Author: Biblica Europe

Madeira Island is the largest of the Madeira group of Islands which have a combined population of less than 300,000.  It is a popular tourist destination, with approximately 1.4 million visitors every year. In June 2019 a small mission team, resourced with New Testaments from Biblica were among those visiting the Island.

Recently we caught up with David Whalley who was part of the team.  David and several others from around the UK, had become part of the team in response to an appeal from Jason Murfitt.  Jason Murfitt and his wife Andrea recently returned to the UK having spent twelve years as missionaries in Brazil.  Over the past year Jason, through Grace Baptist Mission, has been scoping out the possibility of moving to Madeira to plant a church there.

David explained that Jason’s heart for Madeira was much inspired by the work of Dr. Robert Reid Kalley, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary, who went to the Island in 1838, and as he preached the gospel, more than 2000 people responded in following Jesus!

From his initial visits to Madeira, Jason identified a real need for bibles and other Christian resources on the Island, and so he put a call out for a Mission Team to go to Madeira to take some resources and share the gospel.  As part of the team, David was given the role of sourcing Bibles to take and he contacted Biblica, subsequently obtaining 200 English New Testaments.

The New Testaments were distributed among tourists and to 60 hotels on the island who were really open to having them in their lounges and reception areas.  David said that “We continue to pray that these New Testaments are being used by God to speak to the recipients who read them, and that they may be led to the Lord Jesus”.

David shared a story from the only day they had rain on the trip which took them into an indoor market where Cherry, another member of the team, got to chat with a Doctor from Brazil, and was able to give her a bible and other resources.  This conversation has continued online and the team have asked for prayer for Dr. Ana that she would continue to ask questions and come to faith.

Dave and the rest of the mission team, were able to share the good news of the gospel with many people, and in follow up to this Jason has been able to return to the Island and meet up with some who now desperately want to have Christian fellowship and very much look forward to joining an evangelical church.

At Biblica Europe we are delighted to have played a small part in this mission, helping to provide resources which may help to spark another response to the gospel as seen in the 1800s.

All bibles were freely given to those God brought across our paths. Many were also carefully placed in a number of Roman Catholic churches

Rueben, a Madeiran who owns a mobile juice bar. Jason has been in contact with him for several months. He also speaks English and was thrilled to receive the New Testament in English.

Within Biblica Europe, we are delighted to work with a range of partner ministries and publishers across the UK, Europe and further afield. We regularly receive sample bibles from these ministries which we keep for archive purposes. But from time to time we are delighted to be able to pass on some of these to other ministries working in the UK and beyond. This is the second story about a ministry who are doing fantastic work getting the Word of God into the hands of those who need it. This time we catch up with Sharon Wilson from the Shankill Community Fellowship in Belfast.

Shankill Community Fellowship is a Gospel outreach project sponsored by Baptist Missions Ireland.  The Shankill Road in Belfast and the surrounding areas were some of the most deeply affected by the violence of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. It is recognised as one of the most deprived areas in Europe.

Working in the heart of this community, the Fellowship has been serving the local people since 2009 to help make the Bible apply to people living in this part of Belfast.

Sharon Wilson is part of a small leadership team of three in the Fellowship, working as an Associate Volunteer Missionary.

Speaking about the Bibles they received from Biblica, Sharon said “Each Bible is prayerfully given out. They are an invaluable resource to us, as a Bible wouldn’t be at the top of the list of things for people to buy. It is an absolute privilege to be able to give out God’s Word in this way.”

One of the ways that Shankill Community Fellowship (SCF) serve the local community is by regularly having a table outside of their premises which has clothes, and other essentials, that people are able to stop at and take whatever they need.  Very often people will have conversations with Sharon and others, which results in the offer of a Bible, which more often than not is accepted.

One particular story stands out in Sharon’s mind “A lady had been coming to SCF for a while, and we got into conversation one day. I asked her if she had a Bible and she said no. I sensitively explained to her about the NIrV and she said she would accept one. A week or two later, she arrived back, and in her words said…’That’s the first time I’ve understood the Bible’. She had started learning the books of the Bible, so we made her some cards with the books of the Bible on them and numbered them on the back in case she dropped them.  There’s much, much more to the story……The change in this lady is remarkable!”

Sharon says that she counts it an absolute privilege to be a small part of the work God is doing on the Shankill.

In Biblica Europe we count it a privilege to be able to support Sharon and Shankill Community Fellowship in their work in this community.

https://vimeo.com/267209052

Within Biblica Europe, we are delighted to work with a range of partner ministries and publishers across the UK, Europe and further afield. We regularly receive sample bibles from these ministries which we keep for archive purposes. But from time to time we are delighted to be able to pass on some of these to other ministries working in the UK and beyond. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing stories of three different ministries who are doing fantastic work getting the Word of God into the hands of those who need it.  Below you can read more about the Bibles that went to The Seamen’s Christian Friend Society.

Sam Cowan, Seamen’s Christian Friend Society (SCFS), is the Port Chaplain/Missionary for the Ports in Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne.  The 1^st November 2019 marked 20 years in this role for Sam, though the Society has been offering the hand of friendship to the seafaring community for much longer, since 1846.  Their missionaries go on board ships when they come into harbour and spend time with the sailors, talking to them about spiritual issues and helping to address their physical and emotional welfare.

SCFS have had an ongoing relationship with Biblica Europe over several years.  Speaking about the Bibles Sam said “Many of the folks that I meet come from all around the world. Patrick Johnstone (Operation World) told us that, as a Society, we were working with an unreached people group (seafarers). Many come from lands where the church is persecuted. It is a blessing to give a seafarer a Bible. Some take them to improve their English, others ask for the Bible to help them search for the meaning of life.  It is a particular delight when we are able to give someone a Bible in their own language.”

In more recent years, Belfast has become a destination for cruise ships.  In 2019, approximately 150 cruise ships and an estimated 285,000 visitors dock in Belfast.

On one occasion, when Sam had boarded one of these cruise ships, a lady saw a booklet in her own language. Sam said that she could have it and also offered her a Bible in her language.  Recounting her reaction, Sam said “Her face lit up.  She was overjoyed.  She went back to the table she was sitting at and said, “I cannot believe that I left my country of Romania to come to Belfast to get a Bible!””.

As it happened the person she was sitting beside, a man from the Philippines, was a Christian and he invited the lady to come to a Bible Fellowship meeting on Sunday.

Sam can tell many stories of seafarers and members of their families who have put their faith in Jesus as a result of that seafarer receiving a Bible.  It is not unusual for seafarers to come to Sam asking for Bibles for themselves and for their wives and family.  Some of the Bibles have gone to Bible Fellowships on board ship for new attendees, so that they too can have a Bible.

“Working with Biblica is very important to The Seamen’s Christian Friend Society as otherwise we would struggle to fulfil our role getting the Word of Life into the hands of the seafarers that visit our ports. In Touch Ministries have this saying which is my prayer and summarises what I desire to do in our Ports. “We want to touch the World with the Word of God. We do so because we are Motivated by a Passion for God and a Compassion for people.”

Within Biblica Europe, we are delighted to know that Bibles which would otherwise be sitting on our shelves, have gone far from our own shores through the amazing work of The Seamen’s Christian Friend Society.