You're A What? A Missionary...

"Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31:25

Dear Co-Laborers:

Hello from Tanzania! Pictured above are some large pieces of bright-colored cloth...each called a "kanga" (con-ga). Very popular in Africa, women wear this piece of cloth as a skirt, top, apron, shawl, towel, use old ones for diapers, tie up firewood in it...you name it. In fact, there is a book called "101 Uses for a Kanga."

Short and sweet...is our theme for today's report! Our family is doing fine except that Candace is sick (possible strep throat). Thank you for your prayers for Esther (from church) who was admitted to the hospital last week for ear problems but now is much better. We had a good crowd for worship today at Kisongo (about 100).

Spotlight... is on Julius Odaka, a first-year ACSOP student in the English program. From Uganda, Julius was baptized in 2000 and is married with two children. He worshipped with the Nandwa church of Christ until 2009 until he established another congregation named Nandwa "B." Julius and another Christian take turns preaching there. Julius has also been a part of establishing three other congregations!

You're a What?
Upon hearing that we are missionaries, six-year-old Elijah said, "We're missionaries??"

Heather answered, "Yes." 

Elijah: "You're a missionary?"

Heather: "Yes, and you are, too!"

Elijah: "I'm not a missionary...I live in Africa!"

It's funny...we just assumed he knew! We are so appreciative of the furlough funds we have received! May you have a wonderful day and a blessed week. Thanks again for your prayers.

We'll end with a quote we read recently:

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." --Jane Howard

With Love from Africa,

Jimmy, Trina, Lindsey, Abigail, Heather, Candace, Stuart, David, Naomi, Elijah and Matthew

To see the Gee report with pictures, please click here.

A Full Schedule Of Activities In Ukraine...

Hello dear brothers, families and churches.

In Ukraine, spring gradually overcomes winter, and we are looking forward to the warmer weather. The temperature at the Institute is good for having classes and worship services.

February was a month full of events.

The Institute is doing well. First-year students had 1, 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles (taught by Victor Semikoz) and fist part of the Minor Prophets (taught by Dennis Sopelnik). Second-year students had Hebrews (taught by Albert Bagdasaryan) and 1, 2 Timothy and Titus (taught by Dennis Sopelnik). As you can see that in February we had only Ukrainian teachers, who shared their experience and knowledge, which they received studying the Bible and ministering at the local churches. 

In March, we have two American teachers: Garth Hilton and Johnny MacYoung. They have made it safely to Ukraine and have already started teaching their courses. We need the help of our brothers, and it’s a good opportunity to receive encouragement and support from them. 

We have other good news: in March, our first-year students Roman Rotan’ and Sergey Slastyonov started preaching in Illovaysk church of Christ. The church had experienced many troubles. We were praying and looking for those men who will be willing to serve there, and after long conversations with brethren from the US and the church in Illovaysk, we came to the common decision. We hope that our students will be God’s preachers, proclaiming His truth. 

In February, I preached in Nikolayev, Maysakaya church of Christ (Gorlovka), and also visited Central church of Christ in Donetsk. They all welcomed me, and I didn’t miss the opportunity to tell about the Institute and to look for prospective students.  

I hope you like holidays and surprises, because we (men) were surprised by the event our ladies had organized for us. On February 23, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the Defender of the Motherland. And our sisters prepared greetings and a festive program for us, defenders of the gospel. It was really very interesting and fun. We are so grateful for their work. 

At the beginning of last month, a brother-missionary from the US David Binkley contacted me with a request to help the church during their absence. He and his wife Galina live in Nikolayev and preach the gospel there for several years. This time he had the scheduled 3-month business trip to the US, and he needed the help of the brethren who could substitute for him. We were able to provide such help, and our students travel to Nikolayev, and they preach there every Sunday. It really shows how important the work of the Institute is in the life of the church in Ukraine. We love this missionary and are looking forward to his return to Ukraine. 

My wife and I keep visiting the orphanage, and we have good connection with those kids. Also the director of the orphanage is not opposed to cooperating with us and provided us an opportunity to work with those kids on a permanent basis. Praise to the Lord for these opened doors. 

On March 9, we have planned a one-day lectureship on the topic of preparing the future elders in the church. Garth Hilton will be our guest speaker. We hope that there will be many representatives from local churches present here.   

Thank you brothers, sisters and churches for your help and ministry. We pray for you during our chapels and thank God for you love and devotion. I want to thank all of the American and Ukrainian teachers, who are dedicated to this ministry and help us to train preachers.

God bless you!

Your co-worker,
Dennis

To see Dennis’ report with pictures, please click here.

Steps Toward Mission Goals...

It brings us such great joy to see the brethren so excited about the many activities that have been taking place within the church here in Paraguay! It’s been said, “A working church is a growing church.” According to what we ́re seeing around here, it’s looking like that saying is true!

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES / CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

• The church had a special “Work Day” to clean up around the building and organize all the rooms. Part of the objective was to gather up the many old things that were not being used, like furniture, clothing, toys, or anything that just needed to be discarded. There was a “feria” for the members to buy whatever they wanted among the items with the proceeds going to the building fund. We also hired a company to bring in a big trash container for the stuff we needed to throw away and we filled it up! Things are looking mighty good around here. It is great to see the brethren taking pride (the good kind) in
  maintaining their meeting facility. 
• Our Wednesday night “Summer Series” lessons were such a success that the members have asked to have some more guests! Brethren Glen Henton, Ethan Hardin, and Ivan Villard, Jr, have all agreed to speak for us. If you are a Spanish speaking teacher, or know someone who would be interested in participating in this program, please let me know! 
• Vacation Bible School! School starts the end of February in Paraguay, so it is a great time to have a VBS. We invited our member’s children, those of our frequent visitors, and from the local orphanages. Our youth, like Natalia Mendoza, William Arzamendia, and Carolina Achucarro did an amazing job with organizing and executing this event. There were an average of 40+ kids there all three days! That’s a lot crayons used!

ASUNCIÓN BIBLE ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT:

• The Asunción Bible Academy is now in its final stages of development before opening on March 11. Everything appears to be in order, set, and ready to begin. Next month’s mission report will be mostly dedicated to the opening of the school. 
• We now have five “officially approved” students. They are: Enrique Albera, William Arzamendia, Ramón Paredes, Paolo Roshol, and Karen Gimenez. Please pray for them! 

RECENT BAPTISMS / RESTORATIONS / IDENTIFICATIONS 

• Baptized! Vicente Martínez, Jr. He is the son of Vicente and Zully Martinez who were baptized this past year. Vicente, Jr., has really “come out of his shell” lately and been a lot more involved in the youth activities and Bible studies. He eventually came to realize the state of his soul and decided to submit to the Gospel call. We rejoice to have a new brother in Christ!

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies:

• Dina Aycock is a new friend that Andrea has made through the “Las Amigas” club. She has started asking lots of questions, so Andrea has invited her to come and see the church for herself! 
• The mid-week study groups are going strong again after a short summer break. We are back to studying in the homes of Delci Enciso and of the Martinez. Our subject is Romans. 
• We are also studying with several different couples with various topics like marriage, new convert lessons, and textual studies. What a blessing to have so many brethren that want to learn and grow in His word. 
• Two of our former English students have returned to continue their studies. Andrea and Adriana are just about to finish the John study that we use, then they will transition into the “Searching for Truth” material. There are always lots of questions that follow with that study! 
• Sergia is one of Andrea’s English students who has now advanced to “Searching for Truth.” 
  
  Steps toward mission goals: 

1. The new church plant in Ñemby! The men of the congregation at Avenida Sacramento have decided to support a young preacher named, Eliezer Perez, who is about to graduate from the Institute of Theology of Latin-America in Guatemala. When he was here a few months ago, he expressed the desire to come to Paraguay and work with the church. So, the church will provide him a place to live and a salary. This is a HUGE step for the church in Paraguay! They are stepping out on faith with the intent to support a young preacher. Eliezer will be working with the congregation here, as well as, being very involved in the church plant in Ñemby. We are praying and working toward having everything ready by July in order to start worship services there. Please pray for this effort. 
2. Upcoming plans: 
   *Preparing for the Inauguration Ceremony and opening of the Asuncion Bible Academy 
   *Congregational retreat in April 
   *We bought our plane tickets for our USA Furlough coming up in May and June of 2013! 
3. We will traveling to the following places during these dates:  
   a. Poolville church of Christ (Texas) - May 5 
   b. Dripping Springs church of Christ (Texas) - May 12 
   c. Margaret Street church of Christ (Florida) - May 19 
   d. Central Avenue church of Christ (Georgia) - June 2
   e. Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ (Florida) - June 9 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES
HIGHLIGHT(s) of the Month: We have a new brother in Christ and the excitement is growing as we are getting closer to starting classes in the Bible Academy.

Family Activities

• Yegros family. We had a nice evening visiting with Ike and Nora and just enjoying a late-night Paraguay style dinner. 
• Angel Ortiz is the husband of our sister in Christ, Mabel Ortiz. We had a nice visit one afternoon when he came by the church building during our “work day.” He is a very interesting person and a rather busy entrepreneur. I hope to have more opportunities to visit with him in the future. 
• Preaching on Skype! I had the opportunity to preach for our sponsoring congregation at Margaret Street church of Christ in Milton, FL via Skype. Even after having done this a few times, it is still such an interesting experience and great opportunity! I am very thankful for the technology that allows us to “be there” with are brethren in the USA. 

Family activities: 

• Valentine’s Dinner! We went to an old Peruvian restaurant we had been hearing about. 
• After a lot of sweat and hard work, I have advanced one more level in Tae Kwon Do to orange belt. Thanks to this much needed exercise, it has helped me to feel much better and have more energy. I have even lost a few pounds in the process. 

Personal study: 

• I am currently reading / have read: 

“The Letter of Paul to the Romans” by Richard A. Batey (Sweet Co) 
“Gramática Simple del Griego (Simplified Greek Grammar) by Armando Alaniz 
“Mejores Estudiantes de la Biblia” by Mark Reeves (Bible Academy Textbook) 

Cultural or language discovery: 

• Interesting point: Americans are often viewed as being “frio” (cold) by the Paraguayans. The reason is because we are considered to be very direct in our personal communication. Americans usually go right to the point, whereas the Paraguayans have several exchanges of greetings before eventually getting to the point. Then, the point is sometimes softened in some form or another. Even in text messages, it is considered rude if you don’t put several lines of greetings before getting to the point! 
• Want to learn more about Paraguay? Check out Natalia Goldberg’s, “Paraguay (Other Places Travel Guide)” which you can get through her insightful website: http://discoveringparaguay.com 

Troy and Andrea Spradlin

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

13 Obey The Gospel In North India...

Dear Brother, 

Thank you for being mindful of us. 

We are doing fine and looking for new students. Some have already come and we have started to work with them. Hopefully, the full fledged class will be in place by the end of this month. By the time we have been getting good and encouraging reports from the outgoing graduates. 

Brother Shiv, brother Naresh and brother Rajesh are told to have been teaching people of their community and Shiv and Rajesh are told the help immersing 5 and 8 souls respectively. 

We are sending some Hindi Bibles and song books for them and hopefully they will receive it soon. For any correspondence I am sending their address. Yuhanna Masih is married and he will be having his responsibilities increased. 

Shiv Kumar Sidar 
S/o Dadu Lal Sidar
Vill. Chhoti Rabeli 
Thana/Teh. Malkharan 
Distt. Janjgir 
Chanpa- 495691 (CG- India) 

Rajesh Gotya 
S/o Kanhayya Lal (Salgu)
Vill. Mohtra
P.O. Madhai Bhatta
Thana Sarseevan
Teh. Bilai Garh
Distt. Balaud Bazar- 493559 (CG- India) 

Naresh Mahanand 
S/o Pardeshi Mahanand  
Resali Bhata Ispaat Nagar
Near Vijay Kirayana store BHILLAI
Durg 490006 (CG- India)  

Thanks for all your prayers and support for the cause of Christ.

Earnest Gill

The Church Grows As The Gospel Is Preached...

Report 3-4-13

Beloved in Christ Jesus,

Greetings and appreciation for your great contribution toward the growth of the Lord's church in Nigeria and the world as a whole! May the Lord of blessing continue blessing our joint effort in Christ’s name. Amen.

Here is the summary of our activities for the month of January 2013 at Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE),Ibadan and Lagos campus:

On Saturday of January 5, we (the staff and students of SWSE-Ibadan) evangelized Butubutu, Akinwande and Elesin Villages of Ona-Ara Local Government of Oyo state. On Sunday, January 6, I taught on Revolution 2013 at Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan while brother Okon S.Udoh, one of the instructors at SWSE-Ibadan, admonished the church.

My work with brother Doug Wheeler, the Patron of SWSE-Ibadan from January 11 through 18 in Lagos and Ogun state resulted in the conversion of two souls at Owode-Titun, Ogun state and restoration of many brethren in Lagos and Ogun state.  

Brother Matthew Idowu, one of the instructors at SWSE-Lagos campus, reported the conversion of one soul on January 6 during the visit of brother Ayobami Akanji, an elder at Isheri-Oshun congregation-Lagos state and a SWSE-Board chairman. While brother Ezekiel Okoh, another instructor at SWSE-Lagos campus, reported the conversion of three souls on January 2013 at Iyana-Ipaja congregation Lagos state where he is a minister.

On Sunday of January 27, I taught the Sunday morning Bible class at Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan on Some Images of the NT Church from the book of Ephesians, while brother Lawrence Dada, one of the graduates of SWSE-Ibadan, admonished the church. We were 50 in attendance with total collection of N4,480.

Brethren, work is continuing on the SWSE-lecture hall. We have spent $22,000 so far on the lecture hall and $6,700 will be spent on the roofing. The SWSE first block (picture attached) cost us $27,500. I am already processing a loan of N1,000,000 from the bank for the roofing of the lecture hall before the rains start in Nigeria.

Brethren, we are now set to join hundreds of evangelists and WBSFUW from 17 states of Nigeria at Ologbo, Edo state of Nigeria at this year GREAT WORKSHOP on January 29 through February 2, 2013. The program is an annual workshop organized by brother Doug Wheeler.

Big thanks to you all for your labour of love! May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all your undertaking in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Sincerely His & yours,
Bro. Makinde E.Olufemi (director of studies)
Southwest school of Evangelism(SWSE)
Ibadan & Lagos satellite campus, Nigeria

Report 3-11-13

Beloved in Christ Jesus,

Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ! Thanks so much for your great sacrifice toward the growth of the Lord's church in Africa most especially in Nigeria.

I taught on Giving unto the Lord on Sunday, March 3, as lesson 1 of our three months of an indoor lectureship at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan. We were 55 in attendance on that Lord's day with total collection of N4,260, and on Sunday, March 10, I taught again on What is giving? as lesson 2 of our indoor lectureship. We were 54 in attendance with a total collection of N2,635, while brother Lawrence Dada, one of the graduates of SWSE- Ibadan, admonished the church on Genesis 22:1-14.

Brethren, Lord willing I will be traveling on Friday afternoon with twelve of SWSE students for two days mass evangelism at the Iyana Ilogbo congregation in Ogun state, slated for March 15 and 16. The four instructors at the Lagos campus, and the ten students there, will join us in that mass evangelism at Iyana-Ilogbo. On Sunday, March 17, I will speak on the book of Revelation at Isheri-Oshun congregation, Lagos state while we shall return to SWSE-Ibadan main campus immediately after the Sunday morning worship at Isheri-Oshun and Iyana-Ilogbo.

On March 23, I will be speaking on the Sweetness in Christian Fellowship at Owode- Egba congregation, Ogun state with brother Paul Akinwale (minister of Ajibawo congregation and one of the SWSE-foundation member). On March 29 -31, we shall be working with the church of Christ, Ayedun quarters' Akure-Ondo state in the planting of a Lord's church at a village in Osun state.

Beloved, my heart is full of appreciation for your great contribution toward the growth of the Lord's church here in Nigeria and Africa as a continent! May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all our joint efforts in Christ name, Amen.

I remain your fellow worker in Christ Jesus.

Brother Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi (Director of studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE)
Ibadan & Lagos satellite campus, Nigeria, West Africa

Students Prepare For Campaign In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

May amazing grace fall on you as you read this report. I do hope you are doing well in health and the family is healthy as well as the church. We praise God from all blessing flow. It is great on our side as we continue to enjoy good health and in CBIW, but for some few in the Wotutu congregation that are not sound in health.

I gave the students last minute instructions on what is expected of them in the mission field as they go door to door, house to house in different communities preaching and teaching. Keep them in your prayers. The two short courses Scheme of Redemption and Personal Evangelism 1 helped prepare them for this campaign. This campaign is taking our students to 20 communities both in French and English speaking communities all over Cameroon. Where ever the gospel is calling we shall go. Keep their travels and the work ahead of them in your prayers.

The first quarter in CBIW draws to an end today concerning all class work, as I write this mail to you. Students left Wotutu today after worship, and some will leave tomorrow to 20 different communities to preach and teach. One of these communities is strategy, because if the Lord wills, then a new congregation will be establish in Ebonimi village far away from Wotutu. We are going there through the demand of a brother who said, “come over to my village and help me establish a congregation of the Lord’s body.” Keep us in your prayers as we shall report about the progress subsequently.

The work in Brightland Christian Academy is growing well as the students know that “all learning without playing makes Jack a dull boy. Every Friday immediately after their morning devotions they will do sport, as their preacher stands behind them watching them develop in many skills. Oh keep this school in your prayers and you thoughts.

Visitors keep coming to our congregation as they listen to our early programBack to the Bible. After worship CBIW students will sit with them studying more with them, listen to their numerous questions on what they hear over the radio, and what they will see in our worship. They are also cautious about modesty in dressing when they come to worship God, like one who visited today.

Praise God our graduates are doing their best in their respective congregations as they serve as evangelist. This is brother Mulango Theophile in his small congregation is Kossala 2 , this is a young congregation that he is helping it grow, I was with him and others over the weekend as they had their first ALUMNI meeting since they graduated in Dec 20th 2012. Keep them in your prayers because of the zeal and passion for souls to be save .

The entire CBIW alumni had their meeting in brother Mulango’s congregation in Kossala. Every month they will meet in one of the graduate’s congregations for four days to evangelize and then on the last day they will have a meeting to talk about successes and failures in their different congregations and help one another with possible solutions. I was there with them yesterday and admired it and I prayed that God should continue helping these brothers to do great things so as to change the face of the church of Christ in Cameroon. The Lord added two souls and one brother who had fallen away was discovered who came into that community from another one and thought the church of Christ was not there, so he stayed him at home. They were excited with raised thumbs, knowing “we are not alone.” This statement was common on their lips while in CBIW and it continues to help them move ahead. Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts. It is not easy with them to do their work.

Evangelist Itali and evangelist Elangwe stood outside the new congregation in Mile 4 which is about 2 miles away from Wotutu. Both of us are graduates in NCI School of preaching in Nigeria and we are still very close working hand in hand to expand the shores of the gospel of Jesus in Cameroon. Please thank you for praying for the work going on here.

Plans
We shall do a survey of new areas in the Southwest region in Cameroon to take the gospel of Jesus and help souls come out of darkness. The Idenau and Batoke communities will be touched within this time before we resume classes in CBIW on the 30th of March 2013.

Appreciations
God bless you. Thank you and thank you again for your prayers and support to make this ministry reach this level. Please pray because more is still to be done. Continue to help us and the glory will go back to the Lord. Only God will reward you from all your selfless sacrifice because of the old rugged cross. As you think souls you will go to rob from the strong man’s house .

Evangelist Elangwe and family
By His grace director of CBIW

An Exciting Week Is Ahead...

Anticipation is building in preparation for the opening day of the new school in Asunción, Paraguay. The best part is hearing reports about the excitement level of the Sacramento Avenue congregation as this new phase in their growth and outreach blossoms. Next Monday, March 11th, classes will begin for the Alpha class of the Asunción Bible Academy. The development of this project over the past year has involved a number of individuals, and to see it come to fruition demonstrates the greatness of our God.

Donnie Bates and I will be traveling to Paraguay this week to share in the festivities of the opening day. We look forward to being with these wonderful brethren to celebrate the result of their hard and dedicated work. We are also excited to share with you pictures in the weeks ahead of the events of the week.

Along with the happenings in Paraguay, other great news from schools throughout the Extension program continues to show how marvelous God is as He blesses this work so abundantly. 

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/

Steven Ashcraft’s latest report can be read by clicking here.

Donnie Bates’ latest report can be read by clicking here.

Extension Reports 

More Souls Added To The Kingdom In Cameroon: The evangelistic outreach of the staff and students in Cameroon continues to bring more souls to the Lord.

Teachers Setting The Example In Nigeria: At the Southwest School of Evangelism teachers are showing students the necessity of evangelism by their example.

Student Obeys The Gospel In Liberia: One of the joys of the program is seeing students learn from deeper studies the application for their own lives.

Bible Studies Continue To Go Strong: Both personal studies and classes in the Andrew Connally School of Preaching continue to show progress.

With Many Thanks From The Gee Family: The Gee family inches closer to their financial need. Please continue to pray for them. 

Final Thoughts
The days are moving quickly through this new year and the work continues to grow. I am thankful for the great privilege of being part of this awesome work. Thank you for making it possible. Thank you for being such a great blessing to my life, but more important, to the lives of hundreds and thousands of people around the world.

God bless
Bob

With Many Thanks From The Gee Family...

March 4, 2013 Report

Dear Co-Workers,

“THANK YE, THANK YE, THANK YE…” as Gomer Pyle would say. Our needed furlough funds are down to….$4300! As stated before, we are also still waiting on approval on the immigration visas for our TZ children. As soon as that happens, we will make the ten-hour trip to Dar es Salaam to the American Embassy.    

TAFUTA UKWELI means “Searching for Truth”…and the five thousand copies of this wonderful book have arrived! Charles Heberth spent countless hours in translating it. World Video Bible School did a great job putting it all together, making it so professional! It will be a great tool in helping those who are seeking the truth.

SPEAKING OF EVANGELIZING…the spotlight today is on Evans Onyinge  from Kenya! Evans is forty-eight years old and states that he "joined World Bible School (on-line) in 2005 and (his) study helper was Jeannette Lewis from Tennessee." Jimmy learned of Evans from Mrs. Lewis (a supporter from the Tyner congregation in Chattanooga) and accepted him into the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. In his first quarter (English program) he is doing well and has a super attitude. So, what can one Bible correspondence course result in? Perhaps like Evans, it can lead one to a preaching school to learn every book of the Bible in two years. Evans is the kind of student whom you can expect to return to his home village to convert and encourage others to become preachers. A "seemingly" small service of grading Bible lessons can have such amazing results! Following Jeannette's example, let all of us put our time and talents to use for God's purposes. Of His word, God said, "...it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isa. 55:11)

"...OF MAKING MANY BOOKS THERE IS NO END..."(Eccl. 12:12) Abigail continues to make progress in establishing a library in Kisongo. After discussing her idea with the Ward Chairman, she now has to meet with his executive officer. Excited that the Ward Chairman was very positive, she has distributed flyers requesting donations of books from the many foreigners living here. One of her goals while on furlough is to collect at least 300 books to take back to Tanzania (already some books have been promised!)

WOULD YOU BE MINE? The West Side church of Christ Youth group sent us a very pretty valentine card! We often receive pretty hand-made cards from the sweet children/young people there (our younger children take turns concerning who gets to keep the card). What a great way to instill in young minds a concern and appreciation for missionaries!

KARIBU... if you've visited Tanzania you know this word! Pronounced "ka-REE-boo," it means "welcome" and is so much a part of the Tanzanian culture that you hear it everywhere. Their attitude is one of hospitality…even to the point of asking you to share their own plate of food if there is no other. American visitors always mention how welcoming Tanzanians are. What a good example of "practicing hospitality!"  (Rom. 12:13)

MONTHLY EVANGELISM MEETING: Six area evangelists met together with Jimmy on Saturday concerning the newly established White Rose congregation. The discussion centered around finding a bigger place to meet (possibly a school) and planning a "Day of Evangelism" (March 23) in which all ACSOP instructors and students (and anyone else interested) will participate.

BIBLE STUDY STUDENT Esther was admitted to the hospital last night after days of an ear ache. Please keep her in your prayers as well as all written about in this report. One of the greatest ways you can help and be a part this great work is to PRAY for it. One person in particular tells me that he regularly prays for all the individual works and activities going on in the TZ 2000 Mission Work. How encouraging!

OUR "DAYS ARE SWIFTER THAN A WEAVER'S SHUTTLE..." (Job 7:6) How fast time is going! Lord willing, we will be boarding the plane in about 42 days. We are indebted to you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your care, concern, love and generosity!

With Love from Africa,
The Jimmy Gee family

Bible Studies Continue To Go Strong...

February 25, 2013 Report

"Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."  (Psalm 119:133)

Hello Everyone! 

We hope you are enjoying your Sunday. Ours is bright and sunny! Thank you so much for your interest in the TZ 2000 Mission Work. We appreciate you reading our report. Today the ladies class completed Genesis chapter 37 (Joseph is sold by his brothers), Jimmy taught the New Convert's class (questions and answers) and Abigail taught the children (Saul's Disobedience).

Trina's first study with Esther and Rosie went well. They studied in Rosie's rented room of a fairly large mud hut (where others also rented a single room). Trina suggested the study take place outside because it was quite warm and dark inside but Rosie did not have any chairs. So, the study took place inside with Trina sitting on the bed, Esther on a side table and Rosie on a bucket. Both ladies really want to learn, making the study very enjoyable. Last week, we wrote that Esther was unable to read and did not know the common language (Swahili) but only her tribal language. We found out that she does speak some Swahili. Unfortunately, the factory they work at required them to work all last night. Esther stayed home this morning to sleep but Rosie managed to attend Bible Study and worship. 

Our friend, Allie Reed, left to return to the states after a 5-month stay. We will miss her and wish her a safe journey.

Andrew Connally School of Preaching is still going strong with classes (this week being the half-way point of the quarter). We will soon begin introducing the new English students in our future reports.

Jimmy's great-aunt Edith (Kincaid) celebrated her 81st birthday! She and her sister, Ruth Samples (86 years old...the oldest member of our clan), are loyal supporters of our work! 

Good News! The needed travel funds for our furlough are down to $7,000 (thanks to the generosity of a congregation in Chattanooga, TN!). Only 49 more DAYS until our target departure date. We are so appreciative of the generosity of so many. Please pray that the needed funds will arrive soon before the cost of the tickets go up again. Anyone who has flown knows that the sooner you buy your tickets the lower the price. Those who have given in the past month or so should be receiving a "thank-you" card from us soon (sent with Allie to be mailed in the U.S. due to the unreliability of the TZ post office). We always want to express our gratitude to anyone who supports this work! 

Thank you for your concern for the lost souls in Tanzania and for us personally as we work here. May the Lord bless you richly for your kindness and assistance in helping us go home to see our families! (Scroll down one more page for a few more pictures...two in particular showing how two of the children have grown)!        

With Love From Africa,
Jimmy, Trina, Lindsey, Abigail, Heather, Candace, Stuart, David, Naomi, Elijah and Matthew

Student Obeys The Gospel In Liberia...

Greetings come from your fellow Christians, who are your fellow laborers in the Lord.

We are pleased to submit for consideration the report for January 2013. Among other things, the report covers major events that took place during the month of January, including evangelistic outreach, the beginning of the second term of instruction, visit of the vice president of Mission Printing. Also included in the report is the statement of income and expenditure for the month of January 2013.

Beginning of School Term
The second term of instruction at Liberia Bible College started on January 7, 2013 with all of the 15 students returning to school. This term is expected to run from January 7th through March 31st. Second term course schedule meets from Monday until Thursday of each week. The schedule of the classes is as follows:

New Testament Church - 3 hrs - Daniel B. Sackey

Life of Christ - 3 hrs - Philip G. Montgomery 

I & II Thessalonians - 3 hrs - Jerry D. Wamah

Public Speaking - 3 hrs - G. Moses Beh

Book of Acts - 3 hrs - Maxwell J. Whea

Biblical Interpretation - 3 hrs - Alassis N. Goldore

Evangelism During the Break
Being on vacation does not stop our students from evangelizing. During the vacation our students taught and preached the word. As they returned to their home congregations for the Christmas and New Year break were actively involved in personal evangelism, teaching Bible classes, visitation, and preaching from the pulpit. Twenty persons received water baptism directly from the work of our students.

Week End Evangelism
For the month January campus based students of the Liberia Bible College were engaged in outreach activities to include personal evangelism, distribution of WBS courses to eager students in the community. Our students baptized four persons and restored three others.

Spotlight on Student Convert
Student Ojuku Smallwood became a new convert in the New Year. Smallwood enrolled at Liberia Bible College in September 2012. He came to the preaching school as a non-Christian. He was only sprinkled as an infant. Having received intensive instruction in the biblical text during the Fall Semester, Smallwood was prepared to make a decision for Christ.

So on the New Year’s Day (January 1, 2013) Smallwood sent a text message to the director of the school declaring that he wanted to become a member of the Lord’s church through baptism. His text follows: “Hi elder, I have made up my mind to be a member of the Lord’s church and is willing to be baptized at anytime. Please help direct or lead me in the upright way.” With great delight, the director was on hand to assist the young man obey the gospel. On January 2, 2013 at about 11:15 a.m. Smallwood was immersed for the remission of sin. He now worships with the brethren at the VP Road Church of Christ.

Visit of Brethren Steven and Renfro
Through the instrumentality of brother Steven Ascraft, brother Richard Renfro, Vice president of Mission Printing, paid a five day visit to Liberia. Both Steven and Renfro arrived in Liberia on the 9th January 2013 and stayed until the 13th of January. During their stay they had a meeting with a committee set up by the director of LBC to manage the distribution of tracts that will be shipped by Mission Printing. Brother Renfro informed the brethren that his organization will be shipping containers laden with tracts (some 750,000 copies) over the next six months or year provided he could get others to share the shipping costs. He also intimated that in case he didn’t find anybody or organization to share costs, he would arrange for several pallets of tracts to be shipped initially.  

While at LBC the guests interacted with students and instructors in Chapel. Following couple of songs and introductory students, the guests were given the opportunity to speak to the student body. First to address the audience was Brother Steven whose presentation was centered on false teachers and false teachings. He told his auditors that false teaching or departure comes gradually and with subtlety because false teachers appear harmless as sheep but are ravenous wolves. Using such scriptures as Jude 4, Matthew 7:15, etc. he therefore admonished the students to beware of false teachers and their teachings. For his part, Brother Renfro encouraged the students that they have chosen a worthy vocation. They needed to persevere in their training and not to give up the worthy cause.

Brother Steven Meets with Board
The governing board is the highest decision making body of LBC. The current board is chaired brother David S. Dahn and has nine members including elders, preachers and other church leaders.

Brother Steven, in his effort to encourage consistent and regular Liberian support to the college, met with members of the board on January 12th. In that meeting the board members renewed their commitment to continue to contribute to the budget of the school as well as appeal to local congregations to commit resources as well as recruit students now and in the future.  

Brother Renfro Preaches at Smythe Road
On Sunday, January 13, 2013 both brothers Renfro and Steven worshiped with the Smythe Road Church of Christ. Brother Renfro preached the message for the day. His was an evangelistic sermon with text taken from Matt: 28:19 – 20. He briefly historicized about Mission Printing and stated its goal: “World evangelism by the printed page.”  He then exhorted the congregation to participate actively in evangelism using tracts in order to enhance the preaching of the gospel. At the close of the sermon, many people went forward for various petitions, with three declaring their intention to be baptized. Those three prospects (two females and one male) were baptized right after service.

Alassis

To see the report with pictures, please click here.

Teachers Setting The Example In Nigeria...

Compliments and Happy New Year to all our supporters & well-wishers!

Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms and Preaching during December:
Makinde E Olufemi, the director of the Southwest School of Evangelism, served as a guest speaker at a marriage ceremony of sister Morenike Ishola and brother Aderemi Barnigbade which took place at Meiran Lagos on December 1, 2012. He taught on “The three pillars of every successful home” to over 1,000 participants. On Sunday at the Meiran congregation, he admonished the church from 1 Samuel 17:33-37.  

On December 7 and 8, our WBS team in the Western State of Nigeria were well represented at the marriage ceremony of brother Sugun Kumayon which took place at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. On December 9, Makinde taught the Sunday morning Bible class on “How to face the trials of life” and admonished thirty one brethren at the Kute congregation in Ibadan.

On December 14, the SWSE-Ibadan closed for the year. Classes will continue on Monday of January 7, 2013, Lord willing. Thirty-two students have been admitted at the Ibadan campus and ten at the Lagos satellite campus for the 2012/2013 academic session.

On December 15, the brethren in Ibadan were well represented at the burial ceremony of PA Ogundijo. On December 16, Makinde taught on “No Denominational Christianity” while brother Okon S Udoh, one of the SWSE instructors, admonished the church.

During December, Brother Joseph Adeniji, one of the advanced diploma students of the SWSE-Ibadan, reported the baptism of a young man who was a WBS student of the West Olive congregation in Osun state. Brother Raphael Adeyehun, another SWSE advanced diploma student, reported the baptism of two old men at Igbotako congregation in Ondo state, and brother Monday Ofem, one of the graduates of the SWSE-Ibadan, reported the baptism of eight at his new field in Sabongida-Ora in Edo State.

On December 22, Makinde and two of the SWSE students, brother David Edor and brother Abraham Yeje, worked with the Butubutu congregation near the SWSE. On December 23, Makinde taught on “Shining for the Lord” at the Butubutu congregation. On December 24 and 25, brother Dele Shotola, brother James Waleola, and brother Makinde worked with the Ikoyi congregation in Osun state where he spoke on “God’s Plan of Salvation,” and brother Kayode Eniafe, one of the advanced diploma students at SWSE, taught on “Where will you spend your eternity” on day 2 of the program. On December 26, 27, and 30, Makinde taught at the Kute and Onikokoro congregations respectively.

Conversions by Instructors of the SWSE:
Brother Abiola Olusoji, one of the instructors at the Lagos campus of SWSE, reported three baptisms and one restoration during December 2012 at the Agege congregation where he is serving as one of the ministers.

Brother Kayode Eniafe, one of the instructors at Ibadan main campus, also reported the conversion of one and restoration of two brethren during December at the Asejire congregation, Osun state.

Southwest School of Evangelism Moves to New Site:
On December 10 and 11 the SWSE-Ibadan finally moved to her permanent site at Butubutu Village. The first building cost the sum of $25,000 while we have spent approximately $15,000 on the 2nd project which is the lecture hall. The 2nd project has now reached the roofing stage!

How Did We Get the Money?

• Sale of 14 Acres of Director Makinde’s farm land – $20,000
• Contribution by Nigerian brethren and churches – $3,300
• Gift from American brethren - $200
• Loan from the bank, community and friends $15,500

Appeal for Funds:
We humbly appeal to our supporters, well-wishers, and lovers of good work to assist us financially in completing our annual budget for the 2012-2013 academic year. The total budget was $27,000, and $16,000 was provided by brother Doug Wheeler for scholarships to support the students. We hope to raise at least ten percent of the current deficit from the Nigerian church.  This leaves a deficit of approximately $8,000 that still needs to be raised.

Conclusion:
Brethren, we give thanks to God Almighty for the successful completion of this year’s program.  We appreciate your impressive fervent prayer, cooperation and relentless support! We pray that the Almighty God will continue to bless you and all yours more abundantly in the year 2013 and beyond.

Yours in His grace as a servant,
Makinde E. Olufemi (Director of studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism
(SWSE) Ibadan, Nigeria

To see the report with pictures, please click here.

More Souls Added To The Kingdom In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings and love from this end. I do hope this report finds you all doing great in health and in all that you do. We praise God for His great care and love over us and the work we are doing. Last week in CBIW was exciting as the students started short courses which are Scheme of Redemption and Personal Evangelism. These courses will take them one more week in school there after they will move to different locations in Cameroon both in the French and English communities for two weeks.

Brother Rene Awah accepted the gospel in Ekona village and was added to the congregation there. Keep him in your prayers for the growth of his zeal to serve the Lord in purity.

It was also time for them to go out of Wotutu for a Bible lectureship. This is the very first one for this BETA batch, it was great and they have started writing their own history in their preaching calling.

I was able to teach the audience in Ekona village, who attended the lectureship on how to become more evangelistic in our communities. It was great. We do hope many will double up their evangelistic efforts to rob from the strong man’s house and rescue many souls from darkness.

The students of CBIW are part of the system to evangelize our dark world. You can see them on house to house sharing the saving message to many that will allow them to speak out the words of God.

The students will knock also those in the workshop, like one of the tailoring ladies who stopped what she was doing to listen and asked constructive questions concerning her deep involvement in her denomination. The local congregation in that area has done a great work to follow up, but with no preacher, how will this work?

Sisters in Ekona congregation sacrificed enough time to prepared corn flour to help us replenish our energy as we work in the community preaching and teaching.

Brother Jacob who is the landlord of the house that the church in Ekona worships obeyed the gospel and became a brother. Keep him in your prayers. May God use him in that community to glorify God. Keep him in your prayers who made lots of promises to help expand the gospel of Jesus in his family. The Lord added four souls total over this four days and one lost soul came back to the family.

Our weekend was great as we left class and jumped into the field to help some souls come out from darkness. The students have lots to write home about this first outing. We are relaxed because after the worship service we stayed again hours upon hours waiting for our hired van driver to come and take us back to Wotutu. Some students started sleeping because of the hard work. We continue to pray for a day that we shall have our own evangelistic 19 seat van, only God knows.

Plan
1) This weekend all CBIW students will leave campus to different locations for campaign. Many congregations have demanded for students and we shall go to virgin locations through a brother’s appeal to help establish a congregation in that community which is characterized by all kinds of satanic practices in the name of traditions. Please help us pray.

2) We shall also do a survey of the possibilities of establishing new congregations when the students return in April for the next quarter.

Appreciations
God bless you and keep you. Without your help our efforts, visions and passion would have taken us anywhere. Thanks for your prayers and support. Continue and God will never pass you by when He will return to reward His servants. I wait for any comments and suggestions. Be steadfast towards this.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director of CBIW

You Just Never Know About The Weather...

We are almost back in Denver. After nearly a month of traveling, we were returning home when a major snow storm caused us to stop short of our destination. We hope to be back on the road tomorrow and home by the afternoon.

This past weekend was one of great encouragement. I was able to attend the Affirming the Faith Lectureship, hosted by the North MacArthur Church of Christ in Oklahoma City. The time we had with these brethren was nothing short of incredible. Twenty-one (21) congregations unite and work together to host this lectureship. The speakers did an outstanding job of addressing the various subjects surrounding the theme - Meeting Jesus at the Cross.

This is also the last week of classes this quarter for the students in Denver. They will be on campaign next week and then a short break before starting the last quarter of this school year. As hard as it is to believe, we will soon be approaching another graduation. The development of these men and their work in the future as a tool of God will help enlarge the borders of the kingdom. We ask that you pray for each of them.

In a short time, Donnie Bates and I will be headed to Paraguay for the opening of the new school in Asunción. We are looking forward to reporting about this event and sharing pictures as the first class begins its two year journey of studies. Recognizing that in a country of seven million people, and only two congregations of the Lord’s church, the need for training students to go out and share the gospel with the people of their country is a priority.

News of souls being added to the kingdom at the hands of students throughout the extension program continues to highlight this week’s report. Their dedication to studying the word is coupled with an even greater desire to share what they are learning in leading others to our Savior. I think you will agree it has been an incredible week.

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 

First Exams For The New Class: The new class of students in Cameroon just finished their first set of exams and prepare for the first campaign.

North India Preachers’ Lectureship: The annual NIPL in Chandigarh, India continues to grow and this year it was coupled with another graduation.

Campaign Produces A Harvest In Nepal: With two visiting instructors from the US, a campaign in Nepal witnesses souls added to the kingdom.

The Devil Is Always Unhappy: As the work continues to expand in Southern Tanzania at the Chimala Bible Institute, the devil is losing ground.

A Great Day In The Wagner Family: Nothing is sweeter than seeing your children grow and mature to the point they make the decision to become a Christian. 

Final Thoughts
As the week’s continue to press on through 2013, we are only a few days away from the beginning of March. We cannot stand still very long. The events of the world continue to emphasize the need for the message of Jesus. Thank you for helping us keep this program moving forward in our effort to address this need. All you do for the work of training preachers is not only needed, it is greatly appreciated.

God bless
Bob

A Great Day In The Wagner Family...

It is a great day in the Wagner family because our 16 year-old daughter Laura decided to put Christ on in baptism. We went down to the Chimala River, climbed into the rushing water, and helped her begin her new life in Christ. Since it is the rainy season, the water in the river was really flowing! We braved the river, however, to have a very memorable day.

Chimala Mission Update
There has been a lot of activity going on at the mission lately. We have welcomed a new missionary named Cheryl Bode. She is a RN from Oklahoma. She is going to be doing mobile clinics and much more. We are very excited about her plan and her dedication. Cheryl is located the second from the right in our updated Chimala team picture. Cheryl has a blog at cherylinchimala.blogspot.com/

We have started a new evangelism plan at the mission using our preacher school students. Our students rotate between hospital evangelism, door-to-door evangelism, market evangelism, school evangelism, etc. Here is a report on their evangelism efforts:

Hello brethren 

Greetings in Christ, 

Its our hope that you are all doing great. We are also fine and the Lord is blessing us daily. Here is our weekly evangelism report done on 15 February 2013.  

On Feb. 15/2013, our evangelism was done in three areas which are as follows.

Mbozi
Mbeya
And Kitekelo

In this work the Lord blessed us with 3 Baptisms and 9 Restorations.

We are very proud of our school because in this evangelistic work, our students are effectively involved. And we have our new programme introduced by Chad.

Every weekend we have 4 students evangelizing the Mbeya City with brother Peter Kamatula.  

Let us keep one another in our daily prayers as we continue to serve the LORD!!!!!

Preaching the Gospel
We visited several congregations lately. We visited the Matebete church of Christ today. It is a primarily Masai congregation in a beautiful location. Following the service, we were treated to a traditional Masai dance group! 

We also visited recently the Majombe church of Christ. When we first visited them, they were not meeting. After looking up the preacher and some of the members, we have been able to get the congregation meeting again. We are sending evangelism teams to Majombe on a regular basis.

Chad Wagner

To see Chad’s report with pictures, please click here.

The Devil Is Always Unhappy...

The second quarter at CBI starts tomorrow with a full round of classes such as Exodus and Leviticus, How we Got the Bible, Personal Evangelism and Ezekiel and Daniel and a full round of English classes. The full round of short courses will start in April with an international group of teachers coming to teach for a solid month. We are so proud of our students and their hard work as well as our dedicated staff of teachers. 

We returned for the Freed-Hardeman Lectureship this year where the week begin with a staff meeting with the Bear Valley Bible Institute leaders, Dr. Denny Petrillo and Bob Turner as well as other staff and instructors about the work in East Africa. It is so rewarding to see the full corporation between us and the overseeing congregation of the mission, the New York Avenue Church of Christ, in the training of preachers in the most competent way. I am always impressed at the spirit of corporation and commitment to the “training of Preachers” around the world the leadership and staff of Bear Valley has to the works they partner with around the world. 

We also made contacts and, as of this time, we are close to raising full student support for the school. One of the trills of being a Bear Valley Bible Institute Coordinator and the Director of CBI is meeting people all over the brotherhood who, as they hear of the work, are interested in giving to see the Lord’s cause prosper. One young couple came to me recently and wanted to support three students a year. I was privileged to speak at the combined Riverbend and Highland congregation in Georgia and their interest in the work has always been so rewarding. There is never a time I have ever spoken there that people did not give me Bible’s, shirts for the students, or candy for the children to hand out on the weekend evangelism trips. 

We are having a big congregational fellowship to focus on the work at Chimala Bible Institute this spring. A college class in Rossville, Georgia has informed me they want to support some of our students and started collecting supplies for the school. I have been so blessed to get to know that hard working congregation and their support is so richly appreciated. I am constantly amazed and blessed to be working with these fine brethren. The next few weeks we will continue to be on the road with that aspect of the work. 

We have spoken to Remmy, our Dean of the English program and Ezekiel our Evangelism recorder to get the teachers and staff ready to start the second quarter. Last week the students continued not only their academic training, but also their practical church work. They have been working on the weekends at Mbozi, Mbeya, and Kitekelo. Four of the students are working every weekend with Peter Kamatula, who is doing full time evangelistic work in Mbeya. Because of this weekend effort there were three baptisms and nine restorations. Yes, the work goes on both sides of the world at the Chimala Bible Institute. As the report from Chimala mentioned “Let us keep on praying for each other because the devil is always unhappy when he hears this.” 

Garry L. Hill
BVBID Extension Coordinator
Director: Chimala Bible Institute

Campaign Produces A Harvest In Nepal...

Respected brothers in Christ,

Loving greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May the grace of God, love, peace and blessings always be with you.

This time I got a little late on writing words from our school. It was a little busy week for me. We had two guest teachers from USA in this month. Brother Mike York and Richard Everett from Texas came for two weeks of Bible classes at Nepal Center for Biblical Study in Kathmandu. We did our Bible study on the topic of The Church of the Bible. We invited our graduated students and many other preachers from the villages. Forty people participated in our class. We held class from February 4th through 7th of 2013. After that we made campaign work from 8th through 12th of 2013. Ten people made this gospel trip toward graduated student's home congregations. Four souls were added into the Lord. Please kindly remember those souls in your personal prayer.

Thank you all.

Servant of Christ
Gajendra Deshar
Nepal Center for Biblical Study
Kathmandu

More pictures are below

North India Preachers' Lectureship...

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It gives me a immense pleasure to share with you that the Lord has been very kind to us and especially in these days when we were preparing and working for the above said programs. The 7th North India Preachers’ lectureship and the graduation ceremony of the NIBC, Chandigarh (Feb. 14-15) went well. We give all the glory to God and thanks for all the brothers and sisters with whose efforts and prayers this could not have happened. 

Just 2 days before the lectureship, we baptized 4 souls into Christ here.

It has been a good start to begin with the NIBC to spread the borders of the Kingdom in the Northern belt, neglected field so far. NIPL is a great time of fellowship and learning especially for the brethren in Northern India. We have been getting requests from the brothers from south India also to attend this great fellowship, but so far we want to focus on the preachers from Northern India and to encourage them to be equipped with the sword of the Spirit. Out of 28 states and 7 Union territories, Brethren from Chandigarh (Union Territory), Punjab, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Delhi, UP, MP States and from Nepal and near the Nepal border attended. From the States this time, brother Russell G. Bell, Topeka, KS and Keith Kasarjian from Alabama (BVBID) attended. We are grateful for their love and of all the supporters for this great work and field. 

80 plus people attended this meeting this time and the messages from 2, 3 John and Jude were given to Indian preachers. Brother Russell spoke 4 times and brother Keith for 6 times as he also attended worship with us on Sunday. Brother Russell spoke 3 lessons in the 3 sessions on the “Assurance of Heaven.” Brother Keith spoke to encourage preachers from 3 John

On 2nd day evening, we had the graduation ceremony and though 5 people could pass this, we are sure that they will be among the total of 50 graduates so far working in different States of East and North India States, effective tools to bring many sons into the light of the Kingdom. About 200 people attended to witness this ceremony. 

Still the States like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal in the East are not represented yet and are in our prayers to join us, yet there is a lot of work that needs to be done in these representing States in the mission field.

Keeping in view that the preacher’s work is half done without his wife’s support, along with NIPL, the ladies' started meeting in 2011 in the Park outside the lecture (in Public place) hall, thinking that the preachers' wives should also take benefit in this great fellowship. So to help them support their husbands, we planned to teach them separately.

Sister Elsy David, New Delhi also attended for the first time and she assisted Sister Benu Earnest in encouraging preachers’ wives to be their helpmates in sharing the truth with God’s people.

The Indian speakers for this lectureship included brother Earnest Gill, Chandigarh, brother Francis David, New Delhi, brother Peter Singh, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), and brother Vinay David.

Next year NIPL-2014 was announced to be on February 13-14, 2014.

Brother Earnest Gill

First Exams For The New Class...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from this end. We hope you are doing okay. We are doing okay here and God is blessing us and the work we are doing.

This week was a busy one for the students of CBIW as they were writing their first quarter exams with tension on how the exams will be. They scaled through it and we praise God. Only the end will testify their progress from what we taught them in class.

Brother David and brother Godwin were ready to travel for mission on weekend to help evangelize, preach and teach in Mile Four, the newly established congregation.

CBIW students can lead in the Wotutu congregation now. There is a saying that “charity begins at home.” We are exposing them now to preach, teach and lead songs, so that they will not face much problems as they move to their first campaign next month to different congregations.

Our worship hall this morning had a full cross section. Keep the work here in your prayers as many continue to listen to our early morning program Back to the Bible. We need to increase the loudness by buying new horn speakers to carry the message far.

Plans
1) Next month students will go to different locations around Cameroon in both French and English communities to preach and teach. Keep our plans in your prayers for God’s name to be made known.

2) We shall move to Obonime. This will be the first time the people of that community will hear with the undiluted message. A brother in Christ attended our graduation and made this appeal for us to go to his village and establish a congregation. Some students with me will be there this March, by His grace, to set the work going, if the Lord wills.

Appreciations
Thank you, thank you for your prayers, your love and your priceless support to make sure things are going. God bless and keep you for many more things to happen. You are in our prayers and we pray you are sound and in good health.

Do your best to share this report with others. God bless you and watch over you.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director CBIW

Affirming The Faith...

As each week goes by I am constantly amazed at the complexities and depth of this overall program. The work continues to grow and God is blessing each location as the students continue to take the gospel of Jesus throughout the various countries where they live, study and work in the Lord’s Kingdom.

I continue to visit with congregations about the work and share the wonderful news from all the schools. As I wrap up this week, I will be traveling to Oklahoma City to participate in the Affirming the Faith Lectureship, sponsored by the North MacArthur Church of Christ. I have visited the North Mac congregation on various occasions in the past and they have a beautiful congregation involved in numerous areas throughout the world.

After the lectureship, Sheryl and I will be headed back to Denver to prepare for two trips in March. I will share more about these in the weeks ahead. I find it hard to believe how quickly the time goes by as we near the beginning of March. 

The news from each of the schools is exciting. I pray you will enjoy the information and know you are the reason this work continues to move ahead so powerfully. Thank you for your confidence in us and the work of training men to preach.

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 

47th Day Celebration In Cameroon: The Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu continues to make its presence known throughout the Southwest Region.

Moving Into TIBS’ New Home: The school in Tamale is moving into a new location and the work continues to grow.

Classes, Campaign And Questions On The Church: After a series of special classes, a campaign, and questions on the church, the work in Nepal is flourishing.

Mawwiage Twue Wove - Only In Tanzania: Go back and say the words slowly, pronouncing each letter, and maybe it will make sense. If not, read the report. 

Final Thoughts
Before closing out, let me thank you for taking time to read this report and for your interest in training men to preach the gospel. It is your interest and support of this work that is making a difference around the world. Thank you for the blessing you are to each location where Bear Valley is privileged to share in the work of Extension Training.

God bless
Bob

Moving Into TIBS' New Home...

Greetings from the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies!

On Saturday, February 9th, the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies (TIBS) saw four years of work come to fruition as we moved into our new home. The building includes expanded classroom space, twice as much dormitory space, a larger office and library, and an expanded literature room from which we can distribute Bibles, tracts, World Video Bible correspondence courses and other evangelistic literature throughout Northern Ghana, Northern Togo and Southern Burkina Faso. The facility is the result of years of prayer and selfless giving by many congregations and individuals. We thank you for all for your desire to see the Word of God spread throughout West Africa!

Students are in the final week of classes for Term 9, which will be followed by a week of campaigns before the students get a three week break to return home to their families. Unlike many schools which operate on a four quarter per year, TIBS has five terms per year which are scheduled around the planting and harvest seasons of northern Ghana. Although the terms are only six weeks in length, by having an extra term each year, and attending classes eight hours per day, students are able to get the required number of classroom hours to earn their certificates. This class will be returning in March for their final term. It will be exciting to see the work these men will do for the kingdom!

After their final class on Friday we will be loading up the truck for two campaigns, one in Kulugugu and the other in Bimbila. I will be leading a team of four students on the Kulugugu campaign, working with TIBS graduate Avoca John and four members from his congregation. Kulugugu sits on the Burkina Faso border in the Upper East Region of Ghana, and there currently is no church in the village. The plan for this campaign is to show evangelistic movies on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights to draw attention, do public preaching each evening, and follow up on Monday through Thursday with house to house evangelism. The goal is to establish a new congregation in the village, which will then be assisted by teachers and preaching from Avoca John’s congregation which is about 20 miles south (which is a long way by bicycle, Avoca John’s primary means of travel)!

Our second campaign had originally been planned to go to Walewale to help the local congregation there with house to house evangelism, but they cancelled due to a conflict with the local school schedule (most of the congregation are students). While we held a campaign in Bimbila in October they had asked us to return in order to do house to house evangelism in parts of the town we were unable to reach at that time, and this cancellation gives us the opportunity to do so. I will be bringing the movie equipment to Bimbila on Tuesday afternoon so this team can show the evangelistic movies and do public preaching on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. TIBS staff member Yeboah Jacob will be leading this team of seven students and will be working with the congregation which was planted in October. It should be an exciting week of spreading the gospel!

Once the campaigns have concluded I will be joining the students in heading home as I will return to the US for six weeks in order to attend the Bear Valley Bible Institute’s masters in mission blitz week and visit with congregations who are interested in the work we are doing in Northern Ghana. If your congregation would like to hear move about the work here you can e-mail me at anthonyjohnson2010@gmail.com. Please keep us all in your prayers for both the work and the travel involved as we continue to think souls.

In His service,
Tony Johnson