2004: A YEAR OF
REMEMBERING AND PLANNING
The year 2004 has been a time of remembering the past and planning for the future. As I am developing this newsletter, we are in the process of preparing for Mission Printing's celebration scheduled for this coming Saturday, December 18. Mission Printing has been a strong force in the fight for lost souls for 25 years. As we prepare for our celebration, the Mission Printing family is sharing stories of the foundation of this great organization and its early years of development. We have enjoyed over two decades of furthering "world evangelism by the printed page." I am amazed by the vision and rive of Brother Guy Caskey each time that I walk into the Mission Printing building or when I present the Mission Printing story to a congregation. Bro. Caskey will forever be known as a great man of faith. He would be the first to inform you that Mission Printing was never his or Jessie Lee's but that it belonged to the Savior. This belief continues today. Mission Printing is not ours. It belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ! That is why Satan is scared of the power that is found in this organization.
Along with remembering the past 25 years, Mission Printing has been planning for the next 25 years and beyond. Our process of developing, compiling, and shipping books has become more efficient in the last couple of years. We are sending more material than ever before to countries throughout the world. You can read some of the letters that we have received from locations across the globe in the "Touching the World" section of this newsletter. Mission Printing has plans for the future and we need your help!
Financial aide is the part of our planning with which Mission Printing needs your immediate and ongoing help. The economic times have impacted us in a drastic manner. Our donations have decreased greatly due to the economic times and teh deaths of several key donors. While our donations have dropped, expenses have now. We are in need of your help! We realize that Mission Printing is not unique in this position and that you might be aiding other worthwhile and Christ-centered organizations. We are not asking you to cut back on any of your other commitments. We are simply asking you to increase your financial aide to Mission Printing, if only by a few dollars. With 2004 quickly coming to a close, this would be an ideal time to make a special donation. Perhaps you or your congreation had an exceptionally good year and you are able to send an EXTRA years end gift. This is also a good time of year to honor the loved ones in your life or someone tha thas touched you in a special way. People often feel that they can't give much and that it really wouldn't help to give so little. I am here to let you know that your "two minas" go further than what Satan would like you to think. If we had 500 people that could give $10 a month, that would increase our yearly donation by $60,000! This would eliminate our yearly deficit in total. Don't let Satan convince you that your gift can't go far. Your "small" gift will be felt around the world! God bless you all and may you continue to experience the glory of God Almight.
Vendall Dollarhide
|
 |
I was introduced to Mission Printing by Brother Bill Sarratt. Bill was a man who loved the Lord and believed in making a commitment to do God's work. If you wanted to know where to find Bill on Monday or Tuesday, you could come by Mission Printing and know that he was there working. He believed, as I do, that we need to make a commitment to serve the Lord and not just when we have nothing else to do. If you want to participate in a very worthwhile work for the Lord and want to make a commitment of a few hours or a few days a week, we would sure love to have you join us here at Mission Printing. I believe you will enjoy the fellowship with others of like faith and people who truly love their Lord.
Sam Harding Sam Harding is in charge of our printing department. Bro. Harding is busy printing every Monday and Tuesday, and other days that we need him. He is dedicated to giving his best, because that was what his Father did. Sam Harding is faithful member of the Brown Trail Church of Christ.
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansons; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3 |
— 2 —
Abraka, Delta State, NigeriaI greet you in the love of Christ. The material that you mailed to me has jus been received. I express my deepest gratitude to you at Mission Printing for your valuable and insightful material contribution to the Lord's work in Abraka. May God bless you abundantly. “I am a convert because of one of your workers!” Melton Keynes, U.K.I am a member of the Church of Christ in Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom. I contacted you for assistance in the form of Bible tracts for our evangelism some months ago. By the grace of the Almighty God, we have received the entire package that you sent us. We have had the first stage of our evangelism and we are in the process of launching the second stage. On behalf of the brethren of the Milton Keynes Church of Christ, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your tremendous assistance in our evangelism program. We pray that God will bless you richly and continue to encourage you in this wonderful way of serving Him. We hope to assist you in any way possible in the discharge of your duties. Accept our gratitude once again and all the best in your operations. |
Akosombo, GhanaThank you very much for shipment of spiritual material. Twenty souls have been baptized this year because your involvement. Mission Printing is allowing the world to see the glory of God! May the Lord bless you. Andhra Pradesh, IndiaHeartfelt greetings and precious salutations to you all in the worthy and sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are all safe here by His grace and through your fervent prayers. We are daily praying for Mission Printing and the workers. I received your encouraging letter and wonderful literature. It's a great help to us since we have been without gospel material for quite some time. The gospel material that you sent is more precious than money. Again, thank you for your kindness and spiritual material. We believe that our Lord is using Mission Printing as His vessel to proclaim His message to the world. We are very pround to have your fellowship. Please continue to encourage our work through your spiritual messages and suggestions. “I want to work hand in hand with Mission Printing to snatch people out of the grasp of Satan!” |
Kogi State, NigeriaI greet you warmly in Jesus name. I pray that all is well with wonderful workers of Mission Printing. Brethren, I wanted you to know that the last word that led me to Christ came from Bro. John Kemplin. Mission Printing may not know it but it was less than 3 months afte Bro. Kemplin's letter, which dealt with most of the questions that restrained me from being a New Testament Christian, that I was baptized by Bro. John Oguche. I am sure you will be excited about this news. I am a convert because of one of your workers! Since my conversion, I have dedicated my life to the service of the Lord in expanding the frontiers of the Lord's church here. Taraba State, NigeriaI am very glad to inform you that I collected the books that you sent me. I shared them with other evangelists to read and teach from. We are all happy to get the books as a tool to reach the people. Most of the people follow man-made rules, which mislead them. Through the material that you sent to us, evangelists can quote from the word of God and teach people to follow the right church found in the New Testament. I want to work hand in hand with Mission Printing to snatch people out of the grasp of Satan! |
— 3 —
Naga City, PhilippinesGreetings from your co-worker in the Philippines. If it is possible, I need yo to send me some materials concerning the New Testament church and also material about the different religious sects or denominations. Your tracts are very effective in my works. Many souls have been led to the Lord by reading the Bible and your tracts. I will carefully and wisely use Mission Printing's material for the advancement of the Lord's kingdom in my country. “Mission Printing is the answer to years of prayer!.” Bangalore, IndiaI greet you in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I received the reading material which you sent in regard to my request. Your response to my request was overwhelming. I didn't expect to receive so many books. I will always be indebted to your for your gesture. The material will be of immense use in spreading the gospel among the many Indians who haven't yet got the opportunity to know the Truth. It willhelp those belonging to denominations realize the importance of being a member of the true church. I congratulate your for all the work that you are doing in serving the Lord. I pray that God will help you in this endeavor. Please pray that God will use usin His service to the best of our abilities. Once again, I thank you for sending such incredible material! |
Kitwe, ZambiaI wish to inform you that I received your tracts which you sent to me. I was overjoyed because these came at just the time that we were about to hold an evangelism meeting. Your material was used and you would be pleased to learn that 19 people were added to the body of Christ. Five came back by way of confession and repentance We shall continue making follow-ups in the coming weeks and months. We, therefore, ask Mission Printing to send more tracts. The church of Christ is little known to the people in Zambia, so we especially need lessons on church and true salvation. Lagos State, NigeriaBeloved Mission Printing, you are firmly anchored in my prayers and in my mind. This is one of the most important emails I have ever written to you. I am sure you have been receiving my emails and letters of appreciation. I have no adequate words to express my profound gratitude to Mission Printing and all of the workers. I have a great mission to accomplish for Christ in Nigeria. However, this mission can never be accomplished without you. I truly cannot do without your assistance in this ministry. The work in Nigeria is blessed because of Mission Printing and the powerful material that you provide. “Your boldness has inspired us to be more aggressive in doing God's work.” |
“Thank you very much for the amazing material.” Fayette, MississippiI am an inmate in the Jefferson/Franklin Correctional Facility in Fayette, Mississippi. I have written to Mission Printing before and I thank you for all the help that you have rendered myself and the other inmates. The material you sent has been very helpful and it is turning people to Christ! We need more tracts to pass out and study. We will keep Mission Printing in our prayers and we ask that you keep us in yours. Chadiza, ZambiaThe aim of this letter is to express my happiness and thanks for what you have done! We have received all the material that you sent to us. The spiritual material has assisted us greatly in our evangelism and continued personal growth. Thank you once again. Zambezia, MozambiqueThank you beyond belief for the material that you sent us. Please send us more. We have prayed for many years for someone to help us understand the word of God better. Mission Printing is the answer to years of prayer! Mikolongwe, MalawiGod called you for a purpose! Your boldness has inspired us to be more aggressive in doing God's work. We now know that we are not alone in the struggle against the powers of darkness. Thank you for your material. It shows how much you care the body of Christ. |
— 4 —
The Importance of the Printed Page
Originally written in May 1987
|
In our country where technical brillance and accomplishments have produced the telephone, radio, and television, and have brought them to such sophistication and perfection, the art of reading has been lost to many Americans. There are two reasons why this is so: The attractive and even sensational communication by the above means and our loss of interest in receiving information by the printed page, otherwise known as laziness! It is true that more things are being printed and distributed today than ever in history, and perhaps the mass materials has confused and discouraged us. When we are almost literally immersed with printed materials arriving at our homes every day, regardless of how attractive, highly colored, and mechanically perfect they may be, we feel we do not have time to check it over, much less read it. But many people do read and the business world knows it. Their advertising reaches millions and the results are profitable. Many religious bodies know it, and they use this medium to promulgate their mesage and perpetuate their cause. It pays off! Somehow, in the church, we do not seem to have learned this lesson very well. My family and I went to Africa in 1949. Before lone, we learned that one of the most vital tools we could have was the printed page, but we did not have access to it. There was no money for this sort of thing. It was then that I resolved, if God would give me life and put some generosity into the hearts of His people in America, I would do my best to provide the written word of God in the form of Bibles, testaments, study lessons, etc., to the peoples of the world in their language, free of charge. We should have known long before how important the written word is. In the Old Testament, its value is emphasized and reiterated 257 times. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in an book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua‘ “ (Exodus 17:14). |
“And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord” (Exodus 24:4). “Thos shall set thee up great sones ... and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 27:2–3). “And because of all this we shall make a sure covenant, and write it” (Nehemiah 9:38). “And I wrote thme with in in the book” Jeremiah 36:18). In the New Testament, the word write is used 194 times, and writing is used 15 times. The importance of the written word is seen in the fact that the word scribe is used 67 times in the New Testament. Over and over, Jesus and the apostles would say, “It is written.”
One of the great joys that has come to me in recent years is the response of people in the Third World countries to the written gospel we have sent to them. Others, of course, have shown appreciation, but people in disadvantaged lands seem to have a special awareness of the importance of the written word. What continues to boost the morale of those who work at Mission Printing are the many letters filled with expressions of thanksgiving and accomplishments due in part to the tools we have made available to them in their homelands. John Uba, from Imo State, Nigeria, recently said to me in a letter: “It was a very happy day and occasion when I got to the post office and collected two boxes of printed material. When I opened one, I saw various booklets on multiple Bible subjects for teaching and study. “Words would fail me to express appreciation and gratitude to God on your behalf for your kindness and encouragement, a demonstration of love for the cause of Christ. “Let me say that my long dream has come true, for you have encouraged me in this work. May He who has put His mind in you to start such a printing work and has given you the means of brining it to a (cont. on p. 6) |
— 5 —
|
success continue to bless and prosper your efforts. I will use and distribute it judiciously.“ Letters like this, which come to us every day, keep us alive! May God continue to bless you to help us to put into the hands of such people as Brother Uba in far away Nigeria these simple messages of the Bible by which they can lead their countrymen to the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Please, let us keep on reading, believing, and sharing so that the word of God will:
Save the believer (Romans 1:16)
Enable people to be born again (James 1:18) make us free (John 8:327ndash;32) |
Make us clean (John 15:3) Knowing all of this to be true, let us never lose sight of how important it is that we share it with those who do not have it, and may never have access to it unless you and I care enough to spend out time and money to send it. |
MemorialsR.H. Beckett Grady & Ruth Paul Winnie billingsley Bill & Onnie Newton Ann Blair Lorene McLeroy Alice Walker Irene Hall Nelda Sheldon Jim & Ann DePue Jessie Hiltibidall Bobbie Post Jessie Lee Caskey Julia Watson |
Dortha Dowdy Thomas & Judy Lee Jean Farquhar Neuman & Eloise Williamson Lucille Bowers Perry Cotham Curtis Elbert Britton Grady & Ruth Paul Bob Brooks Dortha Dawdy Rusty & Sue Russwurm Betty Burks Alma Arterburn Bruce & Mary Carroll Gene & Geneva Berg Curtis Camp Perry Cotham Virginia Chandler Mozelle Brooks Ernest Coker Norma Cokerk Bill & Louse Maeger |
Mary Ann Knowles Jean Farquhar Alice Walker David & Karen Hobby Nelda Sheldon Lorene McLeroy Jessie Lee Caskey Cleo & Judy Tarver Davey Jones Julia Watson Stewart & Dorothy Whittington Tom & Ouida Garner Jessie Hiltibidal Larry & Olene Rabeck Jess & Ann Lewellyn Morris & Melba Guthrie Dortha Dawdy Thomas & Judy Lee Don & Betty Daviesl Bobbie Post Jim & Dorothy Little Rusty & Sue Russwurm Bob & Dorothy Fry Mozelle Brooks Neuman & Eloise Williamson Teresa Cotham Edward & Nan Williamson Elizabeth “Betsy” Coulter Vinus & Jean Nelson |
— 6 —
|
Dorothy Crawford Mel & Pearl Brown Bink Dawdy Neuman & Eloise Williamson Ross Dawkins Mrs. L.S. Milam Evelyna Evans Charles & Sue Chandler Harold Don Gipson Morris & Melba Guthrie Perry Cotham Homer & Ruth Griffin Bob & Mosa Morrison Charles Hoffman Hazel Fallis Dorothy Jenkins Emery & Ann Zene Cathey Johnnie Dry Loy & Kaye Pressley Robert & Margaret Parrish John & Francis Snyder Nell Cook Thomas Kaps Perry Cotham J.B. Latham Emery & Ann Zene Cathey Johnnie Dry Loy & Kaye Pressley Robert & Margaret Parrish John & Francis Snyder Nell Cook Don Leeper Alma Arterburnl Mary & Bruce Carroll Charles & Doroth Dickey Mark Mason Charles & Sue Chandler Dorothy Miller Thomas & Judy Lee Owen Miller Morris & Melba Guthrie Raymon Morgan Alma Arterburn Mary Carroll |
Tura Morgan Alma Arterburn Bruce & Mary Carroll Gene & Geneva Berg Lee & Tylene Morrison Bob & Mosa Morrison Ken Perkins Perry Cotham Willard Perkins Paul & Lucille McClung Opal Reid Friends at Handleyl Helen Ross Nelda Sheldon Alice Walker Betty Arnett Shelley Marceline Reed Gerald Shelton Thomas & Judy Lee Alva Simpson Esmer & Larry Hutsell Tony Smith Paul & Lucille McClung Bob Snider Fran Snider J.W. Starkey Hubert & Walterrene Hartin Pat Stockstill Julia Watson David & Karen Hobby Jessie Hiltibidal Allice Walker Lorene McLeroy Norma Coker Jessie Lee Caskey Dortha Dawdy Thomas & Judy Lee Nelda Sheldon Bob & Dorothy Fry Mozelle Brooks Steward & Dorothy Wittington Pat Sweet Grady & Ruth Paul |
HonorsDr. John & Billie Kemplin Perry & Thelma Kemplin Elaine Berry Pauline Jones Bernice Dunn Micky & Robert Berry Pauline Jones Bernice Dunn Guy Caskey John & Oleta Jennings Jack Minter Guy & Jessie Lee Caskey Ray & Retha Jordan 100 Year Birthday Anna Bell Whittington Setward & Dorothy Whittington
“Give honor to whom |
— 7 —
Mailing List Update for NewsletterIn order to update our mailing lists, we are asking for anyone that wishes to keep receiving “To The Ends of The Earth” to please contact us. You may contact Mission Printing by phone, mail, email, or in person. Please forward any requests and/or comments regarding our newsletter to Mary Carroll. IN MEMORY OF (Please print all information) Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ Please send notice of this gift to: Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ ____________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________ City State Zip Donor(s): Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ ____________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________ City State Zip $_________ Gift Amount |
New Schedule for Donor LettersIn order to conserve our resources, Mission Printing will begin sending donor letters quarterly in January, instead of monthly. If you would prefer other arrangements, please contact Vendall. We would like to take this chance to thank all of our contributors. Without you, Mission Printing would not exist. IN HONOR OF (Please print all information) Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ ___ Anniversary ____ Birthday ___ Other ___________________________ Please send notice of this gift to: Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ ____________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________ City State Zip Donor(s): Mr./Mrs./Miss _________________________ ____________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________ City State Zip $_________ Gift Amount |
