Sharing the Story of Jesus

 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” – John 20:31

Emlan was born into a Muslim family and taught the way of Islam. He learned that Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God. When someone gave him a How to Know God Scripture booklet, he became confused but interested to find out more fully about Jesus. It was a turning point for Emlan to learn that Jesus rose from the dead to give life to those who believe in Him. “None of the other prophets lived to give life to others,” he said. Emlan gave his life to Christ.

The New Testament presents the story of Jesus in gripping detail, demanding a decision from the reader. Many scholars and skeptics who have read the Scriptures with the goal of totally discounting the message of the gospel, have found themselves convinced that the Bible is the Word of God and must be dealt with as eternal truth.

In the interior of Guyana, South America, 95% of a particular tribal group had no Bible. When a team arrived with New Testaments, they were overjoyed. One pastor, knowing that his church had been praying for Bibles just the day before, was speechless!

A WMP ministry partner in Africa is focused on reaching unengaged, unreached people groups in at least 13 countries. They trek into villages still steeped in animism, ancestor worship, fetishes, and witchcraft, and share the gospel, first to a few and then to more as curiosity and spiritual hunger draw people to the message. Those who accept the message and receive Jesus as Savior are discipled and encouraged to reach others. Here is a critical need for the Word of God—to build a firm foundation in each new believer so that they can in turn give a clear, strong message.

In one area there are church plants to the 7th generation. A church planted by the original team planted another which planted another—to the 7th church plant. The vision of this ministry is that through the principles of multiplication, they will see 100,000 new churches established in the coming five years!

Much of the area being reached by this group and other WMP partners in Africa is French-speaking. To help meet the overwhelming cry for Scriptures to disciple and train new believers and encourage pastors, World Missionary Press provides limited quantities of New Testaments in French. Requests are overwhelming. Thousands each for Guinea, Cameroon, Togo, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina-Faso, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Benin, and Rwanda. Touching messages, like this one from Cameroon, come to us in some form from each country: “There is also a very high demand for New Testaments in our country, and we are a little bit worried that the number of New Testaments we received [from WMP] will fail to overcome the perceived need.”

Testimonies of the power of God’s Word challenge those of us who have easy access to Bibles to rediscover this power in our own lives.

From Congo Republic: “Mr. Gilbert S. said that he is grateful to God for sending His disciples to their village because no servant of God had ever reached their home before. He says, ‘I believe in Jesus. I leave the customs behind and thank the Lord for His grace given to me.’ ”

Also from Congo Republic: “A young man from G— village declared that he had never believed that the Word of God had the power to change lives. Many people who were attached to and bound by traditional customs were touched by the Word of God since the arrival of the missionaries in the village and do not worry about that anymore but rather come to listen to the Word of God. Therefore, he has also decided to receive Jesus into his life.”

To rejoice over a newborn Christian but fail to help feed and strengthen that newborn is to give faint praise. So many are coming out of spiritual darkness and receiving the Light of the World.

Erik L. of New Covenant Missions wrote, “Less than a year ago, these two people groups had no churches and few, if any, known believers, but today there is a church for each UUPG (unengaged, unreached people group) with a handful of new believers worshipping God in their local languages! . . . Every time I set my foot on that soil or read through their testimonies, I am simply stunned by our Lord Jesus Christ and the lengths and depths He will go to reach people!”

Production of French New Testaments has been delayed due to the overcrowding of finished product that could not be shipped when completed (due to COVID and international shipping congestion). Our need for larger staging and warehouse space has been amplified by the events of the past two years at a time when God has provided for increased production. The current “Building for the Kingdom” project will allow us to meet such extenuating circumstances without limiting our production of New Testaments (see project update on page 4).

Shipments will soon be on the way to Africa carrying over 100,000 French New Testaments. It will not be enough, but it will bless thousands of believers with more of God’s Word in their own hands and the knowledge that the Lord has people who know and care.

[You can help provide God’s Word for the world. Every donated dollar helps produce 29 powerful Scripture booklets for people around the world in their own language. An investment of $100 will touch the lives of 2,900 people; $1,000 will impact 29,000 people who need to know God.]

 

 

 

 

Grateful Quotes

 

“This booklet gave me help and hope.”

“I read this booklet, Help from Above, in French about thirty years ago, when I was desperate. This booklet gave me help and hope, and I found Jesus my Savior! Thank you for your work for Christ. With my brothers and sisters in Christ, I will give these [500] booklets to people in my city and in my country.”

—Cyprien H., France

 

 

“To us it is the mouthpiece of God.”

“Thank you for the literature. To us, it is the voice, legs, and mouthpiece of God even to the marginalized people and places of our nation. We pray that the WMP team be given the strength to continue the wonderful work of making available the Word of God through the booklets.”

—Godfrey B., WMP’s national coordinator in Mozambique

 

 

 

Meet the Team

Clark H.

Volunteer

I asked my daughter, a teacher at Elkhart Christian Academy, if she had contact information for any church-related volunteer work that I could help with while I was on a leave of absence last fall from Indiana University South Bend. She gave me two contacts she thought might fit the bill, one of which was World Missionary Press.

WMP had a position where I thought I could be of service, do good to others, and which also fit my schedule. In October, 2020, I started working full days on Tuesday and Thursday. When I returned to teaching, I arranged my schedule so I could still volunteer part of the time. I enjoy working with the employees and other volunteers. I like helping to produce Scripture booklets that will benefit others all over the world.

I have no traditional hobbies, but I enjoy working with and being of service to others. Avon, my wife of 60 years, passed away three years ago. We have four children, three boys and a girl. They each have their own families—our grandchildren and great grandchildren—all in Indiana or Michigan. We often get to gather during the year but always during Christmas break as our anniversary is between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

 

WMP Partners Around the World

Susan K., Thru His Mercy

Mexico

 

Much is written about troubling activity along the 1,954-mile border between the USA and Mexico. However, we praise God for the work of grace by which believers from California to Texas reach across the border to support churches, ministries, and individuals in Mexico. Susan K. of Thru His Mercy, Inc., one of WMP’s unique ministry partners, works with local pastors to enrich the lives of women of the church and community by sharing God’s love and His Word.

WMP: Susan, could you please describe your background and current ministry?

Susan: In 1998 I committed to serve God fully and went on my first short-term mission trip to Mexico. Years later I moved to southern Texas to be a missionary to Mexico, forming Thru His Mercy, Inc. My main ministry is to help women be set free and changed by God through the Scriptures. The transformation begins with an evangelistic tea party, followed by a second tea party to encourage them to let God change them through a spiritual development plan of Bible study through which, step-by-step, God can change their attitudes, their focus, and their future in Him. During this two-year process, other events occur such as street ministry, prayer, encouragement, preaching, and literature distribution.

WMP: How long have you been involved in distributing WMP literature?

Susan: I was introduced to WMP through Edwin H. in Decatur, Alabama. A friend took me with her to pick up literature from him in 2009. In a small room filled with Christian literature and tracts in different languages, I saw the small section of Spanish literature and became lost in the power of this literature for Mexico. When we finally left, loaded down with literature, her small car was a low rider that barely topped the hills! I returned the next years to volunteer in his warehouse. In 2012, he sent me my first semi-truck load of literature, which included WMP Scripture booklets and other miscellaneous tracts and Bibles. The pastors were grateful to receive the literature, but since they had not had literature for so long, they wanted to use it only sparsely for fear of depleting it! I kept reminding them that God is a God of provision. We must not be hoarders but distribute God’s Word with enthusiasm and love. Now, in the different areas of Mexico where I work, the word (Word) is out! New pastors come from all areas of Mexico to receive literature. Thanks, WMP, for this great blessing!

WMP: How has free literature helped churches grow in number and spiritual depth?

Susan: Street evangelism has increased, and this has increased the numbers in the churches. The literature, combined with Thru His Mercy’s discipleship program, is stabilizing and solidifying strong leaders within each church. The Bible studies are new for us. The pastors seem to be embracing the ability to distribute a Bible study booklet to everyone in their congregation and begin the study together.

WMP: How has WMP literature blessed you personally?

Susan: Even though I do not speak Spanish fluently, I am able to share God’s Word with everyone with whom I come in contact. Most of those contacts are workers in the gas stations/stores and the military/police. Once when I was returning from Tabasco to Veracruz, we were stopped by the military. One of the men was a Christian. When I handed him a small package of booklets, he asked for more. I returned the next day with boxes of them to share with the other military men. Every time I see the police or the military, I stop, get out, and hand each man/woman a booklet baggie. Each contains the prayer that we (my prayer team) pray for them every morning via text, a God is love tract, and WMP Scripture booklets. Hallelujah!