Note: Mark Allison, one of our Content Developers, received this note from an Accordance user in China. If you’re keeping up with the news at all these days, you know that China is fairly isolated at the moment because of the outbreak of the Coronavirus. We are reproducing the note below with permission, but withholding the Accordance user’s name by his request out of caution.
Hi, Mark. I have been meaning to write this for a while. I am guessing that the majority of Accordance users are students of the original languages and I can clearly see the strengths in the software for doing this.
However, Accordance actually offers something that you may not have considered before. I live in China, and have done so for the last 20 years. (originally from the [withheld]). I was brought up in a Christian home but like so many people, fell away from my faith. In 2014 I came back to the Lord. The immediate problem I had was that I had no Bible or access to any Christian teaching locally.
I found Accordance on the web, and purchased it. Since then I have built up a library of modules. Having this available on my phone, iPad and Mac is incredibly convenient, but more than anything it gives me access to materials that I just cannot find in China. Christian books are just not available. I did manage to order a couple of Bibles from the US which I eventually received; however, they were held in customs for a long time and were clearly opened when I eventually got them.
Accordance gives me the ability to purchase materials online and have instant access to them in a format that is fantastically portable. It would just be impossible for me to purchase what I have in Accordance in a printed format. I would never be able to do that here.
My reliance on Accordance has just increased a whole new level with the outbreak of the virus in China. I am currently at home with my family, stockpiled food and not going outdoors. Sitting with accordance in this current situation is a true blessing.
Anyway, I just wanted to say a big thanks to all the people at Accordance. While I may not be a user that challenges the full functionality of Accordance, I use the software daily, and it is completely invaluable to me.
Thanks,
[name withheld]