Bates Newsletter - December 10, 2012

Greetings, brethren.  It’s hard to believe we are so close to the end of a very eventful 2012.  And it certainly has been eventful.  2012 has seen the decision to begin a new school in Paraguay.  Classes for the Academy of Theology in Paraguay are set to begin classes on March 11, 2013.  This year also saw my wife and me moving to Denver.  Last month I asked that our supporters begin sending their funds to the Institute here in Denver beginning January 1, 2013 (more on that below).  In this newsletter, I have a couple more items of very important news to cover.

New Developments in Honduras

After a great deal of discussion, prayer and consultation with all parties involved, the decision has been made to consolidate our Central American institutes into one.  This is a development that has been several months in the making.  On Saturday, December 1, brother Rick Hyder, representing the eldership of the Hillcrest church of Christ in Neosho, MO, and I met with brother Nery Irías, director of the Bible Institute of Honduras (IBH), to discuss the future of that institute and the overall work in the area of Danlí, Honduras.  Later, we all met with a group of about 15 preachers in the area to inform them of the changes and give contact information for the Latin American Theological Institute (ITL) in Guatemala City, as well as, answer questions about the change and future of the work of training preachers in Latin America.  The ultimate result of this change is that after the current class of students at IBH graduates around June 1, 2013, classes will no longer be conducted on that campus.  We are currently encouraging all new potential students in Honduras to apply to ITL which will begin classes sometime in May, 2013.  This year we began offering graduate level courses in Danlí twice a year.  Those courses will continue as before.

In our meetings with our Honduran brethren, I wanted very much that they understand (and I want you to understand) that this change has nothing to do with any lack of confidence or dissatisfaction with the efforts of our Honduran team.  I am very proud of the work our teachers have done in the four years we have worked to train preachers in Danlí.  The decision was made as a matter of stewardship.  All of us know that there is only a limited amount of resources available to us in doing this work.  We must be good stewards in order to be faithful to God.  By consolidating these two schools we simplify the process of fund raising, coordination of teachers for our short courses, and a number of other issues.  

I am viewing this as an exciting development that will hopefully result in a more efficient effort on our part, but I admit a certain bittersweet aspect of it.  I made my first trip to Danlí almost five years ago (February, 2008) and feel a special relationship with the brethren there.  I know that the brethren of the El Zarzal congregation, which has housed and encouraged the students of IBH, are saddened and will miss the help and encouragement of the students.  I tried to assure them that our relationship was not ending and that, Lord willing, I will return from time to time on campaigns with ITL and also with the brethren of the Hillcrest congregation.  Our focus in Danlí is still to train preachers for that area.  This change just means that the training itself will take place somewhere else.

Other Developments

As I noted last month, beginning January 1, 2013 our personal support funds will be routed through the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver.  So, please send your checks made out to the institute (or BVBID) with my name on the memo line.  The address is:  2707 S. Lamar, Denver, CO 80227.  If you live in Hugo , OK and have been making your contribution to this work by personally giving it to the church office, you may continue to do that and your support will be added to the that which will be sent on behalf of the congregation.

Another new development is that my contact information has changed just slightly.  Our mailing address is the same, but just recently I have changed my phone number to a local Denver number.  So, my contact information is:

Donnie Bates
4801 S. Wadsworth Blvd. #3-105
Littleton, CO 80123
(303) 718-7040
Email:  dnbates1@gmail.com
Email: dbates@bvbid.org
Web:  www.wetrainpreachers.com

I want to conclude by thanking all of you very sincerely for your interest in and support of this work.  Without brethren like you, who are concerned about the need for preachers around the world, we could not do what we do.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God bless you richly!  

From Noma and me to you and yours:  Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Year!

God bless,

Donnie Bates

Bates Newsletter - October 15, 2012

October 15, 2012

Greetings, brethren!  My prayer is that this edition of the Bates Newsletter finds you well and faithfully engaged in the labor of the Lord.  

The last month has seen the annual Bear Valley Homecoming Lectures and it was a fantastic weekend of great Gospel sermons from many faithful brethren.  It was a great blessing for all those who were present.  

Two masters classes were taught in Danlí, Honduras in September.  We were not able to teach the two scheduled short courses this month, so we will reschedule those to be taught later.  

Just this morning I received a report from Guatemala of five baptisms in the last month there.  We are excited to hear that news!  Short courses are scheduled to begin there on October 22.  Please pray for those classes and those who are traveling to teach them and, let’s not forget our translators!

I’ll be traveling over the next couple of weeks to give reports to some of our supporters.  I will be in Hugo, OK Sunday morning, October 21 and in Idabel, OK to give a report to the Lynn Lane congregation that evening.  Sunday morning, October 28 I’ll be with the brethren in Slim, OK and that evening in Redland, OK.  On Sunday afternoon, November 4 I will be meeting with the elders of the Hillcrest congregation in Neosho, MO to give a report about the school in Honduras.

I want to thank each of you for your interest and support of this work.  We could not do it without faithful brethren like you who are interested in training men to preach the Gospel in their own country and culture.  Yes, I know, God it is from Whom all blessings flow, but I am convinced that you are part of those blessings from Him!

If I can answer any questions, or if you know of others who might be interested in this work, please contact me at:  

4801 S. Wadsworth Blvd. #3-105
Littleton, CO 80123
(580) 326-1914

dnbates1@gmail.com 
dbates@bvbid.org 

God bless, 

Donnie Bates

Report from Honduras

The following report was received from brother Nery Irías, director of the Bible Institute of Honduras.

Good afternoon, brother Donnie.

I hope this finds you well together with your wife in your new home.

To continue, I present to you the report of the work of the students:

Porfirio Gonzales

The brother is visiting a town called “The 24th of December” with the purpose of establishing a congregation.  This place is located in El Paraiso.  Some brethren live there who have left the church.  He, along with Yoni (his son and graduate of IBH) are visiting these brethren and 4 were reconciled this Sunday.  All of them participated in the communion.  There are at least 10 brethren more that are in the denominations and the brother is visiting them to get them to come back to the church.  He has been distributing literature, giving classes and preaching house to house.

Enrique Figueroa

The brother is collaborating in Coyolar together with the preacher.  He is visiting a place where he is preaching the Gospel.  He has studied with some sectarian pastors over the necessity of obeying the truth and to seek the restoration and unity of the church.  Each Saturday and Sunday he collaborates in the preaching and classes in the church.  They have realized two weddings and four baptisms.

Jairo Irías

He is collaborating in El Zarzal in the preaching, evangelism, songs and direction of the Lord’s Supper.  He continues attending on Wednesdays Los Robles to teach the Bible to people.  Also, he has visited the brethren who have left (the church) and to encourage those who are discouraged.

Jose Cruz Lopez

The brother is collaborating in El Zarzal.  The past week he was collaborating in a campaign that was realized in La Villa de San Francisco where there were 10 baptisms and 4 restorations.  I have contributed and one person was baptized.  Also he is active in the work of evangelism, the songs and the preaching.  For the moment he takes charge of the youth group of the church, together with Hector (another graduate).

Jose Antonio Caceres

The brother is always helping brother Oscar each weekend in El Empalme de Trojes.  This month a gentleman was baptized and they helped him since he has problems of paralysis.  Brother Oscar is very satisfied by the work that Antonio does since he helps in every aspect of the work.

Gustavo Reyes

The brother continues helping the church of Cuyali, El Paraiso.  The preacher does not give him much participation in the services of the church.  Each Saturday he leave together with another brother to give studies and encourage the brethren.  The preacher feels jealousy toward Gustavo because the brethren like the way in which he teaches in the classes and sermons.  Gustavo spoken to him about it, saying that all he is doing is so as to affirm the church and help in its spiritual growth.

We are preparing ourselves for the campaign that will begin July 8 to July 14 in Talanga.  Brother Donnie, I want you to please do me a favor and send me the program of studies of the Beta Class, since I did not make copies and one day cleaning the office with the students, I believe it was lost among the papers of the trash.  I will appreciate it very much if you send it to me and I will make sure to make some copies.

Relating to the wall, we still do not have an answer on the part of the authorities, only a backhoe came and deepened more the creek and I believe that that is not sufficient, but our authorities are negligent.  I just hope to pay the taxes so that later, if possible, to interpose a demand for the possible damages that the creek causes to the property of the church.

God bless you and have a happy day!

Bates Newsletter - May 1, 2012

May 1, 2012

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  I hope this newsletter finds you well and faithfully engaged in the work of the Lord.

It is hard to believe that April has already passed us by.  I am enjoying not traveling quite so much, although I have still made three trips to Latin America already this year.  Nevertheless, it’s less than last year.

I was very honored to have been asked to preach a Gospel Meeting at the Calera church of Christ in Calera, Oklahoma April 15-18.  It was a great blessing for me and, I hope, for the good brethren of that congregation, as well.  The next week I made a very short trip to Honduras (April 23-25).  I had not visited the school in Danlí since December and there were some issues that had come up that I needed to address in person, so I made that short trip.  As for those issues, three of the nine students have withdrawn from the institute, each with their own reasons.  While I am sorry that things developed the way they did, I think the remaining six students are in a better position to be successful in their studies.  I wish the best for all nine men and pray God’s blessings on the work the six remaining students are doing.  

I am very pleased to announce that the good brethren of the Sacramento Ave. church of Christ in Asunción Paraguay have decided to move forward with a school of preaching, beginning classes in March 2013.  We are so very happy to work with this great congregation in training preachers in that part of the world.  There will be more on this in future reports.

Upon returning from that trip, Noma and I made a quick trip to Denver continuing our search for a place to live.  We believe we have found a place and I’ll give more details on that in the next newsletter.  Let me say for now that we are planning, if the Lord wills, to move somewhere around June 1, so that gives us another month here.  The following is an excerpt from our last newsletter concerning our move.

“As you may or may not know, the cost of living in Denver is higher than in central Oklahoma.  Since we have not had full support since our move here, we are in need of raising more in making this move.  Also, Noma has expressed a desire to become more involved in the work by traveling with me when possible and teaching ladies’ classes on the field, taking advantage of her language skills, as well.  This will mean raising more support since she would not be able to work outside the home as she has done in the past.

Presently, the amount we are lacking to put us at full support to cover all of this is approximately $1,900.00/month.  If you can help with any part of this, please contact me or our sponsoring congregation.  The contact information is given below.”

God bless!!

Donnie Bates

Contact Information:

2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
(580) 326-1914
Email:  dnbates1@gmail.com

Sponsoring congregation:

4th & Jackson church of Christ
P.O. Drawer 549
Hugo, OK 74743
(580) 326-3457

Short Trip to Honduras

Danlí, Honduras - April 23-25, 2012

I arrived on time in Tegucigalpa a little before 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 23.  I was met by brother Nery Irías, the director of IBH.  Nery’s father and sister were both in Tegucigalpa with appointments to see the doctor, so he and I went to the clinic and waited with them.  During that time we were able to discuss some of the things I had wanted to cover in this trip.  All went well and I arrived at the hotel in Danlí between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.  Since I was up at 3:10 this morning, I spent the rest of the evening getting some rest.

On Tuesday morning, I met Nery in the hotel lobby at 9:30 and then we walked over the institute.  The students were in class with brother Cesar Tábora.  When they took their break, I was able to meet with both faculty members and the students to discuss some issues that had come to my attention in the previous weeks.  It was a very good meeting, even though some of the things we discussed concerned some disciplinary problems with some students who are no longer there.  I left feeling that things are in good shape at the institute and will go much better now that some changes have been made.  The students returned to class after their extended break and another of our teachers, Luis David Argeñal, who is also our treasurer, arrived and we were able to discuss the budget, which was also something I had wanted to accomplish on this trip.  While we have struggled to make our budget for almost a year now, we are currently in pretty good shape.  Nery and I had lunch together at the new Pizza Hut in Danlí (very good, I might add) and then I spent the afternoon preparing for Bible Class that evening, at which I had the blessing of preaching.

 On Wednesday morning, Nery picked me up at the hotel a little before 8:00 and we headed to Tegucigalpa to catch my flight home.  I arrived home safely around 9:30 that evening.  This was a very short trip, but I feel a great deal was accomplished.  Thank you all who were praying for me and who continue to pray for our work and the work of IBH.

God bless,
Donnie Bates