A Vision for Russia
“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” –Matthew 9:36
Over the years World Missionary Press has seen God open doors that seemed shut, bring together new ministry partners to reach new areas with the gospel, and bring blessing out of seeming chaos.
An unexpected and exciting door has opened to share in reaching Central Russia’s 25 million people with the precious Word of God.
In the past few years WMP has been blessed to support production of 600,000 copies of Russian How to Know God, and this year 200,000 copies of a special edition Russian Bible Study on John, all printed by our partners in Moscow. Testimonies of the distribution were so encouraging, both in the energy and faithfulness of those giving out the booklets and in the overwhelmingly positive response to the message. One comment was that Russians love to read and therefore readily accept the booklets as God opens doors.
An area coordinator wrote, “The information that is written in the booklet is very important for people because it talks about who God is and what He has done for each person. Some people thank us and tell us that we are doing the right thing. I thank you for these booklets, understanding the role that the Word of God plays in a person’s life. Thank you very much!”
A team which distributed 10,000 booklets in their city and region reported, “Against the background of the pandemic of COVID-19, people are increasingly thinking about God and gratefully accept the booklets.”
A distribution leader in Moscow wrote that “people took the booklets with such gratitude and listened to the gospel. Some were strongly affected by God!” One man was very touched when he heard that God loves him “because he does not have a father and never heard that God is his father in Heaven and that He loves him.”
In March 2021 WMP was approached by Every Home for Christ Russia about being involved in helping to reach 25 million people within the next 24 months! Presented as “24:25,” it is a vision to reach the people of Central Russia with the Word of God at least once. The team looked to their current relationship with World Missionary Press to help make the goals of the project a reality: (1) to respond to a burden for revival and evangelism, (2) to change people’s general opinion of the churches in their regions, (3) to see the redemption and salvation of thousands and thousands of precious Russian people—confessing their sins and coming to the Lord.
Scripture booklets are seen as a bridge of friendship, so the need for literature was vital to their planning. Discussions with WMP settled on one million copies of a special 48-page edition of A Bible Study on John in Russian to be printed here in our plant and sent via container to Russia. The Lord seems to be opening the door for WMP to send material into the country after several years of no such access. Because of our economy of operation, the booklets can be printed at WMP and shipped, for about half the cost of printing them in Russia. The new booklet, Who do You say that I Am? has just been translated into Russian and will be sent in a follow–up shipment.
Our brothers and sisters in Russia are depending on World Missionary Press to provide seeds to sow in reaching 25 million souls with the message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. They have planned and trained and begun the work. Preparations are in motion for the first container of 1 million booklets, soon to be followed by a second container of 1 million items.
We are trusting the Lord to allow us to continue printing and shipping throughout the course of this project and are looking to the Lord for continuing favor in sending shipments. You can have a part in helping them go through the door while it is open!
[You can help provide God’s Word for Russia and 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
“A resource full of God’s Word.”
“My wife and I have been handing out your Help from Above booklets in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on the boardwalk. We have a mission field coming to our city every day! Help from Above is such a great resource, as it is full of God’s Word. Thank you for making it available.”
—George & Kim R., South Carolina
Meet the Team
Ed S.
Maintenance
I first heard about World Missionary Press when I would come from Pennsylvania to New Paris to visit the family of my son, Michael, the Care and Connection Executive Pastor at Grace Community Church in Goshen. On one visit my son arranged for me to tour WMP. He has lived in New Paris for the past six years with four of our nine grandchildren.
When my daughter and son-in-law decided to move closer to her brother, along with their five adopted special-needs children, this would have left us in Pennsylvania without any grandchildren. My wife of 51 years, Bonnie, is retired and a homemaker. On August 24, 2020, we purchased a home in New Paris to be closer to our family.
I knew that I would need to subsidize my retirement income with part-time work to pay the mortgage. I had two job offers and chose WMP based on the question, “What Am I Doing for Heaven’s Sake?” I felt I could contribute more to populate heaven by working at WMP than by working in a secular job. I had previously served for 30+ years in pastoral ministries and wanted to feel like I was still contributing to the kingdom of God. With WMP printing millions of Scripture booklets a month, that translates to a lot of potential for the kingdom of God!
I have worked part-time at WMP since August 31 of 2020, cleaning the baler and both binderies, cleaning the strapping machines at the binderies once a week, collecting all the trash twice a week, dust-mopping twice a week, as well as running an auto scrubber through the plant once a week. On occasion I run the bundler following the web press. I also change the outdoor sign weekly, with requests to pray for the safe arrival of recent shipments of Scripture booklets.
What I like best about working at WMP is being a cheerleader for coworkers and friends who are also helping to build God’s kingdom.
My hobbies include camping, fishing, gardening, kayaking, and woodworking. When I’m not working at WMP or doing maintenance at home, I’m working at my other part-time job at Veada (Lippert), working on marine interiors.
WMP Partners Around the World
Henry M., ACMI
Kenya
African Christian Missions International (ACMI) and Bishop Henry M. have been faithful partners in Kenya for more than 30 years, serving as WMP’s national coordinator for more than 20 years. To date they have received 19.5 million booklets, Bible studies, and salvation coloring books to share with the people of Kenya. Another container is ready to ship as soon as a sea booking is available.
WMP: What is the mission and scope of ACMI?
ACMI: We are involved in church planting, well-drilling, youth school programs, orphan support, missions training, evangelism rallies, and a chaplaincy program to equip and empower Christian teachers who will see their schools as a mission field. We are excited about what God is doing. Think of 300 young people getting saved in a single rally and more than 1,000 students getting saved in a single weekend! Our particular calling is to prepare Kenya’s next generation to be a spiritually empowered generation—to be not only church leaders and workers, but also men and women in the market place, driving the agenda of the country from a godly platform. Lifechangers is a program providing short-term experience in ministry for fresh graduates before they enter the job market. We are glad we have one thing in common with WMP—to reach lost souls.
WMP: When did you become involved with WMP and the Scripture booklets?
ACMI: The first boxes were received in 1989. Since 2000 we have received a new container shipment every 2-2½ years.
WMP: How has the availability of Scripture booklets helped other ministries and churches?
ACMI: The booklets have had an impact in many communities as our missionaries carry these useful tools and share them with other churches in Kenya. Their response has been great, thanking us and WMP. We have had so many people coming for booklets that we have been telling God that something great is happening! When you send the booklets, we can be sure there is going to be a change in most Kenyan communities. We have experienced that, and people coming to the Lord through reading the booklets.
WMP: Tell us about the plans to widen the distribution.
ACMI: Our ministry has grown not only in what services we provide the Kenyan people, but also in the geographical range of our work. Much work has been done in a refugee camp and other regions of Kenya. The Lord has led us to consider working in several regional areas by setting up sub-distribution points through pastors and churches already involved in using WMP literature. This will cut mailing/shipping expenses, make the material more readily available, give better feed-back regarding the need for other languages, and provide more timely reporting after the distribution. This comes from trusting the Lord for something to happen during this pandemic to enable us to reach out even to the people who are very far from where we are.
Bishop M. has recently retired from active involvement in this part of ACMI. He has expressed his great gratitude to World Missionary Press for the years of partnership and support through the supply of free literature. The work will continue under the direction of Paul and Irene M., who are also totally committed to seeing the Word of God spread throughout Kenya and beyond and are grateful to be able to count on WMP for continued support and supply. Irene once wrote, “I feel humbled to be part of this noble work of the Lord. The whole world needs to be reached with this gospel of good news!”