We have finished the first week of classes at the Chimala Bible Institute. After my travel of two days finished off with the small plane ride through rough weather and landing in Mbyea we traveled to school to greet the students and see that the classes, dorms, and food situation was acceptable to our students. I am constantly amazed at the humility and dedication of our fine group of teachers. Their concern for the students. their soundness in the faith, and desire to train this next generation of preachers for Tanzania and Malawi is awe inspiring. Chapel has been especially moving this past week. The speaker every day was one of our faculty members and their lessons were inspiring and thought provoking. The combined voices of over 45 in our small chapel room lifted all of our hearts to God in song. This weekend all of our students are out working in the local congregations strengthening the church.
I am always interested in what our students do when they are not in school, so I interviewed some of the second year students asking them what activities they were involved in during the break. Micah said he had been preaching with some of the members of the church in various places. As he expressed it he spoke “man to man” as well as to groups of people. He concluded by saying he was thankful to God for CBI, to all who support her existence and the teachers.
Payana is one of our second year Swahili students. He reported how he worked with the church all the time when school was not in session. He worked with the church and preached six Lord’s Days giving the title of his lessons. He preached on Spiritual Growth, The Importance of Assembling, the Need for Giving, and Being an Example to all people for Christ. The church he worked with was rightly blessed because this student, as well all of the others, are preparing to be better servants of God.
In our student body this year we have four young ladies. All of these girls are local Christians who want to train themselves to teach the large group of children that so desperately need to be taught the gospel. Upendo is one of these young ladies. She has been teaching children for years and has spent many weekends translating for ladies from the States as they have come to teach. Before school started this year she shared how she has been teaching children’s classes in Chose A, Uturo, and Lyamabogo. She says she has come to school to “learn deeply what the Bible teaches and to become a light and a torch to children in learning about the Lord.” Please keep our young students in mind as they prepare themselves to continue to use their knowledge to teach the world about Jesus.
Garry L. Hill
BVBID Extension Coordinator
Chimala Bible Institute