Dear Prayer Partner, In July our Bible-a-Month calendar is focusing on Syria . Syria borders Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Famously, it was on the road to Syria’s capital, Damascus, that Paul had a vision of Jesus Christ and was converted (Acts 9). In recent years it has become known as a war zone. The Bible Society in Syria has always operated under a certain level of danger and due to the COVID-19 outbreak the risk that comes with distributing Scriptures has intensified. However, the Bible Society staff and volunteers are still continuing to spread the life changing news of the Gospel.  In this Extra Insight we'll share some updates from the Bible Society in Syria and how they are reaching people with the Word of God.

Syria Capital: Damascus Population: 19,398,448 (July 2020 est.) Official language: Arabic Religion: Muslim 87%, Christian 10%, Druze 3%  Statistics and map taken from The World Factbook and Operation World .

Ministry in Syria For many of us when we think of Syria, we think of a war-torn country. However, although Syria has been experiencing war for many years, the church is steadily growing. The Bible Society in Syria works closely with the local church to help deliver God’s Word to those who need it. They have projects to help with conflict resolution and problem solving, as well as Trauma Healing projects. It can be very hard at times working in such a dangerous area, violence is common and Christians are known to have been attacked and even killed for their faith. Bombs are often detonated and buildings destroyed. George Andrea, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Syria, explained what it is like to work in Aleppo:   ‘When you are being bombed and shelled, you will die whether you are at home or work … the risk is the same; you depend on God. So we continue our work.’ It is the Bible Society in Syria’s hope that through the power of the Bible more people would come to faith and that their country would be positively impacted. They pray that Syria would become a peaceful nation with a thriving church.

"The Scriptures are Testifying of Me" - Syria

Despite the unrest in Syria, Bible distribution remains the main focus of the Bible Society. They want to provide the Gospel to all who are seeking it. People are turning to God in these difficult circumstances and the demand for Bibles is always high. Like every other country in the world Syria has also been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Many projects were affected by this. For the first time since the war began the Bible Society book shop had to close. This was especially sad, as even through the hardest times the book shop never closed.  However, the warehouse in Aleppo has been able to be open and is more active than usual. Our colleague wrote to us and told us that it is “like a beehive”. The international highway is open again and they are able to deliver Bibles and Scripture all over Syria. They have been able to reach many new areas which before the they could not go to. With the help of local churches, they have been able to provide Bibles, Scripture and resources two over 18,000 people over the first few months of 2020. Christianity is growing in Syria and many people are turning to Christ. Praise God that even in such difficult circumstances his word stands true and is a source of comfort.  This month your donation will go towards providing Scripture to people in Syria.

But he answered,"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'." Matthew 4:4

Pray for this Project: Pray that God will protect the Bible Society staff and volunteers as they travel throughout Syria. Pray that he would protect them against the virus as well as conflict. Pray for those who received the Scriptures from the Bible Society. Ask God that he would open their hearts and that people would trust in Jesus.  Pray for the whole country of Syria during this time. Pray that God would use the situation there to glorify himself, and that it would have a positive impact on the country.

Give Every £5 donated to this project will help the Bible Society in Syria to provide someone with Scriptures. Make a donation online now. This project is our Bible-a-Month project for July. Decide to become a Bible-a-Month partner today! You will receive a free calendar with information about this and 11 other Bible Society projects. Commit to giving just £5 each month and you will ensure that the Word of God is shared across the world. Sign up here.

BIBLE SOCIETY NI 27 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NB 028 9032 6577 Charity Reg. No. NIC102557 www.biblesocietyni.co.uk Header image shows a man receiving a children's Scripture book for his child.

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