The momentum of a busy season continued across BMS International during the second quarter of 2026. Mission properties around the world opened their doors for Easter and Pentecost gatherings, youth camps, and weekly church life, while in South Africa the Basfour Group advanced its work in Christian social entrepreneurship and took on a wider role in the training of young people through CYDEP. BMS remains grateful to the volunteers, local church members, and donors who make this work possible.
Mission Activities and Regional Impact
Members at most mission properties came together to follow the BCC Easter and Pentecost Conference broadcasts from Brunstad, Norway through BCC Connect, while the youth gathered for the BUK Easter Camp at properties including Lubumbashi, Kisumu, Kisii, Mulanje, and Kerala — the largest of these drawing young people from local churches across Malawi and India for several days together.
Several properties also hosted their own local conferences during the quarter. April closed with the Annual Christian Conference in Ternopil, Ukraine, which drew over two hundred members from the local area and surrounding regions across three days. Three more followed in May. The Cameroon Couples Conference in Yaoundé welcomed couples from Cameroon, France, and Norway. In Kerala, India, members from local churches across the country gathered for the Annual Conference, joined by visitors from Germany. And in León, Mexico, the Christian Conference brought together members from five countries. June saw two further gatherings: the Annual Conference in Lubumbashi, DR Congo, welcoming members from BCC South Africa and Cameroon, and the Christian Conference in Ozerne, Ukraine, where one full day was given over to the children, with games, prizes, and a service of their own.
“May was an incredible month. The conference was without any doubt the best thing this month. It’s just so good to be able to have more than 100 visitors at the mission property!”
Gadiel (right), León, Mexico
Beyond the larger gatherings, the mission properties kept their familiar weekly pattern of Sunday services, youth services, children’s Sunday school, and Bible studies. The Africa Online month-end conference remained a valued point of connection for the African properties, while the monthly Francophone service brought the French-speaking communities in Bafoussam, Yaoundé, and Lubumbashi together online with BCC-affiliated churches in Cameroon and France. There were also moments that made the quarter memorable in their own right: in Ozerne, Ukraine, church members from Moldova joined for a weekend that combined voluntary work with fellowship and an evening for the young people centered around the Word of God, while in Kisii, Kenya, a small group of members began gathering for prayer on Sunday evenings.
“In April we had a weekend at the mission property together with the young people from Moldova and Ozerne. We had both voluntary work and fellowship with one another. It is very interesting to work together and have fellowship with each other from a young age. We are grateful for the opportunities we have to gather together at conferences and weekends like this.”
Petru, Moldova
These properties are kept in good order through the willing hands of local church members, who gave approximately 5,700 hours of voluntary maintenance work over the quarter. Volunteers turned out across the properties for cleaning, gardening, painting, and general upkeep, with several communities directing much of their effort toward preparing facilities for the conferences they would host. In Mexico, members were especially active through all three months, giving their time to the property’s agricultural project alongside their regular maintenance work, while in Bafoussam steady progress continued on the construction of a new coffee bar area.
Basfour Group: Empowering Through Christian Social Entrepreneurship
In South Africa, the Basfour Group continued to pursue its twofold purpose of generating sustainable returns that support mission work in Africa while creating meaningful development opportunities for young people. At Pont de Val, the quarter was shaped by a series of anchor events built around the estate’s own wine production, together with seasonal weekend packages that combined stayovers with activities on the estate. These drew a strong flow of visitors and gave winter trade a welcome lift through what is traditionally a quieter winter season.
The estate’s property development work reached an important milestone this quarter, with its strategy consolidated into a single six-year master plan and a key regulatory license secured, while the first rezoning and subdivision approvals continued to progress through municipal processes. Together, these changes lay the groundwork for releasing residential and hospitality development value from 2027 onward. Across the Group’s property and infrastructure companies we saw steady progress in energy, connectivity, and maintenance work, with Enova completing several residential solar and battery installation projects and Serve IT strengthening network infrastructure and WiFi reliability for the estate and for student residences in the Vaal area.
Training of CYDEP Members in Basfour Group
A significant development this quarter was the Basfour Group’s appointment as the main training coordinator for the Christian Youth Development and Empowerment Program (CYDEP). Basfour remains a direct training provider itself but will now take responsibility for sourcing training providers across the wider partner network, placing trainees, and following up on each participant’s progress. During Q2, 30 participants from six countries received approximately 6,900 hours of training across ten placements within the Basfour Group network.
Among this quarter’s participants was Tshepang from South Africa, who spent her placement training in the kitchen — preparing meals and working through stock procurement and weekly menu planning. Asked what had meant the most to her, she pointed not to a technical skill but to something even more important.
“I’ve also learned to try different cooking methods and trust the process. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to respond to feedback constructively — to learn from others and improve, rather than letting it hold me back.”
Tshepang (left), South Africa
Across the wider group, the placements covered a broad range of trades and disciplines. In hospitality, participants gained experience in housekeeping, reception, catering, and spa treatments, and worked through the estate’s wine production process from harvest preparation through to bottling and stock control. In construction and other trades placements, trainees developed practical skills in bricklaying, welding, electrical installation, painting, and site management, while those in IT and digital media combined technical coursework with live project work. Others were placed in early childhood education, where they learned to plan and lead lessons for young children. Alongside their placements, participants also completed university modules in small business financial skills.
Across the placements, managers reported steady progress through the quarter, noting growth not only in technical ability but in the habits that translate well in any workplace — reliability, initiative, communication, and a willingness to take on unfamiliar tasks and see them through.
Five participants completed their six-month placements during the quarter, moving on with new skills and workplace experience to carry into their next steps. Basfour Group’s commitment to participants extends beyond the placement period, and this continued through the quarter. Two former participants were connected with companies offering remote work and are set to begin in the months ahead, while others receive mentoring to develop a business plan of their own.
