JORDAN: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees Experience the Love of Christ

Jordan, a nation of 7.9 million people, has become home to hundreds of thousands of refugees in the last three years due to conflicts in neighboring Iraq and Syria. Many of these refugees arrive without money, food, shelter or hope. That’s why the Bible Society of Jordan, with support from American Bible Society, has reached out to these refugees with the message of love contained in God’s Word, in addition to food, mattresses and small heaters.

“Some groups came to our city and killed 35 people. When people heard this, they started to run away from this area. We left everything in our house. We left with [only] our clothes on us,” says one refugee and mother of three, who received assistance from a program supported by the Bible Society.

The Bible Society of Jordan is continuing to provide assistance and access to Christ’s message of love as refugees continue to pour into the country.

To learn more about how God is working through American Bible Society, visit News.AmericanBible.org.

INDIA: Local Bible Translators Equipped to Share God’s Word

The Nida Institute, an outreach of American Bible Society that provides research, educational programs and resources for Bible translation, provided practical training in Bible translation for twelve Bible translators in northeastern India in a collaborative project with the Bible Society of India and the United Bible Societies. The attendees are translating the Bible into languages spoken in northeastern India, including Nyishi, Galo, Apatani, Nagamese, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Miji, Tiwa, Monsang, Nokte, Thangal and Maram. The training took place with support from the Every Tribe Every Nation alliance, which focuses on accelerating Bible translation so that all people can read and understand God’s Word.

UGANDA: Refugee Children Share Message of Hope

Hundreds of children in the Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda heard a message of joy and hope this Christmas season. On December 28, the Bible Society of Uganda, which receives support from American Bible Society, worked with local churches to invite 500 children and 100 church leaders to a celebration that included Bible stories and messages from the Bible-based trauma healing curriculum for children. Many of the children at the refugee settlement are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have lived through war, displacement and violence. Yet they heard a message of hope from 13-year-old Serge Luanda, a young refugee who arrived at Nakivale in 2014. Luanda spoke about the Good News that Christ came to earth. The Bible Society also distributed 600 New Reader Portions of Scripture in Runyankole-Rukiga, the local language.

TOGO: New Mina Translation Launches with Great Celebration

The Mina Bible translation officially launched at a celebration on December 7 in Aneho, Togo. “It’s a great joy and pleasure to know that we are launching the Bible in Mina, said Mina speaker and Bible Society employee Koffi Soké Kpomgbe. “It’s only the second Bible translation to be published and completely translated in Togo, this small country in West Africa. We are so thankful for the donors, for those who made it possible for the Mina people to have a Bible available to them.” Financial partners from American Bible Society contributed to this project, which will allow thousands of people to read God’s Word in their heart language for the first time.

To read more updates about how God is working around the world, visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/AmericanBible.

GUATEMALA: Turning from Gangs to the Bible

According to the United Nations, Guatemala has one of the highest average rates of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Much of this violence is from gangs, organized crime and drug traffic. That’s why American Bible Society’s financial partners have supported the Bible Society of Guatemala’s My Second Chance project, which brings the Word of God to adolescent gang members in detention. Since 2011, this project has worked with more than 1,000 adolescents. From 2015 to 2017, this project aims to reach more than 6,000 youth. Through Scripture, these adolescents are shown an alternative to a lifestyle of hate and violence.