Earthquake response

Prayers from the heart of the Turkey-Syria earthquake

Imagine life in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.  As wintery conditions do their worst, all you have is a temporary shelter to keep the cold weather at bay.

Now imagine too that you are displaced, by war and economic collapse. That is the heart-breaking reality for so many in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Syria in the wake of the recent earthquake.

But at least they have that shelter. And thanks to the incredible and rapid generosity of BMS World Mission supporters, the people of Syria and Türkiye have not just shelter but also much-needed medical kits, blankets, heating tools and mattresses.

And now more than ever, as the work of rescue becomes the work of rebuilding and restoring, they need your prayers.

BMS is part of a co-ordinated response with our partners on the ground – and a team from our partner the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development (BFAD) is now operational in the region, too. BMS is humbled by the response of leaders and churches in Türkiye, Syria and Lebanon, and the BFAD team.

Please support all those caught up in this disaster in prayer using the prayers below. We are also accepting gifts to our disaster relief fund using the button below.

Map showing Turkey and Syria with the epicentre of the two earthquakes and the position of
Please pray for the area affected by these two major earthquakes.
Please lift up the victims of the Türkiye-Syria earthquake in prayer. Please pray for:
  • The leadership of the Turkish Baptist Alliance
  • The leadership of the Baptist Convention of Syria
  • Our partners in Lebanon working with Syrian refugees, that they might support people from Syria who are suffering from afar
  • A team from our partner the Baptist Forum for Aid and Development, working on the ground
  • The rescue operations, that they might still yet find survivors under the rubble
  • The families who have lost loved ones or whose loved ones are currently missing
  • Wisdom for those making decisions about the disaster response in both Türkiye and Syria
  • The compounded pain of the millions of displaced persons in Syria and Lebanon

When you and your church give to support BMS disaster relief, you’re helping people affected by disasters like the one in Türkiye and Syria today, and wherever it is needed in the future.

Go to the Disaster Recovery appeal page

Pray for Chad

Heightened tensions

Pray for Chad

Please pray for Chad after the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises British nationals to leave the country due to conflict over the weekend.

An armed convoy belonging to an opposition group has been engaged in fighting with Chad’s Government security forces over the past week, leading to the death of Chad’s president, Idriss Déby. On Saturday 17 April the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advised all British nationals to leave Chad.

We are in touch with all BMS World Mission workers in Chad, and all UK-based workers have left the country safely, in close co-operation with the FCDO.

We are also in careful discussions with our partner, Guinebor II hospital, as to how best to maintain the safety and well-being of all its staff and patients.

Map of Chad

Please join us in prayer for:

  • a peaceful resolution to this situation.
  • the safety and well-being of the staff and patients at Guinebor II. Pray that the hospital would be able to stay open, with minimal disruption to its activities.
  • all affected BMS mission workers. Pray for their continued safety and well-being during this turbulent time.

BMS World Mission has been working in Chad since 2010, delivering life-transforming health ministries through Guinebor II hospital in the capital, N’Djamena, and more recently further north, in Bardaï.

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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