So what’s been going on with the spread of this book so far this year? It doesn’t seem like much, as i just go around teaching English in Japan, and keeping in touch by email with people, but fortunately some things have been going on.
English: I went to California in April to a Passover/Unleavened Bread campmeeting, and was able to have 3 studies with groups of people there. The leader of the place requested 1,000 books if possible, to which i gladly gave. He is now giving them away at www.bibleexplorations.com
Japanese: Still around 200 in stock. The church that showed so much interest in them last year has zero interest in them now.
Filipino: The man who i sponsored for 3 years to travel around spreading these books is still working overseas. He says he wants to come back to the Philippines and work on this again, so i still have hopes. Update July 8, the Filipino man contacted me after a silence of several months saying he is stuck in Sabah and needs a way to get back to the Philippines and he is sorry he didn’t restart working on spreading this book earlier. Hopefully we can get him back, and he can start again spreading God’s words soon.
Indonesia: A good friend i made there 2 years ago said in a email about 1 year ago that the translation was finished. But then he basically stopped communicating. Last month he said again that the translation was finished, but when i pressed for more info and showed interest in helping get it printed or whatever, communication stopped again.
Vietnam: The plan is to print 10,000 of this edition along with 10,000 of the 1911 edition to go with the General Conference plan to spread the book this year.
Thailand: Approximately 200 books left. I’m hoping it can be proofread and reprinted.
Myanmar: The book is slowly being distributed.
India: This is where most of the action is. In the north, my pastor friend is in the process of getting the Tibetan one proofread, and hopefully reprinted soon. We had to throw away all the copies printed around 7 years ago, so i’m really praying that this time will be successful. He is also interested in more Nepali copies. In southern India i am currently sponsoring a man with the idea to print this book along with Steps to Christ and maybe some health literature in several languages. The Kannada translation is currently in the final proofreading stage, and i have hope it will be printed this summer. The Gujarati and Marathi versions are supposedly translated, but it is hard to get a handle on exactly where they stand. Pr. Randy Skeetes is scheduled to come give meetings there in January, so we are planning to have this book in several languages for the meetings to try and introduce young, on-fire SDA members to this book so they will want to spread it in their towns. This Brother will meet a high church official this Sabbath, and plans to introduce this 1858 edition to him. May God’s will be done.
Zimbabwe: A man i’ve known thru the internet for maybe 9 years or so has kept in contact, and finally at the end of last year i offered to support the translation and printing cost for the Tonga version. He wrote back in about a week saying it was done, whcih just heightened my concerns, so i told him to be careful about it and take time and do a good job. He wrote recently that in getting help with some words translating, he is able to reach some people he would not be able to reach otherwise, and one man has already become convicted of the truth of this book.
Ghana: Some feelers were put out, but not much interest.
Armenia: Basically in the same stage it was 2 years ago – translation is finished, and awaiting proofreading. It is very frustrating, because i’m in close contact with the translator, but still nothing seems to move forward on this project.
Romania/Spain: The Romanian translator has just offered to work full-time to spread this book, so we are planning to reprint it. He has also retranslated the Spanish version, and after it gets proofread, we plan to print it. I’m hoping something good will happen with the German translation too while he is at it.
Portuguese: Nothing.
I was really hoping to push the book this year, as this is the year the General Conference is especially putting emphasis on to spread the Great Controversy book. But even if it doesn’t go as quickly as i had hoped, it is good to see some progress.
May souls be in God’s kingdom as his words return to him yielding a 100-fold 🙂
God is at work. Great Hope ride on!
“…as i just go around teaching English in Japan, and keeping in touch by email with people…”
I’m sure your students are blessed as you share Jesus’ love with them.
It is wonderful to hear about the progress of the 1858 Great Controversy book. Do you have any plans to visit the people working on this project? God bless.
I don’t have any plans to meet anyone working on this book in the near future.
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I have a vague idea in the back of my mind about going to Indonesia hopefully around Passover/Unleavened Bread time next year to spread this book, but there has to be much more communication and lots of work to get the book printed etc. before that happens. If that doesn’t work out, maybe God will lead me somewhere else for a couple of weeks around that time frame.