In crisis: ‘when everything looks like darkness, God continues to be God’

In crisis:

‘Even when everything looks like darkness, God continues to be God’

Praying for this

The Coronavirus could cause unimaginable suffering in countries like Mozambique, where almost half the population live below the poverty line. The World Health Organisation has warned that Africa could become the next epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s what the situation is like for our neighbours in Mozambique right now, and how you can pray.

As a young man, Carlos Tique Jone was forced to fight in the Mozambican civil war. He prayed for God to protect him, and God did. Last year, his city was shattered by Cyclone Idai, and he didn’t know if he would live or die. Now, Carlos, along with the whole world, is facing the threat of Coronavirus.

By supporting BMS World Mission, you’ve been partnering with Carlos since 2012. You’ve helped him in his day-to-day work leading the BMS team in Mozambique, as well building up local churches and helping people in Beira and the surrounding area start small businesses and support their families. You helped him deliver much-needed practical relief after Cyclone Idai. And now you’re helping the BMS team in Mozambique stop the spread of Coronavirus, by providing soap and advice on effective handwashing for families that are part of BMS-supported preschool projects across the country (reaching a total of 4,250 children and their parents).

A building with rubble to the side of it after Cyclone Idai.
Cyclone Idai caused widespread destruction. You helped BMS respond to the disaster.

Carlos is an incredibly wise, generous, humble and servant-hearted man, who has been part of so much life-transforming work in Mozambique, one of the least developed countries in the world. We caught up with him as part of our series – In crisis: lessons from the World Church – to find out how Coronavirus is affecting the country, and what we in the UK can learn from him at this time of global crisis.

Quote - “Isaiah 43: 1-3 helps me to understand that, in every moment and in every place, God is with me”

This isn’t the first crisis you have faced. What has kept you strong during hard times in the past?

Our faith in God almighty is what has kept us strong in the past. Now, as we are facing the Coronavirus threats in our country where there isn’t a good health service, this is the time when our faith in God is tested and we must stand firm in him, because he cares for us all the time. Isaiah 43: 1-3 helps me to understand that, in every moment and in every place, God is with me.

In the midst of Coronavirus, how can Christians encourage and support people in their community?

As Christians we have the message of hope for our communities at times like this, because we know who our God is and to whom our life belongs. So, let us spread the gospel of Jesus, sharing with people the hope of a good life in God’s presence. Christians have to share the love of God with desperate people and take care of those who are in need. We don’t need to be afraid of what will happen to our lives, we must just believe in him.

What is the situation like in Mozambique right now?

The situation in Mozambique is still calm and under Government control, as the number of infected people is still small, just ten people – nine in Maputo City and one in the north of the country. However, people are worried about the real number of infected people, as the Government hasn’t got the capacity to test all those who have symptoms or who come from high-risk countries.

Right now, we are in a state of emergency for 30 days from 1 until 30 April. Schools and universities are closed and all gatherings with more than ten people are prohibited, including church services. People are worried about their future, as they don’t know how long this situation will last and how they will survive. Many people depend on selling goods daily to feed their families and the Government’s measures don’t allow them to work in the street and small markets.

BMS team leader in Mozambique, Carlos Tique Jone
You've been partnering with Carlos since 2012. Please stand with him again today by praying for Mozambique.
People in Mozambique and around the world need your help right now

People in countries like Mozambique – places with extremely limited health provision and high rates of poverty – need your help now more than ever. You can help give Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), soap and hygiene items, emergency food, and other much-needed resources to struggling people around the world today. Find out more and give to the BMS Coronavirus appeal.

You’ve lived through crises before – like last year’s devastating cyclone. Can you tell us about the struggles and uncertainties of living through that? Has it helped to prepare you for the Coronavirus pandemic?

There is a significant difference between Cyclone Idai and the Coronavirus, because Coronavirus spreading to more people depends on our behaviour. The cyclone was a natural disaster, which no-one could spread and which affected people without looking at social status. But the Coronavirus will affect more poor people than rich people, as the poor can’t protect themselves because all the protection products are very expensive in our country.

To be honest, each crisis affects us in a different way, and I can’t say that our experience with Cyclone Idai is helping us to struggle against the Coronavirus, as we are still recovering from the great aftermath of Cyclone Idai. So, the uncertainty of Coronavirus is a big challenge for us, and we don’t know what to do, but we just wait and trust in God. However, the cyclone prepared us to understand that all protection comes from God, so we must trust in him and be calm, as without God in our lives, we are nothing and our lives are insignificant. So as Christians, we are trying to avoid being panicked and we share the message of hope in WhatsApp groups or by text message to help those who are in fear for their future.

Carlos Tique Jone quote: “Coronavirus will affect more poor people than rich people, as the poor can’t protect themselves”

My family is struggling with the Coronavirus threats with mixed feelings, because our daughter has got tuberculosis and we know now that she has weak immunity and she is vulnerable to infection. So, this situation affects us seriously, as every day we think about what to do to avoid other family members getting infected with tuberculosis or another disease. It’s a hard time for my family and we just look ahead, trusting in God. Psalm 46: 1 helps us to understand that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble – like in the moment that we are facing now.

The Coronavirus is a great threat for us here in Mozambique because we grew up in community life and it is very difficult to stop children going out and playing with their friends or to avoid someone visiting us. Our hope is just in God almighty who cares for us. The scriptures help us to find strength and hope in this uncertain time, like Psalm 27: 1, Nahum 1: 7 and Habakkuk 3: 17-19 – “our God is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

A girl in a marketplace.

How has your relationship with God developed as he has taken you through deep valleys?

My relationship with God has grown as I have understood that without God in my life, I am nothing and I can’t do anything to protect myself. Now, I have learnt that God is my God all the time, even when everything looks like darkness, God continues to be God.

Are there any lessons you can share with the UK Church?

Yes, there are many lessons which I can share with the UK Church. First, as Christians we need to trust in God and not in man or good hospitals, medicines or specialised institutions. The Coronavirus has demonstrated that our knowledge is nothing in some situations. We need to trust in God not only when life is going well, but in every time and circumstance.

Secondly, we must understand that we are travellers on this earth, going to heaven where our Father is. Everything we have here we’ll leave in a second when God calls us to him. While we are alive, let’s do good things for all people – love them and forgive them.

Thirdly, let us put our lives in Jesus Christ, our Lord who won death for us, and not in our wealth.

Carlos Tique Jone quote: “While we are alive, let’s do good things for all people”

How can we pray for Mozambique, and for you and your work?

Please, pray for:

  1. Wisdom for our Republic’s President and his Government, that they make good decisions to protect the nation
  2. Unity for the churches, that they work together in preaching the gospel and helping people in the struggle against the Coronavirus
  3. Strength and protection for the BMS team here, as we work in an uncertain situation
  4. My daughter, as she continues taking medicines to fight tuberculosis, that God would heal her
  5. My family, that we continue standing firm in faith in God
  6. The Baptist Convention of Mozambique, as they lead in this uncertain time, when churches’ Sunday services are prohibited
  7. The farmers I work with, as they prepare for harvest in uncertain times, under fear of Coronavirus
  8. Wisdom and faith for me, as I lead the BMS team in Mozambique
In crisis: lessons from the World Church

In case you missed them, read wisdom from Sri Lanka and Nepal today.

Praying for Mozambique? Click here to let us know!
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Answers from God

Answers from God

Praying for this

Lives are restored, fellowships flourish, abundant life flows. This is what happens when we speak to God. This is what happens when we pray together.

Mission is powered by prayer. That’s why we encourage you to pray with us, asking God to move mountains overseas and at home. And your prayers have been working in powerful and wonderful ways. Here are just a few stories about how God has been faithful. Thank you for praying.

1. Anointed and far from disappointed

On the road to Macchu Picchu, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, lies a small village called Pisac. BMS-supported Pastor Amilcar is planting a church against a backdrop of the majestic Andes mountains, where local Baptist pastors feel that many don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.

A photo of Pastor Amilcar with an arrow to the mountains of Pisac.
Pastor Amilcar heads up BMS-planted church "El Puente" in Cusco. Now he's gone from the city of Cusco to the mountains to plant a church in the village of Pisac.

Remember when we asked you to pray for Pastor Amilcar? He had also been praying, for a new leader for this new church plant. But as his fellowship was so new, he wasn’t sure any of them felt confident enough to take on a leadership role.

In December, an answer to prayer emerged as a dedicated member, Joseph, expressed an interest in studying God’s Word and becoming a church leader. “The life of a pastor can be really lonely sometimes,” says Pastor Amilcar. “But now I have a partner.” Praise God!

2. Unforgotten in the floods

After floods destroyed homes, crops and livelihoods across Bangladesh last year, we asked you to pray with us for a swift recovery, that food supplies would reach those with the most need. Thanks to your prayers and support, BMS partner Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS) was able to supply food parcels in Sreemongal, Manikgonj and Shiragonj and in the Hill Tract area, where mudslides devastated lives. “When we arrived, people said nobody had come to help them,” says John Karmakar, Assistant General Secretary of BBCS. “But BMS quickly sent aid.”

“Most days feel like an answer to prayer!``

We also asked you to pray for BMS workers Louise and Peter Lynch, who work with BBCS and went out to help during the recovery efforts. “The distribution of help and the delight of recipients was very moving,” says Louise. “Most days feel like an answer to prayer!”

A map of Bangladesh highlighting Dhaka and the Hill Tracts area.

Louise and Peter Lynch singing a worship song in Bangla

3. French Connexion

We know that many faithful members of the BMS family in the UK have prayed for more young people in France to be transformed by Jesus’ love since we asked you to remember them. And we’re delighted to report that that is what is happening. French Christian youth camp “Connexion” took off in October with 460 people in attendance! Action Team France, a group of four young people on a BMS gap year, were amongst the volunteers.

Four young people in fancy dress with cakes behind them.
Team France: Hamish Rice, Jennie Lockett, Ruth McCormick and Bridget Turner

The event was all about seeing young people engage with God. “People were surprised to see that we chose to spend our gap year serving God in France, when we could have just gone travelling,” says Hamish. “They were excited to see young mission workers.” The team also led last year’s Christmas service, at the church in Gif-sur-Yvette, where BMS worker Christine Kling is minister. Over a hundred people attended, filling the building to capacity. What an incredible answer to prayer!

4. Bringing the world into churches

We wanted UK churches to hear what their prayer and financial support was achieving directly from the people who were doing the work. But getting visas to visit the UK is not always easy. Sometimes we even doubted whether our workers from Uganda (Benon Kayanja and Genesis Acaye) and Mozambique worker (Carlos Tique Jone) would be allowed to visit churches in this country. So, we prayed. And we asked you to pray.

Three BMS mission workers looking at the camera and smiling.
Three incredible BMS mission workers: Carlos Tique Jone from Mozambique, Benon Kayanja from Uganda and Genesis Acaye, also from Uganda.

We waited months, weeks, without permission for all of our African friends to enter the UK. And then, in God’s time, the visas were granted, and Benon, Carlos and Genesis set off to visit churches across the UK, telling people about the amazing impact they are having through BMS work overseas. “Without you BMS wouldn’t be able to do this work,” says Genesis, who helps farmers get the most from their crops in Uganda. “Really, you are doing the work.” Genesis loves to thank BMS supporters. And we want to join the churches our overseas workers visited in thanking them!

“Thank you so much for bringing Carlos to Park Baptist Church,” says Elizabeth, the BMS representative from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. “He was an inspiration.”

5. The magnificent six

We’ve been asking you to pray for more people to serve in Chad for years, and now, we’re so happy to give you the praise report of six wonderful workers for Guinebor II, a BMS-supported hospital in Chad. Six wonderful people, all serving as long-term BMS workers in this marginalised and under-evangelised country.

With the existing G2 team, they’ll deliver healthcare to 19,000 people a year. Please continue to pray as we urgently need a second surgeon for this busy hospital.

The magnificent six are:
1. Bethan Shrubsole – developmental music therapist
2. Gareth Shrubsole – G2 hospital manager
3. Mel Spears – health specialist
4. Tom Spears – GP
5. Brian Chilvers – nurse
6. Jackie Chilvers – nurse

Three photos of three mission worker couples
Another answer to prayer is actually six answers - six mission workers for Guinebor II mission hospital in Chad.

With the existing G2 team, they’ll deliver healthcare to 19,000 people a year. Please continue to pray as we urgently need a second surgeon for this busy hospital.

Prayer warriors unite!

Want to see even more prayers answered? Join us!
We are so excited to invite you to the annual BMS Day of Prayer on Sunday 9 February. Join us as we pray for BMS projects, partners and mission workers across the world. Whatever your style of prayer, whether using Bible reflections, sung worship, using creative prayer spaces, individually or in a group, we’d love you to join us.

You can find all the BMS Day of Prayer resources you need. Let us know what you’re praying for on Twitter and Facebook. We would find it so encouraging. We’re so grateful for everyone who prays for our work and we know God will do incredible things thanks to you.

Praying for this? Click here
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Words by Melanie Webb.

A letter from Mozambique

After the cyclone:

A letter from Mozambique to UK Christians

Supporting this

How Mozambicans are regaining hope thanks to the incredible help they received from BMS supporters after Cyclone Idai.

Dear friends,

After the cyclone, I went out in the rain to see how people were. There was rubble everywhere. We lost everything – everything we had worked for over whole lifetimes. From one day to the next, it was gone. Our stores and crops were destroyed by the cyclone, so our immediate worry was food. But what’s affecting us most is a lack of hope. Smiles have disappeared, heads are hung low.

A building with rubble to the side of it after Cyclone Idai.
Cyclone Idai caused widespread destruction. You helped BMS respond to the disaster.

Thanks to the aid churches are sending to Beira, some feel like they have the strength to start again. At CBM, we have collected and distributed food. Those we could feed are no longer worried. Instead they can focus on gathering the materials they need to rebuild. The problem is that materials are expensive, and most people have lost their jobs because so many businesses were destroyed.

A church with no roof in Mozambique after Cyclone Idai.
This church lost its roof after the cyclone hit. But BMS supporters stepped in, and your gifts have enabled the roof to be rebuilt, so it can return to being a fully functioning church.

People aren’t sleeping. They want to get back up again. They want to work. I try to speak hope into people’s lives. We can lose material things, but we can’t lose faith in God. He is our refuge. We have so many reasons to praise God. I praised God amidst the destruction, because he had protected us – we thought the cyclone was going to be much bigger than it was.

This photo demonstrates how extensive the damage was after Cylcone Idai. Only a bare skeleton of a church building in Beira remains.
This photo demonstrates how extensive the damage was after Cylcone Idai. Only a bare skeleton of a church building in Beira remains.

I ask that you continue to pray for us – don’t forget about us and continue to give what you can.
Then, even when the media has forgotten about us, we’ll keep smiling, because you have remembered us.

Thank you,
Anibal Ramos

Anibal Ramos works with BMS partner, the Baptist Convention of Mozambique (CBM) in his native Beira. You’ve enabled him to play a crucial role in the relief efforts, working alongside BMS team leader in Mozambique, Carlos Tique Jone, in the devastating wake of Cyclone Idai.

The story of recovery

You gave an incredible £82,000 to help people like Anibal in the wake of Cyclone Idai.

But our desire for restoration didn’t stop there. You enabled BMS to give a further £17,600 to rebuild preschools and churches which host preschool education programmes.

Want to do even more? Give to BMS relief ministries
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We were able to act because you gave generously. Give to BMS relief ministries today and help some of the most marginalised people in the world recover from devastating natural disasters.

Thank you for giving people in Beira the strength they need to start again.

First featured in Engage, Issue 45. Written and edited for the website by Melanie Webb.

Cyclone Idai: Mozambique needs your prayer

Cyclone Idai:

Mozambique needs your prayer

Supporting this

On Thursday 14 March, Cyclone Idai hit the city of Beira, Mozambique. Please join us in prayer for those affected.

Beira suffered high winds, heavy rains and flooding and 90 per cent of the city may have been affected. Hundreds of people have lost their lives. BMS World Mission has made contact with local partners and is in the process of assisting relief responses. Please pray for Mozambique at this time.

The destruction

Debris from the cyclone is piled shoulder-high beside roadways that have been covered by sand blown in by heavy winds. Buildings have lost their roofs, and trees are uprooted.

Flooding from burst riverbanks and heavy rain pose a threat to the safety of survivors. The outbreak of waterborne diseases is a concern, due to the disruption of water supplies, as is the lack of shelter, food and clothing. Cases of cholera and diarrhoea continue to rise.

The aftermath

President Filipe Nyusi announced that search and rescue operations to find survivors from the cyclone had come to an end. As of 30 March 2019 it has been reported that 501 people died as a result of the cyclone.

Devastation is extensive, with around 100,000 houses identified by the authorities as having been destroyed. Efforts are now concentrated on rebuilding infrastructure and helping those affected.

A vector graphic map shows where Beira is located in Mozambique.
Beira was at the centre of the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai.
Debris is piled up on a sandy road.
Debris from Cyclone Idai is piled shoulder-high, and roadways are covered in sand.

The intervention

BMS is assessing the best way to assist in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai. “We are supporting the Baptist Convention of Mozambique (CBM)’s relief response by strengthening capacity support and lending our help to its relief programme,” says Rachel Conway-Doel, BMS Relief Facilitator.

Rachel was able to attend meetings with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) on 30 March 2019. She said of the meetings, “It is encouraging to hear of all the work that is being done — but much more is needed.”

BMS will continue to consult with CBM on how British Christians can best support the Mozambican Church in its response. Thank you for all your generous giving and faithful prayers as we do so.

Updates on personnel

“We were getting messages from a friend saying that her windows had broken. Water was coming into the lounge and kitchen and she was worried. We also got a message from a friend who thought that the roofing on her daughter’s bedroom had come off,” says Liz Vilela in her latest blog post, describing the cyclone.

A tree is uprooted from the ground, breaking the pavement,
Trees were uprooted by strong winds.

We have been in touch with our mission personnel on the ground:

  • Carlos Tique Jone is in Beira assessing damage to buildings. “I praise the Lord that I am alive,” he told BMS.
  • Jane Edwards has flown into Maputo instead of home to Beira.
  • Sergio and Liz Vilela are safe. Sergio has returned to Beira to assist relief efforts.
  • Annet and Damien Ttendo-Miller are currently in Uganda.
  • Mark, Susanna, and Lizzie Barrell are at their home in Maputo.

Please pray especially for our local workers in and around Beira. BMS has been in touch with:

  • Pr Moises, General Secretary
  • Anibel
  • Carlos
  • Fernando and Lidia, Association of Mozambican Christian Lawyers (AMAC)
  • Staff at the AMAC office
A terracotta church building against a blue sky that has lost its roof.
Liz and Sergio Vilela's church is the Igreja Baptista do Aeropuerto in Beira. It lost its roof and suffered damages in the storm.

Pray for Mozambique

  1. Pray for all those in Beira, including BMS World Mission worker Carlos Tique Jone and his family. Pray that those who need help would receive it soon and that God would use his people to bring relief and help even now.
  2. Pray for those who have lost family members and homes. Pray that God would bring them the help they need and that we who have not been affected can find ways to be useful and merciful to them.
  3. Pray for God to strengthen those helping and comfort those traumatised.
  4. Pray for all BMS mission personnel and local workers, that they will be safe and be used by God in the lives of their community at this very difficult time.
  5. Pray for the relief response following this tragedy. Pray that Beira will recover quickly.
  6. Pray for a compassionate, sustainable and God-inspired response from the international community, including our community of churches.

Thank you for your love for Mozambique. Please keep praying for the people of Beira and for our partners there. If you would like to do something more, you can help our Mozambican partners on the ground with relief and recovery work by giving to BMS Disaster Recovery now.

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From the frontline: stories to inspire you

From the frontline:

stories to inspire you

From giving critical medical aid at night, to helping a rural community grow crops, our mission workers have had a very busy, challenging and blessed start to the year. We thought it was time to share some of their news with you.

The surgeons in Chad who came to the rescue after dark

Andrea and Mark Hotchkin in traditional Chadian dress in front of a sand coloured wall
Andrea and Mark Hotchkin dedicate every day to helping others in Chad, no matter where they are in the country.

We’ll paint a picture for you. One day you’re in a fancy hotel in Chad’s capital city, N’Djamena attending a Ministry of Health meeting. Then just a few days later you’re hours from the nearest town, it’s late and you’ve spent the day driving from village to village assessing healthcare provision. Word reaches you that two local people are seriously unwell and no-one has made any effort to get help.
This is what happened recently in the lives of BMS World Mission surgeons, Andrea and Mark Hotchkin. If you didn’t already know how amazing they are, you certainly will when you read their latest blog.

Read the Hotchkins' blog

Giving hope for a better future

A woman dressed in black stands behind a table covered in neatly arranged clothing
You’ll probably never meet Shama, but thanks to your support for BMS you’ve helped her and her family.

Consider this: you have five children, your husband is unable to find work and one of your children has tuberculosis. You have to spend every day not knowing how long you have to make the small amount of income you do have last. This is the life that Shama has known in Delhi. But thanks to your support for BMS workers James and Ruth Neve, Shama and others have been given hope of a new life-changing income. To find out how, read the Neves’ latest blog by hitting the button below.

Read the Neves' blog

A night of praying with women in pain

Evening street scene in Bangkok with neon lights
The light of Christ is being received in Bangkok’s red-light district, helped by BMS worker Ashleigh Gibb.

In the red-light district of Bangkok, women are learning they are children of God and that he loves them. BMS worker Ashleigh Gibb writes in her latest blog about a special event at a hotel where women who work in some of Bangkok’s bars gathered for a meal and prayer. Please read Ashleigh’s blog, and please continue to pray for her and the people she meets in one of the world’s darkest places.

Read Ashleigh's blog

‘The seeds we received are a gift from God’

Carlos Tique stands in front of a house and some green foliage
By supporting BMS worker Carlos Jone, you’re helping people in Chassimba, Mozambique not only fight hunger, but also earn their own money.

There’s a rural village in Mozambique called Chassimba, where your faithful support for BMS work is transforming lives. Men and women are not only being given seeds to grow crops, they’re learning how to take care of them better. And with increased production comes an income. BMS worker Carlos Jone visited Chassimba recently, and shares in his latest prayer letter the beautiful response he received from villagers.

Read Carlos' update

News in brief from around the world

  • In Guinea, BMS worker Ben*, along with a professional football coach, visited football training sessions to strengthen links with non-Christians. Ben has also started to meet with a prison group as he continues to show God’s love among the marginalised.
  • In France, the BMS Action Team has been helping at a refugee centre for women, supporting youth work, forging friendships and developing their language skills. Check out all their news on their blogs page.
  • In Peru, BMS worker Laura-Lee Lovering has been kept busy through attending the Peruvian Baptist Assembly (her seventh!), catching up with BMS short-term volunteer Becky Richards, and meeting Action Teamers.
  • In Mozambique, BMS worker Sergio Vilela has put in a lot of miles (around 3,000 in two weeks) meeting people through our partnership with the Mozambican Baptist Convention. Meanwhile, fellow BMS worker, and Sergio’s wife, Liz Vilela has been doing great work with child protection training, which she touches on in her latest prayer letter. Please check it out and pray for the Vilelas!
Want your church to support life-changing mission work?

Your church can get behind our mission work by becoming a Church Partner. It’s ever so easy to join and gives your church the chance to focus on a region or ministry, or on specific people.

We’d love to talk to you, so please don’t hesitate to contact Jo in the Church Partners team with any questions. Call her today on 01235 517600 or email her at churchrelations@bmsworldmission.org

If your church isn’t in Church Partners, talk to your minister today. Get involved, be inspired, express your heart for mission!

These stories are just a snapshot of what our mission workers and partners have been up to. In countries like Uganda, Kosovo, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ukraine, Albania, Lebanon and India, your support is being felt through training, nourishment, heating, education and much more. We thank you today for all that you do for BMS, for your giving and prayer, and your encouragement. Thanks to you, God is meeting the needs of people like you and me around the world. We praise God today for your support and give thanks for our incredible mission workers.

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*Names changed for security reasons.

Buffalo, corn, radishes and chillies: a recipe for success

Buffalo, corn, radishes and chillies:

a recipe for success

Liking this

A widow is able to provide for her three daughters. People in Afghanistan are eating vegetables in their village for the first time. Ugandan farmers can fund school fees and medical bills. Agricultural training is transforming lives, and it’s all down to your support for BMS World Mission.

In countries facing political instability and natural disasters, it’s hard for people in rural areas who survive by farming to make a living and support their families. But BMS-supported agricultural training is changing that. By donating cattle, training farmers to grow chillies and bananas, and helping women rear buffalo, men and women can earn a living long into the future. Because of you, BMS workers are with these communities every step of the way, helping them improve their quality of life.

Here’s what you are doing to help farmers and families to thrive.

1. Mozambique: cattle and corn

In the rural village of Chassimba in Mozambique, men and women are learning how to better grow corn. Overseen by BMS worker Carlos Jone, this training is transforming lives in the community.

John and Amelia are two of the people who gained skills in growing corn. John used the money he made from selling his crop to produce bricks, which he used to build his new house. Amelia, a widow, managed to grow so much corn that she filled her barn to the brim. Now she has enough to support her family for the rest of the year. Amelia’s also now involved in growing vegetables with other farmers in the village, and is earning enough to support her three children through school.

We’ve also donated cattle to the village, and these are being used to teach ploughing – helping many more people provide for their families.

“Thank you for your supporting farmers in Chassimba,” says BMS worker Carlos. “You’re fighting hunger and food insecurity, and the results are visible – there are no longer hunger problems in the community.”

This thank you dance from the villagers in Chassimba is for you.

2. Afghanistan: lettuces and radishes

At high altitude in the mountains of Afghanistan, growing vegetables presents unique challenges, and in some places they’re not even grown or eaten at all.

You’re helping to change that. With your support, people are learning about the nutritional benefits of vegetables and how to grow them.

In one village, agricultural experts set up a demonstration garden on the land of a man called Almas*, where other villagers could learn and experiment in growing vegetables. Almas’ uncle came to visit, and when he saw the garden, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He said, “I am 66 years old, and have never seen vegetables grown here; these people are just telling you stories!”

Some time passed, and Almas’ uncle came to visit again. Dinner was served, with plates of fresh radishes and lettuce being presented, all of which had been grown locally. Almas turned to his uncle and said, “Thanks be to God that now at the age of 66 you have tasted vegetables grown here in this village!” Now, when Almas’ son harvests vegetables from the garden, the uncle comes and takes some of them to his own home.

More and more people in remote mountain villages are now living healthier lives through growing vegetables. And it’s all down to you.

You’re fighting hunger and food insecurity

3. Nepal: buffalo and goats

Goma’s buffalo died in the 2015 earthquakes, and she had to completely rebuild her house. She and her husband had used the animals to support their two daughters through school. Life was now looking very precarious.

Thankfully, Goma managed to get hold of three buffalo and some goats, and she got a place on BMS-supported livestock training, to learn how to better look after her animals. She learnt about animal health and shed management, and now she’s able to get more from her cattle than she ever did before.

Goma collects around 20 litres of milk from the buffalo every day, and then sells it at a local collection centre. She and her husband are able to continue supporting their two daughters, who are studying in Kathmandu, and provide for themselves, too.

4. Uganda: bananas and chillies

In Gulu, Uganda, BMS workers have trained 100 families to start farming chillies and bananas. Each household received in-depth training, including land preparation and how to plant the bananas and chillies. Once they were ready, the farmers used their new skills and knowledge to grow the crops.

And they were hugely successful. All the bananas are being sold in local markets in Gulu. And the dried chillies are now being bought by a wholesaler in the capital city, Kampala, that exports them all over the world.

This is having an amazing impact in the lives of these families. One of the challenges for many farmers in the area was not being able to pay for big medical bills, or having to pull their children out of school if fees were put up. But now, this is no longer the case.

Namazzi* benefited from growing bananas. Because the banana harvest is continual, Namazzi is able to take her bananas and sell them at a local market throughout the year. The new income acts as pocket money for the family each week, so they can make sure there is enough food in the house, as well as covering small medical bills.

These are just a few examples of the transformations you’re making possible through your giving. You’re helping farmers learn new skills, provide for their families, and live healthier lives. Thank you.

*Names changed to protect identities.

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