365 Tracts a Year

By: David Stevenson

Most Italians have little exposure to God's Word. Previously, only the clergy read the Bible. Although lay people have been allowed to read the Scripture since the Vatican Council of 1962, even today, most Italians do not own a Bible. Some even express a superstitious fear of it.

How can we introduce Italians to the Bible? The Italy Field Council found a block calendar of 365 pages with a daily Bible verse on the front and a devotional message on the back. The calendar is decorated with a beautiful scenic picture.

At first, giving the calendars out at markets and festivals created a stir. People couldn't believe they were free and suspected a trick. We distribute 1,000 calendars a year. This means 1,000 homes have a daily Bible verse for family and friends to read. We've become known for our desire that people would know God's Word.

I took shoes in for repairs to a cobbler I'll call Luigi, and gave him a calendar. As we talked, I was able to share why we came to Italy. When I returned for my shoes, I noticed he had hung the calendar on his shop wall. When the next year's calendars arrived, I took Luigi a new one. He told me he not only read each day's verse and message but also kept the pages so that he could re-read them. I noticed several people approaching the window, looking in, and then walking on. I asked Luigi, "What are they doing?" He replied, "People look to see what the Bible verse is for today."

After returning to Italy from furlough, I took my car to the mechanic. He asked, "Where have you been? I have a crisis in my family." I asked him, "What's the problem?" He explained that his mother reads the daily calendar and was upset because I had not been in Italy to give her a new one. I gave him several calendars, rejoicing that God's Word had found a place in the home of this family.

Giovanni told me he reads the calendar verse and devotional every day. He also asked where to buy a Bible. I sent him one. He told me, "I have been evaluating various religions and have attended many churches in my long life, but no one ever before encouraged me to study God's Word."

The calendars cost about two dollars each. What a cost-effective way to get out God's Word! The calendar is up on the wall for a whole year. We have seen some evidence of the effectiveness of the Bible calendars, but expect in heaven to hear many stories of how the Holy Spirit used this form of God's Word.

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