 Bahrain has a population of 1.3 million people, 60 percent of whom are migrant workers.
Most of these migrant workers come from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and surrounding South Asian nations. They enter Bahrain with hopes of a better future for their families. They plan to make enough money to support and sustain their loved ones back at home. They intend to be reunited in the not-so-distant future to begin living the improved life they dream of.
But the harsh realities of life as a migrant worker makes these goals difficult to achieve. Foreigners seeking to earn an honest wage are instead faced with abuse and exploitation. Forced into menial jobs, they earn low wages in poor work environments. Some face threats of violence while others are treated as slaves.
Alone and living far from home, discouragement sets in. Barely able to make ends meet, they're too ashamed and poor to return home to their families. For many, the only place to turn is the church.
Churches Offer Help through Bible-Based Trauma Healing
The Bible Society in the Gulf is partnering with local churches to bring trauma healing to these migrant workers. This Bible-based ministry uses Scripture and mental health best practices to help people encounter the healing truths found in God's Word. Church leaders around Bahrain are becoming trained as trauma healing facilitators to guide local migrant workers out from under a state of defeat and into accepting arms of Jesus.
As one pastor shares, the training is helping them connect with their congregants in a more meaningful way:
"As a pastor, I see a lot of people who have suffered from one form of trauma or another. The desire to give them comfort and healing is strong, but so often I feel ill-equipped. However, after attending the Bible-based trauma healing course, I feel much more competent and equipped to be an agent of healing for the people I serve. The course covered many different types of traumas and focused on the healing power of God's Word. Compassionate yet practical tips were given throughout the course. I highly recommend this course for all caregivers within the church." — Pastor Ali
So far, 25 members representing ten different churches and ministries participated in the first-ever Bible-based trauma healing training workshop in the Gulf. The goal is to train 24 more church leaders in 2018.
As migrant workers in Bahrain attend Bible-based trauma healing groups, our prayer is that they will have a transformational encounter with Jesus and realize the hope that is available for the taking.
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