STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS

“No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” —1 Corinthians 3:11

When someone receives a World Missionary Press Scripture booklet, it is often the first time they have read the Word of God. Many times their interest is piqued and they seek more information. For those whose hearts are touched and brought to faith in Christ, a thirst for more wells up in their souls as they read and reread the verses in the small booklet. A newborn child of God desires the “sincere milk of the Word” to grow.

WMP distributors and national coordinators are keenly aware of the need to disciple those who have received the Word of God with gladness. However, distance, time, and resources often limit opportunities to spend time in training and teaching new believers. With access to New Testaments in their own language, believers drink in more of God’s Word and learn who they are in Christ and how He would have them live. The more of God’s Word implanted in their hearts, the stronger their foundation of faith and ability to resist the arguments of the enemy. The stronger the foundation, the more effective they can be in sharing their faith and in raising godly families.

WMP desires to serve wherever people do not have access to a Bible or New Testament due to poverty, government regulation, or a lack of God’s Word printed in their language. We currently provide New Testaments in six languages for several critical areas: French for French-speaking Africa and Haiti, Haitian Kreyol for Haiti, Spanish for Latin America, Arabic for Northern Africa and the Middle East, Persian-Farsi for Iranians throughout the world, and Congo-Swahili for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These New Testaments have strong, durable vinyl covers and often include selected Psalms for encouragement and a 38-page Basic Study of New Testament Scriptures as a supplemental topical study guide.

Orders from WMP national coordinators and distributors often include a plea for New Testaments in increasing numbers. Ministries in Senegal need 20,000 French and 20,000 Arabic New Testaments to reach into Muslim areas. Operation World reports that Islam dominates religious life in Senegal, and aggressive Islamic groups threaten the tolerant status quo. Prayer is needed for God to raise up well-prepared evangelists, pastors, and Christian leaders. New Testaments for individual church members will help provide a stronger teaching basis and a more dynamic church.

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, several new major distributors have requested large supplies of WMP literature, including New Testaments in French and Congo-Swahili (pictured at left). A local church working with a Mennonite mission in DRC requested French New Testaments for 300 youth at a Bible camp. We provided all we had—our last 140 copies. We need to print more French and Congo-Swahili New Testaments to meet the growing need in this large, diverse country where “there is a severe lack of God’s Word and most people have never owned a Bible” (Operation World).

“Our community is involved in church-planting programs,” wrote S.T. from DRC. “We use literature to organize evangelism events in villages and bush regions of central Africa, especially in the equatorial forest where people do not want to reach. [New Testaments] in French and also in Swahili can be most helpful, especially as you can find a church with 400 to 1000 members . . . with just three or four Bibles. We have found pastors copying the New Testament by hand because of the lack of copies.”

WMP has provided New Testaments for Haiti for many years, most recently through the auspices of the Haitian Bible Society, whose current request is for 20,000 Kreyol New Testaments along with Scripture booklets in Kreyol. Another WMP distributor has requested 40,000 copies for distribution among the children of Haiti through the schools.

WMP’s coordinator in neighboring Dominican Republic recently received a shipment. Though he had requested 500 boxes of Kreyol New Testaments (8,000 copies) and 300 boxes in Spanish (9,000 copies), we were able to send only a portion of what he needed.

Ever-increasing requests for WMP literature in Spanish reflect the “spectacular” growth of evangelicals in Latin America. With numerical growth comes the challenge of establishing individuals and churches on a strong, Biblical foundation.

A distributor with worldwide ministry among Arabic- speaking people recently requested 60 boxes of Arabic New Testaments (1,920 copies) for shipping to the Middle East. In discussing “the best Arab tool to reach Arab people,” a man from a country where millions know nothing about Christ and 99% have never had a Bible, New Testament, or any Christian literature told him, “The Word of God is the best way to learn about Christianity. I believe the Word of God has power and is alive today, and those who read it will turn to God. . . . This Word of God will move them from darkness to light as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:130, ‘The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.’ ”

Reprinting Persian-Farsi New Testaments would allow us to fill a large order from Denmark for a growing Iranian population open to reading the New Testament, providing opportunities for conversations about Christianity and the person of Jesus Christ. We praise the Lord for this open door and for the timely copyright permission to reprint this New Testament.

Current and projected orders for New Testaments for the fiscal year beginning October 1 total 430,000 copies. God has given His Word so that believers may grow in their walk with Him. It is our challenge to help them have access to that Word.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” —Psalm 119:10

[YOU can help supply New Testaments in various languages to those who have no access to them. A gift of $50 will provide for the production of 56 Spanish, 47 French, 33 Kreyol (and Psalms), 47 Congo-Swahili, 39 Persian-Farsi, or 63 Arabic New Testaments!]

 

Grateful Quotes

 

Scripture-text Datebook a “close companion in prison”

“I would like to request a copy of the new Datebook. The Datebook is invaluable to me. It has been a close companion for several years in prison. The daily Scripture is a source of inspiration and guidance for me. Every week there is at least one Scripture that is exactly what I need. The Holy Spirit works through Scripture, even in prison. Thank you for providing such a wonderful tool.”

—Scott F., Colorado

“I just want to thank and praise God for you all, for allowing God’s words to be spread to the whole world, because the Datebook is my daily Word, and life without it would be hard for me. I can carry my Datebook everywhere I go and pull it out and read it every time a hard, bad situation comes my way. With it I can stay focused.”

—Shuna C., Alabama

WMP prints about 850,000 copies of its Scripture-text Datebook each year, distributed to inmates throughout the United States through chaplains or upon individual request.

 

 

 

Meet the Team

 

Tim and Ruth Y.

WMP Corporate Members/Board Director

 

Early in our marriage, my wife Ruth and I were involved in church planting and leadership in El Salvador (1993-2001). Two years after returning home, I bought my father’s electrical business. Ruth has home-schooled our two children and helps with some of the secretarial duties of the business. We’ve both been WMP Corporate Members since 2008. In 2012, I became a director and since then have served as Secretary of the Board.

The church I grew up in volunteered at World Missionary Press more than 40 years ago and still actively serves there monthly. After Ruth and I were married in 1987, we continued volunteering with our church youth on evening shifts, working on the bindery and filling boxes with booklets. I also remember co-founder Watson Goodman visiting our church from time to time to present the work of WMP.

It’s our heart in all of life to know God and help others know Him. Because of our previous missions experience, witnessing first-hand the value of the printed Word of God, we considered it an honor when Jay Benson invited us to serve as WMP Corporate Members. We feel privileged to serve in this role, knowing people are hearing the “good news” of the gospel and coming to know God through the Scripture booklets! We love that although the booklets are small, they are mini collections of ONLY Scripture. We are thrilled with the big vision for WMP among the leadership and their desire to reach the nations!

We enjoy people, Bible studies, the outdoors, and especially time with our family. Our son met his wife while traveling throughout South America. Through a contact from WMP, he stayed in the home of a major WMP distributor in São Paulo, Brazil, and met their grown daughter. They have since married and are living near WMP in New Paris. Our daughter is still at home with us and can often be found serving up coffees and special drinks as a barista at the Main Street Coffee House in Nappanee.

 

WMP Partners Around the World

 

Jorge and Anita B., Costa Rica

World Missionary Press has been sending Scripture book- lets to Jorge and Anita in Costa Rica for more than 20 years. As their work has expanded, their requests for booklets have increased. A shipment of more than half a million book- lets is currently in production for these faithful partners.

WMP: Jorge, please describe your background and current ministry.

Jorge: I was born into a Catholic family in Costa Rica in 1947. In 1963 the Lord called me into His family, and a year later He called me to the ministry. Since then, I have been preaching and teaching the gospel. In 1976, after living in the United States for almost five years, I returned to Costa Rica with my wife and two children to begin holding evangelistic crusades and planting churches. WMP booklets were a part of our outreaches. For the past 38 years, I have been pastoring a church in the town of Grecia. In the early years, as we continued to plant churches around the country, I also spent much time visiting and encouraging the new churches that had been raised up during the crusades. All of the brothers who worked together during this time formed a ministerial fellowship which meets at different churches each month for teaching, fellowship, and encouragement.

WMP: When did you first learn about WMP?

Jorge: In 1972 I lived in Goshen, Indiana, just a few miles from World Missionary Press. WMP was receiving letters from Spanish-speaking people, so I was given the opportunity to translate letters!

WMP: How does the availability of free literature help your ministry?

Jorge: Having free literature is a great help to members of the church as they share the gospel with the community. As a distributor, I have been able to share boxes of booklets with other pastors around the country, and the booklets are a great tool for personal evangelism.

WMP: When you receive a shipment from WMP, how long does it last?

Jorge: The most recent shipment we received was about two years ago, and we have used almost all of the booklets we received. We have found that people like to use WMP’s Spanish New Testaments, so we would like to increase the number of New Testaments in the next shipment. We would be happy to have a shipment every 12 to 18 months.

 

57th Anniversary Celebration—October 20th

YOU ARE INVITED to attend WMP’s 57th Anniversary Celebration Carry-in Dinner and program on Saturday, October 20, at Maple City Chapel, 2015 Lincolnway E., southeast of Goshen, Indiana, on U.S. 33.

(Maple City Chapel, a former Walmart, has a BIG sign between Culver’s and MacDonald’s. There is ample parking.)

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Special music begins at 5:30.

Carry-in Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m.

Call (574) 831-2111 (ext. 245) or e-mail Dinner@wmpress.org to make reservations and to indicate what dish(es) you will bring.

Dinner Program Highlights

  • Music—Matthew Dickerson, hammered dulcimer
  • Our featured speaker works in a country that is closed to the Gospel.
  • Field flashes—Steve Bakos (Nicaragua) and Tom Faunce (Vietnam vet ministering in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other nations)

 

Livestreaming online at www.wmpress.org/livestream (except video of Featured Speaker for security reasons)

 

Open House at World Missionary Press (19168 County Road 146, New Paris, Indiana) is 2:00-4:00 p.m. with tours, equipment running, refreshments. (Final tour begins at 3:40.)