A Trip To The US And Back...

It has been a while since my last report as I have spent much of the past 2 months traveling from place to place in the U.S. My trip home included stops in Chicago, IL, Green Bay, WI, Greenbrier, AR, Fort Worth, TX, Denver, CO, Shiprock, NM, and Phoenix, AZ. I was really blessed to be taken care of by so many wonderful people during my travels, the Hansens, McCulloms, Wilsons, Wilkies, Keeles, and of course my mom, Virginia Hielen. While it is somewhat disconcerting to no longer have a place of my own to call home in the U.S. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who not only make sure I have a place to lay my head, but do so much more. I am living Matthew 19:29. On this trip one person in particular went well out of his way to help me along, so I want to say a special thank you to Jack Wilkie for everything. Words cannot express how much I love you all!

This trip was one of two trips back to the U.S. this year. Besides visiting supporting congregations, this trip was scheduled to allow me to attend the first Masters in Missions classes conducted by the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. This course is designed for both those who are contemplating entering the mission field as well as for those who have already ventured out. The course allows the students to complete nearly all the requirements while working in the mission field, with the exception of the two classes I just attended. I am not sure how long it will take me to complete the course as I have found it extremely difficult to fit the necessary studying in since I have returned to Africa, but I am grateful that the Bear Valley Bible Institute has seen the importance of offering this type of course.

My final trip back to the US this year will be in June. During this trip I will be working as a counselor at the Bear Valley Future Preachers Training Camp. This will be my fourth year working with this camp and I always enjoy spending time with the 40 young men who take a week out of their summer vacations to increase their knowledge of God’s Word and learn how to deliver it more effectively. I will also be speaking to the adult class at Leiper's Fork church of Christ’s Vacation Bible School during this trip, as well as visiting as many congregations as possible before spending a few days with my home congregation at Greenbrier. I am looking forward to greeting many of you who have been such an encouragement to me!

One of the most difficult things to do when I come home is figuring out what to bring back to Ghana with me. The airlines allow me to check two suitcases of 50lbs each and take one carry-on bag, and it doesn’t take me long to fill them up with items that I cannot easily find here (one thing I made sure I had room for this time was lots and lots of junk food.) Special thanks to my aunt Fran Hansen for loading up one suitcase with books for the school’s library and toys for the children at Kingdom of Hope, and to Rod Wilson for providing work gloves that the school greatly needed. I believe I already have my suitcases filled for when I return on July 4th with items that are being put together for the children’s school as well as those items needed for our graduation ceremony (but I assure you I’ll find a little room for my junk food!)

Finally, I want to give special thanks to the Greenbrier church of Christ, my home congregation, for the love and support they continually show for me. Every time I visit I am overwhelmed by your kindness and how much you go out of your way to bless me. Even though there was a previously scheduled gospel meeting during the time I was visiting, you went out of your way to make me feel both welcomed and appreciated. I cannot tell you how much the reception that you put together on Tuesday night meant to me. I take each of you with me every place I go, and treasure you in my heart always. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies
April marks the end of the final term for the class of 2013. In this term the class will be getting lots of practical experience as well as classroom instruction. In addition to three local weekend campaigns (Thursday thru Sunday), the students has classes covering the books of 1, 2, and 3 John, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Old Testament 8, and the Revelation of John. Once completed this class will return in July for their graduation ceremony. Currently there are 11 students that are scheduled to receive either a certificate of Biblical Studies or a certificate of leadership, and 2 students who will receive a certificate of attendance at the July 13th graduation ceremony. If any of you are in the area we would certainly like to invite you to the lectureship on July 12th and the graduation the following day.

With this class completing their course, the staff has begun to focus on recruitment for the next class which will begin on July 9th. Bear Valley’s West Africa Coordinator, Steven Ashcraft, and Tamale Director, Baah Joseph, recently made a trip through the Northern and Upper West Regions meeting with church leaders to discuss the school and the opportunities being offered to train men here in Northern Ghana. During the second week of May I will be traveling with brother Baah to the Upper East Region to meet with their leaders about the school. Currently we have 14 student applications for the next class, and hope to add to that number during the next month.

The school is also working through all the small problems associated with having moved into their new building. Corrections to the plumbing system in the student bath facilities required tearing up the floor and redoing the drainage pipes. We are also still trying to get the second phase of electricity hooked up (the third phase is still probably a year or more away) to fix the problem of lights dimming every time someone plugs in an iron or coffee pot. Despite these minor issues we are really enjoying the new building and the extra space it provides. Even while work continues, the new building is already providing additional opportunities to edify the church. At the end of April the Institute will host its first Northern Ghana Leader’s Workshop. More next month on this event.

Thank You Supporters!
There are so many who make this work possible through their financial support, provision of materials, and encouragement and prayers. So many have done so much that I am always worried about forgetting someone! Please be assured that if I have overlooked anyone that it is purely unintentional, and only caused by my small brain not being able to keep up with everything! Every single gift and prayer is greatly appreciated.

Overseeing Congregation Greenbrier church of Christ

Supporters
Greenbrier church of Christ, Colony church of Christ, Bobby and Jackie Sims, Sue Shumate, Aubrey and Donna Allensworth, Mildred Priest, Virginia Hielen, Wilkie Family, Chris and Shirley Brill, Linda Ray, Ron and Joann Boatwright, Jim and Martha Bell, Herb and Dorothy Tatum family, Edie Singleton, Connie Barden, Carla Farr, Judy Moody, Mary Mix, Stephen and Jerri McCullom.

Special thanks to the wonderful members of the Greenbrier and the Colony congregations. There are too many to name as so many members from both of these congregations gave personal gifts for the work during my visits in March.

Please send all contributions to: Greenbrier church of Christ

Attn: African Missions 12 Wilson Farm Rd. Greenbrier, AR 72058

Please be sure to send me a note if you want your gift to be used for a specific purpose.

Contact Information

Mailing Address:
Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies P.O. Box TL 925
Tamale, Northern Region
Ghana

Ghana Phone - 011-233-0248216622 E-Mail - anthonyjohnson2010@gmail.com

If you want more information about what is happening in Ghana check out my blog at http://thinkingsouls.wordpress.com/.

Kingdom of Hope Update
Work continues at Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School with finishing touches on the new building, such as plastering the outside of the building, installing blackboards (done by mixing charcoal into concrete and then applying to the wall), and building steps. The building is already in use, and has been a great help to the school.

We have also arranged to have the first 10 desks built, which will be complete by the time I arrive in Kuka during the middle of May. By only paying for a small number to be built at a time, with the incentive of us ordering more, we are able to control the quality much better as well as insure a quicker delivery. If these desks look okay we will arrange for the next two sets of 10 to be built while I am at the school.

We will also finally be able to put up the school’s signs on this coming trip. We have been trying to get a sign made for the Enoch Elliott Learning Center, as well as a road sign pointing the way to Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School, for some time without any luck. God willing, I should be able to pick up the signs before I make this next trip and will be able to get them installed.

With the completion of the Enoch Elliott Learning Center we have begun to make plans for the next steps. I met with the school’s headmaster this past week and we outlined the school’s schedule and needs for the next 2 years. As soon as enough money can be raised we will begin on the next classroom, and hopefully be able to add one classroom per year until we can house preschool through sixth grade. We will also be looking for the necessary classroom materials for P3 (third grade) classes which will begin this summer, more desks, etc.

On this upcoming trip I will also have the pleasure of delivering footballs (soccer) and uniforms to the children, thanks to gifts by Anna Wilkie and David and Beverly Woody. For almost a year the children at the school have not asked me for anything, just gratefully received the things that we have been able to help with. During my last trip to the school in February one of the younger boys (probably at the instigation of the older boys) finally came up to ask if it would be possible to get a football. I asked him if there was anything else they would like, and he said shirts, so they could tell what team they were on, would be good. On my trip home Anna provided half of the necessary money for both the balls and shirts. What made this really special to me is the fact that Anna was getting married in less than a month, and I am sure she could have found all kinds of other things to do with that money. The previous week the Woody family had given me a personal gift to, as David put it, “get something for yourself.” I couldn’t think of anything better to give myself than the smiles of a bunch of children, and their gift more than covered the remaining cost. Because the shirts are for small children it has taken some effort to get them (I had to have them made) but I should be able to deliver them in May.

Evangelism Update
In the first two weeks that I have been back in Tamale we have had three baptisms at the school. Two of the baptisms were men who had heard about the school and came to see what it was about. The third was from a contact made during one of the school’s local evangelism campaigns. All three came to the school and spent time studying with the students and staff and eventually came to the conclusion that they needed to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins in order to be added by God to His church.

We have also started a new congregation that is meeting at the new School location, Kpalsi South church of Christ. At our initial service we had 15 in attendance, mostly from the local schools. We will continue to reach out to the local community in order to share the gospel in our own neighborhood as well as throughout northern Ghana.

Out of their recent Missions Day contribution the Greenbrier church of Christ set aside enough money for me to do four campaigns this year. During the month of May we will use half of that money to do two full campaigns and one short campaign. I will be traveling north to Garu to do a four day campaign with the Kuka church to reestablish the church there (it stopped meeting when the building collapsed). If we are successful in reestablishing the church, or starting a new one if necessary, the Kuka church has committed to sending preachers and teachers to Garu for the next year to help them mature. After Garu, I will make a short visit to Kuka to show two films, one on Jesus and one on Abraham. The church will do the follow up work there as they seek to encourage lax members and open the door for evangelism within the mostly Muslim town. Then I will head to the Burkina Faso border for a 4 day campaign in the village of Mognori, working with the Bawku congregation. Mognori currently has no church, so depending on the number of people we are able to teach the Bawku congregation has committed to either sending teachers each week or bringing them into Bawku for worship and Bible study.

May is going to be a busy month, good thing I got all rested up!

Thanks again to all of you who are helping the Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School take care of so many children!

Tony Johnson

To see Tony’s report with pictures of the recent activities, please click here.

Moving Into TIBS' New Home...

Greetings from the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies!

On Saturday, February 9th, the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies (TIBS) saw four years of work come to fruition as we moved into our new home. The building includes expanded classroom space, twice as much dormitory space, a larger office and library, and an expanded literature room from which we can distribute Bibles, tracts, World Video Bible correspondence courses and other evangelistic literature throughout Northern Ghana, Northern Togo and Southern Burkina Faso. The facility is the result of years of prayer and selfless giving by many congregations and individuals. We thank you for all for your desire to see the Word of God spread throughout West Africa!

Students are in the final week of classes for Term 9, which will be followed by a week of campaigns before the students get a three week break to return home to their families. Unlike many schools which operate on a four quarter per year, TIBS has five terms per year which are scheduled around the planting and harvest seasons of northern Ghana. Although the terms are only six weeks in length, by having an extra term each year, and attending classes eight hours per day, students are able to get the required number of classroom hours to earn their certificates. This class will be returning in March for their final term. It will be exciting to see the work these men will do for the kingdom!

After their final class on Friday we will be loading up the truck for two campaigns, one in Kulugugu and the other in Bimbila. I will be leading a team of four students on the Kulugugu campaign, working with TIBS graduate Avoca John and four members from his congregation. Kulugugu sits on the Burkina Faso border in the Upper East Region of Ghana, and there currently is no church in the village. The plan for this campaign is to show evangelistic movies on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights to draw attention, do public preaching each evening, and follow up on Monday through Thursday with house to house evangelism. The goal is to establish a new congregation in the village, which will then be assisted by teachers and preaching from Avoca John’s congregation which is about 20 miles south (which is a long way by bicycle, Avoca John’s primary means of travel)!

Our second campaign had originally been planned to go to Walewale to help the local congregation there with house to house evangelism, but they cancelled due to a conflict with the local school schedule (most of the congregation are students). While we held a campaign in Bimbila in October they had asked us to return in order to do house to house evangelism in parts of the town we were unable to reach at that time, and this cancellation gives us the opportunity to do so. I will be bringing the movie equipment to Bimbila on Tuesday afternoon so this team can show the evangelistic movies and do public preaching on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. TIBS staff member Yeboah Jacob will be leading this team of seven students and will be working with the congregation which was planted in October. It should be an exciting week of spreading the gospel!

Once the campaigns have concluded I will be joining the students in heading home as I will return to the US for six weeks in order to attend the Bear Valley Bible Institute’s masters in mission blitz week and visit with congregations who are interested in the work we are doing in Northern Ghana. If your congregation would like to hear move about the work here you can e-mail me at anthonyjohnson2010@gmail.com. Please keep us all in your prayers for both the work and the travel involved as we continue to think souls.

In His service,
Tony Johnson

Experiencing the Harmattan...

Even though this is my second year in Ghana, my previous trip was in the summer so I never got to experience the harmattan until now. I had heard about it, even been warned about it, but until you live with the harmattan day in and day out I don’t know that you can fully understand what all the fuss is about. The harmattan is a very dry desert wind that blows from the northeast off the Sahara Desert from December to March, lowering the humidity and creating hot days here in northern Ghana. Every day is pretty much the same with daytime temperatures over 100 and a constant wind of 10 to 15 miles per hour. The real problem is not the temperature though, it is the dust. In addition to blowing dust in from the desert the harmattan results in no rain throughout the northern region. It rained once in November for about 15 minutes, and that has been it as far as moisture goes. With the humidity remaining in the single digits most days there isn’t even any early morning dew to help settle the dust. Instead we get the hot, dry wind constantly blowing it into every crack and crevice possible. The dust has gotten so bad that I find it necessary to wash my dishes before I use them as well as after!

A side effect of the harmattan is the lack of water for the utility company to distribute. In our area we have not had city water delivery for the past seven days. Fortunately we have a large water storage tank that has sustained us, but now that is almost dry as well. Earlier this week some of the neighbors who do not have a storage tank came with five gallon jugs looking for water, which of course we gave them. Once we run out we will make arrangements to have the tank refilled by one of the local companies who haul water from the river. While it is expensive (filling the tank one time costs more than our regular monthly water bill) we are blessed to have the means to do it and to help out some of those in the neighborhood who do not.

Added to the harmattan is the smoke being created by the large number of fires that are common at this time of year. Early morning fires are common as people try to warm themselves from the overnight temperatures that fall into the upper 60s, which is very cold to the people who live here. Added to this in the late morning and afternoon is the smoke from people burning off their fields. The smoke added to the constant dust creates a haziness to the air that greatly reduces visibility and leaves everything coated with dirt and ash. Areas that were lush and tropical in September look completely different during the harmattan season!

As you might imagine the living conditions right now are less than optimal. Sinuses and lungs struggle with the dust and the skin dries out from the constant exposure to the elements. While I don’t care much for the harmattan it is just another part of living and working here, and it is really a small inconvenience in contrast to the work I am able to do. Whenever I begin feeling sorry for myself I just have to remember what the apostle Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, NASB). I consider my situation as nothing when compared to what Paul had to suffer through, and he considered his situation as nothing when compared to the promise we have in Jesus. It’s all a matter of perspective.

I also know that the harmattan is only temporary, and once May gets here we will be back into rainy season once more. The rain will settle the dust, wash away the dirt and ash from everything, revive the plants once more, and turn northern Ghana back to a lush savanna once again. While I look forward to that time now, I’m sure I’ll be complaining about the rain and all the bugs that come with it the next time I get the truck stuck while trying to get to some remote village. But as long as I remember to thank God for the opportunity he has given me to preach His word it will always be worth it.

Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies
Classes have begun once again at the Bible Institute, but unfortunately we are still in the old building. The new building is all ready for us to move to except for one little thing, no electricity! We have a power pole and all the wire and connections that were delivered by the power company three weeks ago, but so far we have been unable to get them to come back and hook us up. Our lease for the old building expires on February 15th, so with or without electricity we will be making the final move by then. I am looking at the possibility of using some of the money saved from buying a vehicle to purchase an upgraded generator which will allow us to run at least a portion of the lights until we get the electricity hooked up as well as during the frequent power outages. Right now we have half of our equipment in the new building and half in the old, so it keeps things interesting. It is probably a greater inconvenience for the students as the library has already been moved to the new location, and while it is only one kilometer away it is still difficult for them to get over to use it during daylight hours since they are in classes until 5PM each weekday. I imagine the library will be a very busy place this Saturday!

This term I am teaching Hermeneutics II, focusing on applying the hermeneutical principles of interpretation that the students learned in Hermeneutics I. It is an interesting class for me as I get to see hermeneutical principles applied to issues that affect the church in Ghana, such as polygamy and the church’s responsibility to pay preachers.

Other classes this term include Old Testament VII focusing on the teaching of the prophets, Timothy and Titus, Christian Evidences and Congregational Development. Unfortunately our visiting teacher from America who was scheduled to teach Christian Evidences was unable to raise the necessary support for the trip, but thankfully we have been able to find a qualified replacement teacher.

This class has only one more term remaining once they complete their current classes. We are looking forward to seeing the great work they will do in the future for the kingdom!

Thank You Supporters!

Overseeing Congregation
Greenbrier church of Christ

Please send all contributions to:
Greenbrier church of Christ

Attn: African Missions
12 Wilson Farm Rd.
Greenbrier, AR 72058

Please be sure to send me a note if you want your gift to be used for a specific purpose.

Contact Information

Mailing Address:
Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies P.O. Box TL 925
Tamale, Northern Region
Ghana

Ghana Phone - 011-233-0248216622
E-Mail - anthonyjohnson2010@gmail.com

If you want more information about what is happening in Ghana check out my blog at http://thinkingsouls.wordpress.com/.

Check out other articles I write for the Christian blog site Alive With Christ, along with articles by many others at http://alivewithchrist.com/givemethebible/.

Kingdom of Hope Update
I spent a week at the Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School over the recent holiday break to check on the building progress and help with preparations for upcoming classes.

The new classroom building continues to make progress, albeit at a much slower rate than I would like. I have learned that finding decent craftsmen to perform the necessary mason and carpentry work is a challenge in a remote village. It was necessary to find a second mason to complete the work as the first one’s work lacked the quality we need. I spent one of the days there working with them to identify and correct a number of issues before we were able to begin building the roof. The good news is that as of last weekend, the roof is now on the building! We will be pouring concrete to complete the floors when I am at the school again in February.

We were able to purchase eight mattresses for the orphan’s home this month. When these mattresses are laid out they cover the entire floor of a room where 20 of the children currently sleep. We still need many more mattresses, but we are making progress!

We were also able to purchase 40 additional textbooks for the school for the subjects that will be taught during the remainder of the year. This makes over 100 textbooks now available, meaning that each one is shared by approximately five students. This is a great improvement from the 40 to 1 ratio when I first visited the school.

Probably the best news out of the school this month however has to do with one of the teachers rather than the students. It was necessary to hire one teacher who was not a member of the church because he was the only one we could find to teach math and science. After spending five months surrounded by Christians and hearing the daily lessons from the Bible that are taught to the children, and despite his Muslim family and background, he asked to be baptized! We are rejoicing to have a new brother in Christ, and to see the difference the school is making in the lives of people in Kuka!

Evangelism Update
Over the school’s holiday break I got a last minute request to teach at a Christian growth seminar at the Kuka church of Christ, which is the congregation we work with to support the Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School. This was a three day seminar that began the day after Christmas. Each day there were over 40 people in attendance for the seminar which went from 9 AM to 1 PM each day. I had arrived in Kuka to work on the building project when I learned about the seminar, so I stopped by to greet the church and ended up being invited to speak the next day! I was excited to hear last week that a few of those who attended the seminar were using some of the material presented to teach others who are not members of the church.

After leaving Kuka I travelled through the southern part of Burkina Faso. The church is virtually non-existent in Burkina and we are looking for ways plant congregations there. Since Burkina is a French speaking country it is more difficult to find qualified teachers and leaders, so we must begin by establishing indigenous language congregations on the border with local preachers who speak the tribal languages. After returning from Burkina I returned to the Upper East Region of Ghana and located two border villages were we will begin this process, Kulugugu and Mogori. We choose these villages because we have local preachers, who speak the native languages, committed to help lead the new congregations once they are planted. The campaign to plant the church in Kulugugu will be held February 16th through the 22nd, and the campaign in Mogori will be when I return from the U.S. in April or May.

We have also scheduled a school campaign during the same week in February in the town on Walewale, which is about 2 hours north of Tamale. The students will be working with the local congregation to tell more people in the community about the church, which is currently made up of mostly students.

Finally we have begun plans for a campaign in May in the town of Garu. It is going to be a busy spring spreading the good news!

Tony

To see Tony's report with pictures, please click here.

TIBS Is Back In School...

School is back in session at the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies in Tamale. This will be the ninth out of ten terms that make up the school’s curriculum. This term the students will be taking classes in Hermeneutics, Congregational Development and Christian Evidences, along with Bible classes for 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Old Testament 7. During the final week of the term the students will be divided up into 2 campaign teams, one to work in Walewale and the other in Kulugogu. 

We had hoped to have the school completely moved to the new building location before this current term began, but that was not to be. We are still waiting for the electric company to run the power lines to the building so we can complete the installation of the electrical fixtures. We have moved the library, computer room, and literature distribution areas to the new building, leaving only the students beds and the classroom at the existing building. Our lease on the existing building runs out in February so we are praying that the electricity situation gets resolved quickly so we can complete the move as soon as possible. 

Evangelism efforts continue in the Northern Region with TIBS students, graduates and staff. A three day seminar was set up by current student Jacob Nichema in Kuku, where I was invited to speak concerning Christian Growth. We are also supporting graduate John Avoca’s leadership training efforts in the Bawku area as he begins a series of classes designed to encourage the men of the congregation to take a more active role in leading the church.  From the Bolgotango area we received a report from TIBS graduate Isaac Ayamga who is working with the Bolga-Sherigu church of Christ. Isaac reports states: “The church in Bolga-Sherigu we plan for every weekend after church service we will go to some of the members houses and visit and pray with them. The members and I started winning souls of those that are students, and even two boys who have started helping me during church worship. There are challenges in the church and the denominational churches want us to change the doctrine because our worship is the truth. But they want us to use instrumental music to praise God. Even the drumming in the denominational churches has changed some of the peoples minds and I have church members drop out and joining the denomination churches. But the numbers are still encouraging. I am also planning in my church to do evangelism in Bolga-Sherigu by God’s grace if the days reach.” The Bible Institute will be helping Isaac in his evangelism efforts by providing Bible study materials and tracts. It is hoped that a campaign can be set up in the near future in that area to further assist Isaac in his work. It is exciting to see the efforts being put forward by so many to spread the gospel in northern Ghana!

Bear Valley coordinator Steven Ashcraft is visiting the Bible Institute this week, along with Richard Renfro from Mission Printing in Texas. It is our prayer that Mission Printing will be able to send a large number of gospel tracts to the school for distribution throughout the northern region of Ghana. The tracts are a great help during our evangelism campaigns as well as in the local churches. We greatly appreciate brother Renfro for making the long and difficult trip to Tamale to see firsthand the need for their help. 

In His service,
Tony Johnson

Need For Leaders To Assist Maturing Congregations...

Greetings from Tamale! 

The Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies has just completed its eighth term and students are packing up to head back to their homes for a three week break. When they return in January they will have just two terms left to complete their two year program. I know the students are looking forward to getting back to their families and having some time to enjoy the holiday festivities. 

Evangelism Update
We have received reports from some of the schools graduates informing us of the work being done in the kingdom.  Avoca John  Mbilla, who is working at the Poyamire congregation in the Bawku area of the Upper East region, writes:

Through my personal evangelism work and outreach programs with churches within this quarter of the year, I realized that most of these churches that were planted some years back had scattered and fallen away due to lack of skillful trained church leaders as well as preachers to take care of these churches after planting. This has been a genuine problem across almost all the churches within the upper east region of the Bawku municipality.  Based upon that I took the pain to initiate with all the preachers within the Bawku municipality and the Poyamire church leaders and we were able to organize a three day leadership training seminar in August 2012, but this was not enough. We would therefore wish to appeal for assistance to open a new Biblical leadership training program within the Upper East Region in June 2013, inviting all interested church leaders within the municipality to be trained to help address some of these issues and to promote the growth and sustainable improvement of church planting within the municipality. 

The Bible Institute is making plans to assist John with the leadership training requested. In addition, John and his congregation will be working with the school in February when we do a church planting campaign in the village of Koligungo, which is on the Ghana-Burkina Faso border. Poyamire is the closest existing congregation to Koligungo and will be assisting in providing teachers and preachers for the new congregation.

A report was also received from Albert Malir who is working with the Chamba congregation, which is outside of Bimbila in the Northern Region. Albert writes:

The church members are doing well in time of church attendance. They have no problem with the church doctrine and its practice. This indicates their maturity in the scriptures.  It is the hope and desire of the church that by the middle of 2013 the weak churches near Chamba should be strengthened, so the church is deciding (sic - asking) that if leadership training could be offered to them so that they will be able to help the nearby churches of Christ.

The Bible Institute has not yet been able to schedule a leadership training class for Chamba, but hopes to do so in the near future. Albert also reported that seven additional souls have been added to the church in baptism since his last report, bringing the Chamba congregation membership to 40.

The final report came from Isaac Moakel and David Waja who are working in the villages outside of Salaga. Together they help to support seven different congregations in the area. Since July of this year they are reporting four baptisms in Kulpi, three in Kvuwani, two in Kayeriso, three in Malchee, one in Loloto, ten in Kpajai, and seven in Butan. 30 precious souls added to the kingdom!

Both Albert and David also reiterated a need that we hear constantly from the preachers in the north, the need for better transportation. As these men attempt to help additional congregations the ability to get from place to place is the single greatest limiting factor in how much they can do. Both are seeking the means to purchase a motorbike for their work.

Next week I will be traveling to Burkina Faso to continue to look for opportunities for the kingdom to grow. Please keep both the students and the staff here in your prayers. 

Tony Johnson
Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies