Do you have a Christian book gathering dust on a bookcase? Do you believe pastors and leaders need good things to read? Do you have a passion for Africa? If so, this photographic journey showing how unused books are shipped to Africa by Christian Li
terature for Africa may get you thinking.
Before anything else, the books must be donated and brought to the Christian Literature for Africa offices. The books arrive in boxes and containers of all different sizes and shapes. For this particular shipment, missionary Tim Eby developed a "wish list" on Amazon, so people could place an order and have it shipped to CLA directly --an innovation worth repeating.
Once the books arrive, they need to be processed. First all personal information is removed so that contributers can rest easy. Identities are protected by crossing out names with a big, black marker. Prices are removed or covered by a sticker with a Bible verse. This is done so that customs officials in the arrival port will know that the books are used and not intended for resale, but to be read.
The next step
calls for a value judgment. Will this book be usable in the destination country? Is it Christian? Are the illustrations and examples not too American to be helpful? Will the book cross cultures? If the answer is "Yes" then the book is placed on a shelf designated for a certain person, country or field. There it will wait for a while until sufficient books are ready to be packed.
If you have ev
er packed for a long distance move, you know th
at extra care is needed. You cannot just toss things in a box and expect them to arrive undamaged. At CLA the boxes are lined with plastic to protect the books from water damage. Then the books are placed tightly into the boxes. During the journey, the boxes will be stacked and re-stacked. They will be jostled and tossed. Finally the boxes for the shipment start to pile up. What a difference! Now they are all uniform and ready to be put into a shipping container. Before the books leave CLA though, one critical step remains. The books are prayed over.
The staff and volunteers join together to ask God's blessings for the shipment. May the transportation details flow smoothly. May the customs officials be gracious. May the books find the right hands. May they touch minds and hearts. May God's kingdom grow in numbers and depth. Amen! Then the books are sent.
It may take months for them to arrive at their destination. When they arrive, missionaries or national leaders pick up the baton. They meet the ship and get the boxes through customs. Then they start the unloading process. Usually the shipments are very large. It can take awhile to distribute the books. Eventually, some will end up in district centers and be used for pastoral ordination training and continuing education. Some will be used for evangelism and outreach. Some will be given to children. Some will be used in conjunction with the Jesus Film as work starts in new areas.
Three things are certain though. The b
ooks
are sent with love. They received with joy. The volunteers' prayers are answered.
This shipment will spread from the Ghana District Center across eight countries on the Africa West Field. It will reach new Christians and deepen the faith of the committed.
Job well done!