Prayer Focus: July 2014
1 Tue. USA – Interns
“Please pray for CLC USA summer interns Saya Lee and Melissa Arnston, who will be working in the editorial department, and for Bethany Tibbetts as she plans to work with CLC in the UK. We are trusting God to use this pivotal time in their lives, and that they will be a blessing to all the people they come in contact with.” Dave Almack, National Director
2 Wed. Spain – Changes in Madrid
Please pray for the new combined warehouse / bookshop in Madrid which opened for business recently. It is just 40 metres from the old bookshop and CLC has been in the same area of the city for at least 30 years so our customers should be able to find us! The new CLC centre will enable us to be far more flexible in the way we serve our customers. Pray too that we will find someone to rent our previous warehouse, which is owned by CLC. At the moment, the Spanish economy is at its lowest point and there are just a few signs of recovery.
3 Thu. Kenya – New Staff Member
“We thank God for Margy Muiruri, a new staff member who joined us in February. She has adapted well to the ministry. We pray for strength and wisdom for her as we work together for the kingdom.” Edith Wamalwa, National Director
4 Fri. Burkina Faso – Relocation
At the time of writing, our bookshop in Ouagadougou was due to relocate in June. We thank the Lord that a new suitable property was found after the landlord of the previous property doubled the rent earlier this year. Please pray for the team that serves in this shop – Prosper (the Director for CLC in French speaking West Africa), Luc (the bookshop manager) and Gérard.
5-6 Sat/Sun. UK – IT Systems
Please pray for Mick Goodman, Head of Operations, and the heads of wholesale, retail and finance as they have recently been evaluating another possible IT system for both shops and wholesale. Please pray that the right decision can soon be made as the age of the old system is causing increasing problems, particularly for the wholesale department.
7 Mon. Mozambique - Beira
We have an opportunity, in July, to double our floor space in the Beira shop and to partner with a local Christian printing ministry. This is a very exciting step! We also hope that we will finally be given permission for an external sign that will be visible from the busy main street where we are located.
8 Tue. Switzerland – Decisions about the Future
“We give thanks to God that the owner of our bookshop agreed to reduce our rent for the last six months. Now we are in July, we have to contact the owner again and make some decisions about the future. We ask for your prayers for God's wisdom and guidance in this situation. We need to know if we are to stay here, which realistically needs to be at a reduced rent, or if He wants us to move to another location.” Carlo Ciafani, Manager
9 Wed. Uruguay – Facing Difficulties
CLC Uruguay would appreciate your prayers for the distribution of our books and Bibles; the first three months of this year showed a drop by almost 20%. We trust God to give us strategies and ideas to be able to move forward in this situation. A major part of the problem is related to the crisis that Argentina is going through, which affects Uruguay, and the rise in the value of the US dollar. In addition, it is election year in Uruguay and this means that the economy has a tendency to weaken.
10 Thu. France – Christian Convention
We will be holding bookstalls over three weeks (13th -18th July and 3rd -17th of August) at the Gagnières Christian Convention again this summer. Heidi Lauber, who manages the CLC Montelimar bookshop, will be there to run the bookstall. At the end of this year Heidi will be retiring after more than 30 years service with CLC France.
11 Fri. Mozambique – Pastors’ Conference
Please pray for the Annual Pastors' Conference, run by Editora FIEL from Brazil, which takes place on the 18th and 19th of July. CLC Maputo helps with the book tables at this event, and also takes care of all the pre-registration. Liz Patten, the CLC Africa Regional Director, will visit at this time.
12-13 Sat/Sun. UK – Holidays for Some!
As the summer holiday season gets underway in the UK, many shops will be providing books for missions, holiday clubs and camps. Pray that God will use all of this material for His glory. Pray too for the shops and warehouse in general as staffing is often tight over the summer as team members take holidays.
14 Mon. Canada – Difficult Decisions
CLC Canada is facing some difficult decisions with regard to the future of its recently opened bookshops in the east of Montreal and in Brossard. The anticipated increase in total sales did not materialize, and the expenses were much higher than expected. Please pray for the board and the leadership team, as they grapple with the situation. The team is grateful for the involvement of CLC International Office and the offer of expertise on the part of CLC USA.
15 Tue. Russia – Bookshop in Difficulties
The oldest and best known Christian bookshop in Moscow is going through rocky times. Because of this, many of their customers are finding CLC for the first time, which is an encouragement for us. It's not so good for the city, however, as there is sufficient demand for the viability of both shops and more. Please pray that we can meet the customers’ needs and that the other shop will, by God's grace, be a blessing once more for this city and nation.
16 Wed. Mozambique – New Staff
Please pray for Viveca Nhancale, the new staff member at CLC Maputo, as she settles into the ministry. In her first few weeks, she has been busy taking book tables to venues outside the shop. Please pray as she makes contact with leaders of both Christian and secular events, in order that these opportunities might continue.
17 Thu. Mozambique – New Shelving
God willing, a container full of donated shop fittings will be on its way from UK to Mozambique in July. These are needed so that we can re-fit our two shops - especially Maputo where the fittings have been destroyed by termites. Please pray for safe arrival and for no problems with customs - thank you.
18 Fri. CA2 – Conference and Congratulations!
Please pray that we would be able to hear from the Lord at our team conference which, at the time of writing, is expected to take place late July or early August 2014. Please also pray that the team would be prepared to run things at the bookshop without the American Director and her husband while they return to the USA, for a few months, in September for the birth of their first child.
19-20 Sat/Sun. UK – Birmingham
CLC now has two bookshops in Birmingham, having just taken over a bookshop in Carrs Lane. Pray for Neil MacLennan, the manager, and the new team as they work together in the early weeks to establish the shop stock and systems, and as they promote the shop to the churches and Christians in the greater Birmingham area. Pray too for our original shop in Stephenson Street as it serves the many passing customers who come out of the nearby train station.
21 Mon. Japan – Shop Closure
The decision has been made to close one of the bookshops, CLC Higashikurume, in August 2014. The manager, Chiharu Kamiya, and his co-worker, Mrs. Watanabe, will both be retiring. Thank God for the ministry of this shop over the years, and pray that He will bless and guide the staff as they move into a new stage of their lives.
22 Tue. Trinidad - Protection
“As we review the last few months, we are grateful to God for His keeping power. As the crime rate escalates in our country, one can develop a sense of fear. Recently a Senior Counsel was gunned down and we believe a list was found with a number of high profile individuals who will ‘be eliminated’. God has promised to keep our coming in and going out, and we will continue to be a beacon in this darkness.” Director for CLC East Caribbean
23 Wed. Trinidad - Distribution
We purchased some Bibles and distributed over a hundred copies in one of the ‘hot spots’ for crime and violence near Port of Spain. What was amazing was the fact that as they received the Bibles, some people opened them and started reading straight away! May God's Word take root in their lives. We thank God that all four CLC bookshops in Trinidad are doing well.
24 Thu. Sierra Leone – Change in Leadership
After serving as National Director for CLC since 2005, Jusu Wai Sawi will be leaving CLC at the end of July. We give thanks for Jusu’s dynamic leadership and pray God’s blessing on him as he will be seeking to serve the Lord, and some of Sierra Leone’s poorest communities, through another organisation. Please pray for his successor, Donald John.
25 Fri. Venezuela – Obtaining Currency
Yohel Peña writes “We give thanks to God that after months of waiting, we have finally been able to arrange to buy foreign currency which has enabled us to pay off some debts to publishers in the USA. This was made possible because the government has recently introduced an alternative system for acquiring currency.” Please continue to pray for CLC in Venezuela as the whole country is experiencing difficult days.
26-27 Sat/Sun. UK – Focus 2014
This week CLC is again providing a large bookstall for the Focus conference, run by Holy Trinity Church, Brompton. Pray for Geoff Bearham and the team as they travel to Sussex to set up, run and then take down the bookstall. Pray that in the hard work and tiredness there will be joy and satisfaction as they advise and serve the customers.
28 Mon. Barbados – Library Orders
We are thankful to the Lord for giving us another opportunity to supply the local Public Library with an order of books. We really appreciate this sale in these difficult economic times. Please pray that the books would be a source of blessing to those using the Library.
29 Tue. Kenya - Partnerships
With changing economies and trends, CLC Kenya is looking for a change of strategy to ensure sustainability. We are asking the Lord to open doors for other Christian organisations to partner with us in ministry. We hope and pray that this will be a paradigm shift for us.
30 Wed. Netherlands – Registration Process
“We are currently in the process of registering the CLC Bookshops and Publishing as a separate entity from the charitable foundation. We appreciate your prayer in this, because it requires some careful decision-making and paperwork.” Bertus Keuter, Director
31 Thu. USA – New Title
“Pray for the release, on August 5th, of a very important new CLC book entitled Books that Change Lives. This book is being produced in conjunction with the Parable Group. It is a vital resource for anyone seeking to develop a Christian reading habit. It has recommendations on the best Christian books to read, as well as an extremely valuable topical resource guide.” Dave Almack, National Director