We have finished another amazing week at the Chimala Bible Institute. Our 12 graduates are eagerly finishing their studies in anticipation of graduation. Brother Howell Ferguson will be with us this year as he and I, for the fourth time, will teach the last two short courses of the year. It is graduation time in other schools as well. Our students get so much practical training in there time here. The secondary schools in the area graduated last week and, besides ours, many of our CBI students have been teaching Bible Knowledge every Friday throughout the school year. In the other area schools CBI presented certificates of Bible competency to the area church of Christ students who have been studying.
After there studies all week our students and teachers continue to drive out on the dusty roads to preach the gospel. This is the end of the rainy season and the roads are all dry as a bone. Ezekiel and I have been working with Israel, one of our fine graduating 2nd year students at Uturo. Israel has weekend studies with the help of his fellow students. He is the preacher at Uturo and we come every Lord’s Day and preach also. There has been a remarkable growth there this past year because of this young man’s work. Boaz came by this morning on the way to Kilekdo. Some studies on the mountain were bearing fruit. He was on his way up the dusty road to baptize some believers into Christ.
Speaking of dusty roads, as Ezekiel and I were driving down the road this afternoon to go preach we were passed by Menard and Chad. The dust was so bad we could not see each other for a while, but we both made it safely to our destinations. When we got out I counted 35 kids in the yard, which became a part of the service. We promised them we would be back next week with material sent from the states to teach them about Jesus.
Since 2005 Menard has been one of our finest teachers and evangelists. A native of Wasa, he came to the Swahili program and then earned his Bachelors of Biblical studies. He is planning to work on his Masters at CBI next year. He has translated for about every American teacher that has come. Besides all of this he is the "go to" guy for any problem on the mission as he oversees the estate. He is one of the reasons it is such a joy to work and labor here. Menard teaches one class a quarter at CBI and this time he is teaching Personal Evangelism. He is certainly one reason our students get the good training the Chimala Bible Institute provides for the Lord’s church here in Tanzania.
Garry L. Hill
Extension Coordinator
Chimala Bible Institute