A Christ-centered, non-profit organization that provides free bibles, resources, and educational tools to children and youth around the world.
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It is estimated that leas than 1% of Japan's population are followers of Jesus Christ. The need is great. How will the people of this amazing Country be spiritually transformed? It is our belief that a focus on the youth is the key to long-term change.
Spiritual breakthrough begins with the Word of God. The Ruby Thorp Foundation has a mission to spread the Good News of love and forgiveness to children and youth, by giving them free Bibles.
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While we are open and "ready for business" to distribute Bibles anywhere in the world, we are currently focusing on Asia, particularly, Japan. Below is a personal connection as to why we have that purpose.
-Rick Thorp, Executive Director
Why Japan? To answer that question, I have to go back 30 years when I met a special person who would ultimately become my wife. Her name is Jennifer. She was born in Tokyo, and raised by her dad and native Japanese mother. Early on, she began to show me an incredible part of Japan by introducing me to it's food! Sukiyaki comes to mind! Naturally, Jennifer was taught the art of Japanese cooking by her mother. Mom would make the most amazing, authentic food you could imagine.
But more impactful than her cooking, Mother Fukiko, standing only four feet, 8 inches tall, was a perfect representative of the Japanese Culture. She shared with us a life of kindness, love, and respect. Although I had a hard time understanding her words, her actions spoke much, much louder.
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Many years later, after Jennifer's mother passed away, she desired to go back to Japan to visit her relatives and connect with the culture where she was born. From the moment we landed, I too, fell in love with an amazing, unique County and the people that made it that way. We were treated like royalty and I was mesmerized by a very special place.
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A year or so after we returned home, the Lord began to speak to me about starting a ministry in honor of my Grandmother Ruby. I had been in church leadership for many years and had a longing to leave something on the earth that would continue on after I passed. My grandmother was a prayer warrior and, along with my parents, raised us kids up in the church. One of my first memories as a child was when grandma Ruby led me through the prayer of salvation. Like so many millions of others, my life was changed forever. This led me to pass on what Grandma Ruby began in us kids - spread the Word freely to other kids around the world .
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So why Japan? It was full circle. When my parents found out I was starting a non-profit in the name of Ruby Thorp, that Christmas I was given the most special present of my life - Grandma Ruby's Bible. When I got it home, I started to read some the loose paper items she had in the front of the Bible, and to my amazement, she had a prayer card inserted between the pages. Her and her prayer group were praying for Japan!
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What an amazing example of how God orchestrates the events of our lives.