Partnerships. When we think about how the ministry of Clear and Simple Media has grown, that word “partnerships” is foundational. In the early stages of our first project, church planters in Vietnam urged us to put our first “little book” into Vietnamese, then Stieng, Cò Ho, Hrê, Hmong, and Ba Na. Each network communicated a need, a capacity to translate and field test their work, the ability to print the material, and were connected to a plausible distribution network. That is the formula we have continued to follow, with few exceptions, into all 48 current languages (and two in process). We wanted to make certain that the books would not be collecting exotic dust, but that the books were well translated, in print, in distribution, and in use wherever we engaged in a project.

That process has always involved a network, and usually a “champion” in that network. That is how there are 150,000 books in distribution in Hindi in India, 30,000 books in distribution in seven languages in Francophone West Africa, 10,000 + in two languages in Myanmar, in six languages in Vietnam, in two languages in Haiti, and in smaller numbers in Indonesia, China, Central and South America, and in Arabic, Pashto, and Farsi throughout the Middle East. Every one of these projects has come at the request of workers already networked, capable, and motivated who believe that the CSM tools will help them reach and disciple people for Christ.

We are especially excited about one of our newest partnerships.

AHMAD ZEIVIDAVI

I have known Ahmad Zeividavi for several years and marveled at what God is doing through him in Burnaby, British Columbia. Ahmad is Iranian by birth. He is the founder and executive director of House of Omeed. Ahmad is legally blind. He and his wife, Dina have young two girls.

“Omeed” is Persian for hope. The House of Omeed exists to inspire hope in the hearts of refugees and newcomers to Canada as they are transplanted into an unfamiliar, incomprehensible society. Many intimidating obstacles such as language barriers, unemployment, and not knowing a single person, can cause newcomers to lose hope of ever settling in and feeling comfortable in their beautiful and relatively safe, new home. From the conception of our charity, God has been faithful in enabling us to help thousands of our newcomers and refugees in their hardships.

For several years, Ahmad and his team have been praying that God would provide them with a permanent facility that would be adequate to meet the growing needs of the ministry. Last week, Ahmad announced that they “received the needed funds, the papers are signed, and the building is ours!”

They take possession of the building in September and begin renovations. The goal is to move into this new location at the end of this year, and begin ministry there in January 2023. “Praise God for this provision of a ministry centre which can be used for generations to come to serve and reach Muslims for Christ.”

Ahmad and I shared two conferences together in July in Edmonton, AB and Denver, CO and I asked him how Clear and Simple Media could help. I asked. And the next day, I got the answer.

“We love the Simple Truths book. We want to keep receiving those to give away. And we think that the Travel Guide to the Bible would be a helpful book as we disciple Muslims. We do not have space to store many books, so we would like to receive them as we will distribute them. We would like to have the Travel Guide in Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, and Dari Persian. And we think we would need 50 copies of each sent to the House of Omeed every few months.”

That request took 90 words to make. It will take a great deal more than words to fulfill it.

Ahmad went on the speak of another project that has even greater potential to impact the growing church in Iran that, if Clear and Simple Media becomes involved, will require our best efforts over multiple years.

There is evidence that God is in the process of putting some of the pieces together. He has already provided one of the most critical pieces to the success of such a project ~ a champion. Please pray that God will provide the resources (financial, physical, the expertise) to make this holy ambition a reality.