March Holiday Evangelistic Work in Kenya

Dear brethren,

Know all men that we at KSOP have resumed classes as of April 8th 2024, this being the first week of our second last quarter towards graduation of the sixth class students.

We have got very serious students- for they have all reported at the right time, including David Mibei who had lately lost his biological mother and had done the burial just a few days before the school resumed. GOD willing, all the current students will go all the way to graduation day- that is on August 24th, 2024.

It is with pleasure that I share with brethren the good work the students did in their home congregations during the March holiday: 

They had served 25 congregations, helping with evangelism, edifying the saved and doing restorations. They had joined hands in gospel meetings and seminars.

They had baptized 22 souls into Christ. 25 souls had been restored as a result of their work and 2 local congregations back to sound doctrine. 

In this quarter, we have 4 African instructors: Charles, David, Phabian and Elias.

Regular courses we teach are:

Greek III, Denominational doctrines, 1&2 Timothy and Titus, Minor Prophets I and II.

Short courses are: The Scheme of Redemption and the Book of Revelation.

We love the work going on at  KSOP and pray for its continuity. We appreciate, pray for, and encourage those who are supporting this work, reminding them that it will not be in vain 1 Cor. 15:58. As Dr. Rowand used to say, and I quote, " Only eternity will reveal the quality of the work done at KSOP".. for the betterment of the church in Africa.

May the Lord bless abundantly all you who endeavor to see yo it that the work at KSOP remains intact.

HIS servant and yours,  

Elias Omollo.

Successful Updates from Takoradi, Ghana

Dear Brethren,

This is our report for the month of March.

OPERATIONAL REPORT MARCH, 2024

1. CLASSROOM WORK

In the first week of the month of March, all the courses were completed for the term. The students are left with short courses. There were no classroom activities for the second week because the school was on field for the campaign for Christ.

The students, the cooks, and the instructors were given the third week to rest after a hectic week on the field spreading the good news of salvation.

The last week of March was a revision week for the students to prepare for the end of term examination.

Short courses postponed: According to our time table, the regular students were to be taken through short courses between April 8 and 19, and then immediately after that break for vacation. But the school received an invitation from the congregation at Efia-Kuma requesting for our students in a 4-day house to house and public evangelism. We therefore decided to postpone the short courses to give way for the evangelism program.

Classes for the part-time students continued to be effective for most part of the month. The only break they had was the Friday and Saturday when we were out for the campaign for Christ. Some of them partook in the evangelism.

Classes resumed for the last two weekends of the month. Three instructors are currently teaching during the weekends. Douglas Armah is teaching the epistles of John and Jude on Fridays, Nathaniel Brobbey is teaching Denominational doctrines on Saturday mornings, and Samuel Owusu-Afari teaches world religions in the afternoon.

2. PERSONAL EVANGELISM AND BAPTISM

In the month of March, the school had its campaign for Christ for the term. We have been getting a lot of requests from Churches all over to help them in their evangelism programs. Currently, the school officially goes out on an evangelism trip once a term. There are a lot of individuals and churches who have brought their request to the school. One of such requests came to us from one of our old students. He wanted the school to help him evangelize a town called Beposo, to plant the Lord’s church there, though there are some Christians who move from there to worship at a nearby town. This town is a big commercial town which did not have the Lord’s church. We were very happy to help in such a work, so we made preparations and on the 11th of March, around 12:30 p.m. we left campus to the place.

The town is about 30 – 40 minutes from the school, but because of transportation cost and other conditions, we rented a guest house there to make the work more effective.

The team for the evangelism included the instructors, the cooks, the nine regular students, four part-time students and twenty-two old students.

The campaign for Christ was very successful, as many got to hear the undiluted truth for the first time through personal work and public preaching. Overall, there were seven (7) baptisms, two in the course of the week and the other five visited the church on its first worship day in the town and got baptized after worship. The number of people who met together to worship that Sunday were ninety-three souls, children included.

Seven of the current students stayed behind to worship with the new church before returning to campus.

God blessed the students’ work at Efia-Kuma Church of Christ with two baptisms. But many have had the opportunity to hear the gospel. 

Thank you.

Joshua

Sunyani Campus Quarter Updates

2024 REPORT FOR 1st  QUARTER (JANUARY- MARCH)

INTRODUCTION

To God be the glory for the wonderful things He has done and for successfully bringing us to the end of the first quarter of 2024.

ACTIVITIES DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2023

I. FIRST QUARTER COURSES FOR 2024

As usual, three courses were taught in the quarter, these are Prison Epistles, Church History, and Pastoral    Epistles.

II. STUDENTS, STAFF CAMPAIGN 

Through the effort of house to house and public evangelism, five (5) baptisms and twelve (12) restorations were won by staff and students of Sunyani campus.

III. CHURCH PLANTING 

By the grace of God and through the hard work of instructors and students, a new church has been planted at Dr Berko, a vicinity in Sunyani, the establishment was done Sunday, 11th February 2024.

The maiden worship was joyfully conducted with thirty-three (33) members of which five souls were restored after the campaign.

IV. GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR NINE STUDENTS The date set for the next graduation ceremony has been scheduled for 28th July 2024.

V. APPEAL

Our campus on Sunyani is appealing for funds to help acquire a stee cabinet which would he used for the storing of students files as well as other important documents for the school.

Secondly, we would be glad if management could provide a rented facility for lecturers and lecturers where they could lodge. This would be beneficial especially after Friday night of Lectures.

IN CONCLUSION

We are grateful to The Almighty God for bringing us to the end of the quarter successful. We pray that the coming years will be fruitful so that we work steadfastly towards building the kingdom of God

Visiting preacher from Nepal helps in local campaigns

Reporting Letter for the month of April-2024

Respected beloved brother Keith Kasarjian our school director , coordinator Mr.Mark Reynolds and all the prayer partners greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We are very much thankful to you for your continual prayer and encouragement for the smooth function of BVBI-Tirupati-India. I would like to submit reporting letter for the month of April-2024.

Class room work:-  In the month of April we have completed the books of Geneses , Exodus, Joshua, Judges and Ruth. We conducted tests for each course.

Zoom classes:- We conduct zoom meeting on every Thursday. We invite church leaders and active members of local churches along with students for the zoom meeting. In the month of April we conducted 4 classes. We feel as it is a great privilege to use the technology for spiritual growth.

Home Bible studies:- Home Bible study is the very best tool for us to meet families and share with them the gospel of Christ. We involve our students in the home bible studies and they learn how to be connected with families and win souls for Christ.

Door to Door  ministry:- We have  conducted door to door ministry from April 24 to 30th . We invited Mr. Gajendra from Nepal .  Along with him we have visited a few villages like Thimmanagaripallem village, Kammavaripallem village,  Chittedu village, Microtower colony village ,Vidyanagar village, Poolathota-village and a few families in Tirupati. We visited most of the Christian families and strengthened them . One of the doctor’s family is interested to study the New Testament church. They invited us for an evening bible study. We appreciate Mr. Gajendra for his patience and love for the souls. He was able to share encouraging short sermons wherever we went.

Campaigning :- In the month of April  25th we have conducted campaigning at the village of Poolathota-village.  Mr.Gajendra preached in the village .  Vidyanagar Church of Christ provided afternoon lunch for all us while we were in village. The local congregation and my brother-in-law’s family were well encouraged by the camp. New families were able to hear the word of God. There are 70 people who were able to attend for the meeting.  One new family invited us for the personal bible study in the village.

Baptisms:- In the month of April 2 souls were baptized and added to the body of Christ. We request you to pray for these new souls so that they may grow in the image  of His son Jesus Christ.

Visiting the sick people:- In the month of April we visited several sick people in the hospital as well at homes. One of our member Brother.N.Ravi Kumar has undergone though heart open surgery . We have visited and provided him Rs.5000 by the local church contribution for his medical help. We also helped Mrs.Marthamma Rs.3500/ for the medical help.

Bore well Project:- we have come across a school at Eswaravaka village. We have moved with great compassion to see the children who are suffering without clean drinking water.  By the partnership of Healing Hands International we were able to provide them a bore well . All the staff and children felt very happy about our loving  service.

Betrothal:- in our local church there was betrothal event on April 24th evening. We were able to attend and share the word of God. Several Hindu religious people were able to hear the word of God.

Wedding:- We have attended for the wedding event of our church member, I was given opportunity to preach the word of God concerning the marriage

Funeral :- My brother-in-law, and active member of the church, passed away on April 14th. We attended to the funeral service on April 15th  and comforted the family members, local church , relatives and village people.

Plans for May 2024:-

World Bible school promotion campaign:-  In the month May sun heat will be increasing in India. All schools and colleges will be closed for the summer vacations. It is our plan to  get connected with World Bible School and conduct promotion campaign. It will be helpful for the several non Christians to received free bible correspondence course.

V.B.S  (children program ):- In the month of May we would like to conduct VBS for the children to educate them for spiritual growth.

Youth camp:- In the month of May we plan to conduct one youth camp.

Gospel meetings:- Summer is suitable season for organizing the gospel meetings. Lord willing we will be conducting few gospel meetings and street meetings

We thank you very much for your continual prayers and encouragement. We thank God for the BVBI which is the  best platform to educate young people and conduct few other activities which are connected with Bible school. We love you and appreciate your love.

Thanking you.

Your brother in Christ.

Vijay  , extension’s centre  in charge of BVBI-Tirupati-India.

Classes continue in Gweru, Zimbabwe

APRIL 2024 NARRATIVE REPORT

INTRODUCTION

We always give glory and honour to God who gives us the ability and zeal to advance the cause of His kingdom. We are always grateful when we look back in the month and see the hand of God in a number of areas. To Him, we remain grateful. This report gives a glimpse to some of the issues that transpired in the month in academics, infrastructure and projects. Please find these, hereunder;

1.    FIELD PROGRAM

Field program shall commence on the 1st of May in various areas. The majority of the students arrived at their stations on the 30th of April. The program shall run until the 14th of October. This is in addition to the various practicums that the students underwent prior to this current one culminating into a one full year of practicum. Each camp has a supervisor supervising it. The distribution of students is as follows;

Congregation                                                            Students

Choto, Gokwe South                                     Lewis and Ruvarashe Chibiku

Mutora (Nembudziya)-Gokwe North             Munyaradzi Muzoma and Zivanai Mubi

Nhakiwa & Chemapango-Murewa                Milton Ruredzo and Dzingai Mugova

Borrowdale-Harare                                          Deron Kuwaza and Zivanai Mubi

Mt. Darwin-Mash Central                               Chris Marunga and Munyaradzi Muzoma

Mazambara –Masvingo                                 Hosea Mushaiwa

Checheche-Manicaland                                  Deron Kuwaza

Nerutanga-Buhera                                         Perspective Zindoga

Ngangu-Chimanimani                                      Mactivish Magadaire

The next report shall detail activities that would have transpired during the first month of the practicum.

2.    APRIL PARALLEL CLASSES

Parallel classes proceeded well in April at Nhowe and Gweru respectively. The following subjects were done at Nhowe; Sign Language, Life of Christ, Scheme of Redemption and Personal Work. The following were done at Gweru; Church Growth, Advanced Homiletics, Greek, Church Leadership and Pastoral Epistles. Some of these are still ongoing.

3.    PROJECTS

In April, the school planted about 900 cabbages and 300 butternuts. The maize crop planted at the end of March is doing well. These projects remain critical in the provision of life survival skills to students including better nutrition and an extra dollar to the school.

4.    CLASSROOM BLOCK

The anticipated foundation to the classroom block began to be worked on the 10th of April using the available funds. To date, the following have been done; setting out, trenching, clearance of vegetation, footing and construction of the box. A further $29 000 is needed to complete the structure beyond this foundation level. Any assistance is highly welcome.

CONCLUSION

We thank God for the development we keep witnessing at BVBIZ, both within the students and infrastructural development. Such a progress would not have been possible without the sacrifices you have been making towards the school. We remain grateful for your spiritual, moral, material and financial support. To God be the glory!

41 baptisms in Zambia campaign

April 2024

Report

INTRODUCTION

For the past five weeks the BVBI-Zambia has experienced another deep relationship with the Lord. While attending the Sunday assemblies and mid-week Bible studies is an important and necessary part of our spiritual maturity in our Christian life. The month of April was another unique month in us preaching Christ to the world, we have learned through our preaching how people show a desire to know God’s word better and keep us in touch with each other.

Whatever time we have spend together with Christians and non Christians has really helped us and encouraged us to be strong in the Lord as we have encouraged others we believe.

Our Evangelism in North-western province

This has been our evangelistic trip with our second year students outside copper belt province where we are. In this trip we took other thirteen youths in our district since we expected to meet with other youths in north-western province. We arrived there on 26th April and we were there for four days. We preached and distributed tracts and the work was marvelous.

The leadership at central Church of Christ was not only impressed with how zealous our students worked, but were amazed to see how they preached with all boldness. We also met with other leaders in the district and expressed interest to send their youths to BVBI-Zambia.

We thank Brother Donnie Estep who worked tirelessly for this trip to come to reality; we look forward to more of such trips for practical work in our field. We had a good harvest of souls all of them youths

Our local Outreach on Copper Belt Province

We have continued to work with congregations on the copper belt province and our students have started preaching in different congregations as they are assigned on each first day of the week. Mostly we receive call from the leadership appreciating their work. We have mid-week bible studies, youths, women and Sunday school.

This work is now bearing fruit; most of the congregants are appreciating the work of these preachers and the existing of the Institute

 Total Baptisms recorded

We have recorded forty-one (41) Baptisms for the month of April. It was with much happiness to see Geofrey Mbewe,Hildah Mbango, Emmanuel Masondi,Ziwase Tembo,Hanna Chanda, Selina Kabunda,Getrude Simuyuni, Emmanuel Sapalalo,Judith Musenga,Stella Kantontoka, Grey Zyaambo,Siabasimbi Maxwell, David Kankombe, Ketty Japeza, Nance Kasonda, Felax Gongwe,Salifyanji Moyo, Taonga Nj’ambe, veronica, Handsone and Matidah added to the family of God here on the copper belt and north-western province respectively. Our prayers are with these new born babes in Christ

Total Restorations!

During our Sunday assemblies and students preaching we recorded nineteen (19) restorations. We also had six Christians, who came asking for prayers, and we also had unusual encounter with a young man and a lady who feinted and believed to have been possessed by demons but, the situation came to normal after prayer and the two were taught the gospel.

 Our school garden  

In the spirit of keeping survival skills alive the Institute has continued to plant vegetables in garden, we have planted egg plants and onion and they are well managed by the students. We pray that all works for the betterment of our students  in this garden management we are doing!

Recruitment going on well

We have started our recruitment for 2025-2026 intakes and it is going on well and very promising to have another exciting body of students

Progress in acquiring the land

We are making a progress in acquiring a land where we can begin to build the institute, the land has been given and we are doing the best we can to start building once we finish the payments.

Condolences

Everyone at BVBI-Zambia and the congregation here in Luanshya offer their love and Sympathy to Granton Mwela one of our current student, Granton lost his biological father. Our hearts are filled with love and sympathy for Daniel Manyoni and Richard Chicago and all the family on the death of their grandparents. Daniel and Richard are our current students and both lost their grandparents in the same month. Please pray for our students at this traumatic time.

This is such a blow!                              

Conclusion

Our aim is to live a life of devotion and training others to submit to Christ and becoming like Christ Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and delivered himself up for me.” The question is how strong is our desire to know Christ?

We always give glory and honor to or

God because your relationship with the Lord is “heart deep” in supporting us in this noble work.

Brotherly,

Cephas and Fred

Campaign in Ghana yields great results

April 2024 report

May God's peace and mercy be with us all, and let us give glory to God for his blessings during this month of April. Many activities have been carried out, especially evangelism, which is a primordial activity in the evangelist's work.

IBBV:

His course comes to an end in April.

1. RTAO..................Akovi Esperance

2. I and II Corinthians...... Akovi Esperance

3. Gospel according to John........... Attah Komi Ekpe

4. Galatians to 2 Thessalonians ... Attah Komi Ekpe

5. Hebrews..........................Cephas

6. Doctrine of Denomination... Cephas

A two-week break and classes resume on 06 May 2024

Second-quarter courses starting in May 2024.

1. Homiletics II:.............. ATTAH

2. The Little Prophets: .......ATTAH

3. Evidences Chrétiennes: CEPHAS

4. Preaching work: CEPHAS

5. Local church planting and development: .....ESPERANCE

6. Hermeneutics: ..........ESPERANC

7. Church history: .....BEDJELSI Fidèle

Guest:

During this term, a teacher will come and teach the following course: Church History. Evangelist Fidèle Bedjelsi in Kara will come to teach this course to students.

Evangelism:

1. A great deal of work was carried out during the month in Kpalime and Côte d'Ivoire. From April 15 to 21, a team of 6 joined the brothers in Ghana for a week's evangelism: 3 days in BONDOUKOU and 3 days in TANDA. In each of these towns, two (2) people were baptized.

2. In the work plan, two assemblies are to be set up: one in Glekope and another in Danyi-Ndigbe. Through teamwork, two people were baptized in Gleykope, and a new assembly was baptized at the beginning of May. For the month of May, two three-day evangelizations are planned in Lavie-Apedome and Temedja. Teams are hard at work in these localities to get good results from the evangelization campaigns.

Note: an unprepared campaign will not produce lasting results. Those who convert often abandon the church, which is why we need to change the method: prepare the ground several weeks before the evangelistic campaign.

The results of the South Togo teams.

1. Kpalime : 6

2. Kpele: 5

3. Agou : 4

4. Fiokpo: 0

5. Lome: 8

6. Tsevie and Dalavé: 3

7. Atakpame: 3

8. Temedja: 3

9. Blita: 5

10. Notse: 3

Graduation in Accra, Ghana

 Bear Valley Bible Institute, Accra  

End of April 2024 Operating Report

We give thanks to the Lord for His guidance and blessings throughout April 2024. It has been a month filled with growth, learning, and spiritual outreach. Below are the highlights of our activities for the month.

Academic Activities

April marked the beginning of a new quarter for our diploma class. Esteemed Bro Amoo Gyima led the students through enriching courses such as “The Life of Christ” and “Christian Evidences,” while “Scheme of Redemption” by Kojo, “Homiletics 1” by Shadrach Oppong, “Old Testament II and Godhead” by E. O. Larbi, and other subjects were also part of the curriculum. The dedication of both students and faculty has been commendable, ensuring a robust and spiritually enriching academic environment.

Gospel Campaign

Our commitment to spreading the Word took the form of a church planting campaign that spanned two weeks, with activities conducted day and night. Although we did not witness any baptisms this month, we were blessed with the presence of three visiting prospects and the initiation of three new members. We remain hopeful that the seeds planted will bear fruit in God’s perfect timing.

Leadership Seminar

The ongoing weekly leadership seminar at Akotoakrom, spearheaded by Bro E.O Larbi and Bro Sasu Ntim, has proven effective and transformative. The seminar has been instrumental in equipping our leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to shepherd the flock and spread the gospel more effectively.

Working and Education on BV Library

Sammy has been moving around helping to resolve the network connection of the library, fixing errors, and educating its use to instructors and students. This month, he visited Koforidua and Accra East to help fix connection challenges. There was a peculiar error i.e. javascript error after connecting the laptop or phone. He is searching for how to resolve this to keep other students in touch and enjoy its use.

There were common questions students normally asked, “Can it be accessed everywhere I go,” and he answered, “It is a local area network.” Only when you are within the radius of the Wi-Fi yet, the school is working on upgrading it to be used worldwide.

Instructors and students love using it because it contains many books you can access.

Graduation and Matriculation Ceremonies

April 20th, 2024, was a historic day for our institution as we celebrated the 6th Graduation and 7th Matriculation ceremony for our Diploma class, alongside the 1st Graduation ceremony for our Degree class, which saw 12 students proudly receiving their degrees. The 2nd Matriculation ceremony was also held on this day. The events were not only successful but also memorable, marked by joyous celebrations and a spirit of camaraderie. As is our tradition, the ceremonies included a fundraising event, which received generous support from the churches. The funds raised will be instrumental in furthering our mission and supporting our students.

We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support of our partners, alumni, and friends of the college. Your prayers and contributions have been the cornerstone of our success. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly.

Radio Programme

A new contract has been signed with Top Radio (TOP MEDIA GROUP). We still appeal to you to help by paying the full contract price for us to enable us to reach as many listeners as possible. We were able to reach as many as about Fifteen (15) to Twenty (twenty) people a week. We visited two homes a week to teach and instruct.

We thank our Lord God for these activities. We pray that He gives us strength all the time to work more.

Report by E.O. Larbi, Director

Tanzanian directors visit the United States

Grace and Peace to you friends. 

Recently, Charles Mwanga and Ahimidiwe Kimaro, the local directors of the Andrew Connally School of Preaching (BVBII-Arusha), had the chance to visit America.  Below are Ahimidiwe’s reflections on the trip:

ACSOP Directors trip to US.

“I thank God for been with us in all the time that we had in America and taking us back home safe. Also I will not forget brothers who have been a big help for us and took us where we were supposed to be.

Our intention in traveling to the US was to give thanks to the churches, brothers and sister, for the fact that they have been supporting ACSOP and evangelism efforts without even knowing any local people. This is an encouragement for me when you are trusted that much. I know there some we could not reach due to the time limit but perhaps God will provide another time one day and bring our gratitude to you. Philippians 1:3–8 (NKJV): “3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”

We were able to reach many churches, schools and many leaders of the church. in different states. For instance, Mission Group at Freed-Hardeman University, Huntingdon church, leaders at Shady Grove church in Missouri, South Green St. church Kentucky, Hoover Church, Maysville church, elders and other leaders of Union Grove at Cleveland, Tn, West Side church in  Salem,  Virginia, Burn Flat church, 2nd and Adams church in Oklahoma, College Station elders and deacons in Texas, Keller TX, Tyler TX, Henderson TX, Longview, TX Faulkner University and many other brothers and sisters around places we visited.

Its hard to me to believe how these brothers were happy and appreciative to see us in their congregation. The positive minds and true love motivated these brothers and churches to show hospitality to us all. Some have used their extra time to make sure we are comfortable there. I have learned many things on this trip, one of it is try to your level best to trust others even if out of their sight. Some of these brothers have a great faith on us and the ACSOP although they have never been there or see any local people by sending money over. That is a great faith.

Special thanks to some of our brothers who made this possible, Sidney Aultman and His family, (Hoover church elders) Daniel Gaines and his family, John Hall and his family, Michael Pruett from Huntngdon church, Brad Whinery and his wife. May God bless you for your extra time to Lord’s work in Tanzania.

In His Work.

Ahimidiwe Kimaro

Evangelism work in Guinea

Our fraternal greetings to Bear Valley International and to all our donors who financially and materially support God's work in Guinea.

Please receive our report of activity for the month of March 2024

Introduction. 

This report is a summary of all the activities, events, and highlights of the 31 days of March 2024.

I-Teaching in class room 

During the month of March, we had a 2 week break. We resumed class on March 25, 2024. During the rest of the days of the month, Fara François Tenguiano taught local church development for over 35 hours. The teaching results are satisfactory.

II- Rapid training

A fast-track training session for congregation leaders was organized from 15 to 25 March 2024. A total of 10 people received basic doctrinal and leadership training to lead the local congregations. Among them were 4 people from denominations, but after two days of teaching the 5 elements of true worship that God accepts. Three of them obeyed the Gospel of salvation and were immediately baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.

On the last day of training, the remaining person decided to follow Jesus in his church, and was also baptized to become simply a Christian.

III-Evangelism 

In this section we talk about the results of all the activities directly linked to the conversion of lost souls as follows:

1-Evangelism campaign

The first week of the month devoted to the evangelism campaign with the aim of saving lost souls edified brothers and sisters of the congregations concerned.

The villages of Gbolonin, N'Diafassou, and Yende Bawa were visited by evangelism teams. The results of the campaign is 3 baptism.

2-Work of evangelism teams.

We report on the evangelistic efforts of the teams during the 31 days of March. Under the coordination of Brother Francis Musa, teams from Conakry and Gueckedou made a missionary journey along the Dabola, Banko, and Kissidougou route. For a eleven days starting on March 06, 2024, they evangelized, exhorted, publicly and personally the communities they passed through. They edified and encouraged the brothers and sisters in Christ of the congregations in the towns they visited.

They did not record any baptisms, but they sowed the good seed in the hope that God, through His Spirit, would cause the truth to germinate, leading to conversions later on.

Then, the Yaradou Kongonani and Tekoulo evangelism teams, led respectively by Eloi Tolno and Malaya Simbiano, have succeeded in planting two new local congregations in different area: in the village of Yombou, with 5 converts, and in the village of Bandikoulo, with 9 people baptized.

IV-Black page

It is with bitter hearts that we inform you of the untimely death of our brother in Christ Justin Malaya Simbiano on March 05, 2024

Biography: Justin Malaya Simbiano was born in 1986 in Ledoumboulo, father of 5 children, including 2 daughters. He was one of the first graduates of the Bear Valley Institute in Gueckedou on 14/3/2020. He became an evangelist preacher for the Ledoumboulo congregation. 

With his courage and commitment to God's work, he was chosen as evangelism team leader for the Tekoulo zone. He led the planting activities of the Bandikoulo congregation on 20 to 23 March 2024

He also participated in the closing of the rapid training on March 25, 2024, lovingly exhorting and encouraging new evangelists to embrace the Lord's work. That same day he was honored to officiate the baptism of one of the students who had not yet been baptized into the Church of Christ. See photo.

Our brother Malaya Simbiano died after a short illness with tears in his eyes for God's work and for his family responsibility.

Conclusion 

With regard to the above-mentioned evangelism results of 17 people baptized and two new local congregations established.

We thank God for his spiritual guidance.

We also thank our coordinator Steven Ashcraft for his financial, material and managerial support in the progress of the church in Guinea.

We also thank the coordinator of the evangelism teams, Brother Francis Musa and these different teams for their commitment night and day at every season favorable or not in evangelism and the planting of local congregations.

We would also like to thank Bear Valley International, through whom all this has seen the light of day in Guinea.

We thank the brothers and sisters who contribute to the flourishing of church of Christ in Guinea.

We end this report with this passage from the Bible which says << For God is not unjust, to forget your work and the love you have shown for his name, having rendered and still rendering service to the saints. We desire that each of you will show the same zeal to keep full hope to the end, so that you don`t grow slack, but imitate those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.>> Hebrews 6:10-12

Niouma 2 Kamano

Administrative Assistant 

Two Conversions in Ukraine

I want to share with you the latest news from Ukraine and the Ukrainian churches of Christ. Fierce fighting in Ukraine still continues. The Russian military still continues to push forward along the front lines. Every day they push back Ukrainians 200-500 meters. The Russians are using air bombs and unfortunately Ukrainians have no effective anti-aircraft defense guns. Also, the Russians are destroying critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine. During the last month the Russians have destroyed thermal power plants, railroad stations and electricity grids. Russia has scaled up its relentless aggression against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine in recent days.

The damage to civilian infrastructure has led to a fight for survival for Ukrainians who have been learning to live in perpetual mortal danger and – quite literally – growing darkness. The Russian missiles are not accurate and therefore many civilians are dying every day. The Ukrainian authorities have been forced to introduce planned power outages to prevent Ukraine’s remaining energy infrastructure from being overloaded, causing disruption to civilian life. 

It is a disaster for our country because the next winter is round the corner and it will be a huge challenge for our government and for our people. The electricians will try to repair the damages but as of now more than 50% of Ukraine’s power infrastructure has been destroyed. Unfortunately, the world is tired of the war in Ukraine and the funds that are being allocated to aid Ukraine are far from enough. Therefore, we are preparing for the worst. We still are trusting the Lord and pray that He would protect Ukraine. It is time for the churches of Christ to sow the seeds of the Word of God. To our great joy, we have good results: one of our graduates Oleg Fofanov is conducting great work in the vineyard of the Lord.

Last week, thanks to Oleg’s efforts and God’s grace, two ladies have been added to the body of Christ. Also, in the cities of Bila Tserkva, Chernivtsi, Kramatorsk and other locations, our brethren are distributing humanitarian aid  packages. While they give out humanitarian aid packages they preach the gospel to the refugees. In our Bible Institute we continue to teach Bible classes. Last month the Book of Daniel (the teacher was Vladimir Paziy) and the Gospel of Luke (the teacher was Dmitry Galyuk) were taught. Also, we conducted a magistrate education course (the teacher was Jerry Bates); the course was on planning and development of the church. This is a great opportunity for our graduates to receive new knowledge and become part of our staff. I am grateful for your prayers and the help that you give to Ukraine every day. This is a very heavy psychological burden for everyone who is inside the country. Every family, every child needs a prayer and support. May the Lord be with you and keep you, 

Your brother Dennis Sopelnik

Graduation in India

Dear Brethren in Christ, 

I am very happy to bring warm greetings and update on the Preachers Training School work in Visakhapatnam. It's always wonderful to hear that you and your family are doing well by the grace of God. Congratulations to the 10th graders at Skinner's garden on completing their exams, and I join you in eagerly awaiting their results. It's always a joy to celebrate the achievements of students and to see their hard work come to fruition.

Dear Brethren, It's truly inspiring to hear about the dedication and success of your evangelism efforts in India, despite the challenges faced. Sending out another 11 graduates into real-world ministry is a testament to the passion and commitment instilled in them through their education and practical training. The jealousy to preach the word that these graduates develop speaks volumes about the transformative power of biblical education and hands-on experience in evangelism. Providing them with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills equips them to effectively spread the Good News in diverse settings and contexts.

The support and partnership of the Lake Houston church of Christ, as well as the Elders and brethren at Strickland, have been invaluable in the success of your ministry over the past 14 years. Their continued support, including providing bicycles and megaphones for the graduates, demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing the Kingdom of God and empowering these young men for ministry. The partnership with the Farmersville church of Christ, and the support of individuals like Jerry and Paula Bates, further strengthens the ministry and expands its reach. Together, these collaborative efforts are making a significant impact, evidenced by the growth and strength of the church in India.

As we continue to celebrate the achievements of our graduates and the growth of the church, may you be encouraged and blessed by the fruits of their  labor. Your dedication to spreading the Gospel and nurturing young leaders is making a lasting difference in the lives of many, and your ministry serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration.

It's truly inspiring to hear Brother Keith Kasarjian and his valuable contributions to the preachers gathered. His willingness to teach about essential leadership in the Church and share insights on successful evangelistic approaches from the first century demonstrates his commitment to nurturing and equipping leaders for Lord's ministry.

Visiting congregations in Visakhapatnam and worshiping with them further strengthens the bonds within the broader Christian community and provides opportunities for mutual learning and encouragement. It's evident that Brother Keith's regular visits to India have had a significant impact on your ministry and the lives of those he interacts with.

I join you in expressing gratitude to Brother Keith for his dedication and support, as well as to the Elders of Bear Valley for their mission-mindedness and commitment to spreading the Gospel. May God continue to bless and guide all those involved in ministry, both locally and internationally, and may their efforts bear much fruit for the Kingdom. 

Attached pictures showing the wonderful event of the Graduation Ceremony of the Class of 2024, blessed to be able to bless these graduates with a Bicycle, Mega Phone, Study Bible English/Telugu, other Christian Literature along with Voice of Truth International, great day of celebration. May God continue to bless you all richly for the sake of His Kingdom. 

With prayers and blessings,

in Christ,

John Dean Muppidi

Visakha Valley Bible College

All around education in Accra, Ghana

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, ACCRA

End of March Operating Report, 2024

Glory be to God for His mercies throughout the month’s activities. We did not encounter any health challenges. This month marks the end of first quarter activities.

Class Room Activities

During this month, the students were taught a short course on personal Evangelism 1. This was taught by Emmanuel Gyasi-Quansah for a week. Also, all assignments and research papers were done and submitted to instructors. Our instructors did well to accomplish all lessons and examinations.

Number of Students

Ten (10) men have been admitted to the diploma program. Admission is ongoing as we visit congregations to find faithful men with the desire to further their education in Biblical studies.

New School Building Project

We are thankful to God for Mt. Home Church and Brother Steven for raising funds to finish the ground floor. The work is ongoing. Currently, the contractor is fixing the conduit, windows, and other fixtures.

Evangelism Campaign

We thank God for this work during the week's activities. The students and campaign team (alumni) together carried out this work. With effective fasting and prayers, the message was delivered. During the campaign, we baptized four (4) souls and restored three (3) members. We also had a couple who helped us to accomplish the work. During the public preaching, the following topics were treated:

18th - Sin and Its Consequences, Repentance and Baptism) - Evans Awuku

19th - Repentance and Baptism - John Acquah

20th - The Church - Br Shadrach Oppong

21st - Dispensation of the Bible - Arhin Joas

22nd - Worship - Ebenezer Amoasi

23rd - Heaven - Silas Adjei

A large audience from the adjoining villages participated and many asked questions and we helped to understand. On Sunday, we had our first fellowship with them and broke bread. Attendance was Seven (7) new Christians, Five (5) non-Christians, and seven (7) members of the evangelical team. The total attendance was Nineteen (19).

Excursion

On March 4, Sammy and the students visited Blackman Fish farm to study animal husbandry to start ours when we move to our new building. There were different kinds of farms. These include fish, crocodiles, pigs, sheep, bees etc. He took us through the farm and educated us on its establishment.

Bachelor's degree class

This class is ongoing. Currently, the second batch is in the section. They had their first class in Greek with Samuel Papa-Woode as their instructor. The class was very interesting as he exercised patience in teaching them. Ten (10) students were present for the course.

Workshop: BVBI Directors

It was a great day as we organized a workshop for the directors of the Extension Schools on our new project: Digital Library, and coming together as Bear Valley Bible Institute Family. The directors present were Joshua - Takoradi, Daniel - Cape Coast, Emmanuel - Kasoa Ashtown, Amoo-Gyimah - Kasoa Papaase, Peter - Accra East, E.O Larbi-Accra Doboro, Daniel - Sunyani, Adjei Mensah - Tamale, Alex - Kumasi, Larbi Young - Koforidua; Steven and Karen, Kojo, Sammy, and Accra school staff.

These men were present during the course on how to install the Server and the WiFi device and connect to external devices. Steven took them through the class. Every director was allowed to practice installation and how to use the digital library. Steven and Kojo enlightened us on the aim of the Bear Valley Bible Institute Family and the way forward.

We also agreed to organize a yearly seminar for all Bear Valley Bible Institute Students on the true doctrine of Christ and His church. A committee was formed to organize this year’s seminar. Members of the committee include Joshua, Sammy, Gyasi-Quansah, and Alex. Currently, the committee is working out to have its first seminar in 2025.

The workshop was successful as all left with happiness.

Leadership Class For Akotoakrom Church

Having planted the Akotoakrom church, we had the opportunity to encourage the men to give diligent attention to the doctrine and church works. We scheduled leadership training, which was dated every Saturday to educate them on the way of Christ. On our first meeting, Sammy and E.O. Larbi met at one of the public school’s rooms and E.O. Larbi taught them the art of worship. They were assigned prayer and exhortation at our next meeting to practice what was taught to them. Many questions were asked and were taught to be faithful to Christ.

Conclusion

We are grateful to God for the wonderful work done this month. We are hoping to do more in April. We implore you to keep praying with us as we remember our new brethren at Akotuakrom for the love of God.

Peace and mercies be with us all.

Report By E. O. Larbi

Strong evangelism in Accra East

Bear Valley Bible Institute International, Accra East

First Quarter Reports- 2024

Courses Taken

The first quarter was started on the 05th, the first Friday in January 2024. The quarter ended on last Saturday in March which was on 30, 2024. Within this quarter the school was able to complete three courses, and these are as follows:

·        The book of 1,2 & 3 John

·        The book of James

·        The book of Galatians

 House-to-House Evangelism 

The house-to-house evangelism went on in three communities. These were Gomoa Asebu, Santor, and Awutu Breku Twiime. There are congregations in those communities. The students were sent to those congregations on rotational bases, two or one student on every Sunday. With these, three baptisms were recorded all took place at Awutu Breku, Twiime.

However, the first major evangelism campaign of the school took place at Gomoa Asebu on 29th-31st March, 2024.   We also took that opportunity to visit the backsliders and encouraged them to come to church. The students who were able to take part were eight (8). We also had few members at Gomoa Asebu church who also joined us. The rest of the students who couldn’t make it to Gomoa Asebu will go and do follow up on next week. No baptism was recorded. But good news is that one of our prospects promised to baptize next week on 07th April 2024. He even came to church and worshipped with us on the Sunday.  Our campaign led to the increase in the church attendance as many of the backsliders also came to church.    

Report on Awutu Breku Twiime, church 

Awutu Breku Twimee church of Christ is the product of Bear Valley church planting program.  It was planted last year September 24, 2023 by Accra East. By the end of first quarter, 2024 the church has recorded three baptisms. The average attendance is twenty-five (25). Accra East students have been going there on rotational bases on every Sunday. Sometimes two and sometimes one student. The students also did a free will contribution and were able to buy eight (8) galvanize pipes to put up a temporary structure on a plot of land offered to them by one of their members.

This year 2024 church planting program 

This year church planting will take place at Achanisa-Abobiri in the Eastern Region. It is a small village, a cocoa community. The campaign and inauguration of the church will take place on 26th -28th April, 2024. During our feasibility studies we saw that the community has only five denominational churches, this were, The Church of Pentecost, Bethel Church, Calvary church, Presbyterian Church and Divine Healing church. They are Akan speaking community.   One of the students, Akwasi Mamah who is the resident in that community will manage the church after the inauguration.

The full program will be forwarded to the Administrator and the Coordinator, Doboro-Accra for their attention.

Item received 

New Lap top(s), and the Internet Router for research works were given to Accra East campus. I acknowledged receipt of the machines and expressed my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the management of Bear Valley, Local and International.   

Digital library enhancing education in Kasoa, Ghana

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE – PAPAASE (KASOA, GHANA)

REPORT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER (JANUARY TO MARCH) 2024

The grace of God through Jesus Christ has once again found favor with us – Bear Valley Bible Institute family in the entire world. As a result of this, the period has come for Papaasi School in the Central Region of Ghana to review her work for the first period of the year 2024.

I.            SCHOOL BODY

Last year (2023) April, six of our students did graduate without certificates because they were yet to complete the required courses. It will interest you to note that they had completed the rest of the courses and that this year, precisely in April they would be awarded their diploma.

Bear Valley (Papaasi) can boast of continuing students of six. Since the reopened of the school in January, six more students were enrolled. The students population now stands at twelve (12).

II.            DIGITAL LIBRARY

Just last month, Emmanuel Amoo-Gyimah received a Digital Library Equipment (comprise, a router and a server) on behalf the school from Brother Stephen Ashcraft. This equipment had more than ten thousand articles and other reading materials. This has enhanced teaching and learning. Reading and other research works had been made easier for students.

Pictures enclosed indicating students’ busy working on the digital library in class.

III.            CHALLENGES FIRST QUARTER CAMPAIGN

On the school drawing board were activities to be organized as from 29th to 31st March at the newly planted church at Mankomeda. As activities were made up of: Tracts and Pamphlets Distributions & House to House Evangelism. The program would be ran up with Worship and “food fellowship.”  

As at the time of writing this report, with mixed feelings, the school could not raise enough money for the said program.

On behalf of the preacher at our newly planted church, I wish plead with our readers to come to the aid of him. The preacher Daniel K. Nkrumah is a married man with four children.

IV.            NO PLANTING OF NEW CHURCH IN 2024

Management, teaching staff and students has come into an agreement that there will not be church planting this year. The reasons being that, we would like to focus on the growth of the newly Mankomeda. Besides, our preacher is not well-cater for monetary.

Furthermore, the church is worshiping a school which belongs to the public. We need to buy a plot of land to put up a meeting place. As such we are asking our readers to come to our aid in both cash and in kind.  

Compiled by Emmanuel Yaw Amoo-Gyimah

(School Director)

Cooperation is key in Koforidua, Ghana

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, KOFORIDUA, GHANA

First Quarter 2024

INTRODUCTION

Once again we need to be grateful to our Creator for taking care of us through 2023. May He continue to bless us as we strive to serve Him better in His Kingdom.

STUDENTS

Nine of our students are graduating coming April 20, 2024 leaving ten continuing students including one new student, Emmanuel Coffie.

CLASSES

We have had three courses taught: Denominational Doctrine and Godhead was handled by Paul Larbi Young and Hermeneutics 1 was taught by Emmanuel Yaw Amoo-Gyimah.

STUDENTS ACTIVITIES

Students from the local congregation have continued to be sent to work with some smaller congregation that we have started to teach and preach.

Students went and helped their colleague who has been engaged by a congregation nearly in a public preaching. Speakers for the programme were students on Sunday, all the appointments were handled by the students.

New leaders have been selected to lead the continuing students with Ebenezer Agyiri as their prefect.

DIGITAL LIBRARY

We are grateful for the router and the server sent for the school to use. We will put these materials to good use.

CAMPAIGNING FOR NEW STUDENTS

We will continue to do our best to campaign for new students to keep the school active.

CONCLUSION

We pray the good Lord will continue to bless our supporters and the school as a whole so that through our effort many will be brought into the knowledge of our saviour Jesus Christ for salvation.

Reported by Gyan-Mante

New church plant thriving in Ash Town, Ghana

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, ASH TOWN, KASOA – GHANA

First Quarter Report, 2024

INTRODUCTION

We thank God for ushering us into the New Year 2024. May His name be praised forever and ever. Below are happenings in the first quarter 2024 of Bear Valley Bible Institute, Ash town, Kasoa, Ghana.

ADMISSION OF NEW STUDENT

The school admitted Sister Evelyn Owusu, a University graduate who showed interest in studying the Bible with us during this quarter, making our number add up to 14 students.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Three courses were taught during this quarter. The book of Galatians, Pastoral Epistles and World Religion were all handled by Emmanuel Larbi. Fourteen students took part in these courses.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Students who preach for local congregations taught and exhort brethren during this quarter. Brother Michael Oberkoh Teye was very instrumental during this quarter. He assisted Rock City congregation in Kasoa in Sunday Bible Studies and public preaching. Nyanyano Church also invited him to give a health talk during this period. The rest of the students also helped their respective Congregations in Teachings and exhortations.
UPDATE ON ADOM ESTATE CHURCH

The Director visited the congregation for the first time after its establishment to see the progress of the church on 24th January, 2024. Baptized members in attendance on that day was 48 and the children were 27 in number. I was glad to see three students leading the congregation. Sister Charity Boadu Quansah who is also a current student, has handled the children's class since the church started.

After service, I met with the leadership to discuss my observations with them and gave out suggestions on how things can be improved.

In March, I visited them again to see whether the suggestions I gave them have been implemented. There has been improvement since the last time I visited them.

FOLLOW UP

On the 3rd February, 2024, students embarked on follow up at Adom Estate community using the prospect forms they had filled during September, 2023 Campaign.

BAPTISMS

We had three (3) baptisms as a result of students' efforts.

DIGITAL LIBRARY

We have received a digital library from Bear Valley, USA, which will help us in our program of study. Students have been introduced to the library and have started using it. We are grateful to the School for giving us this library.

STUDENT PROFILE

Samuel Owusu Akoto is our student personality for this quarter. He is 35 years of age.15thMay, 2004 was when he got baptized. Samuel is married to sister Doris Aziegah who is also a member of the Lord’s church with two children. He is a Janitor for a Savings and Loans institution in Kasoa. He is a Youth leader at Opaeikuma church in Kasoa. He helps the church in teachings and exhortations. He is industrious. Sam says since joining Bear Valley School he has got much knowledge in sermon preparation and it has also challenged him to study more.

CONCLUSION

We are very much grateful to the Leadership of Bear Valley Bible Institute, USA and the Brotherhood for supporting the school in all aspects. May the good Lord richly you all and replenish whatever you have lost.

Reported by Larbi.

Church plant plans in Ghana

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, NSAWAM, GHANA

FIRST QUARTER REPORT, 2024

Introduction

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The following were our activities for the first quarter of 2024.

Classroom Activities

There were three courses offered this quarter; Homiletics 2 and Hermeneutics 2 both taught by Emmanuel Amoo-Gyimah and Galatians, taught by Wisdom Yirenkyi.

Evangelism and Church Planting

Preparations are still ongoing to ensure that our campus plants a church at Akotoshie in Accra this year God willing.

Impact on Congregations

Our students continue to teach and preach in their local congregations and make a massive impact. What we hear of our current students is nothing but praise. This certainly is due to the sound teaching our students receive at the feet of our instructors. Long may this continue.

Student Profile

Brother Shadrack Ojun is the student we are focusing on for this quarter. He is one of the leaders of the student group at Nsawam. He attends the Nsawam Road church of Christ where he serves as a new converts’ class teacher. He also works for the World Bible School. He is very promising and we are glad to have him with us.  

Conclusion

We are grateful for Bear Valley’s assistance during this quarter. We pray God’s blessings in this regard. And brethren, please continue to pray for us.

Kind regards,

N.Y. Aidoo

Gaining valuable experience in Uganda

Greetings in the mighty name of our lord Jesus Christ. 

The month of March has been a good one. The work of the lord gives a difference in many parts of the country.  We thank God for strengthening his people in this venture. 

Bear  Valley Uganda is growing - the men are pushing on to the heights of learning.  Last Sunday  through our  evangelism programs, one soul was baptized by one of our students, who goes every Sunday to help evangelize communities.

Bear Valley Uganda is planning evangelism that will take us to all the four corners of the country.  Men went home on Friday to go first meet their families for a few days so that we can set the ball rolling until the end of the month, which is when we will be closing the term officially.  We will work hand in hand with the congregations from where these men come from. This is having them take the practical part of what they are studying in class. 

We just finished Homiletics 2. It has been a week of laughter and crying as men receive criticism for the sermons they have been presenting.  I loved the class and enjoyed teaching them.  Pray for the success of this program as men go out to the lost souls. 

We always pray for you and for the continued support given to us such that these men train. May the almighty God continue blessing you .

Until all have heard, 

Raymond 

Great things happening in Benin City!

FIRST QUARTER REPORT OF BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA.

Greetings from all of us at Bear Valley Bible Institute, Benin extension school. We thank God Almighty for the Bear Valley family for the unflinching support given to us to aid our commitment to training preachers and providing manpower to local congregations in Benin City and its environs.

We had seamless academic activities in the first quarter. In both centres, Galatians, Romans, first and second Peter and Jude were taught by brothers Andrew Osatohanmen, Enne Everest, Daniel Fidelis and Dunia Christopher respectively.

On evangelism, the school collaborated with a very young congregation for a one day street evangelism where we did house to house preaching and also position our public address systems at two different locations for open air preaching. Brother Fidelis Daniel, an instructor at Bear Valley spoke in one of the locations on “The New Testament Church” Brother Felix Ehigiator, the Preacher of Iguosa congregation spoke on “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” There are testimonies to the fact that many of the people we met during the outreach were in church on the 1st of April, 2024. We will continue to follow them up and pray that God give increase in due time.

Similarly, the family of Brother Matthew and Sister Chidinma Megwai are presently in grieve as a result of the demise of their son. The young couple are students of Bear Valley school but lost concentration since the birth of their baby, Kedrick nine months ago as the baby was diagnosed of a hole in the heart. He passed away on the 27th of March, 2024. Remember them in your prayers.

The management of Benin School has from inception been providing lecture materials in hard copies for the students free of charge to encourage them despite the high cost of printing materials. This would have been difficult but for the support of the Bear Valley family. Thus, we say thanks to all our sponsors, once again. 

The individual and collective efforts of the staff and students of Bear Valley, Benin Centre is yielding results as we record baptism on regular basis.

God bless you all for your work of love.

Dunia Christopher,

Bear Valley Bible Institute,

Benin City, Edo State