BMS WorldNews
Issue 1/18
FROM WITCHDOCTOR TOCHURCH PLANTER
The gospel is bearing fruit in India. BMSWorld Mission is seeing men and womenfrom all kinds of backgrounds coming tofind faith in Christ. Even witch doctors.
Selim* wanted to be a witch doctor sincechildhood. He was committed, studyingunder a master and honing his craft. Hepractised where he lived in West Bengal,making his livelihood selling potions andcharms to heal the sick.
Selim’s sister Maya* is a BMS-supportedchurch planter. She always tried toconvince her brother to come along tochurch with her. They would fight, and hewould refuse. But then one day everythingchanged.
Someone in Maya’s church had beenseverely ill for a long time. The man’sfamily had brought him to Selim manytimes, but he’d been unable to help.The man couldn’t walk, so the people ofthe village carried him to Maya’s churchone day and the congregation started topray. After three days of prayer he wascompletely healed. He started walking andcould do everything he had done beforehe got sick.
“I thought I was healing people bymyself, with black magic,” says Selim.“But I knew I had witnessed somethingamazing; this was a miracle. My eyeswere opened to the truth.”
He started going to church, and Mayagave him a Bible. Selim soon decidedto give his heart to God, gettingbaptised and even changing his name.
Now, Selim leads his owncongregations and supports his sisterin sharing the gospel. “I am thankfulto the Lord for leading me to my newwork as a church planter.”
Selim and Maya’s story is just oneof many we could tell of how God ischanging hearts and minds in India.We are so excited to be a part of thisincredible work.
*Names changed
Help us continue to plant churchesand reach people across the worldtoday. Donate here:bmsworldmission.org/give
FEEDING OF THE 400
In France, it’s hard to be a Christian.BMS World Mission is bringing youngpeople together, helping them findcommunity and spiritual nourishment.
In October 2017, 400 young Baptistsdescended upon the city of Poitiers, 150miles north of Bordeaux, ready to worshipGod at an event called Connexion 2017.Young people travelled from all overFrance. One girl came completely on herown, and many others came in groups of
only five. There was laughter. There weretears. But most of all, there was a sense offamily.
Being a Christian in France can be lonely.“Young people are often the only onesin the classroom who are Christians,”says Benjamin, a 20-something Frenchman. “With an event like this, we knowwe are not alone and we can worship theLord together.” Connexion creates a
safe place for Christians to expresstheir love for Christ, without fear ofmockery, and gives the opportunityto gain spiritual sustenance for whenthey return home.
Sue Wilson, a BMS worker in Paris,has run Connexion since 2015 witha small group of volunteers as partof her work with the French BaptistFederation. “Often churches havesmall youth groups, so an event likethis lets Christians connect with oneanother and worship God,” saysSue. Through your support for BMS,you’ve helped to show young FrenchChristians that they’re not alone.
In Britain, youth festivals are common,with a wide variety to choose from.In France, this is not the case. Eventslike Connexion are rare. And yet, the400 young Christians who gatheredto worship there show that there ishope for Christianity in secular France.
Please pray for them.
Pray for the young Christiansin France, who left Connexionrevitalised in their faith. Pray thatGod would use them to share thegospel across the country.
MEET OUR NEW MISSION WORKERS!
These are the newest additions to theBMS World Mission family, currentlypreparing to serve overseas. Theywould really appreciate your prayers!
Chris and Debbie Carter are usingtheir educationalskills to teach atGDQ InternationalChristian School inAlbania, starting this January.
James and Ruth Neve move toIndia’s capital citylater this year andwill use their skillsto help meet someof the needs ofstruggling communities in Delhi. Beforejoining BMS, Ruth was a senior Baptistminister and James was heading up a debtadvice service.
Louise and Peter Lynch travel toBangladesh nextyear to supportBaptist churchleaders. Louiseis a social worker and Peter is a Baptistminister, previously leading a church inWestern-super-Mare. They’ll be usingtheir skills in pastoral care, training andteaching in their role with BMS.
Lisa* and Timothy*are rejoiningBMS havingbeen on our gap year programme ten years ago. The pairwill be moving to Guinea, whereLisa will teach English and help withcommunity projects. Timothy plans toget involved with microfinance groups.
Pippa and Toby Vokuhland theirthree children,Jakey, Ella andMillie, will bemoving to Nepal in early 2018. They’llbe working with local partners indisaster response and resilience work,as well as getting involved in churchprojects.
Please pray for all our new missionworkers. Pray for good health,physically, emotionally and spiritually.Pray for strength for them and theirfamilies, as they prepare to say theirgoodbyes. Pray for the work they’llsoon be doing. Pray that they willsettle into the new cultures they’re
moving to.
*Names changed
Do you feel God is calling you to a time of overseas service? Visitbmsworldmission.org/serveoverseasto see our latest mission opportunities.
Tel: 01235 517619
Email:
BMS World Mission, PO Box 49, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 8XA
Tel: 01235 517700 Website: bmsworldmission.org
The Baptist Missionary Society: registered in England and Wales as a charity, number 1174364 and a company limited by guarantee, number 10849689.