Nigeria is constantly in the news for terrible things. Religious persecution, kidnapping, corruption, terrorism, poverty, and near total economic collapse. But not all the news from Nigeria is bad news. For the past six years BTJ has been a part of the exciting things that God is doing there, pouring into the next generation of leaders.
In 2018, Eugene did a podcast about a beautiful grassroots library started by a group of Nigerian youth intent on prayerfully #ChangingTheNarrative of their community. Back to Jerusalem has been able to support this effort called the Jenta Reads Community Initiative. As of today, Jenta Reads has inspired multiple spin-off libraries in communities around Nigeria, which have had tangible impacts for the Kingdom of God.
(You can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here: Episode 384: Visiting a Nigerian He Met on the Internet – Library in Africa)
The Jenta Reads relationship began with a simple question on Facebook, a typical question from a Back to Jerusalem Ambassador, “Have you ever read a book called The Heavenly Man?” Now, several years later, Brother Yun’s story along with dozens of BTJ books and children’s books, are in Nigerian community libraries.
A Non-Profit Publishing Company—Business as Mission
Walking Together Press (WTP) is a US-based, 501(c)(3), non-profit publishing company that was founded in partnership with Jenta Reads to support libraries and literacy in Africa. WTP provides publishing skills training and job opportunities to Nigerians. Together we have created a catalog of Christian books that are for sale globally. Not only does this work provide bread and butter, but it furthers the growth of libraries and literacy in Nigeria and beyond. How are we furthering this growth?
First Outreach Project—The Jenta Reads Essential Library
From the beginning, Jenta Reads and its many spin-off libraries have been supplied by used books from various sources. The problem with used books is that the selection is random. What if, for example, we wanted to give every library a copy of The Chronicles of Narnia?
This need was the genesis of the Jenta Reads Essential Library, which is a collection of books that we can print (such as from the public domain or by permission), and books that we can buy at wholesale. Now when Jenta Reads gives a talk about reading, they can leave behind a carefully selected box of books as a starter library.
How You Can Support This Effort
Our company motto is, “We sell books so that we can give books away!” Check out our growing catalog of Christian books at walkingtogether.press. For fans of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and G. K. Chesterton, we have created some gorgeous, limited-edition, foil-stamped hardcovers of George MacDonald’s most famous fairytales. (For those who don’t know, these books inspired The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, and they were G. K. Chesterton’s favorite books.) Sales of these beautifully illustrated volumes go directly toward the Jenta Reads Essential Library Project!
The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel The Princess and Curdie are available individually or as a bundle from Walking Together Press. https://walkingtogether.press/product/princess-and-curdie-bundle/
