‘America’s Surplus’ filling worldwide needs

USA (MNN) — The average number of Bibles for Christians in the United States is two per person. There is also an abundance of other Biblical literature in the U.S.

Christian Resources International has discovered a way to use “America’s surplus” of Bibles in other countries. Connie McCallum with CRI explains: “We take Christian books, new and used, and we send them overseas to people who just can’t get them.”

In some countries, a pastor would have to work for six months to save
enough money to even afford a copy of the Scriptures. Many pastors and
instructors around the world use a Daily Bread devotional guide for
months as their “Bible.”

McCallum said CRI gets around 400 requests per month from people around the world begging for Bibles and other Christian books. Because most of the requests are from countries where English is the second language, these people can use books from the U.S.

In this way, says McCallum, “America’s surplus can fill their needs.”

CRI sends books to countries such as the Philippines, Kenya, India, and Nigeria. But McCallum said they’re helping countries all around the world.

“One of the great things about CRI,” McCallum said, “is that you can actually be a missionary from home. Whether it giving a Bible, a dollar, or $500, you can sit in your living room and actually get a book into the hands of a missionary.”

To send a container of books overseas from the U.S. costs CRI approximately $11,000, which is about a dollar a pound.

If you’d like to donate Bibles or other Christian books, or would like to contribute toward the cost of shipping donated books, visit CRI’s Web site: cribooks.org.