engage issue 2 2012

quarterly news & information from BMS

GREEN FINGERS P3

PEOPLE WANTED: BANGLADESHP8

FOCUS ON TUNISIAP11

TOILETS FOR HEALTHP5

SKILLS FOR LIFE IN UGANDAP7

Their smiles radiate and they exude boundless energy, yet the reality of life for street and slum children in Kolkata is far from joyful. The BMS India Action Team describes how one Christian project in the city is providing a group of poor kids with food, schooling and hope.

Every weekday morning, the bus, already full of energetic

children, picks us up on the way to the Good News Children’s

Education Mission mobile school in Hatibagan. Once there, we

help to wash and dress the children. School starts with singing

and Bible stories, followed by a breakfast of milk and biscuits.

The oldest children are taught maths and writing, the middle

group are taught how to speak and write simple English words,

while the youngest (whom we usually teach) learn the alphabet,

numbers and other simple English words. They finish the day

with playtime and lunch, before being dropped back off where

they live.

Several children are going to be moving up to the next stage

of education and it is wonderful to see how they have this

opportunity thanks to the school. Christian teaching and regular

prayers means they are being brought up knowing about the

love of God. We have really got to know the children on

a personal level: children like Bina Das.

She has been at the school for two years and her

brother Vetaal also goes to the school. Bina always greets

you with a smile and a cuddle, and makes everyone laugh

with her funny faces and infectious giggle. Bina, Vetaal and

their parents all live under a small makeshift shelter on the

street. Her clothes, like most of the other children’s, are

always dirty and torn, as you would expect for a street child.

But it’s not all sorrow. In a couple of months Bina will

be moving on from Hatibagan to a hostel, like a boarding

school, where she will get an education and live in good,

clean conditions. She is very excited. We asked Bina what

she wants to do when she grows up and she told us she

wants to keep learning.

She’s a very smart girl and we all believe that a life on

the streets is definitely not on the cards for her. She is

going to go far and we are all very proud.

The BMS Kolkata Action Team 2011/12 is Naomi Bridgeman,

Ellen Pullin, Joshua Smith and Harriet Thayre.

If you would like to support BMS work like this, visit www.bmsworldmission.org/support

BRIGHTER FUTURESGIVING CHIlDrEN lIkE BINa THE HOpE Of a BETTEr lIfE

STREET CHILDREN: HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS Page 10

20

12 ·

iss

ue

2

For more information about our gap year programme go to www.bmsworldmission.org/actionteams

Bina and her brother Vetaal

mission statement

PO Box 49, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 8XATelephone: 01235 517700 Fax: 01235 517601

Website: www.bmsworldmission.org Email Editorial: [email protected] about overseas service: [email protected] Email Other departments: [email protected] Facebook: www.facebook.com/bmsworldmission Twitter: twitter.com/BMSWorldMission

Baptist Missionary Society Registered as a charity in England and Wales (number 233782) and in Scotland (number SC037767)

© Copyright 2012 BMS World Mission ISSN 1756-2481

creditsgeneral director David Kerriganmanaging editor Jan Webbeditor Andrew Dubockregular contributors Sally Buchan, Nabil K Costa,

Andrew Dubock, David Kerrigan, Jan Webb and Grace

design editors Pepperfish.co.uk, Worthing, West Sussexprinted by Halcyon Print & Design, Heathfield,

East Sussex

BMS World Mission

As a Christian mission organisation, we aim to share life in all its fullness with the world’s peoples by:

enabling them to know Christalleviating suffering and injustice and improving the quality of life

with people as our primary agent of change – motivating, training, sending and resourcing them.

Spanish too. Next, invite your church members, all ages from the youngest to the oldest, to take at least one New Testament and see where they can take it in the world over the next year. If you do this before the summer, you’ll be amazed at how many people travel on holidays, some on business, maybe your young people are taking gap years, or people visiting relatives in Australia! But there are also workplaces, schools and universities here in the UK, and neighbours too.

And here’s the crunch: they have to find someone to give their New Testament to, and of course strike up a conversation about what being a Christian means to them. Then they have to take a photo of them holding the New Testament in the location, or better still with the person they gave it to, or at least send a postcard from the location back to the church.

And over the year, a map of the world, the UK or even your town, can gradually be populated with photos and cards from places where these New Testaments were given as a gift. You can give prizes for the furthest distance travelled, the copy given out nearest to the church, best photo, the most New Testaments given away, the best story and so on. Build up the maps over the year and tell the stories week-on-week.

It’s a simple idea, but it serves to remind us that we have a personal responsibility to be evangelists.

david kerrigan

2 connecting with world mission

engage magazine is free to anyone in the UK who

would like to receive it. Just send us your name and address

either by email to [email protected]

or subscribe online at www.bmsworldmission.org/engageor phone us on 01235 517638 or by post to BMS World Mission, PO Box 49, Didcot, OX11 8XA

“And you will be witnesses… even to the ends of the earth”. With these words from

the lips of Jesus, the mission of the Church began. And over the last 2,000 years, the mission of God has grown and adapted, and found creative expression in so many ways.

Lives have been changed. Not just individuals either but families, whole communities and even nations. Some have grown so confident in the gospel that they are now prolific missionary sending countries themselves. Through migration, the phenomenon of mission from ‘everywhere to everywhere’ has become a reality even in our own towns and cities.

So we’re doing well, aren’t we? Taken overall, the worldwide Church is. But more locally, we know that in the UK today the tide is still ebbing. And with much to do to be effective witnesses in our own communities, it can be too easy to leave ‘the ends of the earth’ to others.

A little while back I came across a brilliant idea that can help galvanise your church into seeing how they can get involved in world mission themselves. With acknowledgement to Hutton and Shenfield Union Church, Brentwood, here’s how it works:

First, get a boxful of New Testaments (or some other suitable piece of Christian literature). Most in English of course, but see if you can get a few in French and

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of BMS World Mission

Printed on material from sustainable forests

So, here’s my photo, in Rio de Janeiro, with my New Testament, which I gave to one of the English-speaking hotel workers where I stayed. See where you get to this next year.

David Kerrigan is General Director of BMS World Mission

“ “ a brilliant idea that can help galvanise

your church

BMSWORLDMISSION.ORG/THIRSTY

HARVEST2012 PRE-ORDER NOW

3connecting with world mission

environmental partners Climate Stewards, said that he feels

the UK Church has a general concern about such issues, but

doesn’t always know how to take action.

“I think one of the things that environmentally-conscious,

‘creation care’ Christians can do is to show others how they

take the first step and bring their friends along with them,”

Brendan says.

He adds that, in loving God and loving our neighbours,

Christians have “more reason to care than the rest of

society”. “However,” he goes on to say, “I don’t think

Christians are ahead, and in fact, some people’s theology

has tended to mean that they don’t think about worldly

things at all. I think [green issues] are moving into

the churches in an encouraging way: it is an

ordinary part of being a Christian to care

for creation.”

The actions of those in the West

have a huge impact on people in the

developing world. “The real suffering

is taking place where there are

fewest resources to cope with climate

change,” states Brendan. “You get

floods in West Africa and drought in

East Africa. They’ve always had these

conditions but now people are saying ‘this

is bigger than it used to be’. South America is

experiencing floods and mudslides, and drought in

the Amazon. And they say: ‘we’ve never had it like this’.”

As one of those countries seeing the devastating effects

of a changing climate, should inhabitants of Brazil be

taking practical action themselves? BMS workers Mark and

Suzana Greenwood believe so. “Rio de Janeiro is a place

where the beauty and the strength of creation meet,” says

Mark. “We have witnessed the damage floods and mudslides

cause but, better than worrying, the Church can act. In Brazil

this means raising awareness of our responsibility to care for

God’s creation. Exercising this care is a privilege and implies

an understanding that the earth has life, and that our well-

being is closely connected to the planet’s well-being.”

The Greenwoods have identified recycling as one way

If you would like to support BMS work such as this, visit www.bmsworldmission.org/support

of doing their part. On average, every 50 kilogrammes of

recycled paper saves one tree from being cut down. “Each

tree that remains standing is shelter for birds and other

creatures that depend on a balanced ecosystem to survive,”

says Mark. “Recycling also decreases the need to extract

resources from nature and decreases the quantities of

rubbish collected in municipal dumps.”

Recycling is, however, still in its infancy in Brazil, so

Mark and Suzana have been introducing new ideas on the

Bible college campus where they live. One student leads a

project that socially and spiritually reintegrates men who

have been rehabilitated from drug and alcohol abuse. They

are the workforce behind the recycling initiative. As well as

separating rubbish they are preparing an herb garden, which

will use compost produced with organic waste from the

seminary’s kitchens. They are also impressively producing

sofas from plastic bottles.

Mark says, “As the college students and workers separate

the waste for recycling daily, they are able to reflect on our

role as carers for God’s creation. We pray that this reflection

will bring to their hearts a deep understanding of the

Church’s ability to act in this way and will bear fruit in their

future ministries as pastors and missionaries.”

“A lAndmArk Achievement” or “An empty shell of A plAn”? there wAs mixed reAction to the legAlly-binding deAl struck by the world governments lAst december to reduce greenhouse gAs emissions.

Whilst negotiators at the United Nations Climate Change

Conference in Durban felt they had reached “a common

purpose”, green campaigners criticised the lack of urgency

and ambition shown. The targets set for 2020 are not, critics

say, enough to prevent “catastrophic climate change”.

Far away from the political rhetoric are people

within all sections of society who are taking

environmental issues seriously. Green

matters are not just something for

enthusiasts anymore – the last decade

has seen a significant shift in popular

opinion and action taken.

But how can Christians be better

stewards of God’s creation? And is

it really a serious mission issue? In a

recent interview, Brendan Bowles of BMS’

watch the short video interview with brendan browles at

www.bmsworldmission.org/futureshape

did you know…? carbon emissions from all bms staff travel is offset, with the money going to support climate stewards’ projects and to our own grassroots eco challenge fund. in 2011, we supported five such green initiatives in peru, chad, brazil, nepal and across latin America.

find out more at

www.bmsworldmission.org/ecoprojects

why creAtion-cAring christiAns need to get their hAnds dirty

it is

an ordinary part of being a christian to care for creation

FINGERSGREEN

top left: A man walks through a flooded rice field in the Philippines

top right: Are you sitting comfortably? A plastic bottle sofa

left: Drought in Somalia

Kat

e Hol

t/IR

IN

Non

ie R

eyes

/Wor

ld B

ank


worldnewsBrazil In just one generation Brazil has gone from being an importer to an exporter of missionaries. Today there are 3,700 Brazilian missionaries serving in over 100 countries including not only the Latin-speaking countries but also North Africa and the Middle East. The growing missionary conscience has grown hand in hand with a growing Protestant population in Latin America: the 2000 census showed that Brazilian Protestants now form more than 20 per cent of the population. (WEA)

EgyptOn New Year’s Eve 2011, between 5,000 and 10,000 people joined in worship as the congregation from Kasr El Dobara Church proceeded peacefully from their church to Cairo’s Tahrir Square. As one church member put it, “We have always been protected under the ceiling of the church. The day [came] for us to leave our chairs to share with those who need to understand our hope more fully.” BMS’ partner in the region, SAT-7, broadcast the service live to millions across the Middle East and North Africa. (ANS)

Pakistan The Pakistani Telecommunications Authority is reported to have told mobile phone companies to block text messages containing “obscene” words. Among the words and expressions that are to be blocked are: athlete’s foot, back door, flatulence, bewaquf (foolish), bakwaas (nonsense) and Jesus Christ. Wilson Chowdery, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association said, “It beggars belief that Jesus Christ could be considered a word offensive to Muslims as he is written about as a great prophet in the Qu’ran”. (ANS)

KurdistanBaptists have been given two acres

of land valued at £1.3million for a project which will include a medical clinic, school, athletic facility, church building and college in the town of Simele in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Duhok

Province. Gurgis Shlaymun, the deputy governor and an Assyrian

Christian, pledged his support. “This is our duty to introduce the land for this

project,” he said, “You understand this project is from God. We must all be united to glorify God.” (Baptist Press)

WorldThe world’s first solar-powered printing press, created to increase the ability to provide Bibles and resources throughout the world has made its debut at a conference for pastors and leaders of the world’s denominations and fellowships. “This year we will showcase a global solar-powered press, on which we will print the first books from Latin America, West Africa, India and United States, [along with] other resources, right on the premises while the conference convenes,” said a spokesman. (ANS)

Joni

B H

anni

gan/

FBW

El Puente, the church planted by BMS workers Scott and Anjanette Williamson in August 2009, recently celebrated a move to larger premises in the ancient city of Cusco in Peru. Back in 2009, its core membership consisted of Scott and Anjanette and their two children, Jessica and Samuel. Over two years and two new premises later, the membership stands at 39.

In a time when church attendance figures in Britain can make depressing reading, such growth is exciting. “We’re feeling a mixture of excitement and exhaustion,” said Anjanette. “God was very active in the way he helped us to move the church. In the same week, we

returned from our church’s first-ever weekend away, conducted a medical campaign in a poor community outside the city and started a new schools project. Somehow God gave us the energy to get everything done in time!” Jessica (8) believes the reason for the growth is simple. “God is sending more people, people are telling others about Jesus and bringing their friends and family to church”.

Situated in a residential community, across the road from a pre-school, the new church building will offer many opportunities to reach out to the new community. “We aim to set up a mums’ and babies’ group for mums who are dropping their children off at pre-school,” said Anjanette. “We are also thinking about starting some other new groups in the church building like a homework club, English club and maybe a group for retired people.”

The longer-term vision is for El Puente to buy its own property in the future. “We have signed a two-year contract, during which time we hope to raise enough money to buy our own church building,” said Anjanette. She explained that this aim was important because she and Scott have a vision for the church in Cusco one day becoming independently sustainable without support in the form of rent or mission workers. “Eventually, we would like to see Peruvian Christians run the church.”

El Puente celebrated their move with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and cake-eating inauguration party, to which the surrounding community was invited. About 40 people attended and, if past form is anything to go by, we hope that will mean a rise in church attendance.

A new home for El Puente

bms responding to disasters

news inbrief

In recent weeks BMS has sent grants from its

Relief Appeal to help in the following situations:

pakistan £23,000

Severe flooding in August 2010 damaged agricultural

land, making it impossible to grow crops in 2011. Some

places still have standing water which have become a

breeding ground for mosquitoes. The makeshift living

conditions and stagnant water have made families

more vulnerable to diseases, especially dengue fever.

This grant has been used to buy food packages, soap,

mosquito repellent and nets for over 450 families.

sri Lanka £4,400 More than 66,000 people have been affected, across

the country, by the aftermath of cruel weather which hit

in late November 2011. Floods and wind damage killed

22 people and left at least 19 missing. Power lines

were brought down and agricultural lands destroyed.

Infrastructure was demolished and roads were impassable.

This grant has been used in conjunction with BMS partner,

BMS making news

Uni

cef Pa

kist

an/W

arrick

Pag

e

Mag

di A

bdel

hadi

, la

titu

dene

ws.

com

A woman rescues her possessions from rising floodwaters

Sign of the future: a new home for El Puente in Cusco


BMS World Mission has for a long time been involved with sanitation projects. A recent project has been providing thousands of toilets to people in rural parts of Nepal. This project has been headed up by Tlana Hnamler, a BMS worker in Nepal, along with his team of Nepali Christians.

Building latrines is crucial in communities where no latrines exist, and where local religious purity laws mean that human waste is disposed of in a different place every time. Without latrines, not only does walking around become complicated, but diseases are spread quickly and dangerously. Before the digging and building starts, Tlana and a team from BMS’ partner the Multipurpose Community Development Service (MCDS) – which is also an arm of the Nepali Church that provides practical help to Nepal’s poor – must identify a community that is most in need of clean water and sanitation.

This team works with the community for a number of years, assessing the needs and building relationships with locals who might at first be suspicious of Christians. Only once the community leaders and the village as a whole are in agreement, will Tlana and his team proceed to dig latrines. Two latrine pits are dug per household, to allow for a rotation of use when one pit is full.

The effect of these latrines is profound. A remote village high in the mountains, accessible only by foot, was the site of what BMS Regional Team Leader for Asia, Margaret Gibbs, calls “a triumph”. After months of negotiation and consultation between MCDS and local leaders, the latrine team, who had been living in the village, set to work. With functional toilets, health in the village has greatly improved, relationships between Christians and Hindus have been transformed and the love of Christ has been expressed in a practical way.

NigerIn a country where literacy rates are low, the Hausa Old Testament in audio format is soon to be distributed by local believers, pastors and Bible college students in an effort to grow the Church. The Old Testament is of particular interest to those of the national religion – Islam – and gives opportunities for conversations about the historical context of the Old Testament. Although Christians make up only 0.3 per cent of the population, the distributors do not anticipate challenges. (MNN)

MozambiqueAn orange-coloured sweet potato – specially bred to have a

high beta-carotene content, a compound rich in vitamin A – is helping to save lives in

Mozambique. It has been estimated that in Mozambique, 2.3 million children under the age of five are vitamin A deficient. The project distributed vines bearing the beta-carotene enhanced potato to more than 10,000 households.

Once grown, the potato provides over 70 per cent of all dietary vitamin A. (IRIN)

WorldNorth Korea has for the tenth year running topped the 2012 World Watch List of countries where it is hardest to be a Christian. This was followed by Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran, the Maldives, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Iraq and Pakistan. “Persecution globally is increasing dramatically,” said Carl Moeller, CEO of Open Doors USA. With the persecution has come an increase in church growth… We see the visible Church being pressured and the growth of Muslim-background believer churches and cell groups.” (MNN)

PolynesiaWater shortages have led to the closure of schools on the island of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean. Breadfruit, banana and coconut trees – a main source of food for the islanders – are withering and dying because the roots are being poisoned by saltwater. As a result of a recent visit, the Bishop of Polynesia has issued a call for prayer for this immediate situation and for a way to deal with climate change which has contributed to rising sea levels. (Christian Today)

Kuwait“I’m satisfied with whatever they do to me. The truth in the Bible has guided me to the right way.” These were the words of Kuwaiti prince Abdollah Al-sabah in an audio broadcast attributed to him. The Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News has reported the prince as having converted to Christianity. Some independent Shi’ite websites contradicted this report and quoted another Kuwaiti prince as saying “There is no one in the Kuwaiti royal family by that name”. (ANS)

BurmaBurma’s government signed a ceasefire in January with the Karen National Union, the country’s oldest ethnic rebel group, bringing a possible end to 60-plus years of fighting. The Karen group is the only one of Burma’s major ethnic groups never to have reached a peace with the government. For many years the Karen people have been the target of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and, as a result, thousands of Karen have been forced from their homes, many seeking refuge in neighbouring Thailand. (Baptist Press)

Lanka Evangelical Alliance Development Society, to

deliver basic recovery commodities, including food

and shelter, to 140 families.

Bosnia and Herzegovina £2,570 Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country scarred by

war, unemployment and poverty. As, over the past

year, the country has been without a government,

no budgets have been proposed or approved.

Millions faced a hard

winter, with limited

incomes and food

and fuel shortages.

A grant was sent

to assist the EBAid

Winterhelp project

which provided

basic foodstuffs and

firewood to a number

of impoverished

people last winter.

Toilets for health

news inbrief

When disasters happen, BMS is only able

to respond quickly with your support.

Help us continue to make a difference.

Visit www.bmsworldmission.org/relief or call our donations hotline on:

01235 517641.

The pits: good sanitation has a profound effect on poor Nepali communities

Inte

rnat

iona

l Po

tato

Cen

tre

THailand £1,100After the extensive flooding in November

2011, around 430 people lost their lives and

thousands were evacuated. The outer areas

of Bangkok were also badly affected with a

fifth of the city underwater, leaving homes and

livelihoods destroyed. A relief grant was sent to

BMS’ partner NightLight to assist in rebuilding

and restoring homes. The funds have been used

to cover the cost of replacing floors, painting,

repairing doors and providing basic furniture.

Life was tough this winter for elderly people in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thad

deus

Ste

war

t


editorial

The new-look engage magazine, launching in June, will include a reflection page – and we’d love to include your prayers and meditations. If you have an idea for personal or group prayers that we could use, please email us at

[email protected]

Before leaving for Nepal, our year spent in study and

preparation at the International Mission Centre in

Birmingham had been a time of great blessing. In Nepal,

we were privileged to work alongside local Christians

whose boldness in proclaiming the gospel was both

an inspiration and a challenge. The close Christian

fellowship we enjoyed was beyond anything we had

experienced before.

During home assignment visits in Britain, we built up

relationships with people in our link churches and they

felt like extended members of our own family. Our move

from mission workers to UK supporters was motivated

by a wish to give something back and to allow others

to see the exciting way in which God is changing lives

throughout the world. It gives us great pleasure to see

large numbers of mission personnel in training but also a

sense of responsibility to ensure that BMS has the prayer

and financial resources to see them supported through

training and in their work overseas.

Joining Kirkwall Baptist Church – with its long history

of support for BMS and an active mission support

committee – made that aspiration easy to achieve. The

link group system has its frustrations but it does give

churches a tangible sense of involvement. Since becoming

home supporters, we have experienced the sadness of

The smell of home-cooked food, a cosy sofa and a roaring fire: for most people, the home is a place to feel relaxed and comforted. But what happens when this safe place turns into one of danger? As a ten year-old, my wife spent a night cowering under her bed during the Great Storm of 1987. As the chimney stack of their Kent home was lifted and twisted by the wind’s powerful force, she and her family genuinely feared for their lives.

And a friend spent most of her last Christmas clinging

onto doorframes and other sturdy objects as she

experienced almost-daily earthquakes and aftershocks

in Christchurch, New Zealand.

We take for granted places of protection until we face

events like these. The truth is though that many people

in the majority world don’t ever have somewhere to

really take refuge.

Unicef estimates that there are approximately 100

million street children worldwide. These youngsters

the untimely passing of a mission partner through illness

and also felt the anguish of our next mission partner as

she finished her much-loved work and returned home.

Being personally involved in the lives of the mission

workers keeps the reality of the joys and hardships in

our minds and helps bring mission alive. On one recent

visit, Margaret Gibbs, BMS Team Leader for Asia, shared

an urgent prayer need. The fellowship prayed and God

answer the prayer just 24 hours later. It is good to know

that despite returning to the UK we can still play an

active part in God’s mission for the world.

prayerTHROUGH

FIONA & IAIN CRAIGHEADMEET BMS ENTHUSIAST

In 2008, after five years as mission workers with BMS World Mission, we swapped the tropical heat and beauty of our home in Nepal for Scotland’s Orkney Islands: a major change! Looking back, our time with BMS had been a tremendous experience and we recognised that it had been made possible through the prayer and sacrificial giving of BMS supporters throughout the UK.

Personal Do a trawl through the Yellow Pages phone book for ethnic groups in your area. Pray for them and ask God how you can be a good neighbour to them.

GroupHave a creative prayer service. Set up a number of tables to help people pray in different ways eg • news station (newspapers, marker pens)• arts station (drawing materials)• drama station (Christian drama and poetry books)• liturgy station (copies of worship and prayer books) • quiet space (blank paper, stones, water) People visit the tables in turn and present offerings from each table at the end the service. www.praywithoutceasing.org.uk/ideas.htm

Meditation “Take courage and work, for I am with you,” says the LORD God Almighty. “My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.” (Haggai 2: 5)

My king and my friend,head of the Church and Lord of the angel armies,help me to remember as I go about my life todaythat you are with me.I owe you everythingand sometimes I forget.I would get lost without You – the Way.My thoughts are scrambled without You – the Truth.My very existence a subsistence without You – the Life.Give me a jumping, skipping, giddy-with-joy desireto share you, my Advocate, my Saviour, my Rockwith those I meet today.Face to face or virally, with words on paper or screen. Words of encouragement, blessing or surprise.A whispered prayer or a need to give or receive.Lord of all, give me courageto do your work and so extend your Kingdom today.

(Jan Webb)

engage

don’t choose to live in alleyways and doorways –

feelings of hopelessness and desperation drive them

there, and the cycle of street life is hard to break.

In this engage, we have two articles about street

children. The front-page feature focuses on a project

in Kolkata giving opportunities to slum kids, whilst

page ten’s Special Report looks at how a documentary

film is promoting issues and campaigning for change.

I’d encourage you to not only read these pieces,

but also make a pledge to take action. That might be

by supporting BMS in a new way or by buying the

Street Kids United DVD. If nothing else, please do

pray: for the children, for initiatives helping them and

that those in political power would change things.

In Psalm 16: 1, King David urges, “Keep me safe, O

God, for in you I take refuge”. May we, and those far

more vulnerable than us, continue to trust in the Lord

for our protection.

The Craighead family being commissioned at the 2004 Baptist Assembly

IDEAS ON NEW WAYS TO PRAY

FOR MISSION IN OUR WORLD

Stud

ent Ch

rist

ian

Mov

emen

t


Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole thank 24:7 Partners for the life-transforming work they are enabling in an impoverished community in Uganda.

When we arrived in Uganda, the situation in Acholi Quarter,

the poorest neighbourhood of Kasese in the west of the

country, seemed desperate. Community meetings confirmed

that the biggest challenges were high unemployment

(worsened by a chronic lack of skills or education),

daily neglect of young children and a general

sense of despair amongst young men,

often leading to drink, drugs or crime.

It is easy to feel helpless but

Pastor Alfonse has been working

hard in this community for years,

providing an affordable nursery and

primary school in the heart of the

community, resettlement of orphans

with other family members and

assistance with medical expenses.

Pastor Alfonse’s ministry and the

local Baptist church work in partnership,

sharing land and buildings. The ministry’s

MEET BMS WORKERSCHRISTINE AND GEOFF HOLDER

school hall becomes the church building on Sundays and the

church’s Sunday school provides two school classrooms during

the week. Alfonse’s vision was that this site, in the heart of

Acholi Quarter, should have a wider impact on the community,

serving people of all ages and denominations.

With the help of the BMS Development Committee, this

dream is being realised. There is now training in carpentry

for young men, tailoring for women and a new day care

centre where young children of women on the course,

or looking for employment, receive food and

learn and play in a safe environment.

The men and women also get weekly

training in business skills and life-

focused Christian discussion/Bible-

study sessions led by local pastors

and clergy.

It has been so exciting to see

how these projects have progressed.

The day care children play happily

together. The young men, so often the

subject of criticism and blame here, are

already proving themselves in carpentry

– last week two of them made a bed that

If you would like to know more about using

your skills overseas with BMS, visit:

www.bmsworldmission.org/opportunities

has been sold, followed by more orders! The women are

producing different items of clothing that can be used or

sold. In addition to learning valuable skills, the trainees

are also developing confidence and building friendships.

Without the grace of God and other local and

international partnerships, these projects might have been

beset by the endless difficulties and delays we faced.

We are grateful to God for his guidance and sustaining

us through the many challenges and also to BMS 24:7

Partners, people here in Uganda, the UK and elsewhere

whose generosity of time, skills, prayers and resources

have made it possible to serve the people of Acholi

Quarter, Kasese.

24:7 Partners is a way in which you can join BMS in reaching out to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the world by committing a regular donation by direct debit.

Please pray and consider becoming a 24:7 Partner. Phone us on 01235 517606, visit www.bmsworldmission.org/partners or writeto 24:7 Partners at the address on page 2.

The power of Partners!

Left: Carpentry students make a bed – which they have now already sold! Above: Tailoring trainees use a manual Singer sewing machine Below: Daycare children eat posho (maize) and beans for lunch

But with God providing not so much a quiet wind gently

calling but more like a bellowing foghorn impossible to

ignore, we decided it was time to make the move with

BMS World Mission.

With Isaac only 18 months old, a new house that

needed gutting and redecorating, and with Naomi due

to be born any day, we left our teaching jobs in Kent

and threw ourselves into the 101 jobs we needed to

finish before moving (again) to start our training at

BMS’ International Mission Centre in Birmingham. Whilst

we were there we were really excited to discover that

we had an invitation from the Baptist Convention of

Mozambique.

God’s calling to Mozambique came for us in very different ways. Geoff, with his heart still in Uganda where he’d set up and run a charity, was definitely keener to embrace an adventurous overseas lifestyle than Christine, for whom the word ‘reluctant’ doesn’t quite come close enough.

We arrived here in June 2011 and are based in the

coastal city of Beira where we’re currently dividing

our time between studying Portuguese, learning

about Mozambican culture, building friendships and

laying a foundation for the future direction of BMS

work in Mozambique.

Whilst we two older members of the family

continue to get into terrible muddles with Portuguese

verb endings at language school, the children are

learning with effortless ease through everyday life!

We’re still finding it strange being the pupils

and not the teachers we were in our previous jobs,

but we all feel settled and know that this is where

God wants us. There’s so much to do here but our

challenge is to seek what God would have us do

in this beautiful country and simply follow in his

footsteps, seeking his Kingdom in whatever direction

that might take us.


It was one of the first places where BMS sent missionaries and Margaret Gibbs explains why, more than 200 years later, we are still recruiting in Bangladesh.

The locally-led Christian Church in Bangladesh continues

to represent a very small percentage of society in this

majority Muslim country. It has some freedom to operate

within its own boundaries, but finds it difficult to reach

out. BMS has good relations with different church

groups in Bangladesh and they are asking for

help, especially with pastoral mentoring at

grassroots level, theological education,

and also in equipping churches

with practical skills to help raise

the economic level of Christians

and others, many of whom are

particularly poor and marginalised

within society.

Bangladesh suffers year on

year from natural disasters which

make lasting development difficult

to sustain, and challenges us as God’s

people to be long-term travellers with

God’s people there – not just motivated

by finding quick-fix, practical solutions, before

moving on to another issue in another country.

On the other hand there are unique opportunities in

Bangladesh to meet and reach out to those who do have

some say in society, particularly those who own the many

WHOM IS GOD CALLING?

Fifteen years ago BMS took the decision that it was no longer appropriate for a Western mission worker to be the pastor of a church in Asia. But that isn’t to say there is no role to play, writes David Kerrigan.

Our fervent hope is that two or three pastors might

come and form a small team in Bangladesh, committing

for at least five years. They might go together, learn the

language together and be deployed to work alongside

a local pastor as part of their initial learning phase.

Then they might work with a more experienced regional

pastor, giving and receiving insights that each has

to offer, training and equipping, and enabling others

to do the same. There are opportunities too in a

Christian theological college, working to shape the next

generation of young leaders.

A pastor in this role would need to have the skills,

and the self-awareness, to be an enabler. Yes, there is

the opportunity to teach and preach, but the deeper

goal is to develop the skills in people so they can work

out their own indigenous theology.

It can be hard at times but that’s the case

everywhere and BMS families have lived and thrived

WHY SEND PASTORS?here for many years. Children too, and the younger

the better, as good schooling is available and there’s

nothing like the experience of growing up in a

different culture. We’re looking for men and women of

humble courage, mature in their faith, young at heart,

and passionate about seeing the gospel spread.

David Kerrigan is BMS General Director and was a mission

worker in Bangladesh during the 1980s

If you’ve been moved and challenged by the possibility of serving in Bangladesh, call us on 01235 517653 or email [email protected] to explore it further.

Left: How bright is the future for the next generation in Bangladesh?

Above: There are opportunities to support small business ventures

COUNTRY FOCUS Bangladeshgarment and other manufacturing businesses in

Bangladesh, who are looking for meaning in life

and are ready to respond to some of the creative

access options we have there.

So whom might God be calling to serve

in Bangladesh with BMS? People

who value relationships and

communication and who

are willing to learn a new

language. People who are

patient and willing to

acquire another way of

seeing things. People who

are in it for the long haul.

People who are creative

and able to spot what God

might be doing in another

culture, so they can get

involved. Could this be you?

Margaret Gibbs is BMS Regional Team

Leader for Asia, and a former mission worker

in Nepal and Albania

Jyoti Ratna (right) teaches

at the Christian College of

Theology of Bangladesh

and recently spent a term

at BMS’ International

Mission Centre in the UK.

It was an experience, she

says, that has given her a new view of mission.

“I am getting some idea about cross-cultural

mission. I saw the UK Church trying to support

others and I realised in my country this is a

problem. The Bangladesh Church really loves God,

and worship touches our hearts but, maybe, we’re

just not helping others.

“People from BMS can come and help our

pastoral ministry and our theological colleges.

Please send people on the development side too.

We suffer from flooding: people lose their houses

and don’t have clean water. Farmers lose crops,

which is very painful for them.”

Above: Help is needed to bring more people to a faith in Christ


ToparaphrasetheapostlePaul:howwillthe

Churchgrowandpeoplehearthegospelwithout

someonepreachingtothem,livingamongstthem

andmodellingtheChristianfaithbeforetheireyes

andlovingthem?

Ylli Beqiraj is a BMS supported partner

worker, and co-leads the Baptist church

in Vlora alongside BMS pastor Graham

Sansom, who is retiring this autumn

after 12 years in Albania.


ALEX ANDERSON

Saints and pilgrims

EASTER IN THE REGIONS OF APULIA AND BASILICATA IS AN INTRIGUING MÉLANGE OF COLOURFUL FOLK FESTIVALS AND SOLEMN HOLY RITES THAT MARKS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN THE ITALIAN CATHOLIC CALENDAR.

ThewholecityofTarantoistransformedinto

onegreatEasterpageant,whichinvolves

almosteverycitizeninsomewayorother.

IntheearlyafternoonofHolyThursday,

80mendressedinhoodedgownsfileoutof

theChurchoftheCarmineandrunbarefoot

throughthestreetscarryingleatherwhipsto

signifytheflagellationoftheChrist.These

men,‘LaPerdúne’,commemoratethepilgrims

ofoldwhowouldtraveltoRomeonfoot

(oftenbarefoot)toobtainpardonsfortheir

sinsfromthePope.

Thatevening,atmidnight,theAddolorata

(‘OurLadyofSorrows’)seesmorehooded

menparadebarefootthroughthestreets,

thistimewearingacrownofthornsontheir

heads.Mary’sstatueiscarriedfromchurch

tochurchasatheatricalre-enactmentofher

imaginedvainsearchforJesus.Thistorchlight

processionistothesolemnsoundofabrass

bandandlastsuntildaylightbreaks.

At5.00pmonGoodFriday,the‘Procession

oftheMysteries’startsoutfromtheChurchof

Carmine,bearingthecoffinofthedeadJesus.

Followingareaseriesofenormouswooden

andpapier-mâchéstatuessymbolisingthe

varioussaints,aswellaspeopledressedas

charactersfromtheEasterstory.

Thereseemstometobetoomuch

attentionpaidtothesufferingpartofthe

Easterstoryandnotenoughtothejoyous

messageofhopethattheresurrectedChrist

bringsintoeveryChristianheart.Bycontrast,

myhopeisthatthesimplegospelmessage

thatwebring,despiteitslackofpompand

ceremony,willhaveaneffectthatlastswell

beyondaweekonthosewhohearit.

Alex Anderson, along with her husband Huw,

serves in Italy with BMS, in church planting and

pastoral work

Albanian pastor Ylli Beqiraj shares his perspective on life and Church in that country – and explains why ministers from the UK are still needed.

Our church in Vlora, in the south of Albania, prays regularly that God may send workers into the world to bring about his harvest. But as our senior pastor and BMS worker Graham Sansom constantly reminds us, it’s important not to forget the last place we prayed for when a new need arises.

Onoccasions,Albaniafeaturesinworldnews.Oneofthe

reasonsthatAlbania’sreputationisconstantlytarnished

isthatoldEuropeanMafia-typegroupsarerecruitingits

youngemigrantsintounlawfulactivities.Suchgroups

andcorruptiondominateAlbania’spolitics.Ingeneral,

peoplehavegivenupthinkingaboutrightandwrong

becauseoftheextremepovertythathasassaultedthe

country.Alltheywantisajob,evenifthismeansbeing

involvedintheunderworldofpoliticalparties.

ThemajorityofevangelicalsinAlbaniaareyoung

peoplebutastheyfinishtheirstudiestheyeithermove

tothecapitaloremigrate.Mostofthemthenlose

connectionwiththeirhomechurches.Apartfrominthe

capital,Tirana,mostevangelicalchurchesaresmalland

poor,anddependentonoutsidefinancialhelp.

A MISSION MODEL FOR ALBANIA

BMS is seeking Baptist ministers from the UK to church-plant from scratch or to build up a small congregation in Albania. Find out more by emailing us at [email protected] or calling 01235 517653

Left: Many Albanians live in poverty, particularly in rural areas

Right: Tirana: Albania’s capital city is developing quickly

BMS speakers are trained, resourced and equipped to share with you the good news and challenges of taking God’s love to a needy world.

They are available for a range of Sunday services, midweek prayer meetings, special events, youth and children’s groups, and more.

To book a speaker, please use our request form, which you can complete

online atwww.bmsworldmission.org/speakerrequest

Doensureyougiveusasmuchnoticeaspossiblewhenbooking.Oneofourteamwillthenbeintouchtodiscussyourneeds.

Youcanalsogetintouchwithuson01235 517600,[email protected] Team,BMSWorldMission,POBox49,129Broadway,Didcot,OX118XA.

Vloraisnotanexceptiontothegeneralsituation.

Theonlyadvantagesthatwemighthaveareourtourist

andcommercialtieswithItaly,butthemajorityoflocal

investmentfocusestoomuchonmoneylaundering

ratherthanonprioritisingregionaldevelopment.

Locallyweareveryfragmentedinourwitness

becausethefirstmissionariescomefrommanydifferent

theologicalbackgrounds.Outofatotalofpossibly200

believerswhomwehaveinVlora,eachofthechurches

hasnomorethanfivetotenlocalbelieverswhocould

beconsideredasfully-committed.Therestarestudents,

visitorsorseekers.

IcannotstopexpressingmygratitudetoBMSforthe

supportthatyouhavegiventous.Youhaveenabled

GrahamtobehereinVloratocarryonthenextphaseof

missioninAlbania,whichisthepastors’workofbuilding

upthechurches.Wearethankfultooforregularvisits

fromPhilipHalliday,BMS’RegionalTeamLeaderfor

EuropeandtheMiddleEast,andtogetherwithhimwe

sharetheconvictionthattheworkinVloramustgoon.

Coming from diverse backgrounds…

Bringing different experiences…

And all committed to transforming lives through world mission


humanity can find a way to live their lives where they can

get joy and meet challenges.”

In 2012, the Street Child World Cup is launching a

worldwide roadshow called The Road to Rio ahead of the

next tournament in Brazil in 2014. The focus will be on

ensuring partner projects care for street children after the

event and, as Joe Hewitt of the Amos Trust says, nations

can learn from each other.

“Countries like South Africa have dealt with issues of

round-ups by the police, for instance, while others are still

suffering,” says Joe. “It’s about how we can bring together

a global network to give street children the rights they

deserve. It’s our belief that each street child has potential

and they just need the right support.”

Street Kids United is now available on DVD by emailing

[email protected]

Introduce important issues about street children to your youth group or school by using our Onside youth video series. Presented by the BBC’s Dan Walker, it also includes testimonies from top Christian footballers. Watch and download it at www.bmsworldmission.org/onsideyouth

Listen to a BMS podcast about the film at www.bmsworldmission.org/streetkidsunited

SPECIAL REPORT

Dyl

an T

hom

as

Dan

McD

owal

l

Engage editor Andrew Dubock was at the screening and

caught up with Umthombo’s Vuyani Madolom, nicknamed ‘Biza’,

who is the team coach. “As a former street child myself, going

to the premiere in Berlin was like a dream come true”, he says.

“We had the Durban film festival in May and when the street

children saw themselves in the video, they couldn’t believe it:

they loved it!”

Biza wants people who see the film to be inspired enough

to take action. “I hope everyone doesn’t see it only as a

movie, but actually helps do something about [the

problem]. Street children are all over the world.

It’s not just an African thing – it’s everyone’s

business.”

The Street Child World Cup has been

a catalyst for a change in attitude by

authorities in Durban. Instead of rounding

up street children, police are now

assisting charities like Umthombo. “By

putting the kids on a platform where

everyone could notice them, the Metro

police couldn’t [abuse them] anymore. Now,

they are actually working with us and bringing

them to the centre at Umthombo,” says Biza.

“There used to be over 1,000 street kids in Durban.

Every year it is dropping, and is now at 150. My hope

would be to see numbers drop more.”

Street Kids United director Tim Pritchard has won awards for

his television documentaries, such as ‘Ross Kemp on Gangs’,

but this is his first time directing a feature documentary for

cinema. “TV quite often produces celebrity-obsessed, easily

digestible films for a mass market,” he says. “What I liked

about the concept of the film was that the stars are street kids

who have no power, no resources and, through the power of

the film, you can make them into the stars.

“The film is by no means about showing how bad it was

living on the streets because for some it’s a better life than living

in some of the townships. It is about the reality of life without

too many twists and turns, without too much commentary, or

without persuading the audience what to think.”

Tim describes directing Street Kids United as “one of the

best experiences of my life”, adding, “I think it gave me

reassurance that life is very bad for lots of people, but that

They’re branded ‘pivetes’ (little criminals) in Rio de Janeiro, known as ‘balados’ (wanderers) in Congo, and in Nicaragua given the name ‘huelepegas’ (glue sniffers).

But whatever the language and wherever the country, one

thing is clear: there are tens of millions of children

worldwide struggling to exist on street corners,

in dark alleyways and outside shops who

simply shouldn’t be there.

Now a documentary feature focusing

on the harsh realities of life for street

children in South Africa has been

produced to raise awareness and

campaign for change.

Street Kids United focuses

on a group of homeless young

people from Durban as they

represent the host nation at the 2010

Street Child World Cup. This inaugural

football tournament was organised by BMS

World Mission’s partner Amos Trust, with BMS

sponsoring Nicaragua, one of eight participating teams

of street children from around the world.

The 75-minute film gives an access-all-areas view of

why these children leave home, what their street life is like

and how the Durban-based charity Umthombo supports

them. Following its world premiere at the Berlin Film

Festival in February 2011, Street Kids United toured several

cities, arriving in London last November.

the stars are

street kids who have

no power, no resources

Above: The Nicaragua team at the Street Child World Cup, sponsored by BMS

Left: ‘Biza’ of Umthombo with director Tim Pritchard at the London Premiere

Far left: There’s now greater hope for

the street children of Durban

Left: Street Kids United poster

Below: A makeshift bed outside a car

showroom in Durban

Fighting for the rights of homeless children

Street StarS


10top

6

MOST OBSCURE

ThingS EaTEn By MiSSiOn pERSOnnEl

8

7

10

9

2

3

4

1

5

Public transport used to be reliable, but now you

need to check if a) the train is running today

and then b) if it’s going to cover the whole

route. And then, even if the answer to those two

questions is yes, you can’t assume that it will

stay that way after the journey has started.

A few weeks ago our driver decided to go on

strike. Fortunately (for him) he stopped in a small

station where some of his friends were hanging

out with freshly-made coffee. Unfortunately (for

us) this small town didn’t have other forms of

transport going to the capital, so we had to wait

until he decided that his cause had been heard

and he was ready to complete the journey.

There have been a number of changes

here since the Arab Spring. The Salafists are

changesinSighTS fROM gRaCE

Workers can go on strike noW. Before the revolution it Was unheard of for someone to complain puBlicly aBout their joB. going on strike Was something the ‘french’ did. noW, everyone’s at it.

reality would fail to match up to the high expectations. Spiritually, an initial thirst and rapid Church expansion has now cooled somewhat, as people increasingly focus their attention on economic and political matters. Under Communism, preachers called on their congregations to have hope and to believe that God would bring about change; since 1989, believers are less clear about what they should hope for.

Let us pray that political leaders in Tunisia will act on their promises to uphold the freedom and rights of their

people, especially women, and to give rights to minority religious groups. Let us pray too for the tiny but growing Church and for those who are seeking. Pray for the Church in follow-up, discipleship, leadership, dealing with division, and as it seeks to be light.

philip halliday is BMS Regional Team leader for Europe and

the Middle East/north africa

It is a little over a year since mass street demonstrations in Tunisia prompted President Ben Ali to step aside, inspiring uprisings across the region that became known as the Arab Spring. The first elections to follow also took place in Tunisia, in October, when more than 90 per cent of those registered turned out to vote. Hopes are high that something new is emerging – an indigenously rooted, Arab democracy.

In terms of Christian faith, Tunisians are the fourth biggest unreached people group in the world (according to the Lausanne classification). Muslims outnumber Christians by about 22,000 to one, with only an estimated 500 believers in Tunisia today. However, the gospel is progressing faster than in the previous millennium, with media giving many people their first-ever opportunity to be exposed to Christianity and to have access to the Bible. Tunisians are beginning to follow Jesus as a result of dreams, miracles, or the testimonies of changed lives. So hopes are high for spiritual progress as well as political advances.

Yet, I reflect on the experience of Eastern European friends who grew up under Communism and then found themselves living in post-1989 freedom. Politically, it was almost inevitable that

frOM OUr Own COrrESPOndEnTDifferent faces from Bms speak out

PHILIP HALLIdAY On TUnISIA

The last column from grace, our special correspondent

in north africa. We are grateful for her reflections these

past five years.

able to actively push for a return to ‘Islamic

values’ and there are opportunities for Christian

believers too. In these months of transition

from dictatorship to democracy, our brothers

and sisters are also seeking to have their voice

heard – in legislation, in the media, in business

opportunities and in conversations.

Pray for them. The future is uncertain but God

is at work. Pray that we would keep in step with

him in this land, and for some of us as we plan

to move to a neighbouring country.

BMS partnership began: 1996

personnel as at March 2012: 4 long-term personnel

in peru, guinea pig is eaten for a special occasion. it is put in the oven, complete with teeth and claws, and cooked till tender.

in north east Brazil, fried ants or tanajura are caught in flight by clubbing them. they’re delicious but taste a bit like squashy peanuts. i was served caterpillar stew, with funghi from the trees for lunch one day. i confess i left before lunch that day. (angola)

nettles! Vegetables are scarce in some of the remote, poor areas of nepal i travel to. nettles make a green, somewhat slimy mush, and are very popular.

Visiting an akha village in thailand, we were given a special curry that we were later informed was dog intestines.

in Guinea i ate frogs along with a peanut sauce and rice. the meat is all on the legs and tastes like electric fish.

i was offered – but declined – a half-head of lamb, given to an honoured guest, which contains the delicious brain and tasty fat behind the eyeball. (Albania)

When working in Zaire (D r congo) we once had elephant’s trunk for christmas dinner. this was reserved for honoured visitors (incredibly chewy and hard to swallow!)

a bowl of pineapple and banana chunks, topped with potato and carrot pieces, smothered in mayonnaise. (Thailand)

in nepal, none of the chicken goes to waste when making a curry. one day i found myself looking at the cockerel’s head and comb on my plate.

Thanks to Lynne Brown, Martin Butterworth, Ian Chadwell, Mark & Suzana Greenwood, Vivienne Hatton, Lizz Maycock, Amanda roper, Graham Sansom, Scott williamson and Simon wood.

Chris

tian

Sch

uit

Szy

mon

Szy

mon

Jenn

For

man

Ort

hWhat move next for Tunisia?

In January, a leading local TV station, MTV Lebanon,

put together a documentary on children with special

needs in Lebanon.

My wife and I were among the parents interviewed

for this programme and we shared our journey as

a family since we discovered that our younger son

has special needs. Our major challenge was not that

he is different, but rather finding local appropriate

resources that can help him and us. In Lebanon,

most children with learning differences suffer from

inadequate support and understanding.

Very few schools here accept students with

learning differences. Most often, the school asks

the parents to take the child to another school

(meaning a specialised institution) because the

teachers cannot allot the time needed to help

the child learn. In some cases, the school simply

tells the family that their child is a hopeless case.

If a school agrees to keep a child with learning

differences, in all likelihood the child will repeat the

class and frequently ends up being asked to leave

the school because of failing.

Socially, most children and adults with special

needs and learning differences in Lebanon lead

isolated lives; developing friendships is difficult or

impossible because of the degree to which other

people misunderstand them. They often get caught

in a negative cycle in which they are estranged due

to their differences, and then skip school because

they do not have friends. Teachers mis-label and

sometimes mistreat them. This leads to more

difficulties in learning and further jeopardises their

academic performance.

Since the documentary we’ve been receiving

endless phone calls from friends and acquaintances

cheering us for taking the courage to share, and

also from families of children with special needs

desperate to find help for their children.

The Lebanese Baptist Society’s journey in this

area started four years ago at the Beirut Baptist

School, and less than a year ago at the SKILD

(Smart Kids with Individual Learning Differences)

Centre. This project offers a variety of services,

including assessment, speech therapy and

community awareness.

We have a long way yet to go – and a very

important element along the way is spreading

the news that there is hope for now-marginalised

children and individuals whose only fault is that

they learn differently.

Nabil K Costa is the executive director of BMS partner

LSESD, vice president of the Baptist World Alliance and

a trustee of BMS World Mission. Find out more

about SKILD at www.skild-edu.org

www.bmsworldmission.org

Seeking acceptanceNabil K CostaLAST WORD FROM

Photo: Jonathan Clark, BMS Creative Co-ordinator

Cholera outbreaks are

frequent in this Haitian rubbish dump where dirty pools are

the only source of drinking water.

the big picture

INCLUDING• Morefeaturesandinterviews• Newregularitemstodipinto• Latestmusic,film&bookreviews• Freshideasforchurch• Plentyofwaystopray,giveandgo

AND A RETURN TO A4 SIZE TOO!We’llbroadenyourviewoftheChristianworldWe’llmotivateyouforworldmissionWe’lldeepenyourrelationshipwithBMS

NEXT TIME IN

ENGAGEMAGAZINE…

WE’RE REVEALING AN EXCITING NEW-LOOK!

Documents

engage issue 2 2012