“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” –1 Corinthians 16:9
MORE THAN 5,000 PASTORS and church leaders gathered for Thailand’s 8th Congress on Evangelism last year to plan strategy for how better to reach Thailand with the gospel of Jesus Christ. ActsCo and WMP Scripture booklets were there! Thousands of pieces of Christian literature and more than 100,000 Scripture booklets were given away within 48 hours.
As WMP’s coordinator in Thailand, ActsCo—a Christian printing company—operates BookHouse to disperse free Christian books, Bibles, and tracts, logging all the free literature given out daily. “Practically every pastor in this country knows about it,” wrote ActsCo President Kendall C. A recent ActsCo mailing of a free book contained a flyer announcing FREE booklets for evangelism. “In the past three days,” Kendall reported, “the BookHouse has been jammed with people, and our office has been receiving many calls specifically for WMP booklets.”
In addition to a 40-foot container of 4,215 ten-pound boxes of Scripture booklets in various languages planned for shipping to ActsCo, a second 40-foot container is being planned for Every Home for Christ. Last year EHC reached nearly 500,000 homes with two titles each plus handing them out in prisons and to each student in schools. “We are so thankful and praise the Lord for your kind giving to the Thai people generously,” wrote EHC’s Sister Buakab. “This is the time that God’s hands have moved through many parts of the country, even the South! God is at work in many churches and mission organizations to reach out to that difficult area tremendously! I have been training women across the country to rise up and do evangelism. Our teams reach out to youths and children as well.”
Malaysia
When EHC reactivated work in Malaysia in 2014, Sister Koh became their national director and was able to receive a variety of Scripture booklets and Bible studies—a few boxes at a time. The first freight shipment of one pallet (192 ten-pound boxes) was delivered late last year. A second pallet was expected to arrive in mid-July. Earlier this year the High Court in Malaysia ruled in favor of religious freedom for a Muslim man to convert to Christianity as an adult (his parents had converted to Islam when he was a child). Pray that this landmark ruling will open more doors in Malaysia.
Fiji
Literature distribution in Fiji is expanding to the point where EHC teams cover an average of 500 homes per day. Plans are to send increased quantities of Scripture booklets in Fijian and a first printing of 80,000 The Way to God in Fijian Hindi. In April a church in Queensland, Australia, ordered booklets to take along on a ministry trip to Fiji to help after the cyclone. Earlier, booklets were ordered for one-to-one evangelism on the streets of Fiji’s capital city after a member of the Gideons shared a copy of The Way to God and they saw the address on the back. More recently, a ministry in New Zealand ordered booklets for outreach in remote areas of Fiji and Vanuatu in June and July.
Pakistan
Printings in Pakistan can often face delays because of power outages or lack of manpower. Delivery of 20,000 copies each of My Bible Reading Book and A Bible Study on John in Urdu was delayed because “some of the Muslim workers feast before their holy month of Ramadan.” In the meantime, the translation of A Bible Study on Revelation into Urdu was completed and is now being printed ($12,100). In addition to printing WMP materials in Pakistan, we also send containers of Scripture booklets for use by our major ministry partners there.
Brother Nadeem emailed Harold Mack, “WMP booklets are being delivered to churches and ministries throughout our country, and God is definitely using them wonderfully in His appointed ways. We are thankful to you and WMP for this great support for Pakistani Christians!”
Indonesia
Opportunities in Indonesia seem to be increasing as Frans K., WMP’s coordinator in Indonesia, tries to keep sufficient quantities of Scripture booklets in stock in the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world. Large orders from churches in Central and West Java and North Sulawesi kept staff busy packing boxes of Indonesian Help From Above and The Way to God. Indonesian Bible studies on John and Matthew needed to be reprinted. Reprinted He Is Risen! coloring books were delivered in time for a large meeting of pastors in Surabaya.
Then came an urgent email from Frans! “Today when our staff went to pack WMP booklets for West Borneo, South Sumatra, and other churches in Java, Bali, and Timor, they found that Help From Above and The Way to God is out of stock!” In addition, more stock would be needed in September for Batu Bible School’s big reunion—from its first class (1955) to its 60th class (2015)—bringing thousands of pastors from around Indonesia. What better time to provide supplies of Scripture booklets to take back to their churches! Reprinting 150,000 of each title was approved.
Brother Frans has also facilitated recording the audio version of Help From Above in Indonesian (now available on the “World Missionary Press” app), with more recordings “in the works.”
Nepal
Brother David L. expressed his thanks for the willingness of WMP to print a good amount of WMP booklets in Nepal—250,000 copies each of Nepali Help From Above and The Way to God and 50,000 How to Know God (total cost $22,223). “It will be wonderful help to our 48 pioneer crusaders for reaching homes of Nepal.” Others request booklets from them as well. Right now distribution is not much of a problem, but this situation may not last. Pressure from Hindu agitators compelled the present government to take back the Christmas holiday, which was sanctioned in 2006, and they are likely to pass anti-conversion laws. “In this background, we are so much in a hurry to reach out to homes by the gospel booklets. In fact, we need it huge,” wrote Brother David. In mid-June he reported, “Last week eight Christians were arrested . . . for distributing gospel literature among little kids in two schools.” Much prayer brought their release, but a case has been filed. Workers need prayer “because we are doing literature evangelism so openly.”
Enlargement in India
This fiscal year WMP has printed 9.4 million Scripture booklets in multiple languages for shipping on five containers to India. In addition, 6 million booklets have been printed in India, with another 3.7 million in the works. They will be delivered to four regional headquarters of a partner ministry which has more than 20,000 pastors and evangelists involved in pioneer evangelism, church planting, leadership training, and mobilizing intercessory prayer for the nation. Their work is reaching 409 people groups in seven states of North India.
The burden to do MORE for India’s 1.2 billion people, trusting God for increased resources, led to PROJECT INDIA, a vision to provide 100,000,000 Scripture booklets for India over a period of three years. Distributors in India believe the time is growing short, with reports of increasing hostility in many areas. WE CANNOT HOLD BACK. Now is the time to move forward in faith and passion!
[You can provide God’s Word for the nations of Asia. Every donated dollar puts 24 powerful Scripture booklets into the hands of Christians eager to share God’s Word. An investment of $25 will provide a Scripture booklet for 600 people; $100 will touch the lives of 2,400 people.]
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Meet the Team
Trent B.
Finance and Prepress Departments
I was born and raised very near World Missionary Press, but until 2013 I had never visited. After teaching English in Hong Kong for eight years, I felt God had a change for me, so I moved back to Elkhart County at the end of 2012 to consider a few work possibilities.
During the month of March, when my church focused on different ministries and missionaries, Harold Mack shared about WMP in a Sunday service. The following day I took a tour of World Missionary Press and was amazed! How could I have been so unaware of such an incredible ministry right here in New Paris, Indiana? Before leaving that day, I was given a work application to fill out and return the next week. After a couple of interviews, feedback from key people in my life, and lots of prayer, I accepted a position at WMP. It’s hard to believe how quickly the past three years have gone.
I work in two departments: Finance and Prepress. My responsibilities in the Finance Department involve collecting paperwork related to the arrival of shipping containers sent around the world and sending funds to WMP national coordinators and contract printers in other countries. In the Prepress Department, I help prepare aluminum plates that are used on the different printing presses. Even though these departments are very different, I enjoy the variety.
What a blessing it is to work for a ministry that impacts people around the world! It is great to pray for shipments that are sent out and also for the people who will receive the Scripture booklets. God is working, and I get the privilege of being a part of what He’s doing! If you are ever in New Paris, please stop and take a tour of WMP. We love to share what’s happening and how you can get involved.
When I’m not working at World Missionary Press, I enjoy flower gardening, eating out, and playing games with friends. I also like to collect foreign money when traveling overseas.
Grateful Quotes
“I Wish You Could See the Faces”
Scripture booklets were sent to a family in California for a short-term YWAM mission trip in Uganda and South Sudan.
“We mainly used the gospel booklets in villages and in prisons. Life savers! We couldn’t get Bibles over there, so the booklets were the only Scripture we were able to give out. It was so wonderful to have them in native languages. They speak so many!
“No photos were allowed to be taken inside any prison facility we visited, but the Youth prison director was so pleased with our missionary team he took a photo with us and pleaded with the YWAM base to please keep coming back. He said it was making a difference in the lives of the youth, and they had tried many other programs unsuccessfully.
“Books and Bibles are very hard to get in these parts of Africa, so passing out the Scripture booklets was so precious to these at-risk kids. I know God is doing wonderful things in Uganda and South Sudan . . . and World Missionary Press is helping accomplish them!”
After their return, Christine requested a ten-pound box of booklets in Arabic, Bari, and English be sent to YWAM missionaries on furlough in Texas to take back with them in July. On hearing it would be sent the next day and arrive in a few days, she wrote:
“Thank you so much!!!! I’m so excited. . . . I wish you could see the faces as they are given out. They will truly be a blessing in South Sudan. God bless you!” —Christine R., California
WMP Partners Around the World
Victor S., Chile
When Harold Mack, now WMP President, travelled to Chile in 2007 to meet with distributors, he reported: “Victor S. is the Every Home for Christ national director for Chile and pastor of a church. . . . He is also a former professional soccer player! Over the past few years, Victor has organized home-to-home distribution of literature throughout the length of Chile, relying heavily on large quantities of WMP booklets. We PRAISE THE LORD that Victor has agreed to serve as [volunteer] WMP national coordinator for Chile!!! . . . This is an answer to prayer, and a vital ingredient in getting WMP material throughout Chile.”
WMP: Victor, how long have you been involved in distributing WMP literature?
Victor: In 1996 we opened the ministry of the crusade to every home in Chile. From the beginning, WMP was present with literature in our country, and we have been working in the distribution of literature for 20 years.
WMP: How does having free literature encourage evangelism in Chile?
Victor: During 2015, together with WMP and EHC we have done hard work all over our country. Thousands of people have received in their hands several booklets that have transformed their lives. Hundreds of witnesses have confirmed to us that the work we have been doing all these years has not been in vain, and the planting done has borne much fruit.
This year, we had two major projects in addition to distributing literature monthly throughout Chile. First, we visited the cities of Concepción, Coronel, Arauco, Contulmo, Temuco and Los Angeles, a journey of 1500 km. A total of 206,500 booklets distributed, with 2,119 responses to the gospel.
Second, five cities in the North of our country—a distance of 1990 km—were visited; 127,000 booklets were distributed, with 1,982 responses. As we began our return trip, it started raining in these cities (unusual), ending up with a flood that killed hundreds. Thank God we began our journey in time, and we were saved out of this tragedy.
WMP: How does WMP literature assist local churches in Chile?
Victor: We continue to implement a project that spans our country, distributing literature to the churches of Chile to reach the homes, hospitals, prisons, and streets of their cities. From January through November (2015), we distributed 765,900 booklets.
WMP: How can WMP help you and the EHC teams reach your goal of evangelizing to the last corner of Chile?
Victor: A container shipment lasts 10-12 months. We would like an increase of 50% and a frequency of one 40-foot container (2 million booklets) per year.
Victor concluded his 2015 report with praise to God for the families reached, the homes restored, and the “many children who have returned to the Heavenly Father.” He wrote, “It has been wonderful this year! And we give glory to God! Although we have not been exempt from problems, disasters, and earthquake, we exalt God because everything has helped well! We are rejoicing together to bless Christ in Chile through the material that you provide us.”
