Have you ever wondered where the Gideon Bibles, found in hotel and motel rooms, come from?
They are provided free of charge by the Evangelical Christian organization, Gideons International, which is dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible all over the world.
The organization raises funds from among the Christian public to pay for the Bibles and the local chapter is currently preparing for its annual fundraiser event.
It takes place in the Valley Room on March 2 at 6 p.m., and there will be a banquet featuring a roast beef and ham dinner. There will be various speakers making presentations and also an opportunity for people to support the organization with a cash donation.
Tickets for the event are valued at $20 but all have been purchased and donated back to the organization so it can distribute them to the public, free of charge.
Chapter president Pete Penner says the tickets are going fast and people can reserve them by calling him at 250-791-6302 or Michael Langner at 250-395-2826.
Penner notes placing Bibles in hotels and motels can generate amazing results.
"We get life-changing stories from people about reading the Bible in a hotel and meeting God in that way, and the resulting changes in their lives."
Among them, he adds, are stories from drug dealers and people who have contemplated suicide, and then changed their lives in a positive way after reading the Bible.