Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf is home to many people who are actually far from their native homes. Desperate migrant workers from developing countries around the world travel here to escape the utter poverty of their native land. More than half the population is comprised of expatriates.

Children are left to fend for themselves as their parents, happy to find work at last, have no money for childcare. One of the byproducts of this generational displacement is the rise of subcultures that are different from those of their homeland.

“We have a generation of young people in the Gulf from different parts of the world … a generation with mixed cultures and identity,” says Dr. Hrayr Jebejian, General Secretary of the Bible Society in the Gulf.

This younger generation is ripe for the message of God’s love and hope. “We need to relate to this young generation and help them engage with Scripture. They need the values of Scripture,” Jebejian says.

Through the support of financial partners, American Bible Society is reaching out to these young people through youth events, Bibles and Scripture engagement.

A Christian boy named Rani who received a Bible from the Bible Society shares, “I freely passed on the Youth Bible to my friend to help him in his search to know Christ. My friend is now a part of our Bible study group, and we see him slowly but surely growing in his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for making a difference in our lives.”