THE

Literature Evangelist January - June 2006 - Special Edition

First and Second Quarters
Issue 676

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The Literature Evangelist is also available in French,

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Portuguese and Spanish

Image Courtesy of Pacific Press Publishing Association

Used by Permission
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January - June 2006

Director
Howard F. Faigao
Editor
Mel Lyon
Layout & Design
Andrea Brown
Editorial Secretary
Adriana Rodrigues
English Proofreader
Naomi Coutsoumpos
Foreign Language
Translators & Proofreaders
Daniella V. Ducret, French
Ellen B. Franco, Portuguese
Miguel A. Valdivia, Spanish
International Advisors/
Contributors
Vivencio Bermudez
Terry Goltz
Samvel Grigorian
Wilmar Hirle
Alvin Kibble
Dae Sung Kim
Jules K. Lumbu
Almir Marroni
Gabriel Maurer
Super Moesi
Oyeleke Alabi Owolabi
Mirto Presentacion
Miroslav Pujic
A. J. Tito
No. 676 January-June, 2006.
The Literature Evangelist is published
quarterly by the General Conference
Publishing Ministries Department for
all who are interested in spreading the
Gospel message to the world through
the printed page. For information
concerning this publication, please
write:
Editor
Literature Evangelist
General Conference of S.D.A.
Publishing Ministries Department
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904 U.S.A.
E-mail: 102555.2625@compuserve.com
Tel: 301-680-6480
Fax: 301-622-9627
2 The Literature Evangelist
EDITORIAL
New Quinquennium, New Challenge, New Commitment
Keeping “The Vision” Alive
By Howard F. Faigao
Since the beginning of the Great Advent Movement, the Publishing
Ministry has played a major role in the growth of the church. The prophet’s
vision in November of 1848 at Dorchester, Massachusetts, has given the
church a mandate, a direction, and a sense of mission.
“You must begin to print a little paper and send it out to the people.
Let it be small at first. . . . From this small beginning it was shown to me to
be like streams of light that went clear round the world” (Life Sketches, p.
125., [1915] and Colporteur Ministry, p.1)
In response to this divine guidance, James White first published “The
Present Truth,” a little eight-page magazine in that same year. In 1852 he
bought a small printing press, which eventually became the forerunner of
our first publishing house. From 1848 to 1863, before the church was
organized, we had but a few pastors, and they were self-supporting workers.
The principal outreach of the church was the publishing ministry, which
ushered in the birth of a flourishing worldwide church.
Before the church had hospitals, colleges, universities, or other
institutions, dedicated members carried our books and magazines containing
the three angels’ message to the homes of the people. Since those humble
beginnings the publishing ministry, as a silent medium, has encircled the
world with God’s message.
The Vision Today
By God’s providence, this ministry now has 65 publishing houses and
publishing centers. At any given time around the circle of the earth our
presses are rolling. They are producing multiplied millions of books,
periodicals, booklets and leaflets with which to share the good news of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.
From a single literature evangelist, James White, who carried his carpet
bag containing the first edition of the first magazine published by Seventh-
day Adventists, today we have around 40,000 men and women around the
globe who carry “the vision” in their hearts and the books in their hands.
Almost everywhere in the world, in any given time zone, a literature evangelist
is knocking on doors and meeting people with the gospel in print.
During the last quinquennium, these courageous ambassadors of truth
have worked approximately 75 million hours, visited 80 million homes, and
circulated 54 million copies of books and magazines valued at 364 million
dollars. They also enrolled 1.4 million people in Bible courses, gave 5 million
Bible studies, and saw 295,059 of their contacts baptized.
Keeping the Vision Alive
Our Lord is coming soon! Until then, how can we as church
administrators and publishing leaders keep “the vision” alive?
First, I humbly invite all our church administrators, publishing leaders
and literature evangelists around the world to keep “the vision” alive not
only in our current memory, but active within our hearts and lives.
Conviction and commitment are the two key words! We pray for our
many publishing leaders who are on duty not only by election, but who feel
the calling of God to their mission. May their leadership reflect God’s call
within their minds, their hearts, and Our Vision Within “The Vision” the world. By His grace this is our
their hands and feet! Ellen G. White counsels that God vision this for quinquennium.
We can keep “the vision” alive by ordained the power of the press to be It was “the vision” in the hearts
keeping the church, leaders and combined with the energies of the of God’s people that propelled the
members alike, informed and aware living preacher to bring the truth Church until this present time. It will
of the mission of the publishing before all nations, kindreds, tongues, continue to do so until the Lord, who
ministry and its breakthroughs in and peoples (Life Sketches, p. 217 and gave us the mandate to serve, will
evangelism. Colporteur Ministry p. 100). pronounce the glorious conclusion,
With our literature evangelists At present the church has around “Well done, thou
deeply convicted of and committed to twenty thousand pastors and good and faithful
their calling, and professionally ministers. If we have one full-time servant.” As
trained through our Literature literature evangelist to combine his/ God’s people for
Ministry Seminaries, we will keep our her effort with one pastor or minister, this hour, let us
frontline messengers strong. we will have 20,000. But then the keep the faith and
Our publishing houses play a very prophet continues to say that “God renew our sacred
important role in keeping the literature calls for workers from every church commitment to
ministry vibrant and dynamic. The among us to enter His service as keeping “the
continuous flow of attractive and vital canvasser evangelists” Colporteur vision” alive.
literature from our publishing centers Ministry, p. 20).
gives the assurance of continuity for Yes, from every church! When Howard F. Faigao, Director
our army of literature evangelists this counsel is heeded, we shall have Publishing Ministries Department
worldwide. more than 40,000 full-time and part- General Conference of Seventh-day
In addition to evangelism, our time literature evangelists. And if we Adventists
literature also nourishes our members maintain the number of our students
in the faith. We can not allow the participating in literature evangelism
vision for this work to wane and yet today, our numbers will increase to
expect the church to be strong. We 55,000 literature evangelists around
must agree with the view of Dr. Ottis
Edwards, former president of the Far
Eastern Division, who frequently
observed: “Where the
publishing work is
strong, the church is
strong.”
We heartily enjoin all
of our publishing leaders,
publishing house
workers, and literature
evangelists to stay
focused on the mission at
hand. All of our plans,
whether short or long
range, our strategies for
advance, our financial
investments, and all of
our operations must
remain mission driven.
They must all lend
support to the divine
mission of the publishing
ministry in particular and
to the church in general.

January - June 2006

3

The Greatest Future
The greatest future for literature
evangelists awaits you in heaven.
The Scriptures say, “He that
winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs
11:30, KJV).
As literature evangelists, you
have a wonderful heritage. Since the
days of Joseph Bates, who was known
as a colporteur, literature evangelists
have been bringing hope to people in
our fragile, now turbulent world. At
first by a few, then by hundreds, and
now by thousands, literature
evangelists conduct a worldwide
house-by-house search for souls for
the Kingdom. Literature evangelists
were forerunners of our international
church. They were first to present the
4 The Literature Evangelist
devotional
Advent message to most lands of
earth, some at the cost of life itself.
Their voices blended in earth’s many
languages to become a heavenly
symphony. This divine ministry
continues to be “. . . instrumental in
bringing as many souls to Christ as
the preached word” (R&H, June
10,1880 & Colporteur Ministry p.
150).
Sometimes in our meetings, the
question is asked, “How many came
into the message through reading?” If
that same question is asked on the first
Sabbath in heaven, vast multitudes
will raise their hands. This very
thought lends a divine sacredness to
By Bruce M. Wickwire, Sr.
your calling as a literature
evangelist.
Some of life’s roads, which you
travel for the Master, may not be
smooth or well paved. Neither was the
path to Gethsemane. In the home of
the saved, we will ever study the
mystery and greatness of Christ’s
sacrifice on the Cross−when the sun
hid its face and all nature was moved
with grief. In heaven, persons to
whom you told the story of salvation
will thank you for having left your
secular employment to bring them the
light of hope. Heaven will resound
with the words of the song, “It Was
You Who Invited Me Here.” Indeed,
life holds no privilege more precious
than to give itself in service for the
lost.
Literature evangelists are like
“the children of Issachar, who had
understanding of the times, to know
what Israel ought to do” (1 Chron.
12:32). They acquaint mankind with
“He that winneth
souls is wise”
(Proverbs 11:30, KJV).
the fact that where one spends eternity
is a matter of choice. God invites you
to put thoughts of eternity into the
minds of your prospects.
Your commitment to go faithfully
about your ministry is not unnoticed
by your children. Most will honor you
for your life of service. Many will
emulate your example as they become
graduates of our educational
institutions in preparation for a life
of service. By their choices they make
you triumphant.
In today’s wonderful, but perilous
times of fear, as spoken of in Scripture
(Luke 21:26), the church is employing
every means for spreading the gospel.
Both the church and the world now
place increased importance on the
power of personal contacts, the
concept on which your ministry is
based.
Seventh-day Adventist world
leaders speak of your ministry, saying:
“If there is one class of workers
among us who deserve our
commendation and encouragement, it
is our faithful literature evangelists.
In the face of great difficulties, these
earnest workers press on in their
endeavors to carry the truth through
the printed page to the homes of the
people.”
“There are thousands of believers
in this message today who have been
won through the ministry of our
colporteurs.” – J. L. McElhany.
“At the very beginning of the
Advent Movement God gave to the
literature ministry a prominent place,
which it has maintained throughout the years. . . . No one can properly measure
or estimate the value of our denominational publishing program of past years
in the upbuilding of God’s work everywhere, for its strength and value have
been greater than anyone can determine.” - N. C. Wilson.
It was a literature evangelist and a copy of The Great Controversy that
brought the Advent message to my family ninety years ago. Some years later,
a Literature Evangelist newsletter started arriving in my mailbox. Each week
I studied it carefully. Reports of two particular bookmen captured my attention.
I noticed that both consistently worked 40 hours a week, with soul-winning
and sales results.
I felt convicted. I decided that if I would trust God,
study my books, study gospel sales techniques, be faithful
in hours worked, set goals and “see the people,” God would
do for me what he was doing for those committed men. For
nearly forty years I followed in their publishing footsteps.
In the New Earth, multitudes of the saved will search
for the literature evangelist who knocked at their door. I
expect to meet and thank the literature evangelist who sold
the copy of The Great Controversy at our home, the book
that introduced The Greatest Future to my people.
Bruce M. Wickwire, Sr.,
now retired, is a former
Director of the General Conference
Publishing Ministries Department
and he is the author of “Bold Journey”
and “Gospel in Shoes.”
About Our Cover:
In the distinct imagery of John Steel’s classic painting of
Jesus teaching His disciples, the theme “Keeping the
Vision Alive” finds supreme relevance. For three and one-
half years Jesus walked the dusty pathways of life in
human form. Faithfully He taught His disciples and then
bade them “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. . .”
(Matthew 28:19, KJV). His command embodied a vision
of multiplied thousands who would go forth as dedicated
human instruments to teach the good news of the gospel.
This vision perpetuates within the lives of all who would
truly be partakers of the gospel. They sense the need and
crave the joy of sharing such good news with a world in
desperate need of it. Ellen White’s vision of the literature
ministry is an extension of this vision. Seeing beyond the
humble beginnings of 1,000 copies of a little paper called
The Present Truth, she wrote: “From this small beginning
it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went
clear round the world” (Colporteur Ministry, p. 1). Hence
the further words: “And in large degree through our
publishing houses is to be accomplished the work of that
other angel who comes down from heaven with great
power and who lightens the earth with his glory”
(Colporteur Ministry, p. 4) - Editor
- Painting by John Steel
January - June 2006 5
 model le profiles

Matty Aronis
Northern Area-South Queensland

l
ByTerry Goltz ode
M E
L

Matty Aronis comes from Greek
heritage and a strong Greek Orthodox
tradition. When she accepted Jesus
Christ, it meant being cut off from
most of her family and friends. Even
more difficult was leaving her secure
managerial job to become a literature
evangelist. It happened like this
eighteen years ago. She was reading
the book Colporteur Ministry early
one morning, and God spoke to her
heart. She relates her story as follows:
“I promised myself that each year
I served that I would try something
new and different from the last year. I
would seek creative ways of doing the
same thing better. I found it to be a
great way of balancing the ‘sameness’
of this work. From the very first day,
two angels have been with me – I have
never been left alone.
“I sometimes ask myself as to
why I continue with this work? After
all, none of my family or close friends
has ever accepted my beliefs. Is it the
money? (Not likely!) Perhaps it is the
kudos (definitely not – nobody thinks
door-to-door selling is exactly
something people look up to). Maybe
it is the great feeling of seeing people
like the young Mormon couple, Peter
and Judy, baptized and their young
children dedicated. Or was it Colin,
who travelled over 1,000 kms. to
come and be baptized in my little
church of Red Hill.
“Perhaps just knowing that I have
the awesome responsibility of
touching people’s lives could be
counted as a reason. Or like Dot, for
another instance: After she bought
books, I used to go to their home often
and teach her six children about the
Bible. Her eldest son is an upstanding
young man in the police force now. It
makes me both proud and humble at
the same time that God has used me
to touch their lives.
“Rose waited for me to take her
to Sabbath School. She dressed
beautifully each Sabbath. Today, she
is a young mother herself, and just
guess where she wants to send her
children to school! She is following
in the tradition of her own Mom, and
she is still buying books.
“So am I in this work because of
the sales, because of the baptisms,
because of the profile of this job? No,
not really. It is because during that
quiet midnight hour, I heard God’s
voice calling me through that little
book that changed my life forever.
This is why the more books I can
distribute, the more people’s lives will
be changed as they, too, hear God’s
voice.”
For many years Matty has been
one of the top ten literature evangelists
in the South Pacific Division. For the
last twelve years she has been a unit
leader, and after
raising money for a
literature evangelists
bus, she has made
monthly visits with
her team to the
scattered towns of
Western Queensland.
By Terry Goltz, Director
Publishing Ministries Department
South Pacific Division

6 The Literature Evangelist

Samuel Vieira Costa
Samuel Vieira Costa has worked
for 37 years as a Literature
Evangelist. His territory is the city of
São José do Rio Preto, located in the
prosperous state of São Paulo in
Brazil. He was a professional
woodcraftsman when he answered the
call of God to become a literature
evangelist. When he began his career,
he had not yet finished elementary
Edgardo Otto
− Diligence in Service
Edgardo Otto is a literature
evangelist whose experience spans 20
years of service in Argentina.
In the year 2002, with the heavy
devaluation of the national currency
in relation to the U.S. dollar, many
businesses in Argentina faced serious
difficulties. Some literature
evangelists became discouraged and
gave up. Brother Otto, however,
simply increased his efforts and
continued his work.
At a literature evangelist
convention held at the Los
Quebrachos Camp in the region of
Córdoba, Brother Otto told an
interesting little experience that spoke
well of his own personal character,
and it clearly illustrated the value of
persistent hard work.
He was working in a rural area
visiting small farms when he met a
lady who explained that her husband
was not at home. She said, “My
husband is not at home now, and
school. However, with determination
and discipline, Brother Samuel
completed elementary school and
continued studying until he graduated
from college with a degree in
Mathematics.
After graduating, he decided not
to leave literature evangelism.
Although he could have exercised the
professional activity for which he had
studied, Brother Samuel decided to
continue selling religious literature.
Academic preparation is not a
requirement for literature evangelism,
but certainly it has been useful to
Brother Samuel to open doors in
schools and colleges where he holds
subscription campaigns for our
magazines.
Throughout his career, God has
blessed him materially and spiritually.
because I am not at liberty to make
purchases without my husband’s
presence, I cannot consider buying
any books.”
Brother Otto suggested that
perhaps he should return at another
time when her husband might be
present. On that note of
understanding, he left. A little while
later he returned, but the gentleman
was not at home. Again he returned,
and still the man of the house was not
in. A third and a fourth time he
returned with the same result. One
day, Brother Otto was informed that
the owner of that farm could likely be
found very early in the morning,
before sunrise, while milking the
cows.
On the very next morning, before
sunrise, Brother Otto made the call
again and located the owner. Sure
enough, he was milking the cows. It
was nearing the end of autumn when
the first frosts had come. It had taken
time and persistence to make the
contact, but God rewarded him with
By Almir Marroni
He has been an elder of the São José
do Rio Preto Seventh-day Adventist
Church for 30 years, and through his
work 15 people have decided to follow
Jesus.
Being a credentialed literature
evangelist, he has contact with
approximately 1,200 clients annually.
As a result, Brother Samuel is one of
the most effective literature
evangelists in the Central Brazil
Union. He raised three children in the
church and gave them a good
education, also paying for their
university studies. Two
of his children are
currently teachers in
Seventh-day Adventist
Academies.
Almir Marroni, Director
Publishing Ministries Department
South American Division
an opportunity to present his canvass.
He was well received, and a fine sale
was made to this busy farmer who
was glad to purchase God’s books.
Brother Otto left feeling very happy,
and his new customer was happy as
well.
Brother Otto affirms that he feels
great satisfaction whenever he has his
sales book open before a prospect, for
he knows he is doing God’s work. He
affirms that he is especially pleased
when each sales transaction is written,
because he knows his work is winning
souls, and every prospect is a
candidate for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Edgardo does thorough work.
A literature evangelist is happiest
once he accepts the fact that diligent
work is the best prescription for
overcoming difficulties. By God’s
grace, there is no difficulty that can
withstand earnest and persistent
effort.
God honors the honesty of good
hard work!
January - June 2006 7
 promotional
Presenting
Elder Pardon Mwansa
General Conference Vice President for Publishing
To many, Elder Pardon Mwansa
needs no introduction for he is well
known in numerous countries as a
progressive administrator and
spiritual leader. He is now a Vice
President at the General
Conference headquarters, and one
of his major charges is to function
as liaison officer for the publishing
interests of the world Seventh-day
Adventist Church. This means that
he works closely in counsel with the
General Conference Department of
Literature Ministries in serving as
the department’s link to
administration. He is chairman of
the World Publishing Council. He
is, therefore, a key person in
facilitating the needs and interests
of literature evangelists, their
leaders, publishing houses,
Adventist Book Centers and the
various operations throughout the spectrum of Adventist
publishing. In this role, Elder Mwansa replaces the good
services of Elder Ted Wilson, who was so highly
appreciated, but who now carries a different array of
responsibilities.
Elder Mwansa is a happy Christian minister with a
friendly outlook on life. He is a family man with a wife, a
daughter and two sons. He was born in Zambia and has
served as President of the Zambia Union and as President
of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division.
Recently, I had the opportunity to communicate with Elder
Mwansa. To gain some insight into his thinking, a number
of publishing related questions were asked. Here are
some of his valuable viewpoints as found in the following
questions and answers (Q&A):
8 The Literature Evangelist
Q) Elder Mwansa, what has been
your past involvement with the
Publishing Ministry?
A) Before I joined pastoral work, I
worked as a literature evangelist,
and I have been involved with the
publishing work in various ways
throughout my years of ministry. I
have also performed the duties of
chairing publishing boards both at
union and division levels. I strongly
believe in literature. For instance,
my family and I have customarily
purchased large quantities of The
Great Controversy, The Desire of
Ages and The Ministry of Healing,
and we mail them to as many as 300
persons at a time. We especially
enjoy doing this at Christmas time.
On one occasion, we mailed books
to all of the school principals in the nation of Zambia.
Q) How do you see the role of the literature evangelist in
the global mission of the church?
A) Anyone who has done even a little study of the history
of the church, both Christian church history and Adventist
history, cannot fail to see the role of literature in fulfilling
the mission that the Lord left to His disciples. Technology
has come and a lot will yet come, but the role of the printed
page will remain with us. Much of the world is still not
familiar with using the communication technology that
has already been developed. For them, and even for those
who are familiar with the electronic media, the printed
page is still a vital key in communicating the gospel
message. In a recent action at the General Conference,
we approved the start of a new World Adventist Review
that will be printed monthly (quarterly is some
cases). Why? The point is that much of the world is still a
reading world!
Q) As you know, Elder Mwansa, Ellen G. White wrote
that “ . . . in a large degree through our publishing houses
is to be accomplished the work of that other angel who
comes down from heaven with great power and who
lightens the earth with his glory” Colporteur Ministry,
p.4 and Testimonies, Vol. 7, pp 139, 140 [1902]). How
do you envision this will come to pass?
A) I envision this coming to pass in this way: First, we
need to focus on the literature that particularly addresses
what we regard as “present truth.” By this, I mean truths
that Ellen G. White was referring to. The world as a whole
does not seem to see the importance of the truth about the
Sabbath doctrine. They also do not know what role the
Sabbath will play in the last-day events. There are other
such Bible truths that are unique to us as a movement.
We need to focus on these identifying truths and invest
our means on printing and distributing the same.
Q) What means, do you feel, would bring revival to the
Publishing Ministry in certain highly developed areas of
the world where the work seems to be flagging?
A) Gather literature evangelists into one place. Review
with them why this ministry was begun and charge them
with Holy fire from heaven to rekindle that mission. This
passion in the hearts of our saints from developed nations
needs to be rekindled. Are they not rekindled already? I
guess they are somewhat, but I mean rekindle the flame
to a much greater and heretofore unreached degree. If any
one of us should have a child that is lost and we should be
informed on good authority: “If you sell literature, your
child shall be saved,” would we not immediately respond
in order to save our own? Of course! God’s children are
lost saints!
Q) When you canvassed as a literature evangelist, can
you recall one of your unique experiences?
A) Yes. One day I entered a yard and as I approached the
door, a big brown hairy dog suddenly appeared from the
back of the house and charged menacingly toward me. I
had but two choices: Retreat or advance. The dog meant
business, and it was scary, but the Holy Spirit instantly
encouraged me to advance. I got to the door and so did
the dog. As I knocked, he just stood quietly at my side.
Now, this was not just an ordinary pet. This was a
ferocious watchdog. The owner opened the door and there,
just inside the room, were a group of Pentecostal believers
in a prayer session. They were about 13 in number. I was
invited in. They afforded me an opportunity to canvass
them. God gave me unction, and what they purchased
from me amounted to the largest sale I ever made!
Q) What words of encouragement would you have for
Adventist youth and laity regarding literature evangelism?
A) START READING OUR BOOKS! Read the The
Conflict of Ages series first, followed by others. As you
read, your heart will be set afire by a Holy flame. You
will want to share those books with others. You will have
no choice but to go and sell -or to go and give- that message
to others. You will never be the same again.
Q) How do you see the best integration of Literature
Ministry with other forms of ministry?
A) They complement each other perfectly. There is a role
for public evangelism, for media evangelism, for personal
evangelism and various other wonderful forms of outreach
-but they are incomplete without the printed page. Each
ministry must be supported and promoted without leaving
any out. They complement each another.
Q) As an experienced administrator yourself, how have
you been able to utilize the potential of the Literature
Ministry?
A) When our ministers conduct evangelistic efforts, they
are more productive if literature has been at work ahead
of time. For instance, when literature evangelists go into
a territory and do a group canvass before hand, there is
more interest for the pulpit evangelist to work with. By
this same principle, I also like to use literature in another
way: For the past three years, I have placed Voice of
Prophecy study guides into the hands of 300 people (I
call them “Gideonites” from the concept of the 300
hundred people who were used by God in the story of
Gideon). I ask them to go out and conduct one Bible study
each week, and they do. I have pictures of this plan at
work. And after they have done this for about three months,
then I go in to conduct a campaign. Literature does its
work!
We thank Elder Pardon Mwansa for sharing his thoughts
with us, and we welcome him as our liaison officer for
Publishing. May God continue to use him in helping us
to strengthen Literature Ministry throughout the world
field.
-Editor
January - June 2006 9
 professional growth
What is Third-Party Selling
By Bill Beckworth
books to help their children.
?
We use a story of a third party when answering
objections and also in our presentation. Mention a visit to
the home of someone with whom you think the prospect
may identify. You can tell how a third person used these
For example, I related what one customer told me.
She said, “My son had nightmares until we stopped his
watching TV just before he went to bed. Instead we read
these books to him.”
Now the prospect was able to see herself in this third
person’s experience. But if you had said to her, “Your
child would sleep better if you would turn off the TV and
read to her each night from these books,” you would seem
to be preachy and talking down to the prospect. It’s an
altogether different approach, but the same thing was said.
Third-person selling can be effective in your
presentation. When I’m in a home where people already
have several books, I tell about a doctor that I called on
who said to me, “You know, Bill, I already have those
books.” He pointed to a wall of bookshelves. “I have all
of these books, but The Bible Story books are the most
used books in my home.” Your publishing leader and
fellow literature evangelists will have many stories like
Ideas and Suggestions to
Improve Your Performance
Do It a Little Better − Every Day
“The canvasser should not rest satisfied unless he is
constantly improving” Colporteur Ministry, p. 55).
Some time ago, I read the story of Zico, a soccer
player who became famous for scoring at least once in
each game he played, and also for having a very precise
and powerful kick. When asked about the secret of his
success, he said, “After the regular training with the rest
of the players, I always stay on the field to train more. I
try to improve a little bit in everything I do, every day.”
I find this to be an excellent philosophy for those of
us who are involved in the Lord’s work as literature
evangelists: “ . . . to improve a little bit in every thing,
every day.”
10 The Literature Evangelist
this to share with you, and you
will build your own stories with
experience. If you hear someone
else’s story you like, use it, but
say, “One of our customers said.
. . .”
You can also use personal
testimonies of how the books
have been a blessing to you. You
may even want to carry a written testimonial from one of
your customers.
Sometimes we get wonderful letters, not only from
parents but also from elderly people. An
80 year old wrote, “I’ve learned more in
the last three months from reading these
children’s books than I have learned by
going to church for the last 30 years.”
Remember simple, short, good “third
party” stories. Show the benefits and sell
books!
Bill Beckworth, Director
Publishing Ministries Department
Southern Union Conference (U.S.A.)
By Mario P. Martinelli
Although having differences in background,
education, and opportunities, all of us have the same day
of 24 hours, the same air to breathe, and the same body
with a brain, two ears, two eyes, two hands, and two feet.
The question is: Why are some people more successful
than others? Part of the answer is: Like Zico, there are
people who have learned to do things in a better way and
with a higher level of performance. They became
successful either in sports, studies, professions, etc., not
because they are super-gifted and/or have super resources.
They usually do better because they try harder and are
willing to pay the price success requires.
 How can you as a literature evangelist improve and As God’s workers we
be more successful? I would like to share with you a basic must grow. Improvement
rule: Do not think that you need to improve 20% or 30% should occur not only in the
in your overall performance all at once. Just try to improve aspects directly related to the
5% in everything you do. Try, for example, to know a canvassing ministry. The
little more about the literature you are selling. Try to save faithful literature evangelist
at least 5% of your time and use it to make an extra should also experience
presentation per day. As you give a canvass, try to at growth in his/her
least improve it 5%, speaking more clearly, with more relationships−with the Lord,
enthusiasm and joy. Try to improve your closing, try to with family, with church
get more referrals and to broaden your sales methods by members and with members
at least 5%. In doing so, you will automatically improve of one’s local community.
your overall performance. Improvement should also
Here is a list of twelve items for you to consider and extend to areas of personal
improve: finances, personal health and
personal spirituality.
I would like to challenge
you to do more to improve
your performance in this
special ministry that the Lord
1. Your personal organization has called us to. It just takes
a little bit more effort, a little bit more prayer, a little bit
2. Your personal appearance more work, a little bit more creativity, perseverance and
3. Your personality determination. Just a little bit more−every day.

4. Your motivation and enthusiasm

5. Your sales presentation
6. The knowledge of the literature Mario P. Martinelli
Vice President for Book Division
you are selling Review and Herald Publishing Association
7. The information about the market,
your customers and territory
8. The way you use time
9. The number of sales presentations
you make
10. The amount of hours you put into
work
11. The look of your briefcase,
prospectus and other materials
12. The way you manage and spend
money
January - June 2006 11
 special feature
World Publishing Ministries Directors
Howard F. Faigao is the General
Conference Publishing
Ministries Director with
headquarters in Silver Spring,
Maryland, U.S.A. He is a native
son of the Philippine Islands with
a rich background of Church
service which includes that of a
Church Pastor; College Bible
Teacher; Literature Ministry Seminary Director; and
directorships of local conference, union and division
Publishing Ministries Departments. Prior to his election
as GC Publishing Director, he served as associate for five
years. His territory of ministry is that of the World Field.
Elder Faigao and his wife, Ana, have a daughter and a
son.
Division Publishing Ministries Directors
Jules K. Lumbu-Kitambala
East-Central Africa Division (ECD)
Nairobi, Kenya
Gabriel E. Maurer
Euro-Africa Division (EUD)
Berne, Switzerland
Samvel Grigorian
Euro-Asia Division (ESD)
Moscow, Russian Federation
12 The Literature Evangelist
Wilmar Hirle is the General
Conference Publishing
Ministries Associate Director. He
was born and reared in Brazil,
where he entered the Literature
Ministry. He has served in
Publishing Ministry in Brazil as a
progressive director of local
conference, union and division
Publishing Ministries Departments; and most recently, in
the Euro-Asia Division. At this time he is transferring
from Russia to his new post of duty at the General
Conference Headquarters in the U.S.A. He joins Elder
Howard Faigao as an Associate Director for the world
field. Elder Hirle and his wife, Cleni, have a daughter and
a son.
Mirto Presentacion
Inter-American Division (IAD)
Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
Alvin Kibble
North American Division (NAD)
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.
Dae Sung Kim
Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD)
Koyang City, Korea

Almir Marroni
South American Division (SAD)
Brasilia, D.F., Brazil
Terence G. Goltz
South Pacific Division (SPD)
Wahroonga, N.S.W., Australia
Mosimanegape S. Moesi
Southern Africa-Indian Ocean
Division (SID)
Harare, Zimbabwe
A. J. Tito
Southern Asia Division (SUD)
Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India
Vivencio Bermudez
Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD)
Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Miroslav Pujic
Trans-European Division (TED)
St. Albans, Herts, England
Oyeleke A. Owolabi
West-Central Africa Division (WAD)
Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
DIVISION PUBLISHING DIRECTORS
NOW HOLDING OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
Four of our Division Publishing Directors have been called
to other responsibilities or to other places of service within
God’s work. The General Conference Publishing Ministries
Department expresses appreciation for their dedicated
services during the past quinquennium. They are:
Johnny Lubis, Publishing Director of the Southern Asia-
Pacific Division for the past five years, is now President of
the West Indonesia Union, which is headquartered in his
homeland at Jakarta, Indonesia.
Priscilla Ben, who holds the distinction of being the first
woman Publishing Ministries Director of the Southern
Africa-Indian Ocean Division, has transferred to Botswana,
where she continues in publishing ministries as Botswanas
Union’s Publishing Director.
M. D. Joseph, Publishing Ministries Director of the
Southern Asia Division for over five years, is now Health
Ministries and Family Ministries Director of the same
division.
Glenn Mitchel, Publishing Ministries Director for the
Northern Asia-Pacific Division, has transferred within his
division to the directorship of the Communication
Department.
We wish them Godspeed, and we pray for the Lord’s
continued blessings to attend their endeavors.
In Memoriam
The news of Dr. Witson Mwamakamba’s untimely
death on December 19, 2005, grieves our hearts. We
referred to his exemplary life of service in our last issue,
and we announced his retirement plans for December
2005.
Dr. Mwamakamba served faithfully in Publishing
Ministries ever since his enrollment as a literature
evangelist in 1966. In 1972 he was called to leadership,
and he had served in leadership roles until his retirement
at the end of 2005. At that time he had been the Director
of the Publishing Ministries Department of the East-
Central Africa Division for over 13 years.
During his lifetime, Dr. Mwamakamba distinguished
himself in learning. He attained a B.A. degree in
Theology, a M.A. degree in World History, a M.P.H.
(Masters of Public Health Degree), and a D.P.A.
(Doctorate of Public Administration). As a servant of God
and a servant of mankind, his memory will live on in the
hearts of the many whose lives he has touched. His works
do follow him.
We extend sincere condolences to Judith, Dr.
Mwamakamba’s wife, and to their grown children:
Lutufyo, Lusekelo, Lusubilo, Lufingo and Lwijisyo and
their respective families.
January - June 2006 13
 inspirational

Share What You

Have Received
Dorina and Michael Solonar are a married team in Michael:
literature evangelism. They do their work in the country In May 1991 I visited a friend of mine, and I noticed
of Moldova, and they lovingly express their hearts to the some books on his bookshelf. Even though I wasn’t
readers of Literature Evangelist as follows: particularly interested in books, they drew my attention.
Something seemed to prompt me to pick up a book called,
Dorina: The Acts of the Apostles. I borrowed the book and started
In the year 1994 I felt a depressive emptiness in my reading. After a few days I had read every word from
heart and soul. I began to think about God, and developed cover to cover. Then I borrowed a Youth Bible from my
a deep desire to know and understand Him. In March I friend and kept on reading. I began to be tortured by my
“accidentally” came upon an opportunity to study the Bible own conscience because I could see that my life was not
in some meeting held by Pastor Victor Lotka. (At least I in harmony with God’s plan. His commandments and my
thought it was accidental at the time.) He showed slides life were definitely at odds.
about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in the book of Daniel. In November of 1991, I made a covenant with the
After this presentation I knew I really wanted to study the Lord and established a new relationship with Him. This
Holy Scriptures. relationship brought an abundance of joy and peace to
I did study, and I loved it. In November of 1995 I was my heart. Inasmuch as I became acquainted with my God
ready to make a covenant with God, and I became a by way of books, I decided to help others to meet God by
baptized member. I was very happy and just wanted to way of books. I became a literature evangelist in 1999.
share my joy with other people. I prayed a lot, and I wished During that year I worked in two towns and eight people
to serve the Lord as a literature evangelist, but I did not were baptized.
feel adequate for my lack of knowledge and skills. In 2003, at a literature evangelists camp meeting, I
Nevertheless, I went out and met the people, and little by met my dear Dorina. After eight months of courtship we
little I learned through my contacts with them that God were married, and we firmly believe that God has united
could bless me. God indeed helped me and supported me. our family for ministry.
In August 2003 I met my future husband
during a literature evangelists camp meeting.
Today we work together as literature evangelists,
and we love to help people prepare to meet God.
We tell them that Jesus loves everyone and is ready
to help anybody who believes and accepts Him.
Every wonderful experience we have just inspires
us more. We pray for each other and help each
other to see God’s presence in our lives. We clearly
know we do not work by ourselves, but God does
this work through us. We are just tools in His
hands. This ministry of literature evangelism keeps
us close to God, because we know we can do
nothing of ourselves. We would like to tell everyone
who wants to work for the Lord as a literature
evangelist to just trust Jesus, and He will never
leave you. He can open doors here on earth and
He has prepared a place for us in heaven.
Dorina and Michael Solonar,
Sunzherey city, Moldova

14 The Literature Evangelist

 Literature Evangelist Training
School in Moscow
Celebrates the First Graduates

By Samvel Grigorian

In August 2005 a remarkable event took place in the

Publishing MinistriesDepartment of the Moscow Mission.
This was the occasion of the very first graduation
ceremony for the very first graduating class at the Moscow Mission Publishing Director, Taras
Literature Evangelist Training School. Masiuk, and Assistant Publishing Director, Anna
Classes started in October 2004 and continued until Balashova and LE School graduates
May 2005. In July they started out in their practical work.
Anna Balashova, Assistant to the Publishing Ministries
Director, answered the following question: “What is
special about a school like this?”
She said: “The main thing here is persistence. Those
who had a burning desire to start with, but cooled down
before the classes ended, had to leave the school. But there
were those who completed their studies, and they received
the ‘crowns’ of graduates. In Literature Evangelism,
education is equated with dedication. In fact, education
and dedication go hand in hand for real success. When
one has both of them miracles are seen to happen.”
Pastor Taras Masiuk is the head of publishing ministry
in the Moscow Mission. Probably, he is one of the few
people who knows how difficult it is to organize LE LE School students 2004 – 2005
ministry in a big city like Moscow. Strangely enough, the
inhabitants of this city have many problems, which tend
to inhibit their purchase and reading of spiritual literature.
But God has a work to do here through literature, and the
training school is an enabling factor. Literature Evangelist Camp
Meeting in Moldova
Many people travel in, especially if it’s
LE camp meeting They came from many places and various
directions. Over 130 happy faces gathered for
a rousing “LE Camp Meeting.” It was a
wonderful balance with at least 50 percent of
those assembled being young people. Some
were married couples and others were single.
Old and young mingled in perfect accord.
Literature Evangelism is a unique ministry,
and it attracted persons from across the entire
spectrum of the church body for this special
form of personal evangelism. All are united in
ministry for our Lord Jesus through the
distribution of Christian literature.

January - June 2006 15

 God Calls Literature
Evangelists to Success
Norma Medina is a literature
evangelist in Honduras, Central
America. She began her canvassing
career under quite difficult
circumstances. Prior to joining the
Publishing Ministry, she had a rather
prosperous business in the capital city
of Tegucigalpa. Her business was
located right on one of the banks of
the river that runs through the city.
Unfortunately, when the tropical
storm “Mitch” swept through, her
establishment was completely
demolished. Not only was her
business destroyed, but also her home,
which was adjacent to her place of
business.
Norma had participated in a
Literature Evangelism Training
course some time prior to this event,
but she had not yet made a decision
to begin canvassing. Now, under those
extreme circumstances, she decided to
stop by the Home Health Education
Service to make arrangements to join
the Literature Ministry. Now more
than ever she was determined to carry
out this work that she had not fully
decided to do in the past.
At the beginning it was very
difficult, since she was still trying to
stabilize her family’s state of affairs.
But in spite of several obstacles, this
servant of God arduously continued
her new ministry that now thrilled her.
Among the various blessings God had
bestowed upon Norma, she possessed
the natural gift of enthusiasm, a gift
that generated interesting experiences
in her work.
It is most interesting that by way
of this respected literature evangelist,
16 The Literature Evangelist
Through His Enabling Power
God is opening the doors to people in
prominent social circles. And
furthermore, because Norma had
taken two courses on mass selling in
her sales training, she has recently
began to initiate those principles into
her canvassing work.
God’s providence has positioned
Norma in a sector of the city’s Social
Literature Evangelist, Norma Medina
Security Institute. There she began
giving health seminars in the
Retirement Department with the new
books: Encyclopedia of Foods and
Their Healing Power and
Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.
The people who attended the seminars
that Norma presented are so excited
they are now tuning in to a local radio
program to listen to Norma’s
presentations on the air. She presents
health tips from our books on a half-
hour show.
By Jose Smith
Sometime later, the coordinator of
this Social Security sector asked
Norma if she might speak with her.
Whereupon she inquired of Norma,
“Would it be possible for you to help
us train some people in your
specialty? We need you to go to the
different departments of the country
to benefit our colleagues.” Our
literature evangelist had not had a
chance to respond, when the
coordinator added: “We have made
provision on our budget for this. We
will pay you for each seminar you
present, and you can still sell your
books to the public.”
Today, due to the work load this
has generated, her husband and her
daughter form part of her training
team to assist the Social Security
Institute in Honduras.
It is amazing how God confirms
again and again that He has not called
us to failure, and that when we esteem
His work as the most important thing
for us to do, He is prepared to open
the doors of homes and institutions
for us, and especially the doors of
people’s hearts.
As of October 2005, Norma
Medina has led 45 people to baptism.
Today she continues with renewed
enthusiasm for she is the current sales
champion in the whole country of
Honduras. May God’s name be
praised as we pray for His continued
blessings upon her and her important
ministry.
Jose Smith is the Publishing Ministries
Director for the Mid-Central American
Union Mission.
 “The Singing Colporteur”
By Bill Beckworth

As surely as Jesus called the disciples from the literature evangelist in the Kentucky-Tennessee
seashore, by God’s grace, in a dressing room of WSM’s Conference, where the Lord blessed his ministry with over
Midnight Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, He called Paul $500,000 in literature sales. In addition, he shared free
Jensen, “The Singing Bricklayer” to become “The Singing literature with the people of over 5,000 precious families.
Colporteur!” Giving God all the praise, Paul’s testimony today is,
In spite of having been raised in a careful Adventist “I am [still] not worthy of the least of all [His] mercies. .
home, Paul became interested in country music and ran . “ (Gen. 32:10). “God forbid that I should glory, save in
away from God and the church as fast and far as he could. the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).
And from the age of 17 to 23 he sang on various radio Paul continues to sing the great hymns of faith, and
and stage programs, including Ted Mack’s Original he declares, “What a joy and privilege to be serving
Amateur Hour, U.S. Army Shows around Washington D. Christ!”
C. and in Korea, and at the WHO (Radio) Barn Dance in
Des Moines, Iowa. Bill Beckworth, Director
One day in July, 1955, his Mother suggested, “Paul, Department of Publishing Ministries
why don’t you go into the Literature Ministry and earn a Southern Union Conference (U.S.A.)
scholarship for college tuition?” So that same day he went
to the Conference office and obtained a prospectus and a
four-page sales talk from the publishing director. His
instructions to Paul were: “Memorize this canvass, and
I’ll send someone to start you out.”
With the help of the Lord and the use of a tape
recorder, Paul practiced that sales talk over and over and
over again. Before the afternoon was over he had
memorized his canvass, and the very next morning a leader
by the name of George Sisson (“Little Debbie” McKee’s
Grandpa) came and started Paul out in the literature work.
At the end of that first day of working together and taking
turns making the presentations, they were wonderfully
blessed with sales results. Brother Sisson turned to Paul
and said with a big smile, “You’re going to be a success!”
After four summers canvassing and the Lord’s
blessing with six full college-year scholarships, Paul
realized what the Lord had been proving all along-that
Literature Evangelism is ministry and “missionary work
of the highest order!” (Colporteur Ministry, p.6)
After graduating from college with a degree in
Theology, Paul (with his new bride, Shirley) accepted a
call to serve as an Assistant Publishing Director in the
Gulf States Conference. From there he served as
publishing director in many local conferences and unions
both in U.S.A. and abroad; including Pakistan, Japan and
East Africa. Paul officially retired on February 28, 1994,
after 35 years of publishing ministry.
After official retirement, however, with Shirley’s help
Literature Evangelist, Paul Jensen
at every step, he has spent eight more years as a full-time and his wife, Shirley

January - June 2006 17

 Literature Evangelist
Leads 68 to Jesus
Literature Evangelists Angel and Graciella Chire
For the past six years, through their work as literature
evangelists, Angel and Graciella Chire have led 68 people
to Christ and membership at the Las Vegas Maranatha
Spanish Church.
“Angel is a blessing to our church. He is loyal, helpful
and supportive, and all his baptismal candidates are very
well prepared and knowledgeable of Bible truths and
church doctrines,” explained Dr. Armando Juarez, senior
pastor of the Las Vegas Maranatha Church and Hispanic
Ministries coordinator for the Nevada-Utah Conference.
In the mountains of Peru, cattle ranching is one of the
few occupations by which locals can support their families
and, for a few, become successful and wealthy. In a
hospital bed, sick from pleurisy, Angel believes he saw a
vision of a heavenly being holding his hands and telling
him that he would be healed of his sickness, but that he
must become a literature evangelist.
18 The Literature Evangelist
By Lisia U. Latu
So on January 22, 1968, at age 35, Angel left his
successful cattle ranching operation to become a full-time
literature evangelist. In his first year, Angel became the
Southern Peruvian Conference “champion” (by selling the
most books), and the next year he was the Union champion.
For three years after that, he was the Division champion.
In 1975, Angel became the literature evangelism
program director for the Southern Peruvian Conference.
Angel does his LE work in the same pattern he’s always
used. Because many people of Hispanic or Latin-American
origin have a Catholic background, he uses the Catholic
(Guadalupe) Bible as his leading sales item, and he offers
a free Bible study with it. Angel has many requests for
Bible studies. In addition, he has many stories of God’s
miraculous answers to prayer, and through these he
encourages others.
 The Oldest Chinese Christian Publication
Celebrated Its October 23rd Centenary
A display showing the historical 100-year progress of the
“Signs of the Times” magazine
“When the first copy of the Chinese Signs of the Times
magazine was published by Dr. Harry Miller, the first
editor, and his associates, little did they realize that time
would extend for another one hundred years.” So wrote
Elder Larry R. Colburn, former President of the South
China Island Union Mission and former director of the
Signs of the Times Publishing Association board. His
letter was a congratulatory greeting for the Centennial
Celebration of the Signs of the Times Publishing
Association (STPA). It was held on October 23, 2005, at
the Auditorium of the Taiwan Adventist Hospital in Taipei.
More than 120 leaders, church members and well-
wishers attended the occasion. Among the honored guests
were Rev. Xiugong Ong, Director of Taiwan Bible Society
and Rev. John Ash, President of the Taiwan Conference.
Other honored guests included Calvin Teng, Editor (1970-
82), and Paul Cho, President of Taiwan Adventist College
and Treasurer of the Chinese Union Mission.
James Wu, the current President of the Chinese Union
Mission and also Chairperson gave the keynote address.
He reconfirmed STPA’s special mission in literature
evangelism and challenged the board, the manager and
editor, the staff and the literature evangelists to move
forward with courage and determination.
By Hanson Cho
The highlight of the occasion was a presentation called
“Journey Back to the Signs of the Times Magazine.” It
was a flash presentation that traced backwards in time to
1905 in Henan Province, when the paper was known as
Gospel News Paper,” and then 1908, when the publishing
house was officially opened in Shanghai and the magazine
was renamed as The Signs of the Times in the following
year.
The journey also took the audience back to times prior
to and after the Sino-Japanese War and then World War
II. In 1934 the publishing house was moved to Hong Kong,
then back to Shanghai in 1939, and again it was moved to
Chongqing in 1942. Five years later, in 1947, it was
relocated again to Hong Kong, and then to Singapore in
1950.
It was in 1963 that the South China Island Union
Mission formally set up the Signs of the Times Publishing
Association, and the Signs of the Times magazine was
then handed back to the Taiwan Publishing House, its
present home. The current building was dedicated twenty
years ago, in 1985, the year marking the 80th anniversary
of the Signs of the Times Publishing House.
January - June 2006 19
 We regret that many valuable archived documents
were lost during the numerous moves of the publishing
house during those trouble years. However, both in the
exhibition at the centenary and in a special issue of the
Signs of the Times magazine that was published for the
centennial occasion, numerous historic documents and
photographs were displayed to reflect the magazine’s
history. Hundreds of people who have dedicated their lives
to the magazine and its mission were honored therein.
Some of the former issues published in previous eras and
a historic typewriter were also displayed.
The Signs of the Times staff prepared three singing
presentations: “The Song of the Signs of the Times”
(composed by staff), “For Expecting Another Fruit
Bearing,” and the “Sending Song.”
Four staff members received Senior Staff Awards:
Ruth Tsai, Tom Hsong, Hanson Cho and Selina Chang.
They have served STPA for 31, 24, 23 and 21 years Signs of the Times Publishing Assoc. (STPA) manager,
respectively. Hanson Cho (left), and James Wu (right), Chinese Union
Refreshments were served after the formalities, and President and chairman of STPA Board
this afforded opportunity for casual fellowship. Old and
new friends, staff members and literature evangelists
shared many experiences from their memories of earlier
days with The Signs of the Times. Many photos were
taken, and well-wishers left with a sense of their ever
convincing challenge to dedicate their efforts in literature
evangelism.
Indeed, the Signs of the Times has seen many ups and
downs; good times, bad times, profound joys and yes,
some sorrows along its 100-year journey. The explosion
of technical knowledge and the incessant need for high-
tech equipment poses a continuing challenge to our
publishing house in order to maintain itself. “Progressive
steps in technology, productivity and profitability are
necessary factors in the accomplishment of our mission,”
pointed out Howard F. Faigao, Director of the Publishing
Ministries Department of the General Conference of Staff of the Signs of the Times Publishing Assoc.
Seventh-day Adventists.
Larry Colburn’s letter pointed out that, “Every copy
of the Signs of the Times should be regarded as a seed of
truth introducing a reader to Jesus and the hope of
everlasting life.”
We have begun another quinquennium. No doubt, our
being faithfulness and diligence will invite the blessings
of our Lord, Who will continue to lead this oldest Chinese
Christian publication into the future. May it glorify His
name.

20 The Literature Evangelist

 From a Street Child to a Respected
Literature Evangelist
By Pastor Geraldo Magela Oliveira Tostes

When you see children on the of Jesus and baptism into the
street who are barefoot and poorly Seventh-day Adventist Church.
dressed, with unkempt hair and sad When Nayara turned fifteen,
expressions on their faces their little she returned to her hometown and
hands extended for money, what goes found her mother. She arranged to
through your mind? Do you not bring her mother to her
ponder as to the conditions under grandparents home to live with
which such a child lives? Whether it them in Itajaí. This was a kind thing
is on the downtown sidewalks of the to do, but her mother had a strong
city or at the main street crossings, temperament, and she made life
we look upon these children with a very difficult for young Nayara.
sense of despair as to their dire She was treated so severely by her
prospects for a bright future, don’t Student literature evangelist, mother that she began to become
we? We foresee that misery and Nayara Cristina Machado Rosenda discouraged. When she attended
poverty will mark this child’s life services at the Itajaí Central
forever. Seventh-day Adventist Church,
But could a child who has lived more than five years however, some friends told her that she should go to college
on the street begging for survival become a citizen of and that through literature evangelism, she could even
dignity and decency? pay for her school tuition.
In reply, we present Nayara Cristina Machado Nayara had never heard of literature evangelism
Rosenda (age 19) who lived out this bitter life experience. before. The very thought of her selling books seemed
Nayara is currently studying Literature at Brazil Adventist absolutely impossible. With the assistance of Pastor
University – Campus II. She was born in the city of Guinter, however, she was directed to a group of student
Piçarras in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina, and for literature evangelists who worked there in the city of Itajaí.
five years she was a dirty little child who begged on the After several weeks of working, the inner character
streets with neither a hopeful future nor a chance for of this young woman became known. She made a lasting
dignity. impression for good upon the other literature evangelists
Our wonderful God, however, had a plan for Nayara, one day when she was settling her account with the leader
and everything began to change when Pastor Gilson of of the group. She pulled $R50,00 out from her purse and
Penha went to her city to conduct a Week of Prayer. It offered it to the leader to pass on to one of the other students
was the city of Barra de São Francisco. There he went to who was struggling to get enough money together to pay
visit the Adventist Children’s Orphanage. He asked if he for her schooling. Her noble and selfless act revealed her
might take a certain 12-year-old girl home, a girl who beautiful character, and all of the members of that team
had been brought up by her grandparents and who barely were mightily touched by her kindness.
survived on the streets by begging. He was referring to One day Nayara went to an office of The Bank of
Nayara, who had been taken in by the orphanage and who Brazil to do some personal business. As she waited in
had been there three years. From this background, Nayara line, the cashier, while doing her work, turned toward the
found a new start in life, which led to education, knowledge line and took an intensly inquisitive look at Nayara.

January - June 2006 21

Nayara felt uncomfortable about this. Then, when Nayara
finally reached the cashier, that lady said to her, “I know
you!”
“No,” responded Nayara, “I don’t think so.”
“Yes!” the cashier affirmed. “You are that little girl
who used to come and beg every day here at this bank.
But you are so different and so pretty. What happened?”
When she left the bank, she went to a jewelry shop to
buy a watchband for her watch. While the band was being
changed, the clerk scrutinized her carefully, and again
Nayara felt uncomfortable. Then the lady said almost the
same words to her, “Don’t I know you?”
“No,” said Nayara.
“Yes! Aren’t you that girl who came here everyday to
the store to ask for money? You are so different. What
happened to you?”
Aboriginal Elder Confirms
Life-Changing Benefits for His People From Our Books
The following is an interview with Bruce Shillingsworth
on August 19, 2005, at Congress, which was held at the
South Queensland Campground.
Andrew: Bruce, thank you for coming to Congress and
sharing your culture with us. Without a doubt almost every
literature evangelist in Australia would have a number of
valued Aboriginal customers. It is appropriate that you
shared this with us, because it has given us a better
understanding of your culture, and a greater respect for
your peace loving, spiritual people.
It has been 10 years since you started receiving books
from us in your home in Brewarrina. Now you have a
wonderful display of nearly all our books in your library.
Bruce, could you please give some examples of the benefits
your family has received from the literature?
Bruce: First of all, I would like to talk about when Andrew
came across my path. It was just like God sent an angel at
the right time, and He sent an earthen vessel to tell me the
good news and the truth of life. It was back when my wife
and I were having the darkest part of our years. We were
22 The Literature Evangelist
What happened is that Jesus changed Nayara’s life!
She hardly even remembered that she had been a beggar
on the street, but as she looked and listened to the lady in
the bank and the lady at the jewelry store, she began to
remember. She recalled what her life had been as a child,
and suddenly she realized the contrast of her past to her
present self - a young lady of beauty, dignity and a sweet
nature.
Indeed she is a confident and dignified young woman,
a beautiful new creature in Christ Jesus.
She is also a very capable and representative student
literature evangelist.
Pastor Geraldo Magela Oliveira Tostes
Publishing Leader
South Brazil Union
By Terry Goltz
a small family just starting out. As you know, it is
sometimes hard for young couples to get on. I was involved
with a lot of work within my aboriginal community. I was
living in ‘Dodge City’ on a mission near Brewarrina, and
it seemed that our people were living in third-world
conditions, while the people around us were struggling
just to stay alive.
That’s when I said to myself, “There has to be an answer,
and there has to be a God, a true God that will lift our
people and carry our people in ways of life that are
appropriate to right living.” I’ve been involved with the
health problems of our people, I’ve dealt with the
educational system, and I’ve done police work. I’ve been
involved with all the social systems that you can imagine,
and I thought to myself, “they’re just not fixing our
people’s problems.”
So it seemed the Lord impressed me strongly: “My way
is the true way. It is the way to eternal life.” I do believe
that the only way our people will survive in this world is
to come to know Jesus Christ.
And then, Andrew came with books at the right time. He
brought a lot of books that have helped us. The Family
Medical Care, where I read about the
illnesses that many of our people have
suffered, and these books have the
answer to their problems. Then there
are the great The Bible Story and the
Bible Firsts for the little kids. Our kids
learned the stories in those books, and
they were soon telling other kids.
Those other kids used to come and sit
in front of our place and we’d keep
telling them little stories and witness
to the people.
As Andrew already knows, our home
back in Brewarrina had a wonderful
garden, and it’s only because of God
and His great help. And that garden
was really flourishing and lovely,
wasn’t it, Andrew? It started
spreading throughout the streets. And
the grasses beyond our street were
getting greener, and the next-door
neighbors and people down the street
started to clean their houses and put
in trees. These are some positive
changes that we have seen.
Bruce: Attending your Congress and Bruce: Thank you. We are always
being around such God loving people happily surprised at where the Lord
who are so friendly, just goes to show takes us. It’s a pleasure to be with you.
me that we have brothers and sisters
in all parts of the world. They are
singing and praising with one accord, We thank Andrew and Bruce for this
and they are telling us the truth. They interview.
are reading from true books and the This interview was reported by:
Holy Bible. It is a message that we Terry Goltz, Director
need to spread to the uttermost parts Department of Publishing Ministries
of the world! South Pacific Division
Terry Goltz: We just want to thank
Bruce and his family for coming all
the way from Sydney. They have
traveled all night long to get here. We
really appreciate your coming up here,
Bruce, and for being with us and
sharing with us.

Andrew: Bruce, as a spokesperson

for the working party in Brewarrina,
what do you see as benefits that our
books offer to help with your people’s
well-known social and health issues?

Bruce: Being involved in a lot of

community organization and meeting
with a lot of elders and leaders in our
community, I was tired of seeing huge
sums of money poured into the
community, but used in ways that it
didn’t really help our people. So I took
the opportunity to start telling the
people about the books you offer and
of the medical care that is available
within them. It’s right there. Really, Bruce Shillingsworth (left) and Andrew Johnson (right)
finding answers to our health
problems is a positive way we can
move forward.

Andrew: What benefit has it been to

you and your family to have been here
at Congress?

January - June 2006 23

 New Church Group
in Marapyane
By Priscilla M. Ben

During November 2001, literature evangelist, Rose
Kubeka, started selling books in the village of Marapyane.
To do this she had to commute to her territory from
Hammanskraal, a distance of more than 25 miles. She
held a burning desire to reach the people of Marapyane
with literature because no Adventist
Church had yet been established
there. While canvassing there, she
soon discovered that some of her
customers were interested in the
teachings of our church. This is
when she conceived the plan to
conduct Bible studies on Sabbaths.
A goodly number of her
Adventist friends were persuaded to
join her each Sabbath, and they
traveled long distances to support
Rose in her missionary project.
Whenever a meeting was scheduled,
they would come from great
distances to lend their support. They
found it a joy to do so.
A kind lady in the village offered to the fledgling group
the use of her home. Soon the number of Sabbath-keepers
increased.
Traveling so many miles of commuting, utilizing
public transportation, and the added expenses of working
away from home, became a financial
burden for Rose. Nevertheless, Rose
was determined to keep the vision
alive. She felt sure it was the Lord
who inspired her to start her ministry
there. So she persevered.
Her faith and vision was recently
rewarded when the first fruits of her
labors were baptized, and by the grace
of the Lord, a new church group was
organized.
We praise the Lord for the labor
of Rose Kubeka, our consecrated and
dedicated literature evangelist. And
we thank her for allowing the Lord to
use her in this bold venture for His
Cause.

Literature Evangelist, Rose Kubeka

A Testimony From Thailand By Jarnhom Pong Nual

My name is Jarnhom Pong Nual,
but my friends call me “Tan.” It’s my
nickname.
In the early part of 2005, I was
working as the manager of a café shop
in Bangkok, Thailand. One afternoon
in April, two foreign customers came
into my shop to buy cool drinks. I
greeted these incoming customers, and
to my surprise, I found them to be very
friendly. After one of the men showed
me his name card, I understood that
he was a literature evangelist working
for the Thailand Adventist Mission. I
introduced myself to them, and soon
told them that I am also a Christian,
a new Christian, attending the Sunday
Church in Bangkok. Almost
immediately, I felt close to them,
almost like brothers. Before the men
left my shop that day, they said they
would come back the following day
and bring me some books.
The next day one of the men,
whose name is John, brought to me
three books, one being called, Let’s
Not Forget God’s Blessing. Dr. Helen
Spregle wrote it. I was impressed with
this book, and it made me want to
know more about the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. Heretofore, I had
heard nothing of them.
A week later, Brother John came
back to visit me, but as it was a
Friday, it was very busy in my shop.
I could only give him my mobile
number so he could contact me later.
The following Sunday I went to
worship at the Sunday Church, but

24 The Literature Evangelist

after the worship service I was not very happy. I felt
confused because there seemed to be something missing.
I soon realized that reverence for God was missing. It
was more like a market where many things were being
sold at the church building. This put a lot of questions
into my mind, and I prayed to God for answers.
At just this time, Brother John rang my mobile phone.
I asked him to come and visit me in my home. Soon John
arrived along with two of his friends. This was my
opportunity to ask many questions. God was already
answering my prayer. The four of us studied the Bible
together for two hours, and when Brother John asked if I
would like a Pastor to come and visit with me, I replied,
“Yes, please!”
After two days, Pastor Seksak and Sister Prasana
came to my house. It was very good to meet them because
both of them come from my home area in the north of
Thailand. I marveled at how God had worked through
Brother John to bring my own country people to help me.
Pastor Seksak studied with me and a few of my friends
from the Sunday church. The more we studied the Bible,
the more we realized that we had found the truth. We
stopped going to the Sunday Church and began attending
the Adventist worship service, and in July of 2005, after
many Bible studies, my friend and I were baptized into
the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The time was right to resign from my managerial job
at the café, and with my friends, we started to teach
children and young people the Bible stories and Christian
songs right in my home.
Of course, we needed to have money for rent and
food so that we could continue to teach the children and
their parents. We realize we could not do much by
ourselves, but that with God’s help, the way could be
opened for us to teach an English Bible Class.
For this reason, I chose to become a literature
evangelist. This is the best way to share the truth with
people, and it also provides an income to help with our
outreach plans. We are enjoying our work as literature
evangelists.
Please remember us in your personal prayers for we
do wish to establish an Adventist Church in the Banna
area of Bangkok.
Jesus is coming very soon, and we must not waste
any time. There are souls to win for Jesus. We are happy
that we came to know and understand God’s truth before
it was too late. We must hasten on with our work while
there is still opportunity to win souls for His Kingdom.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
“Tan”
Pictured left to right: Amjad Waryam, Publishing Director
of the Thailand Mission; John Sinkamba, literature
evangelist of the Thailand Mission; Tan, our newly baptized
Church member and now literature evangelist; Mary
Sinkamba, wife of LE, mother and supporter of the work.
January - June 2006 25
 New LE Subscription Books
For Northern Europe
By John Arthur

Northern Europe has a rich publishing tradition. In challenges. Another hope is to produce a parallel
the 1870s, John G. Matteson, a Dane living in the U.S.A., Greenlandic – Danish version of Steps to Christ so as to
began printing magazines in the Scandinavian languages. help in the re-establishment of Adventism in Greenland.
Adventists in North America sent many of these During the summer of 2005, students who came from
publications to relatives and friends in Denmark, Norway various parts of the globe, sold more than $600,000 worth
and Sweden, and very soon there were numerous requests of literature in Norway. Literature evangelist training
for further information. This led to Matteson’s transfer to workshops continue to be held each year in the Baltic
Denmark in 1877, where he would pioneer the work of countries. It is the prayer of the whole church family that
the church throughout the whole region. as new publications come off the press, Publishing
Shortly afterwards, our message was established in Ministries will regain its momentum. We ardently desire
Russia – again, largely due to the circulation of literature. that publishing will play as strong a role during end-time
The first S.D.A. publishing house in the “Russian Empire” events as it did during Adventism’s inaugural years in
was opened in the Latvian capital city of Riga in 1899. Northern Europe.
The church in these northern territories is greatly indebted
to the penetrating work of literature evangelism. John Arthur
Through the years, the publishing ministry has Retired Division Publishing Director
brought great strength to our operations in this part of the
world. In the 1960s and 1970s Finland (where literature
was also the entering wedge) led the world field with per
capita sales for literature evangelists.
Sadly, with the popularity of secularism and
materialism in recent times, it has become more difficult
for full-time literature evangelists to earn a livelihood.
However, there are still in excess of 150 church members
and students who distribute books and magazines on a
part-time basis.
Recently, several meetings have been especially
convened to attend to the need for new books for literature
evangelists. Plans have been formulated to print several
modern titles dealing with the relevance of the Adventist
life-style in today’s world. During the next eighteen
months, it is hoped that at least two attractive publications,
which have originated with the Safeliz Publishing House
in Spain, will be printed in the Danish, Estonian, Latvian,
Lithuanian, Norwegian, and Swedish languages. Much
will depend on the church’s ability to find the necessary
financial resources in the context of numerous other Guest speaker, Elizabeth Sanguesa, from the
Safeliz Publishing House in Spain, presents a
lecture on Christian salesmanship at the LE
gathering in Latvia.

26 The Literature Evangelist

 Southern Union
Student LE Program
By Rocky Davis

When 210 student literature
evangelists and 22 Bible worker
evangelists entered the field here in
the Southern Union on May 29, 2005,
they had a mission: It was to contact
1,000,000 homes, (touching the lives
of approximately 4,000,000 people),
and prepare for and conduct seven
evangelistic series of meetings.
By August 7, more than $700,000
worth of literature had been sold and
delivered, five evangelistic series were
held, 18 individuals were baptized,
with dozens more preparing for
baptism. Several churches are
retaining six Bible worker evangelists,
and two or three more evangelistic
series are planned for September.
Student Quotes:
“Canvassing to me has meant a deeper “Canvassing has meant hard work,
relationship with God. To be dedication, and lots of prayer. I’ve
successful at canvassing you have to prayed harder this summer than I have
learn to rely on Him for strength, and in my entire life.” Amanda Mecozzi
in the end it brings you closer to
Jesus.” Phillip Stone Rocky Davis is the student
Publishing Leader for the
“It’s reaching people that pastors Southern Union Conference
can’t….” Austin Cole
“I love to see God work in my life to
reach others.” Daniel Baker
“It has been great knowing that some
of the people I have met
will be in heaven because
of my visit. The canvassing
work is the planting of
seeds.” Raisel Varcorcel

The display board of the Southern Union

Conference Student LE Program

Some of the student literature evangelists and coordinators

at the 2005 summer rally gathering in Latvia.

January - June 2006 27

 Why I Chose the
Literature Ministry
By Luke Riseley

During this past summer of 2005, I have seen the
working of the Holy Spirit in ways I had not experienced
before. Many amazing things have occurred.
I first began canvassing in the prior summer vacation
period of 2004. But when I started working this summer
of 2005, I sensed that God wanted me to make a life work
of canvassing. I tried hard to push that thought away, but
it persistently recurred. While I enjoy canvassing, I am
sometimes insecure about such things as the amount of
success I will have in any given week. How many books
will I be able to sell? How much income can I count on?
To put it simply, I have found it difficult to have to depend
on God for every thing. Finally, I prayed to God that if
He would enable me to sell at least a given amount (a
goal I set in my heart), I would strongly consider making
canvassing my life work. To my amazement, God
answered my prayer and brought it to pass. This started
me thinking in the right direction, but still I held onto
some reservations about whether He was really calling
me to a lifetime of service as a literature evangelist.
In the 8th week of the summer of 2005, I found myself
under strong conviction about this matter. Yet, it seems
that the devil was on the attack, and he did not want me to
surrender to Christ and do His bidding in this work. It
seemed the evil one was reminding me of my past mistakes
in order to confound me. He would have preferred me to
just be a partially committed canvasser, one who would
work now and again but not give it my best energies.
God, on the other hand, seemed to be determined to
encourage me by helping me recall many of the good
experiences in the work. Experiences such as the one where
I met two people within the same hour, both in earnest
search for the truth about Jesus. Then there was the time
my field leader dropped me off in a business section of

Luke is standing at the middle, in front of the microphone, giving his testimony. The rest in
the picture are members of the Student LE Team where he was assigned under the
supervision of Ed Rockwell, the Associate Publishing Director for the Review & Herald.

28 The Literature Evangelist

Washington, Pennsylvania, and said:
“There are people looking for Jesus
on this street, go find them!” I
accepted his challenge.
At the third place of business, I
met a lady who decided to purchase
from me the books God’s Answers to
Your Questions and Peace Above the
Storm. She wanted to know what
church I attended, and I told her that
I attended the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. She explained that years ago
she had a Seventh-day Adventist Aunt
and Uncle with whom she would
“...all who have not chosen Christ might
realize that He has something vastly
better to offer them than they are seeking
for themselves” (Steps to Christ, p. 46).
attend church services whenever they
got together. About one year ago, this
lady moved to a new neighborhood in
town, and now the Baptist Church she
had previously attended was too far
away for her to attend. She has been
visiting some of the local churches but
found most of the people to be cold
and unfriendly. I asked her if she had
ever thought of attending the Seventh-
day Adventist Church. She confessed
that she had not been invited to attend.
So I invited her to attend church the
very next Sabbath. She said that she
would consider attending, and she
requested Bible studies.
Continuing down the street I
walked into a financial institution and
approached two ladies behind a
counter talking to each other. They
started looking at my books, and then
a customer walked in. Often when a
customer walks in, the storekeeper
feels obliged to serve them, and that
makes me feel obliged to leave. This
time, however, one of the ladies I was
talking with took care of the customer,
and the other continued to look at the
books. She explained to me that she
had been praying that God would help
her to draw closer to Him, and she
was discussing this request with her
coworker at the very time I walked
in. After looking at the books, she
indicated her belief that God wanted
her to obtain and read Peace Above
the Storm and The Desire of Ages.
On the 10th week, I once again
asked God for a sign. I requested no
more and no less than the sales of eight
major books and the acquisition of
three Bible study and Revelation
Seminar interests. I did not tell anyone
but God about my goal, and at the
end of the day I had achieved exactly
the amount I prayed for. Now I have
known from that time on, beyond the
shadow of a doubt, that God wants
me to make Literature Evangelism my
life work.
On Monday I was led by a fellow
literature evangelist to read and
absorb the meaning of the following
statement, and I was further
strengthened: “God does not require
us to give up anything that it is for
our best interest to retain. In all that
He does, He has the well-being of His
children in view. Would that all who
have not chosen Christ might realize
that He has something vastly better
to offer them than they are seeking
for themselves” (Steps to Christ, p.
46).
I still do not have the answer to
all the uncertainties, but of this I am
now certain: I know God has called
me to work in the Literature Ministry.
My job is to trust Him to take care of
the unknown and do what He has
asked me to do.
Perhaps you, too, are struggling
with the question of what God has in
mind for you. If you are impressed
to be a literature evangelist, it is
probably His call for your services.
There is a way to end the struggle.
Say YES to Jesus!
Note:
This was Luke’ second year canvassing.
He received the “Most Enthusiastic
LE” award in both 2004 & 2005.
Luke Riseley, 18, is a student literature
evangelist with the Review and Herald
Literature Ministries Program
January - June 2006 29

ES! Y I want to be a literature evangelist. Please send me information on
how I might become a part of this mighty army for the Lord.
Name ____________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________
_______ City _________ State/Prov._______ Zip/Postal Code____ Country _____
Please clip this form, place it in an addressed envelope, seal and mail it to the Division office nearest you.

Division Offices Please return the above form and direct all other inquiries to the Publishing Director of the Division office nearest you.

East-Central Africa Division • Publishing Director • P.O. Box 14756, 00800 - Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa
Euro-Africa Division • Publishing Director • Schosshaldenstrasse 17, 3006 Berne, Switzerland
Euro-Asia Division • Publishing Director • Krasnoyarskaya Street 3, 107589 Moscow, Russian Federation
Inter-American Division • Publishing Director • P.O. Box 830518, Miami, FL 33283-0518 U.S.A.
North American Division • Publishing Director • 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA
Northern Asia-Pacific Division • Publishing Director • P.O. Box 43, Koyang Ilsan , 411-600, Korea
South American Division • Publishing Director • Caixa Postal 02600, 70279-970 Brasilia, DF, Brazil
South Pacific Division • Publishing Director • Locked Bag 2014, Wahroonga, N.S.W. 2076, Australia
Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division • Publishing Director • P.O. Box H.G. 100, Highlands, Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa
Southern Asia Division • Publishing Director • Post Box 2, HCF, Hosur 635110, T.N., India
Southern Asia-Pacific Division • Publishing Director • P.O. Box 040, 4118 Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Trans-European Division • Publishing Director • 119 St. Peter’s Street, St. Albans, Herts. AL1 3EY, England
West-Central Africa Division • Publishing Director • 22 Boite Postale 1764, Abidjan 22, Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa

30 The Literature Evangelist

 recruiting

Here Are My Hands, Lord!

By Jonathan Zita

I met Stefan when I called at his home. As I spoke
with him, he told me that he couldn’t stand for very long
because of a problem with his legs.
Soon I learned that, along with weakness in his legs
and some additional health problems, he also was the
victim of a fatal disease. The medication he was taking
was so strong that many of his teeth had fallen out. As
though he didn’t already have enough problems, his wife
had taken their child and left him. The doctor had informed
him that he would not live long enough to see his son
graduate from elementary school.
Stefan was in a most difficult and painful state of
being, and I could not help but feel deep pity for him. In
spite of his problems, however, Stefan could still smile
even with the few teeth he had left. You see, Stefan had
recently found Jesus, and he told me this: “I praise the
Lord even in my sickness because if it wasn’t for this
illness, I might never have come to know Jesus.”
I gave Stefan a copy of The Great Controversy, which
he accepted gratefully. Then I asked if I could pray for
him. Stefan was happy to have me pray for him, and after
I finished, he started to pray. I don’t remember everything
he said, but what he asked God for brought tears to my
eyes.
His prayer went something like this: “Lord, I pray
for healing that I may serve you like these young people.
Even if you don’t heal me Lord, please use me still. I
have lost the use of my legs. My health, my family and
my future seems gone . . . but Lord, I still have my hands.
Here are my hands, Lord. This is all I have left. Please
use my hands.”
As I drove home that night, my heart was sad. I
thought of Stefan in contrast with the thousands of us in
the church who have legs and hands and
a future, but don’t do very much for
Jesus. Stefan’s prayer inspired me, and
now I simply pray: “Here are my hands,
Lord. Please use my hands.” I want God
to use everything I have for His service.
For Literature Ministry God invites
many good hands. Won’t you bring
yours and join us?

Jonathan Zita is a District Director

Canada Youth Challenge Program

“Lord, I pray for healing that I may serve you

like these young people. Even if you don’t heal me
Lord, please use me still....Here are my hands, Lord.
This is all I have left. Please use my hands.”

January - June 2006 31

 statistical report

The Literature Evangelist