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Some
of the 6.8 Million Bibles distributed in Brazil in 2011!

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PRAYER
CIRCLE
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Up to 13th February 2012
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"May
our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by
his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage
your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (CEV)
Prayer Circle takes us to very challenging places this week,
encouraging us to pray for people who have had great difficulties to
overcome and have persevered in the face of hardships.
It is such a joy to witness the faith of colleagues who, despite
personal trouble, destruction and poverty, are able to see the Lord
at work and trust Him in ways that we can often only aspire to.
God is at work in so many ways. We thank you for your prayers and
trust that you are encouraged in return as you see God answering in
wonderful ways.
By praying, you are part of the Bible Society ministry teams working
to bring change in Jesus' name, right throughout the world.
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Bible-based
Literacy, China
Many poor people in China have never had the
opportunity to go to school. A 24-year-old Bible School student, Meng Juan,
saw that believers in her local church did not have a strong
understanding of the truth. On realising that they didn't
read the Bible because they are unable to, a desire began to stir in
her heart to start a literacy class based on the Bible. The plan
became a reality when the United Bible Societies (UBS) donated
materials - Bibles, literacy booklets, pens and notebooks - for the
first set of classes, providing the resources and the confidence to
make it a reality.
"When I was holding the hand of a 17-year-old girl who didn't know
how to hold a pen, to guide her to write, I felt deeply grateful to God
and to UBS", said Meng Juan.
Please pray for the
Church-based literacy classes that have been running in Henan and Anhui
provinces now for four years. UBS has been able to provide Bibles and
teaching resources for these programmes. Give thanks
that many people, particularly people in poorer rural areas, are
discovering the joy of God's Word in written form for the first time.
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Haiti - 2
Years on...
Two years after the earthquake
of January 12, 2010, many Haitians are complaining that nothing has
changed. There are still many houses that need to be
rebuilt, and 500,000 people are still living in refugee camps in Port-au-Prince.
"For the Bible
Society, though, there have been positive developments,"
says General Secretary Magda Victor.
"Thanks to the help of other Bible Societies, we've been able to
distribute hundreds of thousands of Bibles over the last two years..."
The months of unrelenting work
to meet the needs of the Churches and supply the Bible to refugees
produced another unexpected outcome: the growing success of the Bible
in Haitian Creole. "After
January 12, we decided to distribute Haitian Creole Bibles rather than
French ones," says Mrs Victor. "This had a really
significant impact. Today, the Haitian Creole Bible is often the one
that people buy: they know that it will speak to them in the language
of their heart." Please pray for the ministry in
Haiti and the people who still endure much hardship. Magda's words say
it well: "Please
continue to support us, not just financially but also with prayer. The
situation here isn't easy. There is poverty everywhere and there is
still a great deal to do. Our mission is to bring people the comfort of
God's Word." Thank
you for your prayers for the Haitian Bible Society over
the last 2 years, it is clear that God has been opening doors and
hearts wide for His Word to reach people.
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6.8 Million BIbles in Brazil!
2011
was an extremely fruitful year for the Bible cause in Brazil. The Bible Society distributed over 242 million Scriptures -
from Bibles to small selections. 6.8 million of these were full Bibles and over 26
million
Scripture items were given to people through holistic Bible programmes
such as the Light of the Amazon
project that BSNI donors are currently supporting.
These huge numbers of
Scriptures remind us of the importance of our mission to spread the
Bible and its message to all people, in a language they can understand
and at a price they can afford. Please
pray that the Bible Society in Brazil will be able to
strengthen their relationship with the Churches, so they will be able
to more effectively spread God's Word, especially through the holistic
programmes for people who are at risk. Pray too for the work involved in
reaching the younger generation with God's Word in a format that shows
that the Bible's teaching is relevant to them. Let us join in prayer
to ask our God that the sowing of His Word will continue to be
extraordinary in Brazil, as well as in every country in the
world.
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Events
and Speaking Engagements
It is a privilege to be
able to speak at church services and midweek church meetings to share
the work and ministry of the Bible Society around the world. Please do pray
for our representatives who seek to encourage and challenge each
audience they are invited to. Please pray for help in preparation,
safety in travel and interest in getting involved
from the listeners.
Wed 1 Feb:
Ballywalter Presbyterian Women (8pm, Leah McKibben)
Mon
6 Feb: Bangor Parish Men's Society (7pm, Leah)
Meetings
Pray for John
Doherty as he attends a meeting in Slovenia from 30th January -
2nd February, to contribute to future fundraising
initiatives being planned by Bible Societies across Europe and the
Middle East.
Tues 7 Feb: At
10.15, John is attending a meeting of the five Specialist Service
Agencies* that are recognised by the Presbyterian Church. Pray that
these agencies can have greater impact for Mission through their
working together.
*Includes BSNI, Feba Radio, Sat-7, Nat.
Bible Society of Ireland & Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Belfast
Bible College 10am - 4pm
Training
for those interested in relating to people from minority communities
who have come to live here.
Cost:
£10 including refreshments/sandwich lunch.
Click
the link for more information.
Watch out for 'UNLOCKING MISSION' - four churches from
different denominations tell of their Mission experience at home and
abroad. Ballynahinch Baptist Church: 24/3/2012
10 to 1. Starts with breakfast.
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