Scripture Booklets Speak!

“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” —John 6:63b

Brother S. carries the love of the Lord into a difficult area of northern India. Trekking through desert, dense forests, and snow-covered mountains with boxes of World Missionary Press Scripture booklets, the cry of his heart is for souls who are perishing. He met Brother K., who had recently accepted the Lord and was willing to help in ministry by distributing the Scripture booklets.

One day Brother K. gave a Scripture booklet to Brother R., who was addicted to alcohol. “The anointed Word of God started to work in his heart. He gave up alcohol and gave his heart to Jesus.” Now Brother R. ministers with Brother K. to share the message of freedom and hope in Jesus Christ. And so the chain continues.

Our Brother shared the above testimony to illustrate how the vision to evangelize through Scripture distribution is passed along, sometimes repeatedly, from distributor to recipient.

Gopi was a broken and discouraged man. He had lost his job, and all efforts to find a new job had failed. He received a booklet through Pastor M., who regularly reaches new villages, distributing the free literature he receives from a ministry and praying for those who receive it. Gopi’s heart was touched by the words, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God gave him hope for the future. After reading the entire booklet, he gave his life to the Lord and prayed that the Lord would give him a job. The next week he found a good job. He shared the news with Pastor M., who thanked the Lord for this miracle and shared the gospel with Gopi’s family. They are all now attending church.

The power of God’s Word can never be discounted when facing the daunting challenge of reaching a nation of 1.3 billion people. Pastor L., 77 years old, rises early every morning to go to the railway station in his city to distribute Scripture booklets for two hours. Each evening he spends two hours at one of the city’s busiest shopping malls, handing out booklets. He says that the booklets are the best tool to use in sharing the gospel. An auto driver carries WMP booklets to share the love of God with his passengers. Every Tuesday he meets with a team of four auto drivers for an hour to pray for the salvation of the people they have reached through the booklets.

Joel J., part of the youth league of his church, came across a WMP booklet, The Way to God, which a family friend from the U.S. had left for his brother. “I was thoroughly impressed in how simply and easily you put forward the gospel, and realized instantly that I had to get copies for my fellow church youth members as well as for the large community of non-Christians in our locality to whom preaching about the joyful news of Christ isn’t that easy.” This youth league, in their desire that their people come to know the truth, conducts weekly studies and prayer cells as well as camps. Joel believes the booklet “was placed there as a part of God’s amazing sovereign plan.” They immediately decided to contact us, as “the resources are very useful, especially to reach people who are brought up with different beliefs and in various religions.”

India is considered the most ethnically diverse nation in the world, with 438 languages, of which only 280 are listed as having any Scripture available. From the early days of Christian missions in India, it was clear that translating Scripture into the national languages was a priority. Many gave years of their lives to such work. Today, building on that labor, World Missionary Press offers Scripture booklets in 43 languages of India. As persecution of Christians grows, literature distribution remains a vital ingredient in reaching all of India with the gospel.

Tradition holds that the Apostle Thomas took the gospel to India in the first century, planting seed that continues to bear fruit to this day. Although Christians number only two percent of India’s 1.3 billion people, the gospel is being carried daily to remote villages, crowded marketplaces, mountains, hospitals, prisons, schools, and homes.

In the coming months, World Missionary Press will be producing 16 million Scripture booklets in 23 languages—to support those who daily carry the good news to all of India—from those bound in deep poverty and spiritual bondage to the growing Indian middle class and youth who are seeking satisfaction in material things. In spite of potential opposition and resistance, hundreds of new evangelists are going out with faith and a bag of Scripture booklets to join the thousands covering India with the gospel.

[You can help provide God’s Word for India and other nations of the world. Every donated dollar provides for the production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets in people’s own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

Grateful Quotes

“Help from above fell literally in my lap.”

“This booklet [Help from Above] was left on my wiper, and I stuck it over my visor. One day when I was struggling in a bad situation, it fell from over the visor literally in my lap, and my true walk with Jesus began. On occasion I still turn to this booklet, which I carry with me at all times. I feel that if this booklet changed my thought and direction, maybe I can hand out 100, and if I reach just one, that’s one more that learns the way of my God.

I would like to make it a goal to try to put 5 in different people’s hands every day for 20 days. If I am successful, I would like to get more. In appreciation for what this did for me, I want to share with others.”

—T.C., Virginia

Would you challenge yourself to give out at least one Scripture booklet a day? Maybe the Lord would lead you to share more than one per day.

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

 

Meet the Team

Kelby G.

Copyrights and Permissions Coordinator

I first heard about World Missionary Press years ago from a friend of my mother’s. Her son, Landon, started working here while I was still in college.

During my final year at Gordon College, I had a crisis of faith. My grandfather out in Massachusetts passed away, and new theological and spiritual dilemmas bombarded me. After coming home, I sought to live for Jesus and grow in my faith, so when my summer job at Sweet Corn Charlie’s ended, I tried to find a job where my work mattered eternally. The grace of God led me here. I applied for an open position at WMP, and though I did not get that job, they offered another I could claim. I’ve worked here since January 21.

As the Copyrights and Permissions Coordinator, I am responsible for requesting permission to use the translations of the Bible we use in our Scripture booklets. I also am responsible to provide annual distribution reports for each language to the respective Bible societies, and to keep physical copyright and correspondence records.

I love being in a community of believers living out the Great Commission. It’s a tremendous honor! I also love that we can openly discuss our faith, our struggles, and just be honest with each other while offering Christ-centered encouragement. And I love the short drive—ten minutes to and from home.

I am an avid fan of history, regardless of the era, continent, or people group. I enjoy reading anything from the Scriptures to biographies and fantasy novels, playing video games, watching TV shows, and exercising to music. When I’m not working, I’m usually helping my mother around the house. I am involved in two small groups, one from Maple City Chapel and another called Oasis. I am currently looking for opportunities to volunteer. I also enjoy walking around Fiddler Pond with my Dad and hanging out with friends.

My parents divorced when I was young, but I have been able to live with each of them my whole life, as my father lives in Middlebury and my mother in Goshen. My older sister, Shelby (and yes, I am VERY aware that our names rhyme), lives in Minnesota and will be married this fall. I also have a dog, Lucy, a golden retriever/German shepherd mutt who is 12.

 

WMP Partners Around the World

 

Peter G.

Bolivia

Next Generation Ministries learned about World Missionary Press booklets when one man stored boxes of booklets in another man’s garage. On returning to pick them up, he asked his friend if he had read any of the booklets. He hadn’t, but as he looked them over, he realized they were just what he was looking for to reach the children of Bolivia! By 2015 more than nine million schoolteachers and students had been reached with the gospel on a personal level. (This story was featured in WMP’s August 2015 newsletter.)

WMP: Peter, please describe your background and current ministry.

Peter: My twin sister and I were born into a Mennonite family on October 12, 1964 in Cotoca, in the province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We grew up with Christian parents in a village where we attended a one-room school taught in High German, though at home we spoke Low German.

When our family moved from Bolivia to Canada in 1980, I found myself—at the age of 16—in an English school not knowing any English. In the summer of 1983 I asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior and Lord.

In 1990 my wife Mary and I went to Bolivia with the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC), which worked with the Spanish-speaking community as well as with the Mennonites. During eleven years in Bolivia we worked for the mission full-time for two years, then farmed as other Mennonites in Bolivia did, as well as working in the local church. The last four and a half years were spent working with the EMMC part-time. We moved back to Canada in 2001.

In 2016 Next Generation Ministries (NGM) asked us to help them with the work in Bolivia. That is when we were first introduced to World Missionary Press. We have been involved with NGM since then.

WMP: How has the ministry of NGM grown and changed over the years?

Peter: NGM had been focusing mostly on reaching the schools in Bolivia. This work was done by the Spanish-speaking people; however, several years ago a revival in the Mennonite communities resulted in churches being burdened for the unsaved and asking for literature. Mennonite communities became interested in the work of NGM and have been involved since the beginning of 2017. Now most of the work in the schools is being done by the Mennonites, while the Spanish-speaking people focus on street evangelism, prison ministry, and ministry in orphanages, etc.

WMP: How has WMP literature helped believers in Bolivia?

Peter: The people are so grateful for the material. We were told about one couple who handed out literature by making copies of what they had. Sometimes they had to decide whether they would eat supper or make copies so that they would have material to hand out. When they received a box of WMP material, they wept for joy.

Even some of the Christian police have asked for material, as they have found that reaching criminals with the gospel has been very effective. About two years ago, when the Bolivian government was trying to make it illegal for people to teach children about Christ, some police officers asked for some of the material. The people being asked were skeptical, as there already had been some persecution in different areas. They called us and asked what to do and after thinking it through, we told them to give the officers the booklets.

These are just a few of many stories. It is a great encouragement to see how the work has grown. By His grace we, NGM, are privileged to be part of this ministry. May all the honor and glory be given to our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To date a total of 7,483,000 Scripture booklets have been sent to support the growing work of Next Generation Ministries. Another container with 1,339,000 booklets is currently ready to ship.

A Solid Rock for the People of Puerto Rico

 

“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” —Psalm 62:2

Romualdo was 17 years old, living in Chicago, Illinois, when someone gave him a Scripture booklet, The Way to God, first in English and then in Spanish. Later, when living in Puerto Rico, he received a copy of the same booklet in Spanish from a youth group at his high school. There he read the booklet and accepted Christ as his Savior.

 

One day he met Adalberto S., WMP’s national coordinator in Puerto Rico, who gave him a box of Scripture booklets to share. The box contained copies of The Way to God! Now he could offer the same hope and salvation he himself had received, using the same booklet God had used to bring him to the Lord.

 

Many years later, Romualdo’s wife received multiple boxes of WMP Scripture booklets for distribution in their area of Yauco and other towns affected recently by weeks of daily earthquakes. God’s plans are often hidden from our eyes, but He brings them to wonderful completion for His glory.

 

Each of the 6.5 million Scripture booklets produced every month at World Missionary Press has a designated journey known only to God. Some may not be read or used for months or years, while others will draw a definitive response to the message. For some, the message settles in the mind to be recalled at a future appointed time. WMP often receives letters from someone who has carried the same Scripture booklet or Bible study for 30+ years until it has finally worn out. They ask for another copy, relaying the comfort that comes each day from that portion of God’s Word.

 

WMP prints with ink on paper. A faithful Christian provides hands and feet. God gives the increase, a work of grace in the heart.

 

Julio, from Yauco, sat in a prison cell in Ponce, Puerto Rico. While there, he was given a Spanish New Testament and a Help from Above Scripture booklet produced by WMP. He began to read it, just 10-15 verses every day until he had read the entire booklet. And then he gave his life to Jesus. The Lord blessed him, and his prison sentence was reduced to 1½ years. Julio shared his story with Adelberto by phone from the banana farm where he now works. He has graduated from a Bible institute and has been preaching and evangelizing since his release from prison seven years ago. A Scripture booklet, faithfully shared, was used by God to rescue a troubled soul. Now that rescued one shares with others the hope and joy that can be found only in Jesus.

 

As the people of Puerto Rico reeled from weeks of tremors and earthquakes, uncertainty filled the air. Many lived in make-shift tent camps along the highways and in stadiums opened to house those whose homes had been destroyed or were in danger of collapse. In areas filled with fear and loss, believers offered hope through the spoken and written Word—Scripture booklets from World Missionary Press.

In the Ponce highway area, eight people gave their lives to the Lord. In the stadium, four people responded to the Lord’s call and received Christ, and one was reconciled back to Him. During a weekend tour of five affected towns in mid-January, 32 people turned to the Savior. Scripture booklets, Bible studies, and New Testaments were distributed to almost everyone in ten refugee camps as well as placed on the beds of those not present at the time of the visit.

 

Much healing is still needed among the people of Puerto Rico, particularly in the heavily affected areas. In response to a plan presented by a group of 500 Puerto Rican churches, WMP will be sending a shipment of 200,000 Scripture booklets along with Bible studies and New Testaments in Spanish for a major outreach to the five towns most affected by the ongoing earthquakes. This will be carried out over several months as lives continue to be uprooted and in turmoil.

 

Though the previous hurricane and the most recent earthquakes have drawn public attention to the needs in Puerto Rico, there has for many years been a strong presence of God’s Word there through many, many WMP distributors.

 

William, who works in a detox center in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, came at 6:00 a.m. one morning two years ago to meet with Adalberto in the southern coastal town of Ponce. William received WMP Scripture booklets to share in sessions at the center as well as through his evangelistic outreach in diverse areas of great need in several towns of the central mountains and in coastal towns like Ponce. He also had contact with a fraternity of pastors, who were to be provided with literature for their churches’ outreach. At that same early-morning hour, a new chaplain supervisor of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation came to get materials.

 

All over Puerto Rico hope is being offered to those who see no hope.

 

[You can help provide God’s Word for Puerto Rico and other places of crisis in the world. Every donated dollar provides for the production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets in people’s own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

Grateful Quotes

 

“The Bassari tribe in Senegal are now 80 percent Christian.”

 

“Many years ago, World Missionary Press printed the New Testament in the Bassari language at our request for the Bassari tribe in Senegal, West Africa. I just wanted you to know that the Bassari tribe in Senegal and Guinea are now 80 percent Christian and are building a Bible school in the bush for themselves. We just wanted to thank you!”

—James S., Canada

 

[NOTE: In 1987 and 1992, WMP printed a total of 4,236 New Testaments in the Bassari language. The population of that tribe is listed at 10,000-30,000. WMP offers the Help From Above Scripture booklet in Bassari for continued evangelism among this tribe.]

 

 

Meet the Team

 

Cindy O.

 

Partner Relations Database Specialist

 

In the 1980’s, I drove a small bus full of senior citizens from our church in Columbia City, Indiana, to World Missionary Press in New Paris to volunteer.

 

During five years of substitute teaching, I prayed that God would open the door to a “job” where I could not only be used to help spread His Word, but also look forward to going to every day. He did that! God opened this door, 100 percent. I’ve worked at WMP for 4½ months now (by the time you read this, it will be closer to 6 months).

 

As Partner Relations Database Specialist, my “biggest” job is making sure the newsletters are mailed each month. I also send out Intro-packets, Datebooks, and bulk emails—pretty much all our communication mailings. I also do a lot of data entry, allowing me to send the mailings to the right person in the right location.

 

What do I like best about working at WMP? I love the passion and drive everyone here has in their desire to see God’s Word spread around the world. I love that we do not compromise on God’s Word; I love seeing or hearing how one piece of literature changes a person’s life; I love the feeling of family we have here. I also like “Donut Wednesdays!”

 

I am very active in my church. My husband is the pastor at Syracuse Church of God. We have been there for more than seven years but have been in full-time ministry for more than 30 years. I love to go on mission trips to northwest Ontario whenever possible. Before starting to work at WMP, I was able to go up to three times a year.

 

As far as hobbies, I paint, make jewelry, and embroider. I love baking and re-doing small wooden furniture items. I also love writing short stories and poetry. In 2011 I wrote a book called Hello! Is the Pastor Home?

 

My husband and I have a daughter who is married and lives in Wisconsin and a son who is married and lives nearby in Wakarusa.

 

 

WMP Partners Around the World

 

Paul H.

 

Liberia

 

A life-transforming experience in the life of Paul H. led to the formation of Sharing God’s Abundance, a ministry reaching into remote areas of Liberia. Paul’s story represents the commitment, passion, and love that motivates WMP’s many national coordinators and major distributors to give their time and energy to making known the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ through WMP Scripture booklets.

 

WMP: Please tell us about the experience that changed your life.

 

Paul: In 1987 one of my employees drowned in my pond. I was the only person in the water to save him. Leon got on my back with his arms around my arms. He held my arms down with a death hug and I almost drowned. I failed to save Leon. I couldn’t live with myself. That day at work, Leon and I had talked about Christianity and Christ, but I never asked him if he was ready to die. I prayed, “Lord, I let you down. I let Leon down. If I can ever make this up to You, I AM WILLING.”

 

WMP: How did God lead you to start your ministry in Liberia?

 

Paul: In 2004 my wife and I agreed to go to Liberia to help Christian Aid Ministries put up the first phase at Tower Hill. We saw a country destroyed by years of war. Most of the people were involved in witchcraft and human sacrifice. As I worked with these native people, went to their villages, and visited some of their churches, I realized that so many were in desperate need of Jesus. Older men, who weren’t Christians, asked me to tell them about Jesus. There were so many suffering and helpless people.

One day a strong feeling came over me, like God talking directly to me, saying Matthew 25:35-36: “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me, but you, Paul, bring souls to me.” I saw the suffering, the poor, and the lost. People cried, asking me to teach them the gospel. Hearing from God and the people, I couldn’t shake it. From there, Sharing God’s Abundance was formed. I thank God that WMP is helping SGA reach these needy Liberian bush people.

 

WMP: How has having WMP materials helped the bush people in Liberia?

 

Paul: Challenges abound, but the Word of God is spreading through remote areas of Liberia. Pastor William, who has served many bush villages with SGA for ten years, shared, “Because of the Muslim-dominated groups in the country, we put ourselves aside for the sake of Christ and are denied everything.” He felt like they were orphans and at the point of collapse in ministry because of a lack of materials and full Bible knowledge. When SGA brought WMP Scripture booklets along with other ministry material, they went from having nothing to an abundance of free material. He praises God for the spiritual support given to the Liberian Christians.

 

WMP: How has your involvement in Liberia changed you?

 

Paul: I was once a hunter, shooting whitetail deer, hogs, black bear, turkeys, elk, big-horn sheep, mountain lion, and moose. I always felt a calling and love for mission work, but I also controlled my time and made money so I could go hunting. Flying home from Liberia, thinking how God had called me to be a bush missionary bringing souls to him I wondered, “If I had $6,000, would I go to Alaska to get a grizzly bear and caribou?” Thinking of God’s call and hearing the people’s cry, I committed to God right there, saying, “Yes, Lord, I am willing. When Leon drowned, I made You a promise. Now I feel Your call.” For 15 years I have not hunted. My horses are old, my guns are rusty, and I have no bullets. But in another way, I still hunt, and I have lots of ammunition. For as long as God grants me health and safety, I will continue going to the Liberian bush people, hunting souls for Jesus.

 

WMP first sent one box (500 booklets) to SGA back in 2006 in response to Paul’s request. Today, a shipment of 1,131,000 Scripture booklets recently left our warehouse and is on its way to SGA in Liberia. Praise God for a man who heeded God’s call and for all those who help WMP print and ship the precious Word of God free of charge.

Deliverance for Haiti Through God’s Word

“When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” —Isaiah 59:19b

Many of the images and reports from Haiti are heart-wrenching. One of the poorest nations in the world has endured natural disasters, disease, and political upheaval, leaving behind a people without hope and living in fear of what the next day may bring. To many in Haiti, the recent violence and economic stagnation is worse than anything they have ever experienced. Thousands have fled to other countries, looking for ways to save their families and build new lives. Those who remain have only the cold breath of despair to welcome each new day.

Churches in Haiti struggle to care for their own, unable to reach out to their communities with needed food, water, clothing, and shelter. Their hearts ache for their island nation and its people. They cry out for help—and help comes! Over the years, many U.S.-based ministries have provided continuing assistance to the people of Haiti. WMP Scripture booklets in Haitian Kreyol and French have been a part of this assistance.

The recurring theme for many Haitian believers is to take the Word of God along with any practical and humanitarian aid, because only the Word of God changes hearts and can deliver a nation from the grip of death and destruction. In the past three years, WMP has shipped 13,520 ten-pound boxes of Scripture booklets, Bible study booklets, salvation coloring books, and New Testaments (the equivalent of 6,760,000 booklets the size of Help From Above) into Haiti through individuals, ministries, WMP’s national coordinator, and the Haitian Bible Society.

One WMP partner ministry in Haiti is Love Worth Sharing, founded in 1998 with the mission of reaching Haiti for Christ. Since 2006, Jim O. has been using WMP Scripture booklets and New Testaments for the various outreaches of LWS. In a recent conversation, Jim shared that while the current situation in Haiti is desperate, in many ways the work and the Word is fruitful. Feeding stations have been established in three areas of southern Haiti. Each week 750-1000 children receive a healthy meal and a lesson from God’s Word. The programs are run as Bible camps with Bible teaching, booklet distribution, and a hearty meal. Some of the children who were fed and taught when they were 7-8 years old are now teachers and leaders in the program! When Jim and his teams go to a new area, they claim that place for Christ, wresting it from the voodoo traditions that have long bound minds and hearts.

Large shipments are planned for WMP’s national coordinator and three major ministries in Haiti. From our national coordinator, Gladys M., came this email:

“Thank the Lord for all of you at WMP, for the impossible work that you’re all doing to carry the Word of God all over the world, including Haiti. I stand in awe seeing how the Lord is using so many of His servants to bring His Word all over Haiti. Again, on behalf of the Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ, ‘Thank you.’ We are blessed to send our deepest appreciation for providing us with 4,000 boxes, as this new container is even more of a blessing compared to our last shipment, although due to the rise of extensive demands we have been exposed to, it would be of great help if we could receive more than 4,000 if possible. Thank you again for partnering with us in getting God’s Word out to the world. We are very grateful to be part of this life-changing work you guys have been providing for years.”

The Haitian Bible Society also plays a major role in helping provide WMP Scripture booklets and New Testaments in Haitian Kreyol, offering 20,000 New Testaments free of charge to churches and ministries whose members cannot afford to purchase a Bible or New Testament.

Another group which has been receiving WMP literature for Haiti for several years was recently able to obtain the documentation needed to import a shipment of literature for their base in northern Haiti. When WMP committed to providing literature from our upcoming printing of Kreyol material, tears welled up in the eyes of their representative, who was overwhelmed at what the Lord was doing and will do for His sake in Haiti through His Word.

 

WMP’s upcoming production of Kreyol booklets, Bible Studies, and New Testaments for Haiti totals 2,466,180 items, including material to supply teams going from the U.S. to Haiti for evangelism conferences, medical missions, and Vacation Bible Schools, to name a few.

A group from Kansas will be fixing broken wells in Haiti. “Before we begin, we pray with the local people and hand out Scripture booklets. After we fix the well, we give testimonies to Christ and explain the booklet as well. We appreciate WMP for providing these booklets for the Haitian people.”

Many Haitians who fled to other countries have been reached with the gospel through WMP Scripture booklets, as local believers saw the opportunity and requested Kreyol booklets to share with those seeking hope. Shipments to Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Chile included Kreyol material to serve new Haitian communities. Haitian communities in the U.S. are also active in receiving boxes of Scripture booklets and sending them on to Haiti through church and family associations. Praise God! His powerful Word is flooding into Haiti, bringing deliverance and hope.

[You can help provide God’s Word for Haiti and other places of crisis in the world. Every donated dollar provides for the production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets in people’s own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

Grateful Quotes

“When we have these tools, I feel armed & ready to share!”

“We want to express our GRATITUDE for the WMP Scripture booklets you sent us for ongoing outreach! It means so much to us to have these good materials!

“As you know, I’ve been evangelizing over 47 years, and every day I have these booklets in my pockets in six or seven languages. The very arduous journeys into distant places in Asia for 32 years were intense, but I had the good booklets to toss, give, send, and even TEACH about, as I held them up in front of tribal crowds and Bible Schools in jungles and inner-cities.

“I recall handing out 1,200 booklets and 700 Bibles in front of a Buddhist temple all in one day, with a team. Great blessings! The police came over to ask us to leave because it appeared we had ‘more power’ than they, they said!

“When we have these tools for gospel trips—and daily wherever we go, as we meet Burmese, Thai, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Spanish, Hebrew, English-speaking people—I feel armed and ready to share and see souls saved! We feel RICH when we have these blessings you sent! THANK YOU!”

—Pat C., Asia

 

 

Meet the Team

Jean G.
Volunteer

 

I first heard of World Missionary Press more than 40 years ago when I was given a Help From Above Scripture booklet. I still have it after all these years!

For more than 30 years it was a dream of mine to come to New Paris and see the work and help out. Life has kept me very busy and, until recently, I could not make the trip. Since I don’t drive, I came by train. This is the most amazing and wonderful thing I have ever gotten to do in my 60-plus years! This is my first time to volunteer and, God willing, I will be here many more times.

This place is here all for the glory of God! It is truly the work of the Lord. I love every minute helping with the mailings, and it is great to help pack booklets for the world! Everyone has been so nice and helpful. There is a real spirit of Christian harmony here. I love that every day there is chapel for all. The tour was amazing, too!

At home in Pennsylvania, I like to read, decorate, work with plants, work in the church, and watch my little nieces. I am widowed and don’t have a lot of family nearby. I try to see them when I can. My two little great nieces, Adrianna (4) and Annabella (1), are the joy of my life. They are real gifts to me, as are their momma and daddy.

 

 

 

 

WMP Partners Around the World

Ibrahima D.
Senegal

 

The West African nation of Senegal is described as spiritually both open and closed. While there is religious freedom and tolerance, Islam dominates the lives of 90% of its 16.5 million people. Over the past six years, WMP has provided shipments of Scripture booklets in multiple languages for believers to use in sowing the seed of the gospel through Ibrahima D., WMP’s national coordinator for Senegal.

WMP: Please describe your background and current ministry.

Ibrahima: I grew up in a Muslim family in Mauritania. I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ when I was 13 years old, after my family was forced to leave Mauritania and settle in Senegal in desperate conditions. As my family situation worsened, I prayed to God, asking that if He would deliver my family from their troubles and potential break-up, I would testify that He is the only true God and follow Him whatever the cost. The Lord answered my prayer. Since then, my only desire has been to announce salvation in Jesus to all Senegalese. When I heard about Every Home for Christ for the first time, I left teaching and chose to evangelize my country with EHC! The idea of God using me to reach out to my own people with the gospel, sharing with and encouraging the broken hearted, perfectly matched my deeply-entrenched yearnings.

WMP: How does the availability of free literature affect evangelism in Senegal?

Ibrahima: In Senegal, people avoid being seen publicly with Christians or going to church. Having literature at home, in the office, in cars, in the fields, etc. allows them to look for the truth without persecution from their parents or family. If they find the truth and accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord, then the church grows secretly. It would be difficult for churches to evangelize publicly without literature. Literature guarantees that the gospel remains in a family, doing its work, available to be consulted by anyone at any time. Literature allows people to teach themselves and discover truth and grow in their spiritual life. Literature in Arabic, French, Wolof, and Serere is needed. [Note: WMP does not currently have material in the Serere language. Work has begun on a booklet in Wolof.]

WMP: How long does a shipment of WMP literature last?

Ibrahima: Even those who like literature do not accept everything that comes from Christians or churches, so we need to form relationships with non-Christians to assure them before the distribution. This takes time. As we want to do our work well and not be in a hurry, it takes two or three years to use a shipment.

WMP: How would you describe the effectiveness of WMP material?

Ibrahima: WMP booklets are more complete and more appropriate for Bible studies and follow-up for believers. The only problem is the languages. It would be great if we could have these tools in all the languages listed above. We also need New Testaments in Arabic and French, 20,000 for each. All the Scripture booklets will be used in Muslim areas. In home-to-home campaigns, open-air evangelism, and street film-projection, every participant will receive one of each booklet. We will leave one copy of each in every home visited. [Note: In response to Brother Ibrahima’s request, WMP’s most recent shipment to Senegal included 20,000 copies each of The Gospel of John, How to Know God, and A Bible Study on Genesis in Arabic as well as 46,900 New Testaments in Arabic and French.]

Ibrahima has a special burden for the Wolof people in Senegal—99% of whom are devout Muslims. The few churches in Wolof communities typically do not have Wolof Christians, but only foreigners and people from other minority groups. A translation project to provide WMP’s booklet, How to Know God, in the language of 5 million Wolof-speaking Senegalese is in process and awaits final corrections from the field. Please pray for the completion of this much-needed title in Wolof!

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” —2 Corinthians 4:6

When God created the world, He spoke, and heavenly light shone, separating darkness from light. When man sinned and broke the blessed fellowship between God and man, a spiritual darkness covered the earth. At the birth of Jesus, God again provided light to bring mankind out of darkness, revealing eternal salvation available for all peoples through His Son. Let us rejoice in this glorious Light!

Ways to share God’s message of Light in this dark world:

Idea #1—A box of Scripture booklets every month

Every day thousands of Christians use World Missionary Press Scripture booklets to penetrate spiritual darkness by sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Many go home to home with a personal witness. Others find a place in a park or on a street corner where they can offer music or preach to passers-by. Beside them will be an open box of WMP Scripture booklets, usually given out one at a time. The booklets complete the presentation and continue the effectiveness of the message as the traveler moves on.

“I along with some British brothers would preach every Saturday night at London’s Piccadilly Circus to the world as it passed by or stopped to listen. Your various language [booklets] helped us when they were having difficulty in understanding or were asking questions. I remember many with their smile, treasuring the booklet as they walked away into the darkness….” —United Kingdom

A regular monthly donation of $25.00 for a “WMP BOX” provides 500 Scripture booklets each month for a street preacher in the United Kingdom or a village evangelist in India to give a lasting message of hope and redemption.

Idea #2—A roll of paper

In an increasingly digital age, the printed page still has a strong and sustaining presence. By providing topical Scripture booklets in 348 languages, WMP offers a unique ministry tool in countries where evangelistic material and Bible teaching tools are not readily available.

“Every time Ruth takes the baby for a walk to get her to sleep, she loads copies of A Bible Study on John at the bottom of the pram. As she comes across local people working or walking on her route, she gives them the gospel. They are so eager to get a copy of the gospel in their own language.” —South Africa

The need for “paper missionaries” continues to grow. To meet the growing need, we must keep the presses running. They require a basic ingredient—paper. A gift of $1,115.00 provides a 1,500-pound 35-inch-wide roll of paper for producing the inside pages for 85,000 48-page Scripture booklets! A gift of $557.50 will provide half a roll. Paper for the booklet covers is used on our sheet-fed 6-unit press. A donation of $370 will supply 8,500 flat sheets for 136,000 full-color covers.

Idea #3—New Testaments in Haitian Kreyol

Haiti is a nation bound in despair, its unrest a reaction to years of wrenching poverty, natural disasters, and hopelessness. In divine love, God has sent faithful servants into the seemingly endless need with tools to help meet the physical and spiritual emptiness. Many of these workers look to WMP for our unique Kreyol New Testament, which includes the entire book of Psalms as well as our Basic Study of New Testament Scriptures study material, provided free of charge.

When several Haitian boys gathered daily to study Scripture, none of them had a Bible. They studied by reviewing a Bible story they learned at church. A WMP distributor gave each of them a Kreyol New Testament. Now they can read and learn for themselves and share even more of God’s Word. Some New Testaments are distributed in the schools, so the demand is great. WMP’s national coordinator in Haiti has requested a 40-foot container of Scripture booklets and New Testaments in French and Kreyol. She needs at least 1,000 boxes (16,000 copies) of the Kreyol New Testament and Psalms. You can help provide the vital bread of life for a nation desperate for hope. A gift of $152.00 will give 100 Haitians a New Testament in their language. With a gift of $1,520.00 you can supply 1,000 people with their very own copy of God’s Word.

 

Idea #4—Literature for the Democratic Republic of the Cong

Perhaps Operation World best describes the challenges in DRC, Africa’s second largest country:

“The lands under this name have no centralized government, no connectedness between the vast and far-flung regions, almost no functioning infrastructure and no single language or culture to unite its many diverse peoples. More than five million people have lost their lives through war, violence, starvation, and virtual collapse of the health system. The Church is an essential entity for rebuilding DRC. …There is a famine of Christian literature. Distribution and poverty are enormous problems. Most areas suffer a severe lack of God’s Word.”

In order to effectively meet the many challenges of reaching every home in this county of almost 88 million people (with 50% of the population under 16), speaking 200 languages, Every Home for Christ has divided the country into four areas, each with local leadership to meet unique needs. Each region has submitted a specific request for WMP literature. In response, we will be printing more than seven million booklets in six major languages for localized effectiveness. A gift of $2,500 can offer God’s Word to 50,000 people who have nowhere else to look for hope.

Idea #5—Prayer support

 

 

Each workday, WMP staff gathers in our chapel for a time of prayer and sharing. Recognizing that our strength and supply come from God, we come to Him daily as one body, bringing our praises and petitions focused on particular aspects of WMP ministry. We remember our staff, donors, volunteers, board members, and national coordinators and distributors. Sharing answered prayer in our individual lives as well as in our departments binds us together in His love. You can share with us in prayer each day by receiving our monthly Prayer and Praise letter via email or standard mail. Our WMP App also lists specific and timely prayer requests and answers. You can follow us on Facebook or our WMP Ambassador Network (wmpambassadors.org), where daily postings keep you informed of needs and praises from major distributors and national coordinators. We welcome you to join hands and hearts with us and be a part of what God is doing in lives and communities through the power of His Word.

 

 

 

Idea #6—New publications

This year WMP was excited to offer four new publications for use in evangelism and discipleship, each one designed to give believers a unique tool in sharing the gospel. They are a welcome addition to the powerful Scripture booklets that have blessed so many around the world for more than 58 years.

Who Do You Say That I Am?—This new 48-page booklet clearly answers this important question that Jesus asked by presenting Christ’s claims of who He is through His own words and the prophecies that foretold His coming as Savior, presenting Him as the Son of God. Translation work to provide this booklet in multiple languages has already begun. Many WMP coordinators and distributors are eager to have this new booklet available, recognizing that this question must be answered in the hearts and minds of people all over the world.

The Path to Life—In this new type of evangelism tool from WMP, Jesus Christ is introduced through Scripture and artwork as Creator, the Son of God, Redeemer, and source of eternal life on eight panels of a single-page folded full-color hand-out. The Path to Life can be produced for less than the cost of a 48-page Scripture booklet and in greater quantity. This hand-out is being translated into several major languages for mass distribution.

Alive in Christ—This 96-page discipleship booklet has been on the heart of WMP’s leadership for many years. A new believer, just beginning their journey with God and needing to build a strong foundation for a life of faith, requires an understanding of how to live in “newness of life.” Alive in Christ offers Scripture portions to show how God fills us and empowers us to know Him and walk in fellowship with Him. This is a wonderful tool for individual study for even seasoned Christians. We are never too old to deepen our knowledge of God and learn more about how we can reflect Him in our daily lives.

God Loves You!—This booklet is a revision of our 8½”x11” salvation coloring book by that name. The smaller size allows us to print in-plant at a greatly reduced price and in greater quantity. New coloring pages reflect the Scripture verses on the associated page, taking the reader from creation to eternal life in heaven. Many WMP distributors have been waiting for the revised coloring book to be available and translations will soon begin in several major languages.

You can help get this new material into the hands of distributors from Brazil to the Philippines. A donation of $250.00 will provide 10 boxes for an evangelist or missionary praying for help to share with children and their families the truth of who Jesus is and the eternal life and hope He offers.

Idea #7—Ink

What would a printing company be without ink? How would the words show up on the paper? Ink often goes unnoticed, but is vital to the process of producing printed Scripture booklets. When ink is applied to the rollers on our presses, words from Scripture make the blank paper “come alive.” A 425-lb barrel of black ink for our web press costs $501.50. A 5-lb can of color ink to print the colored covers of our Scripture booklets (as well as newsletters and brochures) costs $22.35. A donation of $100.00 will provide color for approximately 60,000 Scripture booklet covers.

 

Idea #8—Overseas printings

Although WMP sends booklets to almost every country that allows for importing such literature, in some places Scripture booklets cannot be received by mail or sea container, or restrictions limit what we can send. Believers in these countries are not silent, however. They seek sound, Scriptural literature to help them share the gospel where open witnessing may be dangerous or illegal. In some of these countries, WMP contracts with in-country printers (referred by our national contacts) to print Scripture booklets. These printings may be more expensive than printings in our plant, but the need must be met. Places such as Russia, Mongolia, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Indonesia receive funding for printing WMP Scripture booklets.

A recent request from Indonesia to print 1,375,000 Scripture booklets and Bible studies included a large listing from Every Home for Christ toward completion of their OIKOS Initiative in Indonesia. With a population of 264 million, Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The power of God’s Word must continue to be available to support believers and reach hearts and minds. Your donation of $100.00 will provide Help From Above to 2,500 Indonesians who need to know the one true God who loves them and sent His Son to die for them.

Idea #9—Boxes and pallets

Boxes used for standard packaging represent another necessary ingredient in getting Scripture booklets to the ends of the earth. These boxes must be consistent in size, durable, and cost-effective. Currently, we use about 14,000 boxes per month at a cost of $3,825.36 ($273.24 per thousand). A 20-foot container being prepared for Paraguay will use 2,565 boxes. A donation of $70.00 will provide 256 boxes to hold 128,000 Scripture booklets.

Wooden pallets allow stacking and securing up to 256 boxes as one shrink-wrapped unit which can be moved by forklift on and off a sea container, supporting the individual boxes and securing the precious Scripture booklets inside the boxes. These pallets must be able to support the weight of up to 256 ten-pound boxes. Often these pallets are used in the destination country to keep booklets safe from water or infestation. At $6.55 per pallet, a donation of $131.00 will supply pallets for two 20-foot container shipments.

Idea #10—Shipping to the world

The world’s commerce moves by sea, using ship containers that carry parts, finished products, produce, machinery, and WMP Scripture booklets. The enormous cost savings to send large quantities to a single foreign location makes it possible to print even more booklets for more shipments. Our Freight Shipments Team works with responsible shipping agents to get the best service at the best price for safe delivery to each destination. New laws and requirements for shipments often arise without warning, changing the paperwork needed and sometimes delaying shipments. Once the shipments arrive at the seaport, they are received by faithful national coordinators and distributors who volunteer their time and energy to clear the containers through customs, transport the material to centralized locations, and monitor the distribution of each box.

The cost of shipping varies from country to country and is a major expense. A shipment being prepared for Nigeria will contain 4,215 boxes (2,107,500 booklets) on 17 pallets in a 40-foot container. To deliver the shipment from our loading dock to the consignee in Lagos will cost about $15,000, or about $3.55 per box. Your donation of $500.00 toward shipping will help expedite shipments like this and get the Word of God into waiting hands.

 

 

 

“We Have No Fear in Our Hearts”

“So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.’ ”—Hebrews 13:6a

The West African nation of Liberia holds many challenges for spreading the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. This land rich in natural resources has suffered greatly from two civil wars, government corruption, poverty, and disease. Into this needy place come the ambassadors of Christ with a message of reconciliation.

During the Ebola epidemic, teams from Sharing God’s Abundance, Inc. stayed in the villages, helping in physical ways as well as giving words of comfort and peace from God’s Word. Their fearlessness in the face of death and their love for the people touched the hearts of many village leaders and government officials, opening the doors for evangelism and teaching.

In a recent report to WMP, Liberian pastors from 15 counties thanked WMP for the Scripture booklets: “The Sharing God’s Abundance team of Liberia is blissful with joy for the unanimous support rendered…for the rural people of Liberia. Every single booklet that you gave was distributed to the loving people of Liberia and they are using them carefully.” During their outreach to 616 villages, “1,381 pastors from different villages participated, 3,230 people rededicated their lives to the Lord, and 5,084 people received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.” In spite of many challenges, their perseverance has led to openings for evangelism in three surrounding countries.

Wordsower Liberia has been using WMP literature for several years as they reach into areas with predominately unreached Muslim tribes.

“Wordsower Liberia exists because our Lord has called and united a team of obedient disciples who have all sacrificed towards a truly plentiful everlasting harvest. The workers are us: the united, the sacrificial, the faithful, the obedient. I believe that as we unite, we will be utterly amazed, far beyond our dreams, at the harvest that will come from our obedient sacrifice.”

Some individuals of the towns have come to the team in private, put their faith in the gospel, repented, and confessed Christ as their Savior. Kim S. of Wordsower Liberia explained that “most of the youth of Muslim parents are not interested in Islam, but their problem is rejection from the family and community, persecution, and possibly death.” There is the potential for a great harvest. “In this region, the cloud of deception seems to be dissipating. Our team is powerful. They gave me the testimony, ‘We do not fear; it is not in our hearts!’ They are full of passion, boldness, and sacrifice. We define passion as suffering and dying for a cause greater than ourselves. We are now participating in a harvest and expect a great harvest.”

Such devoted obedience has received God’s blessing, opening doors for Wordsower to establish ministry in Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Northern Nigeria. They will need increasing supplies from World Missionary Press to support their teams. After receiving a recent shipment of French New Testaments, Kim S. sent out this encouraging report about WMP:

“World Missionary Press sends Scripture booklets and New Testaments by the millions all over the world. For many years, they have supplied us with thousands upon thousands of New Testaments and booklets at no charge! Just recently they shipped us 1,560 French New Testaments. They shipped them from their factory in Indiana to our team in Ohio. From there the New Testaments were packed into barrels and shipped to the East coast in a truck, then put on a cargo ship bound for a port in Monrovia, Liberia. From Monrovia, I made a couple of trips by car to carry the barrels from the port warehouse to our Missionary Aviation Fellowship friends, who flew them to our base in Zwedru. Next, the barrels were strapped to the backs of motorbikes to be taken where no car or truck can go—to our Ivory Coast base. They will be used for evangelism and discipleship to the unreached tribes.”

Every Home for Christ is another faithful WMP partner in Liberia. In the past 14 years WMP has provided over 5.7 million Scripture booklets, Bible study booklets, and salvation coloring books for EHC Liberia. Some of these precious Scripture portions have been carried into areas where the name of Jesus has never been heard. An 83-year-old man was given his very first pair of shoes from Soles For Jesus along with a Help From Above Scripture booklet from World Missionary Press. As his new shoes were fitted on his feet, an EHC worker sat next to him and went through the booklet page by page, telling him about Jesus and how he could choose Jesus to be the ruler of his heart. With great joy the man accepted this new treasure of eternal life and peace.

When contacted about the need for a new supply of WMP literature, the EHC’s director for Liberia replied, “Your email is an answer to many prayers as we are in dire need of these materials and grateful to WMP for all the help you have rendered to many Christian ministries in Africa. World Missionary Press has always been a supportive arm to accomplish the Great Commission task through printing literature and making it available to us for evangelism and discipleship.”

The new shipment for EHC Liberia will carry almost one million Scripture booklets and Bible study booklets in English and Bassa. Their need is urgent, their hearts fearless. Will you help expedite the printing and shipping of these words of hope for the people of Liberia? The fields are ready to harvest.

[You can help provide Scriptures for Liberia and other African nations. Every donated dollar provides for production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets. Investing $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

Grateful Quotes

“Now my family and I are Christians.”

“There comes to my mind a testimony from many years ago when a WMP team visited our country. We parked the car in a city parking lot where a young man came to serve us. We gave him a WMP Scripture booklet and great was our surprise when he told us, ‘I received a booklet like this and I accepted the Lord after reading this beautiful booklet. Now all my family and I are Christians and gather in a church in Buenos Aires.’ We regularly receive testimonies like this from the churches that distribute this precious literature daily throughout the country.”

“From the high mountains of the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, from the North to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the South, considered the ‘uttermost ends of the earth,’ WMP literature arrives. At the moment, we are waiting for a new shipment, since we are out of stock.”

—Rino B., Argentina

Meet the Team

Larry and Dorothy H.

Volunteers

We’ve been aware of World Missionary Press since it was in Winona Lake. In fact, Larry volunteered there before it moved to New Paris in 1970. Our church volunteered the last Tuesday of each month by helping on the bindery from the early 1970s until 1996, when we could no longer supply a full team.

After Larry retired three years ago, we sold our farmhouse and moved into town. We thought volunteering would make a good retirement activity for Larry, but when we asked about how to volunteer, they had a job for both of us working together! For about 2½ years we’ve been helping cut the cardboard dividers for the skids (used in freight shipments and other ways). We enjoy the freedom of coming without a specific schedule and working for half a day a week when it is most convenient for our schedule.

It is a good feeling to be a part of the team by helping get out God’s Word in our own small way. We feel welcomed and appreciated. We have always appreciated the efficiency of the small 48-page Scripture booklets that allow people around the world to get a taste of God’s Word.

We also keep busy serving the Lord by volunteering in our church, Nappanee United Methodist. We’re active in the Gideons, both of us serving as camp chaplains at the present time. We also deliver for Meals on Wheels in Milford twice a month. I still work two days a week at the Milford Public Library, which I often say is my hobby.

Larry taught high-school science for 14 years and then farmed, with his main business being raising ducks for Maple Leaf Farms for 30 years. I taught elementary school for nearly 20 years. We have two daughters and sons-in law and three grandchildren. The oldest grandson was married in August, the second is heading off to Trine University as a freshman, and our granddaughter will be a senior at Lakeland Christian Academy.

—Dorothy H.

WMP Partners Around the World

Bella A.

WMP Coordinator, Chad

The Republic of Chad is a landlocked nation of 15 million people in north-central Africa. The population is a complex mixture of 150 or more peoples. World Missionary Press is blessed to serve alongside Every Home for Christ and their national director, Bella A., in reaching this Muslim-dominated country with a message of life and hope from the one true God.

WMP: Please describe your background and current ministry.

Bella: I am from a 99-percent Muslim community, since my father’s family was the first to come to the Lord. No uncle or family on my father’s or mother’s side came to the Lord and they remain Muslims. By the grace of God, I am currently the Director of Every Home for Christ in Chad. We distribute more than 500,000 pieces of WMP literature each year in homes, schools, hospitals, prisons, and military camps.

WMP: How long have you been involved in distributing WMP literature?

Bella: Since 1994, through a friend, I received WMP booklets in Arabic and French, and I distributed them in the neighborhoods of N’Djamena. But since being with Every Home for Christ since 2012, the containers are not enough. Currently, where I write, we do not have a single booklet in our stores in French or Arabic, not even the New Testament.

WMP: How does the availability of free literature affect evangelism in Chad?

Bella: We are a poor country. The free literature motivates many churches to go into evangelism. The Gospel of John (in Arabic) and A Bible Study on John (in French) are excellent training tools for new converts. The impact of literature in homes is very positive and encouraging.

WMP: How long does a shipment of WMP literature last?

Bella: We most recently received a 40-foot container, but since the first quarter of 2018 we have answered only 30% of the literature requests, and now we have nothing left. Every three years we must receive a 40-foot container to avoid long break-ups.

WMP: What challenges do you face in the free distribution of WMP literature?

Bella: The challenge in the free distribution is at the level of the vastness of the country and that we must have several deposits of literature in different regions. The cost of expediting the literature committed to EHC is a challenge, including the rental of stores in the province.

WMP: How would you describe the effectiveness of WMP material?

Bella: The advantage of WMP booklets and why they are appreciated is that they are in French, Arabic, and in the languages of the major peoples of the country. WMP’s literature is useful not only for evangelizing, but also for training new converts (Gospel of John) and helping build them up through systematic follow-up. People enjoy literature in their local language.

Help from Above in Times of Crisis

“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121:2

Across the globe, nations are in crisis, their people fearful, looking for hope. War, drought, political upheaval, disease, natural disaster—all can bring people to the brink of despair. As believers reach out with the love of God, they take with them words of hope and security that can come only from the Creator who loves everyone with an unfathomable love. Here is true help from above, the only source of lasting peace and comfort.

World Missionary Press Scripture booklets, available in 348 languages, are an invaluable tool in giving lasting comfort. Food for the body is accompanied by food for the soul. Water to alleviate thirst and prevent disease is shared with an introduction to the One who offers living water.

Once prosperous, Venezuela is in turmoil as hunger, violent crime, and political unrest have led more than three million from their homeland to seek survival and safety in other countries. We praise God for opportunities to minister to those who have left Venezuela and settled in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Our national coordinator in Brazil asked for a special order (500,000 copies) of The Way to God booklets in Spanish. “With the political problem in Venezuela, very large numbers of immigrants are coming from that country, and with this there is a great opportunity to evangelize them.”

As personal crises deepen in Venezuela, the need for God’s Word grows greater. WMP will be sending a container of almost one million Scripture booklets, Bible studies, and New Testaments to our national coordinator there in response to his request for material while the door is still open to receive the shipment.

Frontline Fellowship reports from Sudan that while the news from that nation is filled with talk of war, riots, poverty, and persecution, their team experienced firsthand the powerful advance of Christ’s Church and a hunger for spiritual truth.

“More and more pathways for the gospel and discipleship are opening up in Sudan. I am constantly hearing testimonies of Sudanese coming to Christ in unconventional ways. Hundreds have surrendered to Jesus in refugee camps around North Africa. Many asylum seekers have heard the gospel, living in safer countries. People from all over Sudan have come to Christ through the opportunities made available by the effects of war. Some of these people are going back into Sudan to share the Good News with their families and friends.” —John C., South Africa

A recent WMP shipment to Frontline Fellowship included two million Scripture booklets in 15 languages for teams to distribute in countries from South Africa to Sudan. Here again, the joy of offering the Word of God in the language of each country is found in the ready acceptance of the booklets.

Civil unrest in Central African Republic has engulfed much of the country in violence and destruction. Hundreds of churches have been burned and yet the Spirit of the Lord cannot be deterred. A recent message from WMP’s national coordinator in CAR clearly describes the faithfulness of God’s people no matter the situation:

“Despite the very difficult environment under which our brethren are called to work, much progress is being made. With more than half of the country under rebel control, opportunities to share Christ with Muslims and nominal believers have never been greater.

“Just across the Oubangui river from Bangui, CAR is the town of Zongo in Democratic Republic of the Congo. We plan to open a new depot there to serve cities and towns in northern Congo with Scripture booklets. With new entry in our Bible schools and short-term missions teams preparing to reach many target areas in the region in August/September, our present stock of booklets and New Testaments is sure to be depleted. Kindly send us one 40-foot container and one 20-foot container for the depot in DRCongo in the first quarter of 2020.” —Edet O., Central African Republic

A report from Global Media Outreach noted that “12,000 Christians were physically attacked for their Christian beliefs in India in 2018. A recent report showed Christians in India experience ‘extreme persecution’ for their belief in Jesus. However, data suggests the gospel is still spreading at a record pace.”

In the face of growing persecution, Christians in India continue sharing their faith and showing the love of Christ, refusing to retaliate against those who falsely accuse or even attack them, their families, and their churches. Voice of the Martyrs reports that “despite greater government restrictions on Christianity, the Church is growing. The most growth is among those with Hindu backgrounds who have a deep spiritual hunger.” To support Indian Christians in their continuing ministries to all of India, WMP has recently sent another 40-foot container (2 million booklets) to our national coordinator, with three more container orders in process, one for our coordinator and two for another major distributor. Along with printing in India, WMP will have provided 20 million booklets for India this year.

These scenarios are being repeated in several other countries as well. In each case WMP works with national coordinators and major distributors to get the Word of God into the hands of those in crisis, offering hope and peace in a dark world. To do this we must have the resources available to send. Our partners are looking to us to aid in the rescue!

Summer has brought a cutback in our monthly production due to lower than budgeted monthly income. This means distributors waiting for new supplies will need to wait even longer. Our staff is praying daily for the Lord to provide the resources to not only get back to producing the equivalent of 7 million Scripture booklets per month, but to increase to a much higher monthly production level that will see shipments going out with exciting frequency and joy.

Will you help those standing up to the Enemy by providing God’s Word as their most effective weapon?

 

[You can help provide Scriptures for nations in crisis. Every donated dollar provides for production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets for people in their own language. Investing $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

Grateful Quotes

 

“I gave my life to Christ 25 years ago.”

“I pray and pass out WMP Scripture booklets daily. Twenty-five years ago, I gave my life to Christ after reading Who Am I That a King Would Die in My Place? I thank God for WMP and all the people who support this ministry.” —Isac G., Michigan

 

 

Meet the Team

Volunteers for Mailings

Volunteers have formed an integral part of World Missionary Press from the very beginning. Retirees, teens, adult Sunday-school groups, home-schoolers, and individuals find joy in stuffing envelopes and fellowshipping with other volunteers.

Over the course of 3 days each month, 20-25 volunteers (about 8-10 volunteers per day) stuff 16,000 envelopes with the WMP newsletter and other material. The average stuffing rate is about 1,000 newsletters per hour, saving considerable expense. What a blessing they are! And they receive a blessing as well.

 

“I enjoy helping with the mailing to let others know what an amazing work goes on at World Missionary Press.” —Edna M.

 

“I enjoy the fellowship while serving the Lord with others.” —Joann M.

 

“The best thing that I like is knowing that God’s Word is going out to brothers and sisters in Christ who are not as fortunate as we are to have the Word. I also enjoy the fellowship. What could be better than to send out God’s Word and to enjoy fellowship with other sisters in Christ? Highlight of my month for sure.” —Coral M.

 

“I enjoy the environment as well as getting God’s Word out.” —Laura B.

 

Other mailings (introductory packets, letters to chaplains, Scripture-text Datebooks sent to prisoners, annual dinner invitations and DVD’s) also keep the volunteer room humming. Some volunteers are not able to assist on our bindery or other duties, but they can sit at a table and work with their hands and hearts, being a part of what God is doing through World Missionary Press.

Mailing volunteers work flexible hours between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on stuffing days. Some bring a snack or, if staying for the day, bring their lunch and eat in the kitchen with the staff. We are looking for additional volunteers to help during the winter months, when retirees often head south and teachers are back in school.

 

“We appreciate our volunteers giving of their valuable time to impact the world for Christ. They are making a difference and serving an important purpose in the work of the Lord. Thank you to all who help make this possible!”

—Karen M., WMP Volunteer Coordinator

 

 

WMP Partners Around the World

Soles for Jesus

Sub-Saharan Africa

 

It is always exciting when the Lord brings His people together to accomplish His purpose. Ministries with different emphases and contacts find themselves sharing in unique ways, being blessed and blessing people in distant places with God’s love. World Missionary Press has been privileged to partner with Soles for Jesus in several African countries. Meeting material needs in a spirit of servanthood opens hearts to receive the written Word of God.

Recently, Soles for Jesus (SFJ) contacted WMP regarding additional future joint shipments (shoes and Scripture booklets). Looking over the open orders and production status, we found that both ministries were preparing shipments for Lesotho in southern Africa. In just a matter of days, WMP shipped 632,000 Scripture booklets in English and Sesotho to the SFJ facility in Wisconsin to be combined with 4 pallets of donated shoes to share with the people of Lesotho. What a joy to see the Lord direct in such a wonderful way!

A second project for this year was also discussed, and plans were made to send a 20-foot container with 5 pallets of WMP literature and 5 pallets of shoes to Mozambique.

WMP is organizing a campaign to gather new or lightly-used shoes here at our plant in New Paris, Indiana, wrapping up during our Open House Saturday afternoon, October 19, 2019. The shoes will then be sent to SFJ for processing. This is a unique opportunity for this area to show the love of Christ to adults and children in Mozambique who do not own a pair of shoes or who have outgrown what they have. Would your church or business like to be a collection point? Questions can be directed to WMP at 574-831-2111. Those who live too far away to bring shoes to WMP can contact SFJ directly at 414-365-1392 about being involved in this exciting opportunity.

Diane Studer of Soles for Jesus will be sharing as a Field Flash speaker at our annual Anniversary Dinner on October 19, 2019 at Maple City Chapel, Goshen, Indiana. Since 2009 SFJ has provided 476,000 shoes for the people of Sub-Saharan Africa in countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Swaziland. They offer an amazing way to be involved in providing for some of the 853,000,000 people of that part of Africa. Please visit the SFJ website at www.solesforjesus.org and learn “Why Shoes?”, “Ideas for Involvement,” and “How to Host a Shoe Drive Anywhere.” Or contact them by Email at info@solesforjesus.org.

WMP will soon be printing Scripture booklets for the upcoming Mozambique joint shipment. The five pallets from WMP will include 619,000 items in five languages, primarily Shona, Chisena, and Ndau. Donations toward this timely need can be made by calling WMP and referring to the special shipment for Mozambique. A $50.00 donation will provide Scripture booklets for 1,300 individuals as they are fitted with a pair of shoes in the name of Jesus.

 

Past collaboration between WMP and SFJ in Zambia resulted in a report that warmed our hearts. A village that had been closed to the gospel was open to receiving the gift of shoes for the people. As the shoes and Scripture booklets were shared, hearts were opened to the gospel message as well and new life entered that village. God used WMP and SFJ as a united team to open a door that was once shut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting the Challenge

“For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ ” —Isaiah 41:13

Darrell’s smile grew wider as he described trying to navigate tree-lined pathways that serve as roads in Haiti to reach a village that had no gospel presence. His smile reflected his joy at being able to take God’s Word and His love to this village. The difficulties in getting there just seemed to enhance the blessing of reaching some of the unreached.

In Cambodia, Tom and his team trekked over difficult roads to reach another village with words of life and hope. Years of trying journeys have not dampened his enthusiasm and faithfulness in pushing on to the farthest corners with the love of Jesus.

Teams in India continue to use World Missionary Press literature prayerfully and strategically in the face of growing opposition. “As the pioneer evangelism, church planting, leadership training, and intercessory prayer ministry is growing,” wrote J.K., “Satan is also busy in hindering the work in his own ways, which is nothing new to the early church.”

Reaching every home in the world with the Word of God seems to be an impossible task. Objections abound as to the practical details of such a vision, but our God is the God of the impossible, and His direction to His Church is to go into ALL the world—to preach the good news to ALL nations. As His people obey, His blessings flow.

The OIKOS Initiative of Every Home for Christ—to reach every home with the gospel in the next 20 years—is in full swing. From door to door, teams are sharing the gospel, leaving the written Word as a continuing testimony. World Missionary Press Scripture booklets are part of this challenging project in many nations.

EHC Mexico reported: “In the first six months of 2019, the Lord allowed us to reach 4.8% of the outreach we have as a goal until 2034. In May we distributed 933,134 pieces of literature and reached 427,420 homes. Our promoters are in the field, working hard with great faith as they mobilize every pastor and leader of evangelism they find in their own territories. If we continue with this faithful effort, the Lord will allow Mexico EHC to reach 100% of the national territory in less than 15 years! Pray for this, please.”

“Global Outreach Day was a success in both Mauritius and Rodrigues Island.” EHC Mauritius reported that 608 homes were reached in three towns, with 1,574 pieces of literature distributed by their members and partners from other organizations, and 39 positive responses. “We are waiting for a consignment of literature from our partner (World Missionary Press). Pray for safe arrival and smooth clearing through customs. We are extremely thankful to WMP for providing us with this literature which is used for the work of God. We pray for them to be always blessed for their amazing work.”

A newly established EHC office in Paraguay will soon receive a supply of WMP Scripture booklets to help meet their challenge. “It is a great joy for us to be able to receive this beautiful news that we are going to count on the WMP booklets. As an organization we have a challenge to reach 262,000 homes this year and through the volunteers leave a portion of the Word of God in each of them.”

From Africa came this response: “I was glad and grateful when I saw your forwarded mail attending to the dire need of literature in Liberia. World Missionary Press has always been a supportive arm to accomplishing the Great Commission task through printing literature and making it available to us for evangelism and discipleship.”

As Every Home for Christ Philippines gears up for their OIKOS Initiative project, they “are praying and thanking God as He blesses with more church partners, more strength, and more wisdom” to reach every single Philipino home in the next 20 years. “Thank you, dear partners at World Missionary Press! Thanks, and God bless your staff, your volunteers, and your donors. The materials that we receive from you will again bless every hand that will receive it.”

Recently WMP’s national coordinator in Puerto Rico, Adalberto S., contacted the EHC team there about coordinating coverage of every home in Puerto Rico as a part of the worldwide OIKOS Initiative. Touching every home in his country with the gospel has been a long-time desire of Brother Adalberto’s heart, and he prays for the Spirit of God to move over Puerto Rico through the combined efforts of many churches and Christian leaders as they join together in the OIKOS program.

Friends of WMP and EHC have taken on the challenge in their own way by financially sponsoring needs of the OIKOS initiative in a particular country. Supplies and staffing can be arranged and the work started more smoothly and effectively, making the timely completion of the project more possible.

In the past eight months WMP has shipped 17 million pieces of literature to EHC national directors in 13 countries. Current orders in line for production total 22 million items for 16 countries involved in the OIKOS Challenge. (Up to 25 percent of some shipments may be used for continuing requests from other ministries.)

Would you consider sponsoring one of these countries to help reach EVERY HOME?

Argentina

Madagascar

Congo/Brazzaville

Mexico

Dem. Rep. of the Congo

Mozambique

Gabon

Paraguay

Haiti

Peru

Kazakhstan

Philippines

Lesotho

Sri Lanka

Liberia

Zambia

[You can help provide Scriptures for 16 nations involved in the OIKOS Challenge. Every donated dollar provides for production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets for people in their own language. Investing $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

Grateful Quotes

“I’m writing this email from Afghanistan.”

“It’s about 5 years that I’m following Jesus and learning Christ­ianity. I just download some topics from the internet and translate in my own language, then spread [it] between the followers who need God’s words. If you have any Christianity books in Dari language, kindly send me … for my people here in Afghanistan.

“I need to add that Afghanistan is an Islamic country. I’m very careful and hidden doing this holy job for Christ because I know He loves me as I love Him.”

[After double-checking the postal address to ensure delivery, we sent the requested quantity of Dari Help from Above in February. He later sent word that the materials arrived safely!]

“Thank you so much for sending Scriptural literature. I have received it—1000 copies—and distributed to our people. It’s confirmed.”

—A., Afghanistan

 

 

President’s Corner

Dear Friends,

God’s Word is eternal, it’s life-changing, it accomplishes His purposes. God’s Word is a sharp sword, dividing even between soul and spirit, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

What we are doing together—donors, volunteers, prayer warriors, distributors, staff—is bringing the light of God’s Word to those living in darkness. The harvest today is VAST. The potential to reach billions is real. It’s urgent. TODAY is the day of salvation.

Over the past several weeks we’ve introduced two new products, Who Do You Say That I Am?, and the God Loves You! salvation coloring book—both full of God’s Word, both pointing people to Jesus. Today I want to share about two more tools for the Harvest: The Path to Life and Alive in Christ.

The Path to Life is an 8-panel full-color handout with Scripture verses introducing people to their need for a savior, and the redemption available through Jesus. You can view The Path to Life here: www.wmp-path.org.

Alive in Christ is a discipleship booklet, intended to help new believers discover who they are in Christ, and who Christ is in them. It helps Christians discover more about their new identity as children of the living God, and what it means to live in the light of eternity. Visit www.wmp-alive.org to read Alive in Christ.

We have been challenging you recently to join with us in stepping up to the next level. We are ready, the need is compelling. The significance of your partnership cannot be measured in earthly terms. Thank you for joining us, as we wade into today’s harvest!

 Harold Mack
WMP President

 

 

WMP Partners Around the World

Laurent T.

Cameroon

World Missionary Press has partnered with Every Home for Christ in Cameroon for almost 16 years, providing more than 8,000,000 Scripture booklets, Bible studies, New Testaments, and salvation coloring books. Since 2011 Laurent T. has been EHC’s national director and WMP’s national coordinator in Cameroon. We welcome this opportunity to introduce Laurent to our readers.

WMP: Please describe your background and current ministry.

Laurent: I worked for 11 years with the Cameroon Bible Student Fellowship, preaching the gospel and monitoring students in two regions of my country. I have also been a parish pastor. Today by God’s grace I am working with EHC with the opportunity of reaching in a systematic way every home of my country with the Good News.

WMP: How long have you been involved in distributing WMP literature?

Laurent: I have been using WMP literature since I became a believer in 1986! I grew up with gospel literature. When I joined EHC Cameroon in 2011, I discovered that WMP was a privileged partner of this ministry. Very quickly, I realized that all the churches and brothers who love evangelism are constantly refueling with WMP booklets. Christian literature is an indispensable tool for us, not only to create contacts, but also to speak permanently when we leave it in a house, or when we give it to someone on the street.

WMP: How does the availability of free literature affect evangelism in your country?

Laurent: In the past, personal evangelism in our country suffered much because of a lack of literature. EHC-CAMEROON, with the support of its partner WMP, has made free evangelical literature accessible to Christian communities and Christ groups, even in the most remote parts of the country. This “evangelical seed” has made it possible for EHC-CAMEROON to partner with hundreds of churches and volunteers who are deployed daily in evangelism. It has also made the message of the gospel permanent in homes, hospitals, prisons, schools, military barracks, etc. The proof is how many new distribution points needed to be established. In 2011 we started with five mission fields in three regions of our country. We now have sixteen mission fields in the ten regions of Cameroon because of the ever-increasing demand both for evangelism and for follow up. We have noticed that Christians are more willing to use the booklets as a springboard to start a discussion with someone with whom they want to share the gospel.

WMP: How long does a shipment of WMP literature last?

Laurent: While we work with more than 300 Christian assemblies throughout Cameroon, about 170 churches have a systematic evangelistic work in their localities. Several Christian ministries also use tracts to achieve their goals. The demand is such that we can distribute the equivalent of one 20-foot container of booklets per year. It would be better to have a 40-foot container to last two years.

WMP: How would you describe the effectiveness of WMP material?

Laurent: The topics covered in WMP Scripture booklets meet the needs of people in our country. For example, Satan Versus CHRIST has been effective among those who suffered demonic attacks and in convincing people of the sin of idolatry. In one area it was the main booklet used that could really speak and transform people. The Power of God has been used effectively in families going through various sufferings to demonstrate that Jesus is more powerful than anything else.

The Way to God beats the record of demand by volunteers and partners for evangelism. Personally, I experienced a lot of lives transformed through this booklet. The salvation coloring book for children so captivates families and older people that follow-up becomes easy after leaving it in homes. New Testaments in French and Arabic help converts become familiar with the Good News. They are much preferred over other types of New Testaments because of the topics with verses that help believers study the Bible.

More and more churches are dividing their big assemblies into small disciple-training groups where they study our literature. These booklets appear to be the most efficacious way of keeping Christians balanced and unshakable in the faith.

Seeing God at Work in Europe

 

With great joy we share our thoughts and observations after visiting four European countries on a ten-day trip, talking to distributors and seeing first-hand how WMP literature is used, appreciated, and needed. We felt the Spirit’s presence in each country as we saw the devotion and faithfulness of missionaries, evangelists, and individuals to the call of God to ‘go and tell!’

—WMP 2019 Europe Team

 

Romania: A Light Shining in the Darkness

 

Pastor Raul pointed to a map on his office wall. Colored pins marked the cities and villages where 60 missionaries had established a presence for the gospel. In southern Romania, where 7,000 villages have no evangelical church, only a handful of pins were on the map. But Raul was encouraged and moved on to the next map which showed another county and then to a map of the Balkan nations. They would keep on until all the maps were filled with pins!

 

As the WMP team that recently visited this less-reached region of Romania, we found a mission force fully committed to the work in spite of difficulties and few responses to the gospel. Missionaries must gain the trust of the people, and that takes time and devotion. Mircea and Cornelia have labored in a small community on the Danube for seven years with only a handful of people responding to the gospel, and yet they have a vision to establish a Bible-training center there on the banks of the Danube!

 

Each missionary we met expressed great appreciation for the Scripture booklets and a desire to have them more available to use as their situation directed. Many had used WMP booklets for years, pointing out that the booklets—presenting the Word of God—can stay with someone to be read over and over. This is invaluable in a place where overt evangelism is difficult. Although the work is hard and people are bound by poverty and remnants of a Communist worldview, the WMP team felt the strong presence of the Spirit of God moving through these faithful ones to bring precious souls to the Savior.

 

Finland: Revitalizing a Strong Christian Tradition

 

Visiting with WMP’s national coordinator in Finland was most encouraging and revealing. While WMP communicates regularly with its national coordinators by email and phone, sitting down to talk and share a meal gives new insight into a person and their vision. Brother Ali has a passion to reach the lost, with a focus on those who have been rejected by society, working with ex-criminals to present the transformative power of the gospel. Ali’s time is given to presenting public evangelism activities, working with ethnic groups through the Scripture booklets to reach specific communities, and daily providing WMP literature to churches and individuals who call and ask for more and more booklets in a variety of languages. New doors are opening to send material into neighboring countries, including Germany and Russia, to support growing outreach efforts.

While Finland has a strong Christian tradition, it is a secular nation that is generally affluent and peaceful. The power of the gospel witness has been blunted by humanism and materialism. Here again, however, the WMP team found a vibrant Christian community, including many from African nations working alongside Finnish believers to present Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and Friend.

 

Sweden: A Change in the Air

 

WMP has seen an increase in requests for Scripture booklets from Sweden in recent years, so it was exciting to hear from some of these new distributors as they shared how they use the booklets in the ministry the Lord has given each of them. A retired couple works with the homeless, building relationships and sharing the love of God in practical ways as well as through the written Word. An Iraqi evangelist is on the streets and in Stockholm’s central plaza almost daily with a book table filled with WMP Scripture booklets and other Christian literature. A former drug addict, he is a visible, passionate representative of the One who brought him from death to life.

 

A group of street evangelists shared their appreciation for the Scripture booklets in Swedish, commenting that because the booklets are often out of stock in the WMP plant, the evangelists consider them precious and highly valuable. They are eager to have an additional title available in Swedish to help counter the growing influence of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As in Finland, Sweden has experienced an influx of immigrants from African nations. A pastor from Nigeria shared an earnest testimony of seeing a change in the culture as more and more people are open to receive the Scripture booklets and discover what God has to say. While many traditional churches have declined over the years, there is new life in these young street evangelists, ethnic churches, and newly-established Swedish congregations. WMP will be looking for ways to keep supplies of Scripture booklets on hand in Sweden to fill the growing demand.

 

 

Norway: Transforming Norway

The WMP team was able to deliver 13 boxes (6,500 booklets) in Norwegian to Pastor Ferkah in response to his appeal for Christian literature for his congregation’s intensive soul-winning campaign in the capital city of Oslo from May to September. This is just one example of the increasing number of requests from Norway, where believers have a vision to reach the growing Muslim population, immigrants, and nominal Christians with the message of life eternal through Jesus Christ.

Operation World reports: “Oslo and the surrounding area have a lower number of evangelical Christians, but over half the population live in these areas. Norwegians of a non-Christian persuasion are concentrated here. The majority of adherents to other religions also reside in and around Oslo. To see Norway truly transformed, Oslo must be a focal point of church planting and ministry.”

 

A long-time WMP distributor described how he shares the booklets in various languages in shops and in personal evangelism in Oslo. WMP currently has 103 active distributors in Norway, with more than 80 in and around Oslo. A couple in the far north uses WMP literature in their airbnb apartment rentals, in which many different nationalities stay. This year, five people came to faith in Jesus through reading the Scripture booklets while on vacation.

 

Every step of the way we met brothers and sisters in Christ intent on reaching their communities and nations for Christ—caring for the needy, lifting up the fallen, welcoming the stranger, and drawing back the wayward. What a privilege it was to meet them and offer them assistance through WMP literature in multiple languages! We came home challenged and humbled, ready to follow their example and put our hands to the work of the Savior.

 

Please visit: WMP-Europe.org to view a video report of the Europe trip.

 

[You can help provide Scriptures for Europe and around the world. Every donated dollar funds the production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets for people in their own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

Grateful Quotes

 

“A framework for walking with Christ.”

 

“Help from Above was a huge encouragement and help for me as a new Christian back in the 1970’s. Back then I corresponded with WMP and ordered a quantity of booklets. I have now been a pastor for thirty years, and after not being in touch with WMP for many years, I remembered your ministry and your publication. I remember how these key Scriptures helped give me a framework for walking with Christ and a foundation for understanding. I believe I will be able to make good use of HFA in conversations with people just coming to faith—both outside our church context and within the church. Thank you for your ministry!”

—Michael W., California

 

 

Meet the Team

 

Brad L., Artist

 

[Brad recently illustrated the cover and inside pictures for WMP’s new Who Do You Say That I Am? booklet.]

 

I moved to Indiana to get closer to jobs and industry. I had a client in South Bend who sometimes requested auto­motive illustrations, but I was unable to find another client. I began working part-time at a grocery store and met Karen, a cashier. Learning we’re both Christians, I explained my frustration at a lack of art jobs. She told me her husband, Steve, worked at World Missionary Press and that I should visit. After a few months, I finally scheduled a tour and then filled out an application. I stapled a few examples of my work to the back page and said a prayer.

 

About two weeks later, Harold and Andrew requested an interview. We spent 2½ hours getting to know each other and almost immediately I was asked to re-design the cover for the Bible study on Psalms.

 

For the past year I’ve been happily working for Andrew in the art department, helping update the artwork in some of the booklets. Artwork has always been used to help readers understand the lessons. I provide Harold and Andrew with sketches and concepts for review, then refine the rough sketches into finished artwork. It has required me to learn to illustrate digitally—an “old dog” learning new tricks!

 

I feel a sense of accomplishment because my art is finally being used for the Lord’s work. These booklets are on the front lines of ministry. My work as an industrial designer for 25 years was always for secular clients, as was my automotive illustration for the following 20 years. Now that I am working with WMP, my work is used overtly for the spread of the gospel.

 

My wife Sheryl and I have been married more than 30 years and have two adopted children. Jacob is in the Marines, and Jacki is in high school. Sheryl and I are both artists and work from studios in our home. She specializes in equine art and, until recently, I specialized in automotive art. I’ve been a car-nut all my life. I appreciate vintage cars as well as small-scale models and have collected both for over 40 years.

 

I’ve also spent many a late night working on writing and illustrating a series of kid’s books. I feel a burden to create stories for younger readers that have underlying Christian themes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offering the Word of God to the World

Last month we presented a world map showing the scope of WMP’s activity around the world through national coordinators, major distributors, and individual believers. We will return to our regular format next month but we want to offer another look at the map with the current status of shipments to each country. New doors continue to open and we must be ready to respond to those openings. The current world population is listed at 7.7 billion with a population growth of 25.6 million per year! As encouraging as this map is, it also represents the vast harvest field of souls yet to be reached.

As WMP’s partners around the world share topical Scripture booklets, they often experience the joy of seeing heavy hearts released from their burdens, lives rebuilt in God’s design, and communities transformed into centers of peace. They are eager to receive more and more booklets to share with more and more homes and villages, even into regions where the power of God’s Word has not yet been released.

 

Indonesia

“Tsunamis and floods occurred in several places in Indonesia. This meant a change for us distributing the Word of God. As churches provided rice, food, and other needs, our teams had opportunity to distribute 20,000 WMP booklets. When floods happened in Manado, our workers had opportunity to distribute 8,000 booklets. This year our workers will start visiting schools they have not visited before. Now our stock for Help from Above and The Way to God is less than 30,000 copies. We are surprised with the unsuspected opportunities we still have.”

—Frans K.

 

Philippines

“The Philippines is made up of around 7,641 islands, with eight major dialects. The need to reach out to people through the Scripture booklets is always increasing and challenging at the same time. The Muslim population is growing fast. That is why we are asking for more of your reading materials here in our beloved nation.”

—Rene L.

 

Malawi

“Is it possible to make two requests for literature this time around? There is [such] a huge request for literature now that I feel it may not be possible to meet the demand in one consignment.”

—Gilford M.

 

Finland

“I have the material in different parts of Finland. Now Russia, Estonia, and Germany are opening up, and in the summer, they are going to pick up a lot of literature. In Germany, they need a lot of material. They do a lot of work and now I get them Arabic material also.”

—Ali M.

 

Ethiopia

“In a country like Ethiopia this literature is a [bright] hope for that Muslim woman that is scared to be seen associating with Christians or for that young farmer boy that lives far in the rural areas where people can’t reach him. This literature is a means for them to see things from a different perspective than the reality they live in.”

—Sam B., EHC Ethiopia

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo

“How great was our joy to receive this literature, which constitutes for us a powerful lever in the hands of God for the salvation of souls. We divided the booklets into five parts, then each part was sent for distribution in the villages which surround the city of Kikwit. Unfortunately, the amount was very small for Kikwit, which has more than 700,000 inhabitants. It is difficult to find even a portion of the Word of God in these villages. We received from these villages many testimonies of the souls blessed by the booklets. Thus, to allow us to continue our evangelical work, we kindly ask you to send us a large amount of literature in French and Lingala.”

—Charma W. 

Venezuela

“Venezuela has been in the news, over and again, during the past months. As Christians, we ought to awaken and realize that there is a great spiritual battle going on in all that has to do with Venezuela. The Holy Spirit is working, and the end result will be a great harvest of souls. We are grateful for the partnership with World Missionary Press, and very, very grateful for their help in reaching the multitudes in this country.”

—Hiske E.

 

Colombia

“We can use as much [literature] as you can send. We presently have a network of 300 churches and over 4,000 people.”

—John R.

 

USA

“I personally received a couple of boxes of this booklet (The Amazing Life of Jesus Christ) last year. So many people got saved and blessed by your work. Now I need more and more boxes every week, because many people are coming to Jesus.”

—Marle I.

 

 

Watch and pray as Alison B. shares about shipment status and the great need to provide for a backlog of 120+ million booklets:  https://youtu.be/OftLvE0a0yQ

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Team

Liz M.

Volunteer

 

I retired over seven years ago after many years of factory work and quickly settled into enjoying not getting up early for my job. But soon I realized I wanted to do something with my days that was productive, meaningful, a way of serving other people. One day I was having lunch with a friend who works full time at World Missionary Press. She shared how much she enjoys her work, how friendly the people are, just like family, and how meaningful it is to be involved in sending Scripture to people all over the world who do not have it. Listening to her, I knew that was what I longed for, so I went into the office to see if there was anything I could do—and there was! The following week I started working as a volunteer a couple times a week. It’s thrilling to hear accounts of people who receive booklets and, with the help of missionaries and pastors, not only believe, but grow and remain steadfast in their faith, serving the Lord themselves. It is important to me to pray for the people who receive the booklets going out each day.

 

My husband, Ray, and I have been married 51 years. We have three children, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. We are so happy they live locally and that we get to spend time with them. Ray enjoys playing the tuba with local community and brass bands and I enjoy playing the keyboard on the worship team at our church. I also enjoy making greeting cards, which can be a way of encouraging others.

 

 

God’s Plan to Use His Word

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;…
it shall accomplish what I please.” —Isaiah 55:11

For 57 years World Missionary Press has been “holding forth the word of life” to the world through topical Scripture booklets, demonstrating that the God of the Bible is indeed the one and only true God who loves all people, no matter ethnicity or language. God has faithfully provided for the production of more than 2.2 billion pieces of literature, which have been distributed throughout the world in 348 languages. People from the high mountains of Nepal to the icy expanse of southern Argentina have received WMP Scripture booklets introducing the God who loves them. “For God so loved the world…” rings a welcome chord in any language. This is the vision and continuing mission of World Missionary Press—until the whole world knows!

 

Each year seems to be more exciting and challenging than the one before, as God opens doors and brings new ministry partners—each with their unique focus and methods—to share God’s Word. After many years of limited activity in Europe and Russia, WMP has been contacted regarding major distribution in Europe. Through the impetus of one man’s passion and vision, WMP is planning for a 20-foot container of literature in many of the languages of Eastern Europe. In addition, a request for a shipment to Kazakhstan would make WMP literature available to 18 million people (70% Muslim) in a pivotal nation of Central Asia.

 

In response to increased requests from churches and individuals across Europe, plans for major distribution points to reach all of Europe are being reviewed, so that booklets will be more readily accessible, with major savings in mailing expenses.

 

Shipments to Russia have been halted in recent years, even though the work of the Kingdom continues there. A new request for WMP literature for Russia has prompted WMP to authorize the printing of 250,000 Scripture booklets in Russia! We continue to pray for the day when we can again send container shipments full of Scripture booklets into Russia.

 

Growing persecution in many parts of Asia increases the sense of urgency to proclaim the good news of salvation and hope through Jesus Christ to 4.6 billion people! WMP was able to produce 21 million Scripture booklets for India in the past year, providing thousands of pastors and evangelists with “seed” to sow. Teams continued to take booklets deep into China as the Lord led. Thousands of tourists from mainland China have come to Christ while visiting Hong Kong and Macau through the personal witness of believers and gift bags which included WMP booklets.

 

Two major shipments to the Philippines filled empty shelves and waiting requests for Scripture booklets in 16 Filipino languages. Shipments are planned for India, Thailand, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Macau this year. Printings of 1.3 million booklets in Indonesia will help fill requests from our coordinator and another partnering ministry in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

 

Scripture booklets are often carried into dangerous and challenging areas where there is great resistance to the spread of the gospel. In Liberia, teams boldly and prayerfully seek out villages controlled by witch doctors or “devils” feared by the people. As the Holy Spirit moves, and God’s power and love is demonstrated, ancient barriers are broken down and new life takes root. Many in Africa are seeing such a moving of the Spirit. Recent shipments to Africa have impacted nations which have been without continuing supplies of Scripture booklets for years. New contacts in Benin, Togo, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic of the Congo now have Scripture booklets to leave in every home they visit, confident that God will use His Word as He has planned. Shipments projected for Africa total 54 million booklet equivalency for 25 countries!

 

WMP Scripture booklets can be found in every country in Latin America. Requests from national coordinators and individual distributors are increasing in frequency and volume. In countries experiencing political and economic turmoil, believers are finding new receptivity to the message of a sure foundation in Jesus Christ. Migration from country to country brings new challenges to reach across national identities and meet common needs.

 

A group from California which works to provide essential aid and the Word of God to needy children in Mexico was challenged by the plight of immigrants leaving their home countries to find help and hope in the USA. They contacted WMP for help in providing Scripture booklets to accompany the humanitarian supplies they had gathered. WMP quickly shipped 5,000 copies of The Way to God in Spanish.

 

A woman from Jamaica discovered a copy of The Way to God Scripture booklet someone had given her 40 years before. She realized she had never read it! At a time of difficulty and change in her life, the truths in that booklet encouraged and blessed her. She believed it was just for this time that the booklet had been kept, and she determined to give her life to the Lord.

 

We do not know all that God will do with the millions of Scripture booklets that are printed and shipped, but we are confident that God has a purpose and plan and that as we do our part in being obedient to offer the Word, His purpose will be accomplished.

 

[You can help provide a sure foundation in an unstable world. Every donated dollar provides for the production of 26 powerful Scripture booklets for people around the world in their own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,600 people; $1,000 will impact 26,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

 

Looking Forward

When looking forward to an exciting time, we often keep asking, “Are we ready yet?” Bags are packed, the chores all done—what are we waiting for? Sometimes that feeling haunts the prayers of WMP’s staff as we ask God for increased production to meet the ever-increasing demand for Scripture booklets from every corner of the world. At this time last year, we cited new property, newer and up-graded equipment, and increased efficiency in production. Today we can look back on 2018 and praise God for the new cutter-trimmer we needed (provided by designated funds), key staff members, access to the Digital Bible Library, and two new Scripture booklets which will further develop the range of material available from WMP.

Even as God continues to prepare us, He is enlarging our borders. Requests for WMP literature continue to grow as the effectiveness of the booklets is discovered by pastors, evangelists, and individuals. We sense the urgency of the times and the peril of those who may soon face eternity without ever hearing the gospel. Our prayer is that God would provide the financial resources for WMP to increase production by almost 43% (from the equivalency of 7 million Scripture booklets to 10 million per month), allowing us to fill requests sooner. Given the increased efficiency of high-volume production, we can produce and ship each extra million above our base of 7 million per month at acost of just $30,000!

 

The container shipment summary for 2017-2018 shows 53,296,941 pieces shipped. Projected shipments for 2018-2019 account for 109,796,515 pieces! Coordinators often wait a year before receiving their next shipment. Some are asking that we send two containers at a time so that the supply will not run out so quickly after filling requests which have been accumulating for up to a year.

 

The stark statistics and pleading for literature from so many faithful friends keep us on our knees, asking our great God for the opportunity to meet these needs, echoing His heart’s desire that none should perish.

 

The story of David reminds us that while God was preparing David to be king, He was also using him to defeat Goliath and to be a testimony of faith to all Israel. WMP will continue to fulfill God’s immediate purpose for us, even as He continues to prepare us to produce at the level of His choosing.