Mary Jones Challenge walk for refugees Our work with refugees
In the midst of the ongoing refugee crisis we ve seen demand for Bibles soar. In Austria our stock of Bibles for the year was given out in just two months! Again and again we re asked for Scripture so we re providing Bibles and Scripture Portions in native languages such as Amharic, Tigrinya, and Arabic. We ve been in counties like Iraq and Syria for decades where our courageous colleagues are risking their lives every day to make the Bible available and serve their communities. All our work is made possible by the generous donations of our supporters. Because you ve committed to raising 1,000 for our work with refugees we re able to continue this life changing work and respond to the ever changing needs that the crisis brings. We pray that as you read the stories of people we ve worked with in Europe and the Middle East, as you see the impact the Bible has on lives and as you hear about our humanitarian work you ll be inspired in your fundraising.
The Bible reminds refugees that, as Christians, we are a family; we have a father in heaven and a brother in Jesus Christ. We have a home; there s a table laid out for us by God himself. In Scripture, refugees find reassurance that God knows their needs and fears, and they are not alone. Jutta Henner General Secretary of Bible Society of Austria Salem s* community Alan Kember visited a Christian community in Jordan where 36 Christians, who had escaped from Mosul, Iraq, had been resettled. Salem* invited us into his home, a small trailer where he lives with his wife and four children. Two bunk beds are squished in. Their clothing and shoes are packed behind a small curtain. In the corner there s a TV which is always on. His children are lying in bed listless and staring blankly at it. Salem and his community are not legally allowed to work and so cannot support themselves. He said, Without Bible Society s help, we would not have survived. We cannot afford food, and it s freezing in winter. Through local church partners we ve given them food, Scripture Materials and Bibles. Today we have some heaters with us to keep Salem s tiny caravan warm this winter.
Mathai s* journey Five young Christian men were beheaded by so-called Islamic State (ISIL) in Hasakah, Syria Mathai home town. So Mathai stood outside his church day and night guarding his Christian family. It wasn t long before he received threats from an ISIL fighter who wanted to behead him. Mathai had to flee. His wife and three children went into hiding. Mathai walked from Hasakah, to Damascus, across the border to Lebanon and into Turkey, then Greece. Traffickers put him on trains and a boat a route where five people from his home town had previously drowned. He trekked through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary. Sometimes I was afraid, but mostly just so tired, so tired, so exhausted. Mathai finally arrived in Austria.Christians gave him a place to stay and helped him lodge an asylum application. And thanks to the generosity of our supporters, our Bible Society team in Austria were able to give Mathai a large print Arabic Bible. Mathai said, This Bible tells me I m not alone, it reminds me that every human is loved by God and has a value. Whenever I think of my wife and children I m very afraid, but when I turn to the Bible I see light. I particularly turn to passages in the Bible that are about forgiveness; it helps me when I think of all the people who have done awful things in my country, Jesus experienced the same and forgave his enemies. I am following Jesus.
Yusef s* story I knew I had to find a way to leave Syria when my five-year-old son saw an IS fighter kill a man in the street and eat him, said Yusef*, 46. Yusef ran a printing business in Aleppo, Syria before the war. When fighting came to Aleppo, their home was on the frontline. Bombs fell every day, food was scarce his children ate mouldy bread they found in the street. When there was a pause in the fighting Yusef rushed his family into the car, grabbed their documents and fled. They are now in Austria where we re working with church partners to support them and others who need refuge.
Our staff in Syria We have a remarkable member of staff, Gaith*, who s working in Aleppo, Syria, right now to provide Bibles. Based in our bookshop, just 150 metres from the frontline, Gaith is distributing more Bibles than ever before, such is the demand for Scripture. It s hard to believe it s even possible to run a bookshop in a warzone, but the store is always full of people. Christians are relying more than ever on God, and many Muslims are frustrated by the expression of Islam they see in the region and want to explore the Bible further. Gaith travels around Syria, sometimes with his wife and teenage son, to pray with people and share the Bible. It s tremendously risky. But Gaith says, This work is a holy call. We don t take this lightly. We will continue as long as God gives us the strength to do so. Gaith s an absolute hero. People like Gaith risk their lives every day in order to share the Bible. - David Smith, Bible Society s International Programme Manager
Meeting Gaith* Every time we leave our headquarters it s difficult because we cannot anticipate what we may encounter on the road, Gaith* said. We don t know if we will get to our destination or not. When I leave my family every morning, I don t know if I will see them at night. Sometimes we are on the road to our destination and we are caught in a battle zone, he said. We park and wait until things calm down and then we continue our journey. There is always the risk of being abducted. All the time, every day, I fear that I will not come home at night. Don t people need food and shelter more? I asked. On the contrary, he said, there is a thirst for the Scriptures because, more important than food and shelter and peace, is hope. People find hope in the Word of God. There is no hope here. People have lost hope in the country and in the countries that are promising some sort of solution. We know of clergymen who take our Bibles into very dangerous situations. Because of this, we are motivated to keep going with our work. It is risky work. But it is our mission. We can do nothing but fulfill it.
Walking through Serbia By Hazel Southam Forty-five year-old Gehan can t walk anymore. Her daughters are begging for someone to take their mother to the Croatian border. I m in Serbia. All around me people are heading for the old, longdisused border Some 3,000 are sleeping in the mud waiting to get though the border. Gehan and her family fled Syria two weeks ago. One of her daughters needs a kidney transplant, so, having heard that such surgery is available in Germany, the family are walking away from war and towards an unknown future. They carry small backpacks and plastic bags containing water and toiletries. Gehan has had breast cancer. Last year she had a mastectomy and though she is in remission, she is exhausted and can t walk any further. I walk with Gehan, putting my arm under hers to support her, holding her hand. Her daughters call to us to hurry, but we can t. She s ill and I m older than she is and this is quite a steep hill. We walk slowly as people overtake us. Everyone is very kind, she says, but the governments don t help us. We need more help than we are getting. Gehan and I walk on until we come to the back of the queue that stretches to the horizon, with Croatia in the distance. She hugs me, waves and is absorbed into a queue of nearly 1,000 people fleeing, hoping, fearing, walking.
Bibles for Calais Solomon*, aged 28, from Ethiopia took an Amharic New Testament and beamed as he said his favourite verse was John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. He arrived in the camp five months ago after he paid traffickers $6000 to take him from Ethiopia to Italy via Sudan and Libya. He has left behind a wife and this daughter Ruth, who is three. Solomon has tried to apply for asylum in France but the authorities have yet to process his application. Over the last couple of months he has attempted to board both the Eurotunnel and vehicles waiting for the ferry. But now he says that he fervently believes God now wants him to stay in the camp to help other asylum seekers. Hanan*, who escaped so called Islamic State (ISIL) and is now living in Jordan said, I do not need to go anywhere. I no longer feel any pressure. I would like to thank the Bible Society amazing work. God bless you and your supporters.
Giving Bibles In Calais, Austria, Hungary, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, we provide Bibles and Scripture Booklets to people who have been forced to leave their homes. The Bible is full of stories of migrants, persecuted communities, and people crossing borders. This past year we ve seen demand for Scripture soar. It s thanks to the generosity of our supporters that we ve been able to keep giving Bibles to those who ask. Humantiarian aid In Austria, Hungary and Jordan we partner with local churches to meet practical needs. Refugees are not legally able to work despite the majority being well educated and very capable and therefore cannot support themselves. As well as giving out Bibles we are distributing food, water. From blankets and heaters to housing and help with asylum application we re trying to ensure needs are met.
Trauma healing Children across the Middle East have witnessed unimaginable horror, and there s a vital need to address their trauma. So we re running Bible-based trauma healing sessions in Jordan, where almost a million Syrian refugees are living in camps. These sessions are listening based and use Bible stories to help refugees deal with all they ve seen and been through. A recent training workshop held in Amman was attended by 40 Christians from across Jordan and a handful of people from Palestine and Syria who were taking the trauma healing sessions back to help their communities. The Bible champion migrants and teaches us to value them too. Brian Howell Bible Society s Dean of Studies and Research Supporting our staff We have nine people working in war-torn Syria right now. They are persevering bravely to meet the huge demand for Scripture and to support those around them. Similar numbers are also delivering Bibles and working in communities in Iraq. It s vital that we support those still living in conflictridden countries and our staff are greatly encouraged to know people like you are standing with them.