Gifts continue to come in to fund new translations of the Light Of The World video for other countries. The Hebrew edition has been completed and sent to a missionary in Israel where copies are being distributed. He reports that, already, one 55-year-old Jewish lady has responded to the gospel. Many are being given to Christian workers who pass them on to their Jewish bosses.
The Russian edition is in the works. The Russian lady who is managing the project from Moscow says that test recordings of several narrators have been made so that the right voice can be chosen for this important project. A number of missionaries are waiting and excited about this new tool.
A Japanese edition is also in the works. A professional Christian narrator has been located and the recording is being done in a studio in Tokyo.
We have had requests for the film in Farsi (Language of Iran), numerous African tribal languages, and Romanian. An Italian project is also under way. A script is translated, and recording is being arranged.
The preparation of other language editions requires the location of translators, narrators with good voices, subtitling in some cases, and video production facilities, often in the targeted countries.
Missionary tract projects have also been funded for tracts in languages in the Middle East (quietly, of course), Turkish, Ukrainian, Mongolian and Chinese. An Arabic version of Greatest Story Ever Told is nearly completed. When done, copies will be sent to the translator in Lebanon. He is a bold, converted Muslim Sheikh who got saved when he befriended a Christian to try to convert him to Islam. Instead, the Christian led him to Jesus. He has been disowned by his family and fled from home fearing a relative or neighbor might try to kill him for converting.
Living in Beirut, he has been arrested and jailed 4 times for his bold, public witness, but even in jail, he continues testifying of his faith in Christ to jailers and inmates. When released he returns to witnessing in the streets and handing out literature.
In the Philippines, one missionary and local pastor had an artist in his church reproduce scenes from the Light of the World video on large posters to attract attention when they are preaching on the streets. One Chick Publications customer recently donated funds for 30,000 tracts for this pastor. He reports that they were all gone in just a few weeks. He says that he can distribute as many as he can get.
Chick Publications continues to receive funds from soul winners with a burden to use some of the Lord`s blessing to reach beyond their own sphere of influence. We are continually approached by missionaries and native workers from many countries for literature and videos that would be very useful in their ministry but are out of reach for them financially.
God has allowed us to fund many tract and video projects for these missionaries with the generosity of these soul winners. We welcome these gifts and are faithful to see that each dollar goes to purchase literature for a worthy ministry. But we have to caution that we are not authorized to give a tax-deductible receipt for such gifts.