Pason, a Rohingya refugee living in a camp in southern Bangladesh, responded that there are eight brothers and nine sisters in his family, of which he is the youngest. His father has a small carpentry business in Myanmar. After getting married, Pason started his own carpentry business. In August 2017, when the army started attacking villages and burning houses in his village, he and his wife and their young child fled from Myanmar. He did not know what would happen to his parents or siblings.  

When Pason arrived in Bangladesh, some local people gave them money to buy food and make a small shelter for his family. After a week, they didn’t have any more food because there weren’t any organisations to help them. After a couple weeks, different non-government organisations started distributing food, and he felt safe to stay in Bangladesh. Still, he could not sleep. He had flashbacks and bad dreams when he remembered how the army killed their neighbours and burned houses. After a few weeks, he was finally able to reach his family and find out they were safe in Myanmar but staying in different places.  

While Pason was relieved to know his family was alive, many difficulties arose in the camps. He discovered the land his family had settled on was not government-owned but private land. He would have to pay about 5 USD a month to stay there. To pay rent, he had to sell the food given to his family. Sometimes they didn’t have anything left to eat. 

Pason recently went to the camp hospital for weakness and stomach problems, but medicine was not helping. Because the doctors didn’t speak his language, they had not been able to help much. He was daily losing weight and becoming weaker. He didn’t have the money or the ability to see a doctor outside of the camps. 

Hearing about Pason’s medical issues, Farhan asked, “You are very sick now. Why do you come regularly to play football?” 

Pason responded: “I like to play, and I like your company when you talk with us after football and spend time with us. I haven’t seen my brothers and sisters for many months. I feel like you are my brothers here because every time you come, you ask about us and talk to us, but many people don't.” 

The OM team started running football programmes in the refugee camp where Pason lives last year. Six days a week they spend time with boys and men who have experienced serious trauma but say they forget everything while they play. The football players, like Pason, can see a difference in the OM team members and the care they give by showing up every day and caring enough to hear their stories. 

A few months later, Pason was feeling better but still was experiencing weakness in his body. Farhan visited him at home with his wife and two children and prayed for him in the name of Jesus Christ. The team continues to pray for him and share the gospel with him. They have also been able to help him buy medicine and some gifts for his family. 

In 2018, 120 people from the camps as well as the local community participated in the football programme. Plans are underway for a tournament early this year.  

Please pray for relationships to deepen and for OM workers to have opportunities to share the love of Christ with the Rohingya people and the local community. Pray for health and provision for Pason’s family and many like them, who see little chance to improve their situation. Pray for the team to be able to share with them where true hope can be found.

A small team was able to distribute items including food, soap and umbrellas for protection from the sweltering summer sun and coming monsoon rains to 1,000 families. The following day, team members spent time with children, giving them protection from the sun, cutting their nails, combing their hair, praying silently over them and making them feel seen and loved.  

“We’re aware that it’s just [a] little we can do, but we know God called us to not look away, but do something,” shared programme coordinator Pastor Saul*. “When we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven,’ what do we pray? Is there hunger in heaven? Homelessness? No. If we as Christians pray this prayer, we also need to act. Prayer is not enough. We need to help as well.” 

OM’s partner wants to move from distribution to a long-term presence in the camps and surrounding community. A couple short- and long-term workers have recently come to Bangladesh with the goal of building up a longer lasting work in this area.

Sophia*, one of those working to establish the office near Cox’s Bazar, joined the distribution efforts in April. She shared that as the team members greeted the women and children, most returned their smiles. Sophia said she felt the presence of hope in the camps but also much fear as monsoon season approaches.

“Everything they are building now might be destroyed in the coming weeks and months,” she said. Real fears exist that the temporary shelters that have been established "will be demolished through the heavy rain and winds, roads will be inaccessible for aid, families will be separated through landslides, panics, evacuation, latrines will overrun, the access to drinking water will be cut, and diseases will spread.”

NGOs are handing out shelter kits to make unstable shelters as safe as possible and implementing plans for better drainage and an identification system for children in case they get separated from their families. OM's partners want to work towards a sustained presence among this resilient and hopeful people, remaining long after the rains have stopped.

Pray for them as they seek to obtain the needed permissions from the government to work there. Please also pray for health and safety of the Rohingya people with all the new dangers the summer rains are expected to bring and for them to know the love of the Father who sees them in the midst of the storm.  

*Name changed for security

The petite girl is just one of many children who are now living in a refugee camp in southern Bangladesh. As of the end of November, more than 625,000 people have crossed the border, and with the pre-existing Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh, there are now more than 837,600 people in Cox’s Bazar—around 55 percent of whom are children.  

One mother, Sabekur, merely 18 years old herself, shared about how she saw her husband killed by soldiers in their village. “I was cooking in the house, and my husband was in the yard with our son. When he saw the military [coming], he left our son and fled. The soldiers caught him and cut him [with a machete]. Then they beat him and shot him on the ground.”

The young widow grabbed her 3-month-old son from the sand where he had been left, and ran. “For three days, I hid in the jungle. I was so afraid. Then I saw many people leaving to cross the border, and I thought, why should I stay?” Sabekur carried her son for five days to get to the border and finally arrived at a refugee camp. “I have no family left. I am alone, and now my son has no father.” 

“I know that if you talk to my son, that he will cry,” one father, Jiabur, said. “He saw these things, too.” Jiabur shared extensively about watching from the jungle as soldiers attacked his village, tied up the men in one location and kept the women and children in another. For two days, the soldiers proceeded to plunder the homes, beat people and rape the unmarried women.

“My wife and six children were in that [captured] group, too,” Jiabur said and admitted the helplessness he felt. When the soldiers moved to another village, most of the people in the village fled for safety; Jiabur also brought his family to Bangladesh.

“My [nine-year-old] son keeps asking me, ‘Where is our house?’ ‘Where is our land?’ ‘When will we go home?’ But I have no answer,” Jiabur said. “We want to return home. We don’t want to stay here.” 

“I saw dead bodies and the soldiers, but I was not afraid,” said 4-year-old Abdul, simply. Many of the other children’s faces around him are stoic, too. The atrocities they’ve experienced are not visible scars on their tiny bodies. But after the threat of malnutrition, from walking to Bangladesh, and the potential spread of disease among the populated camps, there is also an urgent need to address what is known as child-protection issues. According to official reports, risks include psychosocial distress, separation of children from their caregivers, child-headed households and child carers, gender-based violence including high risk of rape, sexual assault and widespread child marriage, as well as the high risk of child labour and trafficking. 

In partnership with other implementing agencies, OM’s on-the-ground partner organisation plans to establish Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs), where staff can help children by providing psychosocial first aid and psychosocial support, and refer those in need for further counselling services.

About 14 percent of the total refugee population has been identified as female single head-of-households, which means there is need for organisations to come alongside them to provide additional support. The CFSs become an opportunity to connect with single mothers through trust built with their children.

OM’s partner plans to establish up to 14 CFSs and train 30 workers to meet these needs of some of the most vulnerable in the refugee camps: the single mothers and children. Too many have horrifying stories from the recent months and need a place where well-equipped and loving workers can remind them that there is hope.

Please partner with us in seeing the lives of these refugees transformed. Please contact your local OM office for more information.

Ellyn Schellenberg grew up as an American overseas in Europe and has continued to pursue her love for travel, writing and photography. She is passionate about using her skills to capture stories of what God is doing in Asia.

OM has an established partnership team on the ground in Bangladesh to assess the situation and learn how OM can best make a difference. OM writer Ellyn Schellenberg visited the refugee camps to hear the stories of those arriving and staying there.

Tents are everywhere. Layer upon layer of blue and orange plastic tarpaulin cover almost every inch of the rising and falling hills in the area outside of Cox’s Bazar. Small footpaths cut through the tents, allowing enough space for only one person at a time to pass through. The mud paths are slick where water has sloshed out of buckets that children use to carry water from the nearest pump. In some places, the trees are the only thing preventing more tents from being built, and even these are being stripped of their bark and cut down for firewood.

Faces of women peer out of the shadows beneath the tents made from bamboo posts and tarpaulin. Many are holding babies, most lying motionless, weakened by malnutrition brought on by days or even weeks of walking. Their small, naked bodies are listless in the sweltering heat, and their once beautiful brown skin is now an awful shade of blanched, unnatural pink.

Large families squeeze into the few square metres of space in their tents, with only one flap opening and no ventilation. The fire for cooking kicks up smoke and even more heat. The air is thick with humidity, and only an occasional breeze brings any relief.

Children are everywhere: running along the small paths, crouching in shadows, playing with plastic bottles and wood, running along the main road too close to busy traffic. And like children everywhere, they play, finding new games and new things to entertain them. Except, I notice that their tears seem to come a little faster when they fall, their angry fists fly a little sooner, and for some, the horror of recent trauma casts a shadow in their eyes.

As I walk through the camp I make eye contact with those I see to offer a smile. I hope a few of them might share their story with me, and I share a word of encouragement with them, however trivial it seems in relation to what they’ve been through. I’m amazed at the number of people who smile back at me and invite me in to talk.

Stories of loss, pain and grief

One young man and his family standing in their tent opened up to me about their plight. “They have killed our children, raped our mothers and burnt our villages,” Jarbair, 24, told me. “We could not protect them. We could not save them. So, we had to leave.”

Jarbair was a student in his first year at university, studying geography to be a teacher, before he and his family fled Myanmar. For the past two months, they have been in the refugee camp, unable to leave or find work.

The stories he tells are almost too much to bear. “I watched them capture children and burn them,” he said. “They formed a circle around the village and approached it, capturing people as they fled.” When he and his family escaped, he saw holes in the ground that had been dug by a digger and filled with bodies.

In another conversation, Dineh, 70, tells an equally tragic story. “My son was in a mosque when the military arrived,” he recalled. “He tried to flee, but they shot him and he died on the street. We did not get to bring him home and bury him. He was put in a mass grave with many others.”

Dineh’s other son, listening to our conversation, added, “Everywhere was the bad smell of death. There were so many dead bodies.” The family fled and hid in the jungle between their village and the Bangladesh border for almost 10 days. They were only reunited in the refugee camp after a month. Before fleeing, Dineh had fished and farmed his small field to feed his family. Now he and his sons sit idle in the camp.

I hear another similar story of the military rounding up men in a village. They took those over the age of 18 to a building, tied them up and killed them. Those who could, fled into the surrounding jungle. “I saw dead mothers and their children along the way,” said Jubayda, a mother of three. “We saw with our own eyes that the military was killing people. And we were afraid.” After her village was burnt by missiles, and many others were killed, she fled with her children, not knowing if her husband was alive.

Another mother of eight, Kurshida, shared, “We carried our children, sometimes on our backs, sometimes in our shawls; sometimes [we had] many children together. We tied them to ourselves and carried them.” For 15 days and nights, Kurshida and a large group travelled through the jungle towards the Bangladesh border. For some, the journey became too much. “I saw a woman unable to carry her children, so she set them down in the jungle and left them behind,” Kurshida said.

Each person I speak to in the camp tells a story of loss, pain and grief, and I imagine that each of the 607,000 Rohingya who have fled for their lives feels similar fear, anxiety and uncertainty. There are no easy answers to the questions of whether they will ever be able to return home, be reunited with their missing family members, attend school again or find another job. But in the midst of so much suffering, one truth remains: They deserve to hear that they are loved and that they matter.

To this end, OM plans to create several safe spaces in the camps for children, where they can play and process the trauma in a protected area, and where their parents can engage in conversations with trained debriefing staff. Clearly traumatised children and parents, identified by staff, will be referred for further Critical Incident Stress Debriefs. These safe spaces also give staff the opportunity to identify further risks in the community, such as sexual violence, malnutrition and illnesses. Through early identification of these problems, those most prone can be advocated for by using a network established with other disaster response organisations.

In addition, OM’s partner plans to provide a safe washing area for women and children to bathe, education about good hygiene and sanitation practises, and non-food items such as kitchen utilities, hygiene packs and mosquito nets. Currently, the existing showers are used mostly by men, and the conservatively clad women avoid them. The camps are so large that neighbours don’t know or trust each other. It will take time and the help of organised activities to establish a new sense of community.

Please pray for healing for these Rohingya families and others like them in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. For more information, or to give to the relief effort, contact your local OM office.

Ellyn Schellenberg grew up as an American overseas in Europe and has continued to pursue her love for travel, writing and photography. She is passionate about using her skills to capture stories of what God is doing in Asia.

Somehow he had been drawn to this sporting event in his town on his day off; he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. A lot of people were scurrying around busy with their task of getting ready for the event, but he noticed something was missing--a manager.

Normally, a manager with a big voice would be telling the workers' crew how bad of a job they were all doing and how he was going to dock their wages. But when Rajib stopped one of the workers, he found he was one of many volunteers that night giving his time unpaid. They all seemed to work together seamlessly. How could this be true?

He was told by the worker that if he was interested, he should come along at 8 p.m. on a Thursday evening when they had a time where like-minded people met. Rajib was intrigued to find out more, especially as he was a member of the elite secret police. When he arrived at the location the next week, he was greeted warmly at the meeting. A Bangladeshi man was speaking in words that Rajib had not heard before about the prophet Isa Masih (Jesus).

Rajib had been spotted by the wife of one of the leaders, who was worried about his presence as a member of the secret police. She warned the speaker but he carried on with the message he had planned to give. After the meeting, Rajib was still curious and asked questions about the workers he had seen who had a different way about them. It was explained that they had a common goal and wanted to help and serve each other rather than just trying to get away with doing the minimum they could do.

Rajib was so struck by this that he returned for several more weeks, becoming a regular attender to the sessions where he asked the questions he had as to how could he know more about this peaceful way? Now he meets regularly with them, not wanting to miss out, as he has found peace in his heart by inviting the Prince of Peace to be in charge of his life.

*Name changed to protect identity.

In one district, OM had supported a school for many years, providing school benches, a blackboard, a toilet and even additional training for teachers. Through frequent contact, a deeper connection with the school staff was developed.

Palash*, the school headmaster asked, “Is there anything more you can do for our school?”

Because of his interest in further resources, he visited the office again and again. OM team member Tutul* enjoyed talking with him. Tutul shared the gospel with him and over time he came to know Christ. Later his wife Disha* became a believer as well. In her role as a village primary school teacher, she could, by her actions and gentleness, be a light for Christ among her students and their families.

Witnessing vibrancy of believers

When Andrew*, a European OM team member, visited this district, he could see the fruit of Tutul’s relational ministry. There sat Palash and Disha, as well as one of Disha’s friends, another teacher, who were going through OM’s discipleship course.

“I don’t think I have ever been in a meeting where I saw such direct trickle-down of witness from one to another. It was such a privilege,” Andrew remarked. 

Woodyard fellowship

In the same district lived a man named Saiful*, who was a woodyard owner. He was contracted by OM to provide benches for schools in the area. Through relationship, he also became a believer in Jesus.

Because of his faith, Saiful had a reputation for being fair in his business. Through his witness, others wanted to know more about Jesus. On his visit, Andrew joined a fellowship of about 30 people, who met at the woodyard.

“I could see the gospel witness carry on and see how the people have benefited from OM’s projects from a business side as well,” he said.

But their questions took Andrew by surprise. “How do we have a meeting? How do we do church? Do we have to have a building to meet in?” the young believers asked. Being sensitive to not impose his Western concepts, Andrew engaged with their questions to help them explore how to structure their Christian fellowship with respect to their own culture.

“They are such young believers who have no traditions and no understanding. It was quite incredible to see the rawness of their faith and their genuine questions and desire to worship God,” Andrew added. 

How will people know?

It has been said that the number one reason more unreached people are not coming to faith is because they have never met a follower of Jesus. “How else do you come to know Christ unless you actually see it in practice?” Andrew responded. “I think believers in Bangladesh have such a key role of being there practically for people. There are many nice people, but only those who have a message of transformation and life-changing truth in Christ can make a true difference in people’s lives.” 

OM’s desire is to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached in Bangladesh. Pray for unity in these small fellowships and their multiplication for God’s glory.

*Names changed to protect identities.

“Prior to this, there was a bigger launch put into action by engineers from the ship Logos,” Andrew recalled. “However, it was big enough to legally require qualified seamen to operate it; since we could not come up with those, it had to be sold.” Logos visited Bangladesh more than once in the early 1970s, and OM officially began work in 1972, after the country’s independence from Pakistan.

Making the Bible accessible

Bangladesh has over 700 rivers, spanning over 24,000 kilometres in total. Thousands of rural villages are unreached and only accessible by boat. Having a gospel literature boat was a creative, practical means OM used to bring the message of Jesus to millions otherwise unreachable.

Book teams sold Christian literature in the marketplace and at doors. It was important that literature, though affordable, had monetary value lest it simply be sold to local paper merchants. “Local Christians had told them it was not possible to sell books,” Andrew recounts. When the OMers went with their first Bangladeshi team to a large shopping centre in Dhaka, “they sold out of everything they had! From then on, the OM teams travelled across the country by vehicle, boat and bicycle distributing masses of literature.”

A best seller

Initially much of OM’s ministry in Bangladesh focused on reaching Hindus. But in 1976, when two men from a Muslim background came to faith, and many more showed receptivity to the gospel, OM’s ministry changed. Outreach teams started a mass effort to distribute Bengali New Testaments and Christian literature among the Muslim-majority population.

Though there was keen interest in the books OM teams were selling, not all literature was suitable. “Muslims did not like pictures in religious books, and they had their own dialect of Bengali,” Andrew said. OM changed the literature to make it more attractive. “That widespread distribution of literature, followed up by Bible correspondence courses sowed the seed and opened people’s hearts. [Seeing this openness], we moved into having church planting teams,” explained Andrew.

When in 1980 the Bangladesh Bible Society produced the New Testament, or Injil, in its Muslim dialect, OM started large-scale distribution and sales of it. By 1987, five outreach teams had been distributing Christian literature and New Testaments non-stop by bus, bicycle and boat for 15 years, each year choosing a different area of Bangladesh to focus on.

“Whether by bus, bicycle or boat, we were motivated to get the Word of God to those who had never heard about Jesus, sharing the gospel in some of the most unreached regions,” said Paul*, who served on one of OM’s early outreach teams.

In 1988, the team stumbled across an article in a Kolkota, India, newspaper about best-selling Bengali books. At that time, best sellers sold about 200,000 copies. “We had made the Bengali New Testament a number-one best seller [well surpassing] 200,000 copies. We distributed more New Testaments and Scriptures in those years than ever before in Bengali,” stated Paul.

“Sometimes our teams were confronted by hostile groups, but usually people were excited and thankful to finally get a copy of the New Testament or whole Bible and read it themselves,” Paul reminisced. “Often religious leaders would take a copy of the New Testament then, out of respect, put it on their head and kiss it, thanking us for finally giving them a copy."

It is clear that God protected OM’s teams along the way. “In those many years of travelling hundreds of thousands of kilometres around the country by road and river, we never experienced a single serious accident. The boat sank twice, but thankfully no one was hurt, and we were able to pull up and restore the boat and keep going,” said Andrew.

OM teams have seen God’s provision in the massive effort of sowing by outreach teams over many years in the local fellowships established in rural villages. Reports are that there are now more than 100,000 believers from a Muslim background. 

These early efforts continue to shape OM’s ministry and are part of their vision to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.

*Name changed

“Farhan bhai (brother), can you please tell me some stories? If you talk with me it will keep me awake and we won’t have any problems on the trip.” It was 2:30 a.m. “I was very tired, but I realized this was an opportunity to share the Good News with Uttar,” said Farhan.

Starting at the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, Farhan explained how God’s creation had become separated from Him by sin. He shared God’s plan of restoration by sending Jesus, His own son, to restore the relationship that was broken. He told Uttar that man now had the opportunity, once a person recognised Jesus as the only Saviour, to have his relationship with God restored. Each person had a choice to make.

Farhan asked Uttar to consider what his response would be from now on. It was around 5:30 a.m. After a silent moment, Uttar turned to Farhan and said, “I want to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” They stopped the truck along the road and right there they prayed as Uttar committed his life to Jesus Christ.  “In my whole life, I have never sensed the kind of peace I am feeling now,” Uttar said.

Farhan's countenance changed too. “My tiredness disappeared and my heart was full of joy! Everything I did on that day was insignificant compared with what God had just done,” Farhan said. The OM team went on to complete the relief work planned in the flood-affected districts. “I believe God brought us together to do this work […] because of Uttar’s life. So it is worth all the effort.”

Pray that Uttar would grow in his pursuit and knowledge of Jesus. Pray for continued peace in his heart and for Farhan to disciple and encourage this new brother in Christ, with all wisdom and grace from God. Please pray for OM team members seeking to see a vibrant community of followers of Jesus among the least reached in Bangladesh.

*Names changed to protect identities.

Sitting here at my sewing machine, pumping the pedals and trying to sew a straight line, I often laugh to myself not just at my skewed stitching but at how much my life has turned around.

When I was ten, my family had to marry me off. I’m not angry with my parents for they could not afford to feed their four children. At the age of 14 I was pregnant, but there were complications at the delivery. Due to lack of proper medical care, I lost my child and became a fistula patient.

From that time on I was very ill and could not control my bowel movements. It was very shameful for me, and my husband and in-laws did little to help. After a year my husband divorced me and I returned home.

For 16 years I was in a helpless situation, not able to work and a burden to everyone. My parents could not afford medical help. However, we heard about a Christian hospital that treats fistula patients free of cost. After two operations, I started to feel much better and my strength returned. However, I was still a financial burden on my family.

I was delighted to join OM Bangladesh’s tailoring programme especially designed for fistula patients. Now I dream of setting up my sewing machine in my parents’ home where I can stitch clothes for those in the area. Life has returned in a way that I never thought possible. Now I have dignity and a new sense of worth. Thank you, OM, for giving me the skills to be able to start earning an income.

After the war, when people returned home to the newly birthed country of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), leaders of the refugee work followed, bringing together young people who had become Christians to start the first OM teams. From the very beginning, OM in Bangladesh was made up largely of nationals.

Change in direction

In 1976, a well-known international mission, CIF*, had been working in the Jewelpur area for 17 years with very few results. At that time, Bangladesh was still a new country, only five years old. During the war in 1971, the minority Hindu population suffered greatly. Many mission experts suggested it was time to concentrate on this Hindu minority to give them opportunity to respond to the liberating good news of Jesus. The international workers with CIF asked OM to provide a national team of co-workers for one year to reach the Hindu population; if there were no response, they would move to a new part of the country.

Four Bangladeshi OMers began work in Jewelpur District. As required, during the daytime they reached out to Hindus. However, on the team was a young man named Abel, a believer from a Muslim background. In the evening, in the area where the team was living, Abel began building relationships with Muslims, not only young people but older working men who had their own families.

Eventually two men, Tab, a farmer, and Yacob, a milk seller, declared that they wanted to follow Jesus. The OMers were, of course, thrilled, but those from CIF were amazed. “We were told we should be reaching Hindus,” they said, “but really we came to Bangladesh to reach Muslims.”

Over the next five years, the whole of CIF transitioned to a total focus on Bangladesh’s 90 per cent-Muslim majority. OM also began to refine all of its literature and its methods of outreach for effectiveness amongst the majority population and, in 1981, began its own local church planting teams.

A challenging beginning

When Yacob and Tab came to faith in Jesus, it was the start of a difficult journey. They understood who Jesus is, but the community around them was very unhappy. Eventually, they and other believers were brought together for a village judgment. The local people wanted to burn down their homes. At the height of the tension-filled meeting, a crazy man rushed into the middle and shouted, “Leave these men alone—they are God-people.”

The local people feared whatever spiritual power might be in this crazy man and immediately their attitude changed; Yacob and Tab were allowed to leave with only a fine. Later on, Tab was elected as leader of a local group that practised a form of mysticism. In that position, he was able to share that Jesus filled all of the hopes and desires of human beings, including those who try to reach God through various mystical practices. Over the years, hundreds were baptised.

Tools for change

Abel, who had led Yacob and Tab to faith, was the first person to join the new OM team. A cutting-edge evangelist, Abel also needed coaching and discipleship. Mike (UK) spent hours with Abel, teaching him, challenging him, correcting him, being patient with him and fathering him.

Without Mike, there would have been no Abel. It is the same today: Young Bangladesh believers need those who will love them, care for them and teach them so that they can become God’s agents in society.

Harvest of fruit

Yacob died several years ago. Tab is now 85, a venerable old man in his community who has led several hundred other people to faith in Jesus. One of his sons is a Christian outreach worker. That key moment in 1976 in Jewelpur—when Tab and Yacob decided to follow Jesus—has cascaded in the training of dozens of new outreach workers who have spread out to many parts of the country.

Today many congregations of Muslim-background believers in Bangladesh owe their existence to that moment in 1976, although few would know about it.

*Name changed

One day Nuram* stopped at the shop. He wanted to download village religious songs onto his mobile phone. Rohu and his friend, an older believer in Jesus, who was in the shop at the time, were intrigued by the request and soon a conversation started about faith and God.

Nuram is a local religious leader. He often has meetings at night in his village where followers come to sing songs and listen to teaching. Rohu’s friend asked if he could visit Nuram and through this, a friendship developed.

Rohu’s friend noted that Nuram had many storybooks in his home and asked if he could add another one to the collection. The book was a selection of stories from the Bible. Nuram was intrigued by the stories. Although they were written for children, there was something different about them and Nuram looked forward to talking to Rohu’s friend.

When the two met together again, Nuram’s questions about the stories even outnumbered the books on his shelf! The dialogue continues, the symphony is not finished yet. Pray that soon the Truth of God’s Word will touch Nuram’s heart and result in an eternal song of worship to Jesus.

*Names changed

On a recent trip to Bangladesh, I was riding in a vehicle over a bumpy road with a few Bengalis who were believers in Christ from a Muslim background. On our way to a rural village, we were surrounded by green rice paddy fields as we journeyed on this crooked road built on a high dike. As we neared the village nestled among several trees, we saw little huts made out of clay bricks or wood, roofed with sheets of tin metal.

One believer in the jeep said, "See that fellow over there, who was looking out of the window? He’s one of the believers in Christ in this village. He will be disappointed when he finds out that were not here for Bible study today."

As I looked at the man we passed in the car, his bright eyes shined like white tea cup saucers. He smiled big, as he waited to see his newfound friends in Christ again. Cows, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and goat, dozens of kids, women in colorful outfits and the men, gathered around as we finally parked the vehicle. As we left the van, we began to say hello to the people who were so curious to see the foreigners with the Bengalis.

The isolated believers within the Muslim rural villages enjoy any opportunity for fellowship they have with other mature believers who visit them. They discuss topics about life, the Bible, God and praying together.

The young believer in that village was hopeful to have fellowship time and Bible reading. Even though there was no Bible study that day, he was happy to be with other believers that were from another town. The believers who had brought me to the village that day planned to come back to continue to teach the Bible and be a support to this young man and others in the village.

Pray with us

In Bangladesh millions of people are still waiting to hear about Jesus for the first time. Those who are believers are hungry for fellowship and opportunities to grow in their faith. Pray that local church fellowships can be equipped and strengthened through OM team visits and discipleship training programmes. Pray that believers will be equipped and emboldened to share about Jesus with their neighbours.

This story is written by Sylvia*, who has a passion to mobilise people around the world to invest in the growing church in Bangladesh, through prayer or giving. She is adventurous at heart and eager for unreached Muslim people to come to know Jesus.

*Name changed to protect identity

Education for children is challenging. Many children have to drop out of school to work and make money. This closes the door for future education. In other cases, there is no government school close to their village. Seeing the need, OM works alongside local communities to create educational opportunities within a local village. Teachers are trained and supervised, children are educated in single class primary schools to catch up in the school system and their parents also have literacy education.

Nita* is one of OM's primary school teachers, whose meaningful work in the community had positively affected her own family as well. This is her story:

My father, a weaver, dreamed to educate his children, but his earnings barely supported us. I worked alongside him while studying and through our combined hard work I graduated. Sadly my father died before that.

I longed to help our struggling weavers community; so many children didn’t attend school. While looking for work, I heard of an agency working with primary schools and adult literacy needing people to work from their homes. I told them of my dream to help my community and they hired me. I am grateful that I can earn some money to help my own family and see my dream fulfilled. – Nita* 

*Name changed to protect identity.

You can make a difference in Bangladesh

We invite you to partner with OM to help break the cycle of poverty in Bangladesh through education. To give a financial gift for "Bangladesh-Literacy and Village Primary Schools", please contact your local OM office or visit www.om.org/en/give. Thank you!

Computing skills are vital for the job opportunities and the development of the country. Yet personal ownership of computers is minimal and only the top fee-paying educational institutions have any functional IT department. To realize its potential, Bangladesh greatly needs IT skills training and knowledge of English. Although it is taught at school, very few people develop the ability to speak English. 

OM resources Bangladeshi youth with job skills by offering three-month, two-hour-a -day courses in computer skills covering English and Bengali word-processing, database and spreadsheets, basic photo-editing and internet access. In April, 33 people applied to study at the computer training centre in one region. The team hopes to talk to the students about God's Word, as some students are interested to learn more.  

A young entrepreneur 

Nayef* joined OM’s Sport Discipleship camp in 2015 and the same year also took part in the three-month computer training course. He is a believer and an ambitious individual. Nayef applied the computer skills he learned at the computer training centre. He bought an old computer, rented a small place and opened up a shop for his small business. Since Bangladesh is a developing country, not everyone has access to the Internet and music or other entertainment media files. It is common for people to go to a shop, like Nayef’s, to download media files. 

At his shop, he loads files such as videos and songs onto people’s mobile phones or memory sticks and gets paid for it. He earns about 250 to 300 Taka (around $3 - $4) per day. His father fixes old electronics like mobile phones, radios, and televisions. Nayef is now thinking to expand his business by buying a few computers and starting up his own computer training centre.

Please pray for Nayef as he takes examinations in school and as he looks to earn a sustainable income for himself and his family. OM’s three-month computer training courses at five centres in Bangladesh impact around 430 young people a year. It costs $110 for one month of training or $330 per student for an entire course, setting them up for success and better job opportunities to break out of the cycle of poverty. Would you help train young men and women like Nayef? To give online, please visit: www.om.org/en/give Thank you for your partnership!

*Name changed to protect identity

Before OM opened a primary school near my village I wasn’t able to attend school. My family is very poor; my father is a day labourer so we don’t have a stable income. All the related expenses of going to school put education out of our grasp. However, that all changed when OM set up a school close to my home and provided all that was needed for me to attend. My first day in school was a happy one, but I did not realize how much I would gain from going to school.

Life has not been easy. I live with my father, sister and grandmother. My parents are divorced and I really miss my mother. Often I wish life were different. However, my teacher in school is just like a mother to me. It is amazing how she loves, cares for and helps us all. I love my school and my school teacher,” a young girl named Dipu* shared. Dipu's teacher is a follower of Jesus, who radiates Christ’s compassion and love especially for the poor and needy.

For so many children, like Dipu, education was never even on their horizon. OM's schools change the game for children, families and community, making education and a pathway out of poverty possible. 

It costs just US$ 80 for a young child to attend OM's primary school for one year. Would you consider a financial gift to help break the cycle of poverty in Bangladesh to transform lives and communities? To give, please visit www.om.org/en/give or write to info.bd@om.org.

*Name changed 

Families who are already poor have now lost all their land, belongings and food supplies. Flooding has moved to new areas and the situation in these different districts is getting worse as people’s way of life in these areas is badly affected.

As a result of flooding, ferry services, rail and bus routes have been seriously hampered, affecting communications between the capital cities. 

So far 14 people have died in Bangladesh and according to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, over 500,000 families in 309 unions of 59 upazilas (sub-districts) under 16 districts have been affected amid floods. 

The government has already released rice and packets of dry food for the flood-affected, and some NGOs have come to helped affected people, but this is not enough to supply for their needs. They need more dry food, medicine and other relief items. 

Many primary schools, colleges and educational centers have been inundated with flood water and their regular activities have been disrupted. The flooding has hit two of OM’s village primary schools and the families in the areas where OM works have also been badly affected. (Report as of 10 August, 2016) 

As an initial response, OM aims to provide basic food supplies and medicine to 200 families in the affected areas where OM's development projects run. A gift of USD 85 helps supply one family, with 4-5 members each, a package of emergency provision. To give a gift toward 'OM Bangladesh Crisis Response', please click here or contact your local OM office. Any surplus funds will be used for additional crisis needs as laid out in the OM Bangladesh Crisis Relief Plan. With your support, we can provide emergency care to families in need and express God's love and compassion in action. 

Thank you for your care and support for families in desperate need in Bangladesh!

“I found out quickly that being able to read English words for a Bangladeshi was altogether different from understanding what the words meant, or using them in speech!” Jane shared. “Those early days took a lot of patience, but [Fariha] made it worthwhile by the gratefulness and excitement she shared in having this opportunity to speak with me.”

After hours talking via Skype, Jane and Fariha finally met in person, when Jane travelled to Bangladesh for the first time.

“I was welcomed to dinner at Fariha’s home and visited her church. I was elated to meet my tiny little friend, who looked a foot taller on Skype!” Jane remembered.  Since Jane tutored two other students over Skype as well, she could meet face-to-face with all of them in Bangladesh.

Experiencing Bangladeshi food and culture gave Jane context for her conversations. “Bangladesh seemed very much like a country that had outgrown its space in a short time,” she recalled. “The hoards of unruly traffic and electrical wires that looped round and round gave a sense that there was not enough time to properly prepare for increasing population and updating power systems and connections.”

Yet the people seemed connected. Jane remembered many people standing or sitting in groups everywhere in the evenings because there were little entertainment options. “They seemed to just enjoy each other for who they were,” she said.

While visiting Bangladesh, Jane spoke to local women about how to keep growing in faith in Christ. Likewise, Fariha’s model of following God and making sacrifices encouraged her. Though Fariha has several degrees, her priority is to show love to the destitute women in her area.

“To her, it is [most] important that she teach her son and others about Jesus,” Jane explained. “She shares her story with rickshaw drivers and neighbours and visits people in their home to teach them the gospel news of a God who requires us only to believe.”

Jane’s first adventure in Asia left an impression. Back in the US, Jane passionately told friends about her short-term mission trip. Through Bangladesh iLink, Jane said, “My gospel worldview has greatly expanded and God has confirmed that sometimes all I need to do is listen and care.”

While Jane has encouraged others to become English conversation partners, she has also been able to keep up with Fariha. “Since that visit with Fariha, we have maintained our friendship through monthly Skype calls,” shes shared. “I have seen her grow spiritually and have heard many stories of her unbelievable passion for the lost in her country.”

Through Bangladesh iLink, other native English speakers like Jane have been able to share the gospel with men and women in Bangladesh and disciple those conversation partners who are followers of Jesus.

“My presence has shown a little lady in a far-off little country that she is part of a larger worldwide Christian community who are blessed by the effort she is making to fulfill that Great Commission to which we are all called,” Jane said.

*Name changed to protect identity.

With 160 million people living in less space than the US state of Illinois, Bangladesh is in the top 10 of the world’s most crowded nations. Many people live in poverty with few educational and job opportunities to break out of this cycle. Speaking English equips men and women to get ahead in the job market and seek better possibilities for employment.

90% of Bangladeshis are Muslim and only 0.3% are Christians from a Muslim background. Many are open to Western visitors and assistance, as well as to the gospel. Becoming a Skype conversation friend allows you to practice English with men and women in Bangladesh as you share the love of Christ. Bangladesh iLink provides an opportunity to have a unique cross-cultural experience around the world from the comfort of your computer.

Many people in this area work as subsistence farmers, meaning they farm enough to feed their families, with little extra for sale or trade, and they find other casual labour to supplement incomes.

For those studying for a degree, they know only too well that the supply of graduates far exceeds the available opportunities. The Economist magazine estimates that 47% of graduates are unemployed; a figure that rises as one goes outside the capital city of Dhaka.

Gopal* studied hard for his degree and was delighted to pass. However, like many of his friends, he could not find employment. This was very discouraging, especially because his family had sacrificed to get him through college. Without a job, he had no way to repay them. Gopal noticed that most job advertisements wanted computer competency, but he had never touched a computer before.

Gopal started to learn computing at OM’s training centre. He was determined to do well, because he knew all that depended on it. After successfully completing the three-month course, he applied at a garment company and was able to get the position. OM’s task-oriented training equipped him for his new job, which is completely computer based.

“I am so grateful,” Gopal said. “I can now help my family and no longer be a burden to them. Thank you, OM, for a wonderful three months of training.”

*Name changed.

Two families moved into the town, and the team started a number of small development projects. One of these projects was assisting local schools that had very limited resources. Many rural schools in Bangladesh do not have basic amenities like libraries, safe drinking water, or benches and tables for the pupils.

OM’s project selected the neediest schools and provided some of the equipment they needed. Tutul*, who is the main worker in the area said, “It is amazing to see the opportunities you have when you work with local schools. After the relationship and respect is established with staff and local families, they are open to hear the good news.”

Slowly, men heard about Jesus, and a few of them in different areas trusted Him as their Saviour. Every month they travelled to the main town for fellowship and teaching. While this was reason for the team to rejoice, they realized two major things were lacking. Firstly, if the wives of the believers did not trust in Christ as well, reaching the second generation with the Gospel would not happen. Secondly, small fellowship groups were not yet meeting in the local villages.

Seeing these two things change seemed impossible, but the team dreamed and prayed. “Looking back now,” Tutul noted, “it is wonderful to see the change that has happened. God has more than fulfilled our dreams not just for us personally but on a wider horizon too.”

Fellowship of believers

OM Bangladesh started to help a local school where Anwar* was a teacher. The school lacked clean drinking water and in some classrooms the children sat on the floor. As the team worked with the school Tutul and his colleagues started to share the good wews with Anwar and soon he was sharing this new message of love and acceptance with his wife Selina*.

Although Selina* was born into a poor farming family, her parents were determined to see her finish her education. This was not easy given their meagre income and that education was rare in the area where Selina’s family lived. In Bangladesh, 66 per cent of girls are married off before they reach 18, according to UNICEF. Selina managed to finish her final exams and dreamed of going further in her studies to become a school teacher. She wanted to help fulfil the dreams of children.

However, Selina’s family hit major financial hardship, and soon Selina was married off by her parents. Her dream of becoming a teacher vanished as her husband could not afford to send her to college. Soon Selina and Anwar had two children, and Selina was busy raising the family.

The OM team continued to share God’s Word with Anwar and it was not long before Anwar was meeting with a small group of men to study God’s Word. All that he learnt he shared with Selina. After some time, both Anwar and Selina decided to follow Jesus and take a public step of faith through baptism. Selina also shared her new way of life with some of her female friends, and they, too, put their faith in Jesus.  

Anwar and Selina decided they needed to start meeting with other believers in their home, although they knew it would be a difficult and very public step. In rural Bangladesh believers from the majority background often face opposition, especially when they start to meet in a group. Now, every week, six to eight local believers meet to worship and read God’s Word. Reflecting on what has happened in this area,Tutul smiled and said: “Sometimes our faith is so small, we see the challenges but forget that we are empowered by the Sovereign God. God has more than answered our prayers. Not only is a group meeting locally, but we see women actively involved in the worship services.”

Dreams fulfilled 

Looking back 13 years, two families had wondered how God would use them in this rural unreached town. Now, they see many believers who have come to faith through their labours, as well as small groups that have been established, like Anwar and Selina’s, seeking to reach others with the Good News.

God also fulfilled Selina’s personal desires. Selina is now a school teacher in one of OM’s starter-primary schools school. This is one of many primary schools that enable children to get an education, who otherwise would not be able to go to school, either due to poverty or lack of a nearby government school.  

Now, every day Selina helps young children fulfil their dreams and destinies too.

*Name changed

Chaci* was very nervous. Her husband had invited important people to their simple home built of bamboo and tin. He had even bought a live chicken for the occasion, something they rarely did.

As Chaci started to prepare the food, the chicken got loose and ran away. Chaci knew their guests would be offended if there was no meat in the meal. Chaci did not know what to do. She was afraid to tell her husband, and there was no sense in looking for the chicken. Chaci did what she had started to do recently: She prayed in Jesus’ name.

Chaci had begun to work in one of OM Bangladesh’s development projects as a cook and cleaner. Over time she observed the team work, pray and fellowship together. She saw something profoundly different in them.

They too had problems, but in the midst of problems she saw hope, faith and prayer. The team members talked to Chaci, and soon she was asking them to pray for her family members who were sick and for other difficult situations. Chaci was amazed to see God answer these prayers.  

Since she was a child, Chaci had heard bad things about those who follow Jesus. But what she was experiencing was the opposite. She saw their concern, their faith in God and their willingness to act.

Soon Chaci was discussing spiritual matters with team members and attending meetings. A number of months ago, 25 men and women, who had shown interest in the good news, gathered to learn more. In this meeting, Chaci and 14 others decided to follow Christ as their Saviour.  

That evening, as she prayed that the chicken would return, Chaci did not want to open her eyes, but when she did, the chicken was running straight back to her. She was overjoyed! No one else understood, but Chaci knew that God had heard her cries.

The team continues to disciple Chaci and others who trust in Jesus. Pray that these new believers will grow in their faith and their knowledge of God’s Word. Please pray that Chaci’s family will also know Him who answers prayers.

*Name changed

Taslima* never had the opportunity to go to school. Because of this, she was often taken advantage of by others. A number of years before, a storm hit her village and a group came to provide relief. Although the slip that Taslima put her thumbprint on said 500 taka (approximately 6 USD) she only received 100 taka. When she objected, she was told the slip said 100 taka, and not being able to read she had no grounds to argue.

Life became harder for Taslima when her husband died, and she had to take up day-labour jobs to earn little more than a dollar a day. When OM started an adult literacy programme in her village, Taslima was delighted and signed up immediately. At the age of 50, Taslima has found it challenging to learn to read and write, but she knows it will bring great rewards. She is determined that nothing will stop her. 

Only roughly half of all adults in Bangladesh can read and write. This number drops in rural communities and even more among women. Over the last several months, 300 participants have joined OM’s adult literacy classes in different parts of the country.

Literacy gives a sense of dignity and power. Taslima will no longer be taken advantage of because she cannot read. Literacy grants justice to the poor and many with a meagre income, who are simply trying to survive.

OM teams facilitate 15 adult literacy classes, 12 for women and three for men in three districts in Bangladesh. Classes run six days a week for nine months. The cost of 80 USD empowers one woman to become literate.

To learn how to get involved in OM’s work in Bangladesh, contact your local OM office.

*Name changed

Life for a rickshaw puller is tough. Not only is pedalling a rickshaw hard physical labour in extremely hot and humid weather, but financially it is hard for rickshaw pullers and their families to make ends meet. Most rickshaw pullers can’t afford their own rickshaw, so they have to rent them.

Every year, OM Bangladesh’s sports ministry teams hosts an event for rickshaw pullers. Thirty-five rickshaw pullers competed in seven races, and the winner in each category received a rickshaw. It is a family event where no one goes home empty handed.

Last year, Anwar* won a rickshaw. Anwar and his wife have two girls and have struggled to earn enough money to keep the girls in school. After the competition, the sports ministry team continued to meet with the winners and taught them how to save. Since they don’t have to rent a rickshaw, they have a little extra cash (less than 1 USD daily) to save.

Anwar and his family didn’t know how to create a family budget or save. But they soon realised that planning for the future was necessary. Six months after winning a rickshaw, Anwar has saved enough money to purchase a second rickshaw. He now rents it out, which provides additional income. 

Less than a year ago Anwar’s family lived from hand to mouth; what he earned they used for life’s necessities that day. Now he can save and dream. He hopes to buy an ‘autorickshaw’—a rickshaw propelled by a battery-powered engine—and to rent it out as well.

As the team continues to visit Anwar and his family, they also talk to them about planning for the future spiritually. As a result Anwar attends fellowship meetings. The team prays that one day soon the family will store up treasures in heaven.

*Name changed

As you look around the year-three class, Rihana stands out. Her family is extremely poor, so Rihana did not start formal education until OM Bangladesh opened a school near her home. She is older and much taller than the others in the class, and thankfully she has continued attending school without being married off.  

Rihana’s family squat on government land on the side of a dyke. They had to move when they lost their home and land due to erosion from the river. Rihana’s father has a wasting disease and has little strength to work. He runs a tea stall on the side of the road where he sits all day, and he had depended on his wife to do the work. Before and after school Rihana would clean and work in the tea stall too. 

The tea stall has a small television, which attracts customers. Recently, late at night, Rihana’s mother was adjusting the TV input cable and touched the electric supply. The electric shock killed her on the spot.

Can you imagine the grief in the heart of this young girl? Rihana still attends school, which helps her cope with the loss of her mother and brings her comfort. However, her father cannot run the tea shop on his own, and Rihana has a younger sister, who also needs care.

Please pray that God would be a present help to Rihana, and that she would continue to develop academically. Pray that the hope of Christ would be real in Rihana’s life. 

*Name changed

Hema worked alongside her mother and siblings. It was hard, ear-splitting work, but they knew there was no other option. When Hema was very young, her father died and left the chronically-poor family struggling to survive. Hema’s mother started to weave, but that income alone was not enough to put rice on the plate.

Three years ago, OM Bangladesh visited the village where Hema lives to discover if there was a need for a starter- primary school.  After meeting with the village leaders, OM was certain that Hema’s village was a priority area. The people were extremely poor and many children were not going to school as a result. 

Hema was delighted to start school, even though she was considerably older than other pupils in the class. This did not curb her enthusiasm. Hema excelled in her studies and even helped the teacher run some of the activities. She is now in class three and has many hopes for the future.

Hema still works alongside her mother after school, as they continue to need the extra income to survive. However, Hema’s perspective is now different. Work is necessary, but she has the hope that one day she can break the cycle of poverty that binds her family. Hema is determined to remain in school and one day get a better-paying job that will bring her family stability.

* Name changed

Sometimes, small groups are formed where, together, they look into God’s Word and, after some time, some of the participants are ready to take a public step of faith. Due to culture and the nature of the work, most of these contacts are men, so the next important step is for the men to reach their families with the Good News.

Over the last few years in Rowgram, it has been a joy for the team to see a number of men come to faith from one village, Sunkapur. These men have reached out to their wives, and whilst not all have embraced the Truth of the Good News, some have, and the other wives are not opposed. Up until Christmas, these believers in Jesus had travelled regularly by bus to meet for fellowship in a central, neutral location.  

In December, the believers in the wider area were talking about Christmas and how it ought to be celebrated in the district. The men and women from Sunkapur decided that it was time to meet in their local area, even just for this one occasion. One of the believers opened up his very simple home for the event.

What a joy to see 20 people gather to hear what it means to follow Jesus! Since it went well, the group now plans to meet regularly in their own homes. Believers meeting locally is not just for Christmas.

Shohan lives in a small room in the camp, sharing it with his mother and four brothers and sisters.  His father is not on the scene. Shohan’s older brother runs a mobile phone repair shop, but the income he makes was not enough to keep Shohan in school. Shohan had to drop out when he was in class seven and join his brother in the repair shop.

Shohan found it hard to learn how to repair mobile phones, but with few employment opportunities for this people group Shohan knew he had few options.

At the side of one of these camps, OM has set up an electrical training centre to give young men skills so that they can find employment or set up a small business. One of Shohan’s friends had completed the electrical course and recommended it to him.

Initially, Shohan could not concentrate and found the concepts hard, but slowly he started to enjoy the training and finished the four-month course successfully. Zed*, the training instructor, pours his life into his students, helping them and taking a personal interest in their lives. Most evenings after the shutters go down on the training centre he is out visiting former trainees and helping them.

When Shohan completed the course, he wanted to set up his own electrical shop in the camp. But this was not going to be easy. Zed spent many evenings helping him buy what he needed and giving him advice on how best to set up.

Shohan is proud of his achievements and holds his head up high, saying, “I am a skilled worker now, and I am not a burden on my community anymore.” 

Through the shop Shohan earns enough money, not only to help his family and keep his younger sisters in school, but he and his brothers have also been able to build their own room in the camp.

Through this project and through the faithful witness of Zed and his family, light shines in the refugee camp, and more are hearing the good news.

*Name changed

Binita’s story is harrowing. She grew up in a slum where an OM team member, along with a few local believing women, have been running clubs for children and teenagers for years.

Binita attended as a young child, where she heard about God’s love and memorised Bible verses. When she was about 15, Binita was married, but within a short time her husband divorced her. Binita moved back in with her mother and grandmother and attended the girls’ teenage club. 

Binita’s father had long abandoned the family, so with no man to provide financially for the family, her mother struggled to make ends meet and took out loans. However, shortly after Binita returned home, her grandmother was killed near the slum.

At the same time, Binita was forced into an exploitative relationship and became pregnant. Her husband demanded she terminate the pregnancy, but Binita refused. Nevertheless, after the baby was born, the father made her sell the baby. Only weeks later, Binita’s mother died, lying in Binita’s lap in the vehicle taking her to the hospital.

This catalogue of loss in Binita’s life is almost too much to comprehend. Thankfully OM friends started weekly grief counselling with Binita to help her come to terms with the trauma. 

But Binita was left in a vulnerable situation. Recognising this, the OM team member and local believers came alongside Binita, enabling her through financial help to rent a room away from those who exploited her.

She now lives near a few of the believing women in the slum, and her mother’s debts have been repaid. The tailoring training course she now attends with another local woman gives her a reason to get up every day. Her daily part-time job also gives her the ability to provide for her basic needs. Gradually she is regaining her dignity.

Although this is just the beginning, hope is blossoming. The OM team’s hope and prayer is that through the counselling and the time she spends interacting with team members, Binita will come to trust the God who loves her and died for her, and will never leave or forsake her.

*Name changed

One such team leader is Gazi*, who oversees OM development projects, including a tailoring programme for fistula patients: women who have suffered delicate internal physical damage and are often rejected by husbands and their community.

Gazi understands well the challenges in marriage, especially without God’s help, as Gazi has not always had a personal relationship with Jesus.

Gazi’s journey of faith started on a bus trip. He had just successfully completed his bachelor’s degree and was returning home, tired but proud of his achievement. The man sitting next to him wanted to talk about God and salvation. Gazi was keen to chat; after all, he had grown up in a good, religiously conservative family, knowing what the religious books said.

However, as they engaged in conversation, Gazi did not like the other passenger’s views. Yet something about their discussion drew him: Gazi wanted to continue talking with the man after the bus journey ended.

Gazi and the man began to meet regularly to talk about God and read the Bible together. Gazi recognised that in his religious tradition there was no firm hope or assurance of salvation; indeed, when he read his books, he realised that all he could be sure of was thousands of years in hell. He came to the conclusion after a time that Jesus was the only One who could bring complete salvation.

In the meantime, his family had decided he needed to get married and arranged his marriage with Forjana*.

As their life together became established, Forjana noticed Gazi did not go to community prayers regularly. This shocked her, as she had grown up believing that it was through her husband that she would be accepted by God.

Although Gazi said very little to his wife, he joined a small study group, where he made the personal decision to put his trust in Jesus, and gradually he began to talk to Forjana about Jesus.

Forjana found that what impacted her most was not the words her husband said but the change in his behaviour after he put his trust in Jesus. He argued less and gave more importance to what she said. This was totally different from anything Forjana had ever seen in her family. Soon, Forjana made her own decision to trust in Jesus.

Today, Gazi and Forjana have been married for over 20 years and have two grown children, both of whom are walking with Jesus. Gazi and Forjana have not only reared their children to love God and to share the good news with others, but to live out what they believe. And Forjana shares her faith with and cares for the women participating in the tailoring programme. For she well understands how God cares for His children.

*Name changed

Ajit thought he had life figured out. He believed he knew how things worked and how to run his life. Although his family was not well off, they never had been in need.

Ajit had two sons and ran a local timber business; he even owned land on which he grew rice. Although he accepted that it all came from God’s gracious hand, he never questioned the meaning of life – he just got on with day-to-day living, following the religious traditions of his family.

However, that changed when he met OMers Hiru* and Faro*. They had come to his village to talk with others about the way of salvation. At first, Ajit found his natural curiosity sharpened as he listened with interest to what they said. However, on subsequent occasions when Hiru and Faro were talking, Ajit started to think more deeply about their words and began to hunger to discover more about Jesus.

After a few more visits Hiru gave him a New Testament, which enabled Ajit to search God’s Word for himself. What he found amazed and excited him.

“What I read was so different from what I had been taught as a boy,” Ajit explained. “My journey to faith in Jesus had begun.”

As Ajit read more, and got to know Jesus more personally, he decided to attend the discipleship programme.

“I am so glad I made that step,” he smiled. “It is wonderful to be able to systematically look into God’s Word, along with the nine other men in my group. I was amazed to find out that they too were on the same journey. I have learnt so much from this programme, which has become the foundation of my faith. It is good to discuss the issues within the group and to apply what we learn to our own situations.”

Ajit’s wife has not made the same journey of faith, yet. He knows she has been observing from a distance and sees the change in his life, but she remains unconvinced about its place in her life.  

“I long to see my wife and my two sons also coming to realise the truth about Jesus and how He is the only one who can forgive sins,” Ajit says simply.

He knows it is a matter for God to challenge an individual’s understanding of the meaning of life, and so he waits and prays to the God who brings the way of salvation to mankind.

*Name changed

Robin was born with a physical disability that not only stunted his growth but also twisted his spine and chest. He always knew that physical labour would not be possible. And without education and being unable to read or write, he found it impossible to get a job.

Robin started begging. Despite the devastating shame, he needed to put rice on the table for his family.

Then circumstances shifted two years ago. The previously manually-pulled rickshaws were converted into battery-powered vehicles. Their frame remained basically the same, but a small engine pulled the chain, powered by four batteries hidden under the seat. When Robin saw this, he knew he could drive one of these new rickshaws.

His extended family sold some land to enable him to purchase one, and Robin began to earn enough to make a living. He was proud of his achievement. 

However, some months ago, two teenagers got onto his rickshaw and ordered him to drive them to their destination. When they got out, instead of paying Robin, they drugged him by putting a cloth over his nose and mouth. When he came to, he found that they had taken his rickshaw. He was heartbroken.

Members of the OM team heard what had happened, as Robin lives near a slum where the team works. They prayed about the situation, knowing it was right to help, but they didn’t know how they might do so.

OM Bangladesh runs an electrical training programme to teach students how to wire houses and repair engines. The programme trainer came up with possible ways to get Robin a new set of wheels.

One of his graduates owns a repair shop, and his father repairs bicycles nearby; soon they too were involved.

Those helping in the effort were overjoyed when a new battery-powered rickshaw was built especially for Robin. Not only had the father and son put together a new electric rickshaw, but the relationship between the trainer and his graduate’s family had deepened in the joint project.

Robin is a man of few words. He did not say much as he mounted his new rickshaw, but his face told a story of immense gratitude and pride to be able to provide for his family again.

The OM team praises God that in a small way they could be part of His project.

*Name changed

Tumi* and Shima* are sisters. Their father is a skilled builder, who met the team as a result of some building work that was necessary for the local centre to undertake.  As he got to know the team, he wanted to know more about the God they served and what He was like.  Team members met with him regularly, and shared. After some months, he came to faith in Jesus.

When the centre manager decided to run a tailoring training course combined with Bible teaching, he got to hear about it.  Although neither Tumi nor Shima had read much of the Bible, their father thought this was just the opportunity they needed.  So Tumi and Shima came to attend the four-month residential course. 

Once immersed, the girls began to listen and learn, both in sewing and Biblical classes.  They absorbed the teaching like sponges and also took the public step of being baptised. When the course came to an end, they returned home together happily, and started sewing clothes as a business in their neighbourhood. They also established a centre for a small group of women believers, which they led and managed.  Every week the girls would travel into town to join in the weekly worship service.

In Bangladesh, most marriages are arranged by the parents. Tumi and Shima’s father was most keen to find a believing husband for his older daughter, as he knew how important it was.  He asked the OM team for help, and together they considered all the young believing men who might be suitable.  However, it seemed an impossible task.  Even those young men in the neighbourhood who were not believers but were at least sympathetic to faith in Jesus, were potential marriage partners.  However, local religious opponents raised objections, which made the parents of the young men pull out of any marriage arrangements.

As time went by, the pressure mounted for Tumi to get married; after all, she was not getting any younger, and in Bangladesh girls have to get married. With no other way open to him and a heavy heart, Tumi’s father arranged a marriage for her with a young man several miles away.  He knew it would not be easy for Tumi in her new home, where she would not be able to practice her faith openly.  But what could he do?  He had tried to influence the situation. 

As Shima attends the weekly worship service on her own, her father’s prayer is that she will have a different outcome from that of her sister.  But he also believes in a God who can win Tumi’s husband through the witness of her life, because he knows his God is faithful. Please pray for this family, and families facing similar challenges. 

*Names changed to protect identities.

181 young men lined up to start the day’s races.  Running four kilometres in the heat of the day: it was gruelling. Yet the competitors’ faces clearly showed determination and joy, too.  They were followed by 24 rickshaw pullers competing in a total of five races. Although the students in the first race, and the rickshaw pullers in the following races had very different lifestyles and concerns, all had one major thing in common: their need of indwelling peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.   The OM team hoped that through sharing sport and time together, they might bring the message of peace, too.

The road was lined with thousands of spectators, all excited to see such an event take place – as did Shupon*.  Shupon arrived early to get a prime viewing place. He watched the sports ministry team and the volunteers work together setting up the races, and was impressed by their behaviour and interaction with each other.  He saw their joy for the winners, and their concern for those exhausted from the races.  “Why they were so different? What made them care for others so much?” he wondered.  He asked one of the volunteers to explain. The volunteer was a new believer in Jesus, but could see that this was an opportunity to share the Good News. He also invited Shupon to come to the local fellowship meeting later, which Shupon did, and was deeply touched by God’s Word at the meeting: “Everyone needs to know about God!” he said afterwards.

The Run for the World event had a more lasting impact than just one day in other ways. The sports team committed themselves to meet regularly with the five winners of the rickshaw races, all of whom won a rickshaw for themselves. The transformation of their circumstances meant they would no longer struggle to make enough from the fares to cover the rent of a rickshaw, as well as put rice on the plates for their families.  It was indeed a day of celebration, not only in accepting prizes from the mayor of the city, but in seeing how people who serve God value them as human beings in spite of their society’s value of them as lowly workers.

The team pray that this year, as in other years, the Price of Peace will bring reconciliation to the people He loves and cherishes in Bangladesh, no matter their caste or status.

*Name changed to protect identity

Shantik’s father had many questions about faith, especially about the assurance of salvation. He would spend many hours chatting with OM team members to find out their opinions. Then he would go back to his local religious leader and see what he had to say. 

The process continued for some time. Gradually Shantik’s father became dissatisfied with the answers the religious leader gave and decided to put his trust in Jesus. Shantik’s father was very concerned for his son, who had not excelled at school. “Would you be able to help him?” he asked.

And so Shantik started to work in one of the team offices. Shantik knew very little about God’s Word, but he was keen to learn more. It soon became apparent that Shantik had many abilities, as well as being willing to take initiative, so the team invited him to join the OM tailoring course. 

Shantik excelled. He was soon found helping to teach when the trainer was away. Not only that, but Shantik eagerly spent much of his own time studying God’s Word and growing in his faith.

Every evening Shantik would work in a local tailoring shop. He had two reasons for doing this. He wanted to gain more experience in sewing, and he also wanted opportunities to share the good news with others.

Soon he was meeting some of his colleagues after work to talk about God. But Shantik was still not at peace. He had one desire: to go back to his home area to set up a tailoring shop and help his father share the good news with the local people. 

This year, Shantik has seen God open the door to enable him to do just that. Shantik now has a small shop in the village market. He has three sewing machines and is training his younger brother to work with him.

Twenty believers from the local area now meet together, and Shantik helps them grow in faith and understanding. He hopes they too will reach out to their friends and neighbours with the news of Jesus and build a strong local fellowship that supports and enriches the community.

* Name changed

Most find the process very difficult and wonder if they will master the skills. For many, though, the benefits are even more than they expect. 

‘I am so thankful for this miracle’

Natum* was born with a speech impediment. His friends made fun of him, and his parents did not send him to school, saying he was stupid and would not benefit from education. Natum was shamed by this life-long burden, which made him reluctant to speak to others.

As he had no education, he had no job options other than to work with his father, a day labourer on farms. Natum’s family did not own their own land but worked seasonally on other people’s land, often returning home tired after a hard day’s work.

However, Natum did not hesitate to sign up for the adult literacy programme that OM started in his village. “I have always wanted to learn to read and write,” he said, “and now at the age of 21, I was getting the chance. I knew it was going to be extra tough for me.” 

Every evening after work Natum would join the class, learning letters and numbers and how to put sounds and shapes together. “My teacher was brilliant and so were the other members of the class. I soon started to pronounce words more clearly, and when everyone else saw the change they got excited too. Every day I would practice what I had learnt the night before, often talking to myself as I worked in the fields,” said Natum.

These days, Natum’s speech is much clearer, and he is not embarrassed to have a conversation with others. He is very grateful to OM and God for the changes that have taken place. “I am so thankful for this miracle in my life,” he said, smiling. 

Literacy changes lives

Even more women have missed the chance to go to school in rural Bangladesh. Amber* is one for whom OM’s literacy classes have changed her life and brought her hope. Learning to form letters has not been easy for her, but now at age 42 she can read, write and do simple math.

Amber started school when she was a little girl, but her family was poor and could not afford the examination fees. Soon she had to drop out of school. It was painful for her to watch her friends continue going to school when she had to stay and work at home.

At a very early age, she was married. Before long, Amber and her husband had four children. There was no way she could go back to school, as all her time was taken up with earning a small income and looking after the children.

During the day Amber rolled cigarettes – a lot of work for very little gain. Her husband pulled a rickshaw, but the income from his hard labour was often not enough to cover the family’s basic needs.

With one son and three daughters, Amber knew that when her daughters were older they would need to find marriage dowries – the bigger the dowry, the better educated the husband. She and her husband worried about their children’s future, but what could they do?

This year, Amber completed an OM adult literacy course. She was proud to have finished it, although she recognises it is just the start to building her literacy skills.

Amber can see that the course has also given her new dignity, which may aid her to get a better job and help her family. The future now seems brighter for one family in rural Bangladesh.

Praise God for changing lives in Bangladesh through literacy. Pray that these students will come to know their Creator.

*Name changed

For this reason, OM Bangladesh runs 27 starter-primary schools for children. By giving pupils a helping hand into the school system, they are able to enter government schools later on, instead of missing out entirely.

One pupil’s story

Shamim* is from a dysfunctional family. Although her father worked as a rickshaw puller, he did not share his earnings with his family and was verbally and physically abusive. Shamim’s mother managed to earn enough to buy food for herself and the children, by working in other people’s houses, and she brought her daughter, Shamim, to help too.

But then the family discovered that their father had taken another wife, and Shamim’s mother returned to her parents with her children. This did not make life easier financially, and often the household had only rice with salt to eat. Paying for Shamin to go to school was out of the question.

Then OM Bangladesh opened a starter-primary school in their village. Shamim was excited and longed to go. Her mother worked hard to get her name on the list.

Now, 11-year-old Shamim says, “Even though I am older than many of the other children in my class, I am so happy to be learning to read, write and do simple maths. I have also learnt a lot more besides. I didn’t know how to keep myself clean, or the importance of good hygiene, but now I do. 

“OM supplies all I need for school, including pencils, books and uniform, things my mother could never have managed to provide for me. My life has turned around since I started school. I hope that I can continue to study and make a real change in my family’s life.”

Teachers benefit too

Rehana* is one of the starter-primary school teachers, for whom an OM school has changed her life.

Rehana’s husband is a day labourer, so they had no regular income. This made getting enough money to feed their small family very difficult. Although Rehana had graduated from school some years ago, there were no employment opportunities in the area, and as a woman in Bangladesh, it was not appropriate for her to travel far from the village. 

So, when OM opened a local school, she was thrilled. She knew there were many children who were being denied the basic right of getting a primary education, and she was even more thrilled when she was offered the job of teacher. Rehana was given specialised training to help her begin, which she found helpful.

“The course material is excellent, and I am able to structure the lessons from the help in the teachers’ study guide. It is great to see the children learn to read, write and do simple maths,” she beams. She also recognises the personal difference the school has made to her own life.

“Before I had no honour or purpose in life, but now people respect me because I am a teacher. The dynamics of my family have also changed – our family is so much more peaceful, and my husband and I have a greater sense of unity. It is amazing to see my husband helping me prepare the lessons.”

Praise God for the lives changed through the starter schools. Pray that more children would benefit from getting an education and that through these schools they will come to know their Saviour.

*Name changed

Hildin*, one recent participant, says, “I never thought that three months could change my life in such way.”

Hildin was a fortunate young woman. Her family was determined that she would not only finish her school education, but have the opportunity to study until she had a degree. Their decision made things far from easy, but their determination was strong enough to overcome difficulties. Even when many of her contemporaries were getting married, Hildin stayed in college and graduated well.

However, Hildin was under no illusions about getting a job. She knew it was not going to be easy to get employment with so many people graduating from college every year in Rowgram. Yet the reality was even tougher than she had expected. For months she scanned the local newspapers, but the few jobs on offer all required computer literacy. In spite of having studied hard for years, she wouldn’t even be able to contribute to the family’s income. She became despondent. What could she do?

She began looking for a reputable computer training course. Some of her friends had warned that many courses were neither worth the money nor sufficiently task-based; however, they had heard that OM’s training centre was workplace orientated. Hildin inquired, applied and started an OM computer training course. She quickly began to learn, found she had an aptitude to do well and began to enjoy herself. 

Once she had completed the course, she applied for a job in a local bank. The application required her to complete an initial written exam and then sit a practical test on a computer. Her knowledge of excel sheets acquired through the OM training equipped her to pass the test, and she was offered the job.

“I am so happy now and can hold my head up high,” she says. “I know I got the job due to the computer training I got at the OM training centre. Thank you.”

*Name changed

Able to face the future with hope

It was getting much more difficult for Hondi* to watch her parents growing old.  They were both quite old when she was born, especially her father, and now although still alive they were finding it increasingly difficult to support Hondi’s studies. Education was always a family priority for which she was very grateful.  Even though her family was religiously conservative it did not mean that they did not want to see their daughters educated.

Hondi knew that she needed to find some way to supplement the family’s income, but how?  The family lived in a small village where employment opportunities for young women were rare.  Then one day one of her friends said she was going to learn tailoring at OM’s centre and invited Hondi to join her.

“I could see many advantages, we could travel together and we would have company in the class,” said Hondi.  “However, I did have reservations about how good or practical the training would be,” she admitted.

Any doubts about the training soon disappeared as on the very first day the class started to sew. Hondi found it extremely difficult to sew a straight line!  But the teacher was very helpful, and she persevered.  Hondi was very sad when the four month training course was over, as by then she had made many new friends, and enjoyed the interaction and the discussions that they had in the class.  “Most of all,” she added, “I was so proud because I was able to sew clothes to a high standard”.

Hondi was able to get a sewing machine and started to make clothes in her village.  “It has been so good to earn a small income to help with my studies,” Hondi says.  “Without an opportunity like this, I am sure my education would have ground to a halt. OM needed uniforms stitched for their primary schools and I was contracted on a temporary basis to make over 80 of these. That really helped us as a family.”

Overcoming shame and prejudice

For Shikda* life has been an uphill struggle.  Her father is a leprosy patient, yet despite this disability works hard and earns a little from farming on other people’s land. Finding enough money to provide for his family has not been easy, let alone find dowries for Shikda and her five older sisters.  Somehow he has managed.  Shikda has even been able to study: no small feat for such a poor family.

However Shikda also realised that if she was to continue her education she would need to find some way to support herself financially: a rare hope in a small village.  Then she heard about OM’s tailoring training and was excited about the potential income from sewing. She and a group of her friends joined the course and all did very well - but Shikda excelled. Soon she could measure, cut and sew clothes for men, women and children.  She was on her way!

Shikda borrowed a neighbour’s sewing machine and set up a small business, stitching clothes for village families. When OM also needed uniforms made for their new primary school students in the area, Shikda was offered temporary employment to make them.

Shikda is so thankful that OM provided the skills and the means to keep her schooling on track, and to earn money.  But it is not just that.  Shikda’s family has had to live with the stigma of her father being a leper.  The new training and the respect that Shikda has earned through the quality of her work is bringing a new sense of dignity to her whole family.  That is transformational.

*Names changed to protect identities

Meem grew up in a poor family. The only sources of income were the rice her family grew on a small piece of land and the meagre wage her father earned as a day labourer. Yet despite their poverty, Meem’s parents were determined that she and her siblings would get an education, and they made sure Meem went to school for a number of years. 

Meem’s life changed dramatically, though, one evening when she was 17. Her prospective in-laws came to visit. Meem’s marriage had been decided, unbeknownst to her.

After getting married, Meem went to live with her in-laws, and not long after she gave birth to a baby boy. Her in-laws did not treat her well, though, and after the birth of their baby, her husband left her for another woman. Meem had no option but return to her parents with her baby, becoming once more a burden on their finances.

The OM team was introduced to Meem through a local believer in Jesus. Soon Meem heard the good news and was interested to know more. At the same time, she was struggling to find work; sadly, she had been unable to complete her school education. Although Meem had not yet decided to follow Jesus, she was interested in joining the residential discipleship programme to study God’s Word as she learnt to sew.

During the four-month programme, Meem not only learnt how to cut and sew material but also began to understand the truth in the Bible. She also had a number of one-to-one conversations with the wives on the OM team. Meem made a decision to trust Christ personally and took a public step of faith. Joy was, and continues to be, written all over her face.

When she returns home, Meem plans to set up a small tailoring business from her father’s home to support herself as she raises her son. She also returns home changed by the power of God and with the desire to share the good news with others. 

When Meem joined the residential discipleship tailoring programme she had many questions and doubts. Life had dealt her blows that she struggled to understand. But over the last four months, God has done a precious work in her life, the results of which is evident for all to see.

*Name changed

One participant, Farhan*, combines his faith in Jesus and passion for football after experiencing God’s transforming power in his and his family’s lives.

Farhan grew up in a small conservative village in north Bangladesh. His father sold milk, often only earning enough to put one meal on the family table each day. It was a hard life, but the family was close. When Farhan was 13 years old, his father became a believer in Jesus.

“I was shocked and angry. How could my father do such a thing?” Farhan remembers. “In school I had been taught how bad Christians were and all the terrible sins they commit. I was too angry with my dad to bring myself to talk to him about it.”

Soon everyone knew that Farhan’s father had become a follower of Jesus. The villagers ostracised the family, which made their financial situation worse. School was no different: Farhan’s friends distanced themselves and didn’t allow him to join their football games.

Every day the religious teacher talked about the evils of Christians, and that it was unforgiveable to become a follower of Jesus. Farhan dreaded his classes so much, he was sick. Yet at the same time, Farhan started to read one of his father’s Bibles at home.

“I loved the Old Testament; it had stories about various prophets I had heard of in my religious classes. I did not want to read about Jesus. It was due to Him that I had been alienated from my friends,” Farhan says.

Nevertheless, Farhan felt his heart softening, and he gradually came to realise that Jesus was the only way to find peace. He believed in Jesus, as did a few others in the village, with whom Farhan’s father had shared his faith. They would meet together in the family home and worship Jesus.

A year later, Farhan heard students talking about a religious leader’s intentions to kill Christians. He had travelled around the area announcing over a microphone that at 15:00, everyone was to gather to attack the Christians’ homes and kill them. Farhan was terrified. He ran home, shaking and praying as he went. At home his mother and grandmother were crying uncontrollably, as his father phoned the police to ask for help, although the chances of the police helping were slim. 

Yet, in answer to prayer, the police arrived and met with the local religious leader. The police said that they would hold him fully responsible for damage to the family’s property or loss of life. Equally unbelievably, the police stayed to disperse the crowds.

The following week the religious leader announced that no one was permitted to visit Farhan's house or invite them to theirs. School became even more difficult for Farhan, but then God changed things.

“I had always been academically weak, really struggling with English and maths, but that changed,” he explains. “I soon began making good progress; even the teachers were amazed. Then two of my former friends asked me to come to their house – and although I had to wait until after 22:00 at night, I was welcomed in. I knew this was another amazing answer to prayer.”

Farhan began to share about Jesus, first with his two friends and then with others. Eventually, he was permitted to play football at school again. Over the next five years God showed His faithfulness to the family and improved their financial situation. Farhan achieved high marks in his school exams and had the joy of seeing his two friends come to faith in Jesus. The most surprising of all was when the villagers elected Fahan’s father to be their representative in local government.   

Farhan began the one-year sports discipleship training course with OM this year, which enables him to study God’s Word in more depth and receive training as a football coach.

“Two of my passions have come together: football and Jesus,” says Farhan, beaming. “This course is very practical, and I have learnt so much. My life’s desire is to continue to join these two passions and seek to witness for Jesus wherever I go.” 

*Name changed

In Bangladesh, however, it is a different story. Facilities are far from luxurious, and simple needs, such as safe drinking water, are not so easily met.  Recognising this, the OM team in Bangladesh works to improve facilities in schools, including drilling wells for drinking water. Rita’s story tells of just one of the many students who have benefited:

She sat in the hot sticky classroom, longing for a drink, but the more she thought about it, the more distracted, and thirstier, she became. Rita walked a long distance to school from her home in the village, so even before she got to school in the morning, she had finished her water from home.

She was not the only thirsty student. Most of the children finished their water on the way to school. Some of her classmates remedied this by drinking local water from nearby sources; but Rita knew it was not clean and would not be good for her health. She had seen many people who had suffered from drinking dirty water, both classmates and villagers.

Rita’s school, like many in rural Bangladesh, had few resources. It was unable to provide even basic equipment like desks and chairs, let alone drilled wells for water that the children and teachers could drink safely from. It was especially hard when it was hot.

Rita’s school heard that OM was doing a project, and that they could apply for essential equipment. So, they asked OM for help. As there were no drilled wells in the area, OM knew this was a high priority.

Soon OM workers arrived to drill. There was an excited buzz around children and staff as they watched the work take place: They were excited at the prospect of clean, fresh water.

“We are so happy now to be able to get a drink whenever we need one,” Rita beamed. Her classmates nodded and giggled happily.

Their new source of clean water has not just quenched thirsts, it has brought a whole new realm of hygiene to the school, helping to reduce sickness and prevent the spread of disease.

Rita explains, “I am so thankful to OM for our source of clean drinking water. It really has made studying at school so much easier.”

Rita is in class 10, which means she will take important exams this year, and the conditions have made it easier for her to stay in education, which in itself is a rare feat for a girl in rural Bangladesh.

OM, too, is delighted that by providing the well, Rita’s education can advance, and that through simple ways, a significant difference can be made in individuals’ lives, and thereby communities, in Bangladesh.

Books put marriage on hold

Leia* had always dreamt of one day being a teacher in a local school. Although her family was poor and struggled to keep her and her brother in school, somehow they managed. Her parents made many sacrifices, and Leia knew how fortunate she was: Many local families did not send their daughters to school, considering it an unjustifiable expense.

But everything changed when Leia was 12 and her father died. Her mother could not afford Leia’s living and education expenses, so she made plans for Leia to marry. Young Leia was devastated and frightened. She talked to her grandparents, who said she could live with them as an alternative, but they also could not afford to keep her in school, as the books, uniform and other costs were too expensive. Leia’s dream started to unravel.

Then OM gave the local school a library. Before this, students had needed to buy their own books.

“It was amazing to see all the new books in secure book cases,” said Leia. “And it changed things for me. Knowing that I could borrow books I needed from the library encouraged my mother and grandparents to agree to let me to stay at school. If it weren’t for the library, I would be married by now. Instead, I am now in class 9, studying for next year’s important exams. I have all the books I need in the library, and every time I open one, I thank OM for putting my dreams back on track again."

Clean toilets make all the difference

When Anisa* started high school, she struggled with a number of things. The biggest challenge was not the long walk to school or the lack of extra tuition many of her better-off classmates received. What she dreaded most was needing to use the toilet.

“My school has over 250 pupils but had only one dilapidated, smelly toilet,” Anisa explains. “I would try my best not to have to use the toilet, but often I would have to join the long queue. It was horrible.”

Yet, in spite of the difficulties, Anisa persevered. She knew that going to school was not just to benefit her, but her whole family. Her older brother had dropped out of school at an early age and joined his father, cutting hair in a local shop, which did not pay well. It meant the family struggled to cover basic expenses. If Anisa did well in school, she would be able to help the family financially. She had a secret dream that one day the family would be able to own their own house.

When she heard that OM was coming to build toilets in the local school, it felt to Anisa like Eid – a religious celebration when everyone gets presents. OM decided to build three toilets: one for girls, one for boys and one for staff. 

“They are amazing, and so clean!” she said. “Now I don’t have to worry about having to use them, as they have been so well built and do not smell. One day I hope I can be like OM, helping where there is a great need and changing situations to benefit others.”

*Name changed

Zed grew up in a large, religiously conservative family. His father would read his religious book every night and, although Zed did not do so, he always submitted regularly in the family prayers.

Zed left school before taking national exams. It was hard to find a job, and he struggled. Then, he heard about a residential mechanics’ training programme and, although he knew it was run by followers of Jesus, he joined.

As he went through the training, he heard a lot about God’s Word, which touched him. He found himself impressed too by the lives of his trainers; they were different. He knew it was because of their faith. By the end of the course, he had decided to put his faith in Jesus and started to study God’s Word in depth.

However, Zed’s family were furious when he told them. He was forced to leave the area for some time as a result, which was hard, as he loved his family. Consequently, he worked every way he could to restore relationships.

The issue of his marriage caused further family relationship difficulties, as his family chose a wife for him who came from a wealthy family, hoping her dowry would help their poor financial situation. Zed saw things differently: She was not a follower of Jesus, so he refused to marry her. He later married a believer, called Hemu*, instead.

But Hemu is from a poor family; she could not bring financial advantage to Zed’s wider family. Zed’s family relationships were again stretched. Patiently, Zed and Hemu set to work to restore family relations and, over time, God has blessed their endeavours.

God has also given them work to do. Zed and his little family live on the edge of a refugee camp where he brings vocational training to those who apply to learn a skill. The camp is home to over 20,000 refugees who have lived there in cramped and squalid conditions for over 40 years, shunned by many. Ethnically, this is one of the most unreached groups in the country. The chance of anyone from this group being able to break out of their poverty by accessing education and employment are slim at best.

Nevertheless, Zed has a servant heart. He works tirelessly to reach out to this community with the good news. Not only does he run vocational courses during the day, but he also has a close relationship with his graduates, and most nights he helps them in their shops and work places. He and Hemu are like lights radiating in great darkness.

Recently, one of Zed’s graduates had a problem with a refrigerator. He called Zed, and together they tried to resolve it. But even Zed could not find the problem, so he stopped and quietly prayed for wisdom. When they switched the fridge back on again, it started! Such occasions are opportunities to explain how Jesus answers prayer.

Some of the women from this community have decided to follow Jesus, taking what Zed clearly knows is a courageous and strong stand. He well understands the cost involved. While he is delighted that they are growing in faith, he longs for men to also come to faith in Jesus and, one day, for a small fellowship of believers to meet regularly in the camp. It is for this that he works.

*Names changed

Multana* came to the discipleship course from a village about 100 km away. 

Her family was very poor, so her parents had given her in marriage at age 15 to a man they thought would look after her, a man of means. However, they did not know he had already been married and had divorced his first wife. He was neither rich, nor kind. He beat and abused Multana.

A year after the marriage, she gave birth to their son. Then he divorced her, too. Rejected, beaten and hurting, Multana returned to her parents with her son. She faced an uncertain future: Her father was now old and had little money. The time would come when there would not be enough money to send her son to school.

A neighbour had participated in the OM tailoring course. She now had a sewing machine at home and was doing well. Multana’s father suggested that she also go to one of the courses. “It might be helpful to you,” he said, “and I’ve heard the people are kind.”

Multana did not know Jesus, but the course leader invited her to participate anyway.

Over the four months of the course, she discovered that Jesus was not a prophet, as she had believed, but someone who could forgive and love her. She came to believe in Jesus for herself. 

Recently, when talking about her husband with classmates, she said, “I am only a woman, I can’t do anything, but my son can sort him out!” Her classmates challenged her, though, saying, “That’s not right! You need to forgive him, Multana! You need to show him God’s love to show him how you’ve changed. Jesus will do the ‘sorting out’ – leave it to Him!”

As she pondered this advice, she said, “I hear you. I can learn that I need to want to forgive him. I see that God has been touching the pain in my heart through his treatment of me. The fruit of knowing Jesus is for sharing and passing on – it will show that I have changed in the way I live according to the Bible.”

She continued, “I came to learn how to sew. But here everyone is talking about the Bible! There are no angry women in the group; everyone lives in harmony. I was so surprised. I expected anger, not peace; but everyone looks after each other. Even though we are not perfect, we learn every day to accept one another.

“My hopes for the future have changed, too. I still hope to be able to earn money and support my son to become a future income-earner, but most of all I hope to share my faith in Jesus.”

It would seem that Multana not only has a certain future but a hope that changes hearts.

*Name changed

By receiving a good educational foundation, each child has a chance to help his or her family break out of poverty. Rochoni* is one such girl.

Rochoni never had much cause to hope. Her family background is one of hardship: her father pulls a van-rickshaw and struggles to earn enough to make ends meet. Her mother works as a servant in people’s homes when she gets the chance, which is not often.

Rochoni is the fifth daughter in her family, and therefore represents to her parents yet another dowry to pay. Having a daughter in Bangladesh means a great expense. In order to ensure she is eligible to marry, parents must provide a dowry; the bigger the dowry, the more socially desirable the groom’s family. Other factors come in to play too, like education. None of Rochoni’s older sisters went to school because of expense. Rochoni, therefore, knew better than to hope for anything different. 

However, last year OM Bangladesh began a starter-primary school in Rochoni’s village. When the school was being discussed with the village leaders Rochoni was excited, but also wondered apprehensively if she would get the chance. 

Rochoni has been delighted to start her classes and has been studying hard. Her family was delighted that everything would be given by OM, in the way of books, uniform and other essentials.

“This does not happen in Bangladesh,” said Rochoni’s mother. “I have never seen this before. It is truly a great blessing for poor families like us.” Both she and her family have reason to hope for the future.

*Name changed

Pindi’s son’s dreams were unravelling fast. He had worked hard at school and passed his exams at age 16, which was no small task for the child of a poor family. Poor families generally cannot afford to pay for the extra tuition needed in Bangladesh to pass the exams. He had studied diligently and had won himself a place in college, where he dreamed of passing the college exams when he was 18 and continuing with further study to get a degree. His dream was not just about his own success: He wanted to rescue his family from grinding poverty.

However, these dreams were fading. As a carpenter, his father had managed to make enough money to provide for his family – until he fell ill. Then he was no longer able to work anymore, or provide much-needed finances to make ends meet.

Pindi was in great distress. She did not have a job, and the family could not find enough money to cover her son’s college fees, as well as put rice on the table.

One day, as Pindi was talking to her neighbour, she heard about OM Bangladesh’s tailoring training programme. She was astonished by how many people had been able to start a small business after completing the four-month course. It was Pindi’s turn to dream.

Pindi joined a tailoring course and worked hard. She had explained her family circumstances quietly to her instructor and found him comfortingly helpful. 

“I loved going to class!” she said enthusiastically. “The environment was so different from what I have ever experienced. All the participants were treated with respect, and the instructor was so patient. Once I was in class I even forgot about my troubles, and just got on with what I had to do.”

Pindi completed the course and, with the help of friends and neighbours, managed to buy her own machine. She worked very hard, but in the first month she did not earn very much. Although depressed and disappointed, she did not give up. The following month things picked up, and then came Eid, a religious festival where everyone wears new clothes. She was swamped with orders!

This year as Eid comes round again, Pindi has a book full of orders. 

“All year I have been able to earn enough to keep my son in college and provide for our family,” she said gratefully. “Thank you OM for enabling us to dream again.”

* Name changed
 

“Before I came to the training programme I was not sure what to expect,” reflects Onju, a young Bangladeshi man. “Although I have been reaching out with the good news to people locally, I was never quite sure how to engage young people. I have always loved sports, but I never thought that these two passions of my life could be integrated in a way that would bring God to others.”

As Onju continued to explain what TOT meant to him, his face lit up: “The training we received was so different from what I have experienced before. It was fast moving and intensely practical. Sleeping at night was not a problem, as we were pushed to our physical limits. Yet at the same time we were excited every day at the prospect of seeing how we could learn to use sports to communicate the good news. We had the opportunity to stop during many of the sessions to reflect and consider what God was doing in our lives. We looked at the skills He had already given us, and then dreamt of how these could be used for His glory. By the end of the training each one of us had a ministry plan: an action plan of how we might impact our local communities for Jesus.”

Onju was visibly moved as he described a particular session: “One of the most moving sessions was when we thought of the issue of fatherlessness. Many young people in Bangladesh do not have a father figure in their families, either as the result of marital separation or because the men in their communities had gone overseas to work. We reflected on God as our Father, and what that meant, and how we, as coaches, could play a father-like role in these hurting lives. That is my dream as I work with young people in my area.”

Onju clearly enjoyed the training. But even more, he enjoyed returning home to put into practice the skills he had learnt. “It really works,” he said, excitedly, “and the young people are excited to be part of the activities. Now I cannot wait to see how God uses sports to communicate the good news and to transform lives here.”

Please pray that Onju and other young people like him would communicate their passion for sports and God, and help change lives.

* Name changed

As local OM team members raced to help, other believers also pledged their support. Big and small gifts from across the OM world poured in, enabling supplies of plastic sheeting, cooking pots, buckets, jugs and food to be distributed locally.

Believers from the slum, who lost much, have helped unload and give things out, as have many of the girls from the local teen club that OM has worked with for the last 10 years.

One local team member shared, “As we stacked everything in a room in the school, where mothers waiting for their children to come out of school usually sit, there were a number of ladies sitting chatting, sewing, all beautifully dressed. One of them tentatively asked: ‘Would you like us to help too?’  Willingly, they carried mud-splattered packages of plastic jugs, getting their hands dirty on the steel water pots, and working alongside slum dwellers – they were part of a wonderful team of helpers.”

Two weeks on

Over 900 people – 251 families – were affected by the fire. As people recognise that life must go on, families work hard to chip away at plaster to see what bricks can be salvaged for rebuilding. Others seem not to know where to begin and sit under the donated makeshift plastic roofs, wondering where help is going to come from.

Children go to school as usual; garments workers are back to their usual shifts; babies still need to be washed; and everyone still needs food. The pots and pans OM distributed are in constant use. Everywhere you look, newly fashioned wood burning stoves made of clay are drying in the sun. At both ends of the age spectrum life continues: this week an older lady who follows Jesus was told she is dying. And a new baby was born to a family at the other end of the alleyway.

The original 180 homes on the OM team’s list have been visited, and the team provided them with a bucket set, along with soap for washing. It was not as simple as the team had expected, but everyone on the distribution list got something.

“Lots of people have come and made lists,” said a woman. “Lists and lists! But we haven’t seen any of them since. Thank you for coming back.”

Not all of those who live in the slum have had their homes burn down. However, those who have need help in a variety of ways. In going along each alleyway in the slum, the team found dozens more affected families, mostly tenants, who had not registered to receive help. All need help with rebuilding and replacing what they have lost.

Healing physical hurts

The team also brought in a nurse to give practical aid. They stocked up on first aid materials and medicines at a local pharmacy and then held an informal clinic in the remains of the club room.

“It still seems miraculous that such an inferno produced relatively few injuries,” mused the team member. “However, people have been working hard all week, flattening burnt tin, balancing on wobbly walls to create makeshift roofs, scrabbling through cinders with their bare hands to salvage what they can, and just living in the midst of mess and tangled metal. A number of young lads have fallen from roofs. Others have been injured by dislodged bricks, not to mention people who have stood on nails or sliced their hands on sharp tin edges.”

The nurse dressed minor burns and lacerations, removed splinters from wounds and treated two older ladies who were hosed in the eye last week. In general, she reassured those in pain, sent others who had cuts to get a tetanus injection and gave out pain relief medicine. Although there were fortunately no major health concerns, her offering much-needed love and care to people in small but practical ways made hurting individuals feel they mattered.

Education amongst the ashes

Sisters Popi and Papia live in the slum. They look like twins, although they are not. They are in the same class in school, where two weeks ago they both started taking important exams.

However, their situation is unusual. Most girls their age from the slum have left school. Many are already married with children of their own. But Popi and Papia’s parents have worked hard to support them in their education, hoping that this will help them have good marriages and get good jobs.

When the girls came home from their second exam last Tuesday to find their home still smouldering and their books and revision notes in ashes, it seemed their dreams would crumble.

Not for long, though. Someone unearthed and give them some used school books. In the midst of the chaos and clamour, the girls sat down and applied themselves to what they needed to learn. They have continued to study and take exams.

“Two more achieved,” said Popi. “Maths is the next one,” she reminded herself, as she flicked through her text book, sitting under the makeshift roof her Dad has propped up on lengths of bamboo. 

How can I help?

The morning after the fire, one little boy counted up his pocket money: “It comes to 10 pounds (about 17 US dollars)!” he said excitedly. But when he got out his calculator, he said, sadly: “That’s less than 5 pence (8 cents) per family!”

However, a few days later, he realised that his 10 pounds has made a significant difference for four families, who can now cook for themselves in the pots they received and protect themselves from the rain with plastic sheeting.

Every little has helped make a difference, and in God’s economy, nothing is wasted.

Resourceful people

By the end of the week, the majority of families attempted to make life as normal as possible. For those who have walls, some temporary shelter and privacy exists, although walls will need to be pulled down and rebuilt. However, those who had only tin and bamboo to start with now have hardly anything to hang a sheet from.

As the rain had stopped, one woman decided to make a new stove, which would be dry and ready to use within a couple of days. Buckets and water pots were visible everywhere, enabling people to shower, cook, clean and wash clothes. The sunshine lifted people’s spirits, but nights are still cold, especially for those living under plastic and sleeping on a charred floor.

Immediate financial assistance met

As the team collects used clothes to distribute to families, they recognise that the logistics of sorting and distributing these appropriately is challenging, as is distributing financial help in a secure and appropriate way. The next, and last, step in the relief plan is providing building support.

Reflecting on these weeks, the team is immensely grateful to God for all He has enabled. The total project budget has already been raised and met, and items have been bought and distributed locally with local help.

One source commented, “Further financial support would undermine the people’s need to be independent and raise issues of unrealistic expectations on the part of all those living in the slum, possibly endangering team members as they continue to work there.”

However, life is often precarious in Bangladesh, so OM has established a crisis relief fund for those wanting to support other communities in the event of a disaster.

For more information, email here.

The OM team has been involved with these families over the last 10 years and knows many of their personal stories and tragedies.

Responsible Rita

Rita’s mother works in Lebanon, so even though she is only 14, she takes a lot of the responsibility at home. Her dad, who is a bricklayer, fell from a substantial height on the building site a few weeks ago, breaking his leg. As his leg heals, he gradually becomes more mobile; but it will be several weeks before he is well enough to go back to work and earn a living again.

“The fire couldn’t have come at a worse time for us, financially,” admits Rita, although she is grateful her dad was out chatting to a friend in the road when it broke out. “He couldn’t have moved quickly enough to escape the blaze otherwise,” she says gently. Rita did manage to summon up a smile as she cooked a basic meal for the family: “We had nothing left to cook in until we got these pots.”

Rita’s brother, Liton, was perched up on their charred front wall, attaching the plastic sheeting more securely: “It’s threatening to rain tonight. This should help keep us a bit dry,” he explained, chirpily.

Rita and her family are grateful for even the little help they have received. It seems to the team to be such a small amount, and yet it offers the beginnings of transformation and improvement. For the team, helping families get back on their feet is humbling.

The indomitable Nani

Nani almost died in a similar fire that took place in 2009. She had climbed into her burning room to try to rescue a little pot of money she had set aside for her burial and could have been trapped. Thankfully, her granddaughter, Shohagi, pulled her down the ladder before it ended in tragedy.

Five years later, Shohagi is now the mother of three children and lives nearby. Although Nani moves a bit slower these days, she still hasn’t needed her burial money. But, for OM team members, watching Nani weep as she looked once more at the ruins of her home was heart wrenching. It was hard for them to imagine how this old lady would ever find the strength to start again, again.

“Yet, visiting the slum yesterday,” reflected an OM team member, “there she was, sweeping the floor, trying to do the impossible and keep the remains of her room clean, whilst everyone coming in over the doorstep trampled in yet more wet ashes.”

Marvelling at the indomitable spirit of the older woman, for whom the constant rain of the last 48 hours had not curbed her determination, the team certainly felt the dampening effect of the rain in the evening temperature and others’ lowered spirits.

Nani eventually consented to stop sweeping, sit down and eat a rice meal that Shohagi had cooked for her, after which she cuddled one of her little great granddaughters for warmth and comfort. Her family continued to make the room more watertight and rig up a bulb for light, running on electricity “borrowed” from an official line.

Coping is what the family knows to do. Just as surely as Nani will get up and go on with her life again tomorrow. There is no alternative.

My name is Chirin and I am 29 years old. My husband was a rickshaw driver and we have one son. We could just about get by with his daily earnings. However, he got addicted to heroin and then because of some bad behaviour, he was put in prison. So, somehow I had to run the family by working in other people’s home. My son is now in class two at school.

As a child, I really wanted to go to school, but we were very poor. Then my father died. I watched other children go to school, but I could not go myself. My mother worked hard in other people’s houses and somehow kept us going. I got married when I was 15 or 16.

Five years ago when I was cooking, my head-scarf caught fire and I was burnt all down my neck and front. This is was very difficult time for us; I couldn’t work for a long time, and the treatment cost a lot of money.

About eight month ago, the school teacher, came to my home. She said, “Chirin, do you want to learn reading and writing?” I said: “How can I? I haven’t got any money to pay for that!” She said, “An organisation is going to start an adult literacy class in this area: you could join it.”

I was so pleased at the idea and asked for my name to be put down. Now I am able to write Bangla and do some arithmetic. This will mean that no one can trick me anymore.

I am really grateful that OM Bangladesh is helping me to bring about this big change in my life.

*Name changed

But this was not an ordinary day. Twenty-four hours later most of them were homeless, and the room where the club meets was gutted by a fire that had swept through the slum, destroying more than half of it in a short time.

The team received a phone call about the fire at lunchtime that Tuesday. Immediately they raced over, not knowing what to expect. It was chaos. The fire was still burning, fire engines lined up in the road the length of the slum, and local people helped hold hoses and frantically pass buckets of water along a line.

Some families had been able to grab a few belongings, but most were left in just the clothes they were wearing. Drenched from the hoses and ankle-deep in water and cinders, they could only watch in disbelief as all they owned turned to ash. Then, as the fire subsided and the hoses were rolled away, people went to look at the wreckage of their homes. Again.

Five years ago, many of these families lost everything they had in a similar fire. It had taken months and much support to help them get back on their feet. Now, five years later, another fire had spread even farther through the slum, moving with immense speed from alleyway to alleyway in the warm dry weather, caused by an electrical fault in a locked home.

“Within a few minutes of arriving it was clear that no one had been killed or badly injured,” said a team member gratefully. “That helps keep everything in some sort of perspective. It was so humbling to hear people voicing their thanks for God’s mercy – even as tears poured down their cheeks as they thought of what they had lost. Yet the fire could so easily have broken out at night, causing even more dreadful damage and loss.”

After the 2009 fire, people had rebuilt more of their walls with brick, rather than tin and bamboo, which meant that this time many walls remained standing. However, even the walls still erect are not stable and will probably need to be dismantled. It may be possible to reuse bricks, though. At least for the next few days people will have some privacy and something to hang plastic from to give shade and shelter.

By Wednesday morning the cleanup was well under way. Tonnes of ashes and rubble had been removed and was piled high in the road. Floors had been swept clean, cinder carefully picked through for anything salvageable. Warped tin was stacked in the corner of each house to be sold for scrap. Two girls from the club went to school to take exams, and life appeared relatively “normal” as people started to pick up their daily chores again.

The following afternoon, Thursday, the team gave each family a plastic sheet and two cooking pots with lids and spoons, in addition to the packages of food distributed immediately after the fire. Some from the fellowship in the slum helped with the distribution, even though they had also lost everything.

One believer looked at the remains of her home and wept: “My verse has gone! I’ve lost my verse!” She had asked the team to paint on one wall: “Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’” She had put her trust in Jesus through that verse and wanted everyone to see it.

As she and the other 180 families begin to reconstruct their lives, the OM team prays that they experience Jesus as the Way even through loss and devastation, giving them the strength, comfort and courage to start again.