July 2013

1 Mon. USA - Interns (Interns with Dave)“Please pray for our interns Amanda, Ben and Geli who are helping CLC this month - Amanda in the UK, Ben in Burkina Faso and Geli in the USA. All of these young people were recruited by Bill and Marge Almack, and are university students. We are also pleased that Jen McAlhany will be serving for one year as a short term worker in the UK, now that she has finished her university studies.” Dave Almack, Director

2 Tue. Colombia – Bible SeminarsDuring the months of July and August we have various events with the Thompson Bible Seminars. Please pray for all the people involved in these meetings in different cities and towns throughout the country – teachers, co-ordinators and personnel (including CLC members). Please also pray for the families of these people in their absence.

3 Wed. International OfficeCristi and Ane Cotovan are moving from Romania (where they have been working both with CLC Romania and with the International Office) to the UK. They are due

to arrive with their three young daughters this week. Please pray as they settle in and adapt to a different culture and lifestyle. Cristi will be based at the CLC International Office with Neil and Sheena Wardrope.

4 Thu. Bolivia – Shop to Open in Santa CruzAt the time of writing, the opening of the first CLC bookshop in Bolivia is due to take place in July. Please pray that all the initial stock will be imported without problems. Pray too as new staff are recruited to work in the shop - that God would lead us to the right people who share the vision of CLC. Pray for Gamaliel and Marlene Padilla who have left their home, family and work with CLC in Venezuela to start the CLC ministry here.

5 Fri Hungary – Summer Worship CampAt this time of year there is a drop in activity in the bookshops but, in Debrecen, CLC will have a booktable at the Summer Worship Camp (July 8th-14th). This is a great opportunity to meet Christians from around the country - of all ages and from different fellowships - who come together to improve their musical skills. CLC is increasingly being welcomed and appreciated at this annual conference.

Ready to serve... just need some stock!

to walk with us, but carry us through these hard times. In such circumstances, the staff can get de-motivated; pray that we will be rejuvenated and that we shall learn to depend on Him much more. If the birds of the air feed without worry, why should we?” Edith Wamalwa

12 Fri. Kenya – God’s ProvisionAfter receiving the previous day’s prayer point, the CLC UK team prayed about the situation at their annual conference. That same week we heard that the bookshop in Nairobi had had an unusually busy week, including a significant sale of books to one customer. Praise the Lord for this encouragement both for the team in Kenya and for those who pray for them!

13-14 Sat/Sun. UK – BlackpoolCLC has been in Blackpool for 10 years and Sheena Burwell (manager) and Hilda Dryden are running a series of events in the shop to celebrate this. Pray for effective publicity and that customers will come along to the events. Pray also that many of the summer visitors to this seaside holiday town will find the shop and make use of it. Praise the Lord for a customer who became a Christian in the bookshop recently. (See Photo)

15 Mon. Venezuela – Booksellers ConferencePlease pray as the CLC team in Venezuela host a conference this week for booksellers from around the country. This event takes place from the 17th to the 19th of July.

Page 2 (July)

6-7 Sat/Sun. UK – Head of OperationsMick Goodman is joining CLC UK this month as Head of Operations (formerly the Administrator). Mick comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Christian trade and we feel blessed to have him on our team. Please pray Mick settles quickly into his new role, which will also include being a member of the Leadership Team, and that he receives the “wisdom that comes from above” for the challenges that lie ahead.

8 Mon. Regional Director TravelsCLC Regional Directors travel extensively in their work. This month Romualdo Macinas, Regional Director for Asia, will visit CLC in Papua New Guinea and in August he plans to visit Cambodia to assess the needs for Christian literature, and possible CLC involvement, in this country.

9 Tue. Trinidad – Sales and Seasons“Praise the Lord for some good sales recently. In the lead up to Mothers’ Day we exceeded our sales goals! We are thankful to God for His keeping power and protection on our lives on a daily basis. We are now in the rainy season (May to December) and last year was terrible with serious flooding and landslides. Obviously this affected our sales and other activities. Please pray for better weather this year.” Marlene Ramroop, Director

10 Wed. Papua New Guinea – StockStock takes a long time to reach the CLC bookshop in Port Moresby. Pray that Vere Babona and his team will be able to maximise sales with the stock they do have currently – mainly from a container of donated new and quality second hand books from Australia. Praise the Lord for recent contact with a distributor in the USA which means that books, in smaller quantities, are arriving more frequently.

11 Thu. Kenya – Tough Season“CLC Kenya is going through a tough season. We really need the Lord not just

CLC UK Team 2012 Confernence

Page 3 (July)

16 Tue. Tanzania - ClosureAfter two years of struggle to keep the ministry afloat, and having relocated due to a very high increase in rent, we have decided that we need to close the ministry down. A number of factors have contributed to this, including the fact that we have been unable to find a permanent location for our container bookshop. This has been a great disappointment. Please pray for the closing procedure, and for the people involved, including local workers, Board members and Liz Patten (Regional Director). We are very thankful for all the support and help given by Penny Elliot, a Scripture Union missionary. CLC is open to the possibility of a new start in the Lord’s time and purposes.

17 Wed. Austria – Temporary SolutionPlease pray for Sarah Brugger who has volunteered to keep the bookshop in Graz open during June and July while Armin and Edeltraud Heumann take much needed extended leave. The shop will close during August. The future of the bookshop from September is uncertain. The Heumanns may need more time off but even if they are back for September, there is a need for another staff member able to commit long term to the work as Sarah will be moving on to another job. Please pray.

18 Thu. Dominica – National Crusade 2013 There will be a ‘National Crusade’ this month in Dominica (21st -28th July) and the theme is ‘Reinvesting in your Foundation’. CLC is taking part in this event by providing a booktable.

(See poster on the right)Please also pray for Davis Laudat, the manager of the bookshop in Roseau, and his co-worker Janet Davies during this busy time. Praise the Lord for healing for Davis Laudat’s son who was in hospital recently suffering from sepsis (blood infection).

19 Fri. Mozambique – Pastors’ Conference Please pray for the Pastors’ conference being held in Maputo today and tomorrow.

This has been organized by Editora Fiel, an evangelical Brazilian publisher wanting to partner with us in Mozambique. As last year, we will help ‘Fiel’ staff with a large bookstall and we will also provide Bibles for sale. Our bookshop has been the local registration centre for the conference, which brings potential new customers in!

20-21 Sat/Sun. UK - AberdeenPlease pray that the books sold as Sunday school prizes will be a great blessing to those who receive them. Continue to pray for suitable volunteers for the Aberdeen shop. At the end of August, Neil MacLennan, the shop manager, will be speaking about CLC at the WEC Scotland centenary event.

22 Mon. Swaziland – Time of CrisisDuring the past 18 months the prayer topic for CLC Swaziland has been the ministry’s ongoing crisis. Although the situation is still critical for the survival of the ministry, at

we could do more if we had a bookshop with parking space nearby. We would also like to find a suitable building in Guayaquil for wholesale distribution. We pray that the team will maintain their passion to serve the Lord. May our commitment to God and to our community be our passion.

27-28 Sat/Sun. UK - Focus 2013 Having been approached by the organisers, a team from CLC UK is running the bookshop at the Holy Trinity Brompton ‘FOCUS’ Conference (July 27th – August 2nd) in Lincolnshire. Pray that the stock selected will meet the needs of those attending. Pray that the team will have the stamina, energy and grace to serve well throughout the week. Also, from July 29th to August 2nd, Geoff and Jill Fanning will be running a bookstall at ‘Keswick in Wales’. Pray for this venture - another first for CLC.

29 Mon. Colombia – Mobile Bookshop We thank God for the provision of finances to buy and fit out a mobile bookshop and for the trips it enables us to do. Customers are very happy and grateful for this ministry of CLC – that we are thinking of them and can visit more regularly. Please pray for the team involved in this work.

30 Tue. Switzerland - New Location NeededWe are continuing our search for a more affordable shop where we can transfer our bookshop because our rent is too high. We continue to try to reduce costs. Please pray with us that we can find a new location soon. Carlo Ciafani’s wife Sara (who works for a Christian radio company) is recovering from a knee injury, but she will need surgery in the next few months. Please pray for her.

the time of writing we remain convinced of the need to try and persevere in prayer and faith. A small amount of emergency funding has been provided and we are urgently seeking missionary personnel to manage the bookshop until such time as a local manager can be employed.

23 Tue. Korea – Visiting Bible SeminariesOur Sales Department will be visiting a number of Bible seminaries in Korea with a bookstall of CLC Korea publications. Please pray for us that it will go well.

24 Wed. Romania – Changes 1Please support us in prayer as we go through important changes in our team. Cristian and Ane Cotovan recently left us to join the CLC International Office in the UK. We need to find ways to fill some of the roles they had. We need God’s leading for finding the right people to complete our team.

25 Thu. Romania - Changes 2We would value your prayers as we change the accounts system, and work with a new accountant; we need to transfer all the information from the old system to the new one. We thank God for the progress we have made recently with the publishing department. We pray for God’s help for the next few months in order to be able to publish more books.

26 Fri. Ecuador – Prayer RequestsWe continue to pray for a new location for the bookshop in Quito. Sales are stable but

Page 4 (July)

Cotovan Family Photo

31 Wed. Thailand – Help in EnglishWe often ask for prayer for someone to join the CLC team in Chiang Mai who could help with the English book section of the shop and also with communications in English. Sadly, an intern who was expected to help for a while was not able to move to Chiang Mai so we continue to ask the Lord to provide the help we need in these areas specifically. Please pray too that sales would pick up as they have been rather slow recently.

1 Thu. Uruguay – Drop in Distribution“In recent months we have noticed a drop in distribution, due to economic problems with Argentina. May the Lord give us wisdom to know how to act and react in these circumstances. We are thankful to the Lord that despite the situation we are able to continue the work and we see His hand on us.” Humberto Urrutia

2 Fri. Venezuela – Team NeedsCLC Venezuela have asked for prayer as they have a number of people from the team involved in the CLC Regional Leaders’ meetings taking place in Chile later this month. Jose Quintero, the new Director for CLC Venezuela, also asks for prayer …“for the physical and spiritual health of all marvellous team here in Venezuela!”

3-4 Sat/Sun UK - TrusteesGive thanks for the UK trustees and for the time and effort they put into guiding and

August 2013

advising the UK work. Pray for Eddie Olliffe who has recently joined the trustees. He is well known in the Christian book trade having worked with STL, and more recently, with CWR. Give thanks for the help and advice he has already given to the warehouse and pray for him as this continues and extends to the shops. His outside objective view is proving invaluable as CLC’s trading operations evolve and adapt.

5 Mon. Russia – Family News: a Wedding Yulia Shabalina will be getting married in September and will be moving to the USA. Please pray for her in this new stage of her life after many years of service with CLC helping to establish the work in Russia and, before that, in another Russian speaking country. Pray too for the team in Moscow as they need to find and train someone to take over Yulia’s role in the bookshop.

6 Tue. Kenya – Family News: a BirthPatrick and Mercy Omukhango are expecting a baby this month. Mercy is a former CLC staff member and Patrick is on the leadership team and has the responsibility of running the wholesale department. Please pray for them in their work and family responsibilities, and may God give them joy through this addition to the family!

7 Wed. Colombia – Family News; the Team Please pray for the CLC Leaders from North and South America and the Caribbean as they are about to meet together in Chile. Elsa Maria Sanchez, the Director in Colombia, asks for prayer for the group attending from CLC Colombia: Denice, Blanca, Diego, Nancy, Lorenzo and Elsa Maria. May God bless and encourage them during this time.

8 Thu. Regional ConferenceFrom August 11th to 17th the leaders of CLC in the Americas and Caribbean will be meeting in Santiago (Chile). The theme of the conference is ‘How shall they hear?’-

Page 5 (July & August)

Carlo & Sara Ciafani,CLC Switzerland

initiating the bookshop ministry in Bolivia. Pray too for the importation process, that there would be no extra delays or problems; the process already takes about 2 months.

14 Wed. Venezuela – Currency Concerns 2 “We give thanks to the Lord for His great love and kindness; despite the political, social and economic problems in our country, He has helped us to continue the ministry. We value prayer that the state agencies would not be slow in granting us U.S. currency in order to honour our commitments with suppliers and allow us to buy more stock.” Jose Quintero, Director

15 Thu. Books to PrisonsA number of CLC countries, including Italy, Papua New Guinea and Dominica, are involved in providing Bibles and books for prisons. Praise God for these opportunities and may He guide, and provide, so we can sponsor more projects like this.

16 Fri. Korea – Web Design“We have hired a web designer to completely re-design our CLC website. Please pray that the result is more user friendly and will increase our on-line sales.” Joseph Park

17-18 Sat/Sun. UK - LondonGive thanks for the increasing numbers of visitors finding the London shop. At the recent funeral of Margaret Thatcher, a Chinese couple with no Christian

from Romans 10:14 - and a pastor from Trinidad will be the devotional speaker. Gerardo Scalante is the Regional Director and he and his family have just moved from Philadelphia to Miami so this will be an extra busy time for him! Please pray for the different people attending during this time of discussion, planning, fellowship and prayer together.

9 Fri. International OfficeOver the next few days, Neil Wardrope and Rudy Kuyer, of the CLC International Office team, will be holding a bookstall at a gathering of members from another Christian organisation. A lot of work has gone into the planning and preparation of this event, and we will be selling books in a number of languages. Please pray we will have the right material to bless and encourage these folk who live and work in countries where it is not easy to share the good news. 10-11 Sat/Sun. UK - ChathamPlease pray that the new volunteers will settle in to our mission here at CLC, and will learn the true value of the work we do for the Lord. Pray that we have a good flow of customers as at present we only average about 10 customers a day.

12 Mon. USA - Publications (See Covers)Please pray for the CLC Publications team as they help to launch two more new books by Stuart and Jill Briscoe in August. Stuart’s book, Taking God Seriously, is a great study on the Minor Prophets and Jill’s book, Running On Empty, is designed to be an encouragement to anyone struggling with being overwhelmed or dealing with burnout.

13 Tue. Bolivia – Currency Concerns 1Please pray as we seek to buy foreign currency in Venezuela, the country that sponsors the project. CLC Venezuela needs to do this in order to fulfil its obligations to send funds for the ongoing process of

Page 6 (August)

the authorities, publishers, distributors and potential customers in this country.

23 Fri. Ecuador – Reasons to be ThankfulCLC Ecuador is thankful to God for the following answers to prayer: For good sales so far this year; for the Thompson Bible workshops that CLC has been involved with; and for our new shop in the south of Guayaquil that is doing very well.

24-25 Sat/Sun. UK – Events in 2013A team led by Chris Magee is again providing the bookshop for ‘ONE’ (23rd-27th), an all-age conference attracting about 8,000 people. Also a team from Stockport return to the New Frontiers Churches event: ‘NORTH’ (22nd-26th). Give thanks for a great time at both events last year and pray that the stock and service we provide is at least up to the same standard this year. Please pray for stamina and good health as both teams are camping and the days are long and intense. Pray also that the worldwide work of CLC is suitably presented to all who visit us at these and all other events where we are present at this time of year.

26 Mon. Uruguay – Mobile Ministry We urgently need an answer from the Lord regarding our need for a new team member — someone committed and called to the ministry of CLC — who can take charge of the book mobile work into the interior of the country. (Photo of some of the team)

27 Tue. Japan – OverheadsIn all of the CLC bookshops in Japan, the high rental costs of the properties are becoming an increasing pressure for the

came in and bought a Bible having seen the word Christian on the newly installed sign outside. Pray for them. Pray too that Petra and the team can find ways of directing tourists to the shop. Give thanks for the good sales of foreign language Bibles, but pray that the shop can continue to get the right supplies at good prices.

19 Mon. CA2 - Partnership“Praise the Lord for a partnership with another Christian business that is renting part of our bookshop, and selling gifts. Please pray that we learn how to partner together well - in business and ministry.”

20 Tue. PNG – Points for Concern & PraiseViolence against women is on the rise in Papua New Guinea and the government seems powerless to deal with it. Pray that the Church will rise and address this issue. We have seen public nationwide demonstrations and petitions being handed to the Prime Minister by NGOs. Pray that changes will take place and that our ministry will make an impact through literature. As a praise point, we don’t seem to have enough Bibles as these are sold out as quickly as we receive them!

21 Wed. Mozambique – Board MembersPlease pray for the appointment of new members of the local Board. Our treasurer, a missionary, will be going on extended home leave in August and so, as well as praying for his replacement, we give thanks for all the help he has given us in this role. As well as a new treasurer, we also hope to be able to recruit some Brazilian contacts onto the Board, in order to strengthen the links with Christian publishers in Brazil, from where nearly all our stock has to be imported.

22 Thu. Colombia – MexicoCLC Colombia is making progress with plans to open a CLC work in Mexico. Please pray with them as they search for the place and people of God’s choosing for this project. Pray too for good communications with

Page 7 (August)

Sign up to receive Prayer Focus by email or by post here: office@clcinternational.org

shop managers. Please pray for good solutions to this problem.

28 Wed. Ivory Coast - Paying Off DebtsOur ministry in Ivory Coast is struggling financially and, earlier in the year, the decision was taken to sell an apartment belonging to the ministry, in order to pay some supplier debts. In addition, it has been necessary to reduce staffing levels at all three of our shops. Please pray for the sale of the apartment, that we would get a fair price and that the ministry would be able to begin to find its way forward again.

29 Thu. Hungary – Wholesale Plans“We give thanks to God that there is a small but growing list of items - books, music and gifts - we can offer to other bookshops. Recently we got in touch with 3 new retailers, and hope to build a wholesale ministry to all Christian bookshops in Hungary.” Zsolt Karpati

30 Fri. Philippines – PreparationsTwo weeks from now, CLC Philippines

will again be taking books to the Manila International Book Fair. This is one of the longest running book fairs in Asia with more than 60,000 visitors expected and 10,000 square metres of exhibit space occupied by foreign and local publishers. CLC has 6 booths, measuring 54 square metres, to fill at this event. We thank God for our sponsors - three publishers from the US have shared the rental costs. Please pray that all the ordered stock will arrive on time and that our products will be a blessing to many.

31 Sat . UK - WarehouseAs the run up to Christmas begins, the warehouse gets busier. Pray for the team there as they pick and pack increasing amounts of stock for CLC and independent shops and also receive in goods from our various suppliers. Pray for wisdom and focus for Chris Magee (head of wholesale) and Geoff Bearham (warehouse manager) in their contact with suppliers and as they seek to anticipate and meet the needs of our customers, most of which are bookshops.

CLC provides sale or return bookstall services for churches, camps and one-off events (large or small). If we have the people available, we will even run the bookstall for you! For more details, contact your local bookshop or email us at:

events@clcbookshops.com