Today you can give a Bible college graduate like Rose Awino Odwar the gift of knowledge.

 

Praise the Lord!

 

My name is Rose Awino Odwar. I am saved and Jesus Christ is my Saviour. Indeed, I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life. I am married to a clergyman. God has blessed us with three children in addition to the three that we are taking care of with the help of God.

 

I thank God so much for opening a way for me to attain my diploma in missiology at Carlile College. Studying at Carlile has strengthened my relationship with the Lord. Learning with students from different countries has enabled me to appreciate different cultures and enhanced my understanding of cross-cultural mission. Our lecturers worked hard to ensure that we are well equipped physically, spiritually and with sound mind. During my three years at Carlile I was the class representative. This privilege gave me the opportunity to interact with students at a very personal level.

 

Upon the completion of our studies the Lord did something wonderful in the lives of my colleagues and I. We all received books that are going to be a great help to us. My book is titled An Introduction to the New Testament. I believe that this book will reveal much to me about the Good News of Salvation. It is going to have a great impact on my ministry.

 

May God Almighty bless you for thinking of blessing us in this way. You have put great ideas into our hearts. We shall cherish this all our lives. The other graduating students are as grateful as I am. On behalf of the entire class I thank you. It is our sincere prayer that God might bless you and keep you. May the Lord expand your territories so that you might continue to fulfil this noble obligation.

 

Rose Awino Odwar graduated this year with a diploma in missiology from Carlile College in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

SparkLit provides essential theological books to Bible college graduates in Kenya.

You can help Tithmakara Chim restore education, knowledge and trust with Christian books.

 

The damage done by the Khmer Rouge in a short time will take a long time to repair. During its three-and-a-half-year rule the Pol Pot regime destroyed everything. They burned every book, killed every teacher, and closed every school. No one trusted anyone any more. Thirty-six years later we still suffer from an acute shortage of teachers, books and writers. Our literacy rate is very low. While the number of Cambodians who can read is increasing, few are in the habit of reading.

 

Everything we do is a first

 

This is a challenging climate in which to publish Christian books. Pastors are hesitant to write. So, Fount of Wisdom relies heavily on translations. Printing books is expensive and capital intensive. Distribution is complicated.

 

The challenges are daunting but the possibilities are endless. We are publishing in the Khmer language the first Bible commentaries, the first Bible handbook, the first Bible dictionary. Everything we do is without precedent. We persevere because with books we can proclaim the Good News and equip and train pastors and leaders.

 

Where there are no teachers

 

Many pastors have only a Bible and have yet to learn how to trust other books that will help them to teach and care for their people. While most pastors will never have the opportunity to study, we can provide them with training and teaching resources. With your support we have been able to publish and distribute suitable books to pastors in rural areas. They thank you for your solidarity.

 

Long-term encouragement

 

During his two visits to Phnom Penh, SparkLit director Michael Collie began to understand the challenges we face and help us to find ways to become independent and sustainable. We are determined to do what is necessary to grow and to serve the church in Cambodia. Introducing changes and applying new ideas is not easy. Michael has encouraged us to find Cambodian solutions to Cambodian problems. We are helping to recreate our national literature. We are doing this with Christian books. This is a long-term project. SparkLit understands what we are trying to do and shares our commitment. We appreciate that. It is encouraging to know that we are not alone.

 

Will you continue to support us by praying, training our staff and investing in local writers? Not just this year or next year but long term? Please pray that our books will enable Christians to become more like Jesus.

 

Tithmakara Chim directs Fount of Wisdom publisher in Phnom Penh.

 

$6,000 will enable Fount of Wisdom to publish five new books written by Cambodian Christians.

Adam Sa Kyaw Thu Ya tells us how he ended up graduating from Bible college with a Bridgeway Bible Commentary and Bible Dictionary from SparkLit.

 

“Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

 

In desperation I prayed to our Heavenly Father: “If you help me pass this exam, I promise that I will go to Bible college.” When the results came out, I was relieved to find that I had passed. I intended to enrol at Holy Cross Anglican Theological College, but in the end I did not go. I broke my promise to God.

 

A broken promise

 

My name is Adam Sa Kyaw Thu Ya. I was born in Mya Goe Gyi, a Karen village on the Irawaddy Delta. I am a fourth generation Christian. My parents, my four brothers and my two sisters all serve the Lord. Before he retired, my father served as an Archdeacon in the Anglican Church.

 

I left home to go to secondary school in Myaung Mya. I stayed at a church hostel. I first felt that God was calling me to full-time ministry while I was studying for my final high school exam. I was very worried that I would not pass this exam. So I began to pray to God by reminding him of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:7–8.

 

Exile

 

Instead of going to Bible college I returned home and spent four years working in the village bakery. In 2004 I went to Malaysia to look for work. In the city of Johor Bahru I attended a Baptist church and became involved with the Myanmar Christian Fellowship. The fellowship is a network of home-based Bible study groups. My group met every Wednesday and Friday.

 

In Malaysia I met a lot of nonbelievers from Myanmar and had many opportunities to proclaim to them Jesus Christ and his Good News. I helped grow the Myanmar Christian Fellowship in two other cities, in Masai and in Johor Jaya. I am very fond of this ministry and stay in touch with my Myanmar Christian Fellowship colleagues.

 

God is faithful

 

In 2008 I returned to my village in Myanmar. I worked on farms and in workshops. Whenever I had the opportunity, I helped at our church. However, I faced many troubles and felt very restless. During this season I sensed God’s calling again and remembered my broken promise. I finally decided to give my life fully to the service of Jesus. I enrolled at Holy Cross Anglican Theological College and by the grace of God I graduated this year. Studying at college was the most enjoyable experience of my life.

 

Being a disciple means being a disciple-maker. I have a vision for participating in God’s mission in Myanmar. I hope to disciple laymen and train them to disciple others. Please pray that I will faithfully build up the body of Christ in love.

 

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve him and I appreciate your interest in my testimony. God bless you.

 

Adam Sa Kyaw Thu Ya is a promising graduate from Holy Cross Anglican Theological College in Yangon.

 

$40 will provide a Bridgeway Bible Commentary and Bible Dictionary to graduates as they take up their pastoral duties throughout Myanmar.

You can send Argentine publishing professional Daniela Ortiz to Singapore to be trained and inspired at LittWorld 2015.

 

Books cross frontiers and oceans. They reach across cultural, economic and social barriers. In the hands of the right people at the right time, books are used by the Holy Spirit to comfort, challenge, exhort, revive, motivate and transform us.

 

When I saw how God uses books to change the lives of young people, I decided to devote myself to the production and distribution of good Christian literature. I want to enable God’s message to reach Spanish-speaking people through books that are biblical, engaging and practical.

 

Growing up with books

 

My name is Daniela Ortiz. I have been married to Germán for sixteen years and we have three beautiful children. For over twenty years we have dedicated ourselves to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with young people by all possible means, including books.

 

I have worked with Christian publisher and bookseller Certeza Argentina since I was a student. I now work full time and was recently appointed business manager. Over the years I have collaborated in every area of our ministry so I know what our team needs to grow and operate with excellence.

 

The local perspective

 

Publishing books in a country like Argentina is difficult. The hurdles we face daily include high inflation rates, regular increases in the cost of printing, changing import and export policies, barriers to free trade and the precarious financial situation of our customers. However, we know that this is what God has called us to do and we continue to accept our vocation as a challenge and privilege.

 

I love working with authors and seeing how the books we publish serve a variety of audiences. We publish books by and for Latin Americans; books that reflect and appeal to Latin American thinking. We focus on the development of young authors. Numerous well known Christian authors were first published by Certeza Argentina.

 

The big picture

 

Participating in LittWorld will give me an opportunity to take time away from my daily concerns and economic pressures to refocus, review and evaluate my role. At LittWorld I will receive training that will impact my current and future work with Certeza Argentina. I hope to meet people who will inspire and encourage me with their testimonies. I expect God to guide and refresh me so that I might follow his will.

 

Pray that Certeza Argentina will fulfil its vision to communicate the lordship of Jesus Christ over all things. Ask God to will use our books to serve and renew his church.

 

Daniela Ortiz is the manager of Certeza Argentina, a Christian publisher based in Buenos Aires.

 

$3,000 will enable Daniela Ortiz to join more than 200 publishing professionals in Singapore at LittWorld 2015, the global conference for Christian publishers.