International Women’s Day: Jesus cares for details

International Women's Day

Jesus cares for details

Praying for this

This International Women’s Day we’re praying for all women and girls to experience justice and equality. Take a look at how some BMS World Mission partners are championing just that.

Her documents had finally arrived. It was time to leave the Greek island of Lesbos and seek a better future in another country. On her last morning on the island, she walked into the community centre for women where she had been volunteering and spoke to BMS partner worker Haniele.

“Since I met you,” she told Haniele, “I’ve been asking myself questions like ‘why are you so worried about offering the best for the women?’ and ‘Why are you caring for the details like keeping everything organised and clean?’”

“I am here because God has called me to leave my country to share my love with women like you,” Haniele said. “I also believe that Jesus, the Son of God, would be here doing this for you nowadays. And Jesus cares for details. He cares for you, so in the same way we care for you and all the women that come here.”

Dani and Hani standing outside the community centre on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The community centre on the Greek island of Lesbos seeks to welcome refuge women and treat them with dignity.

The woman was speechless. She said, “now I understand why you do this. In my life, I’ve met a lot of bad people. I didn’t believe that good people exist anymore. But here, all of you are good. You treat me like family, like my sisters, and I would never imagine that I would meet people like you in Lesbos.” Those were her last words in the centre. They hugged each other and cried together.

Friday 8th March is International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate the strength and resilience of women and girls around the world. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness of gender discrimination, and to pray and call for gender justice. According to the United Nations, women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food yet earn only ten per cent of the world’s income and own fewer than one per cent of the world’s property.

A few thousand miles away, our partners in Bangladesh are empowering women by raising up the next generation of women leaders in churches. Thanks to your support, our partner Asia Pacific Baptist Aid (APBAid) have encouraged the Bangladesh Baptist Church Federation to train eight female volunteers out of 20 to lead Bible study groups. Women were not allowed to join in with ministry in rural churches, but now they have started preaching on Bible topics.

Volunteer wearing a red All4Aid T-shirt bathing a child at the community centre.
Refugee women are empowered through volunteering at the community centre on the Greek island of Lesbos.
A women reading the Bible at morning prayers.
Our partners in Bangladesh are encouraging women to teach the Bible in churches.

APBAid not only encourage women to teach in Baptist churches, but also raise awareness of gender discrimination. On Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day, women will be sharing in churches about how to prevent child marriages. Several churches are also organising a health and wellness programme to provide healthcare services tailor

The Indian social reformer Sarojini Naidu once said that if you ‘educate your women, your nation will take care of itself.’ Across the border from Bangladesh, our partner the Baptist Church Trust Association in India are putting her advice into practice by starting literacy groups for marginalised women. Many of these women live in extreme poverty because they are from ‘untouchable castes,’ and are not included in mainstream education.

The project is called ‘Jagriti,’ which means ‘awakening’ in English. Women are taught to read and write, and they learn skills like sewing, which they can use to start small businesses and earn an income. God is awakening the women to the talents that he has given them. Through your prayers and support, Indian women are not only lifting themselves out of poverty, but also their families and communities.

A woman worshipping in a church in Kolkata, India.
Marginalised women in India are awakening to their God-given potential.

Whether it’s keeping a community centre organised and clean, or providing healthcare services that are tailored to the needs of women and girls, our partners know that Jesus cares for details. It turns out that the long journey towards gender justice starts with little acts of kindness.

Your faithful prayers and generosity help our partners treat refugee women with dignity, amplify women’s voices, and empower women with the education they need for a better future. If you want to pray for BMS’ gender justice work, then why not download the BMS Prayer Guide today?

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Words by Chris Manktelow 

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

Ukraine update

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

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Ten years, not the two that most news outlets will be marking this weekend. That’s how long it’s been since Russia invaded Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. And it was 10 years ago that you first supported Ukrainians suffering the twin devastation of war and winter. You have stood with Ukrainians and their neighbours for the last ten years – and you stand with them now.

Julia and her two children, Maxim and Angela, standing in front of snow patches in a field.
Churches have been supporting Ukrainian refugees during the bitter winter months since the war began ten years ago.

Imagine fleeing from shelling to the safety of temporary shelter, relying on the kindness of strangers. Everything you knew left behind, blitzed. And then winter. Winter bites hard in Ukraine. But your support is bringing warmth, help and hope to Ukrainians.

Since the end of December, the Russian bombardment has left 3,000 families homeless. Millions of Ukrainians have no access to clean water and electricity, and one third of the poorest Ukrainians are unable to heat their homes during a winter where temperatures have dropped as low as -15°C.

Thanks to your support, Baptist churches are aiming to meet the needs of 100,000 people across Ukraine this winter. Churches are opening their buildings so that people have a warm place to stay when they can’t heat their homes. They are providing hot meals and hygiene items, as well as a safe space where people feel welcomed and cared for. Even in the depths of this terrible war, your faithful giving and prayers are helping Baptist churches bring hope to the people of Ukraine.

Your generosity hasn’t just helped those that stayed behind but also those forced to flee across borders. For example, churches in the neighbouring country of Moldova have welcomed many refugees. Two years ago, Good News Baptist Church set up a hall with food and hygiene items, providing humanitarian aid to up to 370 families a day. There are still 150 people who receive weekly support from the church.

They now offer refugees Bible studies, themed sessions covering various topics, and language lessons, as well as humanitarian aid. One mother took a Bible study book after a session and said that she wanted to read it with her family. “If people live according to what the Bible teaches us,” she said, “it would be like heaven on earth.”

BMS World Mission also supports a refugee assistance centre in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. One of the women who attended was 71-year-old Valentina, who fled the city of Kherson after two missiles destroyed her home. If she hadn’t been at the store buying food, she likely wouldn’t have survived. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shared her story with the volunteers, expressing a deep sense of hopelessness.

Valentina suffered from serious health issues, had no appetite, and struggled with insomnia. As the war continues, Baptist churches are providing refugees like Valentina with psychological and spiritual support, as well as food and shelter. Inessa, who leads the women and families’ ministry at her church, now runs a support group for Ukrainian women.

“We now have five groups of women that we meet with regularly,” Inessa said. “Each group has 12-15 women, and we spend a couple of hours together,” she said. “It’s not just about sharing useful information; it’s about genuinely impacting their lives through building friendships and being there for them when they need us. It’s a soul-to-soul connection. Some have even started attending church and other meetings we organise.”

People in a line in the snow, unloading boxes of clothes, with a van parked behind them with the doors open.
This winter, Baptist churches in Moldova are putting their faith into action by providing Ukrainian refugees with hot meals and clothing.

Inessa and her team were able to offer Valentina a listening ear, comforting words, and prayer. They also directed her to a Christian counsellor who could guide her on her journey of healing. Despite her challenges, Valentina finds strength in living with her granddaughter and grandchildren. She left the refugee assistance centre encouraged, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Our partners in Moldova are deeply grateful for the vital help and support you have provided. Your faithful prayers and generous giving enable them to reach out to hundreds of families every month. Please pray for churches and volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time to minister to refugees, for those who hear the gospel to become followers of Jesus, and for peace to prevail in Ukraine.

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Inessa and the women in her support group standing in front of a stage at the Church Without Walls refugee assistance centre.
Inessa and the women from her support group are finding hope as they share life together.

Photos by ©Chris Hoskins/BMS World Mission, Words by Chris Manktelow and Matty Fearon

Mission is God’s Job Description

Mission is God’s job description:

Baptist Assembly 2023

As Baptists from across the UK gathered in Telford for the Baptist Assembly 2023, BMS World Mission brought before the crowds our new ministry themes and reimagined our participation in mission.

You might recall a couple of years ago, we tried to capture on camera in less than two minutes what mission meant to BMS. The narrative – voiced by people from across the continents – opened with the lines, “Mission, what is mission? It’s over two hundred years of matching God’s word with deed. It’s our storied Baptist history and a world still in need.”

This year at the Baptist Assembly in Telford, the theme was ‘Mission is…’, with those three fill-in-the-blank dots putting the question of ‘what is mission?’ front and centre of all the attendees’ minds as we buzzed around the halls, seminar rooms and stalls belonging to faith-based organisations of all shapes and sizes. It was exactly what was asked of Kang-San Tan, BMS’ General Director, on the main stage on Saturday.

“Mission is God’s job description, our participation is a privilege”, was Kang-San’s answer. “For BMS, it is about faith in Christ and all people having abundant life.”

A man and a woman speaking on stage
It was great to share the latest updates from BMS with all of you at the BMS session!

Re-imagining mission

One of the highlights of the weekend took place in front of a packed main hall on the Saturday night as all those who had transferred as fully accredited ministers, pastors, preachers and mission personnel during the past year were commissioned. They were welcomed and prayed for in a deeply moving celebration service. In a break from the past, BMS mission personnel appeared beaming from the big screen rather than being there physically on stage.

A man and a woman speaking on stage
General Director Kang-San Tan invites us to imagine how we can be part of elevating God's mission.

It was a powerful sign of how BMS is re-imagining mission participation by Christians and churches in the West. As Kang-San explained to the audience: “We rejoice in the call for people from all nations, to go to all nations. Today, for every one mission worker that BMS has sent from the UK, there are seven workers from around the world who have responded to God’s call in a similar way and are being supported by you; our family of UK churches.”

And on the screen behind Kang-San, the audience could see Dil Bahadur Chhetri, from Nepal serving in Nepal; fellow Nepalese mission worker and climate change specialist, Sahara Mishra, who also serves in the land of her birth; Isaiah Thembo, a Ugandan serving in his native country; and Wissam Nasrallah, from Lebanon, also serving in his homeland.

As they were blessed from the stage, Kang-San said, “They may not be with us in person, but we want to acknowledge and commission them today, to pray for them, and to ask that the Holy Spirit would fill them as they take forward the call to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ.

“Mission is changing. Through this growing global mission community, we are seeing the gospel spread in ways not seen before, and in places it’s never taken root before.”

Heart, Hope, Help

Spreading the good news is core to one of the newly named ministry themes we launched from the main stage on Saturday. When you’ve been around for 231 years, as BMS has, it can sometimes be a bit complicated to explain everything we do – there’s quite a bit of ground to cover! That’s why we’ve come up some new titles for BMS’ ministry areas that sum up all the work you make possible: Heart for the Gospel, Hope for the World and Help for the Journey.

Two men and two women speaking together at the BMS stand
It was great to share more about our newly-named ministry areas with all of you at the BMS stand.

Heart for the Gospel looks like a project equipping ministers in the Peruvian Amazon to reach their communities, making Jesus known in rural Cambodia or growing a fledgling church in Wang Daeng, Thailand.

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Our Hope for the World projects are motivated by faith, powered by compassion and deliver real changes that make life easier for the most marginalised, striving towards the same goal: bringing hope to the world.

And Help for the Journey can be summed up in work that supports Syrian children back into school in Lebanon, helps Afghan refugees find safe haven in Lesbos and welcomes migrants from every walk of life into churches in France.

Raising eyes from near to far

The weekend was brought to a close with a rousing scene as hundreds came together to worship and listen as BMS’ Director for Communications and Fundraising Ben Drabble raised our eyes from the near to the far. He said from the stage, “Sometimes it’s easy to think that just because we can’t see the bright promised future, it doesn’t exist. But that is not the case when it comes to mission.”

People worshipping at a church service
What better way to end the weekend than by coming together in worship?

Ben reminded the audience that, “Just because many of us aren’t seeing growth in our local contexts yet, does not mean that God’s Church is not growing and growing fast. I am here to tell you that throughout the world from Delhi to Dhaka, from Cambodia to Kolkata, from Thailand to Tirana, the gospel has been showing explosive growth.”

Because sometimes God’s promises are fulfilled in different ways than we expected. And sometimes God’s promises are fulfilled in different places than we expected. Just as Kang-San said: “Mission is God’s job description and our participation is a privilege.”

How did you find it?

We’d love to hear about your time at the Baptist Assembly – whether you have thoughts on the BMS ‘Mission is racist’ seminar, what we had available on our stand or the BMS session, please do get in touch! Feel free to contact us on Facebook or Twitter, you can call us on 01235 517700 or use mail@bmsworldmission.org to contact us over email. We would love to hear your thoughts!

Words by Matty Fearon.

Persistence pays

Persistence pays

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Annet Ttendo-Miller is passionate about God’s calling for justice and empowering people to speak up for their rights and liberties.

You might have met Annet before – she has served overseas with BMS World Mission as a lawyer in both Uganda and Mozambique and we’re excited to welcome her back as our Gender Justice Co-ordinator, taking on a crucial part of our new strategy: facilitating gender justice in all the work we do. Read on for Annet’s reflections on the parable of the persistent widow and how God calls us to cry out for justice, which is an edited extract from the upcoming issue of Mission Catalyst, BMS’ magazine for delving deeper into issues of faith.

Uganda and Mozambique both have laws that allow widows to own land. However, an illiterate woman who lives in a village, and has no resources to fight for her rights is at a distinct disadvantage. In such patriarchal societies, it is commonly believed that women should not own property. Women are not allowed to inherit land – not even the house that they live in. If her husband dies, a woman is often left having to fight against family to reclaim her land. Many women simply lose hope and give up. Most people in the community are not aware of laws and do not know their legal rights.

In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18: 1-8), a poor, powerless widow comes before a judge who did not fear God and did not care what people thought of him.

A woman smiling

As he did not acknowledge God or other men, this judge was clearly a law unto himself, and acted without accountability. He dismissed the widow and her pleas for justice multiple times without concern. Yet somehow, poor and powerless as she was, the widow found the patience to tolerate this situation without losing hope. More than that, she acted boldly in approaching the powerful judge after already having been dismissed. And she even persisted the more, coming back again and again to put her request before him.

A woman sat at a desk
Annet is passionate about helping women across the world understand their rights.

The widow did not remain silent when there was no man to defend her. She found her voice in the court room and advocated for her rights. This widow was bold and unwavering, though she understood the oppressive structures that determined her place in society. With persistence, strength, resistance, at last her voice was heard! Judgement was given in her favour; here we have a story of an unnamed widow being celebrated. This passage has a great lesson for us to learn, what it means to keep faith and never give up. The parable ends with Jesus accrediting her faith and asking whether he would find (such) faith on earth when he returns (Luke 18: 8).

Jesus focuses the parable on the point that we are “to pray always and to not lose heart” (Luke 18: 1). The purpose of the parable is to encourage Christians to persevere in their faith against all odds. At the heart of that persistence lies the truth that God is faithful. Because God is faithful, we can endure suffering and frustrating situations with an expectant hope that God will see us through. Because God is faithful, we can boldly come before him to ask for help. We can even boldly approach those who do not know God, those who are powerful, who are cruel, or corrupt, knowing that God is for us. Because God is faithful, we can persist through rejection after rejection, knowing that our faith in him will pay off.

A group of people sitting down.
The team at AMAC help people in Mozambique to know what rights they have.

BMS partners Uganda Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity (UCLF) and the Association of Christian Lawyers in Mozambique (AMAC) are providing legal aid services to the poor and marginalised. Christian lawyers play a vital role in helping widows to enforce their right and training communities about the laws that protect women and representing vulnerable clients. These Christian lawyers fellowships are responding to the biblical call to do justice, with compassion, for the poor.

A woman in front of a building
Annet's work as a lawyer in Uganda and Mozambique has shown her how important God's calling for justice is.

With God, persistence pays. Because of this, the parable of the persistent widow has been a comfort and an inspiration as I took part in God’s justice mission in Mozambique and Uganda. The parable shows that God’s will is at work even in a corrupt world. We see that as Christians our role is to work toward that hope at all times. We cannot right every wrong in the world in our lifetimes. But we must never give up hope, and never stop working for the greater good in the midst of the imperfect systems where our work occurs.

As I look back on the work of Christian lawyers, I am assured that we must pray and never give up in our God-given mission. With God, persistence pays. Please persist in your prayer and support of the justice ministry that BMS, the Christian lawyers and indeed each of you, are involved in. Do not just speak up for yourself. Speak up for those who are heard the least. And let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry (Amos 5:24).

You can find even more from Annet and from other challenging contributors in the upcoming issue of Mission Catalyst magazine, BMS’ magazine for delving deeper into issues of faith. This issue is focused on decolonising Christianity, and contains contributions from Nana Natalia Lester-Bush, Dr Renie Chow Choy and Rev Wale Hudson-Roberts. If you haven’t already, why not subscribe today?

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Words by Annet Ttendo Miller, BMS’ Gender Justice Co-ordinator,
for the upcoming issue of Mission Catalyst magazine.

Ukraine: how to pray

Ukraine: how to pray

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Join us in prayer for Ukraine as Russian troops advance across the country and millions flee to safety.

Help communities crushed by the conflict

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Reports from Ukraine of intensified fighting, of the shelling of major cities by Russian forces and of fierce Ukrainian resistance continue to fill our screens daily. As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues the invasion, civilian casualties rise and millions of refugees leave Ukraine, please continue to pray for those affected, and for the work of peace, aid, relief and refuge being carried out across the nation.

We remain in contact with our partners at the European Baptist Federation (EBF), who are instrumental in establishing and resourcing centres of refuge in neighbouring countries, and with Ukrainian church leaders on the ground as we closely monitor the escalating situation.

Map of Ukraine showing surrounding countries and Kyiv

The response among Baptist churches in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries has been beyond inspiring to see. In the face of the largest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, Baptist churches in Poland, Moldova and Hungary have been crucial in providing a safe beds and warm food for hundreds of refugees every night.

A woman serving lunch for herself
Churches in Poland were among the first to welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Beds on the floor in a church.

Please keep Ukraine, and those across the world affected by this devastating conflict, in your prayers.

  • Pray for the people of Ukraine as they grieve for their country, for loved ones lost and for the loss of their livelihoods. Pray that God will comfort them and sustain them.
  • Pray for BMS World Mission’s partner EBF as they respond to the conflict and support refugees. Pray that God will give them wisdom for how best to respond in this challenging context.
  • Pray for nations across the world such as Lebanon, Bangladesh and Tunisia who are at risk of major food insecurity as a consequence of the Ukraine war. Pray that God will provide for them.
  • Pray for those fleeing Ukraine, that their paths will be clear. Pray that they will find warm welcomes and safe refuge wherever they go.
  • Pray for church leaders on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries providing safe havens for refugees. Pray that the Lord will sustain them and that many people will find respite and refuge through their hard work.
  • Pray for leaders in Russia, Ukraine and across the world. Pray that the Lord’s love, compassion and mercy will fill their hearts and that peaceful solutions to this conflict will be reached.

Thank you for giving to help Ukraine

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Photos: ©Chris Hoskins/BMS World Mission

Pray for Afghanistan

Pray for Afghanistan

Join us in prayer for Taliban-governed Afghanistan

All BMS World Mission workers in Afghanistan have now left the country.

The Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan in a ten-day advance following the withdrawal of US and other foreign troops in June and July. We have evacuated all BMS workers in Afghanistan from the country. Please continue to pray for our Afghan partner at this time, as we actively explore how we can respond and meet the needs of people in Afghanistan.

BMS World Mission has worked in Afghanistan since 1997, partnering with organisations that serve the people of Afghanistan through training and capacity strengthening. Areas of work include community development, mental health support, agricultural training and palliative care.

map of Afghanistan

Please pray:

  • For wisdom for NGOs and charitable bodies working within Afghanistan, as they seek to support the communities they work with through this incredibly difficult time
  • For BMS workers who have left the country, and seek to continue their vital work remotely
  • For BMS’ commitment to the nation of Afghanistan, and for discussions taking place as to how best to shape an ongoing response to an ever-changing situation
  • For strength for people in Afghanistan now feeling under threat and worrying for their futures, and for protection for those who feel forced to leave the country or to move their families to a safer region
  • For lasting peace and stability to be found in the nation of Afghanistan
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Sri Lanka Bombings: the Christians responding with love

Sri Lanka Bombings

the Christians responding with love

Supporting this

You’re helping Christians in Sri Lanka recover from the devastating Easter Sunday bombings, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Please keep showing love to those caught up in disasters by giving to BMS disaster recovery ministries today.

Six bombs exploded across Sri Lanka three weeks ago, as Christians gathered to celebrate Easter Sunday. The attack was targeted and lethal. More than 250 people were killed and over 500 injured. Churches and hotels were reduced to rubble. On what should have been a day of great celebration, thousands of people were left grieving.

candles in memory of the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings

The horrific bombings in Sri Lanka left the Christian world reeling. But your generous giving has already empowered local people to help in practical ways. You’ve provided £10,000 to support communities now and for the coming years – and you didn’t even know it.

Your gifts have already enabled our partners in Sri Lanka to offer psychosocial care to hurting communities, shelter to refugees and medical supplies to wounded people in hospital. It’s the help they really needed, at the time they needed it.

When you and your church give to support BMS disaster recovery ministries, you’re enabling us to respond to future disasters, as well as helping people affected by what’s in our headlines now. You’re giving in faith and sowing hope – responding before it happens and enabling local Christians’ love to be practical and timely. And to meet real needs, even invisible ones.

The emotional damage caused by disasters can be catastrophic. Working with local churches, our trusted partners on the ground are caring for children and families directly affected by the attacks. Teams of volunteers have been trained to help children in hospitals, through play and art therapy, to begin to cope with the awful things they’ve seen. And they’ll be cared for when they return home too, by teams of people we call ‘Befrienders’. Befrienders are specially trained to work in schools and communities and provide psychological care and emotional support. By making these teams possible, you’ve helped vulnerable children feel safe again. Together, we’re bringing hope to survivors who felt they’d lost everything.

If you’ve ever given to support our relief work, thank you. You’ve helped people like Sri Lanka’s Christians, perhaps without even knowing it. When you support BMS disaster recovery ministries, you’re responding before a disaster happens. Today you could be helping survivors of a terror attack, tomorrow those affected by climate change and natural disasters.

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The easiest thing to do after reading this would be to give thanks and click away. But the better thing to do would be to a take a moment and make a donation. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we can help Christians around the world to be prepared, when they need it most.

Looking back: top 5 stories of 2018

Looking back:

Top 5 stories of 2018

Supporting this

Your faithful prayer and giving touched life after life last year through our work at BMS World Mission. We look forward to bringing you more stories of transformation and the power of God’s love in the months to come. But for now, we’d love for you to check out our five most-read articles of 2018.

1. You can help end modern slavery in the UK

Did you pass by a victim of modern slavery today? It’s certainly possible, given that there are thousands of people in the UK being forced to live in inhumane conditions, working long hours for very little or no pay. But there are Christians working to help victims of modern slavery. You can play your part by reading how to spot the signs of exploitation.

Read the full story here

2. Ten reasons why you should serve with BMS

A woman uses a sewing machine at skills centre in Uganda.
When you serve with BMS, you’ll witness the incredible joy that a transformed life brings.

Here’s one reason why you might consider serving overseas with us: you’ll transform lives around the world in the name of Jesus. We could have easily come up with dozens of other great reasons, but in the end, we chose to pick ten. You can read them all by hitting the button below. And if you feel God calling you to serve, there is a link in the story to our current vacancies. We’d love to hear from you!

Read the ten reasons here

3. Sleeping on the pavements, studying on the streets

A girl walks towards other children standing under a bridge in India
School is being brought to street children in Kolkata, giving them the opportunity to learn.

Tens of thousands of children live day and night on the streets of Kolkata, India. To survive, they often have to beg, steal or sell alcohol and drugs. Going to school is not an option available to them. But thanks to your support, some street children are receiving an education, and they’re getting to learn about Jesus too.

Read about the street school here

4. Five ways you’re making the world a healthier place

Taban, a mother from Afghanistan and her daughter Chehrah
Thanks to your support, Taban can focus on giving her daughter, Chehrah, a future that wouldn’t have been possible before.

You’re helping to save the lives of mothers and babies in Afghanistan by supporting BMS. You’re also providing critical medical care in Chad and giving children with disabilities in Thailand the support they need. Find out more today by reading about our healthcare work.

Read about the work here

5. The seven must-read chapters of an extraordinary mission worker’s life

A mature woman with grey hair sits at a table in a hospital cafe with an elderly man on one side, and an elderly woman on another.
Ann Bothamley catches up with friends at the Christian Medical College in Vellore. Friends back home support her too, ringing her to chat and ask for her prayer requests.

“I think God planted it in my heart that I was going to India. I knew, too, that it was going to be for life.”

Ann Bothamley has been serving with BMS in India for 50 years. We were delighted to hear more of her story when we caught up with her in Vellore, where she provides pastoral care to patients at Christian Medical College. Many of you who read our story about Ann commented on our Facebook page about being inspired by her. Receive fresh inspiration today by hitting the button below.

Read Ann's story here
Other powerful stories you made possible in 2018

1. He preached the gospel and they poisoned his daughter: David’s story. Thousands of people in India have come to know Christ through the work of BMS church planters such as David.

2. Spiritual workout advice from the heart of the red light district. BMS worker Ashleigh Gibb shares how she stays spiritually strong while working in one of the world’s most unloving places.

3. The cursed boy, the better Muslim and the long game. Boys are learning valuable life lessons through football and are becoming model students in the process.

4. They’ve lost so much: don’t let families freeze in Ukraine this winter. Families are fighting for survival in Ukraine this winter. You can help them.

5. The North Korea you never see: and seven prayer requests for this isolated nation. Check out images of life in North Korea, and join us in prayer for people in this secretive nation.

The work you’ve just read about was made possible by your brilliant support for BMS. Right now, in 30 countries around the world, there are more stories of transformation developing. We can’t wait to share them with you throughout this year as we work together to show the love of Christ where it’s needed most.

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Kang-San Tan on: mission and being led by the Spirit

Kang-San Tan on:

new frontiers of mission, taking risks and being led by the Spirit

He’s shaken a lot of hands, remembered a lot of names, and travelled a lot of miles since he left Malaysia to take up the position of BMS World Mission General Director. Now that Kang-San Tan has been in the role for a year, we thought it was a good time for a chat.

Let’s look back to when you first arrived at BMS. What was it like for you?

I think it was a bit overwhelming because of the diverse aspects of BMS work, not only with our colleagues in Didcot, but also with our mission personnel and UK churches, and just trying to get my head around the long history of BMS. My colleagues really helped me to get to know each aspect of the work, and I’ve really appreciated that.

What was it about BMS that attracted you to the role of General Director?

I was converted in a small Baptist church in Malaysia, and in a way we, as in many other Asian and African and Latin American countries, trace our roots back to the Baptist missionary movement. It is quite moving for me in the sense that I have worked with various aspects of Asian mission as a theological educator. So, when I was invited to come and serve with BMS, it was almost like a full cycle back to my Baptist roots.

To be seeing God raising a non-western mission movement, and yet to serve with a historic mission society, reflects the sovereignty of God and also reflects the changing Christian mission. It points to an exciting future, not just for me personally, but for BMS and the wider Church.

A video to play in your church: Kang-San Tan’s special message to you

We’d really love it if you watched the video above and shared it with your church. To download it, all you need to do is hit the button below.

Download the video

How has God supported you over the past year?

Psalms 127: 1 says that unless the Lord builds the house, we all labour in vain. There is a danger that we rely, as leaders, on our own wisdom and strength, but really it is good to be reminded it is God’s work, done in God’s way and in God’s timing. And for me personally, I have been reminded that we need to rely on the Spirit of God, God’s wisdom and God’s resources.

BMS workers receive a welcome marked with beautiful garlands at an event in India
As you can see, Kang-San Tan received a tremendous welcome when he visited India earlier this year.

Aside from visiting UK churches, where else have you been in the past year?

Well, in February I went to Kolkata, and in May I visited Lebanon to see a little bit of our work in the Middle East, and then in August I visited France. I’m still looking forward to visiting other BMS workers in Africa and in Latin America.

What piece of BMS work has most impressed you?

In Kolkata, I was introduced to BMS-supported work that seeks to plant indigenous discipleship making movements among a major group of Hindu communities. A lot of this work has grown and existed, not only because of the passion of our Indian churches, but also a sense of partnership from our UK churches.

We were on a boat in Kolkata and went out into a remote Hindu community that has no church. I met some young believers, many of whom have been Christians for just a year or two, and they’re leading fifty small groups. Many of them have this passion, a sense that they have received the gospel, not because of their own merit or good work, and they are passionate to serve Christ.

Gabi and Maher, two Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, in a classroom
Kang-San Tan visited Lebanon where Syrian refugee children like Gabi and Maher are getting their education back with your support.

Can you tell us a little more about the experience of visiting Lebanon?

We heard stories of people opening their homes to Syrian Muslims who were strangers, who were former oppressors and enemies. There were many practical expressions of Christian love demonstrated by Lebanese Christians. Many of them I visited are much poorer, and have far less, than many of us who live in western societies. I think it is a challenge for me, and for us Christians in the West, as we think about groups of migrants that are flooding into Europe who are our neighbours.

Let’s look ahead to what’s to come for BMS. What would you like to say to our supporters?

Over the past year, we’ve been able to look at our five-year strategy and bring together some reflections and lessons. But in the coming 24 months, BMS will be engaging in a process of consultation with our staff, Trustees, BMS Council, mission personnel, our partners globally, and closely with our supporting churches.

Watch this space as we begin to unfold a process of consultation so that in our vision for the future, new frontiers and priorities, we don’t neglect our historic work and our historic partners. We hope that you are excited to be involved with BMS in this re-envisioning of the future together, for the growth of God’s mission, both locally and globally.

BMS General Director Kang-San Tan holds a cup, along with his colleague, Steph, at a BMS cafe
One of the many ways Kang-San Tan has been meeting people is through BMS Café events.

How excited are you about meeting BMS supporters and our supporting churches?

I think I’ve spoken at over 20 churches so far, and each year I’m looking forward to visiting another 20 more. I think BMS is really a mission that belongs to our Baptist communities and we can’t do the work that we do without that close partnership of our Baptist communities.

And so, I want to say thank you, not only to churches, but to the many of you who are prayer supporters. Please know that your partnership in the gospel is so vital for us to continue our work, to impact the nations, to see one million live transformed. Please know that our prayers and your support are an integral part of our work for mission.

And finally, what can people pray for?

Please pray that we do not run ahead of the Holy Spirit, nor do we lag behind, not taking risks or pioneering new work. So, I ask you to pray for the BMS leadership, to pray for a good sense of teamwork and community work, but also not forgetting the cutting edge of mission.

BMS is a ministry of over 200 years and yet we are excited that we are still pioneering into new frontiers of mission today. So, join us in this exciting venture of being a missional community, which is not just for BMS but for every church and for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

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Ditching the chalkboard for a computer lab

Ditching the chalkboard for a computer lab

how you’re helping Nepali students learn

They were lucky if they could even find one computer that worked at school. And then a BMS World Mission worker got involved and did something about it.

How did you learn to use a computer? You probably sat in front of one, right? The pupils who went back to school in the UK this week will be learning the same way. They’ll often have access to a laptop or personal device at home, too. It’s easy. Accessible. Normal.

That’s not how it is in Lamjung District in central Nepal, where BMS worker Simon Hall lives and works, training teachers in IT. In Lamjung, only a small minority of students have access to a computer at home. Everyone else has to learn at school, which is difficult as schools don’t have enough of them.

The old computers used by students in Lamjung District, Nepal
The old computers that pupils in a village school in Lamjung District tried to learn IT on. Unsurprisingly, it was hard work for them.

Students learn instead by taking down instructions put on the classroom chalkboard, or written in a textbook – instructions for how to start a computer and work through the very basics. They memorise the steps, and then eventually get to watch a teacher put them into action on an actual computer.

If there are other computers available for students to use, they often don’t work properly through wear and tear, or because of national power cuts. And so it’s back to learning from the textbook for these young people who need IT skills to get on in a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology.

This is why Simon’s work is so having such a big impact in Lamjung. In the past few months, he’s helped four schools through the process of securing the computers and then installing them, and it’s hoped more will follow.

Students at a school in Nepal type on computers during a lesson
Instead of learning IT from a textbook, these students can now learn on a computer. You’ve played your part in making this happen.

Over 100 computers have been installed in schools in Lamjung over the last two years through Simon’s work. The computers are new, publicly funded, and are in rooms that are battery-powered. Schools in Lamjung are being brought into the modern age, with Simon driving them on.

“If students know how to use IT, it just gives them a whole new ability, like reading or writing,” says Simon.

“You need to be able to do this effectively in this day and age, so it’s crucial these students have regular access to computers. And with computers that work consistently and look good too, teachers will be excited and feel encouraged to use the lab.”

The students are understandably loving the opportunity to spend more time in front of a computer, as opposed to simply reading about them. And the teachers are happy too.

BMS worker Simon Hall helps to assemble new computers at a school in Lamjung, Nepal.
BMS worker Simon Hall starts to assemble another computer at a school in Lamjung, seeing the project through from start to finish.

“Everyone is delighted with the result,” says Simon. “As one principal has said, if other schools could see this, they would all do it.”

And it’s hoped they will. We can’t wait to tell you all about it when they do. Great work, Simon.

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The sick baby, the pharmacist and the hospital that needs you

The sick baby, the pharmacist

and the hospital that needs you

Claire Bedford is an extraordinary pharmacist, but she’s not superhuman. She could do with some extra help at work, as could her colleagues. This is where you come in.

Claire didn’t have to go into work. It was her day off and it had been a hard week, just as every week is at Guinebor II Hospital near Chad’s capital. But BMS World Mission worker Claire wanted to go in as a courtesy to the facial surgeon holding a clinic. And God clearly wanted her there too.

One of the first patients to arrive was three-month-old Ache*. Her parents had travelled for a day on terrible roads to attend the clinic at the BMS-supported hospital, and they were desperate for help.

Precious little Ache had a huge growth covering her left eye, preventing it from opening, and it was spreading down her cheek. The surgeon knew immediately what was needed to treat the growth – a mass of small blood vessels known as a haemangioma – only the hospital didn’t have the drug in stock.

Ache’s father hurried into nearby N’Djamena to find a supply, but when he returned to Guinebor II there was a problem: the tablets were too large for a baby.

A three-month-old baby with a growth over her left eye is held by one of her parents.
Ache was unable to see out of her left eye when she was brought to Guinebor II.

Everyone turned to Claire for help. She calculated what the baby needed according to her weight, and used a pill cutter she’d sourced in the UK to chop the tablets to the required dose. Ache and her parents went home with the medication and instructions on what to do with it, and Claire stayed on to help more people.

We tell you this story because it demonstrates how your support allows Claire to show God’s love to patients at Guinebor II. But you should also know that only a few days before, Claire was not in the pharmacy, or on a ward supporting sick people, she was deciding what to do with a pit latrine blocked with bottles and nappies. She was the one making the decision because there was no-one else to do so.

And that’s not the only way pharmacist Claire is called to help with the running of the hospital. She recently had to negotiate the cost of tiling the hospital’s new emergency room, while at other times she’s taken on a HR role.

Her colleagues pitch in too, taking on administration work to ensure the hospital can continue taking in patients like Ache, and those from the Muslim-majority community that surrounds it.

Claire Bedford, a pharmacist in Chad, holds two babies while on a hospital ward
Join BMS pharmacist Claire Bedford at Guinebor II Hospital in Chad and you'll be part of beautiful and inspiring work.

But here’s the thing – you can help make things better.

We have a host of important positions available right now at Guinebor II Hospital. We just need the right people to apply.
“The patients aren’t being neglected,” says Claire. “But we could do so much more if the job vacancies were filled.”

Could you help Claire? Check out these vacancies at Guinebor II

General Manager: this critical role needs to be filled so that Claire and her colleagues can have the weight of administration, finance, and building and project management work taken off their shoulders. The right candidate needs to have managed a small to medium sized organisation. If that’s you, get in touch.

Surgeons and doctors: Guinebor II currently sees 14,000 outpatients a year, has 2,000 inpatients, carries out 1,300 operations, and delivers 1,800 babies. The team urgently needs more surgeons and doctors to cope with the demand for healthcare both now, and into the future. If you think you can help, find out more today.

Nurses: we’re looking for nurses who are well qualified and can train others. Find out more now.

Ophthalmologist: you’ve probably got access to an ophthalmologist at your local hospital, but there isn’t one at Guinebor II. If you’re an ophthalmologist and feeling called to serve God overseas, we want to hear from you.

Family GP: the doctor who takes on this role will be providing life-changing care for those most in need. If that’s what you’re passionate about, we want to hear from you.

Obstetrics/gynaecology doctor: there is no reliable gynaecology service for women in the community that Guinebor II serves. We want to change that by filling this position.

Midwives and community health specialists: Chad has one of the worst maternal and child mortality rates in the world. Help change this by working at the maternal health centre we opened in 2015. Find out more about this role today.

Endoscopist: waiting for an endoscopy can be frustrating, but at least most of us can get one. In Chad, you need to go private, which means you need money. If you’re an endoscopist, we really want to hear from you.

Paediatrician: if you’re a paediatrician, then please consider the infants, children and young people you could help at Guinebor II. Find out what to do next here.

You may not be qualified for any of the roles we’ve told you about today, but it’s quite possible you know someone who is. Tell them to find out more. Tell them about Claire. And tell them about Ache – for she was brought back to the hospital recently and Claire got to see her again. She is getting better, and we hope she’ll have full vision soon!

“Her parents were overjoyed,” says Claire. “You could just tell in their faces how happy they were. The father couldn’t stop saying ‘shukran’ (thank you). With my limited Arabic I couldn’t really converse with them, apart from replying ‘afwan’ (you’re welcome).

“It was a humbling experience to know that such a simple treatment was making such a huge difference to this young girl’s life.”

A baby with a growth over her left eye just about manages to see out of it
Ache can begin to see out of her eye thanks to the help of BMS pharmacist Claire Bedford.

Claire and the team at Guinebor II are desperate for more people to come and join them. If you have any of the skills we are looking for, we would to love to hear from you! You could make a huge difference to patients like baby Ache.

* Name changed to protect identity

Annet couldn’t get a visa to enter Britain – please help her

Our mission worker couldn’t get a visa to enter Britain – please help her today

I'm praying for this

Annet Ttendo Miller should be in the UK right now, telling people about the brilliant work God is doing in Mozambique through BMS World Mission. She’s not here because her visa application was turned down, which is why we need you and your entire church to pray for her.

It was meant to be so special. BMS lawyer Annet would finally meet her father-in-law, and he would get to hold his granddaughter for the first time. All that Annet needed was a visa to enter Britain.

She didn’t want to move here, or stay a long time, she just wanted to come with her British husband – BMS worker Damien – and their daughter, Patience. She wanted to visit in-laws, her friends and colleagues at BMS, and to tell people about God’s work in Mozambique. And then she’d go back home and continue fighting for the oppressed; for women who have been abused, for the vulnerable without a voice.

A man in a multicoloured shirt stands next to a woman in a blouse, holding a baby
Annet and Damien Miller were all set to visit Britain with their daughter, Patience, when they were told Annet’s visa application had been turned down.

But the Millers’ visit hasn’t happened as Annet’s visa application was turned down. A new application will be submitted, so today we’re asking you to pray for Annet, Damien, and Patience, because we believe in a God that listens.

• Pray that God will make a way for the Millers to visit the UK. Pray that Annet and Patience will get to meet Damien’s father, and that churches will hear about the vital legal work being done in Mozambique.

• Pray that Annet and Damien would have a strong sense of God’s presence during this stressful time. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to be with them at work and at home.

• Pray thanks for what God is doing through Annet and Damien at the Association of Mozambican Christian Lawyers (AMAC). Please pray for more people to hear about the association, and that they ask for help.

The time when Annet was pregnant and told to leave Britain

Annet moved from her native Uganda to Mozambique in 2012 to lead the launch of the BMS-supported legal ministry, AMAC. She married Damien in 2015 and they had hoped for Patience to have been born in Britain.

When they arrived in June 2016 for a visit, Annet was pregnant and had a five-year visitor visa to the UK. She was allowed into the country, but only after being detained for hours, and having had her visa cancelled because it was suspected she would misuse NHS funds.

Allowed to stay in UK for just a few weeks, Annet and Damien had to fly to Uganda, seeking the care every expectant mother deserves. Patience Michelle Miller arrived early in Kampala, premature, but healthy, a blessing from God during a difficult time.

A woman with a grey jacket and black top stands in a garden smiling and with her hands crossed
Annet Ttendo Miller is working to help the oppressed in Mozambique. Please join us in praying for her today.

Hear more about the life-transforming work Annet and Damien are involved in

You may have already watched the video above. What we were all anticipating was for more stories about AMAC’s work to be shared by Annet and Damien in the UK.

“It is a huge disappointment for them, and us, that their visit has been postponed,” says BMS Regional Leader Mark Greenwood.
“They are doing priceless work in Mozambique. Our prayer is that you will hear them tell you all about it in the UK, in your church.”

God called Annet and Damien to Mozambique because he has a heart for justice. They stand alongside person after person who is alone and needs support. Now it’s our turn to support them with prayer.

Please share this article with your friends. We want the Millers to feel lifted up in prayer from churches across the world, not just for their visa and family situation, but for God to use their lives for his kingdom.

If you’re praying for the Millers Click here
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Release from addiction, safe pregnancy and our very latest prayer requests

Release from addiction, safe pregnancy and our very latest prayer requests

Praying for this

We believe God intervenes when we pray. Would you please pray for these people today?

A pregnant mission worker recovering from a terrifying health scare. Villagers enslaved by addiction. And a family facing the demands of moving countries. These are real people who need an outpouring of love and prayer, and they need it from all of us today.

Lois and her unborn baby

A few weeks ago, BMS World Mission worker Lois Ovenden, based in Gulu, Uganda, was rushed to hospital, suffering extreme pain under her ribs. The fears for her health were magnified by the fact that she was 19 weeks pregnant at the time. The doctors couldn’t work out what was wrong and transferred Lois to Kampala, 200 miles away from her two young children.

After days of worry and pain, Lois was told she had pericarditis (inflammation of the fluid lining around the heart). The condition is treatable and shouldn’t affect her baby, and Lois is back home now with her husband, Joe, and their children, Connie and Reuben. Praise God! Please pray for Lois and the family.

A woman and a man, and a boy and a girl, smile at the camera, with the girl holding a cat
Pray today for Joe and Lois Ovenden, and their children Connie and Reuben.

• Pray for Lois’ swift return to full health and for the health of her unborn baby. Pray there would be no complications from the medical scare.

• Pray that God provides an assistant to support Lois in her speech therapy work with children and that the right person comes forward today.

• Give thanks for the Ovendens’ BMS colleagues, Linda and Tim Darby , who looked after Connie and Reuben while Joe was at Lois’ bedside. Pray for a blessing over them, and their children, Joshua, Annabelle and Elsa.

A village shackled by addiction

Alcohol addiction is ruining lives in the village of Wang Daeng, in northern Thailand, where BMS church planters Helen and Wit Boondeekhun work in what is largely a Thai Buddhist community. But alcohol isn’t the only problem. A highly addictive drug called yaba – a toxic mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine that leads to aggressiveness and paranoia – also has its destructive grip on the village.

• Pray that Got* breaks free from alcoholism, and that his wife, Suree*, returns to the Bible study where Wit has been supporting her.

• Pray for wisdom for Helen and Wit as they try to start a group for people who want to liberate themselves from addiction. Pray that people would be open to receiving help and to hearing about the gospel.

A village road is covered with tarmac. There are shops on one side, and trees on the other.
Stand alongside BMS church planters Helen and Wit Boondeekhun as they tell people about Jesus in the village of Wang Daeng, in northern Thailand.

Politicians, women in Nepal, and many of you

• Pray for continued peace in Mozambique following the recent death of opposition leader, Afonso Dhlakama. Pray that his successor and politicians across Mozambique will promote unity.

• Pray for the women who are being helped at a gynaecology outreach service in Jajarkot, west Nepal, this week. Pray their surgeries would go as planned, and there would be no complications afterwards. Give thanks for all the personnel at the International Nepal Fellowship (INF) who are helping them, and for BMS worker Chris Drew who is working with INF.

• Pray for all those attending the Baptist Assembly in Peterborough this Saturday (12 May). Pray for safe journeys for us all, and for a day of joy and community.

• Pray that Ann*, a worker at a BMS-supported home for children with disabilities in Thailand, opens her heart today to Jesus. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work a transformation in her life.

Our brothers and sisters in France

Christians in a nation as secular as France can sometimes feel like they’re on their own. We can change this.

BMS mission worker Christine Kling gives a sermon in France
Pray for BMS worker Christine Kling, who is telling people in France about Jesus.

• Pray for the 400 people at the three-day French Baptist Assembly that starts in Lyon today (10 May). Pray for a great sense of unity and fellowship, and for inspired worship and teaching, and that every logistical issue would be overcome.

• Pray that people who have never stepped into a church before will hear about the Saturday evening services about to start at the Baptist church in Gif-sur-Yvette, near Paris. Pray the services would help BMS worker Christine Kling connect with people who do not attend church.

• Pray for the couples who have come to the end of a marriage course in Brive-la-Gaillarde south west France. Pray thanks for their deepening relationship with God, and pray their marriages continue to become stronger.

• Pray that God will guide BMS Action Team staff as they choose the right person to fill the final space on the next France team.

A family facing a stressful move

Arthur and Louise Brown have been BMS workers for years in Beirut and are coming to the UK with their children, and it’s all very stressful as moving can be. Please pray for the whole family, for Arthur in his role as Regional Leader for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and particularly these things:

• Pray for energy for Louise who must complete her dissertation this week if she’s to graduate before leaving for the UK.

• Pray for Arthur and Louise’s daughter Jessica as she sits her IGCSEs. Pray Jessica would get the rest she needs during her exams.

• Pray for the family to feel God’s presence as they face the emotional and logistical demands of moving countries.

A woman in a grey dress and a man in a green t-shirt stand on a terrace with the countryside behind them.
Please pray for Arthur and Louise Brown who are preparing for a big move to the UK.

We’ve one more request, but it’s a really important one. Please share this article with your friends, family and church before you do anything else.

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* Names changed to protect identities

Coming to the aid of pregnant refugees

Technology and mission:

Coming to the aid of pregnant refugees

Supporting this

Women in refugee camps in Uganda are in danger of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. That threat is about to change for thousands of them, thanks to an electronic device and your support for BMS World Mission.

They’ve fled a civil war, trekking for days to cross the border from South Sudan into Uganda, seeking sanctuary from crippling food shortages and men with guns and machetes. They’ve fled to save themselves, their loved ones, and the ones yet to be born.

The South Sudanese women who make it to the Bidi Bidi refugee camp in northern Uganda find a settlement of tents and mud-brick huts that sprawls for miles. The number of people living there, roughly 280,000, is higher than the population of many a British city, and most of them are women and children.

Refugee women and children walk along a dirt track in northern Uganda
Women and children have walked for miles to escape conflict in South Sudan.

Left behind because they were killed, abducted, forced to fight, or too weak to travel, are brothers, sisters, grandparents, children… and future fathers. An estimated one in five women of childbearing age in humanitarian emergencies like this are likely to be pregnant. Keep that in mind when you read the following:

– An estimated 830 women die every day from pregnancy and birth-related causes around the world.

– Of these maternal deaths, 99 per cent happen in developing countries.

– More than 50 per cent of maternal deaths are caused by conditions that could be detected if vital signs were assessed.

A £20 handheld device that measures blood pressure and heart rate can change these statistics. It is called the Microlife Cradle VSA (Vital Signs Alert), and from March, hundreds will be used in the Bidi Bidi camp, and the Nakivale refugee settlement in south west Uganda.

A patient in Haiti has her blood pressure and heart rate checked.
The device has already been used to help pregnant women in Haiti. Picture by Hope Health Action.

How does the device work?

The device needs minimal training to operate and uses a traffic light warning system that shows the risk of shock or high blood pressure in a patient.

– A green light shows the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate are normal, and they are likely to be well.

– A yellow light shows the blood pressure is high, and the patient could have pre-eclampsia, a condition that occurs in pregnancy, or soon after delivery. If untreated, it can cause a pregnant woman to suffer a seizure, stroke or even die.

– A red light shows that blood pressure is very high and the patient could have severe pre-eclampsia, or may have severe bleeding or infection.

Watch a step by step guide to using the device

Thanks to your gifts, at least 7,000 pregnant women will receive a medical check that could save both their lives, and the life of their unborn children. The device will alert volunteer health workers to a problem that can then be referred to a doctor or nurse.

BMS funding of £18,000 will help partner organisation Hope Health Action (working with King’s College London and the United Nations refugee agency) distribute more than 700 of these devices into the two camps from March and train people to use them.

South Sudanese refugees climb a hill at the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Uganda.

By giving to BMS, you’re making a life-saving difference to women in the Bidi Bidi and Nakivale refugee settlements.

But it could lead to so many others being helped, as it’s hoped a successful programme will prompt the Ugandan health ministry to distribute the device to other refugee camps.

We give thanks for your gifts. Amazing things are happening because of you.

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The long game


The cursed boy, the better Muslim and THE LONG GAME

I'm supporting this

Young people are finding a sense of worth in Guinea through the beautiful game.

BMS World Mission worker Ben is a better Muslim, but not in the way Sir Mo Farah might be.

He’s also a great manager, but only partly in the way Sir Alex Ferguson is. Ben is a football manager in a mostly Muslim country in West Africa, and the club he’s started is called Blessed Boys FC. It’s a space where boys who’d otherwise be left behind can learn the lessons that the beautiful game can teach – lessons about goals and how to strike them – and learn that they are valuable to God.

The Blessed Boys Football Club in Guinea train and play.

Ben is a committed Christian (so committed, he’s moved from Angola to Guinea to serve with BMS here). And ‘better Muslim’ is not a reason to write to the editor. It’s just what the people call him in the little town where he and his wife (also a BMS worker) now live. It’s a compliment, particularly to a known Christian who never worships in the mosque. A recognition of the difference he’s making; taking deprived kids, angry young men and ‘cursed’ boys under his defending wing.

Boys like… let’s call him Joao. Joao was born cursed. His mother died while giving birth to him and all his life Joao was told it was his fault. Told that, from the moment of his first breath, the evil power that killed his mum was attached to him. And as he grew, the label stuck. Ditch school to kick a ball around the streets? Of course you would, cursed boy. Never make it to the top of the class? Not surprising, really. Cursed boys can’t amount to much. Get involved in silly, maybe illegal, things? Nobody expects better, least of all you. Cursed boys do not have a future. Why would boys like Joao think beyond tomorrow?

Individualism wins trophies, teamwork wins championships.

Then one day, a stranger came to Joao’s town. He was as old as Joao’s father might have been had he still been around. And he called Joao blessed. He started to teach Joao the long game. Not just the game of football, but the game of life. Ben brought a vision of a God who sees no child as cursed, no boy beyond redemption, and he spoke a language boys like Joao could understand: the poetry of corner and cross, the syntax of the team. And things began to change.

While other managers would beat their boys, berating them for failure and modelling violence to get results, Ben did not. That’s not how a Blessed Boy behaves, he’d say, and boys like Joao would listen. Rules and boundaries as clear as white lines. Discipline and consequence for fouls and straying offside – but never vicious, insulting, condemning – Joao would sit out games and come back determined to do better, be better. When parents weren’t able or available, Ben would advocate for boys at school. He set up summer classes with his wife – a passionate teacher – identifying academic weaknesses and tutoring his boys (and other kids, their sisters, too) so that athletes became achievers in their schoolwork. Football and education.

Boys of the Blessed Boys Football Club in Guinea play football.
These young players in Guinea are becoming better footballers (and people) with the help of BMS worker Ben.

Today they’re model students, many of Ben’s boys. The BBFC rules are clear: no cutting class to practise – school comes first and no Blessed Boy should be on the pitch outside of scheduled training times. They’re learning structure. Learning formal rules and tactics, the techniques that separate the game they love to watch on TV from the scuffling madness they’d all be playing on the street if Ben’s club wasn’t there. They’re learning self-control, self-worth and that nobody is cursed into their future. BBFC boys respect themselves and their team. “Individualism wins trophies, but teamwork wins championships,” says Ben. And 54 boys in his club are learning that is true.

He actually thought that he was done. That there was no hope for him in life. Now he’s doing well.

Blessed Boys Football Club in West Africa

“The sense of hopelessness here is vivid sometimes,” says Ben, “and one can either be repelled by it or try to do something.” Something is being done. If you support the work of BMS you are doing something beautiful here, through the beautiful game. Boys robbed of any sense of choice by poverty are choosing to be better. Boys told by broken homes, polygamy and economics that they might as well give up are looking to the future. They are learning: think about the long game.

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Boys like Joao. Joao is not one boy. Joao is many boys, and almost any boy in Blessed Boys Football Club. Ben talks about a boy like Joao, top of his class and captain of one of the BBFC teams: “He actually thought that he was done. That there was no hope for him in life. Now he’s doing well. We’re working on his skills and employability. I’m offering him career guidance. I’m trying to help him see that he has in himself all that it takes to become somebody.”

Joao is not one boy, but he is not nobody. He’s 54 strong, he’s getting better every day and he is somebody.

This article appears in the new issue of Engage, the BMS magazine. Subscribe today by hitting the button on the right to read more about how your gifts are transforming lives like Joao’s around the world.

Top 5 stories of 2017

Looking back:

Top 5 stories of 2017

Supporting this

Last year was filled with inspirational stories of lives being transformed through your giving. Here are our top five most-read articles from 2017.

Students being baptised in barrels. Young French Christians finding community. Nepali children excelling at school. These are just a few of the incredible things your gifts and prayers have made possible this year, through BMS World Mission. There were so many stories to choose from, but only five could top our news story charts! We hope you’ll be inspired as you look back at what we achieved together in 2017.

1. Big thinking for little minds

Millions of children in Nepal are getting the opportunity of a better education, thanks to your support for BMS worker Annie Brown.

With her teacher training programme being adopted by the Nepali Government, every teacher of students aged between five and 13 in all government schools will have the chance to receive Annie’s training. They’ll be better-equipped to teach, and Nepal’s children will face brighter futures!

Read the full story here

2. Pray for our new mission workers

James and Ruth Neve, who are preparing to move to India to work with us.

Tucked away in our centre in Birmingham, new BMS mission workers are busy preparing for overseas service. For them, it’s daunting, but also exciting, as they get ready to serve God abroad in different ways. From a family heading to Nepal to help with disaster relief, to a couple heading to Albania to teach children of mission workers, there are plenty of things we can be praying for.

Loads of you loved catching up with our new mission workers’ prayer requests, making this our second most popular story last year.

Pray for them today by clicking the link below.

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Read their prayer requests here

3. 5 ways you're fighting violence against women

For thousands of vulnerable women and girls around the world, gender based violence is a daily part of life. But, thanks to your support, BMS is taking a stand against it. From helping girls know their rights, to freeing women from prostitution, you’re helping to empower women and prevent trafficking, sexual abuse and domestic violence. Find out more by reading the story.

Learn how you're empowering women around the world

4. Baptised in a barrel in Phnom Penh

Students are meeting Jesus in Cambodia! We loved witnessing the amazing moment when Srei got baptised in a barrel and by our stats it looked like you did too. Read about how she and Chan came to find God at a BMS-supported Christian hostel in Phnom Penh, and how, thanks to your support, more and more people are finding Jesus.

Read more here

5. Feeding of the 400

You’re helping to build Christian community in France – where young Christians often feel isolated and lonely.

Connexion 2017, an event put on by BMS worker Sue Wilson and her team, helped young French Christians realise they’re not alone. Watch the video above to find out about what it meant to the people who were there, and click the link below to read how you’re helping bring young French Christians together.

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Read how you're helping young French Christians find community

Thank you for supporting us in 2017. Your gifts have helped people find God, and have transformed countless lives. With your continued support, we can’t wait to start doing even more in 2018!

Other great stories made possible by you

Five stores aren’t enough to sum-up how much you did last year. So here are a few extra ones we’d love you to read too.

  1. Meet the inspiring Mozambican Christians you’re supporting: they’re bringing justice to abused women and teaching communities their rights.
  2. From witch doctor to church planter: the story of a witch doctor who found God, and then started planting churches.
  3. Baptist church brings light in Uganda: one simple action is raising money, helping people’s lungs and introducing people to Jesus.
  4. Refugees are like you and me: BMS worker Ann MacFarlane has seen God at work in the lives of refugees in Italy.
  5. This is what a life transformed looks like: meet Joshua. You helped give him a reason to smile.