This morning one of the team at National Office had a meeting with a gentleman called Greg and gave us this report afterwards:

“Greg began our conversation by saying “I have a great respect for The Gideons. It was one of your Testaments that changed my life”.

He went on to share that when he was 12 and at a school in Gerrards Cross, two Gideon members arrived at an assembly and one of them pulled out of his pocket a Testament that had a bullet hole in it and went on to tell how this had saved someone’s life. Determined not to get shot, Greg put his Testament in his top pocket and there it stayed, “just in case” for 6 weeks.

It was then that he broke his arm and could not play rugby for a while. Having to stay in class when his mates were on the rugby field was difficult especially with nothing to read. He then started to read the Testament that was in his pocket and continued to do so. Six months later he became a Christian.

Today his whole family are Christians and Greg is currently leading an international Christian organisation reaching people for Christ through sport. Praise the Lord!”

Bolivia is a beautiful country in South America surrounded by a long stretch of the Andean mountains. It makes you think of Psalm 27:4, “…to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.”

It was also the next stop on the world tour of Scripture blitzes for The Gideons International.  The blitz objective was simple: share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible in a one-week period. There are over 600 members of The Gideons International and their wives living in Bolivia. They were joined by a few more Gideons traveling to Bolivia to participate in the Scripture blitz. Said Gideon Geoff Severin visiting from Australia, “The people’s genuine interest in talking about Jesus was encouraging with everything going on in the world today.”

Getting the Word Out

Gideons were granted a special invitation into individual classrooms of schools across the capital city of La Paz, and were also allowed to speak about the importance of reading God’s Word. On some occasions, teachers and students were so moved by hearing the message of repentance and salvation, they accepted Christ readily with tears streaming down their faces.

Gideons also distributed Scriptures to the Bolivian military stationed in the nearby city El Alto. Not only did over 270 soldiers receive their own copies of God’s Word, they also were presented with the Gospel message as Gideons spoke about the power of the Scriptures to overcome all trials in life.

By the end of the week, Gideons had placed over 158,000 copies of God’s Word into the hands of not only students and the military, but also in hospitals, jails, and to police units. As opportunities for personal witnessing followed Gideons throughout their week, God opened the hearts of many to receive His Word. One such occasion caught up with Indiana Gideon Bob Hubler during a taxi ride.

“Every street is either uphill or downhill,” said Hubler. “As I travelled with my fellow Gideons from Bolivia, our taxi driver, Hugo, became very excited about hearing the Gospel. However, we encouraged him to keep his eyes on the road.” Once they pulled over, Hugo shared he was separated from his family. Hugo saw in the front of the New Testament the Helps section and his eyes went to the Scriptures dealing with loneliness. With the car safely in park, Hugo was anxious to accept Christ and his spirits were immediately lifted.

The Next Generation

Gideons visited one school where students filled the courtyard for a break from their studies. One young man, Marcos, approached a Gideon and asked where he was from. As the two continued in conversation, the young man’s friends began to gather and listen in. The Gideon took the opportunity of the gathering crowd to share about Jesus. At the end of his message, twelve students went through the plan of salvation in the back of their New Testaments. Then, each young man signed his own name as having accepted Christ. In this turbulent world, God’s Word is still “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Among the many students who received New Testaments, Maria felt led to give Gideons a gift in return. She handed one of the Gideons a drink and a small plastic bag of corn chips. It was her lunch, and as the Gideon turned it down, Maria explained she wanted to thank them for coming to her school and giving her and her friends God’s Word. She was thanking all our donors and supporters as well.

The Spirit of the Lord continues to flow through the cities of La Paz, El Alto, and Viacha. With every Scripture blitz, and with each New Testament given out, Gideons around the world pursue a common goal of reaching men, women, boys, and girls for the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for hearts to be opened to the Gospel message and for lives to be changed by reading His Word.

For this week’s Friday Blessing we are thrilled to be able to share with you a wonderful story from The Gideons International in Germany:

1,000 Arabic Bibles per week

The Gideons International in Germany currently sends out 1,000 Arabic pocket Testaments to the different Gideon camps. We just had to re-order 15,000 copies. There is also a great demand for other foreign language Bibles for refugee and asylum seekers’ hostels.

In this picture are two Christian refugees, who had just kissed their Arabic Testaments out of appreciation and gratitude moments before the picture was taken.

On the 10th November, the Chief Constable of Durham Police accepted a presentation Bible from the Durham and Darlington branches.  A supply of badged New Testament and Psalms were also supplied bearing the crest of the Durham Force.  On Remembrance day, the Police Commissioner, Ron Hogg, was similarly presented with a Bible by Irene Munro of the Durham Branch.   After the presentation Adrian Gatrill, the Senior Force Chaplain, wrote the following:

“Thank you very much for presenting us with the badged New Testaments, and for the formal presentations made to the Chief Constable, Michael Barton and the Police Commissioner, Ron Hogg. We are very grateful for the support this shows for our Constabulary, and especially for all who work for the police throughout the county.

You will be encouraged to know that there has been much positive feedback already: I have had to open the second box – and this is before any ‘organised’ distribution! I have had numerous requests for New Testaments as I have wandered around Headquarters, with some very encouraging conversations attached! A very good way in to a conversation is to ask people whether they remember their little red Gideon Bible from school. They do! One lady in particular (she was at the presentation on Tuesday) told me yesterday how she’s been reading the birth narrative in Luke and is clearly very excited about what she is discovering. This is the first time she has read the Scriptures. Praise God.

So even in these early days, I can tell you that the availability of these badged New Testaments is having a positive effect within the Constabulary, and providing a catalyst for good engagement with the staff.

Thank you, again, for your generosity and your support.”

Following similar visits in recent years, Peter and Ruth Keel and Paul Trotman were welcomed to the Mayor’s Parlour in Andover by the current Mayor of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Iris Andersen, who was delighted to receive a Presentation Bible and a Personal Worker Testament

If you are planning a school placement or if you have just completed a school placement I hope the note below which we received from a 12 year old girl encourages you in your work.

Dear Gideons,

Hello, I am 12 years old. Yesterday a man from The Gideons came into my school and told us the story of Gideon and God guiding him. I found the story very interesting and it made me think more about God. We were all given a New Testament and Psalms book; I have started reading it and intend to keep reading it. I think The Gideons is a very good organisation and the reason I am emailing you is to say thank you for making me think about God again.

Mexico is home to over 120 million people. The fastest growing metropolitan area in Mexico, Querétaro, is among the cities with the highest suicide and alcoholism rates in the country. Mexico’s religious atmosphere is dominated by 80% of the population claiming traditional Catholicism as their own. Although the sense of religious custom is interwoven into Mexican culture, there is still a need for the men, women, and young people living in Mexico to know Jesus.

For this reason, Gideons in Mexico regularly strive to further the Good News of God’s Son throughout their communities. In October, God provided an opportunity to join His people in Mexico with other Gideons traveling from different parts of the world for the 2015 Mexico International Scripture Blitz.

Before the first box of Scriptures was ever opened, the blitz team prayed over the city and asked God to prepare the hearts of those who would receive His Word throughout the week. The team’s theme verse was 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” God surely brought about His salvation in many lives during the blitz, as over 110,000 copies of God’s Word were placed in the hands of the people through distributions at schools, universities, military installation centers, police stations, and hospitals.

While Gideons conducted school distributions from public sidewalks, God provided a way to reach a majority of the students, and over 100,000 students and teachers received Scriptures. “Watching the Scriptures land in the hands of so many students, I was reminded of the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus tells us the shepherd left the 99 sheep to go and find the one sheep that was lost,” said team leader Doug Vaughan.

Near the end of one school distribution, Gideons met Victor, a school principal. Victor explained he did not believe he could be a Christian. When asked why he thought so, the principal said he had visited many churches but no one welcomed him or invited him back. One Gideon pulled out a New Testament and showed Victor the plan of salvation printed on the back page. As Victor followed along with the Scriptures, the Gideon explained that everyone is a sinner, but God still loves all people. Then they talked about Jesus being God’s remedy for sin and explained how Victor could be saved. After more conversation, Victor’s heart opened to the Gospel, and he prayed to receive Christ. Before parting ways, the Gideons from Mexico made sure to find Victor a local church home where he would be welcomed and encouraged to grow his new faith.

God Prepares Hearts to Receive His Word

There were many opportunities for Gideons and their wives to talk one-on-one with people they encountered throughout the city. In fact, at least 28 people were known to pray to receive Christ as Savior during the week. Victor Rivera, a Gideon from Florida, describes the joint effort with a local Gideon, Pepe, “When God opened a door to witness, Pepe would share while I prayed over each divine appointment.” The pair used this approach each and every appointed time, and the Holy Spirit touched many hearts. By the end of the week, Rosaria, Diego, Juan Carlos, Emelia, Alejandro, Cesar, Perla, and Tere accepted the gift of salvation and signed the back of their New Testaments.

One day, Gideons drove out to a house where Scriptures were  stored for the blitz. As the team arrived, Gideons noticed a “For Sale” sign posted in the front yard and a man standing nearby. The team loaded boxes of New Testaments from the house into their car, and all the while, the man watched from afar. A Gideon walked over to offer the man a New Testament. Jorge gladly received it. The two talked more and Jorge read about God’s free gift of salvation in the back. He confessed his sins and prayed to receive Christ. Jorge came to buy an earthly house that day, but he left with a home in heaven and the greatest gift of all—eternal life in Christ.

“I will never forget the sea of hands reaching for New Testaments and seeing first-hand someone sign the back page after praying for Jesus to come into his heart,” said Ron Kelly from Georgia. We rejoice and thank God for those precious souls who prayed to receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and we praise Him for the 110,969 Scriptures He allowed us to distribute. We pray God will continue to reveal His Word to the people of Mexico and many more will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior through these Scriptures. It is a privilege to carry out these Scripture distributions during a time when so many people need the Lord.

The following comments were received by a Gideon member from a minister who obviously found having a Gideon placed Testament by his bedside at a time of need a great blessing.

“Hi, five weeks ago my wife and I were on holiday in the Cotswolds. Short story is, I took ill and finished up in hospital in Worcester. Severe double pneumonia and a large blood clot on my lungs. The Gideon’s had placed the wrapped blue New Testament Psalms in the locker. What a blessing! (I was too ill to manage my electronic Scriptures).   Fantastic size and print –  in my view the best Gideon publication yet.  Thank you Gideons.  I was transferred to Preston Royal and brought my copy with me in line with the no cross infection policy, I’m still here for further investigations.  Please convey my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Gideon’s.”

Can I encourage you to please share this blessing with as many people as possible; we all need to hear how the Lord is touching lives through His precious Word.

This October, Gideons and their wives participated in Scripture blitzes across the country, going coast to coast for Jesus. During a Scripture blitz, we reach as many people with a copy of God’s Word as we can make available within a week or weekend. These go to hotels, schools, hospitals, jails, and other locations. Here is a sample of the recent reports coming in:

Sylvia and Marcella were joyful to see The Gideons distributing Scriptures at the right place at the right time in Los Angeles.

The City of Angels
Gideons took to the streets of Los Angeles for a week long blitz in October. One of the participating members, Hank Aizpuru of Santa Barbara, said, “I have never had so many opportunities to share my faith that God honoured with commitments to follow Jesus.”

From the time the blitz began, it was evident the distributions were supported by prayer as the Lord opened a window to pour out His blessing upon all involved. Gideons interacted with students from all over the world attending college in Los Angeles. One college student from Ghana saw Gideons handing out New Testaments and remarked how he had received one in high school in Africa. Another student, originally from Jamaica, was so excited about Jesus and the work of The Gideons, he began to rap and praise the Lord in song right there on the sidewalk.

At a high school in Lynwood, a student waited for her bus. She had received a New Testament and was busy reading it. Several Gideons walking by saw her reading and struck up a conversation with the young woman. They showed her where she could find help for life issues in the front of the New Testament and shared the most important page in the back. She turned to the back of the book and began to read each section out loud. The Gideons talked about how sin related to the world today and then told her about the remedy for it all. They prayed together and Dashawna signed her name at the back of the book right there waiting on the bus. The Lord is faithful to provide the heart change if we simply make ourselves available to His purposes.

Many assisted living facilities were on the route for the week. Sylvia, the activities director for one centre, asked the Gideons if they were “people who prayed.” Sylvia then used the intercom to call a co-worker, Marcella, to the office. Marcella wanted prayer for her husband who wasn’t saved. She told the team she had been far away from God and felt He was calling her back. The team prayed for Marcella as tears streamed down her face. Sylvia shared that she and Marcella had prayed together that very morning and asked God to send an angel to help them.

The Gideons provided over 60,000 Scriptures to the City of Angels—all destined for people needing access to the Good News. Pray these Scriptures will bring forth future testimonies of salvation as we hold to the promise in Isaiah 55:11, which will ensure they will not come back void.

East to Colorado Springs
The Southern Colorado Front Range includes the foothill cities such as Colorado Springs and surrounding communities. Within three days in October, 60,565 Scriptures were distributed throughout this community.
The local Gideons were joined by Gideons from surrounding states, and 170 men and women prayed each morning for open doors. Those doors included hospitals like Memorial Hospital and Penrose St. Francis. The chaplains at these hospitals were most appreciative.

Colleges in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, were open for distributions due to preplanning with the college staff and energetic Gideons covering the campuses. At a local soup kitchen, Gideons were invited to minister to the homeless. The Auxiliary visited a large number of medical offices. This is just a small sample of the opportunities God provided in the Colorado Springs area.

One of the Gideons from Pikes Peak was able to distribute service New Testaments to a local volunteer fire department. He was even asked to be their department chaplain! The Gideons were able to present several veterans with Scriptures as well. Pray all of these Scriptures will have a continuing impact on this community.

Up to Minneapolis and St. Paul
Across the country in Minneapolis, over 82,000 Scriptures were placed in the hands of men and women of the Twin Cities, as well as to students on the neighbouring campuses. Despite the traffic, over 150 men and women of The Gideons International drove throughout the city to get the Word out.

A Scripture blitz begins months before a box of Scriptures is ever opened for distribution. These months are spent on detailed planning and selecting facilities where Gideons can place Scriptures. Then, an estimate is made of how many Scriptures can be placed during the week, and a call is put out for help by the local Gideons, which often enlists members from other states as well. The routes are established for each day, and teams are assigned to the work. A central location, such as a hotel or church, is used as the blitz headquarters. Boxes of Bibles and New Testaments, often in multiple languages, are usually stored in a trailer or warehouse and await pick-up by Gideons for distribution.

In Minneapolis, over 200 hotels were visited and 31,000 Bibles were replaced in bedside tables. The old Bibles are recycled for use in prisons, jails, and homeless shelters. Gideon members work with hotel staff to find the most appropriate times to replace the Bibles on a room-by-room basis.

For distribution in hospitals, Gideons work through logistics with the facilities chaplains. Five Minneapolis hospitals received new Bible placements, and over 30 assisted living facilities were visited, as well as several hundred medical offices. Gideons distributed in high traffic areas on local college campuses, and 31,081 New Testaments were distributed to students by the end of the week. At Century College, students trickled in slowly, providing Gideons with an opportunity to talk more personally with students about their faith.

Police and fire-fighters across the city received 1,820 New Testaments. Local Gideons were also able to visit the chaplain of the National Guard, who requested 1,100 New Testaments for incoming trainees.

The local Gideons even “accidentally” ordered 50 soft-covered Bibles for a prison. When asked who ordered them, nobody came forward. One Gideon knew the warden at Oak Park Heights corrections facility, and as the two were talking, the chaplain asked if he could have 50 Bibles for the prison library. There are no coincidences when we pray earnestly to meet God’s will.

Down South to Durham
Finally, October saw the Gideons and Auxiliary out and about in the “The Triangle” area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Over 34,000 Scriptures were distributed into the hands of students, medical staff, and others—many who may be reading their copies of God’s Word right now.

Gideons also have the opportunity to share with hotel staff as they distribute.

Gideons were able to distribute on the campuses of UNC Chapel Hill and Carolina Central. Duke University Hospital received new Scriptures for the patient rooms, as did many of the medical offices throughout the area. Gideons were welcomed everywhere they went, including a short stop at the local jail to distribute Scriptures.

“By now you can see the pattern and the power of Scripture blitzes,” said Gary Lewis, state president of The Gideons in North Carolina. “This is the work that has to be done, and God allows us to participate in it—from coast to coast and the uttermost parts of the world.”

With every Scripture blitz, and with each New Testament given out, Gideons pursue a common goal of reaching men, women, boys, and girls for the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for hearts to be opened to the Gospel message and for lives to be changed by reading His Word.

On Thursday 15th October, Ruth Waring of Liverpool Central Branch of The Gideons International had the privilege of visiting the 16th Liverpool Company of the Girls Brigade to present Testaments to the girls.

It was a very exciting visit as this was the same company of which Ruth was a member up to the age of 16 and also the company in which Ruth gave her life to the Lord whilst away on a camp week at the age of 14.

The captain, who Ruth has known for many years, asked if the whole company could have a Testament and each was pleased to receive one. They were also asked to open their Testaments up at the back page where there was a special Girls Brigade prayer which the company read together. The officers with the company were each presented with Testaments also.

Praise the Lord for this opportunity to give out these Testaments to the members of the Girls Brigade so that they can have their own personal copy of God’s Word.