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Somali Bible Society (SBS)Newsletter
August 2024 |
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Our Mission……is to enable and facilitate opportunities for the holistic development of the illiterate masses, impoverished families, and fatherless children. We aim to evangelize the lost and disciple the believers in Somalia and beyond. We will achieve this mission by producing, distributing, and teaching biblical and contextualized resources in partnership with local churches. |
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THIS MONTH’S FEATURE: “THE GOOD SAMARITAN CENTER” |
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Hi << Test First Name >>
This month we are featuring the future ministry center for the Somali Bible Society. This ministry hub will act as the artery through which all SBS ministries will flow. This ministry center will be named the Good Samaritan Center (GSC) because all of the activities and ministries taking place in this facility will be focused on accomplishing the SBS mission of enabling and facilitating opportunities for the holistic development of the illiterate masses, impoverished families, and fatherless children, and to evangelize the lost and disciple the believers in Somalia and beyond. |
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|  | The Good Samaritan Center Not an exact likeness for security reasons. |
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The Good Samaritan Center will be a four-story building (Ground plus 3) with 10,000 square feet of office, classroom and conference space. This facility will house all of the operations and ministries of the Somali Bible Society and provide approximately 5,000 square feet of rental space for offices and meeting rooms. The expected rental income will exceed $2,000 USD per month and will be used to maintain the building and provide security for the operations housed in this facility.
I encourage you to read this newsletter carefully, taking note of the significance of this future facility and its impact on the expansion of the Kingdom of God in Somalia. If you are unable to give financially at this time to this future ministry center, then we covet your prayers for the financing of this project. |
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Life Changing Ministries Flowing From This Ministry Hub |
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Compassionate Ministries: Developing income generating opportunities for destitute widows and fatherless children. Getting orphans off the street and into stable homes. Teaching the illiterate how to read and write in their native language. Providing educational opportunities for deprived children. Providing trauma healing opportunities for persecuted Christians. The facility will also be used as a safe house for vulnerable Somali Christians when needed.
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Discipleship Ministries: The translation of the Bible into the Somali language. Producing & distributing Bibles to Somalis in a safe and secure manner. Producing & distributing Bible study material to Somali Christians. Developing curriculum for training new believers. Training pastors for leading effective house churches. Resourcing local churches of all denominations. Taking Jesus Christ to nomadic camel herders. Sharing Jesus with Somali seekers thru SBS communication channels. Connecting isolated Christians with local churches.
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The Good Samaritan Center will be the artery through which all of these ministries flow.
In order to show how important the Good Samaritan Center is to our outreach to Somalis we have highlighted just a few of these ministries in the sections that follow. |
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The Somali Bible Society (SBS) is very concerned about the growing number of widows and orphans in Somalia. This humanitarian need is expanding greatly because of the many years of civil war and unrest in this country. The minority Christian population is suffering even more than the general population because of the persecution and martyrdom of men and women for their faith.
The SBS sets up widows with a small shop (souk) to sell food items or a small herd of cattle to provide income for their families. It costs SBS about $5,000 for each income-generating project for a widow and her family. |
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 | Idyl, 36 Selling Food Stuffs from her Souk |
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|  | Anab, 47 with her Small Herd of Cattle |
| In our April 2024 Newsletter we featured these two Somali widows whose lives were transformed after the Somali Bible Society (SBS) set them up in income generating microenterprises. The photos of Idyl and Anab are shown left/above and the stories of their changed lives can be read in that newsletter by clicking here. |
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Both the Widows Ministry and the Orphans Ministry will be coordinated and administered from the Good Samaritan Center. |
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The literacy rate in Somalia is only 38%, leaving the vast majority of the population unable to read and write their native language. Many of the illiterate people in Somalia are unable to obtain employment that provides sufficiently for the needs of their families. The SBS has been active in providing literacy training for the illiterate population, but the need is so large in Somalia that major literacy campaigns are needed. As funds are available, the SBS is planning literacy campaigns in three major cities, teaching 3,000 families how to read and write their native language. Literate people make more money to support themselves and their families. They will also be able to read and understand the Bible.
In our May 2024 Newsletter we featured three Somalis whose lives were transformed after the Somali Bible Society (SBS) taught them how to read and write. See photos below. |
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 | Faadumo, 39 (Face blurred for security reasons) |
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|  | Hasna, 37 (Face blurred for security reasons) |
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|  | Muhumud, 41 (Face blurred for security reasons) |
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The stories of the changed lives of these three Somalis can be read in our May 2024 Newsletter by clicking here.
The Literacy Training Ministry will be coordinated from the Good Samaritan Center and the facility will also be used as a venue for this training. |
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When a man or woman is so traumatized that they cannot function properly, it is important to temporarily remove them from ministry and place them in a safe place for healing. It is also important to provide an opportunity to share with others who have gone through similar persecution and to receive biblical counseling that will help them overcome their trauma.
The Somali Bible Society (SBS) holds periodic Trauma Healing Conferences to provide opportunities for healing for those who have been traumatized in their ministry. Holding these conferences come at a high cost. There are costs for transporting the persecuted Christians to the conference, venue expenses, food, housing, and various other expenses.
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 | Trauma Healing Conference at an Indian Ocean Venue |
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We featured our Trauma Healing Ministry in our March 2024 Newsletter. For more on this ministry see that newsletter by clicking here.
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We will be using the Good Samaritan Center to train our leaders in how to provide effective trauma healing for persecuted and traumatized Christians, and we will be using the center as a venue for Trauma Healing Conferences when logistically practical. |
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The Somali Bible Society (SBS) recently completed the translation of the Somali New Testament. They have now started the translation of the Old Testament. This work is so critical as the Somali people do not currently have a good translation of the Bible. The SBS is producing & distributing Bibles to Somalis in a safe and secure manner. Many Somali Muslims are contacting the SBS, asking for help in giving their lives to Jesus Christ. |
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 | Translation Selection Committee |
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The Somali Bible Society’s translation work was featured in our June 2024 Newsletter. For more on this ministry click here.
Translation work will take place in the Good Samaritan Center and the coordination for the distribution of Bibles will take place from this facility. |
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 | A Somali herdsman in eastern Africa told Malcolm Hunter, founder of the Nomadic Peoples Network: “When you can put your church on the back of a camel, then I will believe that Christianity is for us.” Our Somali leaders took this statement to heart. They initiated a strategy that would do just that, put the Church on the back of a camel. A ministry was started that they entitled, The Church on a Camel Back. |
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| This ministry was started by our Somali leaders in one denomination in which SBS partners. Now the SBS leaders are expanding The Church on a Camel Back Ministry by bringing this ministry to the Somali Bible Society. The SBS will be sending out their own teams to reach these Somali nomads. |
|  | We featured the “Church on a Camel Back” Ministry in our April 2024 Newsletter. For more on this ministry click here. |
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We will be using the Good Samaritan Center (GSC) to train and send camel evangelism teams from the Good Samaritan Center. |
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THE GSC - ITS NECESSITY AND THE NEED |
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Due to the underground nature of the Church in Somalia, there are no facilities available in all of Somalia to provide housing for the ministries highlighted above and the many other SBS ministries not mentioned in this newsletter. There is a great need to construct and operate a ministry center, albeit one that operates covertly. This is where the Good Samaritan Center (GSC) will provide such a facility to meet these needs. The total cost of this facility is estimated at $500,000 (includes purchase of building site). Due to the insecurities that exist in Somalia the selection of a secure building site is paramount (and expensive). We have selected such a site in a major city of Somalia.
A reputable local real-estate firm owns the desired plot of land. An SBS-hired lawyer has already checked the land records and has found that the property is free and clear from debt and encumbrances. The lawyer has also determined that there are no zoning restrictions for a multipurpose building like the one proposed. SBS already has written permission from the relevant municipality to construct the center.
The total cost of this building site is $250,000. This month by faith we are putting down a $20,000 deposit on this land. There is a critical need for ministry partners who will donate to this project to cover the $230,000 balance. Some may be able to give sizeable donations, even the whole $230,000. Others may be able to give smaller donations of $100 or maybe even $1000. Whatever size, God will bless and use your gift to make this land procurement possible. Any overage of funds will go toward the cost of building construction. |
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 | This is the future building site for the GSC |
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| | Be sure to insert Project # 102852 in the Project #/Comments field on the donation page! |
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IS GOD CALLING YOU TO SERVE? |
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| Is God Calling You? << Test First Name >>, the Somali Bible Society is currently recruiting missionaries to serve in various countries around the globe. We need missionaries in the major cities of the USA and in most world regions outside of the USA. If you, or someone you know, would like to discuss the possibility of involvement in a mission to the Somali people in some region of the world, or even somewhere in the USA, email me:
howie@somalibiblesociety.org |
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SOMALI BIBLE SOCIETY NETWORK (SBSN) |
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Important Notice
As of June 14, 2024 all donations for the Somali Bible Society will be received by My Fathers Work, DBA Somali Bible Society Network. My Fathers Work, DBA Somali Bible Society Network is a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization.
We appreciate donations of any size!
The Somali Bible Society’s (SBS) website, as well as the Somali Bible Society Network’s (SBSN) website and Facebook page can be accessed by clicking links below: |
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IS GOD CALLING YOU TO GIVE? |
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Changing Lives by Giving to Somali Bible Society (SBS) Projects:
<< Test First Name >>, all Somali Bible Society projects are listed on the Somali Bible Society Network web page. This page can be accessed by clicking the “SBS PROJECTS” (RED) button (below). |
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My Fathers Work, DBA Somali Bible Society Network is a non-profit organization that partners with the Somali Bible Society (SBS), and is actively raising funds for SBS Projects and routing those funds to the SBS Project of your choice. My Fathers Work will send you a tax deductible receipt for your gift to the Somali Bible Society. Gifts of any size are welcomed and appreciated. |
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ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISER
You may wish to support one of the SBS Projects but do not have sufficient funds to donate as much as you would like. Consider hosting a fundraiser in your community or online to raise funds for one of our projects. Especially consider raising funds for the Good Samaritan Center which will become the artery through which all SBS ministries will flow. Whether it is a church mission project, bake sale, charity run, or virtual event, your fundraiser can make a significant difference in leading Somali Muslims to Jesus Christ!
Email howie@somalibiblesociety.org and let us know about any fundraiser that you are considering. We will be praying for you in this endeavor. |
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Currently our #1 priority: Pray for funds for the Good Samaritan Center (Project # 102852). This ministry center will become the artery through which all SBS ministries will flow. Pray for our SBS leaders who are working hard at following up on the extremely large number of Somalis who are contacting our info line. There is a significant backlog of people waiting for our response. Pray for the security and safety of our leaders. Our open platform is reaping a harvest of souls but is also increasing the risk of persecution for our leaders. Pray for the protection and safety of our translators and other volunteers involved in the work of the Somali Bible Society. Anyone involved in ministry to Somali Muslims are at risk of severe persecution. Pray for the encouragement and strengthening of Somali Christians who face persecution and opposition for their faith. Many Somali Christians are suffering because of their faith in Jesus. Pray for healing from the trauma they are experiencing. Pray for the hearts of the Somali people to be open to receiving and understanding the message of the Bible. We are working hard at reaching the Somali people, but it is God’s intervention in this extremely Gospel-resistant country that will make the difference. Pray for favor and opportunities for the Somali Bible Society to engage with government and community leaders to advocate for religious freedom. We are using an open platform so that we can engage in meaningful dialogue with the Somali people and their leaders. Pray for the provision of resources and funding for the translation and distribution of the Bible in the Somali language. We are now actively working on the translation of the Old Testament. This is a huge project needing resources. Pray for the effective distribution of the translated Bibles to reach individuals and communities in Somalia and among the Somali diaspora. We want to have the Bible available to every Somali throughout the world in a secure manner. Pray for the establishment of more local Somali-speaking congregations and fellowships that can support and guide new believers. Many are coming to Christ but we need to connect every believer with a local house church. Pray for the training and equipping of pastors and church leaders in Somalia to effectively teach and preach from the Bible. Every house church needs a trained and well-equipped pastor. Pray for the Somali Bible Society leadership to have wisdom, discernment, and unity as they carry out their mission. Satan wants to destroy the SBS ministry and the movement of God among the Somali people. Pray for the overall impact of the Somali Bible Society's work to bring about spiritual transformation and renewal in Somali communities. Our vision is to see the Somali people become Christ-like disciples through the Word of God.
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PRAISE REPORTS
Many Somali Muslims and seekers are contacting SBS to know more about Jesus. The Church is on the move in Somalia. The ministry of the SBS is being expanded to Somalis in the diaspora. We are reaching Somalis around the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The impact of the Somali Bible Society on Church growth in Somalia and its diaspora is being noticed by Somali sheikhs and other Muslim leaders. Although this increases the possibility of persecution of our leaders, it is also a testimony to our effectiveness. SBS continues to grow its leadership and staffing in critical operations of the organization. Did you know that all of our leaders and staff serve as volunteers? The SBS ministry throughout the Somali Peninsula is growing rapidly. We are reaching Muslims in the Somali heartland. The second edition of the Somali NT is in its final stage. The SBS is involved in so many ministries, yet we remain faithful to making the Word of God available in the native and contemporary language of the Somali people. The SBS is distributing the Word of God not only in book format, but also in soft formats that are available for smart phones, ipods, computers, and other audio options. This is extremely important in an Islamic society where people can own and use a Bible that is password protected for security reasons.
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See detail immediately below to schedule Dr. Howie for a speaking engagement. |
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AVAILABLE FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS |
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Dr. Howie Shute is available to speak in Mission Conventions, Faith Promise Services, Local Church Missionary Meetings, Sunday Services, and Breakfast/Lunch Meetings to raise awareness of the exciting possibilities in the mission to Somalia.
If you would like to schedule Howie for a speaking engagement in your church or district assembly, email him at howie@somalibiblesociety.org or scan QR Code for Howie’s Contact Info. |
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