couple months ago church leaders approached us with a burden that lies heavy on their hearts: Could we develop materials to meet the needs of believers in the 10/40 window?

The 10/40 window designates those areas of the globe that lie between latitudes 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north. Some 60 percent of the world's population lives in these regions, and only 1 percent are Christians. Here lie the countries of the Middle East, China, India, and northern Africa.

Adventists, impelled as we are to take the everlasting gospel to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev. 14:6), have targeted the 10/40 window. The Office of Global Mission and other agencies of the church are putting forth bold efforts on a variety of fronts.

The upshot? Our church is growing fast, and in some places very fast, across the 10/40 window. But most of the new members have no resources to build them up in the Christian way and the Adventist message- no Bible study guide, no books, certainly no Adventist Review. Many do not own a Bible; even their pastors have meager materials and eagerly grasp any Christian literature that comes along.

So this May the Adventist Review is launching a new edition for the 10/40 window. It will be basic and in simple English-just two pages every month that will give these believers instruction in our identity as a world family with a special mission, a Bible study, a devotional section, and some news from all over.

We will prepare and produce the new edition wholly within our offices at the General Conference and send it by e-mail to the many church centers scattered throughout the 10/40 window. They will reproduce it, either in English or after translation, and distribute it to pastors and members.

Global Mission director Mike Ryan estimates that the new edition will have a circulation of about 500,000.

Please pray for the mission to the 10/40 window, and pray that this new edition will be used by the Lord to bring hope and healing everywhere it goes.

Let me share another development that is adding to the excitement of the Adventist Review staff. The Review isn't just a paper, it is a ministry; and the paper is the hub of a widening circle of ministries.

We meet as a staff each Wednesday morning to pray over requests that come in from many countries. Often we receive 50 to 100 messages and letters, and we present each one before the Lord. This is our prayer ministry.

We also seek to provide the Review each week free to new members in North America for one year. This calls for raising the funds for our New Believer Ministry.

Our OnLine Edition goes out without charge around the world, and people in more than 80 countries access the Review by this means every week. This ministry is self-supporting.

The time has come to give our ministries more focused attention. I am delighted that Pastor Eliseo Lozano (above) has joined us as ministries coordinator. A dynamic, warm person whom you can expect to meet at camp meetings and other public events, he previously served at La Voz de la Esperanza as director of global mission.

Already he is off and running in his new responsibilities. One of his concerns is the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks. He has come up with a plan: to send the Adventist Review each week to the nearly 3,000 grieving families. The project will be called Hope in a Time of Despair.

While the Review is the church paper for the Adventist family, it contains many articles of general interest and spiritual help. Already some readers send it to non-members. We will handle this project sensitively, avoiding any pressure on those who may not wish to receive the Review.

So, dear friends, pray for Pastor Eliseo and this new outreach. As the Review goes out to lands far away and as it ministers to hurting people here in North America, may the Lord be glorified in every issue and activity.*

* The plan will cost about $110,000 to reach all the families. If you would like to get involved, make donations (tax-deductible) to Adventist Review and send to: Hope in a Time of Despair, Adventist Review Office, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600.

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William G. Johnsson is the editor of the Adventist Review.