The Heart
How did Bibles Beyond Borders come about?
In June 2015, I went on a mission trip to Malawi.
I have always wanted to spread God’s word and I truly felt that a mission trip would be the answer. I had no idea what would be in store for me. The journey took two days by bus, an experience of extreme heat and dust, isolated from others around me by our different languages, it was just me with my bible.
I was blessed to stay with a family that truly impacted my life. They lived from the land, in dire poverty, with one meal a day, yet I saw their faith kept them motivated, seeking a destiny of eternal happiness. Their time dedicated to prayer, worship and reading their bibles was extremely inspiring. They were the only people I came across in their village that had a bible.
I think back to the time spent with the ladies and the children in the villages, singing and reading my English bible to them, with the help of a translator. They all longed to hear about God and asked so many interesting questions. I was amazed to witness and hear that the Christian faith is such a minority in South-Eastern part of Malawi among the Yao people as in other African countries. I noticed many Muslims had access to the Koran, but I was surprised to find that only a few of the Christians had their own bibles.
Peaches was the local pastor there and before I left, I asked him what his villagers really desired above all else. The response was so unexpected that it left me breathless. More than food or money or other tangible blessing, all he replied with was “Could you, please, help send bibles to the Yao people of Malawi?”
I realised how blessed we are to be able to open our bibles on a daily basis and read in our home language. I asked myself how anyone can they grow in faith and understanding without a Bible?
When we returned to Blantyre, I saw bibles for sale in both the local languages of the Chichewa and Yao people. I found myself thinking and praying about how I could help these generous people with something as precious as a bible. I gathered some friends to pray with and Bibles Beyond Borders was formed.
Our Vision
Bibles Beyond Borders (BBB) is a group of God-inspired women from various local Churches who prayerfully fundraise to purchase bibles in the local language for those living in Africa that cannot afford a Bible. We aim to create a connection between the givers and receivers, using individually written messages on bookmarks from donors to the recipients.
Bibles Beyond Borders under the banner of CityHill Church, is sending thousands of Bibles into Africa through the love and faith of our children and families.
Missionaries will distribute the bibles with the bookmarks into all the rural villages. Families that contribute towards the Bibles are more than welcome to be a part of the mission and help with distribution.
We believe that this will make a huge impact on our children. It is an opportunity for them to understand the true importance of God’s word through a Bible, and how they can make a difference.
Why is it necessary?
Why Is it important that each Christian has access to a bible in their own language?
The Bible is living and active (Heb. 4:12), inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and given for the purposes of teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Bible is all about God’s story of redemption centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. In the church where I serve, we say the gospel is all about (1) who Jesus is, (2) what Jesus has done, and (3) why that matters.
The gospel is the power of God (Rom. 1:16), and that power is demonstrated not only in our past rescue, reconciliation, and redemption, but also in our present faith, hope, and love. Christians who truly get the gospel discover its power again and again on a daily basis. They get it in all three areas of text, context, and subtext because the gospel changes everything. The “living and active” nature of the Word is doing its effectual work as the Spirit convicts, renews, and reforms our lives in ways that demonstrate the transforming power of Jesus.
Text – Biblical Revelation
The text addresses biblical revelation. God reveals Himself through His written Word and in His Son, the Word made flesh. The gospel is the message, the text above all texts, that reveals God’s sovereign purposes in history to unite all things in Christ. Truly getting the gospel means we understand that the gospel is normative and supreme in God’s dealings with us, and we humbly submit to the authority of God’s Word and what it says about us and our need for Him. We are committed to knowing the gospel truly and articulating it clearly because God has spoken on the issue definitively.
Context – Life Orientation
The context addresses life orientation. These are matters pertaining to what lies outside of us and how our lives relate to them and orient around them. Context includes our relationships to other people, daily circumstances, seasons of life, spheres of existence, etc. Truly getting the gospel means we recognize that context is the place where the gospel is applied. Living in light of the gospel is learning to work out our new identity in Christ in specific places, in specific situations, and with specific people so that the reign and rule of King Jesus is manifested in His Lordship through the context of our existence
Subtext – Heart Motivation
The subtext addresses heart motivation. If context addresses what lies outside of us, subtext deals with what lies inside of us–our hearts. Subtext matters include motivation for actions, pursuit of pleasure, and aim in personal ambition. Subtext reveals the areas where unbelief remains in the life of a Christian, showing where functional idolatry and other forms of god-replacements are substituted for happiness, joy, peace, and contentment. Subtext is the canvas of our life story, and when we truly get the gospel, we see how the story of the gospel rewrites the story of our lives as we move from unbelief to belief in all matters of the heart.
We want to be numbered among those who truly get the gospel so that the world may know how glorious Jesus is and how amazing we’ve discovered His grace to be.