Pictures from the frontline: South Sudan’s refugees in photos

This is the South Sudanese refugee crisis. These are the people who survived the civil war in South Sudan. They’re helping each other, but they need you to stand alongside them.

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He was crawling. And when David Dunham met him, Modi Emmanuel wouldn’t shake his hand without wiping the dust off first. Modi’s story is not unusual.

In November 2018, a team from BMS World Mission visited three refugee camps in Uganda to film South Sudan’s Conflict Survivors. David was part of that team. These are his photographs.

Modi Emmanuel, a South Sudanese refugee, kneels on the ground in the Paloyrina refugee camp.
"It's hard to understand the reality and depth of the need in the refugee camps until you see it firsthand. We must respond."

“When I met Modi, he wasn’t in his wheelchair. He was on his hands and knees.

This young man who has suffered so much was so thoughtful and so conscious of the dust on his hands that he refused to shake hands until his were clean.”

South Sudanese children sit in a make-shift church in this refugee camp.

“Not every child who flees war makes it to a refugee camp. Many of those that do arrive alone having witnessed the death of a loved one or companion on the journey.”

South Sudanese people in refugee settlements are already helping each other. Will you stand with them?

A South Sudanese pastor high-fives children in a refugee camp in Uganda.

“Patrick has been a refugee three times. He’s been arrested for no reason. Imprisoned in a shipping container. Lost every possession. And now he’s helping other refugees, like these children.”

Click here to help South Sudanese refugees
A South Sudanese farmer stands in the field of corn that he grew using seeds provided by BMS supporters.

“Dube fled his home with his three young children. He lost everything he owned. A friend allowed him to use a field to grow crops, and the seeds he planted came from UK Christians, acting through BMS World Mission.”

Since the civil war in South Sudan began in 2013, 4.3 million people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands of people have died. Most of the refugees are women and children, who have walked hundreds of miles to find safety in neighbouring countries like Uganda. Disease and malnourishment mean hundreds of thousands of people are still at risk. And you can help them.

Give today and hold a South Sudan’s Conflict Survivors service at your church. Find all the resources you’ll need here.

“The people living in these refugee settlements are probably some of the most courageous and beautiful I’ve ever met,” says David. Thank you for helping South Sudan’s conflict survivors.

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Words and interview by Laura Durrant

Ebola outbreak: pray for Uganda

Ebola outbreak

Pray for D R Congo and Uganda

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

Update: Thank you for your prayers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pray for the Uganda Ebola outbreak

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

Want to support BMS relief ministries? Click here
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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.

Mozambique: The relief response begins

Mozambique:

The relief response begins

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The Cyclone Idai relief response has begun. But Beira still needs your prayers and support.

After our initial call for prayer and support, BMS World Mission supporters donated over £70,000 towards relief efforts in Mozambique. Thank you so much for your generosity. You’ve helped us kickstart the relief response in Beira. But the people there still need you.

The city of Beira still needs your support. Donate now.

“I have conveyed your prayers, support and encouragement to all those I’ve met from the CBM and they have been extremely grateful to know the world is standing with them,” says Rachel Conway-Doel, BMS Relief Facilitator. Rachel recently returned from Beira after flying out in March to help the Baptist Convention of Mozambique (CBM) assess the need created by the cyclone. 200,000 homes have been destroyed, and over 1,000 cases of cholera have now been reported, with at least two reported deaths. Cholera vaccination programmes have begun in Beira and other cities in Mozambique, with over 900,000 vaccines being shipped to Beira alone. Mosquito nets have also been provided to many people, including all our supported partner workers, to help combat a rise in malaria cases.

Destruction on a Beira street, with upturned trees and paving slabs
Your support is vital for the Cyclone Idai relief response.

The Cyclone Idai Relief Response

The long-term relief response in Beira will take the form of reconstruction of infrastructure, agricultural recovery and legal education support. As the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai shifts out of the media spotlight, we know you won’t forget about the people of Beira. Please continue to pray and give so people there can rebuild their lives.

“I have lived nearly 30 years in Beira and have never seen anything like this,” says BMS worker Carlos Tique Jone, who was in Beira when the cyclone struck. He and his family are safe, and he is working with CBM to help facilitate the Christian relief response. Watch the above video to hear a thank you message from Carlos, and see how your prayers are already having an effect.

Pray for Mozambique

We asked some of our supported partner workers in Beira what they wanted prayer for. Here’s what they said:

From Agira, Fernando and Lídia, who work with the Association of Christian Lawyers (AMAC) in Mozambique:

  1. Pray that their families will be protected from cholera and that the vaccination programme can reach everyone.
  2. Pray for Lídia’s house. Part of her roof and wall has been damaged and as she is both studying, working and living alone, this is hard. Pray for her and her house to be protected.
  3. Pray for the people AMAC serve – beforehand they were vulnerable people, and now they will be more vulnerable because of the cyclone.

From Constância, Elídia and Anibal, who work with Baptist Convention of Mozambique:

  1. Pray for the many mothers and widows whose homes are uninhabitable and who don’t know how to restore their lives.
  2. Pray for Mozambican churches, facing huge financial needs as they start to rebuild. So many churches have been affected, and so many members are in financial need themselves that rebuilding is going to be a massive challenge. Pray for all of the Christians struggling to rebuild their own lives while also helping their churches help others.
  3. Pray for jobs. Many companies have closed, so many people have lost their jobs. Pray for the Mozambican economy and its effect on ordinary people.

If you want more prayer points for your church, please visit our previous update: Pray for Beira.

Thank you for remembering Cyclone Idai survivors. Please keep praying for the relief response in Beira. And if you want to do even more, you can help our brothers and sisters in Mozambique by giving today to Disaster Recovery and Relief. Thank you.

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Words by Laura Durrant.

Cyclone Idai: Mozambique needs your prayer

Cyclone Idai:

Mozambique needs your prayer

Supporting this

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

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

The destruction

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

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

The aftermath

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

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

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

The intervention

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

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

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

Updates on personnel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pray for Mozambique

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

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

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South Sudan: windows of prayer

South Sudan's Conflict Survivors

Your church can help refugees from South Sudan living in Uganda, this Harvest or at any time of year.

Find out more

South Sudan:

windows of prayer

Praying for this

The peace deal signed by warring parties went unheeded. Hoping for harmony can feel naïve. But BMS World Mission’s supporters are armed with the power to pray.

Annet gave birth on the road. She was heavily pregnant when she was forced to flee from her home in South Sudan. “Our health facilities were closed. I didn’t have any tests,” she explained. Her mother boiled some water for her in a jug – that was all the help she had. With a newborn baby, she then faced the impossible task of finding enough food. “If the war had not broken out, I would not have gone through this,” said Annet. “Giving birth on the way. Not being able to feed my baby.”

If the war had not broken out, I would not have gone through this

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the world’s youngest nation, and the conflict rages on. South Sudan celebrated independence just seven years ago, but a dispute between the country’s President and his former deputy quickly developed into a broader conflict between ethnic groups. Since war broke out at the end of 2013, over one third of the population has been displaced.

Men building with red bricks
South Sudanese people are having to rebuild their lives in refugee camps, like this one in Uganda.

Scrolling through the figures in endless news cycles is dispiriting. It seems impossible to help when thousands of miles separate you from those in need. And when the news seems oblivious to the suffering, it can even be hard to know how to pray. Thankfully, BMS local workers are in the refugee camps. They’re sharing stories of the individuals behind the overwhelming statistics, so that we can pray for people by name.

We can pray for mothers like Annet. Annet doesn’t want any mother to experience the trauma she did. Let’s pray that BMS workers can get healthy, sustaining food to babies at risk of malnourishment. These workers are providing health checks to pregnant women – the kind of prenatal tests that Annet desperately needed. We need to pray that these checks can reach every woman who needs them.

A woman holds a baby and smiles.
Annet gave birth to her baby on the road. BMS-funded projects will mean that pregnant women can access vital health checks.

We can pray for people with disabilities, like Abbe Rose. She escaped, along with her husband and children, after some of their family members were killed. The journey they made is unimaginable: Abbe Rose wasn’t even able to bring her wheelchair. But, Abbe was given a wheelchair by her new church – South Sudanese Christians living in the camps and helping themselves – as well as each other. Abbe Rose can now get to church meetings and medical appointments and meet with friends – things that were previously impossible. “If I’m sick or my child is sick, she can push me,” Abbe explains. “We can go together.” Please pray for more people like Abbe to be given the mobility they have been denied.

A woman sits in a wheelchair
Abbe Rose’s wheelchair means she can get to medical appointments and church meetings.

These stories are windows into a conflict that is overwhelming in its severity and scope.

We can be overwhelmed by them, or we can use them both to pray for the challenges ahead and to thank God for the blessings BMS workers have seen. “I had no choice but to leave it to God,” says Annet of her struggles. It is a privilege to bring her situation, and that of others too, to God in prayer. Please pray right now with us:

  1. Please pray that malnourished babies get the nourishing food they desperately need.
  2. Please pray for people with disabilities, that their needs would not be overlooked. Pray for wheelchairs and other liberating blessings for those who need them.
  3. Many South Sudanese parents are concerned for their children’s education – the key to a secure future. Pray that families would be able to continue their children’s schooling.
  4. Pray for our BMS workers, that they are encouraged as they continue to deliver projects and interventions for those in need.
  5. Pray for peace between warring factions in South Sudan, that all fighting would come to an end.

Why not download these prayers and save them to your favourite device? All you need to do is hit the button below.

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You help when others don’t: 4 ways you’ve been supporting relief work across the world

You help when others don’t:

4 ways you’ve been supporting relief work across the world

Supporting this

When a disaster or conflict hits a nation, we know you want to help. Thanks to your faithful support for BMS World Mission, you are.

Four disasters, each marked by terrible suffering and loss. You will have heard about the conflict in Ukraine, the civil war in South Sudan, the lingering devastation from Nepal’s earthquakes, and the impact of a tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. What you might not know is that by giving to BMS, you’ve supported the people who desperately need help. We’re in a strong position to respond in times of disaster as we’re part of a global family of Baptists.

BMS World Mission is part of the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD), a collective of Baptist organisations from across the world devoted to supporting those left in crisis as they rebuild after a disaster strikes. But vital help wouldn’t happen without your support. “It has been a joy to see the Baptist family come together,” says Rachel Conway-Doel, BMS Relief Facilitator. “The potential we have to make an impact is very exciting.”

Here are some exciting ways that you, the BMS family, have already helped:

1. Keeping people warm in Ukraine

A truck carrying boxes.
Vital heating equipment is being distributed to people in danger of freezing in Ukraine, where temperatures can drop to minus 25 degrees in winter.

Over 1.5 million people have been displaced in Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russia separatists, leaving many of them with no means to stay warm in sub-zero temperatures. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to help provide people in Ukraine with thermal underwear, ceramic heaters, coal and wood to help them get through the dangerous winter months. We’d like to say a special thank you to all those who’ve responded to our Ukraine appeal in the last few months. You’ve really made a difference!

2. Standing by the people of Nepal

A street of collapsed buildings
Nearly 8 million people were directly affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal in 2015.

The media might not be there anymore, but BMS has continued to stand with the people of Nepal to help them rebuild after the catastrophic earthquakes that hit in 2015. Your giving has supported the rebuilding of public buildings and schools and provided disaster risk management training to help communities be better prepared should such a tragic disaster occur again.

3. Giving crucial support to South Sudanese refugees

Woman using a hand cranked wheelchair/tricycle
Many people with disabilities had to be carried out of South Sudan. You support has helped provide wheelchairs for people unable to walk.

Five years of civil war in South Sudan has forced more than two million people to flee this young nation. Many have sought refuge in Uganda, reaching camps that stretch for miles. BMS funds have so far helped provide vital food rations to 1,700 children suffering from malnutrition, as well as food, agricultural tools, wheelchairs and pastoral support to people with disabilities.

4. Coming to the aid of tsunami survivors

A destroyed van.
Thousands of people we displaced after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on the island of Sulawesi last year.

Over 2,100 people were killed and 87,000 displaced after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in October last year. Your support provided people on the ground with emergency food and personal hygiene kits and helped to build shelters and provide counselling support to trauma victims.

It’s thanks to your heart for demonstrating God’s love that we can stand alongside people who need help. When South Sudanese refugees say praise God for providing food and a wheelchair, it’s because of your solidarity in the gospel. And when an earthquake victim who’s lost their home is able to take shelter, it’s you who’s helped to provide that roof. But there are so many others we would like to support.

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Please, give today and come to the aid of those who need to know Christian love across the world. Thank you.

In pictures: meet the South Sudanese refugees you’re helping

In pictures:

Meet the South Sudanese refugees you're helping

Supporting this
South Sudan's Conflict Survivors

Your church can help refugees from
South Sudan living in Uganda,
at harvest or at any other time of year.

Find out more

It’s the largest refugee crisis in Africa and the third largest in the world. Over two million people have now fled the conflict in South Sudan, with more than a million of them ending up in Uganda. The numbers are overwhelming – but the people are amazing. And you’ve been helping them. Here’s how.

Forced to flee their homes because of the fighting, South Sudanese families arrived (and continue to arrive) in Uganda with nothing. You’ve been supporting some of the most at-risk people in Palorinya and Bidi Bidi refugee settlements, as well as helping those who have settled right by the border with South Sudan.

BMS local worker Patrick
BMS local worker Isaac

You’re supporting these two amazing men – Patrick and Isaac – to run projects to help displaced South Sudanese people. Both Patrick and Isaac are South Sudanese refugees themselves, and they have huge hearts for those struggling in the settlements. By giving to BMS World Mission, you’re helping them to reach out to people with disabilities, widows, single parents and other vulnerable people.

How you're helping: food

You’ve funded the transport and logistics to enable 1,700 severely malnourished children to access Plumpy’Nut, a special peanut-based paste to help them get healthy again. This little boy is nearly at the end of his treatment and is doing much better!

Dube is now growing food to support himself and his family. Dube has a disability with his leg, and you provided him with seeds and tools to start growing a harvest. His is one of 100 families you’ve supported in this way.

Henry is unable to walk and therefore cannot farm for himself. He has two daughters and his wife left him because of his disability. Henry isn’t living in an official refugee camp and so isn’t eligible for government support. You’ve been providing him and 1,000 other people with food rations – essential for their survival.

How you're helping: maternal health

Jane gave birth to her baby, Irene, while fleeing the conflict in her village. She had no medical assistance, and after she gave birth she had to get up and carry on walking. Her story is not uncommon. Thankfully, Jane survived. But pregnancy and childbirth are terrifying concepts for people living in the refugee settlements. There’s a lack of access to health care, which means health conditions that can normally be easily managed end up costing lives.

By supporting BMS, you’re helping women access the medical checks they need to stay healthy during pregnancy. Irene is pregnant and has high blood pressure, but thanks to you, she’s aware of her health condition and is being carefully monitored. If anything changes, she will be rushed to a health clinic in Bidi Bidi refugee camp where she lives.

Irene found out about her blood pressure because of the cradle device – a highly accurate automated blood pressure device that also detects heart rate and shock index. You helped pay for 714 cradle devices, which means that all 17 NGO-run clinics in Bidi Bidi now have access to it. On top of that, over 450 volunteer health team workers covering the entire settlement have use of their own cradle device to monitor the health of people in their community – detecting high-risk pregnancies and other potentially life-threatening illnesses.

Women like these are getting accurate blood pressure checks when they come for check-ups in Bidi Bidi’s health centres. That means that conditions that could have been missed before are being identified.

Angok is one of the 450 volunteer health workers now armed with a cradle device. He goes and visits people in his community and monitors their health. It’s really simple to use the device, and Angok is now able to make sure pregnant women at risk of illnesses like preeclampsia get help before it’s too late.

How you're helping: destigmatising disability

You’re supporting South Sudanese Christians and churches to help people like Harriet. People with disabilities are some of the most vulnerable people in the refugee settlements. You’re helping us to find them, to support them, and to help them and their communities understand that they are important and have value.

You’re empowering the church to destigmatise disability and make sure the people who need help most receive it.

Thank you so much for supporting our work amongst South Sudanese refugees!  Meet some of these individuals and others in the South Sudan’s Conflict Survivors feature video – and find out how your church can help by organising a fundraising service or event, at harvest or any other time of year.

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Indonesia earthquake and tsunami: update on our response

Indonesian earthquake and tsunami:

update on our response

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BMS World Mission is responding to the situation in Indonesia, where over 1,500 people have died after an earthquake and tsunami struck.

You will have seen images of the devastation on the island of Sulawesi, which was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday. Access to the affected areas is challenging for responders due to damaged bridges, landslides and fuel shortages.

The official number of people killed in the disaster is expected to continue to rise. Many of the deaths happened in the city of Palu.
BMS has been communicating with partners in Indonesia in response to the tragedy. You can help today by joining us in prayer, and you can also make a donation at the bottom of this article.

The scene of devastation caused by an earthquake and tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi
People suffering from disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi need your prayers today.

Prayer points for Indonesia:

– Please pray for the people of Sulawesi who are suffering unimaginable grief right now. Pray that they have the basics of food and clean drinking water, and medical help.

– Please pray for the first responders as they search for survivors. Pray they have shelter themselves and are kept safe as they work in dangerous, very difficult conditions.

– Please pray for the partners we’ll be supporting. Pray they are given all the resources they need from agencies and governments from around the world.

– Please pray for the long-term response. Pray that people will remember Sulawesi in the months and years to come, and that this city and the surrounding area would recover from this tragedy.

“Your prayers are crucial at this time, so please continue to pray for people in Sulawesi,” says BMS World Mission Relief Facilitator Rachel Conway-Doel.

“Please pray for our partners who are on the ground assessing both the immediate and longer term needs for the area. We will be working closely with the local churches, as they respond to the affected communities. Thank you for your continued prayers, generosity and love shown towards all those affected by this disaster.”

We’ll bring you updates on how BMS is supporting the response in Sulawasi. To make a donation to the response, please click the button on the right.

Thank you for your prayers and generosity in this most traumatic and difficult of times for people in Indonesia.

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Meet the Vokuhls

Nepal bound:

Meet the Vokuhls

Supporting this

Pippa, Toby, Jakey, Ella and Millie Vokuhl fly to Nepal on Saturday with BMS World Mission. Find out why they feel called to mission and what they’ll be up to overseas.

After months of preparation, Pippa and Toby Vokuhl are ready to begin an exciting new chapter of their lives, serving God in Nepal. They are part of Headington Baptist Church in Oxford and have three children: Jakey (nine), Ella (seven) and Millie (three).

Amidst packing up their house, saying goodbyes and doing other last-minute tasks, Pippa and Toby sat down with us to talk about the adventure they’re getting ready to embark on.

Have you always wanted to work overseas?

“I would say yes for both of us – since our teenage years we’ve felt called to work overseas,” says Pippa. “We both worked in separate places overseas before we got married. I worked as a physiotherapist in Uganda and Toby worked as a carpenter in Nazareth.
“Toby and I actually met at All Nations Christian College,” Pippa continues. “So even from the start of our marriage, mission was very much on the agenda.”

How did you decide to move overseas?

“When we started to consider whether an overseas assignment might be right for us as a family and if that was something God might be calling us to,” says Toby, “it led us to start having conversations with BMS.”

“We had a Skype call with someone in Nepal telling us about the project and whether Toby would consider taking this role,” says Pippa. “As we got off the call, we both looked at each other and went, yes! This is the right one! So we both had a deep peace about this being the right thing to do.”

I’m looking forward to being able to encourage Nepali Christians and likewise them to encourage us

What will you be doing in Nepal?

“My background is in construction management,” says Toby. “I will be working with a local BMS partner as part of their disaster response and resilience department, based in Pokhara – there’s still a lot of ongoing work in terms of the reconstruction of housing that was damaged in the 2015 earthquakes.

“I’ll be working with local colleagues to help with the construction of houses, as well as training craftsmen, giving people the necessary skills to build a better future for themselves by teaching them how to improve the quality of their own homes.”

“For me, it’s a bit less clear at the moment,” says Pippa. “Initially when we get there it will be about settling the family in.

“We’ll both be doing some language study for a couple of months, and then after that I’ll be praying that God will give me the right role.”

How did your children react when they found out they were moving?

“We were really encouraged by their response – they were really up for it and excited,” says Toby. “They’re now working through the sort of thoughts of losing friendships and how they can maintain them in Nepal, but in general they took it really well.”

What are you looking forward to when you go?

“Getting to know local Nepalis,” says Pippa. “Getting to know Nepali Christians and learning from them, being able to encourage them and likewise for them to encourage us – to be part of that global Christian family. I’m also looking forward to seeing my kids having new cultural experiences as well.”

“For me,” says Toby, “I’m really looking forward to meeting local colleagues, meeting with local Christians and joining in with the ongoing relief efforts, as well as the cross-cultural experience and the chance to learn new things.”

Even from the start of our marriage, mission was very much on the agenda

What can people be praying for?

“If you could pray for the kids,” says Pippa. “Toby and I have had experience overseas, so we know what to expect. But if people could pray for them with the transition, that they would just feel really settled and happy.”

“I think pray for general health really, that would be great,” says Toby. “It would be a shame to catch the flu just as we’re getting ready to go out!

“You can get tired and weary with all the work involved in a move, so also pray for energy, calmness and for peace. And please pray for the journey to Nepal and our stay in Kathmandu, before our journey to Pokhara where we will then settle ourselves in.”

If you’re an individual and want to commit to giving regularly to support the Vokuhl family, you can become a 24:7 Partner by clicking the box on the right.

If you’re a church and want to support the work they’ll be doing out in Nepal, you can become a Church Partner with us by clicking here.

Want to support the Vokuhls? Click Here
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Could you be called to mission overseas?

Winter is coming

Ukraine:

Winter is coming

Supporting this

It’s getting cold in Ukraine. Because of the ongoing conflict, thousands of people have fled from their homes. With winter on its way, BMS World Mission is working to provide heating for families displaced by the fighting.

The temperature’s starting to drop. Soon, frost will cover the ground. The heating will be switched on. But for people in eastern Ukraine, ways of keeping warm have been taken away.

Along the boundary lines of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine, tension between pro-Russian separatists and pro-Ukrainian groups has caused violent unrest for the past three years, and there are no signs of it stopping. Parts of these regions are now controlled by the separatists, with the Ukrainian government suspending support to the area. As a result, people are without hot water. The central heating no longer works. Coal, gas and electricity are becoming increasingly more expensive, with many people unable to pay their energy bills. And with extreme winter conditions on the way, being able to stay warm is vital for families in Ukraine to survive the next few months.

Rachel Conway-Doel, our Relief Facilitator, talks about the crisis in Ukraine and what you can be praying for.

Last year, Sergey, an elderly man living amidst the fighting, had the wall of his home heavily damaged. Not only did this let in the freezing cold, but it caused his heating system to break. BMS helped to fix the wall, and a ceramic heating panel was installed in his house, replacing the broken system. Because of your support, Sergey was able to live through the winter.

Along with local partners, last year BMS also helped another family with three young children, who had their central heating stop because energy to the building had been cut off. They weren’t able to leave the area because they were looking after their elderly parents. A ceramic heater was installed at their house, meaning they could keep looking after their parents and stay warm during the winter too. This year, thanks to your giving, we are able to help again.

Two million people are estimated to be living close to the boundary line of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with a further two million people estimated to be living in the non-government controlled area. In a crisis of this scale, we’re committed to helping Ukrainians keep warm this winter.

Support those in need. Click Here
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Working with local partners, BMS is helping one thousand people affected by this terrible conflict. We’re providing water heaters, which will give families and internally displaced people access to hot water. Ceramic heaters, coal and firewood are being given as ways for families to heat their homes. And we’re helping children receive thermal underwear, meaning they can stay warm while they sleep.

Because of your giving, Ukrainian families will stay warm and survive the winter this year, amidst the ongoing fighting. If you want to help continue BMS’ disaster recovery work, enabling us to support those trapped in wars, conflicts and natural disasters, consider giving today.

Disaster recovery

A woman stands in front of her half-built home in Mozambique with text 'Disaster Recovery'

Help BMS World Mission respond effectively to disasters

Disasters like the earthquake in Türkiye-Syria need a quick response. That’s why we value every gift for disaster recovery and relief.

We all know how it works, don’t we? Disasters happen. We don’t know why. The poor suffer, we donate money, the West swoops in and fixes everything. Everyone lives happily ever after.

But that’s not how it works. There are no quick fixes. Recovery and rebuilding after a war, drought or tsunami can take decades. Psychological scars don’t heal when the TV crews move on.

BMS works with local partners. We directly support people who are on the ground and understand the situation. We don’t send goods manufactured here that threaten local economies there.

Mid shot of Sandra outside her house
Your giving to BMS Disaster Recovery helped rebuild Sandra's house in Mozambique after it was destroyed by Cyclone Idai.

Our work is looking forward. We give more grants to long-term recovery than immediate relief – that might mean paying for trauma counselling, rebuilding businesses or replanting crops.

BMS raises money before disasters happen so that we can respond when they do. We can only do that because of you. Without your giving, none of the relief work we do could happen. With your giving it can.

Did you know?

You don’t have to wait until there’s a specific appeal or a disaster in the news to support BMS disaster recovery.

Why not check out our disaster recovery church resources right now? Share the video in your church, or order a stock of gift envelopes to use in the future.

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The funds raised through the BMS Disaster Recovery Fund will be used to respond to relief emergencies and to help in the aftermath of disasters and the prevention of disasters. Any funds raised in excess of the amount required will be used to support other work in areas of significant need.

Disaster recovery church resources

How to give to BMS Disaster Recovery

You can give online as an individual or as a church using the form above. Alternatively call our donation line on 01235 517641.

Go to the online form