Council Preparations 4 – Travel and Health

Please pray that all the arrangements for obtaining visas and tickets would be resolved.  For some countries this is a significant issue.  Pray too, for the health of our leaders as they prepare to make this long journey.

Council Preparations 3 – Leadership

A key purpose of the March Council meetings is to grow the leadership qualities of our team leaders.  Pray for an anointing from God to come on all our leaders so that they would have a fresh vision to take back to their countries

Council Preparations 2 – Issues

The four yearly Council meetings in March will focus on some of the big issues facing our ministry: – the challenge of Internet and eBooks; the economic climate in some countries; and the incredible opportunities for growth in others.

Council Preparations 1 – Delegates

Please pray for all the delegates due to attend our Council meetings in Panama (March 11th – 18th). Pray they will be able to prepare themselves for this special time of seeking God for the future of CLC.  Pray, too, that they will be able to organise their work schedules to enable them to set aside the time in March.

UK – Cambridge

Sales have suffered as the recession has started to bite in this prosperous area of England, which is also accustomed to using the Internet. Pray that the season of Lent produces increased demand for resources by individuals and churches.  The shop is also looking for outside opportunities and hopes to run the bookstall at a women’s event in March. Pray for the physical and spiritual well being of the shop team.

USA – Book Launch

Please pray for the launch of our first book by Stuart and Jill Briscoe entitled Holiness without the Halo.  We hope that this will be the first of a series of books that we produce by this couple who are prolific writers and speakers.  The book should be available sometime early in the New Year.

Tanzania – New Location

We praise the Lord that He has miraculously provided a new location for our CLC ministry in Dar es Salaam after our previous landlord increased our rent by 140% last year! The new bookshop is a ‘container’ shop (or ‘shop in a box’) in the grounds of a church. We praise God for the Rev. Stephen Kibungo and his colleagues who have helped us by giving permission for this, and especially for Rev. Stephen’s vision for a literature ministry on the church premises. As well as church facilities, the complex already has a primary and junior school on site.

Thailand – A Testimony

Recently a lady came into the Chiang Mai bookshop looking very sad. She began to cry and shared her concerns with Yongyut, the CLC Thailand Director. How did she know that she could find help at the CLC bookshop? Although Yongyut could not remember the incident, many years ago he had helped the lady’s family resolve a conflict they had – and she never forgot this act of kindness. In her hour of crisis, she came to the CLC bookshop, knowing that she would find the help and encouragement she needed there. The lady went to church with Yongyut and Paula the following Sunday. Please pray with the Thai team that this lady will find Jesus as her Saviour.

Belarus – Minsk

Please continue to pray for a future CLC bookshop in the capital of Minsk, and the CLC project to print Bibles in Russian – a real need, as they are often unavailable.  Our plan is that by selling the Bibles we have printed, we will eventually have sufficient funds to purchase a shop in Minsk – where there is currently no Christian bookshop!  We praise God that about half of the funds have already been donated, and we look to the Lord to provide the rest for this important project.

Belarus – Publishing

The economic situation in the country is still difficult. Inflation reached 84% last year.  The exchange rate with the US Dollar, the Euro and the Russian Ruble increased significantly, increasing the cost of living and all other goods (including books).  Only salaries did not increase!  Sales in the bookshop have dropped dramatically, though the situation in our church bookstalls is a bit better. Praise the Lord that 3 book titles, a 2012 Calendar and an evangelistic tract were published in 2011. Pray we would be able to further develop the publishing program in 2012.