In the past four decades, millions of Iranian people have heard the Message or have seen visions and dreams of Jesus. As a result, hearts and lives are being transformed! The leadership of the Iranian Bible Society in Diaspora, an Outreach partner, has made a four-year commitment to deliver one million Farsi Bibles to give away for free inside Iran!
Read MoreDear friends,
Many members of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCoSS), a partner of The Outreach Foundation, remain displaced as a result of the civil conflict which erupted in their homeland in 2013. Some are in camps for displaced people within the country, but many are in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda. You can imagine the despair and feelings of hopelessness many have experienced. On the premise that we “boast in the hope of the glory of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 5), The Outreach Foundation has tried to help rebuild hope among our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan. They asked us to provide assistance in four priority areas: preschool education, trauma healing training, providing Bibles in the Nuer language, and scholarships for training leaders. The Presbyterian church has inspirationally and exponentially grown in the camps – in numbers and in faith, hope, and love for their neighbors. Congregations have become critical safety nets and “front-line responders” to hunger and ill health for many refugees. Providing scripture-based trauma healing training has been effective in relieving memories of the past and rebuilding hope for the future.
Read MoreDear friends,
Praise God!
Our order of 5,000 Bibles in the Nuer language which were printed in South Korea and delivered to Gambella, Ethiopia has now been distributed to South Sudanese refugees throughout the region. You may recall that an appeal was made in 2019 and 2020 to raise funds for this project as a priority of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, an Outreach Foundation Partner. Despite the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, $35,000 was raised from faithful supporters on 3 continents to procure and ship the 5,000 Bibles in the Nuer Language for distribution among the 400,000+ refugees in camps in Ethiopia. And the Bible Society of Ethiopia gave a gift of an additional 600 Bibles. There were delays in the shipping process and travel that heightened the anticipation and excitement around the delivery. During my visit in June, I had the joy of celebrating the delivery in Presbyterian congregations in three refugee camps. The Christians were so thankful to all who gave to this project. This Nuer Bible appeal, together with an earlier distribution of 7,500 Nuer Bibles in 2017, is a blessing to so many. They are eager to receive more Bibles for new believers and The Outreach Foundation will maintain the account for contributions. The cost of one Bible (for orders of 5,000 or more), and distribution is approximately $7.50.
Read MoreDear friends,
During these last two months of “book fair season,” the Bible Society has supplied thousands of scriptures throughout the country. These items are now being used and shared by people who love Jesus and believe in his Word. These are your partners in the Gospel.
A recent Facebook post illustrates our vision to support and equip Egyptian Christians with affordable scriptures. On February 4 Mafdy came to Cairo to visit the book fair. He bought several items from the Bible Society booth to have on hand to share with others.
Read MoreThe year was 1986. The economy was thriving in the country with the largest oil reserves in the world. Still, most people in Venezuela lacked access to good education and health services. A group of teenagers had recently become exposed to the Scriptures. Somehow, what Jesus had initiated and instructed his followers to carry on sounded to them like real rebellion. Not just one seeking to replace a social elite with another but a real movement that calls people to repentance and a new life of faith and love for God and fellow human beings. The revolution was to move forward as people became aware of the unsettling ways in which the purposes of God have been carried out in history. If they could help other people read the Bible – they thought – then others too may have their lives filled with new meaning, purpose and compassion. After receiving a gracious donation of hundreds of Bibles, they got busy talking to whomever would pay attention to what they had to say.
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