Supplying the Life-Blood for Distributors in Africa
World
Missionary Press, Inc.
World
Missionary Press News April/May 2008
AFRICAN
ADVENTURE
"Sharing
This Good Food with Others"
WHAT AN ADVENTURE was experienced
by Harold Mack (WMP's Director of Global Distribution) and Kent Biller
(bindery supervisor)! It began in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda,
Tanzania, and South Africa, and continued on in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique,
and Madagascar. In each place grateful distributors warmed the visitors'
hearts with reports of precious souls coming to Jesus for salvation through
WMP Scripture booklets.
Hearts are healed,
lives are transformed, and hope is renewed in villages and towns across the
continent. Here are excerpts from Harold and Kent's exciting reports, fresh
from each day's experience.
ZAMBIA:
A
booklet can change a life.
At a Salvation Army
church in the capital city of Lusaka, a meeting with WMP distributors was
attended by about 80 distributors. Chaplains for the police, Air Force, and
military; pioneer missionaries, pastors, evangelists, and bishops - all shared
how vital the booklets are to their ministries.
One said, "People
can't afford a Bible, but they can get a booklet, and it can change their
life. I've seen it! People are hungry and need God's Word." One
pastor compared the booklets to food. "If you just tell them it is good,
they don't know for sure; but if you share the food with them, then they can
say, 'The food is good.'" He concluded, "I have tasted this food, so
I started sharing this food with others."
The most exciting
thing that happened at the meeting was a strategy session to prepare for
receiving a 40-ft. container of about 2 million booklets in 2008. Together
with WMP's national coordinator, Richard K., these key distributors came up
with a strategy to reach each of the country's nine provinces. They
believe very strongly in holding each other accountable so that God will smile
on them and say, "You were faithful with what was entrusted to you."
On
to Livingstone
In the area where
David Livingstone carried the gospel, American missionaries Robert and Jody
Hayton minister among the Tonga, Chewa, Loza, Bemba, and Tumbuku tribes in the
Tonga Valley and along the Zambezi River. In their 11 years there, they have
taken the light of the gospel into a very dark area, dealing with witch
doctors, demon-possessed people, weak Christians, and polygamy. They have used
WMP booklets for years, especially Satan versus CHRIST. The Haytons
have started 142 churches in Zambia and are starting about six churches a
month as new churches mature and want to reach out to neighboring villages.
They rely on WMP booklets to disciple new Christians. The need for more
of God's Word is great.
In a videotaped
interview, Robert expressed great appreciation to everyone involved with
getting out the Scripture booklets. He called the booklets "ammunition
for the foot soldiers" and spoke of the great impact the Word of God is
having in that dark place. The Word of God has taken hold and is changing
lives. [Please write if you are interested in receiving a DVD video copy of
Robert Hayton's testimony if you have not recently received one. See response
form.]
While visiting with
Robert Hayton, Harold Mack arranged to send a skid of Scripture booklets to
meet ongoing, urgent needs. A shipment of 240 boxes of booklets in five
languages was sent on its way. Then overwhelming floods engulfed a region of
Zambia where the Haytons have ministered. They immediately rushed to provide
assistance to the churches as well as to the villagers in the endangered area
before the only route in collapsed.
Among the needs was the need for the Word of God. The shipment of Scripture
booklets arrived just in time to be part of this emergency assistance.
MALAWI:
Saved in prison
through Help From Above
WMP's national
coordinator, William K., met Harold and Kent in Blantyre. In addition to their
own three children, William and his wife Gladys have an orphanage in their
house for 17 other children. William is an evangelist and was saved in
prison after reading WMP's Help From Above. He led others in
prison to Jesus and after being released became an evangelist, preaching and
handing out booklets all over Malawi.
The distributor
meeting went well, with 75 pastors, bishops, and other distributors attending.
Several have used 
WMP
booklets for many years.
The pastor who had
shared the Help From Above booklet with Brother William in prison was
there also and was touched by the fruit that one booklet had accomplished
through William. One bishop shared how he had started reading WMP booklets
long before and added, "Where the Chichewa booklets were used, many
have been helped and
baptized, and the churches are growing. We ask that they continue, so many
will be won to the Lord."
The need is to supply
a 40-ft. container with materials for Brother William as well as material for
Every Home for Christ in Malawi as soon as possible.
MOZAMBIQUE:
Workers danced,
boxes held high
The overland trip
from Blantyre, Malawi to Beira, Mozambique had been of some concern for our
safety, and much prayer had been offered. But - praise God! - the
12-hour trip was "uneventful" by African standards.
On the night we
arrived in Beira, Mozambique, Harold was able to spend time with Pastor A.,
EHC's national director for Mozambique, discussing how WMP could best help
with the literature needs of Every Home for Christ (EHC) in his country.
Tanneken Fros, WMP's national coordinator for Mozambique, and Pastor A.
already knew each other well and are very happy to be able to network in
sharing WMP materials.
The distributor
meeting - well, that was another blessing! About 60 people gathered, including
pastors representing 30 different churches. They were so excited that
representatives from WMP would come to visit them! One distributor said he
thanked God very much because in Mozambique it is very hard to find Bibles.
"Many would welcome these booklets, but don't know about them. God is
blessing us more since we have used these booklets. Our churches need these
booklets."
At the end of the
meeting, Tanneken and Pastor Rego distributed 30 boxes of booklets among the
gathered distributors. It was so amazing to see their excitement and
appreciation! As the boxes were given out, workers began singing; then
they danced with the boxes held high and sang a joyful song of thanksgiving to
Jesus for what He had done.
On Saturday morning
we visited Tanneken's work in Dondo and visited with some of the orphans. We
gladly gave 
them
God Loves You salvation coloring books in Portuguese.
Mozambique needs a
40-ft. container of Portuguese materials as soon as possible.
MADAGASCAR:
Many have never
heard of Jesus
In Madagascar, an
island east of southern Africa, the people are poor, but things have improved
immensely under the leadership of a freely-elected,
re-elected, and born-again Christian president over the past 5-6 years.
Dries du Plessis,
national coordinator for WMP and national director for EHC, and his wife
Valerie drove 11 hours to meet with us. He had used WMP booklets in ministry
to ship crews in South Africa before using them in Madagascar. We talked about
the needs: Many villages in the interior with difficult access have never
heard of Jesus. They can't even be reached for three months in the rainy
season except by helicopter. Witch doctors, ancestral worship, idolatry, and
demon-possession are rampant
here.
Several distributors
have used WMP booklets for a long time. One distributor said, "Everywhere
I go, I share the booklets, and people are glad to receive them. The English Bible
Study on Matthew is very helpful. We use it in the Bible Study
Fellowship." The need for Madagascar is to supply a 20-ft. container of
French and Malagasy materials
as soon as possible.
It was a great voyage
of discovery to meet many wonderful 
brothers
and sisters in Christ. We have learned much from them about real dedication
to serving Christ. It is a joyful privilege for World Missionary
Press to provide Scripture booklets for these dedicated workers.
[Every donated
dollar still reaches 25 people with the gospel. A gift of $100 can touch 2,500
lives; and $1,000 will minister to 25,000 people. What an investment in
eternity!]
IN ADDITION TO PRAYER AND FINANCIAL
SUPPORT, you can be personally involved in worldwide ministry in
these ways:
1. Talk to Your Pastor
If you believe in WMP's ministry and
recognize the importance of helping it continue and grow, please take
initiative to speak with your pastor. Tell him what you know about WMP, show
him this newsletter, and ask him if he would please consider scheduling field
reps Fred and Betsy Eiler for an inspiring and motivating service. Eilers'
phone: (765) 2588-3641. Cell: (765) 418-2216.
2.
"VBS Ideas of Significance"
Write or call for a brochure with great
ideas for VBS projects that have a significant missions focus.
3.
"Bible Read-a-Thon"
Write or call for copies of our "Bible
Read-a-Thon" brochure that guides children or young people in reading
chapters of the Bible while raising funds for Scripture booklets to reach
children around the world.
4. Missions Bank
Write or call for one or more special
banks to encourage families or individuals to save coins and bills for a truly
significant and eternal cause-producing God's Word for precious people around
the world in their own languages.
5.
"Kid's Korner"
Encourage your children to visit "Kid's
Korner" at our website, www.wmpress.org, where they will find "Sammy
the Scripture Booklet," a Word Search puzzle, and other meaningful and
fun activities.
6. Volunteer Time and Energy
Individuals and groups can call to
schedule a time for volunteer service at WMP. Youth groups can schedule a
"Half-Million Missions Marathon." A variety of work is available.
Call 574-831-2111, extension 0, and ask to speak with our Volunteer
Coordinator.
Thank you for standing with us in a ministry that is impacting
millions with the powerful Word of God!
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