To the Ends of the Earth
Sharon Family Update: by Lisa Sharon
The Sharon family are busy working on building a print shop and continuing to provide spiritual literature (among other projects) for distribution. "The printed word of truth is to be translated into different languages and carried to the ends of the earth." 9T, p. 26
The past few months have been busy ones for our book making project.
Here at the office, we have worked steadily every day, making book after book after book. The office has no phone service or internet, so often while working, I wondered if anyone would want these books, or if they would just sit on a shelf somewhere, collecting dust.
But one week, I had to go up to Mae Sot with Roy to work on some things. We took 9,000 books with us, just in case any were needed up that way. As soon as we got into phone service, the messages started coming in, asking for more books. When we got to the church, a man immediately took 2,300 books. Within a couple of days, we were completely out of books! That really bolstered my courage, and made me want to get back to work again.
A man immediately took 2,300 books!
Roy was also able to hire more Bible Workers to help get the books into the hands of the people. One of the church members was so enthusiastic; he was passing out books on the street corners and in the local hospital!
After that, we worked as hard as we could, but we never could seem to keep up with the demand for books. I would make thousands, and yet have almost no inventory on hand.
So when camp meeting came around, which I was too busy to attend this time, Jason talked about the book-making project. He found three other families that wanted to help with this project. So we bought four more printers and all the things needed to set up three more print shops.
We currently have a full time Thai translator working on translating the little books into the Thai language, since that is our Bible Workers’ number one request.
I have lost count of the number of books that are in the people’s hands, but I am reasonably sure we are well over 50,000 now.
We have started building a print shop, since we outgrew our guest room a long time ago. For a while, we moved the whole operation up to Travis’ mechanic shop. But that only lasted as long as the cooler weather lasted. Now that the hot season is upon us, we are back in the guest room, and spilling over into the living room.
The print shop is going to be a 16X24 foot building, with a small guest room on one side. That will give us a lot more room to spread out, while also giving people who come to help a place to stay.
A few weeks ago, Travis and Becky were visiting in a Buddhist lady’s house, when she told them that she felt just like the man standing at the crossroads of life. She was referring to the cover picture on one of our books. She spoke of it as if everyone would know what she was talking about, not knowing that Travis and Becky were the ones making the books. Little things like that keep us enthusiastic in our work, and praising the Lord for allowing us to be part of this project.
Recently, I came across a quote from the Great Controversy that really encouraged me. It was talking about missionaries passing out publications in foreign lands, and how it may not seem at first that there is much response, but in due time those books will bear fruit, and many people will be saved because of it. What joy is ours to be part of fulfilling that prophecy in these last days.
"The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord's side." The Great Controversy, page 612