International (MNN) — Every day, people flee conflict and disasters, becoming displaced inside their own countries. Some cross borders to become refugees. According to the United Nations, more than 82 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes.
Increasing people movement creates new Gospel opportunities, and believers need tools for their outreach efforts.
“This movement of people across country lines and out of harm’s way, so to speak, has increased the need for and the effectiveness of (biblical) literature,” Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says.
“We just sent some material to a medical group that built a new hospital in the northern part of Mozambique, where there is the most unrest. They use the Scriptures with patients.”
Through His written Word, the Lord cares for people who’ve endured significant trauma.
World Missionary Press prints and ships topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies worldwide in 350 languages. More about that here. Their distribution partners range from medical missionaries to church planters and more.
(Photo courtesy WMP)
Some believers use WMP material in their outreach to refugees. “We just delivered a container to our coordinator in Kenya, and most of that is going up to the very large refugee camp in northwest Kenya where refugees are coming from Somalia,” Williams says.
“In Colombia, a lot of people are coming in from Venezuela. Those [refugees] are also going into Peru, and we have people asking for increasing amounts of literature so that they can minister to [refugees] as well.”
Help equip Gospel workers here through World Missionary Press.
“The literature is also effective in areas where believers are driven from their homes – in Myanmar, northern Nigeria, and CAR (Central African Republic). Pastors are gathering people in small groups and teaching them from the literature, and [then] leaving the literature [so people can continue studying God’s Word],” Williams says.
“In some of these places, where they leave everything [behind] and they need fellowship, the literature [provides] fellowship around the Word.”
Pray WMP can equip believers in Mexico. “One of the areas getting tighter and more difficult [to ship to] is Mexico,” Williams says.
“In some areas, you can still go door to door and give out the Word, [but in others], it’s getting tougher and tougher. Pastors are being killed, and churches are burned.”
In the header image, Venezuelans wade across the Tachira River to seek food and other aid in Cúcuta, Colombia. (Photo © UNHCR/Vincent Tremeau)
