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Manna Publications - 2006 Highlights
Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord almighty.(Zechariah 4:6).
Leonard Chibende, Manna Representative in Zambia, caught the upbeat spirit of our many Distributors when he wrote:
QUOTE:
In August 1996 we set up our first literature stand at the main market in Mufulira. It was a faith venture. Soon we came in contact with Fred Morris author of Manna Publications (USA).
In the ten years since that time, we have reached hundreds of people and sold a lot of Manna books to believers and non-believers. Every Manna book sold is like a seed which, when planted and watered with prayer, brings forth spiritual fruit. We have received many testimonies of the books blessing our customers. Literature is a powerful means of spreading the gospel.
Manna books are written in Easy English. They are easy to print and we have printed twenty eight different titles. The latest to be published is the UK edition of MARK which is selling well at our stands.
Our dependence is on God (1 King 17:16). We thank those who have prayed and supported us. We also thank our many customers.
END of QUOTE.
We are developing Manna Representatives like Chibende in countries from Southeast Asia and India to Africa and Europe. With a little help from friends like yourself, they are publishing much-needed Bible study materials, often in languages that no commercial publisher can touch. Manna is first to publish in Khumi Chin for the hill tribe of Burma who speak that dialect.
One Khumi speaker wrote, "I am very happy seeing the first Khumi Manna commentaries. Your Khumi Manna commentaries will build the Khumi community in their faith. I myself see that many Khumi believers are studying the Manna books. Thank you very much for your commitment!" (Paul Paletwa).
As 2006 moved into the final months, Fred and Lorna Morris were blessed by the visit of Mannas Publisher-Editor from U K, David
Page, and wife Jenny. David brought with him an impressive record of printings done during the year. David spoke at two meetings each day for 4 days and greatly helped friends and neighbors understand what Manna Publications is all about. Our Distributors have done 37 separate printings in countries from Myanmar to Sierra Leone and in several languages besides English at an average cost of .30 per book. And several of our Mamma Distributors are moving closer to full self support .
In November, Peter Skinner UK Director, visited Nigeria to attend Evangelist Ben Offiongs Crusade and meet Manna Distributor Rev. Timothy Osinlu. Rev. Timothy had a large display table of books at one crusade meeting. He had already sold 350 books when the lights went out. In foreign countries, power cuts and blackouts are one of our greatest challenges, especially for our printers.
At Manna, we try to do a lot with a little and be good stewards of what the Lord provides us to work with. The total cost of Manna Publications printings done in 2006 was $ 11,550 plus or minus a few dollars due to the exchange rate. No money comes back to the UK or to the USA. Funds from the sale of books and commentaries are reinvested in reprints, commissions to in country distributors and travel expense.
MANNA PUBLICATIONS - 2007 PLANS AND OBJECTIVES
The New Year is proving to be just as exciting as 2006. Locknath Manaen from Nepal is in Harrisonburg to work on his translation of Manna Publications Old Testament commentaries. God provided a rent-free apartment for him within walking distance of The Highlands where Fred and Lorna are living. He expects to be working with them from now until the end of March expanding and revising his Nepali translation. We trust he will be able to meet some of our prayer partners and enjoy worshipping with us at First Presbyterian Church.
In addition to this exciting news, about the translation of Old Testament commentaries, it appears that Manna Publications will have a solid presence in the United States by the end of 2007. George Wynn, who will retire in September 2007 as a Professor of Marketing at James
Madison University has agreed to assemble and chair a Board of Directors, thus enabling Manna Publications (USA), Inc. to become a reality.
We plan for this corporation to achieve 501 C3 Not-for-Profit Status by the end of the year. We feel that this move will enable Manna Publications to broaden its base of individual supporters and churches as well as help to put our fledgling ministry on the map, especially as the United States is concerned.
Other plans for this US corporation are to completely revamp and organize our contact lists that we have been working on for a number of years. We have also discussed the possibility of beginning to translate some of Freds commentaries into everyday Spanish to enable the
possible expansion of Manna Publications into our hemisphere. In addition to his other duties, it appears that George will be able to attend the annual Manna Publication (UK) overall strategy meeting in May 2007. This UK visit will further strengthen Manna Publications (USA),
Inc.
We believe this establishing of Manna Publications (USA), Inc. is certainly Gods timing, as Fred's Parkinsons has drained him of a lot of energy and he finds it hard to keep up. We covet the prayers of each and every one of you and we need more help as we seek to expand
Manna in this arena. If you feel God leading you to be a part of this Manna ministry, or you wish to help in any way, please send an e-mail to
Fred Morris using the Contact Form on this site, or telephone George Wynn at (540) 896-1523.
In addition to the development of Manna Publications (USA), Inc., we need more Distributors in foreign lands. Please share with us
any contacts you have with nationals overseas. Our one objective is to help dedicated national Christians become self-supporting publishers in their own countries.
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