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BSI
Joins Council to Resist Attacks on Indian Christians
Bringing
God’s Treasure to Thailand
Translation
Work Brings Scholar ‘Back Home’ to Asia (Thailand)
Bible
Brings Drug Addict to Christ (Thailand)
Philippine
Society Sponsors Nationwide Bible Quiz
Chinese
Believers Shed Tears of Joy at Scriptures
Singapore
Bible Society Dedicates New Chapel at Bible House
BANGALORE, India — In the wake of recent attacks on Christians
across India, the Bible Society of India (BSI)
has joined with other leading Christian organisations to form the All-India
Christian Council.
BSI General Secretary Dr Bidyut Kumar Pramanik met with more than 30 other Christian leaders at a consultation in April, where it was unanimously decided to form the council to act on national concerns and issues.
Giving some measure of the concern about the violence directed against India’s Christians, almost 30 pages of the August 1999 issue of the BSI magazine, The Sowing Circle, were dedicated to the rise of persecution against Christians.
Nearly 150 delegates attending a convention held by the Alpha Missionary Movement (AMM) were forced out of their lodgings one morning by members of the Hindu fundamentalist group Bajrang Dal, which used “sticks, belts, chains, and fists to mercilessly beat up the delegates as they were forced on the streets.”
“Forty people were injured in the initial attack, including one person who was pushed from a second-floor window,” AMM said. No arrests were made.
Meanwhile another group claiming to be from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) arrived at the convention in the early morning along with 15 policemen.
“After pulling down the stage decorations, the group went inside the campus where other delegates were staying. The group stole Bibles and destroyed them and beat up the delegates,” the AMM statement said.
“Places of worship have been torched, innocent people bullied, threatened, beaten, and even killed,” said Sonia Gandhi, widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in another article. “Instead of moving swiftly and decisively to end the violence and apprehend the perpetrators, homilies are given about national debate. This cannot remain the land of Mahatma if this evil is allowed to spread unchecked.”
In an article entitled ‘An Obituary for Human Rights?’ The Sowing Circle reproduced an editorial from the National Council of Churches Review. It said, in part:
“The incidents of violation of dignity against nuns at Jhabua, in Madhya Pradesh, burning Bibles in Rajasthan, the futile attempt to declassify churches from the list of the holy places, and the present incidents at South Gujurat and Orissa all point to the undisputed fact that there is a serious threat to minorities. Their constitutional rights have been violated, and also the rights enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights…
“Isn’t there an urgent need to ban certain fundamentalist and violent groups on the basis of their terrorist activities? We are afraid that our nation, reputed for its spiritual heritage, secularism, values of ahimsa, tolerance and peace, is now going the way of some countries where the fanatical groups rule by proxy with the free run of anti-national forces, targetting and terrorising innocent and committed workers serving the poor and the downtrodden…
“…our concern is the violations of fundamental human rights and
the right to propagate one’s faith. Is it time to write an obituary to
human rights in India? Writing such an obituary will almost mean writing
off the country itself . . .” (WR 342/10 - 7/8.99)
THAILAND — In an area of Thailand where heroin and cannabis once
flourished and powerful drug barons warred over the valuable harvests,
tourists now come to see what is still considered the “Golden Triangle”.
In this area, the Thailand Bible Society
works with the churches to share God’s Word against a background of towering
mountains and the massive Buddhist pagodas that dominate Thailand’s high
places. In this area, too, a UBS Translation Consultant works with those
living in the area to put the Scriptures in the languages of the people.
“For the last two years there have been increasing theological differences in some churches,” he explained, “some going as far as denying the Resurrection.” So although the thought of preparing a Study Bible was daunting, he set to work.
The study-note books he prepares are simple, but are in such demand that many church leaders are asking for the whole Study Bible to be finished quickly. Seven books of the New Testament have been completed.
Using an old typewriter, he makes initial copies with carbon paper. Once the notes are approved, his son mimeographs and staples them together.
The urgency of translating the Scriptures is something translators constantly face as they see the need in their communities for the Word of God in a language which is clearly understandable.
Ann Burgess of Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) lives and works in a village close to the town of Chiang Mai. She is committed to completing the translation of the Old Testament into the Mien language – a joint project between OMF and the Thailand Bible Society. When it is finished the Mien people will have their first Bible.
“Perhaps now you can work faster on our Bible,” they wrote to her pleadingly.
Another translator has worked on a minority language New Testament for 13 years. The language is spoken by about 400,000 speakers, some living as far away as India, and most are Christians. But because there is no Bible in their own language, they use the Burmese or other translations of the Bible.
| “I met many people who have devoted their lives to Bible translation, and I was profoundly impressed by their dedication. Theirs is a long and painstaking task, and they do it for the sake of the Gospel.” |
As I listened to the translators and to the staff from the Thailand Bible Society’s Computer-Assisted Text Processing Centre (CATP) in Chiang Mai, I also became aware of their needs.
The first need is for literacy material in minority languages. The second is a desperate need for more staff with computer-related skills. The volume of texts being processed here is astonishing. About 16 translation projects are in various stages of text processing, editing, proofreading, and preparation for camera-ready copy.
“We sometimes pray in tears because we have so many texts waiting to be processed, not only from Thailand but also from Myanmar,” two members of the CATP staff told me. “We don’t have the knowledge to overcome programming and other difficulties. We just wish Bob could come more often to help us.”
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After attending an American Baptist mission school, then high school, he earned a bachelor of theology degree at a Bible college in Myanmar.
Alice went with him, of course, and even today, though arthritis is slowing her down, she continues to be involved in her own ministries, at the same time ‘holding the fort’ for Gam while he travels.
In 1982 Gam became New Testament Professor at the Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, USA. But an invitation from Malaysia challenged him, and he eventually established a theological seminary in Sabah for the Basel Christian Church.
“As a theological professor, my focus was on the message of the Bible,”
he explained. “Now, the main concern becomes lexical and linguistic, searching
for synonyms and possible alternatives that give the same meaning to the
original Scriptures.” (WR 342/12 - 7/8.99) [PHOTOS]
THAILAND — Mr Tavee Sak, now a driver with the Thailand Bible Society, was a rebellious, drug-addicted 20-year-old when he first heard the Gospel.
“I wanted to stop taking drugs, but I couldn’t find a way,” Tavee recalled. “Then a newcomer to the community, with whom I played football, invited me to a meeting at his house to talk about Jesus Christ.
He spent the next two months reading the Thai Bible that his friend had given him. The words of 2 Corinthians 5:17 had a great impact and Tavee decided to start going to church.
“I was impressed by the love of the people at the church,” he remembered. “And when there was an announcement that there would be a whole night of prayer for people with problems, I went. People prayed for me, and I never had a desire for drugs again.”
MANILA, Philippines — To many, the dream of a national status
for the Metro-wide Bible Quiz sponsored by the Philippine
Bible Society (PBS) seemed a very ambitious idea.
For one thing, the expansion would require a great deal of financial backing and staff support. Even in the face of such obvious inadequacies, the PBS dared to go ahead with the expansion, with only a vision, three years of experience, and faith on hand.
What transpired within the Bible Quiz season (November 6 – February 14) was truly a blessing, and a wonderful experience that will remain in the hearts and minds of participants and advisers alike.
The following stories were shared by people who were involved in the National Bible Quiz.
Bible Quiz Coordinator Maxi Santos was faced with the task of writing to people he had not met in schools he had never seen, requesting possible venues. Fortunately, the school principals were very accommodating, one of whom was Ms Purita D Sison of Holy Angel University, where the first provincial round took place.
Ms Sison related, “It was in October when I received a letter from Maxi, and he was requesting us to give him a venue for the contest. It was the first time that the Bible Quiz was to be done in Angeles City. Our school was very busy then and the venues were already booked. When I received the letter, I was wondering if I could give him the venue, although I did not know him personally. But God has his own way. When I inquired from the property office, they tried to give me a venue. Then I received another letter from Maxi informing me that the date of the contest was changed. So I had another problem: where could I get the venue now? But with God’s help, I got another venue.
“You see, I saw the inspiration God gave them. They were so interested in reaching out, and because they were so interested, God gave them everything,” she added.
Having experienced being turned down by other malls, Pastor Maxi often wondered what prompted Mr de Vera’s openness towards the PBS’ endeavour to reach the youth through the Bible Quiz.
It turned out that Mr de Vera was himself a Bible Quiz contestant when he was in elementary school. He did not win the contest, but that experience remained in his memory. His life had been changed by a Bible Quiz, so he was giving the same experience to others.
“During our class, I would ask Alexis to go to the library to study the Bible because we didn’t have time to study together. Every day he had 40 minutes from me to study the prescribed Bible (Good News Bible – Today’s English Version),” Sis. Susan recalled.
“We studied together only to find for myself that I need to study a little bit deeper and a little bit more than Alexis because I am the mentor,” she related with amusement. Prior to the contest, their Saturdays were spent poring over the pages of the Bible. “We didn’t have time for gallivanting because our spare time was spent studying the Bible,” Sis. Susan said.
Alexis participated in the semi-final round held at the University of Sto. Tomas. Unfortunately, he was eliminated. But, both adviser and student went home victorious because of what they had learned and experienced together while reviewing for the contest.
“He’s shy, does not excel in recitation but recites when called; somewhat a loner,” said Mrs Resureccion H Perez, Marlon’s adviser in the National Bible Quiz.
The elimination round where Marlon participated was somewhat dramatic. Since their school was the venue, they were allowed to have two representatives. Many of his fellow students watched as Marlon struggled to fight for his place in the semi-final. The pressure to win for his school grew when his schoolmate was eliminated.
“We remember your tears,” Pastor Maxi said to Marlon during the final meeting, for it was one of the most exciting and intense rounds in the four years of the Bible Quiz.
“I thank God, because in some ways He will lift you up,” said Marlon during the thanksgiving meeting. He did not expect to make it to the grand finals, that’s why he was grateful to have placed fourth in the National Bible Quiz.
For Marlon, this experience comes with the tough responsibility of conducting himself according to God’s Word among his peers.
“But I stopped when I came across the books of Romans, Corinthians, and other letters by Paul,” he admitted. “I found them boring because I didn’t understand what they said.”
But when he joined the Bible Quiz, Albert was “forced” to read those books. “It was a blessing, because I learned to like these books,” he said. “Through them, you will begin to analyse, to think and to feel how wonderful God’s love is for you.”
As the Bible contest became known to more schools within Metro Manila and other provinces, the PBS received several invitations to assist in similar endeavours. Just recently, the Bible Society worked with the United Methodist Church in organizing a national Bible Quiz to commemorate the 100 years of Methodism in the Philippines. This contest, with grand finals held at the Wesleyan University in Cabanatuan City, was participated in by UMC youth all over the Philippines.
The PBS likewise received an invitation from the University of the Philippines’ Department of Mass Communication in its annual “Go Bible” contest. This is a contest for Communication Arts freshmen. One of the winners was the third Metro Manila Bible Quiz grand winner, Jocelyn Dimaculangan, now a student at the university.
The Philippine Bible Society’s first National Bible Quiz was a meaningful
one, not only for those involved, but for others who have now “caught the
vision.” The PBS will begin its next National Bible Quiz in November. (WR
342/14 - 7/8.99)
l Deng BiGao, Fuquan Church: “Many of us were filled with tears when we received the Bible, crying, ‘This is the love of God! If not for the love of God, how could we ever receive such a gift? How would the Church leaders ever know our ordeal? Thank you very much! It is indeed through the grace of our Lord. May the Lord bless us and may the God of peace be always with us. Amen!’
“The concern you showered on us is great. We will definitely hand these Bibles personally to our poor fellow brothers and sisters. Many of the believers are people who moved in from other provinces who cannot even fill their stomachs. However, all of them are very sincere and truthful to God.”
l Brother Zhang Xuefang, Sichuan Bazhong: “May God remember the love from all of you. We were filled with gratitude when we received the Bible, and some of us were filled with tears. We thanked the Lord for remembering our needs and our problems, and for providing us the Bibles. We should work harder for the Lord so as to repay the love of God and glorify His name – Psalm 36:5:‘ Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.’”
l Sister Xing YuEn, Henan Fangchen: “Having received the Bible from you, my heart could not stop beating. I prayed to God continuously, feeling that I had owed too much to you. Because we are poor, we had to beg for help from others. When I told our fellow brothers and sisters that these books are a gift of love, they cried. Many of them spoke from their heart, saying that they owed much to God and those who gave towards their Bibles. All of us pray that we will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the Word and work of God. May your work be blessed by God.”
l Brother Sun Xue Ping, Anhui Quxi: “When we received the Bible, we kept saying, ‘Thanks our Lord, Jesus! Thanks our Lord Jesus!’ Although we had not seen each other, you had extended such great help to us. May the Lord remember your love. May we learn from your love for God so as to glorify his name.”
l Brother Huang QiChao, Guangxi Yizhou: “We were encouraged by your love. We can only express our gratitude on this piece of paper. Thanks be to the Lord, our Father, and to our fellow brothers and sisters. Everyone was touched by the scene of the free distribution of the Bibles. Some of our brothers and sisters said upon receiving the Bible, ‘Thank God and our fellow brothers and sisters. Please convey our gratitude to those who have given.’
“As an evangelist, I felt an indescribable happiness. The Church in the mountainous areas is very poor, and the faith of the believers is not very strong. When we preach the Gospel, we have to travel for tens of kilometres on foot. All expenses must be borne by us, as we are volunteers. Our income comes from farming.
“The flood devastated homes and caused irreparable damage to the farms. Our fellowship alone had 200 people affected by the flood. Most of the crops were damaged. Facing the flood-covered farms, everyone was filled with remorse and sadness. But we were reminded of Matthew 4:4, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God;’ John 6:35, ‘Jesus declared, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty.”’ May the love of God last forever!”
l Jiangxi Christian Group: “When we received the Bibles, every brother and sister was filled with surprise and amazement. Praise the Lord that the hungry are made full, the poor made rich, and the weak made strong, for we no longer need to copy the Bible manually. The Bible will be distributed to all fellow brothers and sisters who need it.”
l Brother Long WenMing, Yunnan Wuding: “I have received your Bible. Thanks to God, and the care and concern of our fellow brothers and sisters. When I received the Bible, there was an indescribable sense of happiness. On the night that we received the Bible, we sat together with some teenagers and read the Bible till midnight. We discussed about the grace of God and the love of our fellow brothers and sisters.”
l Wu HuiYu, Hei Long Jiang, Qiqi Ha-er City: “I write this letter with frustration. I am a law student, and I have seen many unlawful acts that have increased my disillusionment with society. That is why I would like to ask for a Bible to gain more knowledge. My parents are Christians living in a village, and they have to travel more than 10 kilometres to the nearest church gathering.”
l Sister Liu FangMing, Guangxi Hechi: “When I received your book I could not help the tears from flowing out of my eyes. I knelt down at that instant to express my gratitude to God and our fellow brothers and sisters. To have this book is better than the treasures of the mundane world. I don’t know how to express my feelings but to offer my heart to the Lord, and at the same time pray to God to give me the strength and wisdom to take good care of His sheep. I wish that our fellow brothers and sisters would pray for all of us who live in the mountains.”
l Cheng Hui: “I have so much to say and yet cannot express it – but I know that you can help a sinner like me who is suffering. I was involved in a gang fight during which I carried a knife. This must have made God sad. Together with the gang leader, we were imprisoned for 7 years.
“During my imprisonment, I got to learn about the presence of God from someone outside the prison. This person explained to me the blessing of Jesus and this brought faith into my heart. I began to believe in Jesus. I knelt down before the Lord for repentance every day. I believe that God will accept my repentance, and that is why I am very glad to receive your teachings and guidance.
“I do not have any books about the Bible yet. Other than praying, I will memorise the book that touches on the points that a Christian should know. After 3 months of faith in Jesus, I managed to get rid of my instinct to challenge others and the passion for fighting. Some of my friends who believe in Jesus started to change and helped to maintain the safety of anyone who wishes to reform in the prison. I sincerely hope that you can find time out of your busy schedule to write to us so that I can share the Gospel with the other inmates. Wish you health and may the grace of God live forever!”
l Brother Xu HongDao, Shangdong Province: “The heavy workload on the farm and the caring of my five young children did not give me time to write to you earlier. The Bibles that you had donated to our church will be distributed to the fellow brothers and sisters who are poor.”
l Brother Zhu XianGao, Guizhou Province, Hezhang County: “Thanks to the grace of God, the Bibles that you have sent to us were distributed to 200 of God’s children. Everyone is under the love of God, and with the Bible in their hands, they serve the Lord with sincerity. Everyone expressed their thanks to God and to the leaders who had given help to churches in remote areas.
“Although there are 1500 Christians, there are only 120 Bibles and 101 Hymns of Praise. On average, 6-7 people share a Bible or a Hymns of Praise.”
l Yi Chang City Christian Church, Hubei Province: “We have received the Bibles that you sent to us. Yi Chang is a mountainous area, and the living standard is quite low, especially that of the Chang Yang, Wu Feng Tu Tribe. There are about 2,000 Christians, but many do not have the money to buy Bibles. Once, when a fellow sister had no money to buy a Bible, she brought along a chicken in exchange for the Bible.”
l Mongolian Christian Church: “My name is Wang LiShen. Thank God, a miracle happened: thank you for the Bibles. I prayed for a ‘green leaf,’ but through you, God has given me a ‘whole spring.’ I love the Bible a lot. In the past, I could only see the Bible on the shelf, but now I can read it for myself. What I prayed for is realised by the Lord.”
l Qi TaiYi, Sichuan Yingshan: “Thanks
for the support and for the Bible you donated. We have decided that the
Bible will be kept by the Church and loaned to our members, so that all
can receive the Word of God. Thank you! May God bless you!” (WR 342/15
- 7/8.99)