Week 49: Venezuela and Mexico
Tuesday (1st) – Vehicle Needed (Mexico)
We have started to visit some cities outside the capital and have found that there are pastors and bookstores with a real need for Christian books and Bibles. The main Christian distributors are located in Mexico City and, as a general rule, people have to travel to the capital to buy what they need. The few trips we made were successful and people are asking us to come back. We would like to buy a vehicle that could allow us to make more frequent visits with a wider range of material.
Wednesday (2nd) – Gran Feria Cristiana (Mexico)
CLC recently took part in the ‘Gran Feria Cristiana’ (a major Christian fair) in Mexico. On the first day, under the heading ‘Pastoral Update’, CLC contributed to the seminars with two authors from the publishers we represent. There were teaching sessions for around 1,000 pastors! CLC also had a number of booths at the fair representing, and selling, our own material and also products from other publishers including Harper Collins, LifeWay and Tyndale. Praise God for this opportunity.
Thursday (3rd) – Money for Stock (Venezuela)
For a number of years now it has been difficult to obtain currency (US dollars) in Venezuela, which is vital for the ministry in order to pay debts and order new stock.
Please pray about this and also for the basic materials we need in Venezuela; if we could buy paper we could print books locally rather than depend on imports.
Friday (4th) – Elections (Venezuela)
Please pray for the political, economic and social situation in Venezuela. Elections are about to be held (planned for December 6th at time of writing) for the National Assembly, and we trust God that things will be under control and that the whole process can be accomplished in a peaceful way.
The Weekend (5th/6th) – (Venezuela)
We give thanks to God for His goodness in the midst of difficult times and that one of our key staff members, Fabiola, has been able to return to work following an extended time off work earlier this year due to ill health.
Week 50: CLC and the Bible
Monday (7th) – Belarus
In 2012, the CLC team in Brest, Belarus took on a very exciting project to publish Bibles in Russian using a local Belarusian company that has printed Bibles in many different languages. Since then, almost 9,000 Bibles have been printed in different sizes and cover colours. Some of the profit from the sales will go towards CLC’s project to open a bookshop in the capital city of Minsk.
Tuesday (8th) – UK
CLC is very thankful to Tyndale House Publishers for helping us make available a low cost outreach edition of The New Living Translation Bible. This will be given away to customers purchasing books featured in the autumn promotional magazine Take Note. Copies will also be available for shop staff to give away to enquirers or customers who can use them evangelistically. Larger quantities can be purchased at £1.99 each. Please pray that the Bibles are given away wisely and that many people are brought to faith through them. They are available in the UK shops now and for the foreseeable future.
Wednesday (9th) – Mexico
CLC will start to work closely with the Thompson Bible Seminars in Mexico. The plan is to have a CLC book table at every seminar held in the country. The Thompson Bible Seminars in Mexico are represented by another ministry but thanks to the good relationship we have with them in other countries, where CLC arranges the seminars, they are more than happy to allow CLC to partner with them in Mexico. This work will require more people to travel to different cities in the country and set up the book tables for two days.
Thursday (10th) – Netherlands
We recently had an order from a school for 60 Bibles for the school children studying there. Praise God for this order and for such schools!
Friday (11th) – France
From March to August this year, we had a new partnership with Wycliffe. This partnership consisted of donating one euro to Wycliffe for each French Bible sold; these French Bibles have a green sticker and are published by the CLC Publishing House. This promotion supports the translation of the Bible into different languages.
The Weekend (12th/13th) – Ecuador
The CLC team in Ecuador praise God for the recent opportunity to donate 300 Bibles to people serving time in a prison in the city of Tacunga. This was a follow-up to a project started a while ago which was put on hold because of building work at the prison. Now the ministry can continue with a member of the team who preaches and gives out Bibles in the prison. The aim of the project is to take the message of hope and salvation to those in prison, and provide Bibles for all those who become Christians.
Week 51: Colombia
Information from David Pabón, CLC National Director
Monday (14th) – Bookshops in Bogota
Praise the Lord for the opportunity to expand the network of bookshops in Bogota this year. In June, a fourth shop in the capital was opened, ‘Calle (street) 84’ and, at the time of writing, plans are underway to open another bookshop, this time in the south of the city.
Tuesday (15th) – New Shop Managers
Please pray for the newest bookshop managers on the CLC Colombia team. Olga Médina is managing the new shop in Bogota and Johan Flores has taken over as the manager of the bookshop in Tunja.
Wednesday (16th) – FSCLC (CLC Colombia’s Social Foundation)
As an established business, CLC Colombia is required by law to use some of the profits for the benefit of the country, but it is also an opportunity to show love in action – and often an outlet for giving away some of our material as well.
One of their recent projects was the distribution of ‘school kits’ with essentials for children in three rural areas of the country where resources are scarce.
Thursday (17th) – CLC Colombia in Miami
CLC Colombia has a distribution warehouse and an adjoining bookshop in Miami. This is almost exclusively for Spanish material. Please pray for this newly established work that now needs to grow and expand. Jennifer Scalante, a second generation CLCer, and her mother Silvia run the bookshop and Ruben Reyes is the manager of the wholesale department.
Friday (18th) – CLC Events
CLC Colombia arranges varied events around the country, in bookshops, local churches and other venues. One recent event was held in Bogota for the CLC staff themselves when Coalo Zamorano, well-known throughout Latin America as a musician and worship leader, visited the Headquarters and presented his new book No Estás Solo (You are not alone). Not only did the staff learn more about the author and the book they would be selling, but CLC was highlighted on Coalo’s Facebook post that day. Praise God for the opportunities we have to promote and distribute good books, and for fellowship and co-operation with other ministries.
The Weekend (19th/20th) – CLC Publications
CLC Colombia has a major publishing ministry in Latin America. One of the publications, for which we thank God, is Ven y Sigueme (Come, Follow Me) by Christopher White. This book talks about discipleship and it has had a huge impact on the church in general, motivating people to become true disciples. We have also used the book in workshops for pastors and Christian leaders in Bogota. Praise God too for a book that is soon to be published in Spanish by CLC – You and Me Forever by Francis Chan.
Week 52: Belarus, CA2 and CA1
Monday (21st) – Publishing in 2015 (Belarus)
Like many other CLC countries, CLC Belarus is pushing ahead with a publishing programme. For a small team, we have quite ambitious plans for 2015 with at least four books to be published by the end of the year: Resisting Gossip by Matt Mitchell, You and me Forever by Francis Chan, and two books for children. Please pray the books would be ready in time, and distributed around the Russian-speaking world quickly.
Tuesday (22nd) – Publishing in 2016 (Belarus)
Five children’s books that were published in previous years are now out of stock and have to be reprinted at the beginning of 2016. We are also pleased that local Christian authors have started to submit their manuscripts for publishing. At the time of writing we have three proposals.
Wednesday (23rd) – For Praise (CA2)
Praise God for a huge order through a government office to set up a library. Although it was for secular books, this money will help us get much closer to covering costs. Praise God for permission for another order of Russian Christian books – we got this permission faster than any other we can remember!
Thursday (24th) – For Prayer (CA2)
Pray for continued wisdom for the bookshop Director and her husband to know how to equip the local staff to run things more on their own as she is home much more with their new baby.
Friday (25th) – “But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10 NIV
Praise the Lord that the Good News is still being announced around the world. May that continue – and increase – in the year ahead.
The Weekend (26th/27th) – Part of the Family (CA1)
This work in Central Asia is one of the most isolated of our CLC teams, but praise the Lord they still feel very much part of the CLC family. In August they received a visit from three CLC staff members to help with the reorganisation of the work. Pray as a new committee is appointed to oversee our activity here.
Week 1: CLC International Office
Information from Neil Wardrope, CLC International Director
Monday (28th) - Council Preparation 1:
Please pray for the multitude of details that need to be resolved ahead of our 75th Anniversary Council Meetings in June. Our aim is to have a representative from every single CLC country, something not previously attempted. We want to celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness to CLC. We are a multi-cultural, multi-lingual family and, as such, a microcosm of the family of God.
Please pray for the important decisions that will be taken at Council. The key roles in the International Office need to be appointed. At the time of writing, a number of Regional Directors have already been chosen by their regions, but these appointments need to be confirmed at Council, along with that of the International Director. We will also be approving a new version of the International Constitution. There is an ongoing consultation process to ensure that we adequately reflect the international flavour of the CLC family.
Changes are coming regarding the collection, editing and sending of the regular weekly news and three-monthly prayer news (Prayer Focus). After almost 12 years, Sheena Wardrope will be stepping down from this role. A review process will take place to assess the best way to proceed in the future, given the technological changes that have taken place. Prayer remains a vital tool for CLC and we are very grateful to Sheena for keeping us so well informed all this time.
Please pray for the production of a completely different, 75th anniversary edition of the World Report. It will be presented in a different format, and will reflect reports and testimonies not just from the last 12 months, but from the last 75 years. This is a lot of work, so please pray for Sheena Wardrope as she researches the material from the archives. We trust it will be available in time for the Council.