Bernard¹ is a great buddy of mine. He used to be a child soldier. He had ten siblings, and he’s the only one still alive because of war and disease. He’s doing stunning work with us, a total legend! But he’s one of many wondering how to get through the festive season: Dear Simon, Thank you so much for your support to us throughout this hard year. I am so grateful to GLO, indeed your contributions have saved many lives. God bless you! As we approach Christmas, this is the hardest year I can remember since the genocidal years. Because […]
Adam Thomas Steer
Freedom Behind Bars – Watch Tonight!
Jonathan Aitken and Shane Taylor came from the opposite ends of life’s spectrum – privilege and poverty. But both ended up in jail, where they had an encounter that brought them true freedom – even behind bars! We had an amazing evening together in front of a sell-out crowd at the Bath Forum for our second Inspired…Live event. At times we laughed, and at other points tears were shed. It was very powerful. I’m thrilled that a friend offered to get a quality recording of the event so I can share it here with you – it’s going live tonight […]
Wild Gospel Fruit in Burundi
This summer marked the 20th anniversary of our huge evangelistic campaign with Harvest Initiatives, and it was the biggest yet! Over the years, we’ve typically sent out around 800 evangelists for two weeks of bold gospel witness across Burundi. But this summer, we commissioned an incredible 3,400 evangelists – and the results were staggering. In July and August, these teams: Over 20 years, that brings the total to more than 290,000 people professing faith through these summer campaigns, with countless stories of God’s power at work. Here are just a few of the stories: Restored to Himself Jean Claver, a 28-year-old from Bunywera Hill, […]
A 28 year dream is coming to fruition…
It’s always been my aim to do myself out of a job. As a missionary to Burundi, my long-term goal was to step aside and let Burundians flourish in leadership. That’s what GLO is about, and I’m thrilled that we’ve seen it time and again, with hundreds of thousands of lives transformed. But there was always a missing piece of the puzzle… The Dead Sea receives but never gives out, so nothing grows. More than 10 rivers feed it, but the water just sits there. There is a powerful personal lesson for us – you and I are made to […]
Saving my Assassin
The man pulls a gun from his jacket and says, “I’m not a client, I’m here to kill you. We have done everything possible to stop you, but you will not listen.” Across the desk is lawyer Virginia Prodan. She has already suffered beatings, interrogation and constant surveillance at the hands of Ceaușescu’s secret police, all for representing human rights cases against the government. Is this the end of the road for her…? But then she hears a still, small voice in her heart, ‘Share the gospel with him.’’ My latest podcast with Virginia was SO encouraging and inspiring (watch or […]
Many tears, few words in Burundi…
I got this email from Chantal*, a ministry leader GLO supports. Sometimes words aren’t enough… “Greetings from Bujumbura, Burundi! I am writing this email with tears in my eyes and a wounded heart as I see the struggle of my people, especially my staff. I wish I could go into a big hall or a valley and shout: Why all this Lord?! Yet I know he sees everything and He will change the situation at the right time! Simon, things are no longer as they used to be!!! There’s no fuel, no sufficient water, no electricity. People have forgotten what […]
Nobody came down…
In 1964, Kitty Genovese returned to her apartment block late one night after her shift working in a bar had ended. She was brutally attacked before she could get beyond the downstairs carpark, and her screams were heard by many people, who came out to peer down from above to see what was happening. They looked down from their various patios and windows, but nobody apparently actually did anything about it. At one stage her attacker ran off, thinking the police were coming. But then he returned and continued violating and stabbing her to death. It was later established that […]
Suffering for Christ
1 Peter 4:12-19 I was preaching at my local church last Sunday, and the passage in the series was 1 Peter 4:12-19 with the title ’Suffering for Christ’. They are very challenging verses. Most of us aren’t suffering for Christ in the West, though maybe more of us will as freedom of speech is steadily eroded. So we cannot take these verses and apply them directly to us. But we can learn from the persecuted church, that’s for sure. So I shared a number of stories of persecution. Here’s one, which this week’s mind-blowing podcast with Nik Ripken touches on […]