CLC International UK

January 2012

30 Mon. Australia – Difficult Decisions
Please pray for the Australia team as they make difficult decisions about closing a number of shops.  Both Christian and secular bookshops and distributors have found bookselling increasingly difficult in recent years with many closures.  Pray for the future direction of the work, which may well be very different from what it is today.

31 Tue. Thailand – Food Aid
Following severe flooding in Bangkok during the last weeks of 2011, CLC in Chiang Mai got involved in sending food aid to the people who were suffering in the city. Martin Holsinger writes: “The first time we sent aid, we hired someone to cook and pack the food, and sent it by plane. The second time we cooked the food ourselves, packed it into 2,650 foam cartons and shipped it to Bangkok to be eaten the same day. It was a lot of work, but it was a great joy to be of service. The food was purchased by donated funds, and we are very grateful to all those who felt led to give for this relief effort.”

February 2012 

1 Wed. Papua New Guinea – The Effects of Change
“Recent changes in our country will affect both people and businesses. There has also been regional violence in the industrial province of Lae and we fear it may spill over into Port Moresby. Pray that both the highlanders and the coastal people can live in harmony and that peace will prevail in this nation.” Vere Babona

2 Thu. India – Two New Bookshops
Christopher Roberts reports that the new bookshops in Ooty and Vizag are going very well having opened in 2011.  The church continues to grow and this feeds an increasing demand for good Christian books.  Please pray for our Indian team as they seek to meet this demand both through retail bookshops and a growing publishing department.

3 Fri. Fiji – New Direction
The CLC ministry in Suva, Fiji, closed in December.  Praise God, a local church has taken over the running of the bookshop and Anna, one of the two long-standing staff members, will stay on to manage it. Please pray for Cathy, who managed the shop for CLC, as she seeks the Lord for a new direction for her life.

4-5 Sat/Sun. UK – Administration
The Administration Department is always very busy and particularly so at this time following the end of our financial year. Whilst some of the tasks are routine and mundane they can still be important and need attending to in a timely manner. Please pray for the efficient running of this department and Godly wisdom, especially when dealing with the more complicated issues.

6 Mon. New Zealand – Reaching Children
Praise the Lord for opportunities to serve the younger members of society! Recently the bookbus in New Zealand had a group of visitors from the Rainbows Early Childhood Centre - a ministry of WEC International. The bookbus staff, Graham and Sue Christie, also had an order for 60 ‘God Loves Me Bibles’. Graham and Sue wrote in a recent email “We are very much aware of the state of the economy and the general slowing up of sales but we are trusting God to point us in the right direction so that we may always be in the right place at the right time.”

7 Tue. Japan - Nagoya
Mr. Okunishi, the Manager of CLC Nagoya, got married recently. Please pray for him and his wife as they adjust to married life.  Pray too for health and strength for Mr. Okunishi in his role; Nagoya is Japan’s third largest city and the work in the bookshop is demanding. Please pray for all the CLC shop managers in Japan – they all work very hard and very long hours. May God bless the CLC ministry in Japan.

8 Wed. Romania – Book and Film Publication
In Romania, the CLC team are focusing increasingly on publishing. Two new titles will appear this month. More will follow during the year. Another area of expansion could be in publishing, importing and reproducing Christian films and they are currently looking for a company that can deal with all the paperwork that this would involve.

9 Thu. Sierra Leone - Makeni
“We have received a ‘Macedonian call’ to set up a bookshop in Sierra Leone’s third largest city - Makeni. This town is experiencing rapid growth and development largely because of the many mining companies that have started operations in that area. The team in Freetown feels that the timing is right for such a move. However, a number of resources would have to be in place before such a move can be undertaken. Please pray that God would provide these resources.” Jusu-Wai Sawi, Director 

10 Fri. Kenya – God’s Protection
Praise the Lord for His protection recently when a group of men armed with spears and pangas [a type of machete] cut through the fence around the CLC property in Nairobi. They tied up the watchman, a member of CLC who lives on the premises, and then tried to enter the building. Despite their sharp weapons they were totally unable to break the grills over the windows or the padlock on the door. They also tried to break into the watchman’s home but they couldn’t open the door! A few personal items were taken from the watchman, but he was unharmed. We give thanks to God for watching over us. Please pray for continued protection for our staff and property.

11-12 Sat/Sun. UK – Blackpool
Sheena Burwell, the Manager, writes: “Please pray for new opportunities and ideas as we serve the local population and the holiday visitors that come into the shop. Pray too for wisdom and the right words for us as we share with the many needy people we meet. One challenge we face is the queues at the busy bus stop outside the shop. Of course this means that people waiting for the bus have the opportunity to look at the books in the window display, but they also sit on the window ledge or obstruct the doorway, which can make it difficult for our customers!”

13 Mon. Belarus – Publishing
The economic situation in the country is still difficult. Inflation reached 84% last year.  The exchange rate with the US Dollar, the Euro and the Russian Ruble increased significantly, increasing the cost of living and all other goods (including books).  Only salaries did not increase!  Sales in the bookshop have dropped dramatically, though the situation in our church bookstalls is a bit better. Praise the Lord that we were able to publish 3 books, a 2012 Calendar and an evangelistic tract in 2011. Pray we would be able to further develop the publishing program in 2012. 

14 Tue. Belarus - Minsk
Please continue to pray for a future CLC bookshop in the capital city, Minsk, and for the CLC project to print Bibles in Russian – a real need, as they are often unavailable.  Our plan is that by selling the Bibles we have printed, we will eventually have sufficient funds to purchase a shop in Minsk - where there is currently no Christian bookshop!  We praise God that about half of the funds have already been donated, and we look to the Lord to provide the rest for this important project.

15 Wed. Thailand – A Testimony
Recently a lady came into the Chiang Mai bookshop looking very sad. She began to cry and shared her concerns with Yongyut, the CLC Thailand Director. How did she know that she could find help at the CLC bookshop? Although Yongyut could not remember the incident, many years ago he had helped the lady’s family resolve a conflict they had - and she never forgot this act of kindness. In her hour of crisis, she came to the CLC bookshop, knowing that she would find the help and encouragement she needed there. The lady went to church with Yongyut and Paula the following Sunday. Please pray with the Thai team that this lady will find Jesus as her Saviour.

16 Thu. Tanzania – New Location
We praise the Lord that He has miraculously provided a new location for our CLC ministry in Dar es Salaam after our previous landlord increased our rent by 140% last year! The new bookshop is a ‘container’ shop (or ‘shop in a box’) in the grounds of a church. We praise God for the Rev. Stephen Kibungo and his colleagues who have helped us by giving permission for this, and especially for Rev. Stephen's vision for a literature ministry on the church premises. As well as church facilities, the complex already has a primary and junior school on site.

17 Fri. USA – Book Launch
Please pray for the launch of our first book by Stuart and Jill Briscoe entitled Holiness without the Halo.  We hope that this will be the first of a series of books that we produce by this couple who are prolific writers and speakers.  The book should be available early in the New Year.

18-19 Sat/Sun. UK – Cambridge
Sales have suffered as the recession has started to bite in this prosperous area of England, which is also accustomed to using the Internet. Pray that the season of Lent produces increased demand for resources by individuals and churches.  The shop is also looking for outside opportunities and hopes to run the bookstall at a women’s event in March. Pray for the physical and spiritual well being of the shop team.

20 Mon. Council Preparations 1 - Delegates
Please pray for all the delegates due to attend our Council meetings in Panama (March 11th – 18th). Pray they will be able to prepare themselves for this special time of seeking God for the future of CLC.  Pray, too, that they will be able to organise their work schedules to enable them to set aside the time in March.

21 Tue. Council Preparations 2 - Issues
The four yearly Council meetings in March will focus on some of the big issues facing our ministry: - the challenge of Internet and eBooks; the economic climate in some countries; and the incredible opportunities for growth in others.

22 Wed. Council Preparations 3 – Leadership
A key purpose of the March Council meetings is to grow the leadership qualities of our team leaders.  Pray for an anointing from God to come on all our leaders so that they would have a fresh vision to take back to their countries

23 Thu. Council Preparations 4 – Travel and Health
Please pray that all the arrangements for obtaining visas and tickets would be resolved.  For some countries this is a significant issue.  Pray too, for the health of our leaders as they prepare to make this long journey.

24 Fri. Mozambique – Bibles and Beira
We continue to battle to provide an adequate supply of Bibles to Mozambique, at prices the people can afford. Please pray for Liz Patten (Africa Regional Director) as she seeks to find solutions to this challenge in talking with publishers and distributors in Brazil and South Africa. Also, please pray for our new shop in Beira that opened last year. Claudia, the German missionary there, went on home leave in December and will be gone for most of this year, leaving Jose to manage the bookshop by himself - with the Lord’s help, of course!

25-26 Sat/Sun. UK – Take Note
Next month sees the launch of Take Note, our quarterly publicity brochure. Pray that it is well used by our customers and that many lives are transformed through the products bought. Pray for Amanda Lutes in her varied roles within CLC. Besides editing CLC World magazine she is actively involved in helping our shops and wholesale raise their profile via social media and email newsletters.  

27 Mon. Swaziland – The Future
When this was written the situation with our ministry in Swaziland is critical and faces an uncertain future. An "Emergency Rescue Plan" is in place and we would ask you to pray for determination and courage for those carrying it out - our remaining staff there and members of the International Office who are involved in advising. A number of Christian bookshops have closed in Manzini recently, which makes CLC's our survival there all the more necessary if the church is to continue to have access to the resources it needs.

28 Tue. Italy – Property and Publishing
“We are grateful for the opportunity to buy the Catania shop property. It is situated in a highly populated area of the town, close to a number of churches and is well served by public transport; this will give further stability to CLC Italy. We are also grateful for the new CLC title Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders. Our prayer is that this book will open the door for a spiritual renewal.” Andreas Bader, Director

29 Wed. Italy – Issues Families Face
As with other countries, financial difficulties are currently a major issue for many families in Italy.  Some of the CLC staff are struggling as well. We would appreciate prayer in this area.