As the Bible distribution team was leaving a church in China, they noticed a man standing against the wall crying.

When asked why, he simply pulled out a well-used Bible in ancient script.

The man, Zhou*, explained that eight believers in his family have been sharing the Bible. Zhou’s tears were of joy, not sadness, because friends like you provided Bibles for his people!

Zhou, a local preacher, said the need for Bibles has always been so great in his church and the surrounding region. “We never have enough,” he says. “All I can do is save money and then go to a distant store to buy what I have money for. Then I bring a Bible back to give to someone who is waiting. How can my people grow in their faith unless they have a Bible to read when they go home?”

Zhou is 77 years old and remembers well the Cultural Revolution and times when few Bibles were available in China . . . and those that did exist could not be shown publicly for fear of execution or imprisonment. Today, millions in China still live in spiritual darkness, but they are crying out for God’s Word.

“If you give me 500 Bibles, I can give you 500 souls back,” Zhou says.

There is an urgent shortage of Bibles in China, and with laws restricting Bible sales throughout the country, we don’t know how much longer this door will be open. That’s why every Bible placed in the hands of someone like Zhou today is critical. We are so grateful to American Bible Society financial partners for meeting this urgent need.

*Name changed to protect privacy.