The Congolese Church wears them out and he puts them back together.

What would you do if your Bible was worn out and you needed a new one?
What if the nearest Bible store was 250 miles away or the cost was more money than you could afford? One ‘bush solution’ is to take it to Jerome Akolo, who has been repairing old Bibles for the past five years.

Before the civil war in Congo began, Jerome and his wife had travelled to Nyankunde hospital for treatment. It was almost a full year before he could get back home. So, in the meantime, he learned the trade of book binding. Later, upon returning home to Adi mission station, people started bringing Jerome their old Bibles.

It is a labour of love – for the Lord and His Word, and for the people he serves.

It is a labour of love – for the Lord and His Word, and for the people he serves. He patiently flattens dog-eared pages, one by one, re-glues ones that have ripped out, and straightens the binding. Then he takes it to a missionary workshop, using a large paper cutter to trim the edges. The freshly cut edges he stains red. Finally, using cardboard, cloth, and binding glue he creates a new hard cover. He charges just $1.50 per book– just enough to cover costs. How many has he done so far? 100? “Oh, more than that,” he says. 200? 500? “More than that. Maybe 1,000 now, but I haven’t kept count.”

The next time you hold your Bible, why don’t you lovingly straighten the folded-over pages and pray for Jerome. And thank the Lord for a Congolese church that wears out its Bibles.