Author: Bible Society, 28 September 2023
Oppressed migrant workers are turning to Christ in the Gulf and when they go to the Bible Society shop in Oman they find Scriptures in more than 60 languages. Lydia Abraham, the Bible Society in the Gulf representative in Oman, gives us this eyewitness report.
It is incredibly exciting for me every time a little child holds their first colourful Bible in their hands, and I see the innocent eagerness in their eyes to learn more about the faith that we teach them in Sunday school.
Every time a housemaid picks up her first copy of the Bible in her own language and feels such a joy that she hugs it tightly, I say a little prayer.
When someone so far away from home is surprised they can find a Bible in Kiswahili or when a pastor asks for a Bible in Kannada and hands it to a new believer from Andhra Pradesh, I praise the Lord for translators.
And I thank God for Bible Society supporters who enable this Bible work to take place.
Indeed, we are not simply providing Bibles in many languages to the Christian population here in Oman; we are in some form aiding them in their decision to live a life of faith and also in furthering their knowledge of the hope that is found in Christ. I hope and pray that every single copy of the word of God finds a suitable individual for whom this will be a source of hope in the dire times of their life.
Scripture distribution is at the core of what the Bible Society in the Gulf is about. The challenge is to make sure that our centres are constantly stocked with Bibles and New Testaments, not in one, two or three different languages but in more than 60 different languages. But we are used to this work, we love it, and we are grateful that we have always been able to support all the churches in the Gulf with all their Scripture needs.
We distribute Bibles in English, German, Hindi, Kannada, Kiswahili, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and, well, the list goes on.
The fundamental aspect of the Scripture distribution ministry is the impact it has on its recipients and the changes Bible engagement makes in people’s lives. Migrant workers make up 95 per cent of congregations here. Due to social and economic circumstances, they are under a lot of pressure (see Country Profile) and are in dire need to have Jesus in their lives. Bible Society is here for them.
Pastor Ricardo, of the Open Bible Baptist Church, told me, ‘We are growing amazingly in our ministry as a result of the books and the Scriptures that Bible Society is providing. In Oman, it is really difficult to find good Christian reading material and resources, and the Bible Society is such a blessing to us. Your love for Jesus is evident and it overflows. For this reason, we are eternally grateful. As we all wait for the Lord’s return, may we all continue to be a blessing and reach and win more lost souls at any cost in this region.’
Theresa, of the Living Waters International Church, touched on the struggle of migrant workers to make ends meet. ‘We try to provide Bibles to everyone because many cannot afford to buy them,’ she said. ‘We are thankful to the Bible Society that runs the shop at the local compound.’
We definitely could not have reached so many with the word of God if it were not for the vision and mission-mindedness of Bible a Month supporters. May God bless you.
Lydia’s story first appeared in our prayer-focused Bible a Month newsletter. If you want to help ensure shops like the one in Oman are always full of Scriptures and also support other Bible work worldwide, please join Bible a Month.
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