"Almost every day, requests for Bibles continue to come in." So says our project manager in Sri Lanka, Monroe. This is despite the fact that over 15,000 Bibles have already been distributed and another 10,000 Bibles will be distributed in spring 2019. "The church is growing daily, despite all the problems in Sri Lanka, and the need for Bibles is endless", he says.
About Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is about half the size of Denmark, yet it is home to almost 22 million people. The vast majority live in 38,000 villages. In 30,000 of these villages there is still no church, but the local Christians want to change that.
I am visiting Sri Lanka to oversee the Danish European Mission's projects in the country. It is encouraging to meet ambitious leaders and pastors who continue to plant churches in unreached villages despite poverty and persecution from the Buddhist majority in the country.
The infrastructure in Sri Lanka is poor to say the least and we drive for hours just to get 100 kilometers. It's comfortable in our air-conditioned car, but the 35 degrees and the baking sun hit us like a brick wall as we get out of the car on the outskirts of the small village of Morawaka in the south of Sri Lanka. We are visiting the priest Gnasekara, who has persecution close to his heart, yet he eagerly tells people about Jesus in the surrounding villages by going from house to house. "If a person comes to faith in Christ, the village will find out and come and threaten or attack the priest", says Gnasekara, who has experienced it firsthand, where he was beaten in the face and body for visiting a house and telling them about Jesus.
Multifunctional goat
As if the persecution wasn't enough, there is also widespread poverty in Sri Lanka once you get away from the big cities. Gnasekara earns barely 600 kroner a month as a pastor, and with that money he has to support himself, his wife and their small baby. This was not a sustainable situation, so the Danish European Mission's partner, with the support of Danish donors, has given him help to help himself in the form of a goat. In a few months, the goat will have 3-4 kids. He can sell two of them for DKK 550 each. He wants to keep the other goats so he can have a slightly larger herd of goats and secure the family's finances in the long term.
"With the extra money the goat provides, I can give my family what they need, and I can assist the church and those in the congregation who are in need"he says. The goat also produces milk, and what its kid doesn't drink, Gnasekara will give to people in the community who need it.
The goat also has another important function when he, as a pastor, goes out to new villages and has contact with people. "When I come to a village, I can come as a goat farmer and not as a priest. Through that I can meet people and talk to them", says Gnasekara.
We say our goodbyes and walk encouraged back to the car. There's no doubt that the goat has made a crucial difference to Gnasekara, his family and the church.
Continued revival in Sri Lanka
As we traveled around the country, we met a good handful of other pastors, and their stories are very similar. Various extremist groups try to prevent Christian pastors from evangelizing by threatening or assaulting them. Yet the pastors continue to share the gospel with their countrymen and new churches are being planted.
"Extremist groups try to prevent Christian pastors from evangelizing by threatening or assaulting them"
- Peter
The Danish European Mission's two projects in the country are helping the revival to continue. The project to distribute free Bibles to Sri Lankan Christians who cannot afford to buy one themselves ensures that the Bible recipients can grow in their faith. This is especially true for new believers. The self-help project (e.g. in the form of a goat, a cow or some chickens) for poor pastors and church planters enables them to support themselves and their families and thus continue in ministry - also in the long term.
The Sri Lankan Christians thank Danish European Mission's donors for both Bibles and help for self-help.
