The comment below was from a teacher who was responding to the local branch confirming the school were happy for The Gideons to distribute Scriptures to their pupils.

I still have my Gideons Bible, it had lain forgotten for thirty years and then, when my mum died, two years ago and I was truly at my wits’ end, I found it in a drawer and it has been of tremendous comfort to me since then.

“For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

The following accounts tell of God’s gracious leading and prompting as members joined together for the three days of the Blitz.

 The power of a Personal Worker Testament!

John Marshall, Adrian Snookes and Jill Massey were out and about in Boston on the first day and having driven into the rear yard of a Funeral Directors, discovered that the town centre team, out on foot, were already at the front door! They left them to it. The road ahead to a nearby Residential Home was closed. There was a workman in his van nearby keeping an eye out. John approached him and asked if there was any possibility of driving to the Care Home about 100 yards further down the road.

The man asked, “Are you a Funeral Director?”

John replied “No, I am a Gideon” and showed him his ID badge.

“What is a Gideon?”

Reply: “We distribute Bibles and New Testaments. Would you like one?”

Reply: “Thanks mate – I’ll have a read of that in about ten minutes whilst having my break”.

John pointed out the Bible helps before a further response with a cheerful smile… “You can drive through mate!”

John’s answer: “Bless you!”

Big is beautiful!

On a visit to a Care Home in Frampton near Boston, an Ultra Giant Print New Testament & Psalms proved very popular with one resident. On leaving a Bible in one lounge Michael, a resident, said to John Marshall, “You need to speak with Caroline in the dining room – she will want to see you”. Having been introduced to John’s colleague Eileen, Caroline commented that she read the Bible and had learned much from it but added, “It’s now proving very difficult as I can’t easily see the words”. John opened the Large Print Testament and asked, “How about this one?”

The smile on her face said it all. “That’s beautiful. I can read it!” She was delighted and asked if she might keep it to read in her room and could we write her name in it. No sooner said than done!

We encountered a similar experience at another Care Home. Two days later John received a phone call asking for another visit. Living nearby he duly obliged and was introduced to partially sighted Ron, a resident in temporary respite care. Ron had seen the copy left earlier and was keen to read the contents. Being handed a Large Print Testament, he responded with a big smile and said, “This is the first time I have been able to read anything for a long time”.

What a blessing for both of us!

Prayer paving the way…

 Prayer for the Scripture Blitz had been offered during all the planning stages as well as on and during the three days of visits.

In the month before the visits were made, a prayer leaflet had been circulated to Churches Together for prayer throughout the blitz areas giving information as to our mission and ministry and requesting prayer support.

On Day 1, at a solicitors’ office in Sleaford which was not on the list to be visited, the receptionist mentioned to Brenda Hitchcock and Peter Whitney that she had that day been asked to purchase two new Bibles for their office. A gift of two Bibles was made together with a Service Testament for the receptionist.

On Day 2, on their visit to a Funeral Director in Ruskington, Brenda Hitchcock and Michael Hodges were delighted to be welcomed by Lydia Phillips with the words “We have been expecting you.”

On day 3, Zone 4 Chaplain Garth Jones, with Brenda Hitchcock and Peter Whitney, on their way through the villages south of Grantham, came across the Cross Swords Inn at Skillington, near the Viking Way. They had made a wrong turning and were making their way back to the next place on the list.

The Cross Swords Inn was not on their list, but they stopped to investigate.

The landlady, Linda Wood, said that she had been wondering about Bibles for the courtyard accommodation there. “Prayer answered!” said Garth. Linda took three Bibles and a Personal Worker Testament for herself and her husband Francis.

“I know it couldn’t have happened by chance”

On Tuesday, Vic Billitt and Richard Morrison went to a local hotel and spoke with the coffee house assistant who recognised Richard from previous visits.

She called the manageress who agreed that each of the 12 bedrooms could have a Bible installed, but added that it meant nothing to her at all as she was an atheist.  Richard acknowledged that she had obviously thought this out and turned to the Megan, the assistant and asked for her opinion.

Megan said these wonderful words: “I’m a bit on the fence about this, but when I think about the beauty and the intricacy of the world and the universe, I know it couldn’t have happened by chance”. Richard handed her a Personal Worker Testament and said, “This will help you to explore your next two questions – if there is something/someone behind the creation, perhaps it is worth understanding and getting to know this.  This book will help you so much. Start with the Psalms at the back.”  Richard will be back at that hotel soon for another meeting in the coffee house and will seek to continue his conversation with Megan.
On Thursday, Richard and Vic were in Spalding and found a hotel under new management, with the proprietor keen to develop the pub side of the business.  They offered him four Hotel Bibles with the thought that all sorts of folk would come to find accommodation for all sorts of reasons – even possibly those who might have to spend the night there after being in the pub. They might find themselves wondering what it was all about and why and how life was to be treated.  It would be part of a great service to guests to provide help in tricky times. The proprietor was up for that and took all four Bibles.

Over the course of the three days, 300 establishments accepted over 1,300 Bibles and New Testaments with further follow up to take place soon.

We can only thank GOD and keep on praying!

The Gideons International now provides a Bible app specifically designed for evangelism. Our familiar topical indexes, such as “Help in Time of Need,” provide for a quick lookup of useful verses. Users can access the Word of God in a wide variety of languages, both in written and audio format. The Plan of Salvation is also available in the menu section.

In addition to being easy to use, the app is also easy to share. It includes a “Share the App” feature, which works well with text, email, social media, or other services such as AirDrop.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Gideon Bible App, and download it today from the App Store or Google Play. Or click here.

You may be aware that the President of the Republic of Zambia decreed that on the 18 October 2015, the people and the churches all over the country were to pray and fast for the nation. The President of the Football Association of Zambia postponed all matches which were supposed to be played on the 18^th because of the decree.

What a joy that The Gideons International in the British Isles preceded this unprecedented event in Zambia by sending support for Bible distribution. To God be the glory!

Earlier this year Zambia was nominated as our country of emphasis for 2015 and as a result 700,000 Scriptures were provided for this needy part of our world. What a faithful God we serve, His timing is always perfect!

In September, Gideons in Lesotho organized an International Scripture Blitz in the city of Qacha’s Nek and the surrounding areas. They were met in the capital city of Maseru by Gideons from several other countries to participate in the one-week blitz on the continent of Africa.

Throughout the week, the team would place and distribute Scriptures at a number of locations including schools, hospitals, and medical clinics, all in an effort to help men, women, boys, and girls come to a saving faith in Jesus.

Into The Uttermost

While Lesotho is a small nation, it is dominated by a network of rivers and high altitude mountain ranges making it difficult to build roads. The five-hour journey from Maseru to Qacha’s Nek was a journey into the uttermost.

“We had to use four-wheel drive vehicles in most of the areas. Many teams had to travel over 205 kilometers a day on extremely rough mountain roads to get to the schools,” said international team leader, Larry Aspegren.

Local pastors guided the Gideons to local schools in the area. Team members even loaded boxes of Testaments on horses and led them down a steep ravine to one the most remote villages.

“The journey to get there was amazing enough, but nothing in comparison to the events once there,” recalled Greg Bowen from Georgia.

The children and adults were very receptive to the Gideons and were thankful for the gift of the Scriptures. The Gideons were grateful for the privilege to share the Word of God with men, women, boys, and girls who otherwise might not have an opportunity to hear of the hope found only in Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is Welcomed In Lesotho

“The people of Qacha’s Nek are very, very loving and kind. Their hearts are open to Christ and His Word. They want to know Christ,” said Jim Hadley from Indiana. “We went to so many places and every place we went, we were welcomed with open arms.”

By the end of the blitz, Gideons visited numerous locations, including 199 schools, distributed 49,460 Scriptures, and were presented with numerous opportunities for personal witnessing.

At least 25 people made the decision to accept Christ as their personal Savior during the blitz. “I liken this blitz to throwing a large rock into a calm pond, creating ripple effects,” said Joe Schuler, a Gideon from Idaho. “With nearly 50,000 Scriptures distributed, it will have a dramatic effect in this country. We will be eager to hear of the impact of those Scriptures in the months to come.”

The Essence of the Ministry

The openness of the people and the opportunity to witness in such remote parts of the world, touched the hearts of the Gideons who participated in the Lesotho International Scripture Blitz.

“To give copies of God’s Word to people who have never had it, or have no other possible way to get a Bible of their own, this is the essence of The Gideons International,” said Greg Bowen.

The international Gideons were greatly impressed with the Lesotho Gideons’ willingness to sacrifice to help reach the lost with God’s Word. Some traveled over 150 miles and stayed for a week away from their families and businesses, so they could share the Gospel.

The Gideons International established its first camp in Lesotho in 1977. Today, Lesotho has 71 Gideons and 26 Auxiliary members. Nearly 2 million Scriptures have been distributed within the country to date.

We thank everyone who helped in planning and carrying out this Scripture blitz, including Lesotho’s Gideons and Auxiliary, as well as the international team members. We also thank churches, donors, and others whose prayers and support helped make this blitz possible. Most of all, we thank God, to Whom we give glory and praise for every Scripture distributed and every life that will be changed in Lesotho as a result of this blitz.

Please continue to pray that the people in Lesotho who received Scriptures will open them and obey the Gospel, and share God’s message of love with others.

This week’s blessing describes how a Gideon member had a very interesting sales call which resulted in a copy of God’s precious Word being accepted.

“When Henry from Essex telephoned me last week he hoped to sell me some panels to put on the roof of my house which, given time, and lots of sunshine, may help to keep my electricity bills down. However it was him who ended up receiving something from me. You see I told him that I was a lady in my eighties and given my age, well, I might not live long enough to see any returns on this investment. But I had invested in something far better and far more reliable.

 And then I explained I was a Christian and what my faith meant to me today, and what it would mean for the future when my life ended. I told him I was a Gideon and that our organisation handed out Bibles to people in all walks of life. And in the Bible, God’s Word, you can find out more about God and what being a Christian is all about. In fact I offered to send him one if he would let me have his address. And to my surprise he agreed, so I posted a Personal Worker Testament to him.”

A challenge for us to make the most of every opportunity!

In September, Gideons in New York City welcomed Gideons and Auxiliary from 17 other states as they came together to participate in the 2015 New York City Scripture Blitz.

During this one week of concentrated effort, Gideons and Auxiliary placed Scriptures in the hands of firefighters, medical staff, college students, high school students, prisoners, homeless shelter guests, and many others.

There are over 130 language groups in New York City, so it was important to have Scriptures available in a variety of languages. Gideons and Auxiliary distributed copies of God’s Word in a number of languages including English, French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Creole, Portuguese, Japanese, Polish, Hungarian, and Russian.

Tor Torkelsen, a Gideon in New York City, served as the blitz team leader, as he has faithfully done for many years now. He was very enthusiastic about what he saw happening during the week, praising God for the outcome.
“People were much more receptive to receiving Scriptures this year. There was a greater spiritual hunger,” he says.

Torkelsen was also greatly encouraged to see 248 Gideons and Auxiliary participate in the blitz, many making great personal sacrifices to travel there. “I’m amazed at what God does in the hearts of people who come for the blitz. We had a tremendous team.”

Bruce Fairris, a Gideon from Franklin, TN was one of the team members distributing Scriptures at fire stations and police precincts in Manhattan. “At each location, we were very well received,” he said. He recalled one precinct in which the commanding officer welcomed the Gideons, telling them, “The Word of God is always welcome in this place.”

While Fairris and others were distributing Scriptures at a hospital, a chaplain approached Fairris and said, “Praise the Lord. I received a New Testament in college from the Gideons and placed my faith in the Lord after reading it.” There were many stories of running into people impacted by God Word’s through the simple act of distributing Scripture.

The Gideons were able to visit many colleges in the New York City area including City College and Columbia University in Manhattan, Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, St. John’s University in Queens, and Fordham University in the Bronx.

The Auxiliary Share Christ
The Auxiliary, or wives of the Gideons, were placing Bibles at a nursing and rehab center in the Bronx, when one of the female residents asked, “Do you believe in God?”

“Yes Ma’am, I sure do!” said one of the Auxiliary. The resident, an elderly lady, said she didn’t know God, and didn’t even know how to pray. The Auxiliary responded by sharing Scripture and walking her through the plan of salvation.

Margie Nichol from upstate New York also served in the blitz. She saw a young lady working in the security booth at one of the distribution locations. “I was drawn to give her a Scripture,” says Margie. However, the elevator was loaded with Scriptures and everyone was waiting for Margie, so she left.

When Margie returned to the first floor, the young lady wasn’t there. A male security attendant was now sitting in the booth. He gladly received a Scripture from Margie.

Then, Margie saw the young lady walking to the door. She hurried over to her. “I’ve been waiting to give you this New Testament,” Margie said. The young lady’s name was Diamond. “Diamond never owned or read the Bible, however a co-worker had been reading some scriptures to her and she was hoping to have her own copy.”

Margie then shared with Diamond how she could continue her spiritual journey by reading the Gospel of John. “Then I asked her if she wanted to pray to receive Jesus as her Savior. And she said, ‘Yes!’”

“It is exciting to see how the Lord is blessing this ministry and to see the joy in our members’ faces as they report on the open doors and hearts they encounter in these distributions,” says Torkelsen.

Not A Coincidence
Reza Rasti, a Gideon from Nashville, TN was distributing Scriptures to staff and patients at a major hospital in Brooklyn. “We randomly brought a case of Polish Bibles,” says Rasti.

During the distribution, a woman who was a relations specialist for the Polish community saw the Gideons carrying Bibles and approached them.

“Do you happen to have any Bibles in the Polish language?” she asked.

When Rasti showed her the box of Scriptures in the Polish language, the lady literally jumped for joy, exclaiming, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to have these!”

“There are no coincidences, as we serve the Lord,” says Reza.

God Blesses Personal Witnessing

In a city like New York, there are endless opportunities to lead the lost to Christ.

“It’s a life changing event the first time you lead someone to the Lord, because it changes you.” says Torkelsen. “There’s nothing more life-changing than knowing the God of the universe has used you to change someone for eternity.”

Torkelsen himself would have opportunities to witness during this blitz. Over the years, he and other Gideons have developed friendships with the staff at the hotel which hosts Gideons and Auxiliary from out of town. One of those hotel staff members is Gerard.

“I’ve known Gerard for 14 years,” says Torkelsen. “He is approaching retirement in a few months, and this would be the last time I might see him.” So Tor asked Gerard if he had given much thought to what he would do after he retired. And he then asked, “Gerard, do you know for sure you’re going to heaven when you die?”

Gerard thought a moment and answered, “No.”

Tor then retrieved a Scripture and led Gerard through the plan of salvation printed in the back. Then he led Gerard through a prayer to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

“It was a very special moment,” says Tor, who has prayed for Gerard for years. “My friend is now also my brother in Christ. He already knew from our witnessing to him over the years that we love him.”

There were many encounters like this. Early one morning Lloyd Crum and another Gideon were inside a donut shop picking up their order. Just as they were about to exit, they asked the manager if he had received his free gift. “No,” he told them. So after retrieving a New Testament from their car, the Gideons walked the manager through the plan of salvation. In response, the manager prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. “What a blessing,” says Crum. “God has a plan.”

Prison Time
The Gideons have been conducting blitzes in New York City since 1977. One of the key locations has been Rikers Island jail complex, which manages an average daily population of 14,000 inmates.

Gideons were allowed to speak at a chapel service for inmates and shared the plan of salvation. As they led a prayer for those who wished to receive Christ, 11 inmates responded to the invitation to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. One of the attending officials for the jail took the opportunity to pray to receive Christ, as well.

As the Gideons returned to the main gates at Rikers Island to await their ride, they shared Scriptures with others there, including a 17-year old girl named Yula. Although the Gideons were in a hurry, they took the time to share their hope with Yula and she prayed to receive Christ.

Blitz Results
By the end of the one-week blitz, Gideons and Auxiliary had placed over 243,000 Scriptures in New York City.

“I am truly amazed at how the Lord brings it all together,” says Torkelsen. “Truly, He wants us to know it is all Him and not us.”

Tor also expressed thanks for the many people who donated above and beyond to help provide for the blitz, including providing for Scriptures and transportation.

Please continue to pray for all who received Scriptures during this blitz. Pray they will read and obey the message of the Gospel, and share its message of hope and salvation with others.

An email received this week confirms that Gideon placed Scriptures are being used to touch lives, Praise the Lord!

“I would just like to say a thank you for the work you do. I am a Christian though my family don’t yet know the Lord, my father recently spent some difficult weeks in hospital fighting cancer and I was delighted to see one of your Bibles in the bedside drawer (hopefully he had a quick look!!). Today my 11 year old son, who has struggled to adjust to secondary school life, came home with a New Testament given to him at school, we have been praying for a way to get Christ in!  Thank you!!!

Will be praying for your work and when I can, I will make a contribution to your work. God bless and bear fruit in the work you do. Amanda”

Professional cyclist Alessandro De Marchi posted this photo on social media of himself reading a Gideon placed Hotel Bible as he was preparing for the next stage of cycling’s famous Tour de France race.

Described as one of the most gruelling endurance events on earth, riders spend up to six hours a day on their bike with just two rest days over the three week race period in which they cover over 3,000km.

Nothing can prepare or fuel a person better than the Word of God.

The caption read “Maybe it’s the right reading for the stage of tomorrow” but unfortunately for some people in hotel rooms, there will be no tomorrow.

The following note was found written inside the front cover of a Gideon Hotel Bible: “A woman entered the third floor room of a Brighton hotel intending to throw herself to death onto the pavement below. However she saw this Bible and read about the love of our Heavenly Father and later told the Proprietor how He (God) had prevented her from committing suicide.”

If it wasn’t for that Bible being available, there would have been no tomorrow for that woman. We know that having a Bible in bedside tables saves lives. Suicides have been prevented, marriages saved and lives transformed.

Like

In late August, Gideons in Argentina welcomed an international team of Gideons from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the USA. For the next week, these brothers in Christ would share copies of God’s Word in the northern city of Cordoba.

The international team leader was David Beaty, a Gideon from the USA. “The local Gideons did an excellent job of planning for this event,” says Beaty. Transportation and distribution schedules were thoughtfully organized, helping Gideons carry out the distributions in a timely and efficient manner at schools, hospitals, and jails.

Because many distributions take place outdoors, cooperation of the weather is always an extra blessing. The Lord blessed this blitz week with beautiful weather and no rain.

By the end of the week, Gideons placed and distributed more than 182,000 copies of God’s Word.

Answers To Prayers
During any International Scripture Blitz, prayers are lifted up for the blitz by Gideons, Auxiliary, and friends from around the world. It’s always inspiring to see how the Lord responds to those prayers.

One prayer item was for the safety of the blitz team members. On the last day of distributions, a team of four Gideons parked their car under a big, 200-year-old tree at a military base. For about 45 minutes, some Gideons waited in the parking space while the others consulted with military officials about distributing Scriptures at the base. The Gideons agreed to leave and come back a little later. When they returned less than an hour later, they discovered the tree had split and fallen within minutes after they first left, destroying a car parked in the exact spot where they had been waiting earlier.

“When you see what that car looked like after that tree fell… we would have all been dead,” says Tom Odom of Louisiana. “The Lord protected us and saved us from that catastrophe. In fact, we could feel the Lord’s protective hand over us the whole time we were down there.”

Placing God’s Word In People’s Hands
Beaty observed the openness of school and college students to receiving Scriptures is often influenced by peer pressure. “If one student accepted a Scripture, those behind would follow. However, if a student refused the Scripture, those behind generally refused the Scriptures, too.”

As Gideons were distributing New Testaments at one college campus, a man approached them and told them he was a Christian. He then revealed he was having some very difficult problems in his marriage. He confessed he was actually thinking of taking his life that very day. One of the Gideons took him aside and reminded him life isn’t always easy, even for followers of Christ, but taking one’s own life is not the solution. He asked the man to pray and trust in the Lord’s divine wisdom to work things out. With tears rolling down the man’s cheeks, he thanked the Gideons and walked away, appearing grateful for the compassion and brotherly advice.

At one high school, a student named Nicolas approached the Gideons and began talking with them.

“I told him we had come to share the Truth with him, because these Testaments contain the Truth,” says Tom Odom. “I also let him know the world is full of lies about how one can go to heaven.”

“Do you want to go to heaven?” Tom asked the boy.

“Yes,” said Nicolas.

Next, Tom showed the young man the plan of salvation printed in the back of the New Testament. “I could sense Nicolas wanted peace in his heart.”

Tom then led Nicolas in a prayer to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Afterward, Nicolas said he had a habit of cursing and asked if God could help him overcome that.

“So we had some further discussion about what it means to have the Holy Spirit inside one’s heart and how much it would help him in many ways. And we discussed the importance of reading his New Testament,” says Tom. “Then Nicolas left with a smile on his face. I know the angels were rejoicing in heaven.”

Giving Thanks For What God Is Doing In Argentina
Gideons first organized a camp in Argentina in 1959. Today, there are 168 Gideon camps in Argentina, and more than 2,000 Gideons and Auxiliary. To date, over 36 million Scriptures have been placed in Argentina through The Gideons International.

We thank our members in Argentina as well as the international Gideons who travelled to share copies of God’s Word in this blitz.

We also thank the rest of our members and supporters throughout the world whose prayers and financial gifts help make blitzes like this possible.

And most of all, we thank our Lord for each and every Scripture distributed during the Argentina blitz. We give Him all the glory and praise for the forthcoming testimonies of lives changed as a result of people receiving those Scriptures.