Join us in this work. Lend us a hand through prayer so that many will give thanks for the gift that comes to us when God answers the prayers of so many. 2 Corinthians 1:11 (VOICE)
December 29th - January 4th
Week 1: The Caribbean
CLC Guadeloupe
Monday (29th) - Guadeloupe:
Joel Bores, the manager, writes: “The CLC bookshop in Pointe-à-Pitre has been operating from the same address for 16 years. We have seen God’s blessing all this time. However, 2009 was a very difficult time of strikes and economic problems on this island. In the years since then, the situation has not really changed and now our bookshop is also facing financial difficulties. Sales have fallen significantly and we need to relocate the bookshop. Pray that God will guide us as we need a building that is cheaper to rent, but in a good location for customers.”
Tuesday (30th) - Antigua:
Arah Martin, the manager of the bookshop in St. John’s, was unwell last year and needed surgery. Praise the Lord she has been pain-free since the operation and was able to take time to recover and recuperate before returning to work for the weeks immediately before Christmas. In Arah’s absence, Eurel Hodge, the former manager, was happy to be back helping in the shop. Please pray for Arah and her assistant, Cecilia Ferrance.
Wednesday (31st) - Martinique:
Dany Manikon is the manager of the bookshop in Fort de France and his co-worker is Joceline Bapin. The bookshop has been in the same location for 30 years but, due to three years distruption in the city centre (tramlines are being installed) and fewer people visiting the area around our shop, the decision has been taken by CLC France to sell the shop property and find new premises in a better location. Please pray for God’s guidance in these matters.
CLC Martinique
Thursday (1st) - Trindad:
Our bookshops on this island are located in Port of Spain, Arima, San Fernando, and Point Fortin. The crime situation in Trinidad has spiralled out of control; people no longer value life, the majority of people involved in crime are the young people, 14-35 years old, and most of the murders are drug and gang related. We are grateful for God’s daily protection and deliverance and, as we are a business with a mission, we make use of every opportunity to minister to the customers. Our main objective is to be a lighthouse in Trinidad and Tobago.
Friday (2nd) - Dominica:
CLC has had a bookshop in Roseau since 1947. Currently it is managed by Davis Laudat (who has been with CLC for the past 23 years) with help from co-worker Janet Davis. The shop team praise God for a recent agreement with CLC USA to receive shipments, twice a year, of second hand Christian books and Bibles through their BookLink programme. This will allow the shop to stock and sell good books at low cost which helps us with our finances and helps customers who can’t afford books at the full price.
The Weekend (3rd/4th) - Barbados:
Sales have been in decline recently, as is the case in so many bookshops. In addition, many government buildings have moved from the city centre and there is less footfall past our bookshop. For some years now, the team have prayed about the possibility of buying the empty plot of land next to our bookshop property to use for customer parking and possibly as a source of revenue from charging for public use. We continue to pray for a miracle, and better days ahead.
January 5th - January 11th
Week 2: Projects in Progress Monday (5th) - Ecuador:
CLC in Latin America is increasingly reaching out beyond their country borders to serve in neighbouring countries. CLC in Ecuador (a ministry initiated by CLC Colombia), in partnership with other organisations, has a project to take the Thompson Bible Seminars to Cuba next month. David Navarrete, from CLC Ecuador, will be one of the Seminar leaders. Praise the Lord for His provision for this and for the possibility of partnering with other Christian organisations. Pray that the pastors and church leaders in Cuba will be truly blessed, encouraged and equipped during these days.
Tuesday (6th) - Paraguay:
We thank the Lord that we are taking the final steps to resolving the legal issues in Paraguay so that CLC can take over the running of a bookshop in Cuidad del Este, on the border with Brazil. This process has taken much longer than anyone anticipated but hopefully by the time you read this, the formation of the CLC legal status will be finalised. We thank God for the faithful service of Sunilda, who has been manager of the shop for a number of years, and we trust that she will soon feel at home in her new CLC ‘family’.
Wednesday (7th) - eBook App:
Please continue to pray for the development and implementation of the eBook App. It has been a long road, but we are convinced that this is a tool that will enable us to connect with a new audience, even in places where we are unable to physically have a bookshop. Pray for those working behind the scenes to make this happen – much time, effort and brain power has been dedicated to this project. Pray too that the publishers will understand the vision for eBooks in countries where they are least available.
Thursday (8th) - Canada:
We are presently working on a new project of establishing CLC ‘Book Counters’ in the lesser populated areas of the immense province of Quebec. Apart from Montreal and Québec City, the population is unable to sustain a bookshop. However, as a response to this challenge, these counters will bring Bibles and books to the churches. Please pray that we can find the right venues for the ‘counters’, and people to take care of them.
Friday (9th) - Myanmar:
Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology which allows books to be printed singly, or in small quantities, as orders come in. CLC Myanmar was recently given a POD machine, and training in how to use it, as a gift. After some initial problems that required replacing a damaged component, the team were able to practice using the machine in preparation for using it to print quality books. This is a wonderful project for CLC in a country where translation and printing has been a significant part of the ministry and has had a real impact in society.
The Weekend (10th/11th) - Thailand:
We praise the Lord for what seems to be an answer to a long standing prayer request to have help with the English book department of CLC Thailand. Don and Betsy Veldboom have responded to God’s call on their lives for service as literature missionaries and are preparing to join the team in Thailand in 2015. Don served for many years as the President of OM Literature in the USA and was also a District Manager for Family Christian Stores prior to that. January 12th - January 18th
Week 3: UK Bookshop News Monday (12th) - Blackpool, UK:
Give thanks for the continued encouraging growth in the sales of CLC Blackpool and in particular a number of good Bible orders toward the end of last year. With a main bus stop outside the shop and a significant number 2
of people passing by, the Blackpool shop has a wide variety of customers - both local and visitors to the town. Please pray for shop manager Sheena Burwell and the team as they meet the needs of all who call in.
Tuesday (13th) - Stockport, UK:
Pray for an increase in customers at the Stockport shop. Since the fire in May 2012 and the next door building collapse in November 2013, trade has been slow to pick up. The town centre can be very quiet on some days which affects our trade as well. Stockport has one of the highest rates of empty shops in the country. Pray for the council as they work on plans to revive the town centre. Give thanks that some new customers and churches are finding and using the shop.
Wednesday (14th) - Bolton, UK:
Give thanks that the Bolton shop is now providing and staffing bookstalls for two local churches a month as well as for one-off events. Pray that they can continue to build good relationships with other local churches. Pray too for stamina and energy for the staff team as a lot of work is involved in providing these stalls.
Thursday (15th) - Welling, UK:
The Welling shop asks for prayer for another volunteer able to do two or three days a week. At present the staff find it difficult to cover holidays. Pray also for more opportunities to link with local churches and extend their ministry in the area.
Friday (16th) - Cambridge, UK:
In Cambridge, prior to Christmas, the CLC shop had two bookings to talk about books on Radio Cambridge at 7.45 on a Sunday morning. In addition they held a couple of events to launch local author Rodney Holder’s advent book entitled ‘Longing, Waiting, Believing’. They ask for prayer that they get more opportunities to link with the local community and that these and other openings result in increased visits to the shop.
The Weekend (17th/18th) - Stocktaking:
CLC Welling, UK
Stocktaking for all the UK shops is at the end of January. Please pray for smooth and accurate counting and a good start to the new financial year in February. Pray also for shops, the leadership team and the trustees as they compile and approve budgets for 2015/2016. January 19th - January 25th
Week 4: Answered Prayer Monday (19th) - USA:
CLC USA
CLC USA has a 22 acre campus in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, with staff housing and the HQ. These buildings were built in the mid-1960s but, unfortunately, funds to keep up with needed maintenance and repair were not always available. To God’s glory, this is beginning to change and several major projects have now been completed. Most of the roads on the campus have been repaved, over 120 windows have just been replaced and new boilers installed. We are praising God for His provision and looking forward to seeing how he will use this campus in the years ahead.
Tuesday (20th) - Colombia:
For over a year now, the bookshop team in Tunja have been praying about the possibility of running a Thompson Bible seminar. They praise God for the answer to their prayers and are looking forward to hosting this special event early in March 2015
CLC Colombia
*CLC work with the Thompson Bible International Institute in a number of countries, organising seminars for teaching pastors, evangelists and local church leaders how to use the Thompson Bible as a study tool for teaching and preaching.
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Wednesday (21st) - Central Asia 2 (CA2):
We often pray for God to send people to us so we can share the hope of the gospel with them. Usually when we pray this, we are expecting the contacts to come to the bookshop. Recently however, the shop manager was reading a CLC book on the train. A girl noticed and asked a question about the book. Through the conversation, the manager was able to share the gospel with her. Although she had an orthodox background, she then went with his family to his church. After a few weeks without further contact, she visited the bookshop not realising the connection with the man she met on the train. She was delighted to find the shop!
Thursday (22nd) - Bolivia:
Recently we needed to pay one of our most important suppliers; this publisher had given us a specific time frame in which to pay the outstanding invoices. Humanly speaking it was impossible for us to get the finances together in time. However, the Lord put it in the heart of CLC in the USA to help us, and we received an offering from them that enabled us to fulfil our obligation. We give God the glory and are very grateful to our co-workers in the USA for their generosity towards the work of the Lord.
Friday (23rd) - Liberia:
This news was written several weeks ago by James Cooper, the bookshop manager:- “We wish to thank God for answered prayers and continual provision for CLC Liberia during the Ebola epidemic. When other businesses are struggling, and some have even shut down, our doors remain open and, best of all, our sales are better than this time last year when things were normal in Liberia. Every day we have customers in the bookshop, some from beyond the city of Monrovia.
The Weekend (24th/25th) - Venezuela:
We praise the Lord for the outcome of CLC’s presence at the International Book Fair in Valencia recently, and for answered prayer in terms of its success. We were the only Christian book stand at the event and we were really well received by the public in general. Not only were we able to introduce many people to the ministry of CLC but we had a lot of opportunities to witness, and share the gospel with passers by. Sales were good as well. January 26th - February 1st
Week 5: Italy Monday (26th) - Naples:
The CLC bookshop in Naples has been operating since 1956! We are located right in the city centre, close to the main train station. Today, the area around the shop is in decline with criminal activity evident in the vicinity. A year ago, thieves broke into the shop and stole several thousand Euros worth of stock. The bookshop manager Pino Perrella and the rest of the CLC team pray that the shop would serve as a testimony of God’s love in this needy area.
Tuesday (27th) - Florence:
“CLC Florence is situated right in front of the Academy Gallery - home of Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. Visitors and tourists crowd the street, and some of them come and look round the bookshop. Our prayer request is that God would lead others to join our shop team as so much more could be done both in terms of evangelism, and in looking after the Christian customers that sometimes ‘get lost’ in the midst of the crowds. CLC has been paying rent since opening in Florence in 1954, but now we are asking God for guidance as we consider the possibility of purchasing the property.” Filippo Pini, Manager
Wednesday (28th) - Palermo:
Milena Paradiso, the manager of CLC Palermo writes:- “We would like to get into contact with, and serve, the non-Italian speaking churches of Palermo. Please pray that we would find the right people to help us with this. We would also love to improve our service to those churches that are not yet open to Christian literature from authors that do not belong to their particular church group or denomination. We sense that 4
Thursday (29th) - Turin:
CLC Turin has been increasingly active with special events. There have been numerous occasions where we have been able to have large book tables at regional conferences - with wonderful results. This has meant that the CLC ministry has been introduced to people who live far from a Christian bookshop, and they appreciated the opportunity to buy books and Bibles. We have also had various special events in our bookshop over the past year. These activities have not only given an increased exposure to our bookshop, but have also helped to stabilize our sales.
Friday (30th) - Rome:
CLC Turin, Italy
our literature ministry has not yet reached its full potential. Prayer that the Lord would open ‘new doors’ for us is appreciated.”
CLC Rome, Italy
CLC Rome opened in the 1970’s and is situated in a central location close to the train station terminus. Currently, the bookshop is managed by Roberta Donia and she writes: - “A number of missionaries have been involved in the shop ministry over the years and we have seen the birth and growth of several evangelical churches in Rome and the surrounding area. The bookshop has always been part of this evangelistic outreach. In recent years we sense an urgency to pray for the younger generation in the churches, that the bookshop may be a blessing for them as well.”
The Weekend (31st/1st) - Milan:
We praise God that the owner of the Milan bookshop, which we have rented for many years, wants to sell the shop to us at a very reasonable price. She is willing to sell, via monthly payments over several years and with no interest. It will be almost as if we were paying the rent. This will help us to stabilize the ministry even further, for which we are thankful. Pray for Daniele Sferlazza and his part-time helper Erika as they serve the customers, many of whom are from Africa and Latin America. February 2nd - February 8th
Week 6: New Bookshops in 2014 Monday (2nd) - Colombia:
Thompson Bible Seminar CLC Ibague, Colombia
Last January, two bookshops in Ibague, the ‘Music City of Colombia’, were taken over by CLC. Enrique Aguirre, the manager of the Ibague Central bookshop, writes: “We give glory to God because we have seen his blessing on the bookshops. Sales are steadily increasing, many previous customers are returning and new customers are discovering the shops. Both bookshops have already started running special events for the local churches. We have also arranged a ‘Thompson Bible Seminar’ which was appreciated by many pastors who have encouraged us to repeat this for other cities in our region.”
Tuesday (3rd) - Indonesia:
Early in 2014, CLC Indonesia took on the lease of a small bookshop in a large shopping centre (The City of Tomorrow Mall) in Surabaya. Praise God for the university students who buy books and daily devotionals from us - for themselves and also to give to friends. In the second half of the year sales were starting to decline. This could be due, in part, to students focusing on paying tuition fees, which have just been increased, rather than buying books.
Wednesday (4th) - Birmingham, UK:
The Carrs Lane bookshop, CLC UK’s second shop in Birmingham, opened in July 2014. Neil Maclennan, the manager, writes: “the bookshop was previously run by Wesley Owen and it is a delight to meet some 5
of the former customers as well as new ones. There are many Christians, from all denominations, in this city and it is a privilege to serve the wider church with good Christian literature. There are also a large number of people from other faiths living here and we are encouraged that there is an interest in buying gospel tracts - and that there are Christians who are prepared to go and share the gospel on the streets.
Thursday (5th) - Mexico:
CLC opened its first bookshop in Mexico, in Mexico City, on November 10th, 2014. Maria del Carmen and Daniel Huertas, from CLC Colombia, are leading the team in Mexico and have applied for work visas. Please pray that Maria’s and Daniel’s visas are approved without problems and that they will settle in well to working in a new country and culture. Pray too that this bookshop, which is a CLC Colombia project, will quickly become established.
Friday (6th) - Miami:
In addition to recently opening in Mexico, CLC Colombia also prepared a bookshop ready for opening in Miami, USA, where they already have a warehouse. Preparations started in March 2014 to remodel the shop and over the following months a POS system was installed, shelving arranged and stock brought in. There were unexpected delays but, at the time of writing, it was anticipated that the shop would be open before Christmas. Jennifer Scalante, a second generation CLC member, is the manager.
The Weekend (7th/8th) - Makeni:
Makeni is Sierra Leone’s fourth largest city and a major commercial, educational and economic centre. The city is predominantly Muslim but has a significant and diverse Christian population. CLC opened a small bookshop on the outskirts of this city in June 2014. The early days have been difficult, mainly due to the unexpected and tragic outbreak of the Ebola virus that has been particularly active in Makeni and the surrounding region. Please pray for Alie Kamara as he moved from CLC in Freetown to pioneer the work in Makeni. February 9th - February 15th
Week 7: Mozambique Monday (9th) - Finance:
We have two bookshops in Mozambique; Maputo (the capital) and Beira. The work is going quite well as we are in the early stages of being debt-free thanks to a combination of being released from a large loan and having worked hard to pay off other, smaller loans. Please pray that we will not only maintain this position but also develop sufficiently to be fully self supporting.
Tuesday (10th) - New Schedules:
Petra, formerly CLC London, UK, now CLC I.O. based in Moambique with Jenny of CLC Maputo, Mozambique
Both of our bookshops in Mozambique are located in Bible Colleges. From January 2015, the Bible College in Maputo will be holding classes in the evenings. We plan, therefore, to have the bookshop open evenings as well as daytime, but this will require some new staff schedules. For some time, we have only had one worker but now we will need at least two. Please pray for suitable people to be involved; possibly even students from the College.
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Wednesday (11th) - Booktables:
We are very aware of the need to reach out beyond the bookshops. Jose (Beira) and Jenny (Maputo) have made a real effort to do this over the past months, with book tables at services, conferences and other events. Please pray that we will continue to find good opportunities to take our Bibles and books out to new markets and especially to secular openings such as book fairs etc.
Guest House, Casa Koinonia, where Petra & Liz will be living and also helping this ministry along with their work with CLC.
Thursday (12th) - Liz Patten & Petra Nemansky:
Last October, Liz Patten and Petra Nemansky moved from London to Maputo with the aim of developing the work of CLC in Mozambique, Swaziland and Kenya. They are living, and also helping, at a guest house for full-time Christian workers. Petra will spend time this year visiting and supporting the ministry in Kenya and Swaziland while Liz, as CLC Regional Director for Africa, will plan visits to other African countries. Please pray for these ladies, that they will be able to balance all their various commitments and still find time for rest and refreshment.
Friday (13th) - New Possibilities:
As we become more stabilised financially, we would like to begin investigating possibilities of opening in a third location in Mozambique. One town we are considering is Xai-Xai (pronounced ‘shy-shy’). We have a couple of contacts to follow up, so please pray with us that the Lord will open the right doors and that we will know God’s timing and wisdom in planning.
The Weekend (14th/15th) - Fixtures and Fittings:
Half way through 2014, we had to remove most of our fixtures and fittings in CLC Maputo due to the destruction caused by termites. However, CLC UK has kindly donated second hand surplus bookshelves and other useful items which will be shipped to Mozambique in the early part of 2015. We are very grateful for this, and for the funds that have been raised to pay for shipping, customs clearance and other associated costs. There are enough donated units to refurbish the bookshop in Beira as well.
Petra & Liz with the shop fixtures (and other goods) that are to be sent to CLC Mozambique from CLC UK.
February 16th - February 22nd
Week 8: International Office Monday (16th) - The Distance Challenge:
The International Office is located in Sheffield, UK, but the IO team is spread around the world. The Regional Directors are based in the USA, Switzerland, Mozambique, and the Philippines. Support staff are based in the Netherlands (evangelism) Chile (website) and Sheffield (the International Director, administration, prayer news and communications, the training project, accounts and the internet – websites and eBooks). Please pray that the International Office team will work together efficiently, despite being physically separated, to provide a range of resources to help our national teams.
Tuesday (17th) - I.O. Focus on Training:
We are currently working on an internet based training platform that we trust will be of benefit to the CLC family. In time we hope to make this available in multiple languages and even to booksellers outside CLC. The intention is to provide training relevant to all levels of experience, both in the technical aspects of the work as well as communicating the vision and mission of CLC. Please pray that this will become an effective training tool.
Wednesday (18th) - I.O. Focus on Publishing:
We are encouraging our national teams to double our overall publishing output. In 2014 two conferences were held to provide training, and efforts are being made to coordinate the translation of material into multiple languages. The International Office is also working to produce evangelistic material that can be produced in many languages. Pray that these publications will bring people ‘to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ’, as we set out to achieve in our Mission Statement.
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Thursday (19th) - I.O. Focus on Digital Resources :
An ongoing priority for CLC is the development of our digital capacity. In recent years many countries have been able to grow book distribution through websites and in some cases these sales now represent a significant proportion of total sales. A number of our publishing houses are also selling their publications as eBooks. The next stage in the process is to have our own eBook platform and App reader for mobile devices. We believe this will significantly increase the reach of our books as we will not be limited to physical bookshops. Pray that we will help fulfil the Great Commission to take the Gospel ‘to all nations’ with this new technology.
Friday (20th) - Europe Regional Director:
Romualdo Macinas visitng CLC Indonesia
Gary Chamberlin is the CLC Regional Director for Europe and, with 16 countries to oversee, he travels extensively! Gary is working with a number of CLC countries to significantly increase their publishing, helping with the choice of titles and contacts with foreign publishers. He is also preparing the CLC European Leaders’ Conference which will be held in Poland this May. Please pray that Gary will have wisdom, sensitivity and good insight into the various situations that he has to deal with.
The Weekend (21st/22nd) - Asia Regional Director:
Romualdo Macinas is the CLC Philippines National Director and Regional Director for Asia. Not all the CLC countries in this region are directly under his care but Romualdo writes: - “I am glad to be able to support CLC in Thailand, Pakistan, Myanmar, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and, of course, the Philippines. There are times when I feel inadequate for the task but time after time I have experienced God’s guidance as I fulfil my responsibilities. There is a phrase‘God does not call the equipped, He equips the called’and, though I don’t totally agree with the first part, I believe firmly in the second bit. God equips me because He called me.” Praise God! February 23rd - March 1st
Week 9: Chile Monday (23rd) - Antofagasta and Temuco :
CLC has 7 bookshops in Chile and the most northerly and most southerly bookshops, in Antofagasta and Temuco, are where we are most involved in mobile work covering hundreds of kilometres taking Bibles and books to villages, churches and into people’s homes. We are grateful for the support of local families who offer us hospitality; they have been a real help for us in our itinerant ministry. We give glory to God for His faithfulness and continue to pray for protection and ‘open doors’ concerning this part of our work.
Tuesday (24th) - Viña del Mar:
CLC Ovalle, Antofagasta Book table
Please join us in prayer for this city, that more people would see the importance of Christian literature. CLC staff members Mauricio and Marcelo are frequently visiting colleges and churches to promote our mission and materials, but we are not seeing the result we anticipate in terms of interest in purchasing from us. In addition, we need to find a new location for the bookshop due to a significant rise in the rental cost recently.
Wednesday (25th) - Valparaíso:
Book Reading Club, CLC Valparaíso
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We praise the Lord for the‘Reading Club’which is an activity that has developed in the Valparaiso bookshop. A practical workshop entitled ‘Knowing the Authors and their Work’ is part of the club and the objective is to make our resources known and encourage people to make the most of them. Because of the size of the shop, this activity is limited to a maximum of ten people at a time.
Thursday (26th) - Santiago:
All through 2014, a course on Hebrew and Greek was held in the Santiago bookshop. It was also run online for a small group of believers. This was led by two of the full time shop personnel, David Diaz and Omar Ramos, who are also both pastors. Praise the Lord for the way we can use our gifts in this ministry.
Friday (27th) - New Bookshop:
We have not succeeded in buying a property in the north of the country where we hoped to open a new bookshop. Please pray with us that God would enable us to continue saving and give us the vision to know when and where we should advance with a new bookshop and also a distribution warehouse.
The Weekend (28th/1st) - Book Projects:
Do Hard Things
by Alex & Brett Haris Our Goal: To distribute 12,500 copies
We are very pleased to be able to distribute around 20,000 Bibles for use in an evangelistic project called ‘Share your Faith, Give a Bible’ We have also been promoting, especially among young people, the book Do Hard Things by the twins Alex and Brett Harris. Our goal is to distribute 12,500 copies. A young man wrote this about the book: “I believe I am part of the most ‘spoiled’ generation that has existed, and that worries me a lot because of the negative consequences that come with it. Through this book the Spirit of God is sounding an alarm bell and a call for reform to the younger generation of the 21st century.” March 2nd - March 8th
Week 10: Customer Testimonies Monday (2nd) - Germany :
There is a young man who was a famous poker player. He went through difficult times, looking for meaning to life, and then became a Christian through reading the Bible. He visited CLC Hamburg last year to buy a Bible and has returned to the shop since then. He has very little in terms of wisdom and knowledge but he is passionate about his faith and has already started preaching on the streets and through social media. Please pray that he will find encouragement, sound advice and good books to help him grow in spiritual maturity when he visits CLC.
Tuesday (3rd) - Papua New Guinea (PNG):
Praise the Lord for opportunities to share the gospel. Recently, two mothers came into the bookshop in Port Moresby, one after the other, looking for Bibles for their sons. The first lady was separated from her husband and family. She wanted to buy a Bible for the son’s birthday and was obviously upset that she could not be with him for this special occasion, but a member of staff was able to encourage her and share something of God’s love for His children. The second lady was not a Christian but her son had been asking repeatedly for a Bible. Again a staff member briefly shared the gospel message with this lady, and she bought a Bible for her son.
Wednesday (4th) - Venezuela:
A member of the shop team in Merida decided to invite some regular customers to his church. These were people who bought books from CLC but did not go to church. Not only have those customers started attending the church but they have invited others along and, at the time of writing, it is estimated that 1520% of the congregation who attend the staff member’s church are there through the encouragement of CLC and, most importantly, the work of the Lord through the CLC ministry.
Thursday (5th) - Venezuela:
In the Maracaibo bookshop, both Christian and non-believing customers have said that entering the CLC bookshop is like entering an ‘oasis of peace and tranquillity’. We praise God for this as it is His presence 9
that makes the difference. A customer has shared with us how the book The Love Dare has made a difference in his failing marriage relationship. He came back to the shop to tell us that his marriage was much more stable. He was thankful to God and to CLC for this change – and had brought a friend with him as he wanted to buy the book for him too.
Friday (6th) - Switzerland:
Carlo, the manager of CLC Lugano, writes: - “One morning I asked God if this bookshop was really serving its purpose. Sales were going down and I didn’t see blessings here as I see in other CLC shops. Then a man, who had not realised we were a Christian bookshop, walked in. As we talked, it became obvious he had been a Christian but was no longer living out his faith or attending church. He himself recognised that the encounter in the shop was no co-incidence and knew that God was prompting him to return to church and, I trust, to a close relationship with Him. That same day, a man with a drug problem came in looking for something to help him overcome his problems and be a stronger person. I pray that the conversation we had, and the book I recommended, will serve to lead this young man to Jesus.”
The Weekend (7th/8th) - UK:
A lady came into the Leicester bookshop looking for resources to help her colleague, who was of a different faith, understand Christianity. We guided her to some English and Persian booklets on basic Christianity. Two weeks later she returned to the shop to ask for some books for a new Christian. A customer who overheard the conversation asked if she could pray for this lady’s colleague. There was such an air of joy in the shop that day! March 9th - March 15th
Week 11: United Kingdom Monday (9th) - UK Trustees:
Continue to pray for the UK trustees as they are carrying a great weight of responsibility at the moment. The warehouse move, the need for new IT systems and changes in the leadership all need a lot of wisdom and prayer. The trustees are Gary Chamberlin (chairman), Bob Clark, William Mackenzie, John Watkins, and Viv Whitton. Eddie Olliffe is standing down as a trustee while he has the short term role of CLC UK General Manager. Please pray also that one or two more wise and godly trustees can be appointed.
Tuesday (10th) - Partnership:
William
Gary
Bob
John
Viv
Pray for the arrangement CLC has made with Eden to fulfil our web site orders for at least the next year giving thanks that it has got off to a good start. Pray for the team at Eden as they take on this extra work on our behalf and also give thanks that this is taking pressure off our warehouse at a time when the wholesale trade is still growing rapidly.
Wednesday (11th) - Bookstalls:
Pray for the advanced planning and preparations for the large events for which we provide bookstalls. This summer we will probably be doing stalls at HTB Focus, North and the One Event as well as providing stock for others. Pray that the right staff and volunteers will be available to staff these events and that the logistics for moving stock and equipment can be put in place. Pray also for smooth co-operation and fellowship with event organisers.
Thursday (12th) - Warehouse Relocation:
The trustees, having made the decision to move the warehouse to a bigger building in a more central location, are in the process of finding a suitable property. Pray for wisdom for the trustees, UK leadership and our property advisors as options are considered. Pray too that the Lord will provide the finance needed for this project as He has for other needs in the past. 10
Friday (13th) - Finance Team:
Pray for the finance team based at the Alresford warehouse. John Auger is the finance director and looks after the support fund, budgets, management accounts, VAT, and payroll payments. Will Cerri deals with phone enquiries, weekly returns from the shops, cash book payments and receipts. Final team member, Clare Smith, is responsible for supplier enquiries and payments. Give thanks for these people who do such a vital backroom job which enables the rest of CLC to function smoothly.
The Weekend (14th/15th) - Retail Management:
With 20 shops, CLC is one of the largest Christian bookshop chains in the UK. With the decrease in high street bookshops, suppliers increasingly look to us as a means of bringing their publications and products to the attention of the public. Pray for wisdom for the retail management team as they talk to suppliers and decide the best way we can help them and ourselves to fulfil our mission objectives. March 16th - March 22nd
Week 12: Answered Prayer Monday (16th) - Portugal:
Although it was not planned, Carlos Cunha, the manager of CLC in Coimbra, received an answer to prayer for a part time volunteer when his wife Lídia started helping in the shop. Lidia had been in employment elsewhere, so the move to being a volunteer was, and still is, a financial challenge for the family! Praise the Lord for His provision, through support from other people, at just the times when extra finance was needed.
Tuesday (17th) - Uruguay:
We have been praying for a long time for someone suitable and committed to join us on our CLC team – thinking of the longer term future of the bookshop. Last year a young man, Daniel Bueno, started working with us. He has just the gifts and characteristics we were looking for and we give thanks to God for the way he is rapidly learning his role and integrating into the team.
Wednesday (18th) - France:
We have been praying for justice in our dealings with the landlord of the Paris bookshop. He was planning to double the rent but we could not afford this. The main problem was being tied to a contract we would struggle to keep. At the time of writing, it seems that God has made a way for us – and it came as a surprise! A large French company wants to take over our current shop premises and we hope to be able to move to a cheaper location without further legal and financial obligations to the landlord.
Thursday (19th) - Cyprus:
Because of the economic situation in Cyprus some shop rents have been reduced, but our landlord was not willing to make a reduction. When we told him that the owner of the vacant shop next door had reduced the rent, he offered us a small reduction or, he said, we could move next door! We prayed and asked the Lord for clear direction. Two days later, just as we had finished praying again about it, our landlord said that after consideration, and as we have been good tenants, he had decided to reduce the rent to the same level as next door. Praise the Lord!
Friday (20th) - Romania:
Despite being very busy, and working with a reduced staff (two members left recently), we praise the Lord for His help and provision in answer to our prayers. At the end of last year, we had some special orders, including some good sales on the website, which encouraged us and increased our sales significantly. We have also been able to translate 7 books which will be printed as and when we have the resources for this.
The Weekend (21st/22nd) - Belarus:
Belarus was the first country from the former Soviet Union where CLC was able to establish a bookshop – in 1994. Since then, the team have been praying for opportunities to collaborate with other Russian speaking 11
countries – including the ones where CLC now works. CLC publishes books and Bibles in Belarus but so far, due to regulations, it is not possible to sell them directly to other countries. A recent visit from Nikita Sapunov, from CLC Moscow, was a huge encouragement to the Belarus team and they have been discussing possibilities of doing joint publication projects in the near future. Praise the Lord for these links. March 23rd - March 29th
Week 13: Bulgaria and the Netherlands Monday (23rd) - Sofia Bookshop, Bulgaria:
Lidia Dimitrova, the current manager of the CLC bookshop in Sofia, joined CLC just three years after the ministry began in Bulgaria (1993). Lidia’s co-worker, Ginka Koeva, was previously helping her husband in the CLC bookshop in Gabrovo until it closed down about 10 years ago. Ginka joined the CLC team in Sofia in 2006. Pray for these two committed ladies as they work in challenging conditions. Praise the Lord for the relocation of the bookshop in 2006 to a building that is now owned by CLC.
Tuesday (24th) - A Heart for Bulgaria’s Ministry :
We need a third person to help in the bookshop on a part time basis. Someone has helped for the past few years, and another young man replaced him last year, until he was accepted onto a University course, and now we are looking again. The situation is complicated! Voluntary work is not a popular practice in Bulgaria, we can’t afford a full time wage and even the half time salary we could offer is not the normal rate for what we need – someone with good computer skills and command of the English language. We need someone who loves the Lord and has a heart for this ministry as well of course. May God give wisdom and guidance in this matter.
Wednesday (25th) - More Opportunities in Sofia, Bulgaria:
Sales improved last year in comparison with the year before, but this is mainly due to the fact that the prices of all goods, including books, have gone up which raises the turnover. Praise the Lord that we are still selling books from the Sofia shop, but we would like more opportunities to sell them elsewhere. Churches would be a good place for our books, but although churches have regular book tables, they tend to sell mostly Bibles which they get directly from publishers.
Thursday (26th) - Apeldoorn, Netherlands:
The bookshop in Apeldoorn is run by Corine Brijs and Magda Hoogerbrugge. They have both served here for about 10 years now and do their work wholeheartedly. The shop, on a main street, has been in operation since 1983. It is quite large and includes offices and a staff room on the second floor. Praise the Lord for the ministry that goes on in this bookshop and for the many book tables that go out to surrounding churches and events from the shop.
Friday (27th) - Publishing in the Netherlands:
Last October, a new Bible translation was published. It is the 9th official Dutch Bible translation. King Willem-Alexander (on the left in the photo) was given the first copy and it became the number one best-selling book in the country for over a month. We are very thankful for this interest in the Word of God. * In 2014, CLC Publications in the Netherlands began by publishing two titles by Randy Alcorn. This year we hope to continue publishing books because we believe it strengthens both our mission and ministry.
The Weekend (28th/29th) - Amsterdam, Netherlands:
The bookshop in Amsterdam is run by Els Oosterhuis and Maarten Frankhuizen and has been located at the city centre since 1991. Recently however, we have decided to close this shop at the end of 2015 because of a dramatic decline in sales. We are now investigating possibilities to either relocate the shop or, if it would be better for the time being, to base all our work in Apeldoorn which will include the internet shop and publications. 12