Philippines (MNN) — One of the most frustrating things is to have a good, well-meaning plan bump against major road blocks. But Jason Woolford and the rest of the team at Mission Cry (formerly Christian Resources International) know that if it’s God’s will, He will make a way.
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)
The majority of people in the Philippines profess to be Christians. But, as we know, it’s important to continue to learn about God to grow in faith. Mission Cry recognizes that not all nations are as well-resourced as the United States when it comes to the Bible and Christian books.
Woolford says that’s why “three years ago we were excited to send nearly three million dollars’ worth of free Bibles and Christian books to the country of the Philippines in hopes to give the majority of the people there Bibles and Christian books who didn’t have access to them.”
But at the port, things got tricky. Officials searched the containers — something Woolford says they don’t usually do. The examination, which confirmed the containers were only full of books, meant they were kept much longer than they should have been. Suddenly, the officials slapped a huge holding charge on the containers. Woolford says it was three times what they should have had to pay, and beyond what they could afford.
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)
Woolford says, “I was counseled by many good people that we should just abandon the containers. And sometimes, you have to do those things. But on this case, I looked at what the Lord had put on my heart, and those who were participants in this, and I just knew God had a bigger and better plan.”
So he and many others prayed and fasted, asking God to release the containers and make the materials inside available for distribution. And for a while, nothing changed. But they kept on.
“We continued to pray over the last couple of years while these containers have been locked up. And the good news is, two months ago, they were finally released. Those containers were released from the port and they are now being distributed throughout multiple places in Manila and the northern part of the country.”
Additionally, people are traveling to the distribution centers from other islands and the southern part of the Philippines. These six sea containers contained enough books for a minimum of 240,000 people.
And now that the books are able to be used, Woolford says something else is happening:
“We have pastors who are letting us know there is unity amongst the denominations right now because they are sharing these Bibles and Christian books. So you have Baptists, and Pentecostals, and Methodists, and the list goes on of people who are working with one another to get these Bibles and Christians books distributed. So, I’m sure that has pleased the Lord.”
A simple idea, and big goals
If you read our previous story with Mission Cry, then you know this ministry is ready to listen to God’s plans even when they seem unattainable. That’s because they trust God to make a way. In fact, Woolford says they hope to resource every home in Belize by November with the Bible or a Christian book.
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)
Where do these books come from, you may wonder? Well, from people like you. Chances are, you have several copies of the Bible and don’t use them all. Or, you have books that have helped you in your walk with Christ, but you don’t plan on reading them again anytime soon. These used books don’t have much purpose on your shelf, but in the hands of a believer — or maybe someone who has just learned the name Jesus — they can change lives.
Woolford says the best way you can help with projects like these, other than donate your used books (click here for more information), is to pray. The work they are doing is repugnant to the Devil, and he may try to hinder their work. Will you ask God to bless and protect this ministry?
“We need people to be praying, because this is for sure a very spiritual battle,” Woolford says.
For more information, click here.
I am going to do this and hopefully get others to do it also.