May 2008 - International Story
From America to Poland to Belarus and beyond, we hear their pleas . . . 2,500 a month! All desperate for Audio Bibles. All depending on this ministry — on you and me — to respond.
As Helena in Poland told us: “It has always been my dream to have my own recorded Bible and a player for listening. But that dream could not have come true if it was not for your wonderful love filled hearts.”
This is the impact you have helped make for men and women across the earth through your generous support of Audio Bibles for the Blind.
And as we enter our 35th year of ministry, I want you to know that it is only by God’s grace and the gifts of friends like you that we have been able to distribute Audio Bibles in 138 countries and in 70 languages.
Someone like Litvinenko in Israel who says:
Or Jarmila in the Czech Republic who told us: “Oh, what joy it is to see our blind listening to the Word of God. Most of our blind had no one to read for them so you can only imagine their happiness, since you made it possible for them to listen to the beloved Word of God any time they want.”
This is why we’re here. This is what we’re all about. This is God’s calling. And I’m deeply grateful for your listening to the gentle tug at your heart today because Isaiah 62:7 instructs us:
And with so many more crying out for Audio Bibles, I must come to you and ask . . .
Will you share a generous gift to put God’s Word into the hands — and heart — of someone free of charge?
Maybe you can share enough so two people – or three . . . or many - who have no chance of reading God’s Word will come to know His love through Audio Bibles. Please pray and share as God leads to help make an eternal difference for the ones who reach out to us who are blind, visually-impaired, and print handicapped.
Whatever you can share will help, thank you!
I encourage you to hang your map where everyone can see it. May it remind you of the impact you are helping to make through your generous support of Audio Bibles for the Blind. Also, please pray about what you can do to help us provide more Audio Bibles to those hurting without it through your gift today. Thank you!
April 2008 - Ghost Town
A special message
from Violet to you . . .
“I’ll love meeting you and seeing you in person in eternity some day.”
Violet wanted us to forward this message to you. At 88, her health is deteriorating and her vision has failed her. Yet, thanks to Audio Bibles for the Blind and friends like you, she has never known a day without God’s Word.
And that’s saying a lot! You see, Violet’s family left Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. They sold their farming equipment and headed West in a Ford Model-T they converted into a covered wagon. Her family received 640 acres of free government land in New Mexico.
Her father started the first church in the area. She met her husband at a church revival in the mining town of Mogollon where they were both baptized in a cattle tank, married and lived their lives.
In later years, Violet lost her husband, a pastor, to cancer. But to this day she holds onto the missionary zeal she and her husband shared in New Mexico.
“Audio Bibles for the Blind covers almost the entire world,” Violet says. “Not more money, cars, or worldly goods matter. Nothing we seek here matters until you read and absorb and believe what God’s Word says. God’s Word points the way for us. If we follow it and Him, then we are ready to face this life and all of eternity.”
Amen! I could not have said it better myself. And it’s in that very spirit that I’m writing you today . . .
Every month, 2,500 people come to us, requesting God’s Word, seeking His will and the way through this life and all of eternity. But only through your generous support — and that of all our friends — can we continue rushing Audio Bibles FREE OF CHARGE to those who need them most.
“When I first lost my sight, I got the Bible tapes and played them every night, one after another. And then again every day. I wore many of my tapes out.”
But thanks to the gifts of friends like you, we replaced those tapes at no cost to Violet.
So many like Violet are crying out for Audio Bibles. They are the visually impaired, the sick, even many who do not yet know God. From the United States to Haiti to Belarus and beyond, we hear their pleas. All desperate for Audio Bibles. All depending on this ministry — on you and me — to respond.
Violet told us: “I walk by faith, not by sight.” In many respects, so do we here at Audio Bibles for the Blind. And I have every faith that God will continue to provide for this ministry — His ministry — through the generous hearts of friends like you. Please pray about what you can do to help us provide more Audio Bibles to the lost and the lonely through your gift today. Thank you!
February 2008 - Kim Anderson
Her name is Abby. And she is an undeniable example of how God uses you, me and so many others through Audio Bibles for the Blind to achieve His will on earth.
I’m certain Abby would agree.
Having grown up with a severe leg deformity in a Chinese orphanage, Abby’s only attention from other children was when they taunted and abused her. Isolated and lonely, Abby befriended an elderly woman who lived in the same facility. She called her “Granny.” The bond between them was inseparable . . . or so they thought . . .
Abby’s fourteenth birthday was just around the corner – literally only two weeks away. In China, when orphans turn fourteen, their “security” in the orphanage system is shattered – China labels them “unadoptable.” And they are officially pulled from all adoption lists. The clock was ticking on Abby.
But neither Abby nor Granny knew what the Lord was orchestrating in the United States. . .
Steve and Kim Anderson had already raised two children of their own, but felt God’s tugging at their hearts to do more. After much prayer and discussion, they followed the Lord’s leading to China — specifically to Abby’s orphanage.
Still, their intention was to adopt a toddler. But when they heard about Abby’s plight, and then met her, God changed their plans! In no time, she was on a plane headed to America!
But the story doesn’t end there, as Abby explains, “My life is a miracle. God began that miracle before I even believed in Him.”
Seeking the best possible avenue to witness to the young girl, the Andersons contacted Audio Bibles for the Blind. Thanks to the gifts of friends like you, we were able to meet their request for an Audio Bible in Chinese. Abby listened to it regularly, became involved with Steve and Kim in their local church, and came to Christ more than two years later. But God wasn’t finished yet . . .
A couple of friends of the Andersons were planning to visit China and invited Abby to join them. Abby jumped at the chance to see “Granny” again. . . .
But she had another, deeper agenda, as evidenced by the Audio Bibles carefully packed in her luggage. When Abby arrived at her former orphanage, the staff warned her not to “flash” her Audio Bibles around. The area was intensely Muslim. It could be dangerous.
But that did not deter the courageous young girl. She was told she would have only two hours with Granny. It might be the last time they would meet on this side of eternity. Abby knew what was at stake so she did not waste any time witnessing to Granny and telling her about Jesus.
She gave her the Audio Bibles friends like you helped provide along with a cassette player and plenty of batteries. And Abby encouraged her Granny to listen to the Audio Bible over and over to learn about Jesus.
As I’ve said before, only God knows how your generosity and prayers will be used through Audio Bibles for the Blind.
What I do know is that I must count on you to help us continue fulfilling God’s will through this ministry. I think Abby described our efforts best when she told us, “My walk with Jesus is not just Sunday, but every day.”
Your giving to Audio Bibles for the Blind is evidence of your walk with Jesus. It’s not just on Sundays. It’s every day. IT’S TODAY!
