“We came to Bahrain to earn money and send it back home (to India) so our children could go to school and not be illiterate like us. One day we met a pastor. The pastor told us he was going to show us a movie. We were very excited, thinking it might be one of the latest Hollywood productions. When we watched the Jesus film in our own language, most of us cried. We thought our lives were full of struggles and problems. After watching the film, I realized that Jesus went through something even worse—even torture,” said Prasad, a female migrant worker from India working in a Gulf country.

“Then the pastor gave us an audio Bible. When I call home, I now tell my children Bible stories. I’ve started attending church and I hope to be baptized soon. It’s truly a joy for me to learn about Christ and to learn to be like Him,” she continued.

Countless Testimonies

Prasad’s story above is just one of the many testimonies we read every year from migrant workers in the Gulf.

Here is another one, a testimony from Mariam. “I am from India. I got married at age 13 and had my first child at age 14. My husband was an alcoholic and often beat me. To support my family and send my two children to school, I borrowed money from several people and eventually arrived in Bahrain. Life here isn’t easy. I work in people’s homes, and some of them don’t treat me well. I used to worry about many things and resent my fate, but then they (the Bible Society in the Gulf) gave me an audio Bible. Since then, I have faithfully listened to God’s Word, which has transformed my life. I feel God speaking to me. He whispers right into my ear. I try to apply all the teachings I’ve learned to my own life. I’m no longer worried or angry now because I know God loves me deeply.”

Supporting Churches

Prasad and Mariam are just two of the beneficiaries of the End-to-End project run by the Gulf Bible Society, which is also supported by loyal donors from England and Wales.

“Through the End-to-End project, each year we partner with one church and work with them throughout the year, discipling their congregation members and seeing how the church grows,” said Dr. Hrayr Jebejian, General Secretary of the Gulf Bible Society. “This enables unreached people to see, hear, read, and experience the transformative power of the Gospel. Together, we bring people into the Kingdom of God through God’s Word.”

The recently completed End-to-End project involved migrant workers from the Telugu (Indian) community. Telugu speakers from India constitute the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.

Pastor John Wesley (what a name!) leads a Telugu Pentecostal congregation made up mostly of domestic workers and manual laborers on construction projects. Most of them toil long hours to support their families back home and live in cramped conditions in migrant camps isolated from society. Many have lost hope and are depressed. John and his wife, Kalyani, regularly visit 19 labor camps to minister to these people.

Challenges

“We receive various resources from the Bible Society, including Bibles, both audio and printed, Scripture portions, discipleship materials through storytelling, and visits from Bible Society staff,” says John. “Now our volunteer team is equipped to reach the unreached.”

“We face many challenges in the camps,” John adds. “(Sometimes) we don’t get entry permits, the guards are unfriendly, the community is hostile, and there are no meeting rooms available. Often, we just stand outside the camp, in the open air.” We pray and ask God to reach the people in the camps.”

Your faithful support makes this life-changing work possible. When you donate, you are being there for Mariam and Prasad. You are supporting the Bibles that Pastor John Wesley and his wife are distributing to migrant workers. May God bless us all.

Translated from: biblesociety.uk