Newsletter - March 2010
In this month's newsletter...
General News
Wow, this year has started with a bang! So much to do, so many plans, so little time.
- During 2009 Bibles for Believers held a Bible Day in 200 churches of many different denominations. We are extremely excited that the Body of Christ is united in this area of giving Bibles to believers who are too poor to afford their own. We have plans to hold 350 Bible Days during 2010. One hundred and fifty of these have already been booked. If yours has not, please call the office!
- Eleven breakfasts were held in various cities across the country last year and already we plan to host another 25 breakfasts this year. Andre Jooste (marketing director) and his team are working at full steam to get all the arrangements in place. Please call him at our office if you want to attend or if you are willing to invite guests to a breakfast.
- Our main projects for the year includes the sponsored Comrades run for Sena (Malawi) Bibles, the Bibles4Zim (Shona) and Bibles for Burundi projects. Along with these we will continue to supply our partners in Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi. We hope to supply about 50 000 Bibles in total this year.
- We still need more runners who can run a sponsored race. If you are entered to run Comrades this year please get hold of us. If you know someone who is running, please pass this information on.
- Our Bibles4Zim project is in full swing. The 30 000 Shona Bibles are about to be printed - all we need is the balance of the deposit to get the project moving. Our newly appointed director of the project starts on the 1st March (more about him next month) and we have an outreach planned for October. Church planting will kick off during the second part of the year.
- More on the Burundi project in another article in this issue.
- There are several outreach and Bible placement opportunities this year. Planning is at an advanced stage for the Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe outreaches. Herbie Venter will be away for a month during March/April preparing and training local churches to receive visiting teams. Several delivery trips will take place in 2010 - watch the newsletters for opportunities to go on a delivery.
- We are trying to acquire the property next door to the office for extra office and storage space. Please pray that the Lord will make this possible and that He will provide the needed funding.
Steven (Fanie) Loots
President and CEO
Burundi
For many South Africans Burundi was for long an unknown, far-off land. Now, many of our military personnel are stationed there as part of the peacekeeping force. Bibles for Believers has partnered with Anton and Diane van Schalkwyk who have a passion to bring the Gospel to the people of Burundi. During the latter half of 2009 Anton and Diane visited our offices and shared the great need for Bibles they have encountered there among the churches. We were able to give a small amount of Kirundi Bibles immediately and have promised to make the needy Christians of Burundi one of our focus points this year.
We recently received an assessment of the needs of churches they work with directly; and found that at least 1 000 Bibles are needed urgently.
Many Burundians have been Christians for years and have never been able to afford a Bible, but now we have the opportunity to be an answer to their prayers. If the Lord lays Burundi and its poor fellow believers on your heart please send B4B a specific gift for Anton and Diane to distribute. Mark your gifts with your partner number and the word “Burundi".
Specific Projects
The Sena Bible Project - Comrades - Run for Bibles!
The Bibles-4-Zimbabwe Project.
Burundi Project.
Contact our office if you would like to participate or if you would like to find out more.
