Islands in the Son

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.” Psalm 24:1, 2

 

“We were adrift in the open Philippine Sea. Our bamboo boat was overloaded with 1,500 pounds of World Missionary Press booklets and too many men. As a result, our propeller hit a rock and came off. The captain and first mate jumped into the water to find it. One of our Living Word outreach team members called 911. The rest of us went to prayer.

“We were on our way to the smallest and most densely populated island in the Philippines. One of the men noticed that there was a storm passing over the island and we knew God was protecting His Word from being damaged by the rain and keeping our overloaded boat from sinking. After an hour God showed up again! Instead of a rescue craft, the captain discovered the propeller in 8 feet of water, undamaged. We put it back on and completed our evangelistic mission.”

Mike R. travels to the Philippines for 3 months each year to follow-up on the distribution and effectiveness of the WMP literature. From his home in the USA, Mike regularly ships boxes of WMP Scripture booklets to various ministries and pastors of the Camotes Islands.

“Every year as we go, God opens different doors with divine appointments, like meeting Esther, Director of ‘Christ for Asia Cebu’, one day in a drug store. She was a catalyst for me to meet the ‘Living Word Church’ outreach prison ministry team.  We did prison ministry with them and outreach for a few years. They are some of my best friends and the most dedicated Christians I have ever seen. They will get up at 5 AM for Bible studies, fast for days on end, and travel by vans into mountainous areas or into the inner cities passing out booklets and having Bible studies. I just love these men and women of God!

“We are in the praying and planning stages now of a mass evangelism explosion with multiple crusades on the Camotes Islands. The Living Word team and 50 pastors are on board.  We will definitely need World Missionary Press literature to reach the local indigenous peoples from the market places, schools, prisons, and beyond.”

World Missionary Press also provides literature for the Philippines through Agape Ministries Press, Ontario, Canada, that sends it to their mission headquarters in Mindanao. “Over the last three years, our mission was able to open up 19 sites for distribution. They were able to host many different Christian churches and mission groups. Together, we were able to gather volunteers, full time ministers, and gospel workers for these distributions.

“Mindanao is our main focus despite the fact that it is a very hard-to-reach place.” The island has a tense history of Hindu, Muslim, and colonial interests vying for power. In 2017, there was a five-month civil war. In 2019, Muslims declared the province of Bangsamoro an autonomous region. “Many different challenging groups don’t believe in the Lord Jesus, but we’re grateful to many zealous front-line volunteer workers who help us do the work.

“Our Agape Press coordinator from Mindanao reported that she was so thankful to hear from several men who received copies of the gospel booklets. She stated that the booklets were ‘very helpful for youth and adult Bible studies, especially to those churches who were pioneering or had just started a church. Their members are increasing in number and even children’s programs are now growing because youth are being encouraged to help follow up and gather children for church worship.’”

These two distributors are just a sample of the many Filipino ministries relying on WMP Scripture booklets to give the Word of God to all Filipinos. Container shipments have just been shipped to our national coordinator and major distributor in the Philippines. May God bless His Word and His people as the booklets are given and received.

[Every donated dollar provides for the production of 24 powerful Scripture booklets for people around the world in their own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,400 people; $1,000 will impact 24,000 people who need to have hope in God.]

Meet the Team

Mike and Colleen B.
Production, and Partner Relations/Receptionist

 

I (Colleen) first heard about World Missionary Press while searching online for good Biblical tracts to give out on the streets of Chicago and at homeless shelters. As a result, I have been a distributor of WMP literature in the Chicago area for 15 years. In time, Mike believed that the Lord was calling us to serve at WMP. We scheduled a tour of the facility, and afterward were interviewed.

This opened a door for us, about five months ago, to move to New Paris and work here. I (Mike) work in production, mostly operating the paper cutting machine. I also fill in where needed throughout the department. Colleen is the receptionist on Thursdays and Fridays. She also helps out in the Partner Relations Department, assisting the director with whatever is needed

The opportunity and privilege to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20) is one of the best things about working here. I am working with Christian brothers and sisters sending the Word of God out all over the world. I (Colleen) like our chapel times where all the employees pray together. It’s also a pleasure to meet distributors of the Scripture booklets from all over the world.

When we are not working, we have continued to be distributors of the booklets in our new location of Indiana. People here need God’s Word just as much as people around the world. We like to sing and make music in worship and praise to our almighty God. (Colossians 3:16)

We have two daughters, one son-in-law and two grandsons. By God’s grace, we all know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8)

 

 

Grateful Quotes

Evangelizing the Residents of my Neighborhood

“Many years ago, in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, before I believed and accepted Christ in my heart, I received a booklet The Way to God. That booklet and some radio programs made me believe in Christ and having Christ as the only Savior. At that time, I kept the booklet to remind me of this event.

“Nowadays, in a small group linked to my church, I preach the Word of God. We go down to evangelize the residents of the neighborhood, distributing flyers with the Word of God. One day while cleaning my house, I found the little book that I had kept and I decided to research more about it. I ended up finding your website. How exciting that I can order these booklets to use in our resident outreach.”

—Jorgeani P., Brazil

 

        

WMP Partners Around the World

Gary H.
USA

World Missionary Press supplies more than 36,000 distributors who faithfully place God’s Word in the hands of those who need it most. We asked Gary H., one of our local distributors, to tell of his unique ministry.

 

WMP: How did you learn about World Missionary Press?

Gary: I was at a point in my life where I wanted to “do” something. Like many Christians, I was just treading water spiritually. I was introduced to Fred and Betsy Eiler, the field representatives of WMP. I asked what he did. He took the booklet Help from Above out of his shirt pocket, handed it to me, and began to explain all about WMP. By the end of our conversation, my heart said, “That’s what I want to do with my life.”

 

WMP: How did you start?

Gary: Fred gave me several booklet displays to set up. The same day he gave them to me, I set up two booklet displays in the Salvation Army in Frankfort, Indiana. A few days later, I set up a display in the Salvation Army in Lafayette, Indiana. My aunt lived in Marion, Indiana and she agreed to keep the display stocked at the Marion Salvation Army.

 

WMP: How has this personal outreach expanded?

Gary: Twice, a friend of a friend, who wanted to move to Oregon, paid me to drive her car from Indiana. I thought, “Just driving the car isn’t very productive,” so I decided to leave early and put up displays in Salvation Army Corps along the way. I spent months researching all the Salvation Army Corps locations along US Route 80. It was hard to make it to each one while they were still open. I was in Moline, Illinois and wanted to get to Des Moines, Iowa. I felt that the only way to get there before 5:00 pm was to skip lunch. So I did, and I made it. The post commander was so grateful for what I brought him.

WMP: Would you do another cross-country trip?

Gary: Yes, I would love to. I work in the WMP small orders department and often see orders from the Salvation Army in cities I have never been to. I wonder if the word is spreading about these booklets, providing spiritual help for people. I also see orders for individuals living in the towns I have been to, and I wonder if they picked up booklets at the Salvation Army.

 

WMP: What made you identify the Salvation Army Corps as a place for the displays?

Gary: The Army has always had an open door for displays. It was created to help people in need and does a great job in caring for the physical needs of the people who come through their doors. They have been appreciative of WMP’s booklets for people’s spiritual needs. This is a way to reach people without disrupting the Army’s services. Most officers are very excited to have the booklets available to their clientele.

 

WMP: What are you doing now with booklets and displays?

Gary: My friend Randy and I are reaching out to our neighborhood (Elkhart, Indiana) by putting up displays in Spanish grocery stores, laundromats, mechanic shops, restaurants, barber shops, hair salons, and donut shops…anywhere displays might be accepted. When eating lunch one day, Randy and I observed a lady stopping and taking two booklets. It was the first time I got to see a booklet display in action, which was really fulfilling because we know those booklets are going to make a difference.