The magazine of the Scottish Bible Society

ISSUE 69 : AUTUMN 2013

Changing livesHow God’s Wordis active today

Supporting widowsIn India

Gone but not forgottenGreenhead disaster

More Than GoldCommonwealth Games in Scotland

Sharingthe BibleProject update from Cambodia

SOUL FOOD

Life is full of uncomfortable

facts. The world produces

enough food for everyone to

have a reasonable diet, but we

have a very uneven distribution

of food, leaving millions going

to bed hungry each night. We

live in a context where food

is plentiful, where variety and

choice are high and where

food does not have to be

viewed simply as fuel for our

bodies. The colour, texture,

smell and taste of food make

eating a pleasure, not simply a

necessity.

Something similar could be

said about the Bible. There is

a very uneven distribution of

translations of the Bible. There

are thousands of languages

that still do not have a full

Bible translation. In many

countries where there is a

relevant Bible translation it

comes in one size and one

colour - there are no children’s

Bibles and no ‘modern’ or

revised translations. Think of

the range of Bible versions we

have in English and the variety of covers they come in, not to mention the colours!

With food we can have a feast or a famine. With the Bible we can have a feast or a famine. On both fronts most of us live in a context where we can feast. However, my experience in travelling to countries where the Bible is not so readily available is that Christians there have a deep hunger to be nourished by the Word of God. For some of us, our appetite has worn thin and we are no longer desperate for the nourishment we need to keep our relationship with God growing.

As we pray for more Bible translations to feed the spiritually hungry around the world let us also pray that our own appetites will be stimulated to feed on God’s Word – because he really does change our lives.

Elaine DuncanChief Executive

Welcome

7 Hampton TerraceEdinburgh EH12 5XU

Tel: 0131 337 9701Fax: 0131 337 0641

www.scottishbiblesociety.org

email: info@scottishbiblesociety.org

Scottish Charity No: SC010767Published in April and OctoberChief Executive: Elaine M DuncanCirculation: 35,000

The Scottish Bible Society – a company limited by guarantee

registered in Scotland no. 238687 – registered office as above.

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The magazine of the Scottish Bible Society

Contents4 Changing lives How God’s Word is active today

6 Supporting widows In India

8 Gone but not forgotten Greenhead disaster

11 Livingstone remembered Events from his bicentenary

12 More Than Gold Commonwealth Games in Scotland

14 Sharing the Bible Project update from Cambodia

Psalm 34: 8 (NIV)

The views expressed in the features and update articles are not necessarily those of the Society. Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden, except by permission.

Taste and seethat the Lord is good;blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

AUTUMN 2013

Europe’s Leading Christian Resources Exhibitionreturns to Scotland, Lowland Hall 2013Royal Highland Centre, 27 & 28 November

For continually updated information and to buy tickets go to

CREonline.co.ukChristian Resources Exhibitions is part of Bible Society (Charity Reg. No 232759) Tel 01793 418218

• The best in Christian resources

• A comprehensive programme of seminars

• The latest multimedia equipment

• Entertaining Christian theatre and music

• An extensive book and resource store

• Premier of new Christian Films

CRE is presented in association with the Scottish Bible Society. Tel 01793 418218

Project1_Layout 1 05/07/2013 09:38 Page 1

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Ewan Gurr,

Scotland Development Officer for The Trussell Trust providing foodbanks for emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK

There were two major subjects I felt emerged when I first read the Bible shortly after coming to faith. The first was the overwhelming emphasis placed upon reaching out to the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan and victims of injustice. The other appeared to be God’s willingness to work with and alongside those who feel utterly inadequate and powerless to do so. With a church history steeped in the provision of healthcare, education and welfare, prioritised for those who most need it and imparted by those who feel least qualified to offer it, you realise how ordinary people have taken the hand of an extraordinary God and together changed the face of our nation. As the creaking bones of our current economic crisis summon the church to where it once prioritised its effort, can you imagine what it would look like if we were to heed that call once again?

Volodymyr, Ukraine

Volodymyr is a former drug addict and serial offender in Ukraine. As a teenager he was only interested in girls and drugs. At 18-years-old he joined the Soviet army. He got married and had a son. But his marriage broke down and he split up with his wife. His son was four years old at the time. Volodymyr blames his lifestyle. After the split, he became addicted to drugs and would steal so he could buy more and more drugs. He was in and out of prison several times as a result and he realised his life was spiralling out of control – but he couldn’t see a way out.

One day a Christian group visited a prison he was in. They talked about a totally different kind of life that was available to him and the other prisoners. They said he could be close to God and filled with his love and joy. Volodymyr says, “I heard what they said but didn’t believe that could happen to me. I took the New Testament that they gave me as they left but I didn’t plan on reading it. I planned to use its pages to roll my tobacco into cigarettes. But

just as I was about to tear out a page, something drew me to read at least a bit of this book. As I began to read I could feel something changing in me. I didn’t tear any of the pages out. I read more and more. There in my cell I fell on my knees and prayed to God to give me a new life. I had smoked for 20 years but stopped in an instant. I had used swear words and curses

all my life but my language immediately became pure.”

After serving time in prison, Volodymyr was baptized and re-married. He has a relationship with his first son, who is also a Christian. Volodymyr now works as a prison chaplain, bringing the hope of God’s Word to other prisoners. He says, “Today I am a free man but I am totally dependent on God.”

Cai Jian, China

“You see this verse: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’(Psalm 119: 105) It’s dated 1 January 2006 – I wrote that God’s Word lights up my life’s journey.”

Cai Jian, a 48-year-old Christian who attends the Thanksgiving Christian Church in Hubei province, likes to write notes and date them in his Bible. The first Bible he saw was in 1978 when he was at a Catholic high school. It was not until 2006, when he was searching for a meaning to life, that a friend gave him a Bible. He started reading from the Old Testament but he couldn’t understand it all. When he read the Gospels, the words of Jesus touched him. Although he believed in Jesus then, he was weak and the temptations of the world lured him away from a commitment to Christ.

Cai Jian strayed further from Church and his Christian friends but then he stumbled again upon the Bible his friend gave him and he remembered how intrigued he had been when he first read God’s Word. Subsequently, he returned to Church and was baptized. “You

see this date: 2 August 2009?” Cai Jian asks, pointing to a scribble on the front cover of Bible. “This was the date of my baptism. See this entry a month later? That was the time I was beaten up by gangsters.”

Cai Jian still has the scars of this beating. His job at the time was to represent the farmers’ union in his local area. One of his thankless tasks was going to the bosses to demand the payment of wages on behalf of farmers. On that occasion, a month after his baptism, the bosses not only refused to pay but sent thugs to beat him up as well. During this time, he remembered the verse, ‘He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.’(Psalm 34:20). He had a vision of the hand of God coming down from heaven to protect him. He wonders if God’s intervention explains how he escaped the beating with just a few scars and bruises. Cai Jian says, “My siblings later became Christians because they saw how my life was guided by the Bible’s teachings and the love shown by my Church friends during this time. There is power in the Word of God!”

the BIBLE changes lives

Do you have a story to share about how the Bible changed your life or that of someone you know? Tell us and we may feature this.Email info@scottishbiblesociety.org and use ‘the Bible changes lives’ as the subject line or write to us at 7 Hampton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5XU.

Many of us will be able to tell at least one story of how God and the Bible have had an impact on our lives.We are continuing this feature with three more stories from different parts of the world.

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AUTUMN 2013 4 : 5

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in India

6 : 7

In June this year, staff

from the Scottish and

American Bible Societies

visited Ichthus Church of

the Nazarene in Bangalore.

With help from the Bible

Society of India, the church

runs projects to disciple

Christians and to empower

widows to have a better life.

Pastor Solomon Dinakaran

accepted Jesus in his life when

he was 16 years old. Since then,

God has spoken clearly to him

about his mission and service

to the people of India. Solomon

enrolled in the South India

Biblical Seminary, with his fees

paid by an unknown benefactor.

After completing Bible College,

he was posted to an area

called Whitefield. However, he

felt uncomfortable about this

calling, saying, “I am not from

this place. I am from Tamil

Nadu, which is a neighbouring

state 300 kilometres away from

Bangalore.” So Solomon asked God, “These are not my people. I don’t know the language of these people. It’s a new culture and a new people.” But God said to him, “You will obey me.” Thirty-five years later, Solomon not only understands the culture and language of the area but has also planted a church – the Ichthus Church of the Nazarene.

The cultural challenge Solomon describes is representative of this incredibly diverse nation. India is thirteen times larger than the UK with a population of over 1.2 billion people. Through the Bible Society of India, Christians are supported with Bibles in 135 different languages for this country alone – yet there is an urgent need to make the Word of God available in more languages. Without the Bible Society’s important work, some of India’s poorest and most vulnerable people may not receive the help they so desperately need. One of the ministries close to Pastor Solomon’s heart is the work with widows taking place in his church.

“Life is hard for women in India,” says 58-year-old Gnanamani. Widowed at 35, she is now locked into an abusive second marriage. Her husband’s family, with whom she lives, take the side of their son. Many widows find themselves in a similar situation or even cut off

from their families completely.

Widows are often blamed for

their husbands’ deaths. They

are considered bad luck, a

view based on a combination

of superstition and beliefs

of Hinduism – the dominant

religion in India.

It’s at this point that widows

yearn for some peace in their

world – a peace that they

can find in Jesus Christ. Dr

Leelavathi Manasseh, National

Director of the Bible Society

of India, says, “That’s when

they are open to the Gospel.

They need peace. Some women

are just looking for a meal for

their children, so they come.

If you offer, they come. So you

don’t offer the Gospel first.

You just offer a meal in the

name of Christ.” Women like

Gnanamani respond to this and

Dr Leelavathi says they are

often asked, “What makes you

give, that did not make others

give?” And her response is

simple: because Jesus loves you

and the Bible tells us to do this.

Then the women say, “Tell me

more.”

Pastor Solomon and Dr

Leelavathi (and her colleagues

at the Bible Society of India)

work together to help widows

and abandoned women by

providing nourishment for their

bodies and for their soul. First

the women hear what the Bible

says about widows and their

predicament and how Jesus

cares for them and loves them

– verses like James 1: 27 (GNB):

“What God the Father considers

to be pure and genuine religion

is this: to take care of orphans

and widows in their suffering

and to keep oneself from being

corrupted by the world.” Then

they are fed, with a meal and

also with knowledge. They learn

skills that help them to survive

and to earn a small income:

basic food hygiene to prevent

illness, how to make diluting

juice and to pickle their food so

it lasts longer, or how to make

candles which they can sell.

The project began in 2008 and

currently operates in five Indian

provinces. Around five thousand

women are trained each year

to deliver the project and help

other women. As a result the

widows feel less marginalised,

more empowered and have

their dignity preserved, despite

the views of society.

Supportingwidows

“What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.”

James 1: 27 (GNB)

Find out more about our India appeal onlinescottishbiblesociety.org/india

Article: courtesy of Barbara Delp, Senior Research Editor at Global Scripture Impact, America

AUTUMN 2013 6 : 7

8 : 9

Gone but notforgotten

On 1st November 1889, twenty-

nine girls and women lost their

lives after a wall collapsed on

a weaving shed on the site

of the original Templeton’s

Carpet Factory in the east end

of Glasgow’s Calton area. Many

others were injured, some

seriously. The incident became

known as the ‘Greenhead

Disaster’.

Strong winds were blamed

for the accident that saw a

partially-constructed wall (built

for the new extension to the

factory) blown over, crushing

the shed where these women worked. The oldest victim was 25-years-old and the youngest just fourteen.

A memorial garden paying tribute to the victims of the Greenhead Disaster has been refurbished this year to give the Calton community a new, modern and bright place in which to remember the victims. The project, which includes a new community hub, has been developed through a partnership between Thenue Housing Association and Calton Area Association, the local community organisation. The changes include a renovated plaque for the original 1954 granite memorial as well as paving stones engraved with the names of the disaster victims.

During her research into the disaster, Alison Kevan, Corporate Services Manager for Thenue, made contact with the Scottish Bible Society when she found that the Stoddard Templeton archives at the University of Glasgow included Bibles given to the families of the victims and to the survivors with a special message of

condolence from the Society. In our own archives we found an entry in the 1889 Annual Report with reference to the Greenhead Disaster, stating: “A memorial Bible with a suitable inscription was provided in the name of the Society.” The report confirms that the Bibles were given to the households of the victims as well as to the ninety-nine survivors.

Speaking about the Greenhead Disaster, Alison says, “Industrial accidents were common in industrial Britain but the magnitude of what happened here caused shock and grief nationwide. It’s reassuring to know the Bible Society provided support to all the families involved in their time of grief. After 124 years it may have slipped from the public’s consciousness but it is still remembered vividly by the Calton community today.”

As part of the exhibition about the Greenhead Disaster, a copy of the extract from the 1889 Annual Report with reference to the event will be displayed at the Calton Heritage and Learning Centre, which overlooks the memorial garden.

“Green buds for the hopes of tomorrow.Fair flowers for the joy of today.Sweet memory the fragrance they leave us.As time gently flows on its way.”

Inscription on the memorial plaque commemorating the Greenhead Disaster.

Bible: University of Glasgow

Archive Services, James

Templeton & Co Ltd collection

Photo: Memorial Garden: Thenue Housing Association

bible Sunday scotlandCelebrate

27 October or any date you choose

2013

Luke 4: 14-21This Bible Sunday encounter the Bible’s message of freedom and raise funds for Bible work in CambodiaDownload your FREE resources from biblesundayscotland.org.uk

bible Sunday scotland

AUTUMN 2013 8 : 9

SPRING 2013

The David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre was at the heart of the bicentenary events during March. Celebrations began on 17th March when First Minister, Alex Salmond welcomed the President of Malawi, Dr Joyce Banda to Livingstone’s birthplace. After a tour and lunch with local representatives, President Banda and the First Minister joined the congregation of the Blantyre Livingstone Memorial Church for a special service of commemoration. On 19th March, the day of Livingstone’s birthday, Blantyre locals of all ages marked the occasion with the opening of a new exhibition at the Centre. The event was also attended by dignitaries from Malawi and Zambia, the Scottish Minister for External Affairs and International Development, Humza Yousaf MSP, and representatives of the Scottish-African community.

Two church services were held on 19th March. In London, over 500 guests attended the wreath-laying ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The service, led by the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster Abbey, included contributions from Scottish and Malawian faith leaders, and senior UK and Scottish politicians. President Banda’s laying of a Malawian flower wreath was followed by three of Livingstone’s great grandchildren, who laid a wreath of Scottish flowers on their ancestor’s grave. In the evening, Hamilton United Reformed Church held a service to mark the occasion. Approximately 160 people attended with distinguished guests and overseas visitors among the congregation giving thanks for Livingstone’s life and legacy.

In November, Clapperton Mayuni, General Secretary of

the Bible Society of Malawi, will

be visiting Scotland to attend a

special thanksgiving service at

Glasgow Cathedral to celebrate

the Christian life and missionary

work of David Livingstone.

In addition to addressing the

guests at Glasgow Cathedral,

Clapperton will visit churches

and attend meetings across

Scotland to talk about the work

of the Bible Society in Malawi

and how the challenges faced

by Malawians today are very

different from those faced in

David Livingstone’s time.

Every year, churches all over Scotland set aside a day to celebrate the transformational impact of God’s Word using the same Bible passage as the

focus of their services. Join us

in celebrating Bible Sunday on

27 October 2013 on the theme

of freedom from Luke 4: 14-21.

Encourage your church or a

group of churches to devote a

service to Bible Sunday. If our

suggested date isn’t suitable,

choose one that best suits you.

Your celebration isn’t restricted

to a Sunday service either,

some churches mark Bible

Sunday at a midweek group

meeting, for example.

Visit biblesundayscotland.org.

uk for more information and

to download your free

resources

including a

full sermon, a

sermon outline

and materials for

children and youth

groups. Or call us on

0131 337 9701 and

we’ll be happy to talk to you or

put you in touch with our local

volunteers to assist you.

Don’t forget about our exciting Bring your Bible to Brunch event! Why not host it in your church to help celebrate Bible Sunday. Enjoy food and fellowship with your church family while raising funds to provide Bibles for some of the poorest communities around the world.

• The brunch is a great way to invite your congregation to join together and celebrate God’s Word (and some lovely food too!).

• You can invite those who don’t normally come to church.

• It’s fun for adults and children alike.

Everything you need to be the perfect host, including our ‘How-to guide’, printable placemats, customisable invitations and posters can be downloaded for free at bringyourbibletobrunch.org.uk

It’s easy to organise. All you need to do is provide the food!

Throughout this year there have been events celebrating the bicentenary of the birth

of David Livingstone, one of Scotland’s best-known

explorers and missionaries. In November, we celebrate his

Christian life at a thanksgiving service in Glasgow Cathedral

alongside a special visitor from the Bible Society of Malawi.

If you would like to find out more about Bible Society work in Malawi or to attend one of the events where Clapperton Mayuni will be speaking, please contact us on 0131 337 9701 or info@scottishbiblesociety.org

The service of thanksgiving to celebrate the Christian life of David Livingstone will take place at Glasgow Cathedral on Wednesday 13 November 2013.

For tickets, please email the National Trust for Scotland livingstone@nts.org.uk

Livingstone remembered

Photo: ©David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre

Photo: By kind permission of the Deanand Chapter of Westminster

He has sent me to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free …

Luke 4: 18

bible Sunday scotland

AUTUMN 2013 10 : 11

What’s it all about?

The Christian community has been involved with the world’s major sporting events for over 40 years. In the early days, different denominations and Christian charities would independently offer their support through prayer, premises and people. During the 1980s and 1990s, a number of sports mission agencies helped local churches to develop partnerships, offering a wider range of officially sanctioned initiatives, including giving out water to spectators, providing chaplains in the athletes’ villages or hosting athletes’ families who could not afford local accommodation. As the support from the Christian community grew, it became

apparent that the collective

efforts of these churches

and charities would be more

effective if working together

and so, in the lead up to the

1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta,

a uniting name and identity

was forged to represent the

movement: ‘More Than Gold’.

Since then, More Than Gold

has been present at major

sporting events such as the

Olympics, Paralympics and

Commonwealth Games. During

the 2012 Olympic Games in

London, churches gave over

thirteen thousand hours

of voluntary service and

contributed three hundred

‘Games Pastors’ located at

airports, train stations, bus

stations and key tourist

sites. They handed out half

a million bottles of water to

visitors, and family members

of athletes enjoyed more than

two thousand nights of free

hospitality with Christian hosts.

Around the country, there

were over half a million people

attending community events

run by churches, including big-

screen festivals, family fun days

and sports-based children’s

clubs.

Picking up the baton

Following on from the Olympics,

the aim of More Than Gold

2014 is to enable Christians and

churches, working together,

to serve their communities by

providing generous hospitality,

social care, outreach and

active prayer, demonstrating

the relevance of the Church

today and leaving a legacy

of Christian love beyond the 2014 Games. It will equip and enable churches to make a real difference to their community, their city and the Commonwealth for the sake of the Gospel.

World class hospitality

One of the areas which Christians and churches can contribute to is in the area of hospitality. Every host nation wants to be renowned for the level of hospitality offered to visitors and it’s More Than Gold’s desire that the churches are at the heart of it. After all, hospitality is one of the hallmarks of a church community, loving our neighbours and serving them.

The Commonwealth is made up of 54 countries. Not all athletes have the opportunity to be full-time sportspeople or enjoy levels of commercial sponsorship seen in the UK. Therefore, the accommodation on offer for the 2014 Games may not be affordable to all. More Than Gold will co-ordinate host homes for members of the athletes’ ‘support family’ (family members, team officials, personal coach, friends). With the help of the Christian community it will be more affordable for support families to come to Scotland through the gift of accommodation and hospitality. It also helps

them make the most of their experience through the warm welcome they receive and local knowledge provided by families.

A festival atmosphere

Whether you are located close to the Commonwealth Games venues or not, there are opportunities to create the festival atmosphere of the Games. One of the areas which More Than Gold focuses on is to create a lasting legacy once the event is finished. Wouldn’t it be great to see as many ecumenical celebrations as possible across Scotland and beyond to bring people of all denominations, Christians and

non-Christians, together to watch, celebrate and feel part of the Games? More Than Gold helps churches and individuals to do this by acting as a point of contact and managing groups expressing an interest in outreach activities around the Games. They also provide groups and individuals with resources, like fun and sports-themed children’s holiday club material or a sports quiz, which are ideal when inviting non-Christians. The increased interaction with the community and other churches can enhance relationships and help draw more people closer to God and the Church.

In the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, we will continue to look at other aspects of More Than Gold. You can find out more by visiting their websitemorethangold2014.org.uk

Who do you know that would

benefit from knowing the story

of Jesus? Is it possible they are

inquisitive, even eager to meet

Him?

2014 presents the Church with

a wonderful opportunity for

outreach in Scotland, as we join

together with friends, relatives

and visitors to celebrate the

Commonwealth Games.

The ‘Penny Gospel’ is an

initiative by the Scottish Bible

Society and Biblica to distribute

thousands of copies of Luke’s

Gospel around the Games

period. Titled More Than Gold,

this NIV edition will feature

testimonies by Christian sports

people of how knowing Jesus is

of greater worth to them than

anything else.

Priced at only a penny there is

no cost, except the one to you

in terms of giving it away. Will

you take up the challenge of the

Penny Gospel, worth so much

more than people think?

To place an order on behalf of

your church, please contact us

at info@scottishbiblesociety•org

or visit the More Than Gold

stand at the

Christian

Resources

Exhibition in

Ingliston on

27 and 28

November.

Get your PENNY GOSPEL

More Than GOLDNext year, the Commonwealth Games will be coming to Scotland with Glasgow as the host city. Like most sporting events of this size, communities contribute to the vibrant atmosphere, celebrate the achievements together and support the lasting legacy created by such events.

In a three-part series, we explore how Christians and churches have a role to play in this and how it inspired a Christian movement called More Than Gold.

AUTUMN 2013 12 : 13

In Cambodia the Bible Society is working to provide affordable Bibles, improve literacy and translate the Bible in to local languages for the growing Church.

THANK YOU for your gifts and prayers in response to our April appeal. Your support is giving Christians in Cambodia the opportunity to read their very own copy of the Bible, for the first time.

Cambodia is recovering from dark times. In the 1970s the nation suffered badly during the Vietnam War, followed by a period of communist rule by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. During this time most educated people and those connected with the former government were massacred. Money was abolished, religion was banned, and the Khmer Rouge forced those living in the cities to move to the country and work in the fields – where many died from starvation or exhaustion. Up to 2 million people died during this time. Of the few Christians who survived, most had fled abroad.

Today, however, Cambodians are enjoying much greater freedom and new churches are forming every week as more and more people come to faith. Making Bibles available and affordable for the fast-growing number of Christians is a huge task for the local Bible Society.

Without your support, many Cambodian Christians would never be able to afford a Bible. The Cambodian economy is still recovering and hundreds of thousands of people are extremely poor, surviving as subsistence farmers or through fishing, living in ‘floating villages’ on the river, because they can’t afford to buy land.

Providing affordable Bibles is not the only challenge for the Bible Society – the Cambodian

education system is also slowly recovering and many people can’t read. Literacy rates are particularly poor in rural areas where around 60% of the population can’t read or write and a further 25% have only basic reading skills. With your help, the Bible Society is helping more people learn to read through the ‘Learning through Listening’ literacy programme.

Earlier this year Pete Chirnside, our Church Partnership Manager, travelled to Cambodia and had the privilege of visiting several literacy classes. Led by a ‘facilitator’, classes use Bible-based printed materials alongside instructions recorded on an MP3 player. Attending classes for just one hour a day, 5 days a week, people can start reading in as little as 3 months. When Pete met 12-year-old Kakada in February this year, the boy was able to read to

him from the Bible – he had

only started attending literacy

classes in December!

Pete explains that while it’s

important that people learn to

read for practical reasons, such

as ensuring they get a fair price

for the fish they catch, it is

also vital for Christians to have

the freedom to read the Bible

on their own, so that God can

speak to them in an individual

and personal way.

Mao Phaly, an elder of Kampong

Chnang’s Methodist church

and a literacy class facilitator,

explains her desire to share her

skills. “I want to teach adults how to read, especially church members,” she says. “It’s so sad to see that they cannot read the Bible. With the help of this programme, I hope their lives and morality will improve. I want them to have what I have, and to know what I know through reading the Bible daily.”

While there is a great desire from Christians to learn to read the Bible, the literacy classes are also introducing many non-believers to the Word of God. When 9-year-old Eark Kong started attending a class in a nearby village, she simply

wanted to learn to read. Eark soon started reading using the Scripture-based materials and was also invited along to church by a local pastor. She says, “I learned about how I am a sinner, but that Jesus loves me, my mother and all the people on earth.” Both Eark and her mother have come to faith.

By making Bibles affordable and helping people learn to read, your support is giving Cambodian Christians the opportunity to study God’s Word and know more of his love. Thank you so much for making this possible.

Please pray:• Give thanks for the increased freedom for Christians in Cambodia to live out their faith and pray that the

Church will continue to grow.

• Give thanks that so many people are praying for our brothers and sisters in Cambodia and have generously supported Bible Society projects, giving Christians the opportunity to own and read their own copy of the Bible.

• Please continue to pray for the Bible Society’s work in Cambodia. Pray particularly for more literacy facilitators, so that more people will be able to benefit from the ‘Learning through Listening’ programme.

Sharing the Bible

in CambodiaWITH CHRISTIANS

AUTUMN 2013 14 : 15

AUTUMN 2013

Bible Meditation

‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can

bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can

you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me

and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you

can do nothing.John 15: 4&5 (NIV)

These questions may help you as you explore the text:

• Why do you think Jesus urges us to have a close, deep-rooted and steady relationship with Him?

• Are there areas of your life where you are not dependent on God? Why is this?

• In what ways does Jesus teach us to be fruitful Christians?

Also read Ephesians 3: 14-19

Take some time to read and meditate on these passages.