We just returned from teaching four weeks at the Chimala Bible Institute. We taught the final two short courses for the undergraduate program with Brent Smith from Tennessee. The students responded well as we explored the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The sermons the students produced in those classes were excellent and the papers they wrote were well researched and thoughtful. We are so proud of our students and the hard diligent work they do.
For not only do they attend classes and study hard but every weekend in an organized program of outreach they spend their weekends preaching and teaching the gospel.
After the quarter ended and the undergraduate students went home for summer break, we then taught 16 graduate students Old Testament Theology and World Religions. Many of the students in this class are our instructors at the Bible Institute. The rest of the students are from the country of Malawi. These were a challenging two weeks. The students were very competent in their studies, and our discussion periods were enlightening.
In our World Regions’ class we studied Animism or African Native Religion. After the lecture we had a long discussion where the students informed me it was still a big problem in the East African society. One of our instructors, Boaz Kasiba, had his motorcycle stolen the week before and he told us how many of the villagers had come to him and offered to go to the local witchdoctor for help. He informed then this was wrong and he had Christian friends that would help with the situation.
The students for our classes expressed a hearty “hongera” for teaching them these two weeks. This inspired me to get more education in helping to do this great work as we are now enrolled in a Masters in Global Studies leading to a DMin in Missions in the near future. The hard work, dedication and desire to better serve the kingdom as expressed in all of our students at CBI makes one so thankful for the Bear Valley Bible Institute’s program of foreign extensions.
Please pray for the hard working students and teachers and ourselves, as we now will spend the next two months raising support for our students and their needs.
Garry L. Hill
Extension Coordinator
Dean: Chimala Bible Institute