Scripture Soothes a Hurting Teenager’s Heart in Cambodia

This article was adapted from one originally posted by the American Bible Society.

Excited to have her own Bible, a 15-year-old learns more about God...

Doeun Chin Lan has experienced a lot of loss.

"My mother died when I was little," explains the 15-year-old. "I don't even remember her face. All my older siblings left me to work in Thailand. My father is very elderly and poor.…I want to see my whole family together again."

When the message of God's love came to the small village where Doeun lives, her heart finally began to heal.

"I am very happy that God loves me," she says. "Whether I am in the countryside, in the forest or anywhere, God still loves me."

Doeun says she enjoys hearing stories about God at church. "But sometimes I don't understand," she admits. "When I heard they were going to give out Bibles, I was very happy."

"My Bible is small and easy to carry around and the writing is easy to understand. I believe this Bible will help me know God better. My father can't read so I want to read to him so that he can also put his faith in God."

For many Cambodians, especially poor farmers living in rural areas, obtaining a Bible requires much sacrifice. It takes months to save money for a Bible. But thanks to generous donors, Doeun and others have Bibles of their very own!

Please pray for others like Doeun who still need to know about God and engage in His Word in Cambodia. Ask that Scriptures will be made available in different media so that the entire population, especially the youth, will understand and experience the love of God.


What Happens When a Village Gets the Bible in its Heart Language?

This article was originally posted by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Though Christianity had been part of their culture for 100 years, there was no Bible in the Beembe language. It took 20 years of dedicated translation work for them to get a Beembe Bible – but when they did, they showed us how to party…

Imagine fumbling through a dense, tricky text in a second language. You can read it, but it’s hard. You understand in part, but you can't quite capture the meaning. This was the case for the Beembe people of Congo Brazzaville, who only had access to Bibles their second language: French.

Lost in translation

‘For me, the problem with the Bible in French was that I had trouble understanding certain concepts and words. So I didn’t read the Bible very often,’ 54-year-old farmer, Pierrette, explains.

Pierrette’s experience isn’t rare. For many people reading the Bible in a second language, the challenge of understanding is significant. But not only that, they’re not experiencing the message of the Bible in the words they can relate to; the words they use in their thoughts, their hearts.

A word in season

More than 1,000 people gathered for the ceremony to launch the first ever Beembe New Testament in early 2014. Elders banged drums and shook rattles. Young dance troupes performed energetic routines. People cheered.

Though Christianity has been part of the Beembe culture for 100 years, this was the first time the community had Scripture in their language. And the joy was palpable.

‘Now we have our own Beembe New Testament, I am very happy,’ Pierrette says.’ It will help us strengthen the faith of our children, who will discover a deeper relationship with God.’

Decades of dedication

Jacques Mberi is the man behind the Beembe Bible. He has spent decades poring over Hebrew and Greek, considering the best ways to convey the meaning of each verse  – especially when there’s not always a direct translation.

He smiled through tears as he said, ‘I am like Simeon, who waited years and years until he could see the Lord Jesus, and then once he did, he could die. I have worked hard to see this translation finished. It is my child, my pride and joy.’

Completing the task

Now the Beembe people have asked to have the Old Testament translated into their language and Jacques is already on the case.

But until then, we’re celebrating that this people group are now experiencing the New Testament in the language they most love and truly understand.

Find out more about funding similar projects around the world

62-year-old Mbambouloulu Evelyne clutched her Beembe New Testament and said, ‘I am delighted with this New Testament. It touches my soul. It allows me to feel closer to God, and I give thanks to God for this precious gift.’


Lives changed through Bible literacy classes

This article was adapted from one originally published by British and Foreign Bible Society.

Our counterparts in Pakistan are working to bring the Bible to life for 7,000 women in 2016 by teaching them to read. Will you help?
It costs just S$40 to help teach a woman to read and give her a New Testament.

AratiArati* was a cotton picker in rural Pakistan. She worked long hours to earn around S$2 a day. She was being cheated out of payment but didn’t know it – she couldn’t read the scales that weighed her cotton.

But at our literacy class the Bible changed Arati’s life for good. As she read the Bible for the first time, she met Jesus, discovered His love, and learnt that her life mattered.

Arati said, ‘Jesus died for us and there’s no one in the world who has died and rose again. We appreciate this love.’

Now I am literate, I feel empowered.

Today Arati teaches young children in her village to read. And since learning to read she’s realised the cotton traders were cheating her and others out of their wages.

She said, ‘After studying I read the scale and I knew the actual weight of the cotton and now the men can’t cheat us. Now I am literate, I feel empowered.’

Seven families in Arati’s village have become Christians since our literacy programme started.

‘There’s a big change in our village since the start of our literacy class’ Arati told us, ‘We are very happy and my family is very happy.’

Will you help more women like Arati learn to read?

Change for good

Arati is just one example of a life changed for good through the Bible. Through our literacy classes many women like Arati learn that their lives matter as God speaks to them through the Bible.

Just S$40 can help teach a Pakistani woman to read and give her a New Testament.

Your support could help teach Pakistani women to read and bring the Bible to life for them and their families. Will you join us in teaching more women like Arati to read?

*name changed


Take the Bible Past the Finish Line

This article was first published in the September 2013 issue of Word@Work.

The humble beginnings of the Bible Society in 1804 was birthed after some Christians were moved by the stoic determination of 10 year old Mary Jones to possess a Bible. Since then, supporters of the 147 Bible Societies worldwide have helped to make the Bible available, accessible and credible to everyone.

Much work remains to be done, and The Bible Society of Singapore (BSS) and the rest of our sister societies in UBS continue to count on the help of our worldwide supporters who can contribute in the following areas:

Monetary Giving

Supporters who wish to give can pledge a single donation, give monthly, remember the Society in their will, give appreciated property or give through their workplace.

Sam Boring, an American, had been unable to tithe when he was younger. His career in the military had come to an abrupt end because of an injury which kept him from serving.

Eventually, the Boring family’s finances improved, and when they received an appeal to support a project run by the American Bible Society (ABS) through a gift annuity, they accepted.

“Everything comes from the Lord,” Sam Boring said. Despite the hardships faced, Sam and his wife, Thelma, gave generously. Thelma tithed “every penny she ever made,” says Sam.

Gift of Bibles

Supporters can help raise funds for the purchase of Bibles for children, adults and also audio Bibles or special Bibles for those with special needs.

Troy Love, a police officer, completed a 3,785 mile bike-ride across nine states to raise money for the purchase of Proclaimers, the audio Scripture players distributed by Faith Comes By Hearing (a partner of ABS), for the needy.

Troy’s goal to raise money for 1,000 Proclaimers came about when he realised how important these audio Scriptures are in reaching people around the world who cannot read.

His commitment and devotion to the Bible cause carried him through many trials on his 28 day long journey, and inspired Christians he met along the way to help raise funds for the Proclaimers.

“If you’re a willing vessel for Christ, He’s going to use you… If you’re going to live, don’t live for yourself. That’s when it changed for me- when I took the focus off myself… If you have a vision and a body to do it, get out and do it. Make a difference while you are here (on Earth).” - Troy Love 

Opportunities to Impact Lives

Supporters can partner with us to send a Bible-a-month to various countries in need; give the hope of God’s Word to those in need; feed the hungry souls in the more remote areas around the world; change children’s lives with food and Bibles; and support people in crisis.

Jenna Liew, a volunteer cyclist of the “She’s My Sister” programme run by ABS finally met Consolatta after pedalling 2,000 miles to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The latter was ravaged by roving militias and left for dead, instead becoming handicapped.  This kind of story is common amongst girls and women in DRC, and they need the reassurance of God’s Word and the love shown by His people to heal.

Jenna had been praying for Consolatta for one year and when they met, they connected emotionally and spiritually. God’s healing took place with Consolatta forgiving her tormentors and looking forward to her future, while Jenna felt that her encounter with Consolatta and the Congolese people had transformed her life so that she could devote herself fully to serving the Lord.

The Bible Society of Singapore (BSS) also has faithful supporters in:

Legacy giving

Supporters of BSS have chosen to contribute what they leave in their wills to further advocate our work. Gifts from legacy donors are highly significant, especially to an organisation like BSS which relies on the kindness and generosity of others to support its works. Many people who leave us legacy gifts have been impacted by the work of BSS and wish to secure the future of the Bible mission - you can read some of their stories here.

Philanthropy

Our supporters have given generously towards our Bible mission work. Their kind and generous contributions help us provide Bibles for many countries in need.

Elder Ong Teck Chye of Bethesda Frankel Estate Church greatly supports our work in China. He helps to organise Bible Mission Trips to China for his church members, and donates Bibles and audio Bibles, financial support, reading glasses and goodie bags to China.

Elder Ong enthused about the Bible cause of BSS in China, “We are impressed by the meaningful and purposeful outreach to the many believers in China. We count it a privilege and honour to be able to partner with BSS.” 

Sowers in Action

BSS also receives support in our “Sowers in Action” programme for volunteers, and has witnessed an increase of the volunteer pool.

The Bible Society seeks to make the Bible available, accessible and credible to all people — to see God’s Word shape the lives of individuals and communities throughout the world. We need your support and invite you to join us.