Your Harvest legacy

The gifts you gave are still bearing fruit

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, revisited

You’re bringing hope to people with a deadly ‘orphan’ disease

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After hearing from public health worker Mel Spears in Operation: Chad, one year on, we’re talking to her husband Tom about revelatory diagnoses, lives saved, and what being in Chad has taught them both.

Pulling back the curtain on ‘goldminer’s syndrome’

Leishmaniasis. If you’ve heard of it, it may well be because you picked up Issue 50 of Engage magazine. If you haven’t, know that the amazing discovery of new treatments for this rare ‘orphan’ illness is one of our favourite stories from 2021. “I can add something to that story as well,” says Tom Spears, with a smile. He’s catching us up on all that’s been happening at Guinebor II (G2) hospital in Chad since the filming of last year’s Harvest appeal, Operation: Chad. And the next chapter in the incredible leishmaniasis story is just one of the ways that your support of medical work in Chad has made a difference this year.

Dr Tom Spears examining patients at Guinebor 2 Hospital, N’Djamena, Chad 2020 — Tom worked as a GP before moving to Chad in early 2020.

We left the leishmaniasis story with Andrea and Mark Hotchkin, BMS World Mission surgeons in the north of Chad. They had just discovered new ways to test, diagnose and treat leishmaniasis, with no idea that news of their work would make it to the Chadian Government, resulting in a proposed treatment roll-out across all affected areas in Chad. And it’s just another example of God in his wisdom drawing strands of BMS work together that Tom and his colleagues found themselves examining leishmaniasis patients at G2.

“The doctors I was with told me this was ‘goldminer’s syndrome’,” says Tom. “They’d been taught that this was a complication of toxic chemicals used in mining.” Though Tom had never seen leishmaniasis before, the collection of symptoms, as well as new tests now available because of Andrea and Mark’s work, told him they were looking at a parasitic disease. A quick phone call to Mark confirmed all they needed to know.

“The three doctors who were there now recognise leishmaniasis,” says Tom. “And they’ve all gone on to an area of Chad where it’s much more prevalent than in N’Djamena.” Leishmaniasis may sadly be here to stay, spread by the species of sandfly that transmits it, but doctors in Chad are now better armed. Thanks to your support, medics at G2 are diagnosing, testing and treating an illness that without medical intervention sees a near 100 per cent fatality rate in anyone without natural immunity.

Leishmaniasis: the facts

Leishmaniasis has been categorised as an ‘orphan illness’ – a disease restricted to the poorest parts of the world, and considered not financially lucrative to create up-to-date medications for.
Visceral leishmaniasis (one form the disease can take) kills around 20 to 40,000 people in the world every year.
Like malaria, it’s a parasitic disease, transmitted by a particular species of sandfly.
Eight in ten people will be naturally inoculated against the disease, but visceral leishmaniasis attacks the internal organs of the 20 per cent who aren’t.
Sufferers become anaemic, feverish and eventually immunodeficient. Without treatment, the disease will almost certainly prove fatal.

When training saves lives

Tom sent his three colleagues off with the promise that they could get in touch if they encountered leishmaniasis and needed extra tests. But it’s hard to see a cohort of doctors, just trained up, leaving G2. This past year has taught the team to turn what could be a frustration into a blessing. The fact that Chadian doctors rotate around the country means these health workers can take everything they’ve learned at G2 with them, wherever they’re sent. Tom recalls reading back of over the notes of a patient who had been left in the hands of a colleague he’d been training. “He’d done just a great job of treating him,” says Tom. “And I was seeing in front of me a patient who was dramatically better… it was really cool to think that he might not have been able to do that had he seen this patient a year ago.”

Kalbassou and Tom examining patients at Guinebor II hospital in Chad. — Watching Hospital Director Kalbassou on ward rounds has been a great learning opportunity for staff.

A year of reflection

While God might have planned for the Spears to end up in Chad, it had never been a country much on Mel and Tom’s radar. One year on – how has their sense of calling to Chad been sharpened? “One of the big things that I feel differently about now is that there [was lots] I felt frustrated by when we first arrived,” says Tom. “I don’t necessarily feel less frustrated now, but I have a lot more empathy for the complexity of the situation. It’s easy to come into a situation and see things that need to change and to criticise them, but with a bit more time, and perspective, you start understanding some of the reasons behind why things can’t change easily.” Mel and Tom’s heart for Chad is big enough to embrace the things that take time, that require prayer, and that are not straightforward. They’ve switched up a task-oriented culture for a relational one, and are building the connections that pave the way for change.

A patient is wheeled towards the operating theatre at Guinebor II hospital. — Staff at Guinebor II hospital are praying for another surgeon to join the team.

Looking back on how much has happened at G2 in the space of a year, it’s really exciting to think about how much scope there is for continued growth. But the team can only continue with your support and prayers. They’re praying for a surgeon to join Hospital Director Kalbassou Doubassou, and for enough capacity to make the heavy workload more sustainable at the hospital. They’re also praying that more manpower on the team would create time for training and learning. As they pray, why not pray along with them? Sign up to receive prayer letters from the Chad team, so that you’re always up to date with the latest from Mel, Tom and their colleagues at the hospital.

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What you achieved

You raised an amazing £301,823 for Operation: Chad back in 2020, whether that was through coming together with your church family to hold a wonderful harvest service, or because you gave generously as an individual, inspired by the amazing healthcare work happening at G2. 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.

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

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

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.”

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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.

Our God who hears

A testimony to answered prayer in 2020

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We stand at the beginning of a new year, more aware than ever how little our country, our global neighbours and our world leaders know about what lies ahead. So, what better way to begin 2021 than in prayer, with the BMS annual Day of Prayer on 31 January? And what better way to come to prayer than to come encouraged by this story, all about how God answered our prayers in 2020!

Last week, we asked BMS World Mission’s General Director Kang-San Tan to pen a prayer for the year ahead. It was a big ask. What do you pray for when faced with a year as uncertain as 2021? And where do you begin, with a world still in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic?

Thankfully, our General Director was more than up for the challenge, and we shared his beautiful prayer in our email update (if you don’t receive them, sign up here!) And as we did so, we knew we weren’t asking without basis or confidence. We’ve been so privileged to see firsthand how our prayers for our world, our work and most importantly, for those we work with and for, have been answered.

Kang-San’s prayer for 2021 asked for three things: flourishing for new communities, for our workers to be the fragrance of Christ in everything they do, and for God’s Kingdom to come, his will being done on earth and in heaven. Let’s take a look at how we saw God working powerfully in each of these ways in 2020 and allow this to give us confidence as we ask again for his provision in 2021.

Flourishing communities

CHURCHES AND SUPPORTERS

This past year has undoubtedly posed extreme challenges for churches, seeking to livestream services, record online talks and set up ‘Zoom coffees’ in place of meeting together. It seemed impossible to replace the easy fellowship we enjoy from mingling in our church halls or working together on a Harvest offering table. So it was wonderful to hear that, across the year, so many had found ways to adapt and meet the challenges. Over 230 churches found ways to raise money for the BMS Harvest appeal, Operation: Chad, many of them remotely. Some churches organised online collections, and many superstar fundraisers set themselves unique sporting challenges they could do within their four walls to raise money – you can check out Will and Tom’s achievements on our Facebook page, or Ana Sophia Clark’s garage 10k in Issue 48 of Engage!

PROVISION AND PROTECTION

From our mission workers to our UK staff team, across our supporters and in churches, so many have faced serious challenges to health, disruptions to normal working conditions and difficulty in travelling throughout 2020. It would be wrong to overlook how difficult it has been for all of us in each of our individual ways, but in all this, it’s also been remarkable to see God’s provision and protection. Whether it’s been upholding people in their physical needs, putting loving community around the lonely or sending his Spirit to sustain and to guide, we’ve heard some wonderful stories of God’s strength keeping people throughout this year.

Sharing Christ

THE CHRISTMAS PRAYER CAMPAIGN

In the midst of lockdowns and social distancing, outreach events seemed like an impossible dream. That is, until four BMS partners across Asia came forward with a plan to reach their neighbours across India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand with the gospel at Christmas. You joined us in prayer for these Christmas outreach events, and we’re now hearing exciting testimonies about the fruit of this incredible endeavour. There have been baptisms, gifts and Bibles handed out and the proclamation of gospel hope in a time of real crisis. We hope to share more in the upcoming issue of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine, so subscribe here to ensure you don’t miss it!

ONE MILLION LIVES

A huge answer to prayer in 2020 was seeing that the faithfulness and generosity of supporters has enabled us to reach our goal of transforming one million lives worldwide!

Back in 2016, BMS launched an ambitious plan. We wanted to transform the lives of one million people by the end of 2020. The last of those five years posed challenges none of us could have foreseen, but with God’s guidance and your support, we amazingly saw that target achieved. You equipped the global Church to reach out and share Jesus’ love with one million people in some of the world’s least evangelised, most marginalised and most fragile places. Stay tuned to hear more over the next few months about all you’ve achieved!

Four BMS workers engaged in evangelism and church planting across India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand gathered in a group montage against a blue background.

Doing God's will

CORONAVIRUS AND BEIRUT

In 2020 alone, we handed out more relief grants than ever before – and it was all down to the generosity of BMS supporters. In moments of real trial, nations around the world dealt with the devastating effects of Covid-19, many on top of other political, economic or humanitarian crises. Thanks to your gifts, over 36,000 people received practical aid and spiritual support, all in the name of Jesus. You helped build a satellite Covid-19 hospital in Bardaï, Chad and shored up other hospitals across Chad and Nepal. You handed out face masks, PPE and soap, and provided psychological support to those in despair. After the blast in Beirut last summer, you rebuilt broken homes, enabling 40 families to be rehoused, and gave out emergency meals. We praise God for your joyful obedience to his will and calling to give, even out of hard personal circumstances for many in the UK.

Food distribution in Beirut after the blast

Last but not least, we’ve also had the privilege of praying with you, our supporters. As the UK entered its first lockdown back in March of 2020, it became clear to the BMS team that asking for requests and praying for the things on your hearts would be an absolutely essential part of our work this year. Our weekly prayers for supporters and churches have been a real time of encouragement and blessing. And if you saw prayers answered this last year, we’d love to hear how you are doing.

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We pray that seeing these answers to prayer in 2020 has encouraged you for the year ahead. Please do join us in prayer for our Day of Prayer on Sunday 31 January 2021. Follow the link to our Day of Prayer page for all the information you’ll need, as well as for handy resources like a PowerPoint and PDF download, designed to be easily shared in your church service.

Words by Hannah Watson

You've done amazing things this year:

An oasis of healing

Supporting this 8

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.

Heroes of Guinebor II

The people you can support through Operation: Chad

Some superheroes wear scrubs.

Supporting this 697

You can be a hero too! Give to Operation: Chad today, and save lives in the Sahel for years to come.

We have a mission for you and your church. We’re asking you to save lives in Chad this harvest.

Working at Guinebor II hospital in the Chadian desert is not a job for the faint-hearted. In 40-plus degree heat, the medical team, supported by BMS World Mission, operates on tumours, resets broken bones, and stitches up gunshot wounds. They treat malnutrition and malaria, deliver babies and diagnose diabetes – working in a publicly Christian hospital, even while the threat of Boko Haram looms large.

These men and women have an extraordinary mission – to bring hope and healing in the Sahel. When you and your church support Operation: Chad, you can help them.

Meet some of the heroes of Guinebor II hospital

Kalbassou Doubassou

Role: Director of Guinebor II hospital

Kalbassou has the huge task of directing all the work of Guinebor II hospital! In 2019, 14,423 patients benefitted from the care of Kalbassou’s dedicated team. Guinebor II medical workers perform life-saving surgeries, and treat everything from snake bites and malaria, to broken bones and cancer. They do it all in the name of Jesus, and thanks to your support.

Meet Kalbassou by running an Operation: Chad service in your church! Watch the Operation: Chad feature video now.

In his own words: “Being the head of the hospital is [a] miracle, because I didn’t expect it. But by his grace, I am doing the work. I’m proud of the hospital, because the hospital is making a difference. And the nurses are doing their job. And the doctors are taking care of patients… Everybody is welcoming, so all our patients are happy. So it’s exciting to see a place like Guinebor II hospital.

“We have Jesus to give to people, but we also have skills to give good quality care to people. So that’s the most exciting part.”

Kalbassou is director of Guinebor II hospital. He is a hero.

Agnes is Head Nurse at Guinebor II hospital. She is a hero.

Agnès Netadé

Role: Head nurse at Guinebor II hospital

Agnes has been working at Guinebor II since 2011, and has been overseeing all the nursing staff at the hospital for the last year. She is committed to ensuring that all the patients coming to Guinebor II receive excellent care and experience the love of God through the work of her team.

In her own words: “We’re so, so happy to work here because everything we do here is in God’s will, it’s him who sustains us, and who helps us to do it well. We’re grateful because the patients themselves smile at us and tell us that they have not been disappointed by coming here.

“The nurses working here are often on the wards on their own, or just with one other nurse. So to encourage and motivate the nurses, I go round each day to give them advice. I say, ‘Please, be joyful, be welcoming in front of patients, and take care of them like they are one of your own. And you will be blessed.’”

Claire Bedford

Role: Pharmacist and member of the management team at Guinebor II

The pharmacy is an essential part of Guinebor II hospital, and Claire has been working hard to develop it. She makes sure that the hospital is well-stocked with essential (and affordable) medications, so that once patients receive their diagnoses, they can access the treatment they need to get better.

In her own words: “The reason I get up in the morning is to be able to provide medications for our patients… That’s why we all get up in the morning and run around a lot at the hospital – just to provide the best that we can for people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to very good healthcare.

“My pharmacy team is amazing, they are like a small family to me. And it’s great to see them every day and work with them. We laugh and joke like any team does – and they work very hard! It makes me happy that we can help the Chadian people and provide this service for them.”

Claire is a pharmacist at Guinebor II hospital. She is a hero.

Moussa is Counsulting Nurse at Guinebor II hospital. He is a hero.

Moussa Idriss Adoum

Role: Consulting nurse at Guinebor II

Moussa diagnoses and treats patients coming to Guinebor II hospital. On the day we met him, he had seen 35 patients. Most of them had malaria, but he also assessed two emergency cases – a child with a bladder stone and a father with a suspected stroke – and made sure they got the urgent care they needed.

In his own words: “When we receive people for treatment, they often don’t even realise the strain they are living with. People die in our village of cardiac arrests, and people think it’s caused by bad omens. So it’s social problems that are causing people to die. The leading cause of death after malaria is accidents. People are living with such tension that they’re not stopping to focus on what they’re doing.

“For the past ten years, the hospital has been growing. Why? Because it has a good reputation. We’re a very experienced team, and we’re motivated by that.”

Patrice Bekoutou

Role: Anaesthetist at Guinebor II

Patrice works in the operating theatre, preparing patients for their procedures, administering the anaesthetic they need, and praying with them before they undergo surgery.

In his own words: “We’ve seen several patients who have accepted Jesus into their lives, because all of the actions we’re doing here are in the name of Jesus, showing the love of Jesus. They’ve testified to the fact that first we shared the gospel with them, and then they accepted Jesus Christ into their lives as their Saviour. So, really, it’s the grace of God in action.

“Sharing the gospel with our neighbours, well, that’s what Jesus Christ commands us to do. We do it in faith. And when we share the gospel with those around us and they accept it, well, it’s a joy.”

Patrice is an anaesthetist at Guinebor II hospital. He is a hero.

Operation: Chad is coming!

Save lives. Support Operation: Chad.

You can support these amazing medical workers on their mission to save lives in Chad! Our brand-new video Operation: Chad is available to watch now! We can’t wait for you to see it. Speak to your minister and ask them to schedule an Operation: Chad service for your church – it’s perfect for harvest, and can also be used anytime!

Stand with these heroes of Guinebor II and save lives in the Sahel. Get Operation: Chad in your church calendar now.

Good World News

Good World News:

God is still at work

Liking this 17

It’s easy to despair at the state of the world right now, which is why we wanted to remind you that God is still at work in powerful ways. We checked in with Ben Drabble, who heads up our Supporter Care Team, in his home office, to see what good news he has to share from our partners and projects around the globe. Turns out, God is doing some amazing things – and in many of them, he’s chosen to work through you!

Want some good news? Check out this video!

Download this video and share it with your church!

1. Baptisms in Bangladesh

Earlier this year, we found out that up to 80 people are preparing to be baptised in Bangladesh, thanks to BMS World Mission partner the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha. That’s 80 people who will be accepting the love of Jesus into their lives! Your support and prayers for our work in Bangladesh have made this possible.

These are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you’re part of their story. If that’s not good news, we don’t know what is!

Up to 80 people were baptised recently in Bangladesh

30,000 face masks were sewn in Mozambique

2. Coronavirus global response

BMS supporters have given over £200,000 to our Coronavirus appeal to help people around the world in the fight against Covid-19. We are so thankful for your incredible generosity!
Here are a few ways your support has made an incredible difference in more than 22,000 lives during the Coronavirus pandemic:

You’ve enabled women in Mozambique to sew a whopping 30,000 face masks! All these masks will go to Maputo General Hospital and will be used to curb the spread of the virus.
You’ve supported the creation of a satellite hospital in Bardaï, Chad, built on the site of a disused police station. You’ve helped purchase specialist equipment, refurbish the police station, and fix up the water supply.
You’ve helped provide food parcels, hygiene products and PPE to people across the world, from Peru to Sri Lanka, Tunisia to Nepal.

If you want to find out more about what your support has achieved, visit our Coronavirus news page to stay updated.

3. Solidarity Sunday

Churches across the UK held Solidarity Sunday services via Zoom and other online platforms back in May! It was so amazing to see UK Christians joining together in prayer for the global Coronavirus response, and we’re so thankful for everyone who took part. You’ve played a real part in saving and protecting lives.

And if you didn’t get a chance to hold a Solidarity Sunday service in May, all the resources you’ll need to hold one are still on our website. Check them out today!

4. Resources for your church

We’ve made it possible for you to request a member of the BMS Speaker Team to join your online service, whether that’s a passionate Speaker Team volunteer, a member of our UK staff team with behind-the-scenes insights or one of our mission workers straight from the frontline! If you want to hear stories from the heart of mission, contact Carolyn Ogi, our Church Engagements Administrator, on 01235 517631 to request a BMS Speaker today!

We’ve also got tons of brilliant resources you can use in your church service, whether you’re keeping things online or beginning to move things back to your church building. From inspiring sermons and video messages from mission workers, to PowerPoints to guide your prayer for the world, we’ve got a resource that will work for your church. Find them all right here.

PowerPoint slide with the text "Join Christians across the UK to pray for the global Covid-19 Coronavirus response"

5. Operation: Chad is coming!

Operation: Chad, our 2020 Harvest appeal, is coming!

We’ll be transporting you to Guinebor II hospital in Chad, and we can’t wait to share stories of the incredible staff there who dedicate their lives to providing healthcare in a country with 1 doctor for every 25,000 people! Stay tuned for updates on how you can join Operation: Chad very soon!

Thank you so much for all of your support for BMS World Mission over these last few months. You are a crucial member of the BMS community – and we hope that this instalment of Good World News helps you to remember that! Don’t forget to download the video and share it with your church!

Liking this? Click here!

Words and video by Laura Durrant.

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Thank you

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, revisited

You’re bringing hope to people with a deadly ‘orphan’ disease

Pulling back the curtain on ‘goldminer’s syndrome’

When training saves lives

A year of reflection

Operation: Chad – one year on

What’s been happening at G2?

Cultural shifts

Tackling malnutrition

Operation: Chad

You saved their lives

Mohammed Ibrahim Hassaballah

Rakié Akaye

Mahamat Aboss Abdel Karim

Al-Fadil Abalallah

Our God who hears

A testimony to answered prayer in 2020

Flourishing communities

Sharing Christ

Doing God's will

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

Heroes of Guinebor II

The people you can support through Operation: Chad

Meet some of the heroes of Guinebor II hospital

Kalbassou Doubassou

Agnès Netadé

Claire Bedford

Moussa Idriss Adoum

Patrice Bekoutou

Operation: Chad is coming!

Save lives. Support Operation: Chad.

Good World News:

God is still at work

Want some good news? Check out this video!

1. Baptisms in Bangladesh

2. Coronavirus global response

3. Solidarity Sunday

4. Resources for your church

5. Operation: Chad is coming!