This brave soul has vision in only one eye. He has no legs and only one hand. My first conclusion was that he was living in a remote area in a Third World country where quality medical care is scarce at best.

But he was an American. A severely wounded member of our armed forces. And he could not have been more grateful for an Audio Bible.

You see, our American servicemen and women sacrifice everything to defend the freedoms we hold so dear . . . including our freedom to worship freely without fear of persecution or imprisonment.

For a long, painful season in their lives, they give up their families, their jobs, their hopes and dreams . . . and sometimes their very lives . . . all for you and me. Many permanently sacrifice their physical health, like the brave soul I just described.

This war in particular has introduced a new term into our vocabulary: POLYTRAUMATIC INJURY.

One of our partners explains: “What we’re seeing in Iraq, increasingly, is unlike much of what we’ve seen in the past. Soldiers used to return to us with severe damage to one hand or one foot — maybe an entire arm or leg. But this war — and these wounds — are different; more and more soldiers are arriving to us with horrible, polytraumatic injuries . . . the loss of both legs, an arm, and vision in one eye — or both hands and complete vision loss — and so on.”

As you can imagine, these wounded warriors often spiral into a pit of depression and despair. And for some, the greatest pain is not even physical. You see, at their time of deepest need, they are unable to read a traditional Bible, whether because of blindness or because they are literally unable to hold God’s Word and turn its pages.

It must be like drowning with a safety line dangling in front of your face . . . BUT YOU'RE UNABLE TO GRASP IT.

I’m writing you today because God is calling this ministry to be the safety line for these brave Americans who have sacrificed so much.

Right now, using our network of friends and partners, we have an opportunity to distribute Audio Bibles to our wounded American warriors.

But we must act today. So many are depending on us. Frankly, we never know how much time we have before it’s too late. One caregiver explains, “We’re giving soldiers your Audio Bibles — and they’re all requesting them. At such a serious and painful time in their lives, many of them are reaching out to God in search of meaning . . . answers . . . they want to reconnect with God.”

Another says: “Your Audio Bibles provide one of the brightest beams of light for these soldiers who arrive to us for long rehab stays and who have lost their vision and, sometimes, two or three limbs.”

But so many more are waiting and praying for God’s Word. We can let these brave, struggling men and women know they are not alone. We can throw them the only lifeline they will ever need: the Bible in a format they can easily use and understand.