What? Why Would Missionaries go to scotland? When we talk of God calling missionaries to Scot- land or indeed anywhere in Europe, usually someone asks: “What, why would God send missionaries there and not to the heathen? The truth is that there is a need everywhere for ambassadors for Christ. Few nations have enjoyed the blessings of God as much as Scot- land. The history of Scotland re- cords those who gave their lives to bring the Gospel to the Scots as well as those Scots whom God called to take the Gospel to foreign lands. Scotland has a heritage both tragic and glorious. There have been peri- ods of time in which Christians were oppressed and persecuted as well as times when God has raised up giants to proclaim His Word. e all know names like George Wishart and John Knox. More familiar perhaps are men like David Livingstone who spent his ministry in Africa, and Eric Liddell, the Olympic gold medalist who left his athletic career to preach the Gos- pel in China. It was King James VI of Scotland (James I of England) who commissioned the translation of the Bible we know as the King James Version. W The InternationAL Bible Minstry of BIMI Ed Hembree, Europe Director Much more could be said of the history of Scotland. We could men- tion the great revivals under George Whitefield and Robert Murray Mc- Cheyne. However, as in all of West- ern Europe, the Christian heritage of Scotland has been set aside for secu- larism. Many Scots, generally, may know some vocabulary of Christian- ity, yet, more is needed—a personal experience with Christ. So many Scots do not have a Bible in their homes and certainly have never once read the Bible or had any- one explain the tenets of the Gospel. IMI has four mis- sionary families working faithfully to get the Word of God to Scotland. They are laboring in hard ground. How- ever, bit by bit, the Word takes hold and strongholds of Satan fall to its power. As with anywhere on earth, the Word of God has power to bring conviction and transform lives. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a change in the heart without the Word of God (Romans 10:13–15). B J ohn Knox once prayed, “Give me Scotland or I die.” Scotland has a vast history of great men and wom- en who followed Christ in Gospel ministry. I have seen in Edinburgh a cov- enant signed by believers in their own blood that stated they would “obey God rather than men.” I have also stood at a spot in that same city where thousands of those believers were executed. Even- tually, religious freedom came but not without a price. Today the darkness has re-decended! It is astounding to think that so many people in Scotland have no contact with Scripture. Multitudes of young people in Scotland do not own a personal Bible. Although Bibles could be purchased in some bookstores, few people in the country would realize their need of one. Scripture must be placed in their hands and in their homes. This is not to say that there are no believers or good churches in Scotland. There are, but help is needed. Their task is overwhelming. The growth of pagan religions from the East, along with atheism and thou- sands who have no religion at all, pres- ent an urgency to again shine the light of Jesus Christ into the present darkness. The RESEEDING SCOTLAND CAM- PAIGN is designed to help the mission- aries who are giving their lives to bring Scotland back to Christ. ray that we can supply thousands of specially designed New Testaments to be distributed in the areas where mis- sionaries are working. These New Tes- taments will have the plan of salvation imprinted with a Scripture road map to heaven. There will be a special front cover with a local landmark (for each missionary locality). The Word of God has Power to CHANGE LIVES. Help us once again bring the BOOK back to the people of Scotland. Will you help us reclaim a lost generation? P NATIONS • 7