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.