list, and Louise and new teacher Moyna have big plans for installing fans and lighting. Louise will also support Moyna, as well as the 30 other teachers, to plan creative lessons, spending more time outside, and helping the kids to learn through play. It’s a momentous task, finding buildings for school rooms, making plans to refit them and ensuring their safety, something on engineer Phil’s watchlist. The vision is to have a preschool in every village where there’s a Baptist church, which would take the total to 370. Oh, and there’s one (huge) additional hurdle. Preschool education is currently nonexistent in Bangladesh. I discover this from Louise,
who explains that every child in Bangladesh must nonetheless pass an exam to get into primary school. Faced with a test for which many children aren’t prepared, kids as young as five, especially in rural areas, are being set up to fail. And, as one of the preschool parents tells me, being without an education in Bangladesh is “like being a pen without ink”. It’s a brilliant phrase to describe the frustration of a life lived with skill, intelligence and potential on your side – everything except ‘ink’, the education that unlocks it all. And so, Louise Proctor arrived, over four years ago, exactly where the need is greatest.
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Support Louise and Phil Proctor as they bring hope to Bangladesh. You can equip some of the world’s poorest children for a better future, starting with the lessons they’ll learn from the very youngest age: that Christians see them as God does, and believe in their worth. Head to www.bmsworldmission.org/ lpproctor to start giving today.
It would be a “hardship” if this school didn’t exist, says Sunika.
The long road to Dhaka It’s clear the parents from Indurkani are delighted with the new school, though they’re looking forward to the improvements planned for the building. For Sunika, as for many of the mothers, education is the only way to escape the poverty of rural Bangladesh. Indurkani is the first school that her son Srijon has been able to attend. They live on an island, encroached upon when the monsoon rains come each year, and are “very happy and thankful” that this new school is a short, safe, walk away. “Among all the parents here, we are the poorest,” says Sunika, sadly, pragmatically. “We’re going to try heart and soul to educate our children – but we just don’t know what will happen.” “This is rural Bangladesh,” James tells me later. “Everyone has a story like this one – everyone spends all their energy fighting against poverty.”
Mrs Nayan Baidya teaches at Bethgram preschool, des children learn letters, counting and Bible stories there e
But as we leave Indurkani, Sunika has a message for BMS supporters, who made it possible for Srijon to begin school. “I can’t imagine not thanking you,” she says, “because you’re supporting us. That’s why our children are getting an education. If this school continues to run, it will be great for the whole community. We’re very thankful.” This opportunity is not only for her, it’s for everyone with a son or daughter, hoping for a better future. We clamber back into the car, and from behind the wheel, James is keen to tell us about his first journey along this road, at the age of seven. He’d seen a kaleidoscope of Dhaka as a small boy – a big, gleaming city with cars and streetlights – so different to his village. He took 20 taka from his father’s pocket and climbed on a boat. But in Dhaka, there was nowhere to sleep. The gleaming city was cold. James was a child, a selfconfessed ‘free spirit’, but estimates suggest that 400,000 low-income
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migrants resettle in Dhaka every year. It seems that for many, urban metropolises still hold out the only route to a better future – the promise of James’ kaleidoscope dream. Except, perhaps, at Bethgram preschool. Louise was keen to show me one of her most established and successful schools, where the conversations seem to centre on hope. There are things to change, of course – the parents would love to install a fan – but the future seems bright for both families and their children. Bethgram’s teacher, Mrs Nayan Baidya, has made ingenious mats out of hessian sacks so many of the lessons can take place outside in the warm sunshine. “The school is brilliant,” Sohana, one of the mums tells me, as we watch the children giggle and goof around as they sing ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’. “The teaching methods mean the environment is really cheerful.” And although Sohana’s daughter will be
scribed as “brilliant” by the grateful parents whose every day.
Preschool parent Akhe says that all the parents agree that the school is fantastic.
taking her primary school exam soon, Sohana isn’t worried. As well as providing children with the best start for their exam, the preschool brings good news in the form of Bible stories for the mixture of Muslim, Hindu and Christian children who attend. I watch as the parents cluster around, and then lean in, smiling, to hear the story of Jesus walking on the water. So many of the parents stay to hear the lessons their children receive here, and it’s easy to see why they feel more hopeful for the future because of them. It’s hard to peel yourself away from such a lovely scene, but when we reluctantly leave to drive the long road back to Dhaka, we find a message waiting on our car. A little finger has traced through the dust, spelling out the name “Samir” again and again with smiley faces on the windscreen and flanks. I think of Samir’s future in a country buffeted by poverty and climate change, and then I think of BMS’ work here,
giving him the best possible start on a long road ahead. For Louise, the work is all about that long road. “In a world that’s full of problems, and in a country that suffers a lot more than many other countries, where do you
begin change?” she asks. “Well, for me, you start with children. Children who are nurtured, loved and cared for will have a stronger future. And why shouldn’t these children have a chance?” •
You supported our Bangladesh appeal, raising thousands of pounds for evangelists taking the gospel to areas where others don’t dare to tread. They’ve shared Jesus’ love indiscriminately, with neighbourhoods open and warm to the gospel, as well as where extremist religious groups pose a threat. Because of you, people are hearing of Jesus’ love for them for the very first time. Thank you.
The BMS magazine
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Letters
A letter from Albania Rexhina Uzuni is a physiotherapist based at BMS-supported community centre Tek Ura, in Tirana, Albania. She describes life after the 2019 earthquake, and her work serving local people, most of them long-term patients and children with complex disabilities.
It’s been tough in Albania since the earthquake, where many people are homeless and 50 people died. Life is very hard for many people: they have fears about work, their houses, the future of their families and their health. The earthquake exacerbated these fears and made life feel even more challenging. Thankfully, everything was minimally affected around Tek Ura. We were pleased to open the day after the earthquake to provide support to the community and talk with people who were scared. I’m very happy to be bringing life and hope to people who struggle to access health services in Albania. No two days are the same – I may help people to understand a hospital letter, or run group sensory therapy sessions. I love the relationships we build with people. We can celebrate improvements together, whether that be a child learning how to
stand up on their own, an adult having an improvement in their back pain or a child smiling in our sensory therapy. One of our recent success stories was with a patient with a chronic long-term neurological problem. After therapy she is now able to respond to stimuli, and to laugh and enjoy each session. We are very proud of her, but also happy for her mum, as her daughter is able to engage with her more and more each day. Before I go, let me say thank you. Your support means that we can offer physiotherapy to people who would not otherwise have any. I’d ask you to pray that people here understand that they are valued by God, rather than feeling they are worth nothing. I hope you are encouraged by what I am doing. For me it is truly exciting to work with patients every day, helping them see changes in their lives! Rexhina Uzuni
www.bmsworldmission.org
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WE WERE PLEASED TO OPEN THE DAY AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE TO TALK WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE SCARED
LETTERS FROM... THE UK
Freya’s incredible fundraiser Remembering Innocent I was very moved by the story of Innocent, the little Ugandan boy with Down’s Syndrome, who was disowned by most of his family and whose mother was told in hospital that he was a ‘waste of oxygen’. I work in the UK with people with Down’s Syndrome and often muse that if only more of us possessed their joy, the world would be so much happier. Why do we fear these loving people? Then I remember that here in England it is legal to terminate a baby with Down’s Syndrome up to full term. As Andrew Gray pointed out at the Church of England’s General Synod in 2018, “We live in a society that claims to value and appreciate those who are different and those who have a disability and yet what we do and what we say are two different things.” While we feel sorrow for Innocent, let us also remember Matthew 7: 5 – “First take the log out of your own eye, then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye”. Julia Goffin, Berkhamsted, Herts.
Get in touch! If you’ve been inspired or challenged by anything you’ve read in Engage, have been busy raising money for us, or have anything else you want to share, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch using one of the methods on page two!
In early September, I saw a video at my church about South Sudanese refugees. When I saw that £66 would feed a family for a year, I wanted to give all my pocket money, but me and my Mum talked it over and decided to hold a sale at our church. We told my Grandma and Pops and they got very involved, doing woodwork and sewing lots and lots of things, including bags and decorations. The day of the sale came, and we were surprised by how eager and kind people were. Things sold at lightning speed, and by the end we’d raised just over enough to feed four whole families! Freya, aged 11
A note from Freya’s mum Freya has a real heart for people and the BMS video really moved her. We also had support from Comberton Baptist Church who hosted the sale and bought lots of things we had made. We really hope this money makes a difference, and brings blessing to some friends in South Sudan. Rachel Nielsen
A window into the world Thank you very much for sending me the DVD and the magazine and all of its content. It’s much appreciated. I take a delight in reading the magazine. It’s so educational and pleasurable to read. Cecilia Brown
Editor’s Note: Thank you so much for your encouragement Cecilia! It spurs me on as I put together each magazine.
The BMS magazine
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Hope and healing in a Sahel hospital.
The new video appeal from BMS World Mission
WARNING: THIS VIDEO WILL INSPIRE YOUR CHURCH Coming soon
