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.

• 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?

  A normal order will leave our store 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 couple of days after despatch, but where items are shipped further then expect another week.

  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.

  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.

• 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.

• Can I get lots of Bibles at a discount?

  For larger orders, we can arrange discounts. 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.

• What is "Special Handling"?

  Special Handling is for larger orders or special requests. Choosing this option at the checkout will delay payment until final quantities and prices are decided through dialogue with our staff.

• 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?

  Real soon! At present, the work on translating a full Pashto Bible is complete in one dialect (Yousafzai), and this should be published in book form in 2020. We stock a full New Testament (mixed dialect), and various portions of the Old Testament (in 2 principle dialects). Work on the translation of the East Afghan dialect of Pashto continues, and the precious resource of a full Pashto Bible will be made available as soon as practical. The latest translation progress can be viewed at afghanbibles.org.

• Do you make a profit?

  No. 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. 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.

• 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.