International (MNN) — In Belize, 700 people stood in a line for two hours. Why? Because they were anxiously waiting to get their hands on a free Bible or Christian book.
This urgency from believers to have their own copy of God’s Word isn’t new to Mission Cry. The ministry gets donations in the United States of gently used Bibles and Christian books, then ships them in sea containers to 174 countries for distribution.
Rev. Jason Woolford, executive director of Mission Cry, says they hear stories all the time of ways God is taking these literature donations and using them in powerful ways.
“There was a woman in Uganda who we’ve just gotten a picture from,” Woolford says. “She was praising God and our partner who distributed [a Bible] to her told us that this woman at the age of 24-years -old had been praying her whole life for her very own Bible…. She got a used Bible and she was praising God for hours and crying and thanking the Lord.”
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)
Mission Cry even ships children’s Bibles and gives them out to kids who want to learn more about Jesus.
For example, Woolford says they have ministered to Christian children in Nigeria “who have had their hands chopped off because they became believers, and [have] not even had a Bible or a children’s book to read about the very God that they’re being martyred for.”
Mission Cry has sent $13 million worth of free Bibles and Christian books annually for the last 11 years. The spiritual impact has reached upwards of 1.5 million people.
People sometimes ask whether or not English Bibles and books are actually useful to believers who don’t speak English as their first language. Woolford encourages English texts are still incredibly useful and cherished.
“English is the financial language of the world…. There are places that we’ve been sending to that people speak three and four and five languages.”
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)
So do you have extra Bibles, seminary textbooks, Bible studies, Scripture commentaries, or other Christian books just sitting on your shelves? Rather than collect dust, let your gently used books collect souls and strengthen people’s faith!
Click here for book donation instructions at Mission Cry.
“We’re taking God’s Word and giving it around the world because His Word is the only thing that doesn’t return void.”
Mission Cry also has a free bookstore available to missionaries, pastors, and evangelists. Woolford adds, “Or say you…are listening and you say, ‘Hey, I’m getting ready to go on a missions trip,’ we’ll allow you to come and shop and take up to 400 pounds or $3,000 worth of free stuff as long as you freely distribute it overseas.”
Lately, Mission Cry has been getting fewer used Bible donations, but the need has not diminished.
To fill a growing gap between the supply and demand for Bibles, the ministry has started producing the Mission Cry NASB Bible, which includes the New Testament and the G300 discipleship program.
Even if you don’t have any books to donate, Woolford says, “You can sponsor a Mission Cry Bible! For every $2 donated to the Mission Cry Bible, that helps us produce that Bible and get it in the hands of someone overseas absolutely free.”
Please pray for these donated Bibles and books going out around the world. Ask God to bless the spiritual lives of our Christian brothers and sisters receiving these books. Pray that they would share the hope of Jesus in these texts with others.
Header photo courtesy of Jonathan Simcoe via Unsplash.