PRAYER CIRCLEUp to 9 February 2015

Spiritual and physical food is being distributed in Liberia to survivors of the Ebola outbreak.

Distribution to Ebola orphans 2015
In This Issue
God Sent You: Liberia
Nigeria: Hope in Darkness
Digital Bible Milestone
News at Home
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Don't be afraid, for I am with you.
Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10 NLT)


We often claim words from Scripture for ourselves. These words were written to the Israelites in captivity but they are still relevant and alive for us today. Despite their disobedience and faithlessness, God did not forget His people. It is good for us to remember that we are His people. He is with us, He is for is and he is already victorious. As you read the items below, please take time to pray these assurances over people on the battlefield. May they be filled with a sense that they are not forgotten but rather that they are upheld. May they know courage, strength, help and victory over sin and darkness. Praise God for His faithful servants and the spread of His Word in the darkest of places
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'God Sent You': Liberia

Liberia Ebola. 18 yr old Victoria Wilimena Gbayou's life changed completely last year when Ebola arrived in Liberia. As people in her community started dying, she began taking in orphans.  There are now more than 100 orphans living in Wilimena's house, which has become a Children's Welfare Centre. Health and community workers continue to bring children to her from across the country. She relies completely on donations. By December she was desperate, not having received anything for five months. She was delighted when the Bible Society in Liberia (BSL), which had heard about her work, arrived at the home just before Christmas, bringing rice, clothes, shoes and Children's Bibles. "I know that God sent you," she told them.

Ebola has killed over 3,500 people in Liberia - the worst affected country - leaving around 3,000 orphans. BSL has been reaching out to thousands of Ebola patients and their families, as well as to the bereaved, offering them practical and spiritual help.

18-year-old student Victoria (pictured), lost both her parents and all her siblings to Ebola. She contracted the virus, too, but survived. She received Scriptures, clothes and food from BSL just before Christmas. "I know that God saved me for a reason," she said. "I want to serve him and do his work. I'm so grateful for the food and clothes but I'm especially thankful for the Bible you've given me."

Please pray as BSL continues to provide relief and Scripture materials for thousands of people affected by Ebola, including patients, orphans, health workers and the bereaved..
First Bible for the deaf
First Nigerian Bible for the Deaf Community
Nigeria: Hope in Darkness

The world has been horrified by the brutality of Boko Haram in Nigeria. It is hard for us, as Christians, to find answers to address what we see and hear. We are all too aware that there is so much more happening every day than the reports reaching our mainstream news. How do we pray? How do we see any hope in all this? If that's how many of us feel, think of those living there. Please pray for Christian workers in this ravaged country. There is an extensive Bible Society team working in Nigeria. They strive to make God's Word known through ongoing translation projects, Scritpure publishing, Distribution, Bible Listening Groups, Bible Shops and much more. Please fervently pray for these 'light bearers'. May they know the protection of our almighty King and much encouragement in their hearts as they witness and minister in a country in mourning, fear and shock.

Praise God that there have been milestones recently. Just in December there was great excitement at 2 separate events. The Bible Society of Nigeria dedicated the 23rd Bible in a Nigerian language - the Bura Bible. This took place on 13th December, 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. Bura is a language spoken in Borno State, North East Nigeria. Praise God also for the partnership with DOOR [Deaf Opportunity Out Reach] International. They were able to rejoice in December as they dedicated the first Sign Language Bible in Nigeria [Bible for the Deaf]. May our gracious God continue to reach people with His message of hope and love in these darkest of times.

DBL 

Digital Bible Milestone!

Wonderful news! The Digital Bible LibraryTM (DBL) has reached the amazing milestone of 1,000 texts! DBL is such a valuable resource. The project began in early 2011 under the auspices of the Every Tribe Every Nation (ETEN) partnership. It has made remarkable progress since then, and now it contains some 1,000 texts, mainly Bibles and New Testaments that have been translated by Bible Societies and by Wycliffe Bible Translators, and there are also audio recordings. The majority of these are now being made available for people to access on mobile phones, tablets, laptops and computers all over the world - free of charge! The YouVersion Bible App and BibleSearch are two of the programmes that are readily accessible. It is exciting that this is bringing the Word of God freely to people in so many langauges. Praise God for innovative people with the vision to see the potential of such a resource.

"We are so grateful to God for what has been achieved so far," says Dr Kees de Blois, the project coordinator. "We set out to establish a repository of electronic Scripture texts which... could be easily archived and redistributed... Funding has also been made available to accelerate translation projects."

Let us pray that these Bible texts will not only bring ready access to Scripture in 600 languages but that it will indeed change the lives of billions of people around the world.


 

You can access Scripture online for free through www.bible.com. Why not encourage others to enjoy this free Bible access also?

NEWS at HOME 
 
Speaking Engagements and Events
Thanks for continuing to pray for our visits to churches and groups. It is our desire that God will be glorified through these opportunities to share with congregations. Pray for safety for travel this time of year - wind, fog, snow, icy roads, rain... the late night journey home can be interesting!

Mon 26 Jan at 7.30pm -  Leah is speaking to the ladies of Primacy MWI, Bangor. 
Tues 27 Jan at 3pm -  John is visiting Dundonald Presbyterian Church Friendship Group.
Mon 2 Feb at 8pm - Leah will be speaking at Londonderry Baptist Church.
Sun 8 Feb at 11.30am - John will be speaking at Glendermott Presbyterian Church. 
Sun 8 Feb at 11.30am - Leah is visiting Greencastle Methodist Missionary Service.



Keep Judy in your prayers  Judy Wilkinson
Please pray for our dear sister Judy Wilkinson, CEO of the National Bible Society of Ireland. She underwent a major operation this time last year and is recovering very slowly. After a spell of part-time return to work she has been unable to continue. Pray that she will know the presence of the Lord with her as she battles illness. Pray she would be strengthened and encouraged and that her three colleagues in Bible House will be able to continue to serve through the shop in Dublin with the support of their Board.