In this issue:

• Praise Points & Prayer Points
• Filling Up Toolboxes
• Missionary Resource Center
• Thank You Notes
• Essential Tools
• Will You Provide a Spiritual Tune-Up?
• God's Blessings 2010

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I love an organized set of tools in a toolbox in the garage…each tool carefully put in its place. I love how each tool has a specific purpose and how a project can come together smoothly when you have the right tools on hand. Now that the kids are grown, I don’t have little ones taking off with my precious tools and leaving them in the yard to rust. It’s much easier to get a project done when you have the right tools and you know where they are at. 

Missionaries need well stocked toolboxes, too. Sadly, many of them work without tools that are absolutely essential to their work. And that’s why I want to challenge you to help fill up their toolboxes for the sake of spreading the Gospel!

Don’t fret - our Missionary Resource Center and the champions who work there will help you! Let me tell you a little about it. When you walk into the Missionary Resource Center, you’ll find shelves stocked with resources missionaries need: Bibles, commentaries, Christian living books…all of the essential tools
that every missionary should have on hand. Missionaries can come and browse the shelves, taking what they need to use to reach out to people around the world. The only cost to them is the 20 cents per pound for processing fees and then shipping costs! But even at that cost, some missionaries simply cannot afford to take advantage of the resource center.

That’s where you can help! By agreeing to pick up the costs for shipping and processing fees you can help to fill up the toolbox of a missionary in need.

You might be asking, “What if the missionary I know cannot make it to the resource center?” Well, that’s better for you! You can either come to the Missionary Resource Center on their behalf or you can act as the “middle man” by taking care of it from a distance. For more information on how to do that, read the “Will You Provide a Spiritual Tune-Up?” article. If you’re wondering what a missionary toolbox would look like, wonder no more. Since each missionary is unique, their toolbox will also be unique. The most  important step is to interact with your (or your church’s) missionaries to find out what their needs are. Listen to them and learn about what they are doing and what types of tools would be helpful to them.  Also, listen to what they are going through personally. Much of a missionary’s ministry is caring for others, but they need to be cared for as well - by listening to their story, you could help! For more information, see the “Essential Tools” and “Missionary Resource Center” articles! I hope that helps you as you think about how you can be involved in filling a missionary’s toolbox. It is exciting to think about how God is going to use you to equip those he has called to minister in other countries.

What a blessing it is to be able to be a blessing to others!

We all have tools that we consider essential. Whether we work in the kitchen, an office, a garage or at a coffee shop, there are simply some tools that we cannot do without.

What may be surprising to many of us, however, is how many missionaries go without tools that are essential for their work: Bibles, theology books, concordances, etc. But together we can help!

At CRI, we have assembled a Missionary Resource  Center where missionaries can come to fill up their toolboxes and get essential tools that will prove invaluable for their work in the field. Your missionary can come by and browse through our resources and take whatever they need…for free. But if your  missionary is in the field or cannot make it to the resource center, there is still something you can do.

Consider taking the following advice from our Missionary Liason, Diane Lepior, and help a missionary you are helping to support:

While missionaries go through extensive training before reaching the mission field, many find that they are missing out on the same ongoing discipleship and care that they are providing to others. That’s what makes these reclaimed resources so valuable – they are equipping the missionary and providing  him/her with the needed strength to continue in their ministry.

Contacting the missionary that you or your church sponsors and asking them questions about their specific needs may help you determine what is going to be most needed by them. Additionally,  missionaries need encouragement in their ministry beyond books. People who will come alongside them and take an interest in who they are and the nature of their ministry can serve as tools, too!

Some champions may not know a missionary or their missionary’s toolbox may be full. But you can still help! By joining our Postage and Handling (P&H) Club with a monthly donation of $25 or more, you can help fill the toolboxes of other missionaries whose supporters are not connected to CRI - just check that box on the reply card, send in your monthly gift and we’ll take care of the rest!

If you’re ready to take a trip to the Missionary Resource Center in place of your missionary and ship the resources on your own or would like to call us with the types of resources your missionary needs and can pay for the shipping and processing fees, call 1-888-CRI-WORD and one of your fellow champions  will be happy to assist you.

Here are a few short thank you notes from those who have benefited from the help of champions just like you!

I'm very impressed at the speed at which your ministry works. Praise God for CRI!  -John Farness, Liberia

I appreciate each of you there very much. Keep up the great work, it's an eternal investment & labour of love, eh!  -Dave Brauer, Canada

Thank you for all your help. You may never know this side of Heaven what a tremendous blessing you all have been to so many.   -Derrick Goette, Canada

In any job, there may be a project specific tool required that is not essential, but most of the time, the tools that we need in nearly every project come down to a select few.

Following is a list of essential tools as requested by missionaries who have contacted us for assistance in getting needed resources:

• Bibles
• Theology
• Concordances/Bible Handbooks
• Commentaries
• Bible Studies
• Apologetics
• Christian Living
• Mission Biographies
• Pastoral helps
• Prayer

When contacting your missionary, ask if they are in need of any of these essential tools. Also, if you have these tools in your possession and would like to pass them on to someone in need, feel free to mail them to:

CRI
200 Free Street
Fowlerville, MI 48836

Everybody needs a tune-up from time to time. In fact, getting a tune-up is one of the best ways to keep from breaking down completely. Chances are, your missionary could use a tuneup and this article will help you to make sure they get it.

Here’s how the process for the Missionary Resource Center works:

1. Fill out a processing form. This can be done by you or your missionary. Don’t worry, it is just so that we can expedite processing once all of the requested resources have been collected and are ready to be sent. To get a processing form, you can either email us at diane@cribooks.org or call us at 1-888-CRI-WORD and we’ll mail one to you.

2. Request resources. It is always best if a missionary or champion can come to the Resource Center in Fowlerville, but if that is not an option for you, simply let us know your requests. Feel free to ask for  specific titles/authors and if those are available we are happy to send them off, otherwise it is best to  stick to the general categories as outlined in the “Essential Tools” article.

3. Decide on a budget for shipping. If your missionary is not able to make it to the Resource Center  directly, the only other option will be for the resources to be shipped. It is always best to count the cost  before selecting all your resources. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

Domestic Shipping = $0.75 per pound.
International shipping (Global Bulk Economy) = $2.15 per pound.

This includes the shipping costs and processing fee. Expect for most books to weigh a pound and most Bibles to weigh about 2 pounds.

There you have it – 3 easy steps to making sure your missionary is in proper working order!

12,568
# of Materials Received

3,056
# of Materials Sent

974
# of Bibles Received

92
# of Bare Your Bookshelf Packets Mailed

0
# of Power Packs

0
# of Great Crates