At the recent camp meeting in Zambia, a historic moment took place when leaders from our Eastern Africa and Southern Africa Districts met to collaborate on their Gospel literature needs. They announced the “Eastern and Southern Africa Print Hub,” which you can read about in the World Report. Actually, the collaboration is even bigger than these two districts, since the press and other equipment were purchased with funds that came from our United States churches.

This partnership is an example of the blessings that come from being part of the global Church. Working together with our fellow believers around the world, we can accomplish much more than we could individually. In fact, because our literature is published digitally and then printed at multiple international locations, today we are able to produce more materials than ever before.

While it is true that this was a historic collaboration in Africa, all of us have already been working together. This magazine itself demonstrates that. In this edition's Sermon Excerpts article, you will find an article from Brother Romas Lunza, a minister of our church in Livingstone, Zambia. Workers in that country produce a quarterly newsletter for their region, and his message was one they developed for a recent edition. Their efforts are now a blessing to us all. Here you can read a message by Sister Rachel Fakorade, who has served in Lagos, Nigeria, for many decades. She did not anticipate that her sermon at a February 2017 church service would one day reach a global audience, but here it is. This magazine edition also has a study article that was adapted from a new unit of our Daybreak and Discovery curriculum series. The lessons were written by the editorial staff here at the world headquarters in Portland with support from ministers and workers across the United States. They often draw on testimonies from our saints around the world, to the benefit of our saints around the world.

The testimony of Brother Dial Keju demonstrates a larger connection as well. He notes the role of a Sunday school teacher in the Marshall Islands, a fellow university student from Micronesia, a pastor in Eureka, California, and many others who all contributed in small ways to his decision to give his life to God. Soon, their efforts will touch even more lives when Brother Dial’s testimony is published as one of our new evangelistic tracts and printed in our production centers around the world.

We could speak of many other examples of international partnership. With God’s help, our churches with extra resources have often found ways to support other locations that operate in extreme economic distress. Perhaps most importantly, we hold each other up in prayer. The saints in Portland deeply appreciate the prayers offered on our behalf, and are praying for the needs of our worldwide churches.

It is inspiring to see the Body of Christ working together. We all benefit from members who are willing and cheerful givers of time, resources, prayers, and love for one another. As you read the testimonies and messages in this magazine, which is truly the product of a global effort, may you be encouraged to know that your faithful service is also part of God’s worldwide work.