Taking the gospel to the masses through TV, radio, and literature

July/August, 2012 Report Dear Ones, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound Philippians 4:13-18) . Interestingly, I had intended to refer only to verse 13, but then the other verses fitted so aptly into the whole picture that I just couldnt resist quoting the entire passage. You know that I have made the commitment to be in Delhi for the opening of the new building on November 11. It has been seven years since I was there, so of course, when I go, I must spend some time with each of the families and churches with whom we have worked for decades, and teach in some ladies classes, so my ticket takes me to Yangon (Burma) on October 4, to Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 8th, then to South India on the 15. The remainder of the month and up to November 9 will be spent with the workers and meetings in the southern states of India. I plan to be in Delhi until the 15th of November. I regret that the visits will be shorter than I had originally planned, but because of the great need to be here to work on the organization and planning of the proposed Bible class materials, I cannot afford to be away any longer. My ticket costs $2815, and there will be additional expenses for the overland travel in South India, where I will be going by car with brethren from one place to another so I will want to cover those petrol, food, and lodging bills. Jerry has also written that the camera Joshua Gootam has been using to tape his TV programs is broken and that it would cost much less to buy it here in the States than in India. So, altogether, I will need probably an additional $2000 for these and other expenses that will crop up along the way. J.C.s practice through the years was to write to about 25 churches that had promised to help with his tickets twice a year. It worked well, and there was never any stress about raising those funds. I know it has been seven years since we last called on those brethren, and probably most of those budget allowances have since been committed to other needs. I have written to the 25, and have heard from some in response. So far, $750 of the needed amount has come in. Probably others will yet respond, but obviously I am far from the total amount required. Paula has jokingly said that I have The Voice of Truth International Global Harvest

World Evangelism

Betty Choate Continuing with World Evangelism team members the work begun by J.C.Choate P.O. Box 72, Winona, MS 38967

Sponsor: Liberty Church of Christ, 689 Highway 25, Dennis, MS 38838

Phone: 662-283-1192; E-mail: choate@worldevangelism.org

$12.00 for a one-year subscription; $20 for a two-year subscription $25.00 a month ($300.00 a year) per 35-copy box of each quarterly issue $5.00 per issue For churches, $75.00 per 25-copy box; $150.00 per 100-copy box

 So, what to do? I am committed to go. In fact, Ive charged the ticket to my credit card, so the bill will be paid. I have put back a little money for old age, and since I never expect to get old, I can use that personal money to finish paying for the ticket and to have the extra for costs along the way. I hope that wont be necessary. I hope that others of you will chip in and do what you can to help. But, regardless, God willing, I will be on that plane September 29. Please be praying that the journey will be safe and that the visits and lessons will be beneficial.

Please dont leave me here! I cant swim!

enough money to get me out over the ocean at the edge of the shoreline, and I respond that God knows I cant swim, so that plane has to take me further than that!

If you can help with the cost of the ticket and other expenses that will be incurred during the seven weeks I will be on the road, please make the checks to the Liberty Church of Christ, with the notation in the lower left corner that the money is for the Travel Fund. Please send the envelope to World Evangelism, P.O. Box 72, Winona, MS 38967, as it will be helpful to know the total that has been given before the credit card bill has to be paid prior to my departure. If churches must wait about a decision until there can be a regularly scheduled elders meeting perhaps at the end of this month or the first of October that will be too late. And, oh yes ... If you are already helping with the radio/ TV/ literature or other parts of the work on a regular basis, those commitments continue as in the past, so please dont contribute toward these travel expenses if it means a reduction in your regular support for the over-all program of work.
July and August have been busy months. We had the annual team meeting the second week of August, then the Rushmores, the Hopkins, and I attended Polishing the Pulpit in Sevierville, TN, in order to publicize the mission work and the literature project. Quite a number signed up as volunteers, and we talked at length with some who would be well qualified as additional Gideons. I am praying that the right people will step forward, and that we can soon proceed with the detailed planning that must be done before assignments can begin. September 8, Justin is supposed to meet, along with me, with some of the staff of Freed Hardeman University about the possibility of their help in developing the materials. In Houston, on my way out of the country, the Hopkins and I also plan to meet with some brethren about the literature and the possible use of some classic Bible art in the production of the materials. Please be praying for Gods oversight in all of these contacts and discussions.

(and always, J.C.)

The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them (Psalm 34:7). He does!

PS. Please be sure to use the blue envelope for sending your contributions, or verify that the address you write is the correct one (Liberty Church of Christ, 689 Highway 25, Dennis, MS 38838). Some, lately, have used the old Liberty church address, causing delay and possible loss.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:15,16).
These are the Lords last words to His followers before His ascension and to us, now, as individual Christians.

* Some of us can go, physically, as missionaries. * Some of us can go as corporate bodies congregations of the church supplying funds so that families can go and so that evangelistic tools can be provided. * But it is possible for you as an individual Christian to go in another way: You can go through the printed page.... *

Do you see the illustration of the little book stick figures? It is a truth that they can go where you cannot, they can stay for years at a time, they can be passed around among interested people, and they can supply the contact information for reaching a Christian in their area who can teach even further and can bring the person to a full knowledge of the Truth. And it doesnt cost an airline ticket to send them! In addition to the personal foreign mission work our team has been doing for more than 50 years, weve been multiplying our effectiveness by spreading the Word through the printed page. Last year we shipped more than 35,000 books, free of charge, to many foreign addresses. On May 2, Estes trucklines is scheduled to pick up 10,000 more books to be shipped overseas. Printing 62,000 copies of The Voice of Truth International, quarterly, in six languages, we send about 45,000 of those to 80 countries, free of charge. These materials are supplied in response to the many emails and letters, asking for literature they can get in no other way. There are no bookstores operated by the Lords church in Nigeria or India, or the Philippines, etc. Let me share with you a sampling of our mail: I am a young preacher who wishes to help people to know God and serve Him well that Heaven will be our ultimate reward. I therefore wish if you will add me to your mailing list and supply me with learning aids like tracts, lesson books, introduction to the Bible and evangelism materials. Lovely greetings from Malawi. We wish and would like to confirm that the two cartons you are sending to our congregation - Mzuzu Jomo Road Church of Christ - are being regularly received and distributed accordingly to various brethren. Currently the number sent is 35 in each carton. Due to high demand as also we are sharing with our neighbouring congregations, will you add a few copies? I am very happy, filled with joy to inform you, Sir, that my box of books has been received with joy. I thank you, Sir, for the love you have for me, one you have not seen, known and yet you make me to be what I am today by teaching me to stand to preach only thus says the Lord in order to bring the lost to Christ. I have only one book: Bible Themes. I have now read this book six times. Besides this I have only the Bible. Will you please send me more books to study?

 No, these requests dont come to you, so your conscience requires no answer, but they do come to us, and we have to decide before God Can we respond to this request or not? We respond. We add the name and the request to our mailing list. The books we send are paid for in this way: we print enough, and sell enough to book dealers and individuals, to pay also for the thousands we give away. Our printing business here in the States is not for profit. Nobody makes a living from the sales. The plan has worked well, enabling us to help many brethren have study materials they so badly need. And we make sure that we are never in debt on any of the printing. So what is our problem? In addition to the letters of request, we also get bills like this one that came last week. The first part of the bill covers the cost Books to various addresses of shipping 95 boxes of books in response to requests, such as Postage 95 pieces $2 230.51 those shared already. Thats $2,459.26 that had to be paid. Handling 228.75 The second part of the bill covered the cost of shipping 624 Charge 2.459.26 boxes of The Voice of Truth International to 80 countries. Thats Title: Voice of Truth $8.174.66 $12,186.01. The two bills required a check in the amount of $14,645.27! Postage 512 pieces Handling: 817.47 How would you like to open your mail and find that kind of bill??? Through the books, we donate many thousands of dol- Alfix Indica 15.39 lars worth of materials every year to churches, preacher train- Non-GBE 2,889 44 ing schools, and preachers overseas. We want to continue do- Postage 112 pieces Handling. 286 94 ing that. Some of you are helping with contributions of $35 per Affix Labels Provided 3.36 month for printing and postage for overseas boxes of The Voice Affix Indicia 3.36 of Truth International, and that has helped us to keep our heads Charge 12,186.01 above water up till now. But the number of requests continues to Combined charge............$14,645.27 grow, and the bills continue to increase. For the books that are given away, the printing has been paid from sales but we dont have enough sales to pay for all the shipping too. We want to honor all the requests for books and for The Voice of Truth International, but we just dont have more of our own funds that we can give. We have to turn to fellow-Christians and ask, Can you help? Were not asking for thousands of dollars from one person. What we pray for is reasonable amounts, monthly, from many persons, spreading the cost around. Will you prayerfully consider the requests we receive and make a commitment to help in one of these two ways?
Affix Labels Provided 15.39

Yes... I want to be a missionary through helping to pay the postage for literature you send abroad. I will give $35.00 a month to cover printing and postage costs for one box of The Voice of Truth International. Name ___________________________________________ Address _________________________________________ City ___________________ State _________ Zip ________ Email ______________________ Phone _______________ Mail to: World Evangelism, P.O. Box 72, Winona, MS 38967

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I will give $25.00 a month to cover postage for books.