17 Fri. Sierra Leone – Workshops
CLC Sierra Leone will be partnering with the African Pastoral Training (APT) Ministries to organise a training workshop for pastors and church leaders, May 22nd-24th, on how to make the best use of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. It is hoped that around 100 church leaders will attend this first workshop to be held in Freetown. Please pray for the success of this workshop and for Chuck Ballard and Wellington Morris of APT ministries as they travel from the US and Liberia respectively.

18-19 Sat/Sun. UK – Annual Conference
The CLC UK Annual Conference takes place from the 19th to 22nd of May. The Conference speaker will be Patrick McElligott. He and his wife have worked with CLC and WEC in Japan. Pray that the whole team will be blessed and encouraged as we pray, worship and talk together. Carlos Cunha will be with us to share about the CLC ministry in Portugal.

20 Mon. Netherlands – Arnhem
“Sadly, we have decided to close down CLC Arnhem in the near future. The shop has been making a loss for many years and as we see a decline in sales in the physical shops, it does not give hope for improvement in the future. The shop has a large and faithful group of volunteers and this is not an easy time for them. Please pray for Bertus Keuter, the manager, and the rest of the team during the closing down process. We are glad that another Christian bookstore remains in the town so that people will still have access to good literature.” Els Ooserhuis, National Director

21 Tue. Poland – RD Visit
Gary Chamberlin, the Regional Director for CLC in Europe, will be in Poland again to visit Eva (CLC Katowice) and Jola (CLC Wroclaw) from May 21st to 24th.  Together they will assess the current situation regarding staffing, finances, the website, social media and publications.  Praise God that three Roy Hession books, including Calvary Road, have been published by CLC Poland in the past few months.  Pray that they will sell well and be a blessing to many people.    

22 Wed. USA – Interns
Please pray for the USA students who will be serving with CLC as interns over the next few weeks and months. They are participating in a brief orientation course at the CLC USA Headquarters today and tomorrow before moving on to work with CLC in the USA, the UK and Burkina Faso (West Africa).   

23 Thu. Netherlands – New Hymn Book
On 25th May there is a festive introduction of an updated hymnbook which will be used by many Protestant churches. It contains some good songs, but also some ‘liberal’ ones. We are very concerned about the impact this might have on the Church and its leaders. Please pray for wisdom for us to know how to handle this issue.

24 Fri. European Leaders’ Forum
Over the next few days, May 25th-30th, Gary Chamberlin will be attending the European Leaders’ Forum (a non-CLC event) south of Katowice on the Czech border. Pray that it will be a time of refreshment and for making good contacts with many Christian leaders from all professions and from the entire European continent.

25-26 Sat/Sun. UK – Sheffield
We are providing books and resources at the Cliff College Festival event, 24th-27th May. Please pray we have the right materials available for those attending. The theme this year is “ …and make disciples”, following on from last year’s theme of “Therefore go…”. The days are long but vey fulfilling as we see good resources going out. People come a wide area so it’s exciting because you just don’t know where the books will end up!

27 Mon. Thailand – Significant Needs
There are significant needs in CLC Thailand. In both the Bangkok and Chiang Mai shops there is a need for additional staff with the ability to communicate in English. This is not just for the sake of customers who request books in English, but also for dealings with CLC outside of the country and in particular with the CLC Regional Director for Asia.

28 Tue. Swaziland – Praying for Progress
We are praying for progress for our Manzini bookshop. We need to increase the volume of stock, and to find a trained manager to take the work forward. The Swaziland economy has been hit by new taxes that affect us, and we need to find solutions…quickly. 

29 Wed. Canada – CLC Brossard
Hopefully by now, a ‘new’ CLC bookshop, with a small adjoining wholesale facility, will have opened in Brossard – on the South Shore of Montreal. It was due to open at the end of March. Please pray for the staff that work there and for good custom. CLC took over an existing Christian bookshop in this area over a year ago but due to the lease arrangement, the shop was absorbed into the main CLC bookshop in the centre of the city until the time was right to move back into the area.

30 Thu. Cyprus – Current Crisis
“The current economic crisis in Cyprus affects in some measure every aspect of life, with much uncertainty concerning the future.  No one knows as yet where all this will end.
As a bookshop, we have been affected considerably; we pray for the whole situation and we know that the Lord is overruling and has control over everything.  Please pray that this will be the means by which many people will turn to the Lord for salvation and reality.” Sotos and Eva Photiadou

31 Fri. Romania – Partnership Project
Last year the World Health Organisation released data showing Romania had the highest abortion rate in Europe – more than twice the EU average. CLC Romania, as a special project in partnership with OM International, has just published Randy Alcorn’s book ‘Why Pro Life’. Please pray as the team look for ways to effectively distribute this book throughout the country – pray too that the book and its message will have a real impact in Romanian society.

June

1-2 Sat/Sun UK – Chatham
Please pray for all the new volunteers that have recently joined the CLC team in Chatham. Pray too that the work CLC does in partnership with churches (via booktables etc.) would continue to grow. We thank God for helping us as we promote the mission and ministry of CLC both within and beyond the bookshop.

3 Mon. USA - Shop Closure
Please pray for Jim Pitman (Retail Director) and Phil Westhuis (shop Manager) as they work together in planning and implementing the closing of the CLC store in Northfield, New Jersey, in June.  The last day that this store will be open is Saturday, 15th June.  Praise the Lord for the work done in this location over the past years.

4 Tue. France - Shop Closure
CLC France has made the decision to close one of its bookshops in the near future. At present they have 14 shops, including one in Martinique and one in Guadeloupe. Please pray for our staff and customers in Saint Etienne as our time in this city comes to an end. Pray that the books bought from the CLC bookshop over the past years will continue to bless people who read them.

5 Wed. Ecuador – Shop Re-location
The CLC bookshop in Quito would benefit greatly from being in a place where customers can find parking nearby. Please pray for Director Carlos Marin and the rest of the team as they look for a more suitable and convenient place for the bookshop. 

6 Thu. Ecuador – Warehouse Re-location
As well as looking for a new location for the bookshop in Quito, we are also looking for a new home for the warehouse. Currently the wholesale department for CLC Ecuador is based in Quito, the capital city, but it would be more convenient to have it in Guayaquil where we already have two bookshops. Guayaquil is a major port, has a growing economy and the population is double that of Quito! In addition to this, 60% of the sales from wholesale go to the coastal regions. 

7 Fri. Papua New Guinea – Visit
Please pray for Romualdo Macinas, the CLC Regional Director for Asia, as he visits Vere Babona and the team in PNG this month. The decision was made recently to close the bookshop in Alotau so we now only have the shop in Port Moresby. Pray that Romualdo’s visit will be a blessing and that he will be able to help the team in practical ways and encourage them to give their best to the ministry.

8-9 Sat/Sun. UK – Aberdeen
Praise the Lord for opportunities to reach out to people of many different nationalities in our shops! Recently a Chinese man came into the Aberdeen shop wanting to find out about Jesus. He has started to attend a local church. Please pray he will come to know personally the One he is searching for. Praise the Lord too for a lady from Latvia who recently came to know the Lord in the bookshop. Her life has really changed and she has just been baptised.

10 Mon. India – Bookshop Management
Please pray for more staff for the CLC (ELS) India team; in particular for people who are capable of taking on leadership or management roles in the bookshops. Currently a number of bookshop managers are officially at, or past, retirement age but are continuing to work as there is no one to replace them. Please pray for the current leadership team as they actively and prayerfully look for the right people to lead the ministry in the future. Pray for good health, strength and blessing for the older team members.  

11 Tue. New Director – Canada
At the beginning of the year Oscar Cardozo took over the responsibility of National Director for CLC Canada from Rod Fowler. He has taken on this new role at a very busy time  - one bookshop has just relocated, two more are in the process of opening and a small wholesale facility is also opening at the time of writing! Pray for Oscar and the team.

12 Wed. New Director – Venezuela
Please pray for Jose Quintero, former manager of CLC in Barquisimeto, as he has now moved to the headquarters in Valencia as the National Director for CLC Venezuela. The former Director, Gamaliel Padilla, has moved to Bolivia to pioneer a CLC ministry in Santa Cruz.

13 Thu. New Director – Japan
Please pray for Satoru Nakano (CLC Ochanomizu, Tokyo) who became the National Director for CLC Japan earlier this year. Former Director Mitsuhiko Fujio continues as the manager for the Kanazawa bookshop and on the leadership team.

14 Fri. New Director – Netherlands
“On 1st September I hand over responsibility as Director to Bertus Keuter, in whom I have full confidence. He will work closely with Corine Brijs (Manager of CLC Apeldoorn and our bookkeeper) and they have complementary gifts. I will concentrate more on the Amsterdam shop and Bertus will have more time to work on our webshop – our only shop with rising sales at this time.” Els Oosterhuis

15-16 Sat/Sun. UK – Accounts and Administration
John Auger joined the team in May as our Head of Finance. Pray for John as he settles into the role and gets to grips with our accounting procedures and needs. Also in May, Jill Fanning stood down as the UK administrator. Please pray for her replacement.

17 Mon. Indonesia – Planning Ahead
Please pray for the future of the bookshop in Medan.  A recent change in the rental agreement for the shop property means that we can carry on for the moment, but sales need to increase for a viable future. Pray too for wisdom and strength for The National Director Donny Kairupan and his brother Tonny in the Surabaya shop as they look for ways to maintain and expand the work there.

18 Tue. Austria – Short Term Plans
Please pray for the future of the CLC bookshop in Graz. The shop is doing well and there are many faithful customers and helpers - but there are also significant problems to overcome if the future is to be secure. Edeltraud Heumann, the manager, is working increasingly long hours as currently she does not have long term staff to help. In addition, her husband has serious long-term health problems. The plan is that from June to August the Heumanns will have a much needed break while, hopefully, previous staff and current volunteers keep the shop open.

19 Wed. Austria – Long Term Plans
If the ministry is to move forward in Graz we need suitable permanent help for Edeltraud so she has a strong team working with her – including people who are able to take on some of the responsibilities for running the shop. There is also a difficulty with the location of the shop – in two units separated by another shop! This is far from ideal but so far attempts to find a more suitable place have not worked out. We need to address this matter seriously if the shop is to grow and progress.

20 Thu. Colombia - Shops Opening!
With news of some closures and an uncertain future for other CLC bookshops around the world, it is encouraging and exciting to know that there are places where we have opportunities to grow and extend our service. Please pray with the CLC Colombia team as they consider the possibilities of opening in three new locations in the coming months – in Manizales, Pasto and Cartagena.

21 Fri. Venezuela – More Shops Opening!
Praise the Lord for the way CLC Venezuela has been able to initiate and support the new CLC ministry in Bolivia this year. In addition to this, which included sending their former Director and his wife to head up the work in Bolivia, the team has a vision to extend in their own country too. Please pray with them as they consider opening retail outlets in Barinas, Maturin and Margarita.

22-23 Sat/Sun. UK – ICRS
Please pray for Chris Magee, the head of CLC Wholesale, as he meets with suppliers at ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) in the USA, 23rd-26th June. Pray for safe travel, good contacts – both new and existing ones  - a clear strategy and wise and careful buying.

24 Mon. Chile – New Warehouse
Praise God for the wonderful provision of a warehouse in a property owned by the Bible Society. This will enable us to work even closer with them. The warehouse is a much more suitable building and will make the work of distribution more efficient and effective. Thank you Lord.

25 Tue. Chile – Options
Please pray with the team as they decide what to do with a commercial building that they have purchased in central Santiago from Mundo Hispano, the Baptist publishing group. There are several options open to them but they are praying for guidance.

26 Wed. Pakistan – Continue to Pray
You may have prayed before for the building project in Karachi but please continue to pray!  The wheels turn very slowly when permission is required from multiple agencies. We continue to believe that the facilities will be greatly improved with this building project. Please pray for our team as they continue to work and minister in challenging conditions.

27 Thu. USA – Miami
Gerardo Scalante and family plan to move to Miami in the next few weeks. Pray for all the practical arrangements involved in this move and for their rapid adaptation to their new environment. The move will enable Gerardo to be more centrally located for his work as CLC Regional Director for the Americas and Caribbean. He will have an office at the warehouse owned by CLC Colombia

28 Fri. Philippines – Cebu
Please pray for wisdom to know how to proceed in Cebu. The shop rental increases substantially each year and the contract comes up for renewal again this December. The team are looking for a new location in this densely populated city. If they find a suitable place they may transfer the shop this year or, depending on sales and the staffing situation, they may take on another two-year lease and open in a new part of the city when the time seems right to do so.

29-30 Sat/Sun UK – Birmingham
The barriers and building work, which have made life so difficult for the Birmingham shop, have gone! The new access to the train station is now very near the bookshop. Pray for the team as they build up the business and attract customers back to the newly accessible shop. Pray that the local churches and Christians would be generous in their support.

31 Mon. Philippines – POD
We are considering a ‘Print on Demand’ project in partnership with Bethany International.  This is a pioneering project of CLC International to be tested in CLC Philippines. Please pray for provision for the necessary equipment. Please also pray for wisdom as we try to make the message global through eBooks.