God’s Word at Work in South America
COLOMBIA: “WMP—with the literature sent to us—is creating peace in our nation.”
For many years Raul has been sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ in a remote region of southern Colombia. Putumayo, Colombia, located on Colombia’s southern border with Ecuador, is a land of great beauty and natural resources, but for many years it was also a land of fear and violence as a result of the drug trade that flourished there.
Raul has been using WMP literature since 2003. His requests for another shipment included impassioned pleas for more booklets than the previous shipment. When he received 120 ten-pound boxes of Scripture booklets he wrote, “Only God knows the gratitude in my heart and the hearts of more than thirty pastors who were blessed by the material and resources you sent for Putumayo.”
For eight years Pastor Pablo worked hard in a local jail with more than 540 inmates, visiting three times a week. At one point 30 percent of the prisoners had come to Christ. He also visited the needy families, hoping to see all of the prisoners and their families come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior. He requested more Scripture booklets to help his dream become a reality.
Late last year Raul sent another plea for material: “The ministry I represent has no resources to invest in Bible literature. We work in an area where there is much fighting. We work with people who have been displaced by the violence.” He requested 1,300 boxes of literature for the expanding work in this remote area.
Transportation to this area is difficult. Sending boxes to Raul from WMP’s national coordinator in Colombia (located in Barranquilla) takes almost four days and nights and is very expensive. However, WMP’s national coordinator in Ecuador can provide boxes to Putumayo in about 14 hours at a very reasonable cost. This option led Raul to ask for a larger shipment so that they could distribute material not only in prisons and to churches and ministries, but also to schools where teachers reported a desire to have booklets for their students. He wrote, “Unfortunately, we now have none to share.”
These faithful servants of the Lord who have worked so long with so little are pleading for help. WMP is blessed to send a “double portion” of Scripture booklets to be used by the Holy Spirit to change the heart of a nation.
ARGENTINA: “We had literature in our warehouse . . . is it not wonderful?”
In June of last year, when Rino B. (above right), WMP’s national coordinator in Argentina, reported on the arrival of a new shipment of WMP literature to be shared throughout the country, he was giving glory to God. Their warehouse was full, and they could begin immediate distribution. Within days, four pallets (1,024 ten-pound boxes) were on their way to field workers for the churches that distribute WMP material.
When Rino visited one of the prisons where his ministry works, about 40 prisoners received literature, accepted the Lord as their Savior, and were baptized! They were given a Certificate of Baptism and WMP booklets to share with other prisoners (more than 400 men), seeking to draw them also into the loving arms of the Savior.
Rino reported that their supply of WMP literature would last only until August, 2017, and then he would need another 40-foot container. The material for this container is in production, and should ship by the end of this year Lord willing. We look forward to another joyful report when the new supply of Scripture booklets arrives in Argentina.
VENEZUELA: “We desperately need Bibles [New Testaments] in this country!”
The world watches with grave concern as Venezuela struggles with an economic crisis demonstrated by shortages of basic goods and soaring inflation. Social programs have been curtailed amid a wave of anti-government protests. Plummeting oil prices have brought rising inflation of more than 50 percent a year [BBC].
WMP’s national coordinator Hiske E. explained how the shortages and cutbacks have affected the availability of Bibles. “Because of the economic situation, it is very hard for us to print Bibles in other countries. Any company that wants to import something from the exterior can put in a request … and has to explain what he wants to import, and why. Only requests for essential materials will be considered. The importation of Bibles is not [considered] essential….”
WMP has shipped one container (76,800 Spanish New Testaments) to help meet this need. Brother Hiske states that they could use more containers, but they can handle only two at this time. A new shipment of Scripture booklets including another 31,500 Spanish New Testaments is in production to be sent to Venezuela as soon as possible. Brother Hiske voiced concern that we cannot know how long the door will be open to import New Testaments. While the world sees the physical needs of the people of Venezuela, we as believers see the urgent need for spiritual food and will work to help meet that need as God provides.
The need for God’s Word in Latin America is great. At this time, Spanish Scripture booklets, Bible studies, and New Testaments are being produced for shipments to Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela as well as Portuguese materials for Brazil (see interview with WMP’s coordinator in Brazil on page 4).
[You can help provide God’s life-transforming Word for Latin America and the world. Every dollar is prayerfully used in producing 27 powerful 48-page Scripture booklets.]
Meet the Team
Taylor P.
Graphic designer/photographer
Growing up, I often heard people talking about World Missionary Press at church. Our youth group would volunteer on occasion. When I was a junior in high school looking for a job nearby—something unique among the dozens of fast-food jobs my classmates had—I remembered the last time I had volunteered at WMP, thinking that I could see myself working there. On a whim, I checked WMP’s website for open positions. All were full-time, which wouldn’t have been possible for a high-school student. I applied anyway and got a call from Harold Mack saying that someone I knew had put in a good word for me, and they would create a part-time position so I could join the team.
I started working at WMP towards the end of my junior year of high school, through the summer and my senior year, and also the summer before my first year of college. In May of this year, I began working full-time and plan to be here for a long time. Most recently I’ve been in Prepress doing a bit of graphic design (brochures and what-not), photography, social media, data entry, and cleaning. With a small amount of skill in a variety of areas, I can be put pretty much anywhere.
What I like best about working at WMP is how supportive everyone here is of each other! We are like one big family, complete with a few goofballs who make every day quite entertaining.
One of my passions is photography; that is the hobby I care about most. I do a lot of baking (mostly cupcakes) that my coworkers have come to love. I collect things like pins, coffee mugs, and tea. I enjoy going out with friends on photo shoots, exploring places, and watching Netflix with my bearded dragon, Fluffy. She likes to take naps and cuddle, and I think it’s so adorable.
I am the oldest of four children. I have one sister, Abby (17.9), and two brothers, Ben (15) and Carter (11). I like to think that we are all hilarious and one-of-a-kind. My mom is a nurse, and my dad is a music teacher. We have two guinea pigs, one turtle, and the bearded dragon. We like food and laughter and sending each other funny videos and pictures we find online.
In August I was part of a mission team that went to Haiti. I fell in love with the children, many of whom received the coloring books I took with me from WMP.
Grateful Quotes
“The only thing my father is hanging on to.”
“My father found your booklet [The Way to God] and held on to it for years. He and his best friend are retired and used to be owners of their own business. They say they have no purpose now in life, so they have started a Starbucks evangelism and want to lead as many people to the Lord as they can before they die. They asked me to [acquire] these booklets so they can complete their mission. . . . Please send as many as you can—please! My mother died seven months ago, and I think this is the only thing my father is hanging on to. He feels that he was left on earth to lead people, ordinary everyday people, to the Lord.” —Vanessa D., California
WMP Partners Around the World
Erno E. — Brazil
It has been more than twenty years since WMP filled individual orders from Brazil—the world’s fifth largest country in area and population (206 million people)—by sending boxes via the postal service. Since 1996, Erno E., WMP’s national coordinator for Brazil, has received container shipments to disperse Scripture booklets to hundreds of distributors in Brazil at a tremendous savings in postage costs and making WMP material more readily available.
WMP: Please describe your background and current ministry.
Erno: I was trained by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of Brazil. For more than 17 years, I worked in a ministry which involved social work and evangelism. I also coordinated the distribution of 25 million New Testaments—a project called New Life 90—in partnership with The Chicago Bible Society. I am currently working with my son in business and also coordinating the distribution of booklets from World Missionary Press.
WMP: How long have you been distributing WMP literature?
Erno: When the New Life 90 project ended, we looked for alternatives to continue literature distribution work. We had contact with several organizations, including an organization in Ireland that sent several containers with leaflets. Then we made contact with World Missionary Press and were able to start this partnership of more than 20 years.
WMP: How effective are the topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies in your country?
Erno: The distribution of literature has been fundamental for the work of evangelism in Brazil because through a booklet it is possible to initiate a dialogue with a person and have an opportunity to begin to witness about Jesus. Without this material, it is difficult for people to accept listening to anything. But with something to offer, the person is more willing to listen. The fastest growing churches are those that use literature intensely.
I think the best way to describe what WMP has done is to see people in the Amazon region, where travel is only by boat, as there are no roads. People spend days and sometimes weeks traveling to reach their destinations. During the trip, with nothing to do, they can read the literature they have received. Today there are—in every village in the middle of the forest—small churches and congregations of people saved by the work of organizations such as WMP.
WMP: What challenges do you face?
Erno: Our great challenge is to reach the most distant places of our country, because our territory is very large, and we have distances of more than 4,500 miles. The large centers have easy access to this material, but today we are trying to reach the most distant places, which need more of this literature.
We receive a consignment of Scripture booklets every 18 months or so. The ideal would be to receive one container shipment every 12 to 14 months to make it possible to increase distribution and reach regions that have not yet been reached.
WMP: How would you describe the value of WMP literature in reaching the people of Brazil with the gospel?
Erno: World Missionary Press literature is of great value because it is the Word of God. Through these booklets, most people have a first contact with the Bible and from there a great opportunity to learn more about the Word of God.
When we think about what WMP has done in Brazil, it is impossible to imagine what this represents for us. There are no words to describe the wonderful blessing that is what WMP has done. Only eternity can reveal all the results achieved. But here we can just say, “Thank you very much; thank you, and thank you, World Missionary Press, for your vision and dedication in spreading the Word of God.”
In the same way, we thank every person who contributes, because without this participation, this project would have stopped. We want to challenge WMP and each collaborator not to be discouraged and stop the work that has blessed millions of people everywhere. May God bless and reward each one.