We (Fred and Cephas) have just returned from Chimala Bible Institute in Tanzania, East Africa. We had enrolled in the Masters program that Bear Valley Bible Institute offers here in Africa. We finally completed all the prescribed requirements and graduated on 24th November, 2018. The graduation was supposed to be on 30th November, 2018. It was indeed a momentous occasion for all the thirteen students that graduated. This class composed of eight men from Malawi, one woman from Tanzania, and two men from Zambia (i.e. Cephas and Fred). As the saying goes “Success in church or in any other business demands both knowledge and zeal. Take away one and you ruin the other. Zeal without knowledge is runaway energy, and knowledge without zeal is useless.” We want to keep the flame of enthusiasm burning here as we do the work of the Lord. And with His help and your prayers we are confident to succeed in this noble task here at BVBI- Zambia. Brother Cephas and Fred were involved in evangelism during their study and as a result seven souls were restored back to the church in Kimani Village.
While we were studying at Chimala, Brother Kennedy Mukuka was also in Mbeya, Tanzania conducting some workshops for ten days. He also had an opportunity to preach on one of the radio stations called Big Star FM. The station covers seven regions of Tanzania and has a population of over 16,000,000 listeners.
All our students are busy with teaching and preaching in their respective areas. In addition to preaching and teaching, some of our students are also involved in farming while others are advancing in other professions. Joseph Musonda is our alumnus who has been offered a place to study brick laying at Mansa Trades Training Institute in Luapula Province; this is the Institute at which we had our meeting in August this year for three days. This opportunity has given him also time to preach there and he has so far restored three of his friends back to the sheepfold. We believe more work will be done through him before he completes his course next year. We have also received reports from our two Alumni in Central province who are also studying to add to their preaching career Clive and Andrew. Clive has been involved in preaching besides their busy schedule at School and has since restored two older men from the nearby compound. Clive is studying auto mechanics and Andrew is doing bricklaying. They are determined that upon their completion they want to do more in serving our Lord.
We have received from Solomon Moyo report that since his return to Malawi for this break, he has been studying with a number of people. And he gladly reports that he has so far baptized four (4) people of which three are men and one lady. Solomon’s desire to just wanting to do more for the Lord should be promoted and as a school we shall do all we can to adequately prepare him for his calling. The church has appreciated much of his efforts and we have also received more interested prospective students from his place. He hopes and prays that more will be added to the Lord through such efforts before the school resumes next month.
Joseph Ilunga and Hornbye Mupengu joined forces as they went back to teach and preach in the Ndola area. They have started some Bible studies in different homes. They report that the potential is very high to have many people be converted.
Austin Musonda also reports that his congregation has stepped-up the program for home Bible studies. And through this effort three (3) people have since been baptized.
Brother Mulambia Komani lives in Nakonde, a town bordering Zambia and Tanzania. Mulambia started studying Bible at Chimala Bible Institute but the language barrier there caused him to stop his studies. We have given him an opportunity to join our intake raising the number of our students to 17. This is more than our budget covers but we are willing to take the sacrifice for him. We are very impressed with this brother’s spiritual progression and the potential of him preaching to his home town. Nakonde is a busy and vibrant business town but with a very small church. His training will help the church grow in Nakonde.
We are sincerely grateful to Woodland Oaks for the financial support given to the school. We also thank you, brethren, for all the prayers and every encouraging word given for the work here in Zambia. May God richly bless all of you!
Cephas and Fred.