God’s big plan, God’s big picture, God’s big Church

Meet Louise and Pete, BMS World Mission workers based in Bangladesh. Last year, you responded to the BMS’ Seek First the Kingdom Appeal inviting churches to support their gospel work in the country. We’re so thrilled so many of you ran a harvest service, sharing gospel hope and supporting BMS work, raising an amazing £139,720.12. In 2025, that money has allowed Lou and Pete to continue teaching at the College of Christian Theology Bangladesh (CCTB), raising up a cohort of 18 student evangelists. Now on the cusp of graduating, these students are currently in their final year of their bespoke two-year, seven module diploma. “God was at work and we’re getting to walk in the footprints of it,” shares Lou, reflecting back on the year the students have had.

Because of the support from BMS, every two months these students, based out in villages across Bangladesh, have been able to gather at CCTB and study how to be effective missionaries in their contexts. Modules include topics such as “Spiritual Discipline” and “Staying the Course”. For the first time, this includes training couples together too. “No-one's ever trained people as couples ever before and [wonderfully], no-one's really batted an eyelid over it!” shares Louise. The training of women as an equal part of the mission couple has been a blessing in Bangladeshi culture. “There's been real benefit from having women who can talk openly with the women they meet, and men who can talk with the men.”

One of these couples is Punima and Shadon, who work and live in Pachbibi, Dinajpur. It’s Muslim village that, when Punima and Shadon arrived, had never heard of the gospel. Amazingly, since working with the village, the chairman has given public support to what the couple are doing and has offered them his protection. On a recent visit, Pete and Lou got to see the impact of firsthand of this soft-hearted openness to Punima and Shadon’s message: 27 families involved in a Sunday School and learning about Jesus, hosted in the house of a Muslim lady called Ira.* The impact of these Sunday School sessions has gone even further than the classes themselves, with the Sunday School producing resources that went out to people around the village. Surya*, a Hindu woman, was just one of those who had received the Sunday School materials. ”She told us how she loves the ‘Jesus stories’,” Lou explains, “to the point that she reads these stories to the children in the village when it is raining!”

But whilst there are good news stories coming from the student evangelists, it isn’t the complete picture. Most have experienced day-to-day problems, such as violence and aggression. Some of the students especially find this a problem when travelling, and Pete and Lou continue to value your prayers for their safety.

Previously, we told you of Bina and James, evangelists who work in the tea gardens and whose work you saw in the harvest video. We are glad to inform you that a church building is being built just outside the tea gardens, part funded through kind donors from the UK. Whilst BMS donations paid for the roof structure, Lou explains that it was the local Christian community who added labour, mud for the walls and their own resources: “What is unimaginable for one, becomes possible with many!” And Jibon and Rima, the couple who James and Bina helped in the Harvest video? They’re both still attending church, and were delighted to see Louise and Pete again on a recent visit.

One year on, God continues to connect the right people at the right moments, building his Kingdom in amazing ways. “I really believe everyone's got a part to play...” Lou says as we close. “Just play whatever bit God gave you.”

*Names changed for security purposes.