Frequently Asked Questions

We hope to address common questions below, but if you still need help, please get in touch using the details at the foot of this page.

• NEW: Can you recommend resources for Afghan arrivals in my area?

  It is usually best to give Afghans readable portions of Scripture rather than the full Bible.

  Here are some suggestions for Scriptures:

  • Dari Gospel of Luke with glossary - low cost and easy to understand
  • Gospel of Luke in both English and Dari - dual-language is good for new arrivals
  • New Testament in Dari
  • Psalms and Proverbs in Afghan Pashto - many Afghans appreciate poetry
  • Luke & Acts with glossary in Afghan Pashto
  • Favourite Bible Stories in Dari or Pashto - illustrated, appropriate for children

  Here are some suggestions for Study Materials:

  • What is Christianity in Farsi or Afghan Pashto. An excellent introduction to the Christian faith for a Muslim inquirer. Also available are What is Christianity? Videos in Dari⧉ and What is Chistianity? Radio Programmes in Dari⧉ or What is Christianity? Radio Programmes in Pashto⧉.
  • Come Follow Me in Dari - topical discipleship lessons that relate to people from Muslim backgrounds.
  • We have many small topical SGM publications such as Forgiveness Matters.

  Here is a suggestion for a Mobile Phone ministry:

  • Afghan Supersticks - large set of Dari and Pashto video, audio and written materials on a USB stick that has a writable area as well!

  It is also good to encourage Afghans to check out the Hope4Afghans website⧉ and social media platforms. Apps in Afghan languages can also be found at the Afghan Apps website⧉ which will direct you to the relevant App Store pages.

  You can download and print Hope4Afghans business cards here and share them with Afghans, with English or other languages on one side, and Dari or Pashto on the other.

  Recommended Videos

  • Destiny⧉ is an exciting eight-episode drama on family life, with subtitles in English. These episodes would be well suited to watching with an Afghan family.
  • My Story⧉ – Afghans share their life story, how they’ve come to faith, presented in Dari and Pashto
  • Other Videos in Dari or Pashto, including music, the Jesus film and more can also be found at Hope4Afghans website⧉

• What language do Afghans speak?

  Afghanistan has two main languages - Dari and Pashto, and several minor languages. Each language has dialects.

  Dari is actually a branch of the Persian family of languages, and so Iranian Farsi is generally readable although it requires a good level of literacy. Hazaragi is also from the Persian family of languages.

  Pashto is a different type of language and is also spoken in Pakistan. Pashto has a wide variation of dialects. On the store we do try to indicate the Pashto dialect and have mostly attempted to simplify it by country when categorising, but if you want to know more about a particular publication and its dialect than is on the product page, then you are welcome to ask us.

• How long will my order take to get to me?

  We normally make shipments twice a week, so despatch usually easily takes place within 5 business days, but occasionally the availability of our volunteer staff might mean taking a little longer. Depending on the items chosen it could be sent from different locations in two separate shipments. For items to the same continent you can normally expect it to take a 3-5 days after despatch, but where items are shipped further then expect approximately one more week depending upon the destination.

  If your order is time-sensitive, please tell us. We always do our best to accommodate and we do have a number of options available for shipping if needed, however please keep in mind that priority services are more costly.

  It is OK to ask us when your order will arrive. Please keep in mind that some methods of delivery give us more information than others.

• Can I order hundreds of items?

  If we have lots of stock, yes. Stock levels are shown for items.

  In busy times (for example Autumn/Fall 2021), we may ration larger orders in order to ensure sufficient stock to support the multiple ministries requiring materials. In such event we may reduce your order quantities (and refund if appropriate), if shipping your complete order would significantly deplete critical stock levels in North America or Europe.

  So, if you have a large order following a major political event, feel free to choose "Special Handling" at the checkout and await our confirmation prior to making payment.

• How can I pay?

  Our normal method of payment is Paypal. This is a worldwide service and is pretty straightforward to use with a Credit Card. There are alternatives, which include sending us a cheque or paying one of the Worldwide offices of Operation Mobilisation (always ask their permission to do this, and ask for a receipt and send it to us). If you don't want to use Paypal, you should click "Request Special Handling" at the checkout for further instructions. Note that using Paypal is NOT the same as creating a Paypal account, and in most countries Paypal may highlight the button to create an account but it is not normally a necessary step.

• Can I get lots of Bibles at a discount?

  For larger orders, we can arrange discounts when printing, however we do have discount rules in the site already that should suit most purposes. When popular items like Bibles are reprinted, we are happy to accept pre-orders and have these shipped directly from the printers. Contact us, or click "Request Special Handling" at the checkout. Bulk rates apply per order (i.e. single shipping address).

• Will I pay customs or import duties?

  Depending upon your country there are sometimes import/customs fees, although many countries don't tax book imports. For example, if you are in the United States we will normally ship from Canada and if the value of your order is deemed to be over $800 the US authorities may charge you import fees. The courier will notify you if this is required. European orders are shipped from the Netherlands and so there should not normally be import duties within the EU.

• Can I order items that are out of stock?

  This might be useful if something is listed as coming soon, but not everything that is out-of-stock will be automatically reprinted/manufactured.

  If you want to do this, it is best to request "Special Handling" at the checkout. We can then discuss your need with you, making reference to the needs that you have placed in the basket.

• What is "Special Handling"?

  Special Handling is for special requests. Choosing this option at the checkout will delay payment until final quantities and prices are decided through dialogue with our staff, so do keep an eye out for a payment link by email if you take this route.

• Do you ship to Afghanistan or Pakistan?

  We prefer not to send things in the mail to these places, since laws and customs mean doing so may be problematic for the receiver. There can be alternatives, and you are welcome to speak to us for advice.

• Who are you?

  We are a partnership of organisations. The store is managed by Pamir Ministries, a division of the charity Operation Mobilisation. We run the store on behalf of a number of partners, all with the aim of making effective Christian material available for Afghans and their friends! Some of the materials on the store are produced by ourselves, and some by our partners.

• Is everything on the store Christian?

  The majority of the material on the store is produced by Christians with the intention of sharing the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, however occasionally a movie or book may be compatible with the Christian faith but not have been produced with an evangelical motivation.

  Localised words for God or Jesus such as "Khudawand" or "Isa" are commonly used in publications and descriptions. Practice varies in this regard, and you can ask us to take a look at a particular publication for you should a particular sensitivity apply.

  Scripture is translated from original sources, and you can find more information about that at afghanbibles.org.

• Do you stock a complete Pashto Bible?

  Yes, but it isn't Afghan Pashto. The work on translating a full Pashto Bible is complete in one dialect (Yousafzai - most suited to Pakistan), and has been published in book form in 2020. Work on the translation of the East Afghan dialect of Pashto continues, with a NT now available, and the precious resource of a full Pashto Bible for Afghanistan will be made available as soon as practical. We have previously printed a full New Testament in a Mixed Dialect, and various portions of the Old Testament. These mixed dialect publications are being phased out in favour of the East Afghan and Yousafzai dialects. The latest translation progress can be viewed at afghanbibles.org.

• Do you make a profit?

  No, we don't even include staffing costs in our pricing. We sell the materials at or below the cost to produce them. Occasionally a book might be sold for more than its cost in order to direct funds into subsequent publication, but we are a charity rather than a business.

• Where are you based?

  We administer the store from Canada, and ship stock from both Canada and the Netherlands. We are sometimes able to ship from the United States too, but we normally ship US orders from Canada. We can ship to anywhere in the world where safety permits.

• Can you translate something for me?

  We have many Afghans on our team, but there is much work to do! We are always willing to hear new ideas and partnerships, but please do understand our need to prioritise.

• Can I buy these things elsewhere?

  Some of our stock can also be acquired elsewhere. We want to maximise the distribution and so we willingly supply materials to other shops and organisations. We do ask that materials bought en-mass are not then sold at different prices, but this is of course beyond our control.

• Can I talk to somebody?

  Absolutely! The best time to call is between 10:30 and 15:00 EST from Monday to Friday. If you're in a timezone that doesn't suit that then don't worry - just leave us a message and we'll do our best to contact you at a time that suits you. We regret that we can't normally accept visitors to our premises.

• Can I print something I downloaded?

  Yes. Just don't sell it please, as the copyright of materials remains with the publishers. Send us an email if you need to do anything complex!

• I sent you a cheque, where are my goods?

  Cheques are paid in at the international mailing address on our behalf, and then notified to us. It can take some weeks, but we can follow-up if you advise us when the cheque is sent. We recommend using Paypal instead as this is significantly more efficient.

• For a big order, can I have a pro-forma invoice?

  As a small charitable team, this is not our procedure. For larger orders we do not know the shipping cost until actioned, however we do pack things in such a way as to attempt to minimise shipping costs. A normal invoice is provided as part of our regular procedures.

• Can I collect, or use my own courier?

  Sadly this is not normally possible. The paperwork that couriers require, together with having goods and staff available at a public address, mean that it is not currently convenient to arrange this. If you have a sizeable order and want us to despatch using a particular courier, please contact us to see what we can arrange together.

• Why can't shipping be cheaper?

  Some countries are better value than others. Some large online stores subsidise their shipping by increasing the price of the product. We may take a strategic decision to do this in the future, but at present we are pricing based upon the real shipping costs (although it is estimated).

• What if I'm not happy?

  If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, please let us know - we will want to remedy things for you. We ask please that you contact us within 3 months of the purchase date. Our refund policy can be found on our terms page.