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Dear Friend,
As autumn begins, I’m looking forward to something remarkable. This November, YouVersion is celebrating one billion Bible downloads with their “Beyond a Billion” event. But what’s really incredible is the public places where the event will be broadcast: Times Square and the Las Vegas Sphere. Not to mention other venues globally. One billion downloads—a milestone we could never have imagined when we first partnered with them to freely release the NIV on the Bible App nearly two decades ago.
But you know what moves me most? The stories from people around the world. Stories like Ahmad’s, whose honest question about Jesus sparked an underground seminary now training pastors across North Africa. Or the youth in Brazil’s favelas who are encountering Jesus through Reach4Life Bibles. Or the pastors in Zambia receiving their first study Bibles, equipped to teach God’s Word with confidence and depth.
These transformations remind me that we’re not just distributing information—we’re delivering hope. Together, we’re placing God’s Word directly into hands and hearts, whether through a digital download in Ukraine or a printed study Bible in rural Africa.
I’m overwhelmed by what God is accomplishing through Biblica and through our amazing partners. Your support of this mission is a testament to your belief that every Bible—digital or print—carries the power to transform lives.
Your partnership is changing the world, one heart at a time.
Gratefully,
Geof Morin
President/CEO
Biblica
The Dangerous Question that Sparked an Underground Movement:
What began as a teenager’s honest question has led to the formation of the first underground seminary in a Muslim-majority area, which is quietly equipping a growing network of house churches in the region.
In a 100% Muslim province in North Africa, Nabil* became the first believer in his remote village through reading the New Testament. Years later, in that same village, a teenager named Ahmad encountered something extraordinary—a Jesus Film in his native language.
“My friend’s dad brought it back from France,” Ahmad recalls. “We watched it together at my house since he didn’t have a video player. I couldn’t stop watching it. One question kept haunting me: How could Jesus be crucified? Everything I had been taught in the Quran said this was impossible.”
A Divine Appointment at the Coffee House
Ahmad’s journey took an unexpected turn at the village coffee house. There, he met Nabil, a Muslim-background believer who had been quietly sharing his newfound faith.
“I had no idea that Nabil had become a Christian,” shares Ahmad. “Something prompted me to approach him in our local coffee house where I spoke about this film in our language. After our discussion, he gave me a book and said, ‘You might want to read this.’ I didn’t realize it then, but it was the New Testament.”
Ahmad found himself transformed by Scripture.
The Sermon on the Mount spoke directly to his Muslim understanding of prayer and fasting, but with revolutionary new meaning. He prayed:
“God, if you are giving me a chance, speak to me and answer my question. What is the way to God? If it is Muhammad and Islam, let me know! If it is Jesus, let me know!”
As he continued to read through the Gospels, he found his answer in John 14:6:
"I am the way, and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me."
From One to Many
Ahmad’s journey would lead him far beyond his village. He was selected to complete his studies in Europe, where he switched to theology. The young man who once secretly watched a Jesus Film in his heart language became a pastor, serving in Europe for the next 12 years.
But God wasn’t finished. In 2017, Ahmad returned to his home country with an audacious vision—to establish the first seminary to train more frontline pastors like him. In a nation where Christian education is illegal, 12 Muslim-background believers now study God’s Word underground.
“After graduation, the students serve in the underground,” Ahmad explains. “We have two sisters who are responsible for all the children’s ministry across the region. Even though they’ve closed the physical churches, we continue in the house churches with five to seven people in each.”
Biblica’s generous investors are supporting the underground churches of North Africa through digital multimedia Bibles distributed via SD cards.
Today, Ahmad watches in awe as 200 believers from the whole region gather annually to encourage one another and plan future steps—a number that would have seemed impossible in his village years ago. From one New Testament in a remote village to an underground movement of courageous Jesus followers, God’s Word is transforming nations, one heart at a time.
*Name changed for security reasons
Impact Stats – Your 2025 Support in Action
The Light of Jesus Reaches the Darkest Corners of Brazil
Here’s an exciting update from Pastor D. in Brazil. Because of your generosity, he is seeing incredible fruit in the favelas (slums run by drug gangs) where he works:
Twins **** and **** came from a heartbreaking background and struggled with deep feelings of anger and sadness. The girls were heading down a difficult path when God intervened by leading them to a church where they were given Reach4Life Bibles. Not only did God turn their lives around, but the twins are now leading the program themselves, ministering to other teens and sharing Christ’s love. Your gift is being multiplied as those who’ve been saved reach out to rescue others.
As Reach4Life transforms lives where he’s already working, other communities are taking notice and asking for help. Pastor D. is negotiating with drug lords who control the area to enter into two new favelas. God is moving, and he expects to be allowed in soon.
The program’s impact extends beyond favelas. Pastor D. recently began visiting a youth prison where children as young as 12 are living in a dark stronghold of anger, hatred, and spiritual sickness. Prison employees report dramatically improved behavior after his visits, and he hopes to launch Reach4Life there too—bringing the light of Jesus to one of the darkest corners of Brazil.
The resources you’ve provided are precious for many reasons. “I see them as a treasure,” Pastor says. “A lot of kids in favelas do not know what love is because they are living in such a violent environment. But when they hear that people from around the world care about them enough to send books, it’s transformational. They are changed through this act of love. And 30,000 kids have experienced what love is by receiving the gift of these books.”
His message to you:
“Thank you, thank you. We’re here at the frontlines. It would not be possible to reach these teens and kids without your help.”
The favelas of Brazil are among the world’s darkest, most dangerous places—especially for children. But because of your compassion, children are finding the saving love of Christ. “Children aren’t the future of the church,” Pastor D. says. “Children are the present of the church.” Lives are being transformed, one child at a time—and the Light of Christ is overcoming the darkness.
Coming Soon:
Month of the Bible Celebration
YouVersion is approaching 1 billion Bible downloads from the Bible App! Biblica donated their first version of the Bible, the NIV. Since then, people have been able to download the Bible for free. Many different versions and languages have followed. November is Month of the Bible, and there will be a huge celebration in honor of the Word and the 1 billion global downloads. Biblica will be celebrating with the world as we look forward to the next billion downloads.
The Precious Gift of God’s Word to Zambian Pastors
Giving and Living a Legacy of Generosity
As she gathered items for a seasonal centerpiece, Anne came across a few mementos of holidays past, and an idea was sparked. What if these small treasures became the table’s focal point?
This would be the first gathering since losing several family members, and these pieces showcased memories of their generosity: a craft project represented time shared with a grandchild, a special vase spoke to a mother’s thoughtfulness, a bundle of sticks collected on a family hike highlighted an uncle’s love for the outdoors. The centerpiece became a beautiful tribute to a legacy of love.
Author and evangelist Corrie ten Boom once said,
“The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation.”
You’ve been on the receiving end of your loved ones’ care and kindness. In this season of thanksgiving and gift giving, you can honor the generosity of those who have gone before and live out the legacy they’ve left for you.
- Get something growing. A tree or garden is a living reminder of a family member or friend that also invites others to enjoy the beauty.
- Foster new traditions. What activities would have made your loved one smile? One family goes to a local grocery store on their sister’s birthday and, in her memory, pays for all the birthday cakes purchased that day.
- Serve others. Volunteering with a cause that was important to your loved one honors what was meaningful to them and meets a need.
- Give in their memory. A gift in your will to Biblica is a lasting tribute to their legacy of love, impacting the people we serve for generations to come.
For the full version of this article, request a FREE copy of “4 Ways to Pass on a Legacy of Love” by contacting a Legacy Giving Officer at [email protected] – Visit biblica.legacywill.org to bless your family with an up-to-date will.
