Project Update: 10,000 Bibles for Francophone Africa
Article Date: 29/09/2022 00:00:00
Project Update. Help us supply our Fench-speaking West African countries with low-cost Bibles!
by Liz Patten, Regional Director for Africa
Back in 2020, I was day-dreaming about what could be done to boost the CLC ministry in West Africa, and help to fulfil our vision to bring God’s Word to as many people as possible around the globe. Since, by God’s grace, we had successfully raised funds a couple of years previously for 10,000 Bibles in Portuguese for Mozambique, I wondered if a similar project could benefit the people of BENIN, BURKINA FASO and IVORY COAST. A conversation with Gary Chamberlin (then CLC European Director and now also CLC International Director) led to another conversation between Gary and Hervé Lessous, Director of CLC France. Hervé was enthusiastic and a plan began to take shape!
We decided to go for variety, with three different covers and colours! Additionally, the Bibles would have extra important content on the opening pages: a summary of the Gospel message and a suggested prayer for salvation, written by members of the CLC Africa teams. Plus, they would display the contact details of the CLC ministries in France and Canada as well as in the three African countries mentioned above.
Upon obtaining a printer’s quotation, a fund-raising campaign was launched. Many people prayed and gave. Subsequently, the Bibles were ordered and delivered to France at the end of last year… a wonderful Christmas present at the CLC warehouse in Montélimar! Then, in January, there came the task of shipping the Bibes to the three countries in West Africa. It was not easy, since it coincided with a change in the French Postal Service, which limited the number of mail bags allowed per day to Africa. (Mail bags were our method of choice, as they are a much more economical form of despatch). We began by allocating 1,000 Bibles to each of the four CLC centres in the region, which meant sending 1,000 each to Benin and Burkina and 2,000 Bibles to Ivory Coast. At last, the day came when CLC in Abidjan, Bouaké, Cotonou and Ouagadougou were able to display and begin to sell the beautiful new Bibles!
And what do the customers have to say? Pastor Lobé, a regular and long-term customer of CLC Abidjan, went on record: “I want to say thank you to the Almighty God and to CLC which at last has its very own Bible! I am very happy and I will certainly tell my colleagues, my friends and my congregation about this! May the LORD bless CLC in this Project, for CLC is a missionary work in God’s service!”
On behalf of all our teams in BENIN, BURKINA FASO and IVORY COAST, a heartfelt and huge THANK YOU to all those who contributed, both financially and prayerfully, to this Project. God bless you!
Keywords: projects, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Francophone Africa
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