110,000 Ukrainian Bible have been shipped!

On December 26, we successfully shipped 110,000 Ukrainian Bibles to Ukraine.
We sincerely appreciate your prayers and support.
Our staff prayed for them as they were being sent out. We are grateful to be able to report this to you at the end of this year. Please continue to remember this in your prayers for safe delivery and distribution in the local area.

Interview with Brother Vidar

Brother Vidar of New Life Ministries Norway came to Japan in December and stayed at New Life Ministries with his daughter. During their stay, we interviewed him about the Ukrainian Bible project.

How were the people who received the New Testament there?

Everyone was really grateful to receive them. We have seen a really big change in Ukraine; until two years ago people were not very interested in the Bible. Ukraine is originally a Russian Orthodox country, but people did not read the Bible on a daily basis.

However, the war has changed all that, and now everyone really wants a Bible, the general public, people in the military, and the elderly too.The Bible Society also distributes Bibles for children. We even went to refugee camps with Bibles printed by New Life Ministries. There, we would ask, “Do you want a Bible?” and everyone was really happy to receive them. One time we went to a house where an elderly person lived, and he thanked us over and over again with the Bible clutched to his chest.
(For a detailed report, please read here).
　

Two versions of the Ukrainian Bible
this time (4 covers each)

Do you have enough Ukrainian Bibles?

The Ukrainian Bible Society is already out of Bibles. We had a small stock in Norway, but we have finished distributing them with our relief supplies.

Therefore, we printed an additional 110,000 Bibles. We hope to print even more Bibles in 2023.We have not made a clear decision yet, but we would like to print additional Bibles for military personnel, Bibles for children, both New Testaments and full Bibles.
　

Please give a message to those who are considering supporting us.

Mission work is a team effort of Christians

Mission work is always a team effort.
Someone funds it, someone prints it, someone carries it. Many people need to work toward the same goal for the mission to be accomplished. Our responsibility is to respond to God’s calling.

Now is the time for Ukraine.

New Life Ministries has always printed for wherever the Bible is most needed at that current time. This was true when the Soviet Union collapsed and when China opened its doors. When the Soviet Union collapsed, I was working for New Life Ministries in Japan, and suddenly a door opened and we printed and delivered over 9 million Russian Bibles.

We don’t know when or where or which door will open; until two years ago, who among us would have thought about Bibles for Ukraine? But now is the time for Ukraine. Right now, God is opening the door for Ukraine.

I had been to Ukraine to give messages before the war started, but at that time no one told me that they needed the Bible. But when the war started, we received requests from people who said, “We need the Bible.” And we are able to deliver them to that place of need. Now, for God it is “time” for Ukraine.

The fact that God wants to do that (send the Bible) means that He is going to use that time to bring many souls to salvation.
A year from now, things may be different. People may be seeking God because of the war now. So now is the time. We want to respond to God’s calling at this time.

By Faith

New Life Ministries has printed a tremendous number of Bibles since its founding, but we have always found that the necessary funds were not met at the start of the printing process. We have always responded by confessing, “We don’t have the money, but God told us to do it, so we will.” There were times when we didn’t even have the money to buy paper, but we started printing by faith (by borrowing money). From that time on, the first subject of the prayer meeting was always about financial difficulties.
But even so, whenever we started printing, God always met our needs in miraculous ways.

From our past experiences, we have absolute confidence in “responding to God’s call”. Therefore, when God tells us to “do it” we respond to it, letting go of our own thoughts. This is why we are printing the Ukrainian Bible again.

We tend to think things through our common sense. But I believe it is important to think not only with common sense, but also with a combination of faith.
We are thankful that some people have already responded and offered financial support. We need each other.
God does not force us to do it. He gives His heart to those He wishes to and speaks to them.
If God speaks to you, we hope you will respond. We would be grateful if you would join us in this work.