Mark Hanson stood in a classroom in Kenya, facing 30 teenage pupils wearing school uniforms.

“How many of you have a Bible?” he asked.
Only three children raised their hands.
“How many of you would like a Bible?”
All the children’s hands went up.

Years later, Mark still recalls that moment as a turning point in his understanding of the immense need for God’s Word throughout the world and how he could help. Together with his wife, Nancy, Mark is a loyal supporter of the American Bible Society’s (ABS) End-to-End programme and a firm believer in the power of God’s Word to transform lives—including his own.

A Means for Change
Raised in a Christian family, Mark knew who Jesus was from an early age. He attended church regularly, held strong moral values, and worked hard to help develop his father’s car parts business. When his father sold the business after being diagnosed with cancer, Mark began working for Sea Foam Sales Company, a firm he later bought. For the next 15 years, his days were filled with product demonstrations at various warehouses and car parts shops as he worked to grow the business.

“I travelled very frequently,” recalls Mark. “I’d be away for two weeks at a stretch, come back to sort out everything at the office, then set off again for the next two weeks.”

The company grew rapidly, and Mark began to realise that Sea Foam’s success could have a positive impact on others.

“We began setting aside half of our profits to give away,” he says. “Transformation became the central theme of the causes we supported, because a person’s life changes when Jesus enters it. And Sea Foam became a means for that change.”

Every year, Mark invested in Christ-centred ministries, including ministry to prisoners and rehabilitation programmes. The more successful his business became, the more he was able to give.

However, in 2004, a painful divorce shook Mark’s life to its core.

“It was truly painful,” he recalls. “When you’re in the midst of darkness, you can’t see a way out. All there is, is despair.” As he began a long journey of recovery, Mark drew closer to the communities that supported him. He joined a Bible study group and sought comfort and strength in God’s Word. The good news he had once shared with others now became a solid foundation of faith for him, even when everything around him seemed to be falling apart.

“I often feel a connection with the story of Job, because Job once experienced very beautiful times, and then went through very difficult times,” said Mark. In the midst of his own difficulties, Mark felt his relationship with the Lord Jesus become more real than ever before.

“What I can say is that when you go through dark times, there is another side to the story,” he said. “Today, my situation is far better than I could ever have imagined. Along the way, I discovered a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus.”

“A Complete Transformation”
One day, Mark received a phone call from Jim Sheldrew, a donor relations adviser at the American Bible Society (ABS). He asked whether Mark would be willing to come to Peru to see what God was doing through ABS amongst the Quechua people. What Mark witnessed was the early stages of End-to-End—a ministry partnership that combines visual, audio and written media containing God’s Word to disciple communities not yet reached by the Gospel, plant churches, and transform communities through the power of the Gospel.

“The Quechua people actually already had Bibles in Spanish, but they didn’t understand the content until they received a Bible in their mother tongue,” said Mark. “When the figure of Jesus is presented through their own language, their lives are transformed.”

Eager to explore further, Mark travelled to Rwanda in Africa, where people were using the Bible to build bridges of reconciliation following the devastating genocide that had taken place a decade earlier. He recalled sitting amongst a crowd of people watching a Gospel film about the life of Christ.

“It was the first time they had watched a film in their own language,” he recalled. “They were overjoyed as they followed the life of the Lord Jesus—He performed miracles; He was truly extraordinary! But then, He ended up on the cross. The people wept. How could the Saviour of the world end up on the cross?” Towards the end of the screening, the people were eager to hear more about Jesus, who willingly gave His life for His enemies.

“We used to say, ‘If you want to learn more about Jesus, come back tomorrow,’” said Mark. “And every week they came back to hear the Word of God. Those listening groups began to grow.”

Finally, on a trip to Kenya, Mark saw the final piece of the jigsaw: a personal Bible. Most of the students he met could not afford a Bible. End-to-End offers a journey that anyone can take to receive the Word of God—no matter where they live, how much money they have, or what language they speak. He witnessed people transform from mere curious observers into passionate followers of Jesus Christ, ready to bring the good news to their communities.

“End-to-End is a complete and comprehensive transformation—from the first encounter with Jesus, to owning one’s own Bible, to a life-changing impact on the community,” said Mark. “It’s truly amazing!”

Mark became one of the early supporters of End-to-End. When he met his now-wife, Nancy, a few years ago, he found someone who shared his passion for transforming people’s lives through the Gospel. Together, they are helping to drive the ministry they love towards a greater purpose: making the Bible accessible to everyone.

Freely adapted from: American Bible Society