Sharing Christ around the globe

After Jesse Caffey served for 25 years at Christian Record Services for the Blind in Lincoln, Nebraska he was called to a new ministry. “In 1993 the Lord asked me to retire from my work at the foundation,” said Caffey. “But I didn’t want to retire.”

Twice during that year Caffey fell asleep while driving, and after both times he clearly heard a voice saying, “I want you to retire at the end of the year.”

Although people questioned why he was retiring when he was in good health, Caffey obeyed the voice. Since then he has been in ministry with his wife, Vernice, leading a movement to collect and ship Bibles to Africa, Cuba and other areas around the world where people are hungry for the Word of God.

It all started one Sunday morning while watching Dwight Hall talking on 3ABN about the four million people in Africa who wanted Bibles. Imagine living in a world without Bibles. How would you learn about Jesus or share the gospel truth with seekers? they wondered. “Many were going without food for two and three days in order to get one Bible,” said Caffey. “My wife and I decided we could help.” So they started gathering Bibles, along with books by Ellen White.

Just when the requests for Bibles started slowing down, God presented a new challenge. There were pastors in Africa who served multiple churches and had to walk several miles to each location. By the end of 2013 the Caffeys had collected 30 mountain bikes for pastors in Africa and India.

To learn more about Jesse Caffey’s life read his book From Darkness to Light.

This article was also published in the May 2015 print edition of OUTLOOK. It was written by Brittany Winkfield, communication director for the Central States Conference.