For several years World Missionary Press has relied increasingly on national coordinators, who receive large shipments from WMP to supply hundreds of distributors in each of their respective nations with quantities of Scripture booklets. This arrangement benefits WMP in efficiency of production, greatly reduced shipping costs, and more effective distribution of Scripture booklets.

As the number of national coordinators has increased (now 43 and growing), distribution networks in each country have geared up, and the overall need for WMP materials has skyrocketed. Even at the rate of printing 5+ million Scripture booklets per month, many coordinators have to wait a year or more for their shipments. Distributors and coordinators plead with us to please, please send their materials sooner because people receptive to the life-changing Word of God are perishing daily.

It is difficult to explain that they will have to wait several more months before we can even begin working on their shipment, due to the huge backlog of requests such as theirs. Many of these dedicated volunteers have no other source of Scripture. When the supply from WMP is exhausted, distribution efforts in their country come to a halt. Distribution networks-sometimes consisting of thousands of workers-are put on hold until the next shipment arrives.

Here are sample interactions I've had in just the past couple of weeks:

India ---As I write this, five containers of Scripture booklets are enroute to India and Sri Lanka . Many of the Urdu booklets on one container heading for Kashmir in northern India will end up in Pakistan . Two containers are going to Brother E. Velayutham (Velu) of India Bible Literature, WMP's long-time coordinator for India. Hearing that they are on their way, Velu shared:

"Since we [have] waited more than two years . . . , we have a huge [pile of] pending orders for the booklets, so the first container of 4,215 boxes will be distributed within 20 days. Apart from our four branch offices and more than 200 IBL [student] evangelists, we are sending the booklets to more than 3,000 partner [ministries] across the country."

Archbishop Dr. M.A. Thomas of Emmanuel Bible Institute based in Kota , India , is also receiving a container. WMP president Jay Benson and I met with Dr. Thomas in 2001 during our visit to India . At that time, Dr. Thomas' organization included over 4,000 churches, many schools, leper colonies, and orphanages. It has been 19 months since we were able to send Brother Thomas any Scripture booklets. When he learned earlier this week that his container was on its way, he e-mailed:

"When I read your [e-mail], I shouted and said, 'Praise the Lord!' I am very happy to say we have graduated 1,272 [Bible school] students from Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh) and 140 students from Kota (Rajasthan). They have gone to the mission field, and our [remaining undergraduate] Bible students have also gone for 1 1/2 months for gospel outreach programs. . . .

"When you can send one container full of Telegu booklets, please send it to Andhra Pradesh. ...Almost 2,000 pastors work with us in Andhra Pradesh. Every 6 months we will be happy to distribute one container of booklets there. . . . If you can give one container of the booklets in Malayalam and in Tamil together [for Kerala state], we will distribute at least one container every year."

Brazil ---Over the past few years, Brazil has seen great revival. People are coming to the Lord in large numbers, churches are expanding, and new churches are being born. I am convinced that much of this growth is fueled by one-on-one sharing of God's Word by believers throughout the country. In the North along the Amazon, Brother Ademir Cardoso has teams of evangelists who ride boats and share The Way to God with the passengers. He has shared stacks of letters with us from recipients of these booklets, many of whom have accepted Jesus as Lord.

In the South, around Sao Paulo---a city of over 18 million people---Brother Clovis Nogueira gives quantities of boxes to churches of all denominations for home-to-home outreach. Teams of evangelists are trained specifically in the use of WMP Scripture booklets for reaching homes in his city for Christ. A few days ago he wrote:

"We are happy and grateful for your pleasant cooperation with the literature, as without them our job wouldn't exist. Brothers, we have evangelized many souls day after day, and many souls have accepted Christ as Saver of their souls. I am sure that all of you will be rewarded by God for this cooperation. It was with great pleasure that on March 24, I received the 2,130 boxes of literature, as it has been one year that we haven't received any literature. Almost half of the boxes have been distributed, as the churches come here to take it out day and night."

WMP's national coordinator for Brazil , Erno Engelsdorf, supplies thousands of distributors all over Brazil with WMP literature. In his monthly reports, Erno shares that he has been sending out about 1,000 boxes per month since receiving two containers in February. Three days ago Brother Erno e-mailed:

"Dear Harold, First of all I want to thank you for all you are doing for Brasil. The booklet distribution [is] going very fast. Hundreds of people and churches are using them for evangelism every day. The quantity we have received will be enough to distribute until August. For this reason I would like to take the opportunity to ask you to send the next shipment within the next semester so that the work will not suffer interruption and that we may be able to keep on with the distribution of God's Word every day. Please could you confirm if this is possible? May He supply all your needs and give you the continued resources for this work."

We are gathering up most of the Portuguese we have left in inventory to send to Brother Erno. It may last him another couple of months. At our current rate of production and with our backlog of requests for large shipments, it will be sometime next year before we can begin printing Portuguese again for Brazil . In addition to Brazil, we have outstanding requests for large shipments of Spanish materials to many other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.

Africa---Less than three months after receiving a shipment of 400 boxes in February, WMP's new coordinator in the genocide nation of Rwanda - Ananie Bagaragaza - wrote:

"We continue praising Him for what He is doing in various parts of Rwanda and neighboring countries. Please, the Scripture booklets we received from World Missionary Press are finished. If possible, [we would] like please a big container because we have many requests from different churches and ministries. . . . Many church and ministries' leaders . . . [are] now aware that they can receive these items from [our] EHC Rwanda office."

Last week Ben Boateng, our coordinator for many years in Ghana , wrote:

"Demand for the booklets is very high, and we have completely run out. In light of this, please put some [booklets] together for onward shipment to us at your earliest convenience."

In addition to these requests from Rwanda and Ghana , we have coordinators and major distributors in South Africa , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Malawi , Zambia , Tanzania , Liberia , Mozambique , Uganda , Angola , Togo , Senegal , Burkina Faso , Gabon , Cameroon , and Ivory Coast waiting for us to print and send their freight shipments.

The above quotes are just a small sample of the requests regularly received here from around the world. Doors of opportunity are wide open in so many countries! God has prepared the hearts of whole nations to receive His Word! He has established distribution networks that are in place and ready to reach multitudes. As He opens our eyes to how white---and VAST---the harvest is, how can we NOT respond?

God has put a burden on our hearts for a quantum increase in production. We have geared up for expanded production, knowing that the millions of booklets produced each month will result in many thousands of souls changed for eternity. Won't you help us achieve this God-inspired goal by increasing your giving commitment to World Missionary Press? Every extra dollar means 25 extra Scripture booklets---many of which will reach multiple people with the Word of Life.

The need is great, the urgency real, the results eternal.

[Every donation of $20 provides 48-page Scripture booklets for 500 people. A gift of $100 will reach 2,500 people, while $500 will touch 12,500 lives with the gospel. It costs WMP just $40,000 to provide a power-packed Scripture booklet to each of one million people!]

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God has provided for a quantum leap in production to begin NOW!
In November, 2006, WMP leadership began to cry out to God for a quantum leap in income to meet the need for a quantum leap in production. Income in December was the highest in history! Estate distributions in February and April increased YTD income by 42%! Added workers and enhanced equipment will allow the web press and binderies to run more hours. A 60' x 100' building addition will add space for staging more container shipments simultaneously and free up more space for production. Pray for designated funding of the 2007 capital needs (see list) so that all of the increased income can go directly into printing and shipping God's Word. Pray that God will stir hearts to begin or increase regular giving so that the quantum leap will continue as long as doors are open!

Coming next month:
~ Studying Scripture booklets in the public schools of Paraguay and Bolivia
~ Reaching Arabic-speaking communities in the U.S. and around the world
~ All-night bindery marathons increase