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

Tanzania Chronicles...

Greetings friends and supporters of the Lord’s work in Tanzania. It seems like we just blinked and the holidays were over and we are well on our way into 2013. We hope your holiday season went well and the fresh start of the new year has brought renewed dedication to our Lord.

Madeleine’s graduation
As of December 14th our daughter, Madeleine, is officially a high school graduate. Maddie returned to the states in July of last year to enroll in a self-paced high school in Cleburne, TX. Initially it was her plan to complete her senior year in one semester. Apparently that pace wasn’t quick enough for her and she wrapped up everything in seven weeks! Not only did she fly through the work she actually understood it and graduated salutatorian of her class. She definitely takes after her mother. We are very proud of her.

ACSOP
It’s about time for classes to start up again for the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Our school year is slightly different than what we are used to in the states as the academic year begins with the calendar year.

This quarter I will be teaching How to Study the Bible / Hermeneutics. I have a number of sources I am using to get the class designed the way I want. One of the books that is turning out to be most useful is Grasping God’s Word: A Hands On Approach To Reading, Interpreting, and Applying The Bible. If you are interested in knowing or teaching How to Study the Bible pick up a copy, you won’t be disappointed. As with any book written by men, keep in mind that in all religious matters the Bible is the final authority.

New Recording Studio To Begin This Year
Of the many things we have planned for the upcoming year the one that has me most excited is our plan to construct a recording studio. In our desire to spread the gospel it doesn’t take long to realize that we are going to have a difficult time reaching the masses if our only means of converting the lost is one bible study at a time. This is one of the reasons the Tanzania Mission effort was planted in Arusha. It is a large city with a transient population that has a direct effect on much of East Africa. It is also one of the reasons the ACSOP was established; to train multiple men at one time in order to reach more people than we could ever reach on our own. In an effort to further increase our efforts we hope to soon be recording our own DVD’s. We have a number of DVD’s available that have been produced through WVBS out of Maxwell, TX. Christopher Mwakabanje, the ACSOP Swahili director, has made several trips to Texas to record material. The trips, however, are expensive and there is not enough time to produce the myriad of subject matter we need. Additionally, we have a number of other qualified men that can record material. Have you ever resonated well with one preacher but not so much with others? It’s no different here. By having many speakers we can reach more people and cover more material. Please keep this part of the work in your prayers as we go forward with this ambitious project.

Facebook
Have you been to our Facebook page yet? If you want to see pictures and video of our life here in Tanzania head over to our Tanzania Missions Facebook page. Anita makes a point of posting tons of pictures, video and commentary. If there is something you would like to know about, or would like to see a picture of, send us a message and we will do our best to accommodate. If you don’t mind, while you are there go ahead and “like” us and recommend us to others you think might be interested.

Support Update
Shortly before Thanksgiving I sent out a request concerning our support. We had quite a monthly deficit and we weren’t sure how we were going to deal with it. I am glad to say that God has blessed us through you as many of you responded favorably toward our need. While we are still short of our budget, the gap was closed significantly and we are breathing much, much easier. On behalf of Anita and myself we offer a heartfelt thank you. Your gracious and selfless offerings have encouraged and humbled us in a way that is unexplainable with words.

Backstory
An American, a Tanzanian and a Chinese man gather for a meeting. Sounds like the beginning of a joke doesn’t it? Well, this was the scene recently when I went to town to get some quotations for repairing one of our vehicles. The conversation went something like this: (Me) “Nesta, tell him I need a new tie-rod.” (Nesta) “What’s a tie-rod?” (Me) “I’ll teach you later just translate what I’m saying.”(Nesta)”But we don’t have a Swahili word for tie-rod.”(Me)”ummmmm” (Nesta)”What shall I do” (Me) “uhhhhh” (Nesta) “anything else you want to fix while your figuring out what to do about this tie-rod?” (Me) “Now your a comedian?”(Nesta) “Maybe.” (Me) “Ask him to put it on a rack and inspect the front end, he will see the bent tie-rod.” (Nesta) Sawa. 

The conversation then proceeded and lasted for quite some time. English, Swahili, Mandarin Chinese. All complex languages to learn, all necessary for me to get some simple mechanic work done. I’ll know soon how well the translation went. The two-page quote was written in Chinese but couldn’t be translated to Swahili or English as the Chinese shop owner only knows how to speak Swahili, not write it.

It’s times like these that I wish the miraculous gift of speaking and translating other languages was still available. 

While the scene I described above has no eternal ramifications, the work done by the Tanzania Missions team certainly does. We face translation issues on a regular basis and we are most grateful that we have godly brethren who know how to speak in the native Swahili and in English. As we enter this new year we solicit your prayers as we try to overcome the many obstacles of effectively communicating God’s word to the millions of souls in East Africa. Too, it is our prayer that you will overcome the hurdles that impede your efforts of reaching those in your community. We hope that regardless of the physical location that 2013 will be a year that all of us can bring some to Christ, edify the body, and glorify our God.

Take care and God bless,

Sean, Anita, Maddie, Mom & Dad

Parker Memorial Library In Arusha...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

SEARCHING FOR TRUTH (and the bill of lading). Many are familiar with this great DVD and book produced by World Video Bible School. The SFT book was translated into Kiswahili, sent to China for printing and delivered to the port in Mombasa, Kenya. To collect these books (5,000 in number) the possession of the bill of lading was needed. After waiting weeks, it was tracked (through DHL) and had been mistakenly delivered to the Seventh Day Adventist headquarters (Dec. 17th) due to one wrong phone number on the package. Addressed to the church of Christ, c/o Elly Martin, it also had his correct phone number. The person "responsible" signed for it and kept it for a month without notifying us.

THE SPOTLIGHT....shines on Walter and Rita Ward (from Anniston, AL). Rita is Trina's mom (and married Walter after Trina's father died). These two hard working individuals are big supporters of this Mission Work. For all your financial support, encouragement and prayers... THANK YOU!

SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE: On Saturday, Heather and Candace invited the younger girls from church for a devotional, fun and food. Six girls attended, coming in two by two (3 pairs of sisters). They played hide-and-go-seek, sardines and freeze tag and enjoyed fudge, homemade "Reese Cups" and homemade donuts. The main purpose was to help the girls spend time with one another, forming friendships within the church as they grow. More of these events will be planned.

TEEN DAY: On Friday, Lindsey and Abigail invited guys and girls (from 3 different congregations) for the normal 3 F's: food (bean tortillas, pineapple, brownies, peanut butter cookies, cupcakes and sodas) fun and fellowship. Due to completing exams, teens were out of school. Nineteen-year-old Oscar (attended the Future Preachers' Training Camp and Tanzania Christian Camp) led a devotional on "Working in God's Kingdom." Events like this help promote friendships among young Christians, helping people make better choices when it comes to marriage (many marry outside of the church). Among the attendee's were Mwita Kambarage (a third generation Christian; Andrew Connally converted his grandfather) and Celine Mohammad (2nd generation Christian). Mwita's and Celine's families were the only two attending the church in 1998 when the TZ 2000 Mission Work began. It's great that these two families have passed on the faith to their children. 

WHAT IS WEIRD ABOUT AMERICANS? The girls asked their friends this question and received these two answers: the "ladies first" policy and the fact that most Americans do not have other relatives living with them (such as younger siblings of the husband or wife, a niece or nephew, or cousin).

"LET NO MAN DESPISE YOUR YOUTH" After months of planning and thought, our 17-year-old daughter, Abigail, has undertaken a wonderful project of establishing a community library (planned to open late 2013) in our community of Kisongo. For more details, open the attachment and view both clicking on the prospectus and question/answer sheet.

WHAT YOU MIGHT ONLY EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA: (Former "missionary kid" Garrett Richardson used to say, "Now's there's something you don't see every day").

*The police will pull us over to try to find an offense and will ask "Where are you going?" "Where are you coming from?" We don't know the reasons for these questions (some have been asked to transport a policeman or military personnel to a certain place if going the same direction). We have actually been stopped and told "Happy New Year!"

*A person might make a fortune if they invented a video game mimicking Arusha traffic. It would be similar to an "obstacle course"...dodging bicycles and motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic, dodging wooden carts, people crossing the road at random, dala-dalas (mini-vans used for public transport) pulling on and off the road (mainly riding half on and half off), and vehicles backing out into the road.

*It is common for three adults (with no helmets) to ride on one motorcycle.

*A woman may carry a baby on her back and a bundle of wood on her head.

*A woman has been seen balancing a large pole (about half the length of a telephone pole) on her head on her way home to build a fire.

*A neighbor allows their three-year-old child to walk a mile to preschool with her 1 1/2 year old sister. Once, when lost, it took an hour to find them.

*A Maasai man is dressed traditionally (red robe, tire shoes, stick and sword), lives in a mud hut but uses a cell phone (two worlds collide).

FACEBOOK: If you are a "Facebooker" look us up on our recently established TZ 2000- Gee Family Page to see lots of pictures and maybe other stories or details not mentioned in this report.

Please pray all furlough funds will come in soon. "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!" (hopefully $14,000 - ticket prices have gone up $1000 since last week...another reason to buy tickets SOON). A huge debt of gratitude is extended to all who have given! 

With Love from Africa,
The Jimmy Gee family

New Students Begin Classes...

Much has happened over the past week, the greatest of which was the latest addition to my family. Our oldest son Rob and his wife welcomed their first child into the world. Nehemiah Robert was born Friday afternoon and is doing great. We are so thankful to God for answering many prayers since the conception of this future leader. I have been praying since we found out they were having a boy that he would be a great leader in the Lord’s kingdom and proclaim the powerful message of our Savior.

While this took place at the end of the week, other wonderful events were taking place at the first of the week. The Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver started a new class of students last Monday, January 7. Six men began their studies in this January class of students. They all seem eager and equipped to accept the responsibilities required during their course of studies over the next two years. I look forward to reporting more about them as they press on toward the prize of the upward call of our God.

The Denver campus is not the only one to begin a new class of students. We recently learned about the new class of 29 students in Cameroon. More is in their report below. The Chimala Bible Institute will also begin a new class of students this week. In fact, 36 new students are beginning their two year journey on Monday. You can read more in Garry Hill’s report below. At this point, CBI has the largest enrollment of students in the program. Awesome!!

Within the Extension Program, a number of exciting events have also taken place. The efforts of training these men and involving them in evangelistic efforts has proven fruitful. Please take time to read through the various reports and learn how God continues to bless the labor of these students around the world. We serve a great God!

Now on to the other reports...

Coordinator Updates
Reports from the coordinators are now located on the website, under Staff Reports. The address is /extension-schools/

Extension Reports 

Cameroon Ministry On The Grow: New students who are starting classes are learning about the growing nature of the work in Cameroon.

A Personal Invitation: Each of you are invited to attend the 4th Annual ITL Lectureship and 2nd Graduation Ceremony in Guatemala.

Say What? The message being taught by some professors is amazing, especially when it comes to state universities. Plus, read more about the new class in Chimala, Tanzania.

Discipleship: If you were to sum up your work for the Lord in one word, what word would it be? Would you characterize it as discipleship? This word is what TZ2000 is all about. 

I Want To Do It All Over Again: From the mouth of a child on the mission field, what a powerful thought to the way we live our lives. 

Final Thoughts
I find it hard to believe we are half way through the first month of the new year. Time has a way of moving very quickly, or so I am told. :-)  There is so much happening in the kingdom and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn about it and share it with you each week. I am also thankful to each of you for the sacrifices you make for the success of this work. 

Thank you for the time, effort, resources, and talent you contribute to the training of preachers in Denver and around the world. Know you are loved and prayed for each day.

God bless
Bob

A Personal Invitation...

Greetings from Byron and Hi,

We pray that this message finds you and your loved ones doing well. We are doing fine here. The Lord is blessing the work here in many ways with a very positive start for 2013.

As we traveled during the end of the year giving our 2012 report, many of you saw what took place last year when we had our 3rd Annual Lectureship for Instituto Teológico Latinoamericano (ITL). In our report you also received an invitation to join on March 21 – 25, 2013 for three great events. As a result there was a great interest shown by many to come to Guatemala in March. We told you we would send you more information to help you properly plan to visit us.

On March 21 – 25, Lord willing, we will be celebrating the 5th Anniversary for ITL. God has been good to us and we give Him the glory for five years of existence. We will also be having our 4th Annual ITL Lectureship. And, to crown off the weekend, we will have our 2nd Graduation from ITL and graduate our BETA class as well as four students from the ITL Saturday program. This year’s theme for our lectureship will be Unidad Entre Hermanos: Una Respuesta a la Oración de Jesús (Unity Among Brothers: An Answer to the Prayer of Jesus). Again, we have a great line-up of speakers. Pedro Batres from Nicaragua, Alexander Castellanos from El Salvador, Francisco Rada and Silas Prado from Texas, and Bob Turner from Colorado are our principle speakers. Other speakers will be Abner Ramos from San Cristobal, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and Misael Ajuchán from Guatemala City. In addition, Silvia Castellanos from El Salvador and Araceli Rada from Texas will speak to our ladies. As you can see, the lectureship is going be a great inspiration to everyone who attends. Please remember that all activities will take place in both English and Spanish.

The schedule of events and other details, along with costs, can be found by clicking here.

As you can see, we are trying to keep the cost reasonable. We believe it is a good price for 4 days in Guatemala and for all that will be taking place. You will not only be a blessing to us and to our students, you will also receive a blessing yourself by being here.

PLEASE come and be with us. Please share this message about our 4th Annual Lectureship, our 2nd ITL Graduation and our 5th Anniversary celebration for ITL with others in your congregation who may not receive our correspondences; please make sure it is posted on your bulletin board at your congregation. This would be greatly appreciated.

May God bless each of you! Please RSVP by Sunday, February 17th so that we can make the proper arrangements for your arrival to Guatemala.

Con amor en Cristo,

Hawatthia Byron

“Teaching the CENTRAL MESSAGE in CENTRAL AMERICA”

I Want To Do It All Over Again...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."  Proverbs 12:26

The scripture above reminds us of the importance of a good example. Until a new family photo is taken, we're replacing the old one with scenery/nature photos of Africa. The beautiful purple flower grows in our yard by the gazebo. The teen girls came over on Saturday for a devotional, games, food and laughs. They all left exhausted after playing a game called "Link."

"I JUST WISH I COULD LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN!" said 6-year-old Elijah, while at the ACSOP where he and his brothers were enjoying their skateboard and skates on the smooth concrete. Thinking he was dissatisfied and wanted to change something, I asked what he would do differently. He enthusiastically responded, "Nothing! I just want to do it all over again!"

ACSOP: The employees of the ACSOP enjoyed a delicious meal as part of the "Employee Appreciation Day." Mr. Elly Martin (the General Manager of TZ 2000 Properties and government liaison) cooked some of the dishes, making some "down-home" Southern mashed potatoes (not normally a Tanzanian dish) and a wonderful fruit salad. Each employee received some groceries, a small cash gift and a whole chicken for their service to the school.

COUNTDOWN to furlough is about 13 weeks and $13,000 on the airfare. Other travel expenses are also needed but the priority focus is the airfare. If the tickets are purchased early we can lock in the departure date and have a better chance of reserving all 11 seats together. We are DEEPLY grateful for all the funds sent so far! We appreciate your generosity, one of the evidences of your appreciation for our work.

MICHAEL MITALAMI (left), an ACSOP Master's graduate, preached a wonderful lesson from James (three types of faith) at Kisongo. Trina continued teaching Genesis to the ladies and Abigail taught the children (right photo) about Noah. Three lady visitors were in worship today. Two were employees of the mosquito net factory. The third was from Mbeya (a day's journey) and, almost in tears, she told that she came to Kisongo looking for her husband who had abandoned her and her children. Jimmy preached at the new congregation in White Rose.

Many times "old-fashioned" English songs are led in worship here. Certainly nothing is wrong with these songs (although they are sung slower than normal). However, when "Bringing in the Sheaves" is selected, Trina imagines herself wearing a bonnet while sitting in the church building on "The Little House on the Prairie" show. When she was a child, she sang it as "Bringing in the Sheets" and wondered why one would rejoice...maybe because of clean sheets?

WAYS IN WHICH OUR LIFE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM YOURS:

* On our weekly "grocery" day, we shop at two different grocery stores (one mainly to get tastier bread), go to a separate meat store, then on to another place for our fruits and vegetables, and, if needed, go to another store to swap out our empty gas cylinder for the stove (not much "one-stop shopping.")

*We "buy" our electricity on our cell phone and install it (entering the numbers) on our Luku meter. Our guard helps us keep up with the amount left so we don't run out unexpectedly.

*We discuss, consider and check our water supply nearly every single day. I think most folks in the U.S. don't even think about their water supply except when paying the monthly bill...because they don't have to! :)

*We don't experience a "real" winter...haven't for the past 7 years because our time in the states is always spent in the summer months.

We appreciate each and every one of you!  

With Love from Africa,
The Jimmy Gee family

Discipleship!!!

January 7 report

Greetings Fellow Workers:

We wish you all a very Happy New Year and pray God blesses you all with the best year of your life. Stephanie, Granny and I are good, busy and traveling from here to yonder “telling the story” and sharing God’s mission with with many.

As of this writing and after five weeks of travel, we have traveled over 5,000 miles by car, over 2,000 by air, been to 8 different States and presented the work to 10 different congregations and/or Elderships. Yes, our prayers and needs are being answered and met as we present our work! What a joy it is to be a part of such a grand mission work and being able to meet and work with God’s finest! Below is a short report I received from our dear brother Christopher, worthy of sharing:

“On 14th of December, I received a call from Joster Mwilongo (from Chimala Mission) asking me to attend and teach at a youth seminar to be held at December 28-31, 2012. I hesitated to answer! I was just thinking how I was going to enjoy a week off from my studies! Finally, I decided to attend the seminar after reading the theme of the seminar  and noticing its significance: "Youth and the Church Today." Two lessons were assigned to me: (1) The Youth and his/her Worshipful Life, and (2) The Youth’s conduct in the Church and in the Present World. As you can note that the topics are crucial, timely and relevant.

I was surprised to see 159 girls and boys (age between 12 - 25) who eagerly anticipated hearing from God's word. From twenty seven different congregations they attended. As a result, six youth were baptized on the night of 29th. What struck me the most is their attitude of listening attentively and taking notes. They did not need luxurious life, but enjoyed a simple meal of rice and beans almost ever day. Sincere questions were also posed during question and answer session each day. Indeed I don't regret my decision of  attending this seminar. It was a worthy trip to end the year. I arrived at Arusha 2:30a.m.

Thank you all who make it possible for us to serve God in this part of the world. your prayers, supports, cards of encouragement, e-mails, etc. are much appreciated. In His service, Christopher, Julia and Children”

God continues to bless and give the increase in Tanzania. With your continued prayers and support we believe the best is yet to be seen. May our God bless each of you with a life worthy of the Gospel to the saving of some lost soul.

In Him, Cy

January 14 report

Greetings Fellow Workers:

We thank our God for the life He has blessed us with, for the wonderful work in His Kingdom and a Christian family like none other. Thank you all for your part in this work, making it one like few others. 

Recently I was asked the question, “if you were to sum up the Tanzania 2000 mission efforts vision, goal and purpose in a word, what would that word be?” Several came to mind, but the one that best describes who we are and what we stand for is “discipleship”. 

The mandate given by our Lord to “make disciples of all nations” is one we all need to take to heart and make a part of our daily lives. 

Who is a “true disciple of Chirst?” Jesus said; “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher...” Yes, we are to be like Jesus!

The disciple of Christ need not fear, because the Father is able and knows the true value of each soul (Matt. 10:31).

The true disciple of Christ keeps his or her priorities in order. “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:37-38; i.e. Matt. 6:33.)

The disciple of Christ takes up his or her cross and follows Him daily (Matt. 10:38).

Yes, the disciple God is looking for in each of us is the one, “who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

In the writing of this I thought of Jimmy Gee, Sean Hochdorf and their families. They have given up much for the Master, to His glory and to the saving of many souls. 

I was also reminded of Daniel Gaines, his wife Tiffany and their three young children who are currently on the fund raising trail. They have committed their lives to serving God and have decided to join the Tanzania Team. Please pray for this sweet and committed family as they do their part that they might be the “disciples” God would have them to be.  

If you are able or know of others who might be able, please contact Daniel and gather the information you need in order to support this good family. In so doing you will aid them in their desire to “make disciples of all nations.”  daniel-gaines@hotmail.com

Thank you for making it possible for us to be the disciples we strive to be and for the opportunity to “make disciples” of the good people of East Africa.  

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Grannny

Say What??

As a Bear Valley Extension Coordinator it is a blessing worshiping and working with various churches around the brotherhood. While getting ready to return to Chimala, we were raising money for the students at the Chimala Bible Institute through teaching a college class filled with students of a local state university. One of the students in the class, a faithful Christian, said he was taught by a Jewish man in a Christian Origins class that besides the New Testament there were no other places where Jesus was mentioned in the first century. This totally discounts Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian of the first century. My first response was, “Say what?” I then spent the rest of the class giving evidences for the existence of Jesus in the first century.

As we begin the new school year Monday, at worship this morning I was thinking about that incident. Ezekiel Harrison was preaching, one of our fine instructors both in the secondary school and in the Chimala Bible Institute. In the audience this morning was the man who taught him the gospel from his hometown. The brother was able to see how his former convert has advanced here to become one of our students. 

Ezekiel, along with Joshua, Boaz, and Xavier, Joseph, as well as, Remmy will be teaching this group of incoming students. Everything from various Biblical books to Hermeneutics to Preacher and his Work, our students will be taught by these men who have spent years, studying, teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of these evangelists have graduated from the Bear Valley Bible Institute extension program. All have received, or are working on, the Bear Valley Master’s degree. All are faithful, hardworking, sound preachers of the gospel. Oh I am sure they will also have some ”say what” moments in their classes, but I am confident they will also be able to answer the questions that arise. That is why we are eagerly starting another year of the Chimala Bible Institute tomorrow. Another year of preparing the students to answer the objections of the skeptics, and fully proclaim the message of the gospel.

Yes, Ezekiel was preaching, his mentor who taught him the gospel was listening, and another generation of preachers is about to be taught because of the Bear Valley Bible Institute extension program. 

Garry L. Hill
Extension Coordinator
Chimala Bible Institute

Cameroon Ministry On The Grow...

Dearest in Christ,

We continue to say happy new year to you and your family. We pray this year will be a spectacular one for you as you continue to invest your time and self to reach out and expand the shores of the kingdom of God.

Valentine Angwambe obeyed the gospel this morning after worship. Three among the five visitors accepted the gospel. Keep them in your prayers as they walk with God. We shall use them by His grace to penetrate their families.

The first week of classes went on well with the BETA batch of students in CBIW. It is great and we praise God for all the students who are seeing the task that is not as easy as they thought of it before coming to CBIW. We continue to encouraged them to remain focused and God will help them to scale through. 

I was able to preach in the Wotutu congregation this morning. The Lord used me to bring forth the gospel on the topic “Salvation Only in Christ.” Over 150 of the population benefited a lot from our worship.

Keep this congregation in your prayers to continue with the work that is going on here.The community of Wotutu and other communities continue to be influenced by us.

Today we were blessed with 5 first time visitors. We thank God for our early morning radio program Back To The Bible. Many continue to listen and visit us to see if those things are so. One man came to worship and to see after following our radio program. Keep this program in your prayers because as we preach the gospel in the morning between 6000 and 10,000 people get the word of God from their beds before they could go to their farms.

CBIW continue to admired their studies here, we are already with 6 courses. How We Got The Bible, Old Testament 1, Christian Evidences, Cost of Discipleship, Use of English, Public Speaking and French language. You can see their sacrifice. Some of them will sleep with mattresses on the floor provided to them by the administration because there is no more space for beds. The number this time around increased and we decided to give them the opportunity to study the serving message, so that they will take the message out to many perishing souls. We shall continue to rob from the strong man’s house as we think souls.

Our ministry here is growing. The Brightland Christian Academy in Wotutu, which is really a young school, will add to the influence of the community as the first Christian school in our community. Many testify to the academic, social, mental and spiritual developments of their children. Our mission here is that if we succeed to show love and truth to these children, it will open ways for us to evangelize their parents. That is why one graduate from CBIW is stationed there to make sure the truth and morality of these children is in good shape daily. Keep this school in your thoughts and prayers. 

Plans
1) We plan to visit Bova congregation this month.

2) Batoke mission will be looked upon this time around. 

Appreciations
Many thanks to God for His love and care over us.Thank you for standing with us in all that is going on here in CBIW. God bless you and open doors for you and your family. We shall appreciate your comments. God bless you. 

Elangwe and family
By His grace director

Moving Into 2013 In Extension Training...

Ready or not, 2013 is here and we are moving quickly into the first month of the year. As we move ahead, two areas should be discussed. One, the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver begins a new class of students for the winter quarter. Six new students arrived in Denver and went through Orientation on Friday. They will begin classes on Monday in this two year journey preparing themselves as greater servants in the Kingdom.

The second involves the development within the Extension Program. To give you a perspective of what I mean, the school in Cameroon began its second class of students. There are 29 students who began this next round of classes. The excitement is spreading for the Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu as others are hearing about the development of this work and the result is bringing growth in the preparation of these men.

This is just one of the schools where the same activities are happening. A new class is set to begin in Chimala, Tanzania next week. As well, graduation will take place at the North India Bible College in Chandigarh, India in February and a new class of students will begin. We are looking forward to seeing these programs grow in the future.

The first class of students will begin their studies in Asunción, Paraguay in March. Another development mentioned in a previous report will be our assisting in the consolidation of the school in Danlí, Honduras with ITL in Guatemala. Plans are to finish with the current class and begin recruiting students from Honduras to train in Guatemala. 

Additional plans are developing in a number of the other schools which we will be sharing in the weeks ahead. The enthusiasm is high as the program develops in 2013.

Now on to the other reports...

Coordinator Updates
Reports from the coordinators are now located on the website, under Staff Reports. The address is /extension-schools/

The latest report from Howell Ferguson can be read by clicking here.

Wes Autrey’s report about the work in Cambodia can be read by clicking here.

The final report from Josh Austin, who has been coordinating the work in Cameroon, is here.

Extension Reports 

Special Prayer Request From Guatemala: Sad news hits the Linda Vista congregation in Guatemala. Remember the Ordoñez family in prayer.

Beta Class Begins In Cameroon: As the new year begins, so does a new class of 29 students in Cameroon. This is going to be a great year.

New Opportunities, Ideas and Plan In Ukraine: The new year in Gorlovka will be filled with opportunities for growth and development as a record number of students prepare.

180+ Attend Youth Seminar In Chimala: Recent events in Chimala, Tanzania influence a great number of youth.

New Year Adds 5 Souls In India: As 2013 gets rolling, reports from North India indicate growth as souls are added to the kingdom.

The Lord Gives The Increase In Paraguay: The church continues to grow in Asunción. The report from Troy and Andrea Spradlin shares the news.

Planning A Very Busy Summer: The activities ahead for the Gee family will keep them busy for the summer of 2013. 

Final Thoughts
While the economic situation has not improved in our country, the sacrifices you are making continue to show the ways our God is working through you to bless the work of Extension Training. Thank you for your dedication to preparing men to preach the gospel. Thank you for trusting us to further develop this work. We hope you know how much your efforts are making a difference around the world.

God bless
Bob

Cambodia In 2012...

Cambodia 2012: International Bible Institute of Siem Reap

Greetings
It is with great excitement that I am able to report to you the good news from Cambodia and the plans for this next year.  

IBISR
Your support to myself and the work in Cambodia has allowed the International Bible Institute of Siem Reap to train men to preach the gospel and women to study and teach women and children. We had 8 graduates this past year, 5 men and 3 women.  The men have already been teaching and preaching in various parts of the country with success.

Village Children Learning Bible 

Church Growth
During 2012 we have seen continued growth in our main congregation of Siem Reap. More male leaders are stepping up and taking leadership roles, with the intent on becoming elders!  The membership has increased to about 50 souls.  Takam Village continues to be a place of growth and one of our most potential filled sister congregations.  We currently have 3 of our past graduates engaged in the work there.  This congregation continues to grow and there are plans to start some other congregations in the nearby area.  Leang Dai is a place that we have 2 of our graduates working and taking care of those members.  This is a farming village and smaller in size but has steady growth. Even though Svay Reng is near the Vietnam border and is small we continue to see maturity and have hope for them.   

New Work 
Two of our recent graduates currently live on a large pontoon boat in the Bos Krolan area on Tonle Sap Lake. These young men will evangelize, study and hold worship services on the boat while also providing purified water with their filtration system to those in the area. This is very exciting and we ask for you prayers in this area. 

Future Plans 
In February I will be traveling to Cambodia for 2 weeks to teach a short course for the students.  Another instructor from the Bear Valley Bible Institute will be traveling with me to teach I & 2 Peter as a short course as well. We are already scheduling others to go and teach on the Godhead, Christian Evidence, I & 2 Timothy, Evangelism and the Preacher and his family.  I am excited to go and report back to you upon my return my personal viewpoint how things are going.

Thank You  

2 Thessalonians 1: 3-5
I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to each of you for your support and faith in this work.  I believe that training preachers in their native culture is the best way yet to further the spreading of God’s Word. Your actions have brought many to salvation and honor to the Lord by your giving character. 

Wes Autrey

Cambodia Coordinator for IBISR
Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver
Extension Program
Nullam tortor. Fusce malesuada. Quisque!

Final Report From Josh Austin...

Dearest brethren, 

We hope you had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a great year.  Most of the month of December I was in Cameroon, Africa.  The rest of the month was full of recovery time and Holiday time with family.  

Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu graduated its first class of 17 preaching students.  All of them worked extremely hard and sacrificed much for the sake of Christ.  We are happy to see they are all going to preach full time in various congregations that they have worked with previously through campaigns.  

The first week I was there I taught their final class, which was “Marriage and Family.”  The students really seemed appreciative of the material.  When classes finished up, we went to the annual lectureship about 1 ½ hours away.  There were over 450 people who attended this lectureship.  It was encouraging to be there.  I was asked to speak on Sunday morning.  It was an honor to share God’s word with so many.  Once we got back to Wotutu we had a lot of work to get prepared for the upcoming graduation.  They not only had the graduation, but they also introduced the 26 new students at the same ceremony (called a matriculation).  There were over 1300 people in attendance for this great event.  So many people contributed to make it a special day.  

During graduation, I also made the announcement that I would be stepping down as the coordinator & David Ballard would be taking my place.  David has a great reputation, familiarity & love of the people in Cameroon.  We are excited about his decision to help this fine school continue making a difference for eternity.  

My attention now turns toward the goal of planting a church in Phoenix among the Native American people there.  Our goal is to move to Phoenix & begin the work in June.  We are so thankful for the Morenci congregation for their support in helping me during this time of transition.  They’ve been an encouragement to our family.  They’ll be looking for a good solid preacher to come when we leave.  If you know of anyone who would like a good solid work please let me know.  

We currently have ¾ of our support raised for the upcoming work in Phoenix.  We are still looking to finalized the rest of our support & get our goals & plans in clear workable steps.  There is a lot of research to get done as we think about a church plant in a metro area with the Natives in mind.  There are going to be challenges, but I believe many great rewards.

Thank you for your continued love & support of all our efforts in the kingdom to the glory of our God.  We pray for you & look forward to the next time we meet.

Sending our love and prayers to you and the brethren.

Josh Austin

Planning A Very Busy Summer...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?" Psa. 27:1

We hope you are enjoying a wonderful New Year! Ours has been blessed with lots of rain. During this morning's offering, the men speaking could not be heard above the rain pounding on the tin roof. Trina and the children worshipped at Kisongo and Trina taught the Ladies class on Genesis 32. The goal was to finish Genesis last year but due to many factors (continued construction on the classroom, translator sick or out of town, guest speakers we wanted to hear) it was impossible. The goal is to complete Genesis before furlough.

Abigail taught on the Days of Creation/Fall of Mankind in the Children's Class. Ahimidiwe continued teaching Acts in the Men's Class. Mrutu preached a powerful lesson on "Gratitude." Jimmy taught and preached at White Rose, a newly established congregation meeting in a member's home, a small 2-room concrete house (not 2 bedrooms). Total people listening to Jimmy and his translator were seven: Baraka and Angel (the couple living in the house), their non-Christian neighbor (Witness ) and 4 children.

Lindsey has continued her studies with Rachel John, who recently turned 16. Rachel, a bright young lady who knows English well, attended Tanzanian Christian Camp and asked many questions about Catholicism. Yesterday, Lindsey's study focused on what constitutes a valid, obedient baptism. We rejoiced that Rachel was baptized into Christ! She needs your prayers because Tuesday she will travel to Moshi (an hour away) to enroll in a private Catholic school (the students are not allowed off campus but are expected to attend the Catholic services on Sundays). Most Tanzanians do not get the opportunity to attend a private school. She was given the chance due to her aunts' influence (so it's not something she wants to give up). The plan is for the local preacher to contact the school and request special permission for her to attend the church services in Moshi. (By the way, Lindsey conducted 50 bible studies with 15 people last year...multiple studies with several).

Congratulations to twelve-year-old Anita Mwakabanje and her parents, Christopher and Julia! Passing her exams with the highest scores in the nation (in Math and English), she was selected to join Moshi Technical Secondary School (the government will subsidize most of the cost).

This Saturday, all the Kisongo teen girls have been invited to our house. Abigail will lead them in a discussion of the importance of Bible study and prayer. Of course, where there are teen girls there must be food and games. Abigail hopes to plan several more before leaving on furlough.

This weeks' spotlights shines on: J.W. and Jackie Gee (Jimmy’s parents), two of our most dedicated supporters! To try to list everything they do (from errand running, to mailing important papers, and numerous other tasks Jimmy asks of them) would be impossible! We appreciate all the time and effort! Most of all, they (along with Trina's parents) don't put us on a guilt trip for taking their grandchildren 10,000 miles away. They are truly supportive in every sense of the word!

Please pray our TZ children's immigration visas will be completed by late February in order to enter the U.S. and become citizens. Our target date for leaving TZ is April 15th because our summer is filled with some very important ceremonies! Lindsey and Abigail will have a reception celebrating their graduation from high school and from the ACSOP. Our sweet son, Todd (sorry, Todd, Mom had to say it!) graduates from Faulkner in May, Jimmy graduates from Amridge and last, but not least, Todd and Lauren's wedding in May!

We'll be stocking up on Kleenex! Lauren's brother, Jared Kelly, will also be graduating high school. Then there are the birthdays to celebrate: Naomi, Elijah, Trina’s Mom, Heather, Lindsey and Abigail (#18) and Jimmy! Also, the generous brethren at the Huntingdon, TN congregation are giving us an all-expense paid trip to the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky!

Thank you for the privilege of working in Tanzania and for the furlough funds sent thus far! 

With Love from Africa,
Jimmy, Trina & family

The Lord Gives The Increase In Paraguay...

RECENT BAPTISMS!

Brethren, is there really anything more important in this world than one’s salvation? The answer is, obviously, NO there is not! Last month, five precious souls recognized this truth through the power of God’s word and decided to heed the Gospel call! What a great way to end 2012!

• Baptized! Zully and Vicente Martinez! They came to the church more than a year and a half ago. After we and several brethren studied the subject of baptism with them on many occasions and teaching them EVERYTHING involved in being saved, Zully recognized that she needed to be baptized according to the Bible in order to be saved. However, Vicente believed that they had already been baptized for the right reasons. He maintained this posture based on how he understood “the one baptism” of Ephesians 4:5. Something in him changed recently when he finally recognized that he had been previously baptized under a false doctrine and was, therefore, re- baptized with this time knowing it was according to the scriptures! 
• Baptized! Nery and Delia Martinez! Nery is the younger brother of Vicente Martinez. Vicente had been evangelizing his brother for quite some time, but when two young preachers from Guatemala came to visit, he decided to seize the opportunity to set up a study with them and his brother. Nery decided to obey the Gospel call, then his wife, Delia, decided to do the same! Praise God for the power of the Gospel! 
• Baptized! Adriana Ramirez! Adriana is a friend and neighbor of Mirta Vera, our church secretary. When we needed a cleaning lady for the church building, Mirta suggested Adriana and she has now been with us for several weeks. Adriana began asking many questions and Mirta continued to evangelize simply by showing her what the Bible says. Then one Friday morning, Adriana decided she needed to be saved and right away! Praise God for her obedience! 

Special Activities / Congregational Development:

• We enjoyed a wonderful evening of fellowship, fun, and food at our annual End of Year Dinner with both congregations! Everyone brought lots of food and some brought friends or family. We had a few presentations and then topped off the night with a very humorous talent show! 
• Andrea hosted the Ladies Tea in our home this month. There were 26 ladies that came and enjoyed fellowship and some of Andrea’s “famous” cooking! Andrea also gave the devotional thought and afterward, the ladies exchanged Christmas gifts. 
• Brother Chris Fry was our guest speaker this month (via Internet) for our Wednesday night “Summer Series” lessons. He always does a good job and we enjoyed his lesson. Some of our upcoming speakers include Willie Alvarenga, Andy Chavarilla, Enoch Rinks, and Douglas Alvarenga.
• Bible Academy development: The time is getting closer and we are getting more excited as the Asunción Bible Academy   

  continues to develop! There is much left to do, but the men are steadily moving forward with the development by working on the Student Manual and teacher expectations. It is long, tedious work, but they are very dedicated. We have several potential students and we ask that you please keep them in your prayers. They are: Enrique Albera, William Arzamendia, Paolo Roschol, Ramon Paredes, and Karen Vega. 

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies:
English Course Contacts: Our English studies have gone well but now that we are in summer time in Paraguay, many are taking off work for vacation. Several of our students have suspended their classes until February. We ask that you please keep Adriana, Andrea, Guadalupe, Blanca, Sergia, Antonio, and Graciela in your prayers that they continue their studies with us and that they may ultimately respond to the word of God. 

Steps toward mission goals:

• Perry and Alba Hardin have completed their committed time to the mission team. They left Dec 31 to go work in Peru for two months, then plan to return to Paraguay where Perry will assume the position of Director of Academics for the Asuncion Bible Academy. 

• We made some improvements on the building! We removed one of the interior walls in order to enlarge the space we are using for worship assembly. We also repaired several cracks in the walls and repainted a large part of the interior. 

Upcoming plans: 

• 2013 looks like it will be super busy as we get ready to start the Bible Academy, host several groups from the US, gear up for our annual congregational retreat, launch a new English campaign, and offer several community seminars!

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES
Personal HIGHLIGHT(s) of the Month: What a way to end the year 2012! There were five baptisms this month, along with a wonderful End of Year dinner, and the beginning of improvements to the church building.

Personal study:

• I have finally finished the Spanish study guide book for new converts that I have been writing! The first copies of “First Principles” have been printed and given to several Spanish speaking brethren to help with any corrections needed. 
• I am currently reading / have read:  
• “Paul’s Letter to the Saints at Rome”” by Robertson L. Whiteside  
• “A Return to Christ Centered Missions” by Earl Lavender 

Cultural or language discovery: 

“Flor de Coco” is a popular tradition for Christmas in Paraguay. Many street vendors sell this very fragrant Coconut Flower so people can put them in their homes or around their nativity scenes in their yards. 

Family activities: 

• We enjoyed a nice Christmas Dinner in our home with several of our teammates and Brittnea’s parents, Kevin and Tammy Dye! 
• Andrea has a new BIG hobby! Making gift baskets, cakes, and finger foods. Since she loves to cook and everyone loves her cooking, she decided to start taking a few orders by request. 
• I’ll be completely honest, I do not like going to the gym! Although I know I need the exercise, but I can find a million excuses for not going. So, I needed to find a different approach and I recently found one in Tae Kwon Do. I must say, it has been rather interesting learning a new sport in Spanish, but I have really enjoyed it and I already feel much better! I even recently earned my first belt! 

Visitation: 

• Gustavo Aguero has been struggling with many aspects of his life lately. He has once again slipped back into drinking. But, recently he indicated that he needs to get his life back together and return to the Lord’s church. We’ll be praying and doing all we can for him. 
• Estella and Graciella - Estella turned 70 years old on Dec 24 and her daughter Graciella, who lives in the US, was here to celebrate. We got to spend a little time with them both because Andrea was asked to prepare a large gift basket for her. They are such wonderful people!
  Upcoming plans: 

We are hoping to complete the interior remodel and painting of the church building in January. 

Troy and Andrea Spradlin

To see the Spradlin’s full report with pictures, please click here.

New Year Adds 5 Souls In India...

Dear Brother/Sister

This past year has been a great year and we are thankful to the Lord for all of His blessings in it. We also are thankful for our supporters, well wishers and fellow workers in helping us to spread the borders of the Kingdom.

Our last week also went well with a blessing. We had gone this past week for a gospel meeting in Ferozepur, Punjab. The students also went with us and they spent 4 days. During these days one young girl obeyed the Lord.

Just after the New Year greetings, one of our old students, brother Sunil, told me that they had baptized 3 people a few hours ago. Brother Nanda, our student, (his father is also working for the Lord) told that 2 more souls were baptized this week.     

Altogether the new year brought for us the news of at least 5 souls obeying the Lord in this week. 

We wish you all good health and may this coming year be your best yet!

Earnest, Family and all 

180+ Attend Youth Seminar In Chimala...

Youth Seminar and Mission News
The Chimala Mission Church of Christ held a youth seminar last weekend where over 180+ youth attended from various parts of Tanzania. I was asked to speak on Marriage in the Church and also I was a part of a Q and A panel session with the youth. The seminar was successful and we had 6 baptisms during the seminar! To God be the Glory! I also met a young girl (about 15) who had recently converted from Islam to Christianity. She had been wanting to convert for a while (since someone from the church had been studying with her) but her family had stopped her. Finally, she decided to put Christ on in baptism and she has now been added to the Church. We have to remember that Tanzania is NOT in the Bible Belt! There are not churches on every corner. In fact, there are several Muslims that come onto the mission every day. The Chimala Mission is truly on the 'front line' in the church's fight against Islam.

The Herring Christian Secondary School starts back on Monday, January 7, with their Form 1 students for School Orientation. The rest of the students at HCSS will arrive this coming weekend for the start of school on January 14th. This also includes a new Form 4. Also, students for the Chimala Mission Primary School and also the Chimala Bible Institute will be arriving to begin school also on January 14th.  

We had a few BIG visitors to the Chimala Mission on Friday. The District Commissioner and the District Executive Director, as well as other dignitaries both district and local, were on hand for a ceremony. The ceremony was the start of a new immunization program of the vaccine Prevnar. Prevnar has been available in the US since the year 2000 but the first dose in this whole district was given by the District Commissioner on Friday at the Chimala Mission. It was raining but that didn't stop the people from coming and seeing their DC and DED. I was seated directly next to the DC and DED. This allowed me to get to know them a bit -- since I have only been here since June 2012. We also shared a meal following the ceremony. The food was rice, some sort of stew, and also a whole cooked chicken! Boy, what a spread! The meal was great, but I had trouble eating the chicken with a spoon. Finally, after a few minutes of trying, one of the cooks gave me a machete knife to cut the chicken! Finally, success!

Wagner Family Update
The Wagner family is doing well enough here. While our home back in Arkansas was blanketed with a record breaking 10 1/2" of snow, we were sweltering under heat. However, the rains have come to Chimala and the temperature has dropped from around 90-95 degrees to a whopping 80-85! What a change and a blessing! We are actually pulling our covers up again at night.

The girls are continuing to be home-schooled under our tutelage. Rena teaches the younger three and I have taken the older two. Rena is truly enjoying being able to teach the kids. After lunch every day, we would sit in the living room and read-a-round the book Cameron Townsend. It was a book about a Central American missionary who pioneered Bible translation in that region. The older two girls are studying Greek and Roman mythology right now and its relation to the God of the Bible. We have very interesting conversations around the lunch table!  

We have been struggling a bit the last few weeks with poor electricity, cell phone service, and internet connectivity. In fact, the cell phones and internet were down on Christmas Day -- where we had planned to have a family phone call with our loved ones back home. However, we were not able to do that. Also, the electricity lately has been very off-and-on. It is a bit trying sometimes, but we always make it through with reading, going outside, etc.  

Rena and I have mapped out a walking track around the main part of the mission. It is a one-mile track which we do twice. It has ups-and-downs and is really pushing us! We have generally all lost weight being here.  

Preaching the Gospel
We visited several congregations this week. We try and visit a new congregation every Sunday morning and a local congregation on Sunday nights. I preached at Mfumbi church of Christ this morning where there was a good number of people -- probably 15+. I preached on identifying marks of the church that Jesus built in Matthew 16. The singing was good and the fellowship was just as good. This evening, we went to the Chosi A congregation where I preached on growing in maturity. At the church, we had about 5 adults and about 25 kids! When we arrived at the building, they were sitting on the front steps awaiting our arrival and began jumping when we pulled into the church building. Very sweet.  

Bar-B-Q Sauce
How much do you pay for a regular bottle of Bar-B-Q Sauce? You might think that BBQ sauce is inexpensive and easy to have around. How much do you pay for Ranch dressing? I remember at home that we would pay $1 for a regular bottle of BBQ or Ranch. Here we are paying $3.50 for the same size bottle! If Ranch or BBQ is over three times the cost, you can imagine how much meat costs! We are currently 'breaking even' on money. We are not able to get ahead financially due to the cost of our family living in this country. We would like to ask you to prayerfully consider starting or increasing your support in 2013 so that our family can be more secure financially. We are relying upon you, our brethren, for the very food to feed our children. Please, prayerfully consider this request this year.

Chad

New Opportunities, Ideas and Plans In Ukraine...

Dear brothers, families and churches.

Every New Year is associated for us with new opportunities, ideas and plans. We want to wish everybody wisdom and patience in fulfilling God’s will. We still have many ideas that weren’t implemented before, and we hope to complete most of what we have planned with the help of your prayers and support of God’s work in Ukraine.

The passing year was very successful for the institute and God’s church. We had 5 graduates. One of the graduates is working as a secretary at the institute, and two others help local churches in their work. Also we had a very successful recruitment. We have 10 freshmen, who actively joined God’s work and student’s life. Sponsors continue supporting the institute despite the difficult economic situation. We thank our Creator for this all. This year was fruitful for us. We don’t know what is waiting for us in the year 2013, but we fully rely on His mercy. 

In December, I had an opportunity to make several important trips to recruit new students for the next school year. I visited Dnipropetrovsk and Dniprodzerzhynsk (these two cities are situated in Central Ukraine). Our graduate, Alexander Rodichev is preaching in one of these cities. He finished our program two years ago. God is really taking care of His work in Ukraine. Alexander and his wife Helen (also BVBIU graduate) has been coming to Dnipropetrovsk for more than a year now. He is preaching there, and Lena is teaching Bible classes for kids. They both are willing to move there permanently. 

At the end of December, we had some fellowship time with our students to summarize and celebrate the passing year 2012; it was interesting and fun. Some of the students participated in preparing this celebration. I think that such events help to create friendly atmosphere among our students. Right now the institute is on the Winter Break, and classes will resume on January 8. We are looking forward to Howell Ferguson’s arrival; he will teach Homiletics 2.

In January, another student from Smela (Cherkassy region), Sergey, will join our program. He wanted to become our student, but his family situation didn’t allow him to do that. In February, we expect the arrival of another student from Kramatorsk, Arthur. Please pray for these men because they are future leaders for God’s church. 

Right now the weather in Ukraine is good: -5C at night and +2C during day. We have managed to put three new windows in two classrooms, and we have to print new advertising flyers for the institute. As you can see, Solomon wisely said that “money answereth all things” (Eccl. 10:19). Living in this material world, we really depend on it. Some say that money rules the world, but our Lord is even greater than that. We have to be thankful for everything that we have, and He will always give to His children what they need. 

Also we have some sad news. We had to say goodbye to one of our students, Julia. She is kind but very reserved young lady, who started our program in September. From the very beginning, it was difficult for her to study. She showed low results on final tests and memory work tests, didn’t do her homework on time and often missed classes without the valid reasons. We talked about that with the teachers, and after several conversations with Julia, we decided that she has to leave the program. Please pray for her and her future. 

In the Central Church of Christ in Gorlovka, we had a baptism. A lady Galina (she is sight impaired) decided to be baptized again. She was previously baptized in Artyomovsk Church of Christ, but then she went to the church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), and after that she returned to us. After several conversations with the preacher, Andrew Zhuravlyov, she decided to be baptized again. We hope that she will become a faithful Christian. 

My wife and I continue visiting the orphanage. Even though our visits are rare (only 2-3 times in a month), we got used to those kids, and they also love us. 

Our students send you their greetings and the best wishes. We want to thank everyone who participates in the work of this institute: American and Ukrainian teachers, sponsors and those who continuously support us in prayers. We need all of you.

Your brother and co-worker for the Lord’s cause,

Dennis Sopelnik

If you would like to see Dennis’ report with pictures, please click here.

Special Prayer Request From Guatemala...

Greetings Everyone,

We pray that this message finds you all enjoying the new year.

We are writing this brief note to inform you of a tragedy that has taken place with the Linda Vista family. Most of you who have visited Guatemala will remember Carlos Ordoñez. He was the husband of Patricia Ordoñez, the sister who cooks many of the meals for our visiting teams and visiting ITL instructors. He was also the father of Carla and Julissa, two of our teenage members, and Paola, the youngest daughter.

We received news from Anibal Ramirez that Carlos was killed in a truck accident while traveling from El Salvador back to Guatemala. From the information that they have at the present it is believed that the brakes failed on the truck he was driving.

Patricia and the girls were taken to his hometown for his burial yesterday by the leaders from Linda Vista for the wake and burial. Please keep them in your prayers as they go through this very difficult time in their lives.

Anyone wishing to send this family a card may send it to us while we are in Texas. It will need to arrive on or before Friday, January 12. Please send it to the the following address: 

The Ordoñez Family
c/o Marty Browne
730 E. 13th Street
Colorado City, TX 79512

Please pass this message to all that you know that have been to Guatemala. We would rather people receive it twice than not receive it at all. We would like as many people as possible praying for this family.

We will close for now. May God bless each one of you!

Con amor, 

Hawatthia
Byron

"Teaching the CENTRAL MESSAGE in CENTRAL AMERICA!"

Beta Class Begins In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

New year’s greetings to you from my family and the family of God here in Cameroon. I do hope this year, 2013, met you and your family and the family of God in your area in good health and a strong vision to do more for the Lord.

We praise God for all that He is doing in our lives and our ministries. God is still at work in our lives here in Cameroon. We began the New Year with love and focus to reach out to more souls which is part of our New Year’s resolutions. May God help us to attain them as the year starts running on a good footing.

Sister Joan obeyed the gospel in Wotutu. Keep her in your prayers to walk with God.

As I write this email, I appreciate God for a two day’s mission work out of the south west region to the north west region of Cameroon, which was successful and I am home safe and sound and my family is in good health. As I write this email, brother David Ballard, the new coordinator for CBIW, will be checking in at the airport in Douala to start his journey home after visiting with the new students, staff and leaders of the Wotutu congregation for one week.

The new students of CBIW (beta) batch are in class. As they resumed last Wednesday and started classes on Thursday beginning with Old Testament 1. Time waits for no one. Our program is intensive and we have no time for leisure. Students are set to study and we are also ready to impact their knowledge. Keep them in your prayers as they started their two year race.

29 students in number stood in front of our worship hall, which also serves as the lecture hall for CBIW. They raised their tomb, a strong sign in CBIW meaning “we are not alone.”  We know you are with us as you read this report. May God keep you by our side as we continue to work together.

Minister David Ballard preached and taught in the Wotutu congregation during his one week visit. Keep him in your prayers as he starts coordinating the work of CBIW.

Brother Ballard was part of our house to house evangelism to 4 different congregations. It was a great success.

The Lord added 3 souls in His vineyard in the congregations that we visited. Keep the souls in your prayers for them to grow to maturity.

Plans
We have started, and the demands to come over to many places and help are much on my desk. Keep us in your prayers that the Lord will take us to places to reach out and rob from the strong man’s house and many will come to know God through our preaching and teaching efforts this 2013.

Appreciations
We give our sincere appreciations to God for His love over us throughout the year 2012 and for all that He did to help us train men and successfully graduate them, and now they are in the field to serve and win souls.

We appreciate God for you who came and believed in our dreams and stood by them, because without you, our dreams would have remained a dream till date. We lack words that we can use to say it, but we say thank you and we shall thank you. God will bless you, and because we are still together, we shall by His grace accomplish more this time around for His glory. Have a great and wonderful year 2013. God bless and watch over you and all that you do.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

2012 In Extension Training Comes To A Close...

Since it will be December 31st when most of you read this (or maybe later), I feel safe in saying this is the last report of 2012. What a great year this has been in training men to preach. From Denver to the various locations around the world, the work of training men to preach the gospel in their own language to go out and share the good news with their own people has been very blessed.

Reflecting back on the past year brings many wonderful memories to mind. The reports have been a powerful source of encouragement. The number of souls that were brought to the Lord, those added to the kingdom along with those restored, demonstrates how great the hand of our God has been by giving the increase. Reading about the congregations that have been planted, revived and strengthened brings a level of enthusiasm to the purpose of this work.

Looking forward into the year ahead shares a vision of God’s hand continuing to bless the direction and purpose of Extension Training. The shoring up several schools we were able to begin working with in 2012 and the establishment of a new school in March will have 2013 filled with a tremendous amount of work, but one that will be exciting.

My prayer for you in 2013 is that God will continue to bless you for your generosity, dedication, sacrifice, and love expressed through all the ways you make this work possible.

Now on to the other reports...

Coordinator Updates
Reports from the coordinators are now located on the website, under Staff Reports. The address is /extension-schools/

The latest report on the work in West Africa from Steven Ashcraft, who serves as the Director of West African Extensions, is posted here.

Extension Reports 

Growing The Work In Liberia: Read how the challenges are being met in Liberia as God blesses the efforts of the men training at the Liberia Bible College.

Reflection On The Work In Chimala: The growth of the program in Chimala continues to change lives throughout Tanzania and Malawi.

Opportunity For ITL In Guatemala: A wonderful opportunity to own a permanent facility in Guatemala has arisen. Please take time to read and see if you can help. Thank you.

300+ Souls Added To The Kingdom In 2012: How powerful to read about the numbers of souls added to the kingdom in Arusha, Tanzania. Our God is great!!

Two Reports Worth Your Time To Read: While these are a little lengthy, the news shared by Jimmy Gee is worth reading. The work is powerful in Tanzania. 

Final Thoughts
The most wonderful part of starting the new year is the opportunity of working together with everyone involved in this program. Thank you for each part you fill in the work of training preachers. Without you a great void would exist. You are needed and appreciated. Thank you for what you have done in the past and what you are committed to do in the year ahead.

Happy New Year to all of you.

God bless
Bob