My name is Glen Striemer and I have been an Literature Evangelist since June of 1984.  This journey of faith  has been times of feast and famine, although with the psalmist I can say, "I have been young and am now old and I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." [Ps 37.25]I was introduced to the literature ministry through a sermon given at the Brantford, Ontario church by colporteur Ed Manton.  I wasn't a member at the time but I told him that his ministry was the closest I had seen to the living gospel in action.  A few days later he was at my door asking me to join him for an evening's work.  I beheld people actually interested in Seventh-day Adventist books.  I gathered a few display books and ventured out setting appointments for Ed after my day ended at the factory.  The following week I told him we had four appointments.  The literature bug had smitten me.  As a journalism student in college I had always been interested in the printed page but the opportunity to sell books written by prophetess Ellen White, accompanied by children's character building books and the health message, seemed like a dream experience.  However, the devil sidetracked me and instead I opted for becoming the largest wholesaler of natural healing books in Ontario.  The only problem was that most of these books dealt with eastern religious concepts.  Eventually, I knew as a Christian that this business had to go by the wayside in spite of its financial success.

I got married and joined the Adventist self-supporting work at a place called Mountain Missionary Institute in New Hampshire.  I worked in book sales at the press and was also a sales rep for Country Life Natural Foods. The president of the missionary school selected me and another fellow to represent MMI at a colporteur retreat at Camp Berkshire, New York.  The colporteur leader asked everyone in the room to stand up; then he asked all those who were not currently LE's to sit; of the approximate  80 who were standing he asked all those who have been LE's less than a year to sit;  there were about 40 left standing; less than 3 years sit; 10 remained; less than five years sit; only a handful remained.  Something was wrong with this picture to me.  Publishing ministry was ordainedto be the highest calling on earth and there were so few career colporteurs.  After the meeting I went outside under the stars, knelt down beside a huge evergreen and felt overwhelmed to pray.  "Lord, if you want me to do this work please open up the doors wide.  I have sold everything else in my life, I want to sell Your books."  Upon returning to MMI we started up a small book ministry which was quite successful.  I was in charge of the students and we would leave the mountain visiting the neighboring communities.  I tried to join the Northern New England LE work but I was a Canadian and work visa problems arose.  They had a territory set for me in Vermont, along Lake Champlain but it never came to pass.  Two more years at MMI and our student visas finally expired.  I laid the fleece out in a letter to both the Ontario and Maritime Conferences stating our intention to join the Literature Ministry.  The Maritimes responded first and so we left and under the tutelage of Roy Uffindale we began the colporteur work.

After training, I was excited to start.  Not having a vehicle I secured a ride with a tree cutting businessman from the church who would bring me fifty miles into Truro and the plan was to rendevous at 7 p.m. for the ride home.  I left with a little shopping cart, a briefcase and my lunch.  I asked to be dropped off in the best area of town as I figured they would have lots of money to buy our books.  The first day I knocked on 103 homes.  79 were not home.  Of the 24 who answered the door 3 allowed me to demonstrate the books.  I never made a sale.  Standing on the corner for a couple of hours it became clear my ride home was not forthcoming.  Fortunately I knew of an Adventist family in town so I phoned and these kind folks offered me a bed.  The next morning would define my life work as I knocked on the first door. A young mother answered with a couple of kids clinging to her skirt.  I showed her the books and asked if she wanted to buy some.  She began to cry saying how much she would love to purchase but her husband had just left her and she was destitute. I was now face-to-face with the true literature ministry.  Over the course of time we befriended the young mother, who eventually bought some books and attended church with us.  That same week I met a woman who was living common-in-law with a man who had been beating her.  I appealed to her that the only way out of this mess was to come to the Lord.  I arranged for Bible studies, but the following week when I went with the Pastor she told us that she had joined the church of her youth and had shown the abuser the door.  I was somewhat disheartened that she never accepted our Bible studies but for years afterward I would have people tell me "You are the man who came with the books to our dear Christian sister." Apparently she had told her testimony far and wide of the traveling Bible book man who challenged her to give her heart to the Lord.

I spent ten years selling our books in the Maritime Conference.  One time I used a walkie-talkie from shore to contact a man who had sent in a card, as he was the lighthouse keeper on an island.  He came over to fetch me in small boat and venturing through the mighty waves of the Atlantic we boarded the tugboat and made our way to the lighthouse.  I spent an afternoon with the family and they purchased everything we had. 

The Halifax church hired my wife and I to be Bible workers for a John Gilbert crusade for six weeks.  We played our part in baptizing 16 souls and marrying one couple.  I found asking people to be baptized was very similar to asking a family for their book order.

We spent five wonderful years in Manitoba selling to my forefathers, the Mennonites.  My father was born there so it was a trip through memory lane.  My biggest selling years were in Manitoba: $196,000 $252,000, $236,000 in succession.  I received a diploma for highest sales in North America.  The Indian Reserves also played a large part of my success as this was the first place I had ever worked where Aboriginals were predominately born-again Christians.  One time after driving 10 hours to reach a northern reserve, I came to the winter road crossing the river but it was thawing out and had water flowing over the ice.  While I hesitated in the bush pondering what to do,  a pick up truck suddenly roared over the river towards me, splashing water like a speed boat.  They pulled along side and asked me my purpose.  I told them I was going over to sell Bible books and had a number of lead cards.  The woman said, "You are a man of God, you should be able to walk on that water!" I did drive through the water and after a few days the chief told me I had better get out at 5 a.m. the next morning or I would be traveling out by air. 

Then it was off to Orlando, Florida for another 4 years.  I don't know if my pride went before the fall, or whether the Lord needed to teach me lessons why LE's struggle. A combination of the intense heat, the Spanish majority, the high percentage of seniors and the abject poverty I witnessed down the backroads almost put an end to me as an LE.  I managed to qualify most of the time but was pretty discouraged at my lack of success compared to what I had known previously.  I ended up with two herniated discs with sciatica travelling down both legs.  Attempting to reach the Florida Adventist Hospital, I collapsed on the sidewalk until the hospital bus spotted me and lifted me into a wheelchair.  I was out of commission for months.  Looking back, I needed to be more faithful in Florida, for the Lord always promises to deliver his colporteurs.  Florida was not a dead loss, as I managed to key on schools and libraries and one year sold about $30,000 in just this sector alone.  There is never a shortage of LE prospects in Florida and my territory constantly shifted as they came and went. My publishing director was Les McCoy, a rare leader who sold as much as any LE in his field.

On a trip back to Canada I found out that there was not a single full-time LE in SW Ontario, an area stretching from Niagara Falls to Windsor.  I applied, was accepted and began working.  The only drawback was my wife and daughter were in love with Florida and didn't want to leave.  About a year later they did move back and by this time I was well established in the LE work where I have resumed my old ways again and this is where I currently work.

The purpose of this book is to share the keys of what has kept me going in this work since 1984.  If it helps one person to become a career LE then this writing will not have been in vain.

LE

TESTIMONY

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