Complete Stats on materials produced by the Shappley’s and Fruits registered

Links to previous reports, beginning with 2008, are also on the above Page.

Bible studies in PowerPoint for youth and adults. Tracts in PDF and JPEG. By Dewayne Shappley. Print your own or order.

 

 

Report from Dewayne, Rita and Antonio Shappley

March 13, 2017

Works under the oversight of the elders of the Cairo, TN Church of Christ

 

The Internet: Almost instant communication with the world.

 

Internet Data for 2016

The total number of visits for 2016 was 1,841,868.

This is a record yearly number.

The daily average for 2016 was 5,066.

The total number of documents opened by visitors was 2,809,049.

For Antonio’s Internet site of 172 hymns, there were 161,022 visits during 2016, with 222,351 hymns accessed.

 

This photograph of a man working tpying on his laptop illustrates the report by the Shappleys for March, 2017

Communication from any point there is a connection to the Internet.

 

Grand Totals from January 1, 2003 through February 28, 2017

The Grand Total of visits is 16,059,676.

The Grand Total of documents opened for the same period is 30,817,893.

Detailed monthly data is available at www.editoriallapaz.org/stats.

 

Tract printing

 

Antonio Shappley gets tract production underway in the office of his house in Coral Springs, Florida, using three HP printers of the 8600 series and a Brother laser printer (behind him).

Renewed printing begun in Coral Springs and Tamarac, Florida, Dec. 13, 2016, by Dewayne and Antonio Shappley, on their properties.

Tracts printed through March 12, 2017.......................................... 203,835

Grand Total of tracts printed in Puerto Rico (23,681,159) and Florida............................................. 23,884,985

Tracts in Spanish prepared to print in Florida (as of March 12th)............. 10

Tracts in English prepared to print (translations of 4 from Spanish)........... 4

Equipment used to print: Eleven HP (Hewlett Packard) Inkjet printers obtained over the last three months. Plus, three HP 8600 series printers and one Epson 2550 Ecotank printer already on hand. I use the Epson for limited printing while doing other tasks on the computer. Also, a Brother laser printer that uses black toner only.

Many hours were invested in determining what type of printer would be best to
print 100,000 tracts monthly.

Offset presses were quickly rejected because of initial cost ($14,000 and up, used),
set up and cleanup time, chemicals needed for the offset process, etc.

Digital laser printers were rejected because of very high initial cost ($20,000 and up),
plus charges per impression, frequent replacement of costly key parts used to print, etc.

Continued investigation lead us to the HP OfficeJet Pro X451dw series and the HP OfficeJet Pro X555dn series. These are of the “fixed head, page wide” type. We learned that Continuous Ink Supply Systems (CISS) could be adapted to these high resolution printers, bringing the cost of ink way down, and started acquiring new ones (at reduced, “out of box” prices) and slightly used ones. We now have eleven, at a total cost of .. $3,330.61

“Fixed head, page wide” means the printing head is the width of the page, and does not move. Rather, it prints as the paper moves under it. Forty thousand miniscule nozzles transfer ink to the paper. Fantastic technology!

Why eleven? Because, connected to just one computer, they can all be programed to print
at the same time, either one tract or different titles. Antonio has ten of them, and I have one. With ten configured, Antonio can print approximately 7,000 complete, full-color, tracts an hour. Since he works full-time for Motorola, he prints when time and circumstances allow him too, and needs to make the minutes count. His time is donated for the tract printing work.

 

Full color printers used to produce tracts in Spanish and English for churches of Christ.

On one side of the printing shop in the garage of Antonio’s house, ten HP Pro X451 and X555 printers connected to a desk top com-puter. Part of a CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) can be seen in the printer under the monitor. Each oblong plastic contain-er holds almost a quart of ink.

 

Xerox, 24 lb paper ready to be printed.

 

During the first weeks of operation, the texts for thousands of tracts were printed with black toner, using the Brother laser printer. Color was added, using the HP 8600 series printers, and this meant running the sheets at least once through another printer, a time-consuming procedure. We have now determined to use the Brother printer only for black and white printing of texts for spiral bound booklets we project beginning to print soon.

Cost of the Brother laser printer............................................. $362.00

Hourly production. As already indicated, with ten printers working simultaneously, approximately 7,000 complete tracts can be printed per hour. Sheets of paper are printed on both sides during one cycle within the printer (duplexing).

Paper used. Xerox, 24 pound, bright white (96), obtained at local Sam’s and Costco. Though we continue to investigate, we have not yet been able to find better prices. For inkjet printing, bleed through is too noticeable on 20 pound paper.

Sizes and formats. All tracts are being printed on 8.5” x 11” paper. One or two folds, producing tracts of 4 or 6 pages.

Color: Full color. Most of the tracts include 3 to 5 full-color photographs and/or graphics. All have at least one.

Quality. Excellent. At 1200 x 1200 dpi (dots per square inch). Though the printers can print at a still higher resolution, this setting is quite acceptable for tract printing, and is faster.

Cost per tract at the present time. Paper and ink. 2.2398 cents per copy. Cost of the equipment is not factored in.

 

On the left, the Martin Yale paper jogger, and on the right the Martin Yale high-speed folder.

Folding machine. Martin Yale 1812. Folds sheets up to 12” x 18,” at speeds
up to 5,000 per hour. Cost..... $1,690.00

Paper jogger. Martin Yale 400. Cost.................................................. $360.00
The printers do not jog the sheets after they are printed. Jogging so much paper
by hand is time consuming and can cause carpel tunnel syndrome. The electric
jogger does a super job!

Division of labor. Dewayne is revising and reformatting some of the 71 different tracts printed in Puerto Rico, and is also writing new ones. Once a tract is ready, Dewayne places the link in a “Printing Queue” in Google Documents, a spread sheet both parties can see, each on his own computer, entering the quantity to be printed. Antonio assigns the link to one or more of the printers he operates, presses “Print” and printing begins! He is doing almost all the printing and folding. Dewayne packs and ships.

Local data imprinted on the tracts. I use Word to format the tracts, a tricky procedure with which I have come to feel comfortable -flowing texts around graphics, resizing fonts, adjusting line and paragraph spacing, changing the text here and there, all to make the essential elements fit in the limited space. Also, leaving a blank space at the end where local data can be added, using, for example, a rubber stamp. We are offering to include local data on the printed tracts, a great help to those using them, and much of what we are printing is in this category. It is easy for me to add the local data. The tract thus formatted is saved with the local data and receives a distinctive link when added to the “Printing Queue.” For my own distribution of the tracts, I print quantities of the 14 tracts with local data for the West Broward, Plantation, Florida, church of Christ, identifying myself as the distributor.

Author. My name, as the author, appears only on the tracts printed exclusively for my personal use, and not, specifically, even in this case as the author but rather as the person giving out the tracts.

 

First shipment of tracts! Sixteen boxes to different places in the US. Some tracts sent to Bro. Teodoro Castañeda, in Dallas, are to be taken by him to Mexico. The larger boxes weigh up to sixty pounds

Shipping. About 80% of tracts printed have been shipped. Following are four examples of major shipments.

Dallas, Texas. To evangelist-elder Teodoro Castañeda, for local use and to
take to Mexico. Teodoro makes 3 or 4 trips a year by land to Mexico............................................... 59,225
Local data for work in Dallas was printed, by request, on 17,000 of these.

Canóvanas, Barrio Cubuy, Puerto Rico church, for brethren in El Salvador................................ 19,900
For the last several years, a group of brethren from Puerto Rico have been
going, more or less during Easter week, to El Salvador to carry out
works principally of a benevolent nature. This year, they will take these
tracts for churches in the areas where they will work.

Houston, Texas, for those attending the Seminario Biblico Houston................................. 28,180
This is the seventeenth consecutive year for the Houston Bible Seminary
for Spanish-speaking brethren, mostly from Texas and northern Mexico. Two
years ago, I was invited to be one of the speakers, and have been honored
with a similar invitation for this year (April 12 – 14). Buses bring many from
northern Mexico, and the expectation is that most, if not all, of these tracts
will be taken to that country on their return trip. Attendance for the second
day of the Lectureship is usually more than 400. The shipment of tracts
included 240 envelopes of 10 Spanish tracts, a letter of orientation and a
form for requesting tracts, plus 60 envelopes that also contain 4 tracts
translated to English for attendees living in the USA.

Richardson, Texas. For the church there, with local data imprinted 8,000

Projected shipments

Venezuela. We are planning to ship 20,000 tracts to Maracaibo, Venezuela, by Americargo, Miami, within a few days, at an estimated cost of $200. Americargo makes weekly maritime shipments to Maracaibo. Bro. José Pineda, whom we met when he was in our area last year, offered to receive the shipment and divide the tracts among congregations in the region where he evangelizes full-time.

Honduras. Bro. Alan Maldonado was converted in Honduras, in 2002, through tracts printed in Puerto Rico. Learning, through Facebook, of our renewed printing of tracts, he contacted us from Unionville, New York (a part of the metropolitan New York City complex), where he now has residence. He uses tracts to evangelize in the area. When we talked recently by phone he spoke of a man there converted by the tracts, observing that this new brother is now active himself in evangelism through the distribution of tracts. Alan travels often to Honduras and wants to take, or send, quantities of tracts for brethren in that country. He can ship a 20” x 20” x 28” box for $115, the weight not being a factor. When he returns to Unionville from a trip to Honduras he already had scheduled for these days, we will coordinate a shipment with his help, Lord willing. A box of that size will hold an estimated 12,000 tracts.

By the way, Alan Maldonado is an excellent example of fruits obtained through tract evangelism. He told me the two tracts decisive in his conversion were “We Invite You to Learn about the Church Christ Built -Le invitamos a conocer a la iglesia que Cristo edificó,” and a long tract, printed on an 11” x 17” sheet of paper and folded twice, entitled “When You Are Converted, Take Just the Name CHRISTIAN -Cuando usted se convierta, tome solo el nombre CRISTIANO.” Seventeen years later, he is still active in the church, both in his native Honduras and in New York, reaching other souls through tracts and teaching the converted to use them.  

 

 

Facilities. Antonio started printing in his home office, and very soon had it filled with paper, printed and unprinted, as well as printers and inks. He decided to wall off an area of his garage for the printing work, and to that end he and I constructed a double-sided, insulated wall, using 2 x 4’s and drywall; 18 feet long by 8.5 feet at the front, with two doors. Since the roof is 12 feet high, the space does not seem confining, even after adding an overhead rack at one end, a steel rack for equipment, paper, etc. on the left wall, and two, 4 feet wide, 18 inch deep, stainless steel, movable racks on the right wall, plus one at the back. A brother from the Spanish-speaking West Broward congregation did the drywall finishing, and thus we have a very nice little printing shop! The cost was about $2,700.00, a sum Antonio covered as a donation to this printing project. Right: drywall finishing not yet done.

The one-car garage of our house in Tamarac is wide enough to have storage shelving on both sides. When I pack, I take the car out of the garage, put up a folding table and proceed. The HP OfficeJet Pro X451dw printer I have is also in the garage. Since it is wireless, I can program it to print from the space I use in the house as my “office.”

Finances. Through the generosity of a few churches and brethren in Tennessee, during November and December, 2016, $7,000.00 came into the Fund for us and our work above what we had been normally receiving. This development presented us with the opportunity to renew the printing of tracts in Spanish for evangelism and edification, a work we had been wanting to do in response to continued requests for such tracts, as well as to help reach, through the printed page, those in the Spanish-speaking world who do not have access to the Internet, or, if they do, may hardly know how to use it. With the approval of the Cairo, Tennessee church leadership, Antonio and I began to invest time and funds in the project in mid-December, 2016, just after Rita and I returned from Tennessee, December 6th, to our home in Tamarac, Florida.

 

Looking to the back of the printing shop. Printers on the left. Jogger and folder on the right, with stacks of printed tracts to be jogged and folded. In the back, paper not yet printed.

Intent on beginning to fulfill as soon as possible requests we were receiving through a Form published on Facebook and sent to a database of e-mail contacts, right away we began purchasing paper and equipment, and printing commenced. Three months later -from Dec. 13, 2016 to March 13, 2017- we have a setup that can produce 100,000 full-color, high quality tracts monthly, even more. Without the need for employees. We just need the necessary funds for supplies and shipping! To be sure, during this three month start-up period, more has been spent than has been received: $4,891.00 more.

Total expenses............... $18,791.00

Less…

Donations by the Bayamon, Puerto Rico Church of Christ.................................... $1,569.61

Donations by Antonio Shappley...................................... 2,779.00

Donations by Dewayne and Rita Shappley....................... 1,353.00

Contributions received through the Cairo, TN church..... 8,198.45

Total donations and contributions...... $13,900.06

Leaves a deficit of.......................................................... .......................................... $4,890.94

We have paper and ink on hand to print approximately 108,000 tracts.

Contributions to take care of the deficit and purchase additional paper, ink and other essential supplies, plus funds for shipping, will determine to what extent we develop this work. Bro. Karel Riddick, of the Cairo, TN Church of Christ, receives contributions and provides reports.

Karel Riddick
Spanish Evangelism
2938 Chestnut Bluff Maury C RD
Friendship, TN 32034

Some basic rules guiding us in the composition of messages to be published as tracts. That the content be substantive enough to enable the reader to make wise spiritual decisions. That it not be so scanty or superficial as to provide little or no spiritual sustenance. That the message motivate to obedience for salvation. That it not just repeat what is already common knowledge for the vast majority. That it impart spiritual knowledge not generally known or followed. That its tenor be sincerely respectful to all. That a love of God, love of His Truth and love for mankind be evident throughout. That graphics be appropriate. That every affirmation be backed up with clear Bible texts.

List of ten tracts in Spanish available to print as of March 14, 2017

Le invitamos a conocer a la iglesia que Cristo estableció. Tranlation: “We Invite You to Learn about the Church Christ Built.”

El plan divino de salvación. Tranlation: “The Divine Plan of Salvation.”

La iglesia ideal, según Dios. Tranlation: “The Ideal Church, According to God.” Ten characteristics of the ideal church as revealed in the New Testament.

¡A libertad!, Cristo nos llama. Tranlation: “Christ Has Called Us to Be Free!” Free of the law given to Israel on Mount Sinai. A study of the abolition of the Old Testament and the institution of the New, highlighting 2 Corinthians 3:6-17.

Más allá de su sufrimiento… Tranlation: “Beyond Your Suffering…” New tract.

Impresiones estremecedoras, vívidas e imborrables registradas en la mente humana. Tranlation: “Alarming, Vivid and Indelible Impressions Registered by the Human Mind.” New tract.

Haciendo música en medio de escombros. Tranlation: “Making Music in the Midst of Ruins.” This tract, and the previous two, are motivational in nature, dealing with experiences common to humanity. Steps to salvation are gently included in each. New tract.

¿Ha nacido usted de la simiente espiritual pura? ¿O acaso de la corrupta? Tranlation: “Have You Been Born of the Pure Spiritual Seed? Or Perhaps of Corrupt Seed?” Concise texts and thirty-one graphics make up this colorful tract.

¿Duda usted de Dios, la Biblia, la iglesia y sus ministros? ¿No ora ni se congrega? Tranlation: “Do You Doubt God, the Bible, the Church and its Ministers? Do you not prey nor attend church?” Reasons for dispelling such doubts.

El Negocio del pastorado de iglesias. Contestando preguntas. Informando. Creando conciencia. Translation: “The Business of Pastoring Churches. Answering Questions. Informing. Raising Aware.”  Questions posed in a recent e-mail helped me to understand better the thinking of tens of thousands of pastors and preachers who have turned pastoring churches into a veritable business patterned after secular businesses and organizations. The questions were respectfully made by a pastor who had read studies on editoriallapaz about how churches following the New Testament are organized and finance their works. I had already determined to write a new tract having to do with these matters, and converted my reply to him into a such a tract. New tract.

Four of the above subjects translated to English.
Available to print as tracts, with or without local data.

“The Ideal Church, According to God”

“We Invite You to Learn about the Church Jesus Christ Built”

“Alarming, Vivid and Indelible Impressions Registered by the Human Mind”

“Beyond Your Suffering…”

On behalf of Rita, Antonio and myself, thank you for your interest in the works of God’s eternal Kingdom we are privileged to carry on. Your prayers for them, and for us, will be greatly appreciated.

With brotherly love in Christ,

Dewayne Shappley

Address

7000 NW 103 Ave., Tamarac, FL 33321

E-mail

[email protected]

Telephones

House: 787-732-4444

Cellphone: 787-930-0307

Oversight. Elders, Cairo, TN Church of Christ

Postal address: Cairo Church of Christ, c/o Frank Moore, 32347 Sunny Hill Road, Alamo, TN, USA 38001

Location of meeting place: 158 Lyons Road, Alamo, TN  38001

Contributions to be sent to:

Karel Riddick
Spanish Evangelism
2938 Chestnut Bluff Maury C RD
Friendship, TN 32034

Printed on a HP OfficeJet Pro X451dw inkjet printer

 

 

Some e-mails received from Sept. 23 through Dec. 31, 2016

 

A third-generation believer and pastor for 25 years affirms that the tithe of the “old law” has been abolished, giving a concise explanation to support his conclusion.

Ciudad de Comitán, Chiapas, México. Sept. 23, 2016. “Esteemed and very beloved brother Homero, I am pastor Daniel Hidalgo Moreno, of Comitán City, Chiapas, Mexico. I read the E-mail you wrote to a brother in Argentina about the law of tithing, and also attentively read the sensible answer you gave him through the Spirit. I totally agree with the very clear dissertation of the Word you have made. If I may be permitted, I would like to add my commentary on this same subject for the edification of the church.

I am a third-generation Christian and pastor for 25 years. I was born in 1960, and I have always been asking the Lord to reveal his Word to me, but, above all, all of his sound doctrine, and I am pleased to find you have received from God this sound doctrine that is being revealed in these last prophetic times.”

Daniel Hidalgo then proceeds to cite a number of relevant Bible texts and make concise arguments to prove that tithes have been abolished. Considering his clear statements and reasoning to be of much merit, I have created a Page on editoriallapaz for his contribution to this subject of tithes and spiritual laws.

Daniel concludes by writing: “This is my commentary, and I am thankful to God to have found many more brethren who are receiving this precise and precious understanding. We will be in contact. God bless you, brother, your family and your ministry.” Pastor Daniel Hidalgo Moreno, Jesus Christ Divine Savior the Worthwhile Faith Christian Church.

Well, Pentecostals are prone to use such convoluted names for their churches. Hopefully, “pastor Daniel” will study himself out of other errors as he has done in the case of tithes, and we are willing to guide him as much as he allows us to. Not a few pastors have left Pentecostalism completely for the “sound doctrine” Daniel desires to have.

Place not identified. Sept. 25, 2016. “Hello, brother Shappley. May God continue to bless you. I have read a number of your commentaries and studies, and they have been greatly edifying. My doubt arises when I read about congenital or physical problems in children, for example, Down Syndrome. My question is: Why does God permit these malformations to occur? May God continue to bless you and the brethren who are doing this great work. I anxiously await your reply.” Lina Mendoza

My reply is four pages long, and has been added as a Page to the resources in editoriallapaz.

Dominican Republic. Sept. 01, 2016. “I would like to find a church in my country that practices the same doctrine of faith I find in your writings. I have been diagnosed as bipolar. Should I continue treatment with doctors and fight my mental battle through faith in Christ or just focus on adoring Christ and learning his gospel? Thanking you in advance. From the Dominican Republic.” Pedro Ortíz

As of March 13, 2017, there are eighty-one responses, studies, sermons, etc. in editoriallapaz that serve, hopefully, to help people like Pedro confront their mental, emotional and spiritual dilemmas. We directed Pedro to the List, with links.

Long Island, New York. Sept. 01, 2016. “I am very thankful to be able to analyze all the information that Editorial La Paz (editoriallapaz) provides. It is of great spiritual benefit. I am a young person of the church of Christ in Long Island, NY. Blessings.” Gregory López

Place not identified. Sept. 04, 2016. “Wow! According to the analysis I have read, I have seen how deceived we Christians are with so many interpretations of the Scriptures by men. One time, a pastor asked me if I believed the church would have to undergo the Great Tribulation, and when I answered ‘Yes,’ I saw anger in him as he said to me: ´How do you prove that with the Bible?’ As might be expected, for lack of knowledge I could not, but now I see I was not mistaken. Thanks for this truth. Blessings.” María Esther Nuñez. Referer: "http://www.editoriallapaz.org/apocalipsis_10_Milenio.htm"

The Referer is to Chapter 10 of the Commentary on Revelation, which includes an in-depth analysis of the Millennium and Great Tribulation theories.

Place not identified. Sept. 07, 2016. “Thanks for these studies which nourish us spiritually.” Susan Schweitzer. Referer: "http://www.editoriallapaz.org/tabernaculo_terrenal_espiritual.htm"

This remark comes at the end of a long series of statements by Susan on different doctrinal points with which we are virtually in full agreement. The Referer is to the lengthy study “The Earthly Tabernacle versus the Spiritual Tabernacle,” by Juan Colón.

Place not identified. Sept. 09, 2016. “Of mayor importance” are the three words Jhoel Gibson uses to evaluate PowerPoint slides for the Commentary on Revelation, Chapter 3.

Place not identified. Sept. 11, 2016. “Thanks for those messages that are so edifying. God bless you.” Adela Barrera Toloza

Laredo, Texas. Sept. 14, 2016. “Where can I find the church Christ established? I live in Laredo, Texas.” Leticia

We sent Leticia information on a Spanish-speaking congregation there.

Place not identified. Sept. 15, 2016. ““I would like to resolve a doubt. I am brother Gregorio. With regard to the study on tithing, it has become clear to me that the tithe belongs to the Old Testament. Your Web Page is excellent, and I thank God, for I have been looking for a long time for something that would help me to understand better this matter in these times of the New Testament. But, there is something I do not understand: What recourse does the church have to cover its expenses, given that those who contribute do so as if they were giving alms? As a pastor, I know whereof I speak. I am not trying to justify myself, but rather just ask: How do you cover expenses? I am not complaining, for I have understood and just want to continue going forward under the New Testament. For that reason, I am interested in your Web Page. It is a great blessing.”

In my reply, I pointed Gregorio to some studies on the site where he may find answers to his questions, and gave him examples of congregations who do great works, relying solely on voluntary contributions, without imposing tithes or making merchandise of the gospel. Hopefully, he will provide us information I requested about where he lives and serves as pastor.

Miami, Florida. Nov. 23, 2016. “I would like to know if you have knowledge of any ministries on the earth that are sound. Particularly, for the area of Miami, Florida. Or, have they all disappeared, and the best thing is to not meet at all? Is there any sound Christian TV channel?” Billy Flores

We invited Billy to visit the West Broward, Plantation, Florida congregation, where we attend, explaining that we hold it to be sound in essential doctrines and practices.

Elizabeth, New Jersey. Nov. 23, 2016. “I live in Elizabeth, NJ, and I would like to find one of your churches here. You may call me at 908-487-8678.” Jennifer Torres

I could not find a church of Christ, neither in English nor Spanish, in Elizabeth. Sent Jennifer data on six Spanish-speaking congregations in New Jersey and several in the New York City area, just across from Elizabeth. There are more in New Jersey, but we do not yet have data for them.

 

Bro. Domingos Martins, of Porto, Portugal, request permission to translate tracts to Portugues.

Porto, Portugal. Dec. 02, 2016. “God bless each and every one of you. Thanks for everything, esteemed brethren in Christ. I am a member of the church of Christ in Porto, Portugal. I am interested in the literature. For now, I would like to receive copies via the Internet, and hereby request authorization to try and translate them to Portuguese. With the purpose of using them to evangelize. Your brother in Christ. Domingos Martins.”

Of course, we granted permission, also offering to open a section of material in Portuguese on editoriallapaz. The links for three extensive lists of different types of material were sent to Domingos.

 

Egyptian geese.
 
A pair of Egyptian geese.

 

A pair of Egyptian geese living in our neighborhood came to the yard behind our house one afternoon. I had already made their acquaintance one day as I was walking, and they followed me for a few minutes. So, I went out to say “Hello,” taking a little bread and my Samsung. At first a little wary, gradually they came closer as I coaxed them. Then, to my delight, the male came on up and ate out of my hand! A picture I could not get, but Rita did take through the windows of the sunroom.

Complete Stats on materials produced by the Shappley’s and Fruits registered

Links to previous reports, beginning with 2008, are also on the above Page.

Bible studies in PowerPoint for youth and adults. Tracts in PDF and JPEG. By Dewayne Shappley. Print your own or order.

 

  

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