Harnessing the sun

The healing power of solar panels

In a country heavily reliant on fossil fuels, Guinebor II Hospital has recently upgraded its solar panel array thanks to your generous support. BMS World Mission’s Ed Axtell shares the significance of your impact.

“The first thing I did in the morning at the hospital was to listen for the sound of the generator. It was the first thing to tell me if a child had made it through the night” – BMS World Mission doctor, Tom Spears

I can’t remember the last time I truly appreciated power or electricity. Turning the lights on, turning on the heating or connecting to the internet. Even now, I’m sitting and writing this down on a computer, and I don’t give it a second thought. The phrase ‘flip a switch’ reinforces our ‘effortless’ relationship with power: we beckon, it comes running. That’s it. But that just isn’t the case across the world, especially in Chad.

Sun setting on N'Djamena in Chad over a sandy landscape with trees. — Your support is harnessing the sun's power to bring health and hope to Chad.

Located at the crossroads of north and central Africa, Chad is 189 out of 190 in the UN’s Human Development Index (their list of the world’s most fragile states). It’s a tough country to build your life in. Life expectancy is only 52.5 years and on average, children only receive 2.5 years of education. The most sobering figure is that one in nine children in Chad will die before their fifth birthday. N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, has really suffered from a lack of power. With its rapid growth and many people installing air-conditioning, it’s not uncommon for people to be without electricity for five to six hours a day. To combat this, the Government has moved to providing its citizens with diesel-fuelled generators – however this is far from a perfect solution. Besides the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels, there’s also the effects of noise pollution and the respiratory problems this can cause. In a country that, on average, has 264 days of sunlight a year, attention has moved to solar power. And it’s your incredible support that’s making this green revolution possible at Guinebor II Hospital (G2).

G2 has always relied on a combination of diesel generators and its small existing array of lead acid solar panels, however even this system has its issues. The solar system only had 12KW of charge and the invertors it used were intensely complex, meaning that no-one based in Chad could fix them if needed. When someone required oxygen, a small diesel generator would have to be brought round to power the concentrator, as the solar didn’t have enough charge to power them. Imagine being admitted to hospital and receiving the treatment in a stifling hot room pumped full of diesel fumes! Drugs and medication were going out of date due to the storage fridges overheating, surgeries were having to be powered by generators, babies were being delivered by torchlight and there were no fans on the wards. This might seem like a small issue in comparison, but when the temperature can hit 45 degrees, fans are a must. BMS mission workers Mel and Tom Spears describe the challenge presented by most patients choosing to sleep outside because of the heat: mosquito nets aren’t easily installed or available outside, significantly increasing the risk of malaria for the patients.

Three men praying in front of a blue curtain on a hospital ward — BMS doctor Tom Spears knows only too well the negative impact the heat can have on the patients.

The recent overhaul on G2’s solar has meant a massive transformation for the hospital – and it’s possible thanks to you. The recent project, part-funded by BMS supporters, has enabled G2’s solar capacity to increase threefold, allowing the hospital to significantly reduce its dependence on diesel generators. The whole project was also completed alongside a Chadian electrician, allowing local staff to take ownership of the project and be equipped with the knowledge and skills to repair and maintain the solar array.

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With all these improvements, it’s empowered G2 to continue to be an example for hospitals across Chad. New wards being built can now have fans pre-installed, which drastically increases patient comfort and quality of care – especially as some patients were discharging themselves early from the hospital due to the heat! Beyond comfort, it also enables the staff to be able to have greater infection control on the wards. Now, two oxygen concentrators can be run in the same ward purely off solar power. There’s no need for generators in the wards anymore, which is an incredible step forward. On top of all of this, the pharmacy now has air conditioning too (installed on BMS Pharmacist Claire Bedford’s birthday!) This has allowed G2 to significantly reduce the amount of medication being thrown out, saving money but also making sure those that need life-saving medication can get access to it, straight away.

Two pharmacists standing in front of shelves of medical supplies — Life-saving medication can be kept for longer with air-conditioning now installed in the pharmacy.

Throughout all of this, God’s timing has been so evident. As with many large infrastructure projects, the work experienced delays from the beginning, but during this time, lithium batteries became an option for the solar system, which can last six times longer than the lead acid batteries they replaced. Beyond that, the same day the new panels were installed, the oil refinery in Chad closed for maintenance. With diesel practically unobtainable across the country, without the new panels, G2 would have had to pause surgery for six weeks. God’s timing for the project meant solar power kicked in at just the right time, doubtlessly saving many lives.

Thanks to these advances and your, support G2 can continue to stand on the frontline of healthcare, supporting and empowering those that need it the most. A flick of a switch, something we take for granted — but such a weighty and treasured decision in Chad.

Thank you!

Thank you for your ongoing support for BMS work in Chad!

BMS supporters provided a crucial 25 per cent of the funds needed for the solar project in Chad, and we’re so grateful. For the latest about work at G2, stay tuned for an upcoming webstory sharing more about changes to the BMS team in Chad and how you can continue to save lives at this desert hospital. Make sure you never miss a webstory by signing up to our weekly email update today.

Words by Ed Axtell
Content Creator Apprentice, BMS World Mission

Three lives you’ve transformed…

Good news from Nepal

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Three lives transformed. New life in Nepal. In a world where we hear so much difficult news, this week’s story is full of hope. Rejoice with us in what you’ve made possible!

Last year, you brought hope to Ghusel, a village of 300 or so households nestled high in Nepal’s Himalayas. But the story of transformation in Nepal didn’t end there – and when it comes to BMS World Mission’s work alongside our incredible local partners, the narrative is never one of one-stop solutions or quick fixes – but rather long-term commitment and lasting change.

Since last year’s Good Land appeal launched, we’ve continued to hear amazing stories of lives you’ve enabled to flourish, not only in Ghusel, but from across BMS’ partners in Nepal. Here are just three of those stories. Meet Anshu, Kaku and Hari, and read about the lives you’ve transformed.

Anshu

“Please do not tear off or throw my clothes away. This is my last piece of clothing.” Those were the last words that Anshu, a new mother who had given birth only seven days previously, shared before she fainted on the threshold of Chaurjahari Hospital (CHR) in Nepal. Staff at the BMS-supported hospital rushed to Anshu’s aid, determined to discover the cause of her critical condition. Beside her, her exhausted husband stood with their nine-year-old daughter, cradling the couple’s brand-new baby. Slowly, the team began to piece together what had happened.

Anshu had had a premature birth at home, just seven months into her pregnancy. Although the baby was delivered safely, Anshu bled heavily and fainted at home, leaving her husband incredibly scared. Taking his wife on his back, along with all their savings (around £71) and giving their newborn to his nine-year-old daughter, the family walked for four hours to the nearest bus stop. From there, they made the 11-hour bus journey to CHR.

Doctors examined Anshu and found remnants of placenta inside her uterus. She needed an emergency operation and blood transfusion, and CHR staff donated their own blood to save Anshu’s life.

A lady with a headscarf sits in a wheelchair with her daughter at her feet. — Anshu had a harrowing journey to hospital. Thank you for welcoming her when she arrived.

But your support for Anshu didn’t stop there. Upon realising how little the family had to spend her on medical treatment, the team at CHR were able to offer Anshu’s care, including food support, for free during their stay. You made all this possible, and saved Anshu’s life. Thank you.

A medical worker holds a small baby as a little girl crouches beside them in Nepal. — Staff at the hospital were able to offer Anshu and her baby their medical care for free.

A Nepali man crouches as he washes his hands using water from a hose. — Your support for Kaku transformed his entire community.

Kaku

Imagine a chance encounter that leads to new beginnings for a whole village. That’s exactly what happened when staff at BMS partner Human Development Community Services, Nepal (HDCS) met Kaku, a member of the Chepang people of Nepal, on his way to tend to his farm. Kaku had happened upon a gathering of project staff members and people from a local village, discussing health and the prevention of disease. Noticing his curiosity, those gathered invited Kaku to join the meeting.

It was all new to Kaku, coming from a semi-nomadic people group which is typically thought to be one of the most marginalised in Nepal. Kaku was hooked as he began to hear about the benefits of hand-washing for the prevention of water-borne diseases, worms and typhoid, and after the session, two members of staff were invited back to Kaku’s home to chat further. Kaku received a hygiene kit, complete with soap, a comb, toothbrush, face mask, nail clippers, water purification drops, a towel and some toothpaste.

Kaku’s motivation to change his own habits was clear, but his vision for what he’d learnt went even further.

As an elder in his own community, he’s started encouraging his neighbours towards good hygiene practices too. Members of his village soon witnessed the improvement to the health of Kaku’s family – and staff at HDCS were inspired too. “Kaku was extremely thankful to the project for their small effort, which has brought him hope and the realisation of better health,” the team shares.

Hari

Imagine being a carpenter, and relying on the strength of your limbs to carve heavy furniture or move planks of wood. Then imagine one day noticing the toes in your right leg swelling, before experiencing a burning pain throughout your leg. That was the situation Hari Thapa found himself in – and knowing that his family of five were relying on him, he sought medical treatment right away. But after visiting various health institutions and trying different medicines, all Hari was left with were vast bills, with no improvement to his leg. One April, Hari tried once more to get a diagnosis, and visited BMS-supported Green Pastures Hospital for treatment. He was finally given a diagnosis of leprosy and prescribed effective medicine, but after experiencing side-effects, Hari quickly discontinued the treatment.

Two Nepali men sit and chat to each other while sitting on a concrete wall. — Thank you for enabling Tham (right) to change the lives of precious people like Hari.

It wasn’t until Hari met Tham, a BMS-supported pastoral counsellor who had recovered from leprosy himself, that Hari felt confident enough to restart his treatment. By this time, he had ulcers on both legs which needed surgery and further care. Sessions with Tham have reassured Hari that his medicine is working, and have helped him process his regret at not continuing his treatment sooner. “Now he is happy and he said that his health is improving and he has learned self-care skills for his ulcer care,” say the team at Green Pastures. Thank you for being there for Hari and for enabling Tham to do his important work, too.

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Hannah Watson, BMS World Mission

Your Harvest legacy

The gifts you gave are still bearing fruit

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Do you ever wonder what happens when BMS World Mission appeals wind down for another year? In this week’s story, you get to find out. We take you back over five previous much-loved Harvest appeals, and learn how your generosity is still bearing fruit in the lives you touched, even years into the future. From Nepal to Afghanistan and Thailand to Chad, here’s the difference you made.

2015: My Father’s House

In 2015, we shared with you the story of Ramu, a man who was paralysed in a terrible truck accident. Like countless others in Nepal, this hardworking father was told that his life was over when the accident shattered his spine. But, thanks to the incredible work of BMS occupational therapist Megan Barker, and your generous support, Ramu has gone on to live a full life that’s been characterised by hope, enabling his young family to flourish alongside him.

A Nepali family stand in front of their home. — Your support helped give Diyu and her family hope in the face of tragedy.

Picture of Alan & Megan Barker — Megan and her husband Alan work to make sure vulnerable families in Nepal get the support they need.

In 2022, Megan Barker was able to revisit Ramu’s family and share with us an encouraging update. The My Father’s House feature video was narrated by Ramu’s daughter Diya, who was then ten years old. Seven years on, Ramu’s children are still doing well at school and the family has saved enough money to buy a scooter, improving their ability to travel. They’ve also invested money in developing their home a lot more since the appeal was filmed, including creating better access to the property. “Ramu and his wife are both fit and well, and are very smiley,” says Megan. “The family are doing well.”

2017: Wonderfully Made

Back in 2017, we introduced you to Adventure Man, Captain Kindness and Mr Determined – aka Tada, Natalie and Phil from Hope Home, a BMS-supported home for children with disabilities in Thailand. Phil is settled with his foster family, and we chatted to mission worker Judy Cook to get an update on how Natalie and Tada are doing.

A Thai girl sat on a climbing frame — Thank you for supporting Natalie through our Wonderfully Made appeal in 2017!

“Natalie is continuing to do well at her special school and loves learning there. Her foster family is amazing and love her dearly, as do we all at Hope Home. On the days when Natalie comes to Hope Home, she loves to come and read to the children as they receive their physiotherapy treatment. She’s so caring!

“Tada is as active, inquisitive and fun-loving as ever. He loves to sing all songs, but especially children’s worship songs and his choice of DVD to watch is Bible stories – his favourite is Elijah! He is now able to slot into a lot more official therapy support at a regional centre, so his speech and general behaviours and development are slowly improving.”

2018: Life’s First Cry

The heartbreak of women in Afghanistan losing their babies to preventable illnesses moved many of you in 2018. The Life’s First Cry feature video took us through the snow-covered mountains of Afghanistan’s central highlands and into the homes of women like Andisha (pictured), who lost her first 11 babies to ill health. A year and a half after filming, we went back to visit Andisha, her husband Mohammed, her daughter Roya and the son she gave birth to after receiving safe birthing classes through your support. Roya, “who is kind of naughty!” explains Andisha, was just about to start school, and Navid, “who is very calm”, was just a toddler. As with any other kids, they were both enjoying playing with their toys and having fun.

A photo of a mother in Afghanistan with her daughter and son

Since helping Andisha’s family in 2018, you’ve also played a part in transforming her community through your ongoing support of BMS work in Afghanistan, bringing sanitary latrines, literacy skills and nutrition courses to her village. So much has changed in Afghanistan since our visit to Andisha’s family, but we know that one thing certainly hasn’t: the commitment and care that BMS supporters feel for the people of this beautiful but often troubled nation. You’ll have another chance to support BMS work in Afghanistan this Christmas, so make sure you’re subscribed to the BMS weekly email update so you don’t miss out.

2020: Operation: Chad

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, you showed incredible support for the amazing staff members at Guinebor II Hospital (G2) in Chad. Now that Covid-19 is less of a threat in Chad, the staff have been able to focus their energies on other crucial medical issues facing the community: namely, malaria and malnutrition.

A man and a woman in scrubs and masks — Brian and Jackie Chilvers have pioneered malnutrition and nursing work at G2 since joining Team Chad in 2021.

A man conducting surgery in Chad. — At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, you raised over £300,000 for G2 Hospital in Chad.

“The biggest health concern that our neighbours expressed was worry about malaria… some of the things we heard were really heartbreaking, about how many children people have lost,” says Jackie Chilvers, who has joined the G2 team, along with her husband Brain, since Operation: Chad premiered. Fortunately, they’ve been able to help pioneer an education programme to help people understand how to prevent malaria and where medical support for those who contract it is available – whether that be at G2 or through pre-established government programmes. Jackie’s also come alongside BMS worker Mel Spears to set up a malnutrition clinic, to help dangerously ill children get back on track, and enable families to get the right help for their children.

2021: I Will Stand

Last year’s Harvest appeal marked a first for BMS, using animation to tell the stories of courageous Christians whose faces we couldn’t share. Though we couldn’t show their photos, we knew that God had counted every hair on their heads and was using their witness in powerful ways to spread his amazing gospel. You stood with believers like Z as she reached out to communities in North Africa who were yet to hear the good news of Jesus. And we’re so pleased to report that Z is still standing strong a year later, able to continue her ministry thanks to your giving and prayers.

A woman typing on a keyboard. — Z is committed to boldly sharing her faith, despite the risks.

An illustration of a woman sat a desk. — Z's daughters loved seeing their mum's story come to life.

“She said that she was well, is enjoying her role and is passionate about why she is doing it,” explains BMS Overseas Team Leader Sarah Mhamdi, who visited Z earlier this year. “She’s seeking ways to reach more people and to be able to answer more of their questions and help people grow in their faith. Please continue to pray for her own birth family that they will come to share her faith. She continues to be thankful for our prayers and support.” Supporters weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the colourful illustrations used to capture Z’s testimony. Z’s own little girls loved seeing their mum come to life through animation, and felt very proud that she had shared her story!

You’ve done such amazing things by supporting BMS Harvest appeals in the past – why not continue your streak by supporting Good Land, our Harvest appeal for 2022? Over the years, you’ve helped communities in desperate need all over the world, and this year you can help the people of Ghusel, Nepal, transform their village. They dream of good-quality education for their children, of clean water that’s accessible to the whole community, of training to help make sure their livestock stay healthy. Will you help their dreams become reality? Give now to help transform the village of Ghusel today!

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Words by Hannah Watson, Editor of Engage magazine and Laura Durrant.

The hospital, the miracle and the impossible secret

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First things first: don’t tell anyone about your new faith. It seems counter-productive, even counter-Christian, but it’s the tough choice that many new believers have to make in order to stay safe – and to help bring more people to Christ. Read on to find out how.

Ahmat* came to Guinebor II hospital (G2) because his father had badly broken his leg. They’d tried to get help elsewhere, but that had just ended up making it worse, and now he needed surgery in order to fix the damage that had been caused. Doctors at G2 told them they would have to wait for his leg to heal, and then it would have to be broken again to set the bone properly. A day’s drive from their family home in southern Chad, G2 became home to Ahmat and his father for around five months as they waited for his leg to heal.

Ahmat and his family knew they would get a high standard of healthcare at G2, but they may not have expected the hospital’s dedication to spiritual and pastoral care too. G2 is openly and proudly a Christian hospital, and prayer and evangelism form a huge part of the hospital’s ministry. Every bed comes with a New Testament on a shelf beside it, and they’ve recently had a delivery of Bibles in Chadian Arabic – the first of their kind. BMS World Mission worker Bethan Shrubsole and her colleague, Pastor Berihun*, go round to all the patients and offer to pray for them. Bethan, who is also a music therapist at the hospital, writes songs about Jesus that she sings to anyone who’ll listen. That’s how she met Ahmat – and it’s where he began to learn about his Saviour.

“I used to take my guitar and play with a group of children,” says Bethan. “Ahmat came and sat with us, and he would translate because the children only speak Arabic, and I was speaking French.”

A New Testament — There are copies of the New Testament on offer everywhere you go at Guinebor II.

Bethan slowly began to get to know Ahmat. When she and Berihun went to Ahmat’s father’s room to pray with him, Ahmat was really interested. He began to come and speak with Bethan and Berihun a few times a week, and they would read the Bible together and talk about Jesus. When it came time for his father’s surgery, Berihun and Bethan prayed for him again. And that’s when something miraculous happened. Kalbassou, BMS’ Hospital Director and surgeon, took the cast off and found his leg had healed properly, and they wouldn’t need to do any surgery. “Kalbassou said it was a miracle,” explains Gareth Shrubsole, Bethan’s husband. “No-one had expected that.” And it was this display of God’s miraculous healing power that led Ahmat to come faith in Jesus.

Workers in a Chadian hospital. — Broken bones are a very real risk to health and life for so many in Chad.

Once his father returned home, Ahmat stayed in N’Djamena, close to the hospital, with an aunt and uncle. Bethan was able to keep discipling him over WhatsApp. She and Kalbassou went to visit him, and while they were there, they met his cousin, who had a terrible case of tuberculosis. “The day before we saw her, she’d had a coughing fit that they thought was going to kill her,” says Bethan. So she and Kalbassou prayed for her, and she was able to come to G2 a few days later. After having a few weeks of treatment, her lungs had largely cleared up – which has led her to faith in Jesus.

Sadly, this isn’t the end of Ahmat and his cousin’s stories. When their families found out about their new faith, they kicked them out. It’s a tragic reality, knowing how joyful Ahmat is in his faith, but it’s not surprising. Bethan and Gareth have stories of local pastors who can only minister to new believers in secret, of a man whose family had him put in prison because of his faith. It’s why Berihun advises people not to share their faith with their families when they find new life in Jesus, at least not straight away – there’s no telling what could happen. “The aim is to keep them in their families,” says Bethan. “Not to hide their faith forever, but to slowly get their parents and their aunties and uncles acclimatised to it.”

“You want family members to say, ‘There’s something different about this person, I like the way this person is behaving, what is the cause of this change that I’m seeing?’” Gareth adds.

Two BMS mission workers — Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole are able to keep in touch with and disciple to new believers.

“The change in the person speaks for itself, and then the gospel follows up as the reason for it.” But many new believers, like Ahmat, find it impossible to keep their new faith a secret. And while it can lead to much heartache if their families can’t accept their new faith, BMS workers on the ground are there to help them process what’s happened and find new community, so that they’re never alone.

Three men praying — Believers in Chad, and across the world, need our prayer.

Bethan catches up with Ahmat regularly, and wonderfully, he and his cousin were able to find other places to stay in N’Djamena. Ahmat is in touch with other local Christians, and Bethan is there to help answer as many of his questions as she can. But Ahmat’s journey isn’t over, and he and other believers like him still need our support and prayers. So many BMS supporters raised money for G2 last year as part of our Operation: Chad appeal, which is why we hope you’ll be inspired by Ahmat’s story and want to share our 2021 Harvest appeal, I Will Stand.

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This year, we’re supporting courageous Christians living the gospel, no matter the cost. Stand with our brothers and sisters across the world and help bold believers be equipped to share the gospel, wherever they are. Encourage your church to hold an I Will Stand service, and you can help create a world where no-one has to hide their faith ever again.

*Names changed.
Words by Laura Durrant.

Operation: Chad – one year on

What’s been happening at G2?

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This is Operation: Chad, one year on. We’re taking you on a tour of some of the exciting new projects you’ve made possible at Guinebor II hospital

You wouldn’t have realised it from watching the Operation: Chad feature film, but BMS World Mission workers Mel and Tom Spears had really only just set foot on Chadian soil when we visited them in February 2020 with film cameras in tow! We were there to shoot our Harvest appeal, excited to tell their stories, and to see how their skills and experience would contribute to the vibrant life of Guinebor II (G2) hospital. And it wasn’t hard to do – it seemed to us as though Mel and Tom, along with their colleagues Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole, had all been there much longer, despite having only arrived in January 2020. Tom, who had worked as a General Practitioner in the UK, was already being called from patient to patient and treating people with conditions ranging from diabetes to cerebral malaria. And Mel was already imagining the shape her important work in public health might take, beginning with the community health of the villages that had grown up on the doorstep of G2.

The Spears family, pictured in Chad against a leafy backdrop. — Mel and Tom Spears moved to Chad in January 2020.

Knowing how much they had been able to do in the space of a few short weeks back then made us even more excited to check in with them. From new training sessions to a successful malnutrition treatment programme, we heard from Mel and Tom how the hopes and plans they shared with us have become a reality, one year on.

Cultural shifts

Mel’s plans for her work at G2 began by speaking to Achta. You may well recognise Achta from the Operation: Chad film – she’s the practitioner in charge of early years vaccinations. Achta’s experience of Chadian culture and the hospital’s current practices, coupled with Mel’s background in public health nutrition, proved the perfect breeding ground for new ideas. “I started seeing how malnutrition was being managed and finding out from Achta what she’d like to see change,” explains Mel. Together, they carried out a survey exploring infant feeding practices. It confirmed that many new mothers were being handed down a potentially dangerous practice of giving their babies too much water along with formula and breast milk. Sadly, the practice often stems from the fact that formula milk is expensive for so many Chadian families, and so parents add more water than is safe to make it go further.

Achta, a practitioner at Guinebor II hospital in Chad — Achta is part of the wonderful hospital team featured in Operation: Chad.

If babies continue to be given water, they lose the ability to regulate the amount of water in their cells, becoming almost comatose, Tom explains. They’ll soon recover if the practice is stopped – but if not, it will sadly prove fatal. “There’s a massive need for real investment in kind of a cultural shift, and how to change behaviour around that,” adds Mel. Extra training for the hospital’s midwives has already been proposed, so they can send mothers off with good advice from day one. And if children do start to grow up malnourished, with a lack of proper nutrients in their diet, Mel and Achta have been tackling that too.

Tackling malnutrition

Tom tells me that almost 30 per cent of children under the age of five in Chad are underweight, the seventh highest score in the world. So little Moussa’s case sadly wasn’t unusual. He arrived at the hospital clearly malnourished. His swollen limbs and diarrhoea displayed all the signs of the vicious cycle that is created by malnutrition: a nutrient-poor diet which leaves a child susceptible to infections that could become life-threatening. Luckily, after training put in place by Mel, medical staff can use a test to diagnose malnutrition that is as simple as measuring the circumference of the child’s upper arm.

Achta's clinic at Guinebor II hospital in Chad.

Peanut paste created as part of a public health programme at Guinebor II hospital, Chad.

A newborn baby at Guinebor II hospital in Chad.

Moussa improved slowly as he received a nutrient-rich peanut supplement for malnutrition, and treatment for his infections. His swelling reduced and Mel and Achta were delighted when his weight began to increase again. Moussa’s family befriended others, sharing meals together on the hospital grounds. And they also became part of the community programme, with its weekly check-ups. “Achta recently sent me a photo of Moussa and his rounded face was unrecognisable,” says Mel.

Achta laughing with a mother at the clinic, Guinebor II. — Children showing signs of malnutrition are now referred to Achta.

The difference the team are already making means you can’t help but feel excited for the future at G2. The team are looking forward to welcoming BMS nurse Jackie Chilvers, who will be giving additional support on the maternity wards. And having a team come alongside her has encouraged Achta too. She’s felt happier, more valued and more motivated, no longer tackling such massive needs alone. And with plans to take good public health practices into the community in 2022, we can’t wait to see what Mel and Achta do next.

You raised an amazing £301,823 for Operation: Chad, whether that was as church families coming together in wonderful harvest services, or as generous individuals, inspired by the healthcare you had received and wanting to give back. We’re so thankful for you all. If you missed the appeal, it’s not too late to give. Learn more about Operation: Chad right here.

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Words by Hannah Watson
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

The disease the world forgot

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Andrea and Mark Hotchkin on fighting an ‘orphan disease’ in the Chadian desert.

Orphan disease /ˈɔːf(ə)n /dɪˈziːz/ noun

A disease whose treatment or prevention has seen little investment by pharmaceutical companies, because any financial incentives for manufacturing new medications to treat or prevent it are small.
Orphan diseases may also include neglected tropical diseases, defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a group of diseases concentrated almost exclusively in poor populations in the Global South. Among these diseases, which affect more than one billion people, are dengue fever, leprosy, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and leishmaniasis.

If you haven’t heard of leishmaniasis before, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Think of malaria, and you’re getting close, except that this microscopic parasitic disease is restricted to a much narrower geographical region, populated by the particular species of sandfly that transmits it. “In world-terms, it’s not an important disease,” says Mark Hotchkin, who, alongside his wife Andrea, has served as a surgeon in Chad for the past ten years. “Visceral leishmaniasis kills something like 20 to 40,000 people in the world every year, whereas malaria will see something like 10,000 deaths of children in Chad alone.”

And while the problem is of a totally different order in terms of numbers, when you live in an area that is affected by leishmaniasis – and patients start showing up to the hospital with worrying symptoms – it becomes less about the global statistics, and entirely about what you can do to help this person. “Really, you could argue that in terms of numbers, you should focus on malaria and forget about leishmaniasis,” adds Andrea. “But, I suppose, we’ve been in the right place at the right time.” Mark vividly remembers the day he was called to see his first leishmaniasis patient. It was 18 March 2018, and a child with a high fever had been brought to the hospital. It was an unusual case that left the staff team puzzled, but Mark was reminded of the leishmaniasis patients he’d only ever come across three or four times while working in the Chadian capital of N’Djamena. The little 12-year-old boy who had been brought to Mark was already extremely ill, and while Mark was confident of his diagnosis, he didn’t have access to any of the tests or medications he needed to treat the child.

A man and a woman talking outside a Chadian hospital.

The difficult truth

Because leishmaniasis has been categorised as an ‘orphan illness’ – restricted to the poorest parts of the world and not financially lucrative to create up-to-date medications for, you might be led to think its prognosis isn’t serious. And while eight in ten people will be naturally inoculated against the disease, visceral leishmaniasis (one form the disease can take) attacks the internal organs of the 20 per cent who aren’t.

Those who do go on to show symptoms will start to experience them a couple of months after being infected, as the disease infiltrates their bone marrow, liver and spleen. Sufferers become anaemic, feverish and eventually immunodeficient, unable to make new blood platelets and at risk of severe bleeding. Without treatment, it’s a slow, inevitable decline towards death.

Faced with this knowledge, and in an awful race against time, Mark and Andrea quickly sent out a call for the medication to everywhere they could think of, even going so far as to contact suppliers in England in case it could be found in time. A rare supply of drugs was frantically sourced by BMS pharmacist Claire Bedford and paid for by BMS World Mission – but – “It arrived shortly after he’d died,” says Andrea. “It was really very sad.” And while the medication did arrive, another patient had since passed away less than a day after arriving at the hospital. Time went by without any other leishmaniasis patients coming to the hospital, but, unbeknown to Andrea and Mark, echoes of the tragic deaths had found their way to Chad’s Ministry of Health. God had truly been at work, and it was with real surprise that Mark and Andrea found themselves being offered a large donation of leishmaniasis medication by the Ministry of Health’s own pharmacist, who wanted to know if Mark and Andrea had the skill to roll it out in the hospital in Bardaï.

“We got the drugs, we got the tests, and then… we started getting patients,” says Andrea. Ironically, the news that tests are available has made life more complicated when chatting to anxious parents, coming to the hospital with a feverish child. “The trouble is that these tests will give you a positive reading, even if you’re one of the eight in ten who is immune to leishmaniasis,” says Andrea. A positive reading means the team have to think hard about whether to start someone on the treatment plan of daily injections, which can span from 17 days all the way up to 30. This is because the treatment plan has lots of negative side-effects, partly due to leishmaniasis’ status as an orphan disease. Little research has gone into creating newer, more effective drugs, and with Andrea’s rough estimate that around five per cent of those who go on the treatment plan could die from those side effects, you start to appreciate the enormity of the decision Andrea and Mark have to make.

To make that crucial decision, they’ve developed a rigorous protocol to follow with each patient. They begin by taking on board what the patient says, ascertaining whether they’ve had a fever and how long it’s gone on for. Then, they’ll admit them to the hospital and monitor them, using a test to rule out malaria and treating them with antibiotics. Without any improvement from that, they’ll do the test for leishmaniasis and start them on the medication. Wonderfully, because the Ministry of Health has been involved since the beginning, the expensive treatment course is free for patients. A cohort of doctors has also been sent to examine Mark and Andrea’s work and suggest how it could be replicated across the country. “They were really impressed,” explains Andrea. The WHO has come on board too, and samples of the leishmaniasis strain have been sent to Cameroon for testing, so the most effective medication might be found. When the treatment plan is rolled out, affected areas of Chad will have the possibility of treating people with leishmaniasis for free, including, hopefully, at the BMS-supported Guinebor II hospital in N’Djamena. Andrea and Mark estimate that without the treatment hub they’ve created at the hospital, most patients they see would end up seeking help in Libya.

“Lots of things have fallen into place that have allowed us to do more than we would have ever imagined we could do,” says Andrea. Another positive consequence of the programme has been a huge increase in confidence in the hospital, with the wards filling up and patients staying for the whole course of their treatment, something that wasn’t a given previously. Two things are undeniable though: Andrea and Mark are quite clear that this astounding achievement would not have been possible without God’s provision and without your support.

“It is such a joy to see a child who has come in so sick go home laughing and running around,” reflect Andrea and Mark. “Thank you for enabling this to happen.”

Make pioneering healthcare and lifesaving work like this possible. You can enable Andrea and Mark’s crucial work when you support them regularly as a 24:7 Partner. Go to www.bmsworldmission.org/247 today, and support healthcare in northern Chad.

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Words by Hannah Watson, Editor of Engage, the BMS magazine.

WhatsApp Mission

WhatsApp mission:

The technology that helped a girl to walk

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Meet Diana*, the girl who couldn’t walk, and discover the powerful connections that healed her.

They thought she wouldn’t make it. For six months, seven-year-old Diana had lain bedridden with a life-threatening illness no-one could determine. And even when she began to get well, the situation seemed hopeless: Diana could no longer walk, her small frame was stuck bent forward and she was in great pain. Although her family tried desperately, they couldn’t find any way to help her.

Diana would normally have been at her Kindergarten, run by BMS World Mission’s partner in Guinea, learning, playing and hearing stories from the Bible. But when she stopped going, her teachers spoke to her parents and realised they had to help. Fortunately, they knew exactly who they could go to.

A girl in Guinea — When Caroline first met Diana, she couldn't walk and was in a lot of pain.

BMS worker Caroline* usually treats stroke patients, and regularly works with people experiencing paralysis. Her skills and expertise seemed perfectly suited to help Diana. The only problem? Caroline lives 150 km away from Diana and the roads were so difficult that it would take her four hours each way to reach her. But Caroline and her colleagues weren’t going to let this get in the way of helping this little girl.

Their solution was one that many of us will be able to relate to after the last year: taking things online. “Without WhatsApp, it would have been impossible to help this girl,” says Caroline. Thanks to the help of online video calls, Caroline was able to observe and assess Diana’s condition and make a diagnosis.

A girl lifts a stick above her head, her face is blurred — Caroline prescribed lots of different exercises to help build Diana's strength.

From there, she gave her exercises to help build up her strength and make sure she walked once more. These exercises were crucial to healing Diana, but they needed to be done three times a day in order for them to work at all. Just a week after Caroline’s initial consultation, her colleague helping Diana’s mum and teacher to carry out the exercises noticed the difference in Diana’s condition. “Her spirit is lifted, she’s more joyful now,” she said. When Caroline had first seen Diana walking, she had to be held up completely. She could barely move her feet and you could tell from her face how much pain she was in. But three weeks later, Caroline could see incredible improvement. Even though she still had to be held up to walk, the strength in her legs was already coming back. One week later, she could walk with a stick. Two weeks later, she could walk with somebody holding her hand. Three weeks later, she could walk alone.

A family in Guinea — Thanks to your prayers and support, Caroline was able to help Diana to walk again.

Two months after Caroline started working with Diana, she was able to meet her in person for the first time. The girl she met was so unlike the girl she’d seen in the first video. Still shy and clinging to her mother, but with a cheeky smile and playful spirit as she walked and ran around, as if she had never had any trouble at all.

Throughout everything, Caroline saw God’s faithfulness and mercy through the connections in Diana’s life. God was at work in the Internet connection that allowed Caroline to give her weekly consultations. God was at work in the connections between Caroline’s colleagues and Diana’s teachers, and in their dedication to helping Diana heal. And God was there in the connections between Caroline and you, our amazing BMS supporters, who prayed for Diana as she began to take her first steps once again. “It’s because of all these connections we could really help her,” says Caroline. “And now she’s so joyful and like herself again.”

Check out this video to see Diana's amazing progress!

Want to help save lives in Guinea?

If you’ve been inspired by this story and want to help support God’s work in Guinea, why not talk to your church about supporting our workers on the frontline as a Church Partner? You can support Caroline and her husband Victor*, or new Guinea team member Holly* (or even all of them!). Head to our Church Partners page to find out more.

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Words by Laura Durrant.
*Names changed for security reasons.

How to vaccinate the world

Join Hannah and Laura from BMS World Mission’s Advocacy Team, as we journey through one of the biggest issues facing the world today: just access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Looking to the past

How many people do you know today who have suffered from polio? I imagine the answer is probably no-one, or at least very few. Cases have decreased by 99 per cent since the 1980s, and what was a tragically widespread disease is now only found in three countries in the world. And the reason? The vaccine was never patented, allowing for it to be made accessible worldwide and saving countless lives. In a recent blog post, BMS surgeons Mark and Andrea Hotchkin argue that the same attitude is needed to eradicate Covid-19.

A man and a woman outside a hut in the desert. — Andrea and Mark Hotchkin provide vital healthcare in Bardaï, Chad.

“Could you patent the sun?” These are the famous words of Jonas Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine, when asked who would own the vaccine. It’s a phrase being used by The People’s Vaccine Alliance, of which BMS is a part, to campaign for intellectual property waivers on the Covid-19 vaccines. Waiving the patents means vaccines can be manufactured across the world. Those waivers, however, are currently being blocked by Western countries, and have been since 2020. “It seems that for the rich nations it is unthinkable that this should be proposed. It is apparently just not the way our world works,” say Andrea and Mark. “But it doesn’t have to be this way.”

The struggles of the present

A woman in PPE — Rachel Conway-Doel is BMS' Overseas Team for Relief but is also a trained vaccinator in the UK.

So how do you go about co-ordinating a relief effort that is clouded by such complicated issues? Laura sat down with BMS’ Overseas Team Leader for Relief, Rachel Conway-Doel, to ask how she’s been facilitating BMS’ Coronavirus relief response since the beginning of 2020, and how BMS is supporting just access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Laura: When you see what happened with the polio vaccine, how does that relate to what’s happening today with Covid-19 vaccine?

Rachel: So, this is the point of the People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA). Their big thing is access to the vaccines – and one of the biggest things around that is the international intellectual property sharing. If the blocks aren’t lifted, it means that more manufacturers can’t make vaccines, and that means restricted supply, which means fewer people get vaccinated.

L: How does that link to BMS’ role in terms of the Campaign for a Covid-free world?

R: We’re part of the PVA, which is calling for equitable access – and intellectual property waivers are one of the biggest ways we’ll be able to achieve this. So it totally aligns with our petition, and it needs all the noise it can get. Because without the noise, the heads of state and big organisations won’t feel like it’s as central an issue.

On the ground

Many of us in the UK feel instinctively that vaccines are safe – but all around the world, fears about being made to have a recently developed vaccine are very real. Hannah spoke to Daniel and Regiane Clark, BMS workers in Peru, to hear why, in many contexts across the world, vaccine hesitancy is grounded in culture and history.

Hannah: Can you tell us how the Covid pandemic affected life in Peru?

Regiane: Since the pandemic started last year in March, the lockdown was very strict for Peruvians. The army was patrolling the streets, and you couldn’t go out… It was very difficult, and very hard, especially because 70 per cent of the population are informal workers who work out in the streets.

Two BMS mission workers and their daughter smiling into the camera. — Daniel and Regiane Clark have been advocating for the Covid-19 vaccine in Peru.

Daniel: And many don’t have bank accounts, or access to the internet.

H: Did you hear of many people becoming ill with the virus, and being hospitalised?

R: We did, but most people were dying at home… They would prefer to stay at home and be treated with natural medicines and by relatives, because the hospital might not have spaces.

D: There’s still a history and a legacy from the [Peruvian dictator Alberto] Fujimori era, of women who were sterilised. Some women were forced to be sterilised, or a lot of them were Quetchua-speaking but were given documents in Spanish, and they thought they were signing up to one thing. But they were signing up to not have any more children.

H: I’d like to ask you about the webinars you’ve been preparing – I think there was one around family health in the pandemic, focusing on good practices and myth-busting?

R: I think most people want the vaccine… but they have doubts. Maybe they had bad experiences in the past. The problem is, there is information going around Peru and in other countries in South America, confusing people. People think they could get side effects, or other kinds of diseases that would be worse by having the vaccine.

H: So when you are doing a seminar like that, what content would go into the web events?

D: These are new things… the one that will take most time is the one around debunking myths and reinforcing good health.
I think it’ll be true of other countries – not just Peru – that people do have a reason not to trust… you’re having to engage with what is quite a legitimate fear, a legitimate concern.

The workshops planned by Daniel and Regiane are just one of a number of ways that our partners are seeking to make just access to the Covid vaccine a reality. If you’d also like to be part of making a difference, why not sign our petition, the Campaign for a Covid-free world? Your voice will be added on those calling the UK Government to make decisions for the good of everyone, not just the wealthiest nations, when it comes to equal access. And we’ll keep you in the loop with how else you can be involved in supporting vaccine rollouts in the places we work, too.

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Words by Hannah Watson and Laura Durrant.

Tham’s good news story

This is the difference you made

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This is a story about the difference Christian kindness can make in a life affected by leprosy. This is Tham’s incredible story.

We can all identify with being stuck at home at the moment. It’s been our daily life for almost a year, and the effects of not being able to see our loved ones or go out as normal are made even worse during this dark, bracing winter.

While it’s undoubtedly been tough, there are other people around the world whose whole lives are lived out in a kind of never-ending lockdown. And it’s not a highly infectious new disease with no easy cure, like Covid-19, that’s keeping people in isolation. Rather, it’s fear. Fear of a condition that’s been with us for millennia, that in reality has low community transmission, and that can be completely cured with the right medical intervention early on. But the stigma around leprosy means that myths abound, especially in places like Nepal, with many people believing that once you have leprosy, there’s no way out.

The difference you made

The fear and stigma keeping people in life-long lockdown were the subjects of BMS World Mission’s 2020 Nepal Christmas appeal. Where leprosy was keeping sufferers imprisoned, our workers in Nepal knew that generous action from BMS supporters could help set them free. The response has been incredible, with over £69,000 raised so far. But, more than that, your actions are helping to rewrite the story being told about leprosy, and bring positive, lasting change to countries like Nepal.

A Nepali man dressed in blue hospital scrubs smiles at the camera. — Thanks to your support, Tham has been able to get the vital treatment he needed.

Tham is all too familiar with the stigma and discrimination that people affected by leprosy can experience in Nepal. As a young man living in Syangja district, he had just begun a new chapter of his life – one living with his leprosy diagnosis. Trips to receive treatment at the BMS-supported hospital in Pokhara were becoming a regular part of his routine. “One day, I entered a hotel on my way [to the hospital], to have tea and breakfast,” says Tham. “The hotel owner was observing my hands while I was having tea. After finishing it, I asked for the bill. The lady asked for some money and also told me to take the cup along with me. That was very disrespectful and rude behaviour. After that, I never went to any hotels, no matter how hungry I was.”

Thankfully, Tham was receiving treatment at the BMS-supported hospital in Pokhara when this devastating incident occurred, and was surrounded by a loving community who could support him. But there are many more hidden sufferers who haven’t yet received a diagnosis, and who face worrying symptoms and discrimination alone, rejected even by family. There’s still time to give if you’d like to make a difference. Head to our appeal page now to donate.

Years have passed since that day at the hotel, and Tham’s life has changed beyond all he could have expected. “The situation [around stigma] has changed a lot,” says Tham. “People are now more aware of the disease.” Wonderfully, Tham has been an important part of bringing that change to others who are suffering from the devastating effects of leprosy. He’s been able to live with confidence, employed as a BMS-supported pastoral counsellor for the past five years at the same hospital where he received his treatment. Tham’s also built a life with his loving and supportive family, and most exciting of all, he’s also become a Christian, and accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour!

Tham praying with a lady in a wheelchair at the BMS-supported hospital in Pokhara, Nepal. — Tham prays with Indra at the BMS-supported hospital in Pokhara, Nepal.

As a BMS-supported pastoral assistant, you’ve enabled Tham to…

conduct around 200 peer counselling sessions a year with a colleague, listening to patients, sharing experiences and offering support
be part of a team providing help and support to 384 leprosy in-patients in one year
help new patients to settle into the hospital by showing them around and helping them to feel comfortable
help those who want to know more about their condition, talking them through their diagnosis or sharing information about their treatment plan
hold fellowship sessions on the ward, with singing, testimonies and opportunities to share the good news of the gospel
follow up with patients who want to know more about the love of Jesus Christ, and pray with them

Thank you so much for reaching out to precious people like Tham this Christmas. You’ve brought a future free from leprosy one step closer to becoming a reality for thousands in Nepal. And because of your generosity, your love and your prayers, there will be plenty more stories being told in Nepal with a happy ending, like Tham’s.

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Words by Hannah Watson

You saved their lives

Operation: Chad

You saved their lives

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The rattle of metal wheels as a patient is gently pushed into the operating theatre. The moment of silent anticipation before a newborn baby cries out for the first time. The earnest words of prayer said before a difficult surgery. These are the sounds of Guinebor II (G2) hospital. These are the stories you helped to tell.

This isn’t the end of the story for G2 hospital.

Our amazing BMS World Mission supporters have raised an incredible £283,000 by featuring our Operation: Chad appeal in church services across the UK. And there’s still time to raise even more! You can hold an Operation: Chad service all year round, and if you want some accessible and copyright-free resources for your online service, then look no further. From video sermons to a quiz to our stunning feature video, we’ve got everything you’ll need for your service.

Mohammed Ibrahim Hassaballah

It’s been five years since Mohammed’s son began to show the symptoms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Five years of going to hospital after hospital to try and get the help he so desperately needed. Every time they thought he’d been given some transformative treatment or lifechanging intervention, it was only a matter of time before he deteriorated again – before Mohammed was back desperately trying to find the best way to help his son.

Then the unimaginable happened one morning in 2019. “My son fell ill. It was as if his body was dead,” said Mohammed. “His throat was blocked, and he couldn’t move, eat, drink, breathe, nothing.” That was when Mohammed made the decision that saved his son’s life: he brought him to Guinebor II.

Mohammed’s son was able to get the treatment that would save his life… but it didn’t stop there. He’s had regular physiotherapy and music therapy sessions since he first came to Guinebor II. He smiles as he strums the guitar in his music therapy session, a far cry from the lifeless boy who first arrived in his father’s arms.

“It’s thanks to this hospital my boy is still alive,” says Mohammed. “I give thanks to God and the doctors here.”

Mohammed helps his son with muscle-building physiotherapy.

Rakié Akaye

Rakié recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

“I came to the hospital on the back of a motorbike. We arrived here at 6 am… my labour lasted 16 hours. It was really painful, and I was scared because it’s the first time I’ve given birth. But I trusted the midwives.

“I’m so happy, and I’m just asking God to keep my baby safe. Guinebor II hospital is just really good. I had a really good welcome and I was well looked after.

“My hopes are that God will look after my son. I really hope that when he’s old enough he’ll be able to go to school.”

Enjoyed this story? Click here!

How you helped Rakié

Chad has the fifth highest infant mortality rate in the world. But your generous gifts to Operation: Chad have been used to support the amazing team of midwives at G2, meaning they can bring even more healthy babies into the world.

Mahamat Aboss Abdel Karim

Age: 30 years old

At Guinebor II for: Hepatitis and a ruptured liver

Journey: Four days

How you helped him: Many people in Chad still turn to traditional medicines when they’re ill which often don’t work and sometimes cause further damage. By coming to G2, Mahamat was able to get the right treatment he needs to help him fully recover.

In his own words: “Thank you – I’m feeling much better now. I’m going to tell other people that G2 is a good hospital.”

Al-Fadil Abalallah

It was raining the day Al-Fadil’s life changed forever. His van skidded on the already treacherous roads and flipped over, knocking him unconscious for over an hour. When he woke up, he was severely injured, with a broken arm and leg. But that was just the beginning of the problems he would face.

Al-Fadil travelled thousands of miles from his native Sudan to try and find the right treatment. Nobody could help him, not even during the five months spent with traditional healers who bound his arm and leg tightly. Many doctors told him his leg would have to be amputated. But one day Al-Fadil spoke to his boss who, thankfully, could speak from experience…

“My boss told me he’d had an accident too,” Al-Fadil explains. “When he came to Guinebor II, he recovered really quickly and that’s why he told me to come here.” When Al-Fadil finally came to G2, everything changed. He was able to receive the proper care he needed to heal and to save his leg, without any complications. “The doctors here are really looking after me,” says Al-Fadil. “I think that by the grace of God, everything is going to be ok.”

Words by Laura Durrant.

You've done amazing things this year:

An oasis of healing

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Newborn babies letting out their first cry, broken bones being set, patients being wheeled to life-saving surgery. This is everyday life at Guinebor II (G2) hospital in Chad, and it’s what photographer Alex Baker experienced when he went to take photos of the hospital for BMS World Mission’s Operation: Chad appeal. These are the stories behind his shots.

“Rakié Akaye knew all the risks coming into the maternity ward. But for her, G2 was a safe pair of hands. A place she knew would be safe for her child to be born.”

“That’s what is so inspiring about this hospital – the peace of mind it provides to scared people. It’s a safe place to be, a chance of hope, an opportunity for recovery.”

“Agnès Netadé was one of many people who work at the hospital who were willing and open to sharing their stories about life at G2. They were all so caring, patient, gentle and considerate. I could see why people travelled so far to be treated here.”

“It was in the operating theatre that we understood for the first time what makes Kalbassou, Director of G2, so special. Why his skills are such a blessing. Watching him performing surgery was an intense experience – it’s a space where the preciousness of life becomes apparent. Kalbassou was as calm and commanding there as he was when he greeted us. He was exactly the person I’d want to operate on me.”

“Al-Fadil Abalallah was at G2 to have his broken arm and leg treated. It was a particularly bad fracture. He’d travelled a long way. But he was grateful to be here. He knew he was in good hands.”

“We heard many stories of how surgery had saved lives, but G2 offered its patients so much more. I will never forget the look of pure joy that filled Mohammed’s face during his musical therapy session. When BMS music therapist Bethan Shrubsole played him songs and shared her instruments with him, his face would just light up.”

Join the operation

You can save even more lives in Chad by supporting the BMS Operation: Chad appeal. Click here to give today.

Photographs by Alex Baker.

The most dramatic day

Sahel surgeons:

The most dramatic day

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Truckloads of injured fighters. Surgeons donating blood. Chicken pies for tea. All in a day’s work for BMS World Mission workers in the Sahel, Andrea and Mark.

Oh my goodness, these guys. The things they see. The help they give. They’re amazing. And inspiring. And deserving of your support. If you don’t know them, let us introduce you.

Andrea and Mark Hotchkin are BMS medical workers in Bardai, in the northern part of Chad, and they are some of our favourite people. They are experienced and highly skilled surgeons who are living in a two-room dwelling in one of the most remote locations BMS works. They sleep on the floor (in sleeping bags to keep out the scorpions). They have an outdoor loo and washing area. And they are, as you will see a little bit later, magnificently understated about the work they do and the situations they face.

Take their latest prayer letter. Andrea and Mark work in a Government hospital, alongside dedicated Chadian staff, building capacity and raising community trust in what is an important medical centre in this part of the Sahel region of North Africa. Lately, they have been dealing with some of the fallout from the conflict in the Sahel that you may have read about. It’s pretty intense and dramatic, but Andrea and Mark open their latest prayer letter with characteristic calm:

Since the start of the year we have been using a morning prayer from the Corrymeela Community:

May we make room for the unexpected, may we find wisdom and life in the unexpected. We recall our day yesterday: May we learn, may we love, may we live on. Help us to respond graciously to disappointment.

It helps us reflect on our lives, the joys and the difficulties of each day, and the fact that it is often through relationships with others that we can truly live and encounter God. So on Friday the 21 February we prayed that we may make room for the unexpected, whilst at the same time hoping for a normal day’s work before expecting a quiet weekend as we have been exceptionally busy over the past 2 months and just needed a bit of rest.

So far, so just-the-same-as-most-of-our-Fridays, right? Wrong.

At one o’clock, three military pickups arrived without warning from the local airstrip. They had 11 badly injured fighters who had been evacuated by helicopter from a gold field 300 km (a day’s drive) to the North on the Libyan frontier. The battle had been a couple of days before, we had heard some news, but as such things are quite frequent and often we get two or three self-referred casualties at a time, we hadn’t thought much about it. Thankfully, a couple of weeks before, we had opened a new seven-bed ward (that had been used before as a storeroom), so the two patients in there were moved next door and the room filled. Four extra beds were added when it became clear that they were needed. It sounds efficient, it wasn’t; but amazingly it was possible.

Casual. Three trucks full of wounded fighters show up without warning. You beat yourself up about the efficiency of your bed-moving. These guys are incredible. And helping people who are in real trouble. Like this:

There was one teenager in shock with a bullet wound to his abdomen and another with a bullet wound puncturing the lung and paralysed from the waist down. The rest had a mixture of open fractures of legs and arms caused by bullets and closed fractures of leg, chest and pelvis from being hit by armoured vehicles. All had received no treatment or dressings since they were injured three days before. Where to begin? The entire hospital staff sprang into action, all six of us: two Chadian doctors, two Chadian nurses and us.

Wait, what? Six people? Yes. Because BMS sends people where they are needed most, rather than where it’s easiest, and we send them to work alongside the people already making a difference. Chad has fewer than 500 doctors to serve a population of 11 million people, and places near the Libyan border really need medical capacity. The Chadians working there are real heroes, and Andrea and Mark are proud to work with them. And work they do…

We needed fluids for resuscitation, antibiotics, anti-tetanus serum, pain killers and dressings in large amounts. The hospital administrator who is currently running the pharmacy had never seen anything like it. Fortunately, we have boxes for major surgical emergencies from the Ministry of Health: drugs, dressings, stitches and swabs all in a big box. Soon everyone was pulling together and an unexpected four nurses came from the small military clinic to help to assess and treat the patients. An emergency chest drain was put in, saline drips started and everyone was assessed, wounds dressed and notes made. The first patient with an open fracture was operated on, the second with maggots in his wound had drunk a litre of juice supplied by the local community (along with blankets and food the next day) and the patient with an abdominal injury was vomiting as he too hadn’t been able to resist a drink. At that moment, four hours after the first casualties, a second convoy arrived with twelve more patients, about half walking wounded and the rest with bad fractures.

That’s right. More. But did the amazing mix of British and Chadian staff panic? No. Or maybe yes. We don’t know. What we do know is that they just got on with it and did what was necessary.

A second ward was cleared and, as first treatments were being given, we took the man with the abdominal wound and peritonitis to theatre as he now had a palpable pulse and measurable blood pressure. We have no blood bank but a unit of much needed blood had been given by a mission colleague and very fortunately, a couple of days before, an electrician had fixed the ceiling lights so that we now had six, rather than two bulbs, which, along with our head torches, made up for the fact that the operating lamps are broken. The operation went well, two perforations of the small bowel were removed, and as he was still shocked at the end of the operation, despite Andrea’s best efforts, at midnight I gave him a unit of my blood. And once we had finished cleaning up the operating theatre for the next day’s work and checked on the newly arrived patients, we were ready to walk home.

So, to be clear: operating using head torches and donating your own blood to patients you’ve operated on. No fanfare, no fuss. Just doing what you do. Andrea and Mark and the amazing local people who they work with are an inspiration to us. We hope they are an inspiration to you, too. People who have sacrificed an easier life at home to help people where the need is great, working and living alongside the hard-pressed local heroes who are able to do more because people like you support BMS.

You can support Andrea and Mark regularly Click here

Andrea and Mark wouldn’t be able to be there without your prayers and without your giving. So please pray now for Chad, for peace in the Sahel and for Andrea and Mark, as well as all the staff at this heroic hospital.

And here’s our favourite part of this letter form the Hotchkins. The understated cherry on the top of their day of drama:

The final unexpected event of that eventful day was a chicken pie that our mission colleague had dropped off at the hospital for our tea. It was 2 am and we fell asleep with the alarm set for 7 o’clock.

You can support Andrea and Mark by giving regularly or you can make a one-off donation to support this and other life-transforming work around the world. Whatever you do, we are grateful. Thank you for your prayers.

They are the very opposite of ex-pats living the high life, separated from the real lives of the local people they serve. And they experience some of the most intense and challenging situations you can imagine.

Coronavirus outbreak: pray for China and Italy

Coronavirus outbreak:

pray for China, Italy and the world

Praying for this 176

A global health emergency has been declared by the World Health Organisation as the coronavirus spreads across China and and other parts of the world. Please pray for China, Italy, and other countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

For all our latest updates on the Covid-19 Coronavirus world response, please click here.

Over 3,000 people have died and over 80,000 cases have been recorded nationally, after confirmation on 30 January that the virus had spread to every region in China. There have been over 17, 000 cases of the virus recorded worldwide, and over 300 deaths, most of which have been recorded in Italy and Iran.

The city of Wuhan, where the virus is thought to have initially broken out, was put under effective quarantine on January 23, two weeks after the new virus was identified.

“Our hearts cry out for those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus and for all those impacted by the virus in China, East Asia and now worldwide, as it is declared a global health emergency,” says BMS’ Roger Pearce. “Please join us in praying for the continued safety of mission workers across the region, and for the eradication of the virus.”

Please pray for China, and for the other countries affected by this virus. Pray for God’s hand of protection over all doctors and nurses, governments and health authorities working across the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Pray for China

Pray for healing for those currently affected by the virus, that they would respond well to treatment and that they would recover quickly.
Pray for all those being kept under quarantine across the world. Pray that no symptoms will appear, and that God would bring them peace until they can return home.
Pray for the medical workers across the world fighting this virus. Pray that they would remain safe and strong while they carry out this vital work.
Pray for China. Pray that God will protect this nation and stop the virus spreading further.
Pray for authority figures working to combat the spread of the virus. Pray that they will be wise, and that their efforts will be fruitful.

Download the prayer points

Map of the Hubei province, China. — The coronanvirus outbreak began in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China. Please pray for China, and for all those affected by the virus across the world.

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Saving lives this Christmas

This winter, families in Afghanistan will be able to drink water without risking death for the very first time.

Supporting this 16

BMS World Mission photographer Alex Baker takes us behind the scenes of our Christmas appeal. We’re bringing clean water to Afghanistan, and we urgently need your support.

In January 2018, a team from BMS World Mission travelled to the snowy mountains of Afghanistan. They were there to see the difference that BMS’ winter appeal will make in the lives of remote communities, as clean, fresh water is piped into the heart of Afghan villages. Alex was part of that team. These are his photographs.

A village chief in a blue outfit stands in a shelter protecting a new water tap from the elements. — "They were incredibly proud of the well. They were very keen to show us that they were not only using it, but looking after it too."

“What was really clever was that the village had built this greenhouse around the well. It meant that the water would flow freely, despite it being -40 degrees outside. It really is a great example of local knowledge and expertise.”

An Afghan girl in a white headscarf looks towards the camera in her village. — “People didn’t directly share with me about their children getting sick and dying, but I heard stories."

“I already thought that the work was good – that it really helps. Providing people with good drinkable water is such a step forward.

But being there in person, I saw how something that was meant to be very functional and practical made a difference to the village’s interaction on a society level. It was giving them this point where different generations could mix and interact.”

Children in Afghanistan are dying from waterborne diseases, like typhoid and cholera.

Dirty water is a death sentence in Afghanistan.

Could you give to save lives?

Any amount you give really can make a difference.

“It becomes this meeting point. It’s really cold outside, but the minute you walk into the greenhouse, you feel like you’re in some kind of lovely spa. There’s fresh, clean spring water. And it’s really nice and warm in there.”

A boy in blue drinks water from a WASH project built by BMS World Mission in Afghanistan, surrounded by other children.

“Sometimes projects like this are purely functional — but the fact that so much thought was put into making this a warm, inviting space? The architect in me was impressed by that. It was a genuine gift to the village on every level.”

Afghan women wearing black headscarves gather around a tap, filling up jerry cans with fresh, clean water. — "You aren't just building a tap. You're bringing life. Life not just as a physical thing, but as a social thing, too.”

Give the gift of water this Christmas. You can get clean water to families in Afghanistan, so they don’t have to stagger through driving snow to get to a river teeming with disease.

You can provide the materials for villages to help build their own wells, empowered every step of the way by BMS World Mission-supported workers.

What’s more, you can hand people ownership of their well, so they can choose the best spot for this new source of life and community. Please continue to pray for Afghanistan. And give if you can — any amount makes a difference.

Words and interview by Hannah Watson, Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine.

Tech for mission

Tech for mission:

how cutting-edge tech is transforming lives

Supporting this 7

You heard it here first. BMS World Mission is harnessing the powers of science and faith to transform mission, thanks to your giving.

Technology is transforming mission. Evangelists are using social media to reach those who want to know Jesus in places where it’s too dangerous to ask about faith. Scientific advances and faithful BMS supporters are improving antenatal care for South Sudanese women in Uganda. What if science and faith were not arch-enemies but actually long-lost friends?

Your faithful prayers and generous giving are supporting BMS in bringing science and faith together across the world to transform lives. Bidi Bidi refugee camp, Uganda, now a settlement the size of Birmingham with over a quarter of a million people, is one of those places.

A woman sitting in a plastic chair with her baby in Bidi Bidi refugee camp, Uganda. — Aya Joska arrived in Bidi Bidi refugee camp fighting for a future for her and her unborn baby.

South Sudanese refugees have fled a terrifying and brutal civil war, with hundreds of thousands arriving at Bidi Bidi camp. Aya Joska is one of the conflict survivors living there. She was pregnant when she ran from men armed with guns and machetes, escaping with the clothes on her back and her unborn baby.

Arriving at a refugee camp may have meant safety for some, but it wasn’t total security for Aya. With 99 per cent of maternal deaths occurring in low-income areas, the odds were overwhelmingly against her. “As a pregnant woman, you’re literally hundreds of times more likely to die from conditions such as pre-eclampsia, infections and haemorrhages in low-income countries,” says Dr Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London. “Often, it’s not because of a lack of sophisticated treatment, but because, in places like the UK, vital signs are regularly checked, and symptoms are discovered early on.”

A blood pressure monitor called the Cradle Device being used in Bidi Bidi camp. — Bidi Bidi camp needed an early detector that could be used by untrained people, that’s easy to use and understand.

A man with a blood pressure monitor smiling at the camera from an ante-natal care room. — A key component to antenatal care in the UK is to be seen regularly and have your blood pressure checked.

That’s where technology stepped in. Dr Shennan spent the best part of a decade developing a highly accurate, easy-to-use blood pressure monitor called the Cradle Device. Not only does it measure blood pressure, but it also identifies symptoms. It tells the user if action needs to be taken using a simple traffic light system. If a woman’s vital signs trigger a red light, then health work volunteers can get her to hospital as soon as possible. “By detecting these conditions earlier, than you can prevent the mother from dying,” says Dr Shennan. “Her other children are 50 per cent more likely to die if she dies.” So when you protect the mother, you’re also protecting her children.

The Cradle Device is relatively cheap and charges with a simple micro-USB charger which most people use to charge their phones and, cleverly, it also can be plugged into a solar or car battery. It’s a device perfectly suited to refugee situations. And your support for BMS has delivered 700 of these Cradle Devices to go into UNHCR camps in Uganda. Thanks to your prayers and giving now 7,000 women are having their blood pressure checked regularly by health work volunteers. It’s a life-saving measure for mothers and their unborn babies.

A baby sleeping wrapped up in cloths in the arms of her mother. — With the power of technology, Aya was given the antenatal care she needed to give birth to her beautiful baby, Blessing.

And there’s more exciting news ahead for BMS’ South Sudan’s Conflict Survivors appeal. We’re exploring ways to help displaced people within South Sudan. So look out for an update soon! Right now, though, please consider taking a special offering in your church or making a donation now. Why not join churches across the country on 20 October, 27 October and 19 January who will be gathering to take a special offering as part of Survivor Sundays? Your giving won’t just help South Sudan’s conflict survivors. You’ll be helping to share the fullness of life in Christ among the powerless and poor, with those who never had a chance to hear Jesus’ name, all over the world.

#TECH FOR MISSION

There are even more ways that technology is being used for mission at BMS. In the next Engage magazine you’ll learn how social media is being used in evangelism. Live streaming platforms are being used to reach out to people in places where it’s too dangerous to ask about Jesus. You heard it here first, so watch this space.

BMS has always pioneered in mission. And technology is just one of the exciting tools we use to pioneer today.

Words by Melanie Webb.

Serving in the Sahel

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The wonderful Claire Bedford serves as a pharmacist at Guinebor II (G2) hospital in Chad. We caught up with her recently to hear stories of answered prayer, a girl cured of a tumour and God’s provision in one of Africa’s poorest nations!

How have things changed since you first started working at G2 hospital?

It’s amazing that it’s nearly four years ago that I went out to Chad in January of 2016. The hospital itself has changed a lot in four years. We’ve done a lot of building work to improve the infrastructure. We’ve also hired a lot more Chadian staff – we’ve gone from 65 to around 85 staff now, over and above what we had when I first arrived!

Head and shoulders photo of Claire Bedford

That’s so great to hear! Could you tell me a bit more about all the building work that’s been going on?

Thanks to a very generous legacy left to BMS we were able to build a new surgery centre, which opened for use in May 2018. That’s been really beneficial to the hospital as we now have three operating theatres whereas before we only had one, so that means that we can do simultaneous operations. It’s happened in the past that a patient was just about to have their operation start and someone knocked on the door saying that somebody else needed an emergency caesarean section. Fortunately, they hadn’t started the surgery yet, so they were able to switch them over and deliver the baby. It was worrying that that could happen in the middle of a surgery, so it’s really good that we’ve been able to expand how many theatres we’ve got.

You could make a difference just like this.

Claire and her colleagues are able to serve their local community in Chad so much better because one generous person left a gift to BMS in their will. By leaving a legacy to BMS in your will, you can help us change lives in years to come. Click here to find out more.

A group of people in scrubs sit in a room in a hospital. — Claire and her team are able to serve their community so much better thanks to one generous donation.

Following on from that, we converted the old operating theatre into an emergency room and converted the old emergency room into an office for our administrator. After that, we still had some of the legacy money left, so we were able to expand the pharmacy stock room and our lab. All of this has been made possible because of one very generous legacy to BMS. We’re all so grateful, and we really appreciate the generosity of this one donation.

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You’ve obviously got lots of patients coming into the hospital. Can you tell me any stories of people who’ve come to G2?

We recently admitted a little girl called Achta, she is just six months old and she had a massive tumour on the back of her arm. It turned out that she was born with it and it was just the size of a peanut then, but when she arrived at the hospital, it was huge and weighed about as much as she did. The operation took place in the new surgery centre that was funded by the legacy money and the tumour was successfully removed. Her mum is very happy because now Achta is going to be able to have a normal life. It’s really great to see.

Four photos showing the removal of a large tumour from a Chadian baby. — Thanks to Claire's team at Guinebor II, Achta will be able to live a normal life after having her tumour removed.

The area you’re working in in Chad is made up of a Muslim majority community. How is it for you living as a Christian there? How do you live out your faith?

The area we’re working in is about 90 per cent Muslim, but people know that G2 is a Christian hospital. There’s a massive Bible verse outside the front gate. It’s Psalm 23: 1, “The Lord is my shepherd.” I just try to treat my staff, colleagues and patients with compassion and love. I always pray when we go round on Wednesday mornings, I have a standard prayer that I pray in French and part of that prayer is always that they will feel the love of Jesus.

You’ve been talking a lot in your prayer letters about answered prayers. Could you share some with us?

Anyone who’s been following my prayer letters for a while will know that I have been asking for prayer for more long-term mission workers at G2 hospital – and I’m really excited to say that those prayers have been answered! In 2020, there are going to be three groups of people coming out to G2 hospital in Chad.

In January, we’ll be welcoming Mel and Tom Spears with their two daughters, Maisie and Rosa. Tom is a GP and Mel has got a public health background. Tom will hopefully hit the ground running and begin training some of our Chadian doctors.

The second family that are coming in January are Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole, with their three children, Sam, Jonah and Eva. Gareth will be taking on some of the project management, administration and finance responsibilities at the hospital and Bethan is hoping to use her music therapy skills at G2 and possibly at another project in N’Djamena as well.

Then, in September of 2020, Brian and Jackie Chilvers will be coming to Chad. They’re both nurses, so we’re looking forward to them coming out and joining our nursing team. We’re all really excited that these guys are on board and on their way to Chad!

What would you say to the people in the UK who have been praying for you and giving financially?

I would say a massive thank you. I couldn’t do what I do in Chad and at G2 hospital without the financial support and the prayers of people back in the UK, that’s for sure. It’s a very simple word and it doesn’t cost me anything to say but it is meant from all my heart, I’m really grateful.

Support Claire Bedford as a 24:7 Partner! Click here

Want to support these new families serving with BMS?

The Chilvers, Shrubsoles and the Spears families are all looking for church partners to pray for them and support their ministry – you could help them! Click here to find out more about church partners today!

Brian and Jackie Chilvers will be moving to Chad in September 2020.

Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole travel to Chad in January with their children, Sam, Jonah and Eva.

Mel and Tom Spears will travel to Chad in January with their daughters, Maisie and Rosa.

Please keep Claire, her colleagues and the work of Guinebor II hospital in your prayers.

Pray for the Chilvers, Shrubsoles and Spears families as they go through French language school before going out to Chad. Please pray for them during this transition period, and that they’ll get on well when they arrive.
Pray for ongoing stamina and strength for the Senior Management team and the Chadian staff at the hospital.
Pray for the future development of Guinebor II hospital. Please pray for additional human and financial resources for the ongoing work and the development of G2, so that it can continue to serve the local community.

Words and interview by Laura Durrant.

Ebola outbreak: pray for Uganda

Ebola outbreak

Pray for D R Congo and Uganda

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Join us in prayer as Ebola cases are confirmed in the Uganda / D R Congo border region.

Update: Thank you for your prayers

You prayed with us against the Ebola outbreak in Uganda escalating into a public health emergency. Thank you for interceding for Uganda!

Praise God for the country’s preparedness through vaccination programmes, symptom awareness training and presence of specialised health care workers, all helping to reduce loss of life.

“When we heard of this outbreak in Congo, it was yet another opportunity to strengthen our systems even further,” said Ugandan Minister of Health Jane Aceng.

Please pray on for D R Congo, still fighting this ruthless and deadly disease.

Urgent prayer is needed that the highly infectious Ebola virus will not spread across Uganda, spiralling into a health crisis.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the presence of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda. The BBC has since reported two deaths in Uganda from Ebola — a young boy and his grandmother who had travelled across the border to Uganda from D R Congo.

D R Congo has been fighting an outbreak of the virus for some time. Ongoing prayer is needed, as nearly 1,400 people are reported to have died from the devastating disease so far.

BMS World Mission workers in Uganda are taking every precaution, avoiding all travel to the area surrounding the border region.

Urgent prayer is needed for the Uganda and D R Congo border region.

If you're praying for this Click here

You can download prayer points for Uganda and D R Congo by clicking the button below.

Download the prayer points

The spread of Ebola has been called “truly frightening” by the head of major medical research body The Wellcome Trust. Thank you for praying, and please do continue to pray for Uganda and D R Congo.

A purple map shows where Kasese, Uganda is. — Kasese is at the centre of the region affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Pray for the Uganda Ebola outbreak

Pray for medical supplies and personnel to arrive quickly. Pray that doctors would know what to do and that God would give them wisdom to decide what action to take.
Pray for the local authorities, especially in Kasese and where there have been Ebola cases reported, that they would know how to respond.
Pray that aid agencies would be well-coordinated in responding to the crisis. Pray that God would guide them in their decision-making.
Pray for those have lost loved ones or are looking after people who are suffering from Ebola. Pray that God would console them and give them strength.
Pray that God would stop the spread of this terrible disease.

Download the prayer points

From the frontline: stories to inspire you

From the frontline:

stories to inspire you

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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.

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Thank you

Harnessing the sun

The healing power of solar panels

Three lives you’ve transformed…

Good news from Nepal

Anshu

Kaku

Hari

Your Harvest legacy

The gifts you gave are still bearing fruit

2015: My Father’s House

2017: Wonderfully Made

2018: Life’s First Cry

2020: Operation: Chad

2021: I Will Stand

The hospital, the miracle and the impossible secret

Operation: Chad – one year on

What’s been happening at G2?

Cultural shifts

Tackling malnutrition

The difficult truth

WhatsApp mission:

The technology that helped a girl to walk

Check out this video to see Diana's amazing progress!

Want to help save lives in Guinea?

How to vaccinate the world

Looking to the past

The struggles of the present

On the ground

Tham’s good news story

This is the difference you made

Operation: Chad

You saved their lives

Mohammed Ibrahim Hassaballah

Rakié Akaye

Mahamat Aboss Abdel Karim

Al-Fadil Abalallah

You've done amazing things this year:

Top Stories of 2020

1. Pictures from the frontline: An oasis of healing

2. Surviving lockdown: tips from Afghanistan

3. The accidental pastor

4. Sahel surgeons: The most dramatic day

5. Picking up glass: the human stories behind the Beirut blast

‘That’s why we’ve come to Chad’:

Tom Spears on Chad’s healthcare, the huge need, and how you can help

Tom Spears on the tragedy of infant mortality in Chad

Pictures from the frontline:

An oasis of healing

Sahel surgeons:

The most dramatic day

The final unexpected event of that eventful day was a chicken pie that our mission colleague had dropped off at the hospital for our tea. It was 2 am and we fell asleep with the alarm set for 7 o’clock.

Coronavirus outbreak:

pray for China, Italy and the world

Pray for China

Children in Afghanistan are dying from waterborne diseases, like typhoid and cholera.

Dirty water is a death sentence in Afghanistan. Could you give to save lives? Any amount you give really can make a difference.

Tech for mission:

how cutting-edge tech is transforming lives

Serving in the Sahel

How have things changed since you first started working at G2 hospital?

That’s so great to hear! Could you tell me a bit more about all the building work that’s been going on?

You could make a difference just like this.

You’ve obviously got lots of patients coming into the hospital. Can you tell me any stories of people who’ve come to G2?

The area you’re working in in Chad is made up of a Muslim majority community. How is it for you living as a Christian there? How do you live out your faith?

You’ve been talking a lot in your prayer letters about answered prayers. Could you share some with us?

What would you say to the people in the UK who have been praying for you and giving financially?

Want to support these new families serving with BMS?

Please keep Claire, her colleagues and the work of Guinebor II hospital in your prayers.

Ebola outbreak

Pray for D R Congo and Uganda

Pray for the Uganda Ebola outbreak

From the frontline:

stories to inspire you

The surgeons in Chad who came to the rescue after dark

Giving hope for a better future

A night of praying with women in pain

‘The seeds we received are a gift from God’

News in brief from around the world

Dirty water is a death sentence in Afghanistan.

Could you give to save lives?

Any amount you give really can make a difference.