The Truth Will Set You Free...

Greetings Fellow Workers;

We pray this note finds you well, blessed and serving faithfully. We are good and we are thankful for the blessing of health and the privilege of serving in Tanzania. This past week has been a busy one, full of good news and blessings.

Our brother Gasper writes; “A woman preacher at Matunda has stopped preaching after a study with those at the Lord’s Church at Mtu wa Mbu. She has turned the preaching over to the men. We still need your prayers because on the 19th we will have another Bible class on the subject of the proper name of the Church and how we are to worship. Her children worship with us at the Church here in Mtu wa Mbu.”

Yes, the truth will set you free (John 8.32).

From time to time we have the privilege of helping our good brothers and sisters who have gone the extra mile by doing what they can with what they have. The Nakwa congregation has worked tirelessly making and burning bricks. They have laid the foundation, built the walls and are now in need of putting a roof on. This is where you come in; we are asking for your help, helping them as they strive to help themselves. We need $850 to purchase the timber, iron sheets, and nails to put a roof on this meeting house. The labor will be provided by the church. Please, if you can, help in any way you can. When you do, simply note the purpose of your donation: “Nakwa congregation meeting house.” Thank you in advance for your sacrificial gift.

Today was a very special day at the new church plant here in the White Rose area of Arusha. They are currently meeting in a 10 X 10 room of one of the members homes (Baraka & Angel). Twenty-one souls gathered in this room to study God’s Word and to worship Him. The singing was amazing and the love and joy expressed by each was indeed encouraging.

They have rented a new room (twice the current space). They hope to move in by this Wednesday for their mid-week Bible class. We had three students from the ACSOP join us. They led in singing, prayer and other aspects of the worship. It is a blessing to see these young Christians “soaking” up God’s Word and seeing the transformation in their lives. God’s Word is having its desired impact in Tanzania.

After fifteen years of mission efforts, God has blessed us with growth beyond our wildest imagination. Below is a letter recently sent out to our supporters explaining this very thing and some exciting news regarding the future of God’s work here in Tanzania and throughout East Africa. 

To everyone who has made this work what it is, we say thank you. As we move forward, we ask for your continued prayers, support and fellowship. The best is yet to come. With your help, God’s blessings, and a continued effort, God will have His way and countless souls will be saved. 

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

To our partners and supporters in TZ 2000,

I have some exciting news to share!  God’s blessing of the work in Tanzania has grown beyond what we ever imagined 15 years ago. In 1998, the leadership of the TZ 2000 effort set 3 goals by the year 2018: 

(1) To teach Tanzanians to teach Tanzanians 

(2) To strengthen and mature the congregations in Arusha & Moshi to be self-supporting       with goals of appointing leaders 

(3) To plant 50 congregations in East Africa.  

Through the establishment of the Andrew Connally School of Preaching (ACSOP) and the Arusha and Moshi Bible schools, we have met and exceeded these goals in less than 15 years resulting in: 

• 135 gospel ministers trained – 24 currently enrolled in ACSOP
• More than 150 congregations planted
• Over 3,000 Christians meeting each Lord’s Day 
• Two “second generation” training schools - Uganda School of Evangelism and Kenya School of Preaching
• And the growth in leadership and maturation of individuals and congregations!    

None of this work could be accomplished without your support and prayer.

Now the next phase of growth awaits us.  The only limits we have are those that we place on ourselves (Eph 3:20).  With the TZ 2000 effort looking toward accomplishing more, the Kensington Woods (KW) eldership is partnering with the elders of the Bear Valley (BV) congregation in Denver, CO to direct the efforts of the ACSOP to further the work that the TZ team has accomplished.  As some may know, Bear Valley has been instrumental in training preachers since 1965 and has been a long-standing partner in the ACSOP.  It is a natural progression that as the work grows, Bear Valley will be on board to help provide that oversight needed to grow the evangelism process to train men to teach others (2 Tim 2:2).

How does this affect you as a partner in the TZ 2000 work?  NOT AT ALL!  My role will continue as it is today.  The team on the ground in Tanzania will continue working as before.  Kensington Woods will still be involved in the work.  You will still be a part of the team that is changing the world in East Africa.  The only change is that Bear Valley will be involved in overseeing the work of the ACSOP to carry it beyond the level it is today to reach even more souls.  As the transfer of oversight goes from KW to BV, you will be asked to do two things: add Bear Valley to your prayer list and change the mailing address of future correspondence to Denver instead of Hattiesburg.  The target date for this change to occur is July 1, 2013, and we promise to keep you abreast of the progress as we proceed toward that goal.

What God controls, grows!  He controls the work in Tanzania - it is merely under the oversight of faithful men.  By making these changes, TZ 2000 is positioning itself to take the gospel even further and faster than we ever imagined.  To God be the glory great things He is doing! Thank you for your faithfulness in helping us accomplish much for Him. If you have questions concerning anything related to TZ 2000, please direct those questions to me.

Because He lives....

Cy Stafford
tz2000team@gmail.com
Stateside phone: 601.310.6170

Hi-ho, Hi-ho...You Know The Rest!

Report: 4-8-13

"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats..." (Mt. 25:32) 

Dear Co-Laborers: 

Rain drops keep falling keeping the town of Kisongo a beautiful bright green. Upon observing some empty seats in worship, a Kisongo member said: "God blesses us with the rain we prayed for but some members decide not to attend due to having to walk in the mud." Many times God answers prayers only to have Christians decide to put Him second (which translates as "last").   

Hi-ho, Hi-ho it's off to class they go... The ACSOP has begun a new quarter. Classes are "Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy," "Life of Christ I, "Christian Evidences," "Sermon Prep and Presentation," and the "Book of Acts." There is no better way to do mission work than to train the local people to teach their own.      

"You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb."  (Psa. 139:13). Speaking of rain earlier, it's been "raining" babies at the Kisongo congregation for three months. While visiting a new mother (Nyamyake), she told of her birth experience with newest and 6th child. Easily mistaken for a 13-year-old, this small lady gave birth to all her children at home...this last one being delivered by Nyamyake HERSELF (she may have delivered others by herself). Shortly after going to bed, her labor pains began. Her husband awoke asking if he could help. Nonchalantly, she told him to go back to sleep; she could handle it. Lying on the floor and holding onto a bucket for "support," she gave birth to Anna. Never doubt our observation during our first year in Africa: "The strongest woman in America is a wimp in Africa!" 

Last week, a midnight call awakened us because our neighbor Ruth needed a ride to the hospital. She was "sick" (ha/ha). Tanzanians are embarrassed to say their wife is in labor (or that she is pregnant). At services, two more "new arrivals" were announced bringing the total to six!

At the monthly Arusha Evangelism meeting, Jimmy encouraged everyone to focus on a few things and to do those with excellence. Church growth was discussed with the goal being five churches established in five years. Since the White Rose congregation is the present focus, the Hoover group will work there after arriving May 30th. The local brethren will conduct pre-campaign work in May before the "Safari for Souls" campaign begins in June.

Besides being thankful for the Hoover group, who come each summer, we are also grateful for many other short-term workers. Those from Oklahoma are scheduled to arrive on June 17 to evangelize in Ngurdoto. Also, we welcome husband-and-wife team, Nathan and Jessica McVeigh (Bear Valley Bible Institute graduates) to work for one year (possibly in Njiro).         

"In the beginning..." Our children have been studying Genesis in preparation for the Bible Bowl at "PowWow," a homeschooling event held annually at the Indian Creek Youth Camp (Oakman, AL).     

Grace and Rachel will soon return to their boarding schools (armed with the newly translated "Searching for Truth" books and other Bible material). Pray for their continued study as they are not allowed to attend worship while at school (makes you thankful for the privilege, doesn't it?) 

Born in the U.S.A.... and thankful for it. Three weeks and $1800 is between us and you. {Unless you have lived overseas, it's difficult to appreciate the American freedoms. Granted some are "under fire" and it will be a sad, sad day if America becomes like other nations with a high level of government corruption and inefficiency, with few (if any) rights and substandard healthcare in socialized hospitals. In Tanzania, one can never technically own land (one can buy a 99-year lease but the government is free to take land at any time WITHOUT compensation to the owner). There is a reason America has stood tall and prospered.} We appreciate the recent contribution made last week. Thanks so much! Could anyone initiate a special contribution at your congregation so all of the funds could be in place? We thank you in advance for your generosity and kindness and look forward to seeing you soon. 

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

Report: 4-15-13

"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." Psa. 136:26  

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters:

Good News!  Thanks be to God (and for all your prayers) ...the Immigration Visas were approved!  We are grateful for finally "clearing this hurdle."

Bad News! We don't know how long it will take to get the files from the states to Dar es Salaam. The U.S. Embassy says the soonest appointment for interviews is JUNE (6 weeks past our departure date). So, please keep praying. If worse comes to worst, the TZ children travel to the U.S. on tourist visas AGAIN (necessary to pay an additional $640). Once received by the Embassy, the Immigration Visas are valid for two years (necessitating our return to the states within about 1 1/2  years for another furlough). By the way, IF our fully-adopted TZ children entered the U.S.  illegally, then the process to become a legal citizen would be FREE!  Has the world gone crazy? Or is it a political maneuver to gain voters? Singer and songwriter, Ray Stevens, "hit the nail on the head" with his song, "Come to the U.S.A."

Another Ray Stevens' song, "Used Cars," came to mind Friday morning on our way to get Yellow Fever vaccinations (the time had expired since our last one). One line of the song says: "Thanks to that car, their money and their minds are gone!" That just about sums it up! A radiator hose blew off and the van died while pulling into the station (not that the station could fix it; we called our friend and mechanic, Kambarage, to pick it up). The van had just been serviced a month earlier. Cy Stafford arrived soon to transport Jimmy home to get the Prado. When Jimmy returned, eleven of us squeezed into the 8-seater to drive to the pharmacy to collect the vaccines and then on to another location to get the vaccination cards. Afterwards we headed to the Tanzanian Christian Clinic where co-missionary and nurse, Stephanie Stafford, injected us.  Unfortunately we had no choice because the TZ government requires it to re-enter their country.  Stephanie did a great job so there was no "weeping or gnashing of teeth." We're praying there are no major side effects either.

Sadly, a small plane crashed a few miles from our house last night, killing the pilot. Our house is in the path of the airport. Interestingly, our "furlough house" is in Calera, AL and near the airport. Our sincerest thanks is expressed to Sid Aultman for his help in securing this house. No doubt about it...he has gone the "second mile" and maybe a third. 

A big plane is what we hope to board in exactly 2 weeks. Thanks to all who contributed to our furlough funds this past week! The balance now stands at $800. We appreciate each one of you for your loyalty, dedication and love of lost souls. Your kindness and generosity towards us in our work in Tanzania is to be commended. Lord willing, we will see you soon!  

With Love from Africa,
The Jimmy Gee family

Study And Focus On Leadership...

The past weekend was a time of study and focus on leadership with the Linder Road congregation in Boise, Idaho. The church at Linder Road hosts a men’s retreat each year and studies areas to help encourage the men in the congregation with growth spiritually, fulfilling God’s will in their lives, from the home to the church to the community. This congregation is also involved in the Extension program in Guatemala and Paraguay.

While I enjoyed the opportunity of talking about leadership, the take away for me was the time shared after lunch on Saturday. Several of the men sat down and discussed areas where they wanted to give praise to God. As well, we spoke about specific requests from areas in our lives we would pray about together. This was a rich time of praying together as brothers and a wonderful opportunity to grow closer together in relationship to one another. I appreciated this time of fellowship and the blessing it brought to my life.

I am thankful to have been given the privilege of sharing in this event and getting to know the men of the Linder Road congregation better. I pray they will continue to grow in their relationship with each other as they serve our great and holy God.

The Bible Institute in Denver continues to edge its way toward graduation. Students are approaching a week of research as they work on digging deeper in the development of their assignments. Other students in the Extension Program are also working their way through their quarter of studies and many are reaching out with the gospel. The results this week have witnessed God giving the increase in great ways.

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 

Back To Class In Cameroon: After a successful campaign and short break, classes have resumed in Cameroon. Students continue preparing for the work of evangelism.

Evangelism Produces Fruit In Nigeria: As staff and students reach out with the gospel in various events, God is giving the increase.

New Milestone In Paraguay: The church is experiencing a new milestone with the start of the school in Asunción.

The Greatest Challenge In Cambodia: The years bring many changes to the challenges in the work. Phanat Ouch shares some of those challenges.

Expansion Considerations In Siem Reap: The church is growing and considering how to expand for more people to attend worship in Cambodia.

U.S. Teachers Visit BVBIU: Several teachers have visited the campus in Gorlovka, Ukraine and the program continues to see the benefits of the work.

Graduate Reports Show Growth In Tanzania: The Andrew Connally School of Preaching is seeing success from graduates who are teaching the gospel. 

Final Thoughts
Beginning a new week reminds me of the continual blessing of this program. No matter what time of the year or day of the week, students are involved in classwork, outreach in evangelism, or worship of God. Their dedication drives the purpose for which this program exists. Thank you for helping make this a reality. Your financial support, encouragement, and prayers strengthen every area of the work. I pray for you daily.

God bless
Bob

Graduate Reports Show Growth In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Servants:

We thank our God for all the good He is doing through you and the entire Tanzania 2000 mission team. We hope and we pray this note finds you well, blessed and busy about the work of the Church. We are about to get settled in. Granny is fighting bronchitis, so please keep her in your prayers. 

Almost on a daily basis we receive good news from various evangelist and congregations. Here are but a few:

William Rodrick, a graduate of the Andrew Connally School of Preaching, serving the Maji ya Chai congregation reports: “The Ngurdoto congregation (planted last year with the help of the Second and Adams congregation, Elk City, OK during the Safari for Souls campaign) is doing well, attendance is normal, Bible studies continue and one soul was added to the Kingdom. Thank you for your kindness, loving hearts, thank you all.” 

Timothy Mbakiza, also a graduate of the ACSOP, serving the Bukoba congregation writes: “I have preached beyond Bukoba and now there are believers in Christ in a different district. We need to visit Misenyi district and Karagwe because the Church is still young.” [These are two new church plants - cws].

Gasper Julius, another graduate of the ACSOP and evangelist for the Mto wa Mbu congregation writes: “The good news is that Mungere congregation has started to cut trees for temporary building, so soon they will be worshiping in their own building. The man who took our sister to court because she refused to be in a polygamist  relationship, apologized and said he will come to the church and repent because he is sorry and does not want to bring shame upon the Church.”

Christopher Mwakabanje, co-director of the ACSOP reported today at the area wide evangelistic meeting that the average attendance at the new Church plat in the White Rose are of Arusha had an average attendance of 8 adults with one soul being added to the Church in April. 

David Bayi, graduate of the ACSOP, evangelist for the Kioga congregation, wrote just today; “Hello brother Cy, how are you and how was your worship. We have good news this day, we have a new brother in Christ, Yusuph. He put Christ on in  baptism and is now in the light. Thanks and stay blessed.”

The desired results of the Andrew Connally School of Preaching is having its desired affect on the good people of East Africa. The work of God in Tanzania is in the hands of capable and hard working men and women. The growth of the Church in Tanzania is evident and for this we say thank you God, thank you supporters and thank you our dear brothers and sisters in Christ who work and live in this country of Tanzania. Thank you Kensington Woods. Thank you Bear Valley!  

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie and Granny

U.S. Teachers Visit BVBIU...

Hello dear brothers, churches and families.

I hope my letter will find you in a good mood, and you will have time to learn about the latest news in the Bible Institute and some churches in Ukraine. 

As I have mentioned in my previous report, two American teachers-missionaries (Garth Hilton and Johnny Mack Young) visited us in the beginning of March. They taught Job, Wisdom Literature, Contemporary Religious Thought and Personal Evangelism. We are thankful for their ministry and participation in God's work in Ukraine. 

Also, Garth Hilton was the main speaker at the seminar dedicated to training elders within the churches. We have discussed this topic last year. In reality, there are only a few churches here in Ukraine where they have elders ministering. Other churches are being led by the business committees. I think we should start thinking about the elders now, praying, planning and training suitable men for this position. There were about 40 people who attended the seminar, and we even had a visitor - an elder from Russia (Syktyvkar). 

Third week of March was planned for the evangelizing campaigns. All students were divided into 4 teams and helped the work of local congregations. This time we helped Central Church of Christ in Gorlovka, Mayskaya Church of Christ in Gorlovka, Church of Christ in Illovaysk and Church of Christ in Dnepropetrosk. We are grateful for our students' ministry, and we keep praying for the Lord and the leaders of the churches to keep working with these people. There were no baptisms, but many of the students conducted personal Bible classes, and they have made contacts to work with these people in the future. 

During this time, I was able to visit and preach at the churches in Kramatorsk, Lugansk and Donetsk. It was a huge blessing to see that God's church exists in Ukraine, and there are people who love God. Right now we have several prospective students for the next school year, but it is very difficult to recruit many people. Many congregations are physically aging, and young people who have a job are afraid of losing it. In our country, as in any other place, people want stability, and it is difficult for them to accept changes in their lives. Please pray for us to meet men who are willing to sacrifice many things to study Bible full time and serve the Lord and His church in the future. 

In March we have organized several youth group meetings within the church. It was very interesting to see how our students plan, get ready and organize such events. Everybody knows that such projects are aimed at getting more people to recognize that they need to be saved. Also in the first week of March, we invited parents of those kids who attend our Bible school, The Gifted Child. There were 5 new mothers who gladly visited us. After the Sunday service, kids showed their talents reciting poems and performing in short plays. 

We are looking forward to seeing Denton Landon next month and pray for his safe travels. I want to thank all those people who keep helping and supporting the Bible institute and God's work here in Ukraine. In 1 Corinthians 13:8 it is said that love never fails; it's because you show it in your deeds continuously. Helping and supporting the Bible Institute in Ukraine, you give another chance to those people who want to preach the truth.

God's blessings.

Your brother and co-worker,
Dennis

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

Expansion Considerations In Siem Reap...

Dear brethren,

It is such a great honor for me that I can get to know you all as a godly man and woman who is working hard for Christ's sake. We want to be like you all as mature, faithful, and strong in your faith.

The church in Siem Reap is doing fine. We still keep teaching and preaching what Christ wants us to do and we always want to do that.

We have more people coming to join the worship with us so that our building is filled with people. I discussed with our brothers last week trying to get their suggestions on how to enlarge our building so it will not be too tight for our people who come to worship.

With our building paper work, it's still on the way and I think it will be done very soon, as long as a man that is responsible for measuring the building comes and measures our building to make sure it's right. Then he will bring our document papers for a final man to approve and sign it, then we have all our paper work.

I'll keep you update more about that.  

Thank you so much for your support to the work in Siem Reap. May God bless you all.

In Him
Chann

The Greatest Challenge In Cambodia...

Greetings brethren in Christ!

Welcome to my blog on the work of Christ and my ministry in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It's always a joy to be able to reflect on the work here from month to month and share with my supporters and encouragers about what's going on in my life in this part of the world. Some see it as a chore to report of these things, but I count it as a blessing because it keeps me focused, accountable, and energized! I was recently asked a question pertaining to my ministry about what is the greatest challenge that I am currently facing. It's not the first time I have been asked this question. In the past five years my answers to that same question varied based on my experience. In the beginning it was adapting to the Cambodian culture, its food, way of life, etc. Then as I progressed my biggest challenge was how do I get the lost in this part of the world to recognize that they need Jesus and what's the best way to evangelize to them. Finally, my answer to that question has become, how do I get the saved to trust and depend upon God completely in all aspects of their life. I, myself, struggle with this but am progressing slowly in totally and completely trusting in Him to provide for all things physical and spiritual. Also, as the director of IBISR, the major concern that I have pertaining to IBISR is how do we get our students, after they graduate, to have the mentality of the apostle Paul with respect to his ministry. Meaning do they understand principles like: 

Philippians 4:11-12 (to be content in whatever state, whether it's in lacking of things or in prosperity; handling it correctly as they live their life and serve God)

1 Corinthians 9:1-18 (to know their rights; as laborers for God, they have a choice in receiving support from the local church or not and doing whatever necessary to further the gospel even if it requires sacrifices on their part) 

Acts 20:33-35; 18:3 (the principle of hard work to not only support themselves but help the weak and poor; to understand the blessing of giving!)

These three principles, if developed in our graduates, we won't have to worry much about their high salary or lack there of. We won't have to worry about their incentives and motives for doing Gods work. Hopefully the work study program of IBISR, along with the current curriculum, will get us moving in that direction. We will find out in the next few years as we are still in our developing stages. Please keep us in your prayers.

This month we had four Christians (Ravy and Chealin, Piseth and Rotana) committing to one another in marriage. We pray God's blessing upon them as they embark on  their journey together as Christian husbands and wives!

Phanat

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

New Milestone In Paraguay...

What an exciting month March has been! A new milestone was reached in the history of the church in Paraguay with the inauguration of the Asunción Bible Academy (ABA). It is a new work of the church that has come to fruition after more than a year and a half of praying, planning, and preparing!

THE ASUNCIÓN BIBLE ACADEMY

• With more than 7,000,000 lost souls in the country, Paraguay needs more workers in His kingdom because the fields are, indeed, white unto harvest. With our thanks to the Lord, there is now a full-time Bible school in Paraguay with the express purpose of training up workers in their own language and culture through His inspired Word! It is an intensive two year program of Biblical studies with a special focus of “hands-on” ministry, personal evangelism, and church planting. 
• The Academy is being assisted by the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver (BVBID) by providing guidance, teachers for “short courses,” and curriculum materials. See more information in Bob Turner ́s report at: /extension-news/ 
• The stateside financial administrator for the Asuncion Bible Academy is the Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. 

INAUGURATION CEREMONY
On Sunday, March 10, 2013 the church held a congregational lunch and invited her sister congregation, “Centro,” to join the activities. Afterward, there was a special ceremony for the Academy. Similar to how Paul charged Timothy with his responsibilities, (1 Timothy 1:3,18; 5:21), brother Bob Turner, the Director of Extension Schools for BVBID, was invited to bring the “charge” to the congregation to remain steadfast and loyal to God while working in this new endeavor with the school. The students and faculty were then presented before the congregation and Brother Donnie Bates, Regional Director of Central and South America for BVBID, brought the charge to the school’s professors regarding their new responsibility. The ceremony closed with me having the opportunity, as Director of the Academy, to deliver the final “charge” to the students to commit themselves to the study of God’s word. (More photos of the inauguration inside!) 

STUDENT BODY and FACULTY
We ask you to please add this new work of the church to your prayer list along with the following names of the students and the faculty:

• The student body consists of: 

• 1. ) Full-time: Enrique Albera (27), Paulo Rocholl (24), William Arzamendia (24), and Ramón Paredes (27), all from the Avenida Sacramento congregation, along with Karen Gimenez (26), from the Centro congregation. 
  2. ) Part-time: Hector Paredes 

• The campus faculty consists of:  

• 1. ) Troy Spradlin, Director of the Academy 
  2. ) Perry Hardin, Academic Co-Director 
  3. ) Professors: Josh Blackmer, Perry Hardin, Troy Spradlin, Pedro Vera, Ike Yegros, and Jorge Vera, preacher at “Centro” congregation. 

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies:

• One of our “Learn English Using the Bible” students, Adriana Rodriguez, has finished the Book of John study and has started with “Searching for Truth.” 
• Andrea is now studying “Searching for Truth” with Dina Aycock and with Sergia Frutos. 
• We have several non-Christian friends and family members of our brethren who are now attending the various mid-week Bible study groups that we are conducting. We pray the seed will land on “fertile soil!” 

• Marile “Romi” Balbuena has lots of questions and is now studying the book of Revelation with us. 

Steps toward mission goals: 

• During the bi-monthly business meetings, the men are now talking more specifically about the details for the possible church plant in the nearby city of Ñemby. It is exciting to hear them making their plans and to be working with them! Our prayer is that the new congregation will start meeting sometime in July or August. 
• Goal reached! Having some type of Bible school has been in the plans of the mission team since first forming in 1997 at Freed-Hardeman University. With the opening of the Asunción Bible Academy, a milestone was reached with our prayers that it will help the church in perpetuating itself through leadership development. 

Upcoming plans:

• • Preparing for our annual congregational retreat in April. 
  • Our upcoming USA Furlough dates are as follows: 
    1. ) Poolville church of Christ (Texas) - May 5 
    2. ) Dripping Springs church of Christ (Texas) - May 12 
    3. ) Margaret Street church of Christ (Florida) - May 19 
    4. ) Central Avenue church of Christ (Georgia) - June 2 
    5. ) Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ (Florida) - June 9 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES

HIGHLIGHT(s) of the Month: I can’t even begin to explain how exciting it has been to see the official opening of the Asuncion Bible Academy! Add to that of what a wonderful feeling it is to walk into the building on a weekday morning and hear classes being conducted to train these young men and women in God’s word! Such a rich blessing!

Visitation / Other Activities:

• We enjoyed having Ethan Hardin and Ivan Villard, Jr. teach at our Wednesday night Bible study for us via Skype. They did a great job and the brethren really enjoyed their lessons. 

• Mirta Vera is our church secretary and a single mom with two adopted children. She is also taking care of her 90 year old mother. We spent a Saturday afternoon studying the Bible and just visiting in order to encourage her in her Christian walk. 

• We went to hear one of our very talented brethren, Diego Acevedo, sing in the famous Italian opera, “The Barber of Seville.” He did a great job! 
• Andrea held a “Pinterest Party” where several young ladies of the church came over and worked on special crafts together. They have now decided they want to do this once a month. 
• We had a nice dinner with Adriana Rodriguez and her boyfriend Francisco Benitez. We are hoping to develop that friendship even more. 

Personal study: 

• I am currently reading / have read:

1. ) “The Pentateuch” by James E. Smith 
2. ) “Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide” by Michael J. Gorman 
3. ) “Los Diversos Rostros y Causas de Incredulidad” and “La Existencia de Dios” by Bert   Thompson, Ph.D. and Kyle Butt, M.A. Cultural or language discovery: 

• The Paraguayans have a very unique way of speaking Spanish. Not only do they use the peculiar form “voseo” (not to be confused with vosotros) for familiar conversation instead of “tu,” but, they also have several unique vocal inflexions which they employ to clarify what they mean. For example, if someone is slow they will say, “el es lento.” But, if someone is really slow, they will say “leeeeeeento” with a high pitch voice inflection on the “eee” part. There is hardly a conversation that passes that doesn’t include this high pitch modulation. It is a lot of fun to hear Paraguayans telling their stories using this tone and variation. 
• For all our Spanish speaking friends who aren’t familiar with it, or all those who are learning Spanish, you should Google “Voseo” to see what Southern- cone Spanish is like. There are several good sites. 

Troy and Andrea Spradlin

To see the report with pictures, please click here.

Evangelism Produces Fruit In Nigeria...

Beloved in Christ Jesus,

Greetings from staff and students of Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan and Lagos satellite campus, Nigeria. Below is the summary of our March 2013 activities.

ON EVANGELISM: The staff, foundation members and all the students of SWSE took an active part at Iyana-Ilogbo 2 day mass evangelism of March 15 & 16 in Ogun State which resulted in the conversion of two young ladies. We also participated at Owode-Egba 2 day evangelism and Christian workshop that centered on The Sweetness of Christian Fellowship on March 22 and 23. And lastly, a the three day mass evangelism organized by Ayedun congregation in Akure, Ondo State at Igbara-Oke, Ondo State were dominated by staff and students of SWSE-Ibadan on March 28-30 which resulted to the birth of the Lord's church at Igbara-Oke town, Tokotaya Elere-meji area, Igbara-Oke, Ondo State on March 31. Brother Dele Shotola, brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe, brother Emmanuel Onabanjo and myself served as a public preachers during the evening open-air from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

REPORT FROM TWO OF OUR GRADUATES: brother Ezekiel Okoh and brother Thomas Adebayo, two of SWSE-graduates, reported the conversion of 14 souls during their joint works with some preachers of Lagos and Ogun State at Ajakurama in Edo State on March 1-4, 2013 which also resulted in the birth of the Lord's church at that city in Edo State, Nigeria. 

Brother Adekunle Olanrewaju, one of our year 2 students also reported the conversion of 3 souls at Iju-Ota congregation in Ogun State of Nigeria where he is now serving as an evangelist on March 3, 2013. TO GOD BE THE GLORY !

THE SCHOOL: The SWSE-Ibadan campus will start their 3rd semester examinations on April 

2 -5 while the 4th semester classes begins on April 15, 2013 because of the 2 weeks special classes of May 27-June 8, 2013 where two powerful ministers from Bear Valley Bible Institute will be lecturing at SWSE-Ibadan, Oyo Atate, Nigeria, Lord's willing.

Brethren, we have spent N7,963,000=($53,087) so far on the two school building (pictures attached). N4,120,000=($27,466) on the administrative blocks) and over $25,000 on the SWSE-events centers / Lecture Hall!

This is how I raised the funds for this two buildings:

1. Loan from the Bank =N2,300,000=($15,333)

2. Sales of 14 acres of my farm land =N3,000,000=($20,000)

3. Contributions from friends, relative, brethren /churches =N1,198,300=($7,988)

4. Loan from sales of another 6 acres of my farm land= N1,000,000=($6,666)

5. Loan from friends =N464,700=($3,098)

OTHER ACTIVITY: On March 3,10, & 24, I taught the Sunday morning Bible classes at Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan and on March 17, I taught on the book of Revelation at Isheri-Oshun congregation, Lagos State and on March 24 afternoon, we (my self and some SWSE students and brother Kayode Eniafe) visited some WBS students of West Olive congregation, Peoria, AZ which resulted to conversion of the souls on March 24, 2013 at Asejire in Osun State. 

OUR NEEDS: Apart from funds for completion of our lecture hall and instructors pay, we are in need of 4 tires for our school van and $500 for students teaching practice of June 8 to July 7, 2013. Those who are willing to assist us in any of this items should please contact our school Patron & Special Adviser, brother Doug Wheeler (douglasmwheeler@gmail.com)  

CONCLUSION: We appreciate brother Steven Ashcraft’s gift of N30,000= and N10,000= from brother Doug Wheeler in February 2013 which has enabled our van and jeep to be fit for the preaching trip. We also thank you all for your partnership and your contribution in one way or the other toward the growth of the Lord's church in Nigeria and the world as a whole. May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all our joint efforts in Christ name, Amen. 

Your fellow laborer in Christ Jesus,
Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi (Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan & Lagos Satellite campus, Nigeria

Back To Class In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters here in Wotutu congregation and also the students of CBIW. We hope you are all doing fine in all that you do.

I was able to teach on the first day in the second quarter. I started with Hermeneutics, while we shall go through another 8 courses in this quarter if God will’s.

It is another great moment again for us in CBIW, as the students returned last week. Classes started on Monday, the 1st of April and we praise God the first week has passed by without any problem, just for the fact that some students came back from mission work with severe malaria, which is under control with the drugs in our school medicines box. We bought some and added them. This is the period where many people are sick because of the changes in climate. Brother John was taken to the hospital to see the doctor on his complaint.

The theme for last week was JOY. This was aimed at helping students and members of our congregation to be joyful for the many things that God has done for them. They may be in pains and other predicaments, but just for the fact that they are alive , then they need to be joyful.

Evangelism in Wotutu with the new students has started again house to house, after the personal evangelism course. We can allow all who are on campus to go house to house on Saturday to reach out. Many came back with lots of appreciations from our keen Back to the Bible radio program, while many asked questions concerning what they hear every early morning 5 AM.

The work is in progress. We thank God.

Each of the students received his handouts. We decided to produce all notes in this form and give to the students. It is expensive, but it is worth it because it will help the students throughout their lives as a preacher.

The other papers are the first result for the beta batch featuring 26 students instead of 27. One was absent throughout the exams because of ill health. Keep the students in your prayers for them to keep growing as they pay attention to what the Bible says, as we guide through all of that here in CBIW.

Plans
Batoke mission is still pending for the establishment of a new congregation.

We shall send our students to other congregations for weekend evangelism as they continue to demand students to come over and help.

Appreciations
Many thanks to God for you, for all that you are doing to make sure the gospel is in progress here in Cameroon. God bless you and keep you all focused on souls and for the rescuing of souls from darkness.

Do your best to share this report with others in your life.

Elangwe and family
By His grace, Director CBIW

Incredible Joy Is In The News!!!

The return home has been good and I am enjoying getting somewhat back to normal, for what normal is worth (for those who do not know me well, that is my attempt at a weak joke). Classes in Denver continue to progress toward the next graduation which is only six weeks away. With the graduation of one class there is always the excitement of beginning a new class of students and 2013-2014 enrollment is shaping up to be a very good year.

The reports this week are filled with wonderful news about growth within the Extension program. There is always a great sense of joy related to reading about souls being added to the kingdom from the message shared by students through weekend evangelism, campaign, or just talking with others. Joy describes the feeling associated with knowing there are more than 300 students around the world are studying to better equip themselves for work in the Lord’s kingdom. 

We know joy through the directors and teachers on the ground who are sound in the faith and dedicated to the work. Their endurance is an encouragement to us all. Our joy is made complete by seeing the achievement of students who spend two years of intense study plummeting the depths of God’s word. Joy is also the result of knowing those who work through the challenges of living in another country because of their love for God and people of the world is a thirst that can only be quenched by fulfilling God’s mission.  

This week is a special week as the Extension staff involved with the Bear Valley Bible Institute will meet to examine a number of areas within the program. We plan to look at what is working and what is not. We need to continue to focus on how we can achieve growth and development in the years ahead. We desire to improve the overall program and further strengthen our abilities to provide the best possible support of the work.

Please pray for us as we meet and for the safety of each member who will be traveling to and from Denver. Also, please pray for each of the schools this week as they continue to labor tirelessly in the Lord’s kingdom. 

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 Donnie Bates can be read by clicking here.

Extension Reports 

One Amazing Campaign In Cameroon: The numbers from the recent campaign to over 20 villages in Cameroon shows the powerful hand of God in giving the increase.

Short Holidays With Purpose: Gajendra shares the purpose of a short holiday for the students and staff of the Nepal Center of Biblical Studies.

Lessons on Giving: The Southwest School of Evangelism is involved in teaching each week and they are involved in a series of lessons on giving.

Tanzania Chronicles: Sean Hochdorf sends news about the development of the work in the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and on the home front.

Back Home In Tanzania: After a productive furlough, the Stafford’s are back in Arusha preparing for the upcoming Safari for Souls.

Thou Shalt Not Steal: The Gee family shares some of the difficulties of living in another country as someone tried to steal their cell phone, while talking on it. 

Final Thoughts
From all of us to all of you, thank you. I never get tired of expressing gratitude for the tremendous ways all of you continue to keep this work successful. You are the true heart of the program. I am referring to you! As you read the report, you already know who you are and why we are thankful. Without you there would be no one to teach, no one to pray, no one to share the reports, no one to encourage, no one to support. We love YOU!

God bless
Bob

One Amazing Campaign In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from this end, and we do hope you are all doing great in whatsoever you are doing in your family and the congregation. The week went on well as we were anticipating a welcome of our students back to school after their campaign in different locations and vacation with their families.

God is so kind. As I write this e-mail 26 students are already on campus ready to start their lectures tomorrow, April 1, for the second quarter. One student is still pending to arrive, news reaching us is that he lost the grandmother.

Sister Emilia obeyed the gospel in Mbouda. Please keep them in your prayers.

We are thankful to God for their safe arrival, even though some returned with sickness. God is in control. The reports they brought from different locations are amazing. We sent them to 20 villages to preach and teach, but they went beyond that as they heard the calls from nearby congregations to come over to them and help. This makes CBIW different and very popular in the few years of its existence in Cameroon. Our students and staff enter into places that have been abandoned. Many congregations are dying because there is no one to preach and nurture them. Many continue to praise God for Bear Valley and their visions for the extension program. This program is working well by His grace here in Cameroon. Come and join us do greater things here for the Lord’s glory.

I was able to preach in the morning and also welcome our students back on campus after their campaign and vacation.

Brothers Nguoe Thierry and Mbappe went on house to house evangelism in the community of Mbouda, purely a French speaking community.

Brother Mbappe Guy, our student, was able to preach and pray for sick people in the hospital in that community. Many will go to hospital visits with items to give out, but as a student the director of the hospital gave them the permission to preach and teach without any goods. He praised them for their effort and said the scriptures are life.

Brother Yannick went to Manyemen village. This village is far from Wotutu, and the congregation there was almost collapsed because there was no one to preach for the church. I received lots of appreciation from them, as they shouted that God has heard their prayer as CBIW thought of them and sent a student evangelist to help them.

Brother Yannick sat with the leaders of the congregation, teaching them Personal Evangelism. Our motto impacted those who by His grace pass through us as we trust in evangelism for the growth of the church. “Evangelism is our mission and our mission is evangelism.”

The Lord added souls during this campaign. We pray those on the ground will continue to do the follow up as we shall be involved in weekend evangelism in those areas to continue with the nurturing for maturity.

The Manyemen congregation which was near collapse is now revived because of our efforts of evangelism this past two weeks. Keep this congregation in your prayers for them to remain in the Lord as we continue to prepare the way till a permanent preacher be there. Who will go forth and how will it work? Those are the questions we ask ourselves as we travel up and down the country for mission work.

During the Lord’s Supper, some in the Wotutu congregation will take and bend their heads down to meditate and thank God for Jesus. Our congregation continues to grow.

STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST BETA BATCH CAMPAIGN

Number of villages involved - 23

Number of studies on house to house - many

Number of baptism - 53

Number of restoration - 51

Number of congregations revived - 3

Number of new congregation established - 1

NB
The campaign this time around amazed me a lot as five broken families were reconciled and restored back to the fold. These families, in different locations, part ways because of the truth, as the husband refused many years ago for the wife to worship with the church of Christ. Our students met them and shared the gospel on house to house and discovered them, exposed the truth to them and reconciled them back and also restored them back to the congregation as the husband also accepted the truth with tears.

Plans
1) We are starting full fledge classes tomorrow. There is no time to waste.

2) We shall move to Batoke village this weekend to preach and teach and see if they will be increased and a new congregation will be established there.

Appreciations
We thank you for all your prayers and support. We thank God for using you in the way He is using you in our ministries, that is our preaching, CBIW, and also Brightland Christian academy. Please do your best to share our reports with others who may also love to be part of our work. God bless you and watch over you and your family and the church.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director of CBIW

Thou Shalt Not Steal...

"Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?" (Job 38:28)

Dear Co-Laborers:

Rain has poured down for the past few days. Much of Kisongo looks like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory...wish it were edible and sweet. However, the mud here is very sticky. Arriving at services, Trina jumped down out of our van (it's a little high) only to sink into the gooey mess, almost covering the top of her open-toed shoes (the parking area is neither paved nor graveled). Her shoes looked worse than those of the people who walked! 

Heather looks at the bright side: the environment around us is now a beautiful green!

As usual, Jimmy taught the New Converts' class, Trina continued Genesis (ch. 40) with the ladies and Abigail taught the children (Judah being led into captivity). Jimmy continued his series on "Worship" focusing on the proper motive. The Moshi congregation just hosted several congregations for their Ladies' Seminar yesterday and the Arusha congregation is planning a Ladies' Seminar on April 13th.  

"Thou shall not steal." While Trina and the kids were waiting in slow traffic one morning, a man reached in on the passengers' side trying to steal Abigail's phone she was holding. While it seemed like several minutes, they wrestled over the phone for "a very scary" 2-4 seconds. At first, Trina didn't know what he was doing and was basically just "frozen" with the shock of it. Being strapped in by the seat belt she didn't think about unbuckling but was just scrambling to get her purse that had fallen (afraid the thief would grab IT). After being here eight years, we have let down our guard some and made the mistake of holding a phone near an open window (no air-conditioning in our van). The man began to slowly walk away from the van into a crowd. Not willing to let him get away, Trina began to yell "mwizi" (thief) and blew the horn to get attention. Thinking it would help identify the thief, she called Abigail's phone. Thankfully, during the earlier struggle, it had dropped to the floor of the car and landed under a bag. If only Jimmy's Aunt Edith had been there, we are certain that her "Annie Oakley" skills would have made us feel more secure. Guess what happened that very evening? Trina's phone was somehow stolen and she doesn't know when or where. 

Teach, baptize, teach: Grace is home from boarding school so Abigail is studying with her tomorrow. Both Grace and Rachel visited us this weekend while on break (Easter holidays). Lindsey is planning on giving Rachel a "Searching for Truth" booklet (although Rachel is a Christian, this Swahili-translated book can help ground her in the truth plus she could share it with school-mates). Speaking of education, the ACSOP students just completed a one-week course on "Bible Geography" taught by Emmanuel Peter. Beginning tomorrow, the students will study "Personal Evangelism" with Isaac Mwangonde... who made the long 16-hour journey via bus from Mbeya.

Prayers are needed for a Christian lady and student of KBS who has had marriage problems for several years now. Her husband recently refused to support her, made her move and is keeping her away from her little girls (ages 4 and 2). Please pray that mother and children will be reunited soon.

"I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long..." (I Tim. 3:14). Not counting today, we have 28-days left in Tanzania. The furlough funds still lacking are only $2000. If this final amount could be received by April 10th, it would help tremendously. We thank you for your kindness and generosity! Please pray that the Immigration Visas for the TZ children will arrive very soon!  

With Love from Africa, 
The Jimmy Gee family

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

Back Home In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Workers;

We greet you with joyful hearts. We have seen God’s hand at work through His faithful in a powerful way over the past few weeks. We are privileged to be part of God’s family, serving to His Glory and to the saving of lost souls. You, our friends and faithful supporters, are making this mission effort possible and for this we say thank you and thank God for you. Each of you who made this furlough the absolute best ever we say a very special thank you. To Jimmy Gee, who dealt with all my “normal” duties, to Sean and their family I thank you so very much for a job well done.

We arrived Friday night to be met by Jimmy Gee and Ahimidiwe at the airport. We are often asked; “why do you love the work in Tanzania so much?” Well, here is just one of the reasons: when we got to the house, our brother (who serves as one of our night guards) greeted us with a huge smile and hug and with much enthusiasm. He informed us that he and another had studied with and baptized into Christ a new brother the day before. As we often say; “it is like the work of the first century here in the twenty-first century.” 

In two short months we will begin our Safari for Souls campaigns. We know the months of May and June will be very busy with no less than 40 of our co-workers. This year will be a bit unique in the fact that two large campaigns will be at two new congregations that had their beginnings last year through the SFS campaigns. God is truly having His way here in Tanzania.

We have so much to report and share with you all but, we will close for the week and wait until next week to share some powerfully good news! We hope and pray your week in service to Him and His will be a good one. Again, we thank you and we appreciate your sacrifice making this work possible.

Closing note: Please keep Sean, Anita, Alice and Norman in your prayers. Sean is bringing them to the airport and Anita will be escorting them back to the States.  

In Him, Stephanie, Granny and Cy

Tanzania Chronicles...

Karibuni Tanzania
Greetings from East Africa

We hope that all is well in the Northern Hemisphere and that you are enjoying life, family, work and are at peace in Christ. We are entering our campaign season and will soon be having visitors coming to join with us to offer help in the many areas of work here in the Arusha area. If you are interested in making a trip over sometime just drop us a line and we will answer any questions and do our best to convince you to get on a plane.

I have just finished teaching the first quarter at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. We started with 12 students and, unfortunately, had to let 3 go due to lack of being able to keep up academically. Of the nine remaining all but one passed my Hermeneutics class. Promising for the first quarter. We will jump into the second quarter in  a few days and I will be teaching the book of Acts. Keep these men in your prayers as they pursue the journey of learning and growing into being effective preachers.

In between day-to-day activities, bible studies, etc., Anita has started a long anticipated project at the ACSOP. For quite some time we have wanted some artwork at the school that would reflect our mission and goal for what we seek to accomplish as a preacher training institution. We gave Anita a broad outline of what we want to communicate and are now standing back to watch her work her artistic magic. The project is an ambitious one as she will be painting a mural that covers the 4 walls surrounding the commons area; each wall is roughly 9ft tall x 50ft long.

The congregation where we worship, the Kwa Mrombo church of Christ, continues to be an encouragement to us and all that worship there. Charles Heberth, the local preacher (instructor at ACSOP, Dean of recruiting, member of our translation team, manager of our garden and rabbits, etc.) does a masterful job of delivering good, balanced, classes and sermons and is actively involved in evangelistic efforts in the area. We recently had Charles and his family over for dinner. Dad asked Charles what he liked to do when he had a day off. I rarely see Charles (whom I now affectionately call Chucky) perplexed but he certainly was when asked this question. His answer was in no way fake when he said “I don’t know what that is, I can take a break when life is over.” If you spend much time around Charles it becomes apparent that he believes those words. Of special note I just received a text from Charles that said “We thank God for His loving kindness, He has added two more souls to His Kingdom. Please pray for Nathali and Prosper as they have begun their Christian life. These are husband and wife.”

One of the reasons we had Charles and his family over was so that they could enjoy meeting my brother Ryan and sister-in-law April. Ryan and April have never been out of the States before so what better way to break them in then to bring them to a third-world country? It is enjoyable to watch the look on the faces of those who have never experienced a place like Tanzania. We thoroughly enjoyed them being here and are certain they returned to the States with a new perspective and appreciation for the myriad of blessings enjoyed by Americans.

We are somewhat melancholy as our house is about to be very empty. Madeleine returned to the States 3 weeks ago to prepare for her wedding and subsequent start of college. Anita and I are still quite weepy about her leaving. On April 1^st mom and dad will  be returning as well. They have really been a big help to us and many of our friends and brethren here in Tanzania. It was a big step for them to move here but one that, by their own admission, was one of the best decisions they have ever made. They, like others, will return to living in a nation that is overflowing with blessings and is, for the most part, unaware of life in a place like Tanzania. We will miss them greatly.

Backstory
I am asked from time to time what a typical day in Tanzania is like. Truth is in some ways its much like being back in the States: Get up, shower, go to work, eat, sleep, repeat. In other ways there is no such thing as a typical day in Tanzania. Generally each day can be measured by the number of difficulties or tragedies avoided or handled. For example, this past Tuesday I took off for school around 7:15am, taught and headed toward home to get ready to take Ryan and April to the airport that evening. On the way home my steering box disintegrated leaving me with good ol’ fashion armstrong power steering. The roads in Tanzania are some of the worst in the world and wreak havoc on the vehicles trying to tame them. I made it home safe, assessed the damage and made arrangements to get it to the Toyota dealer for repair. While preparing to take it in I discovered that my left front shock absorber had broken as well. I requested that the dealer fix both and that I needed to take it to the airport that evening. They assured me they could fix the steering box in time but had no shock absorbers in stock. I called around 4pm and they told me to come down and get it (about a 45 minute trip each way). Nesta dropped me off and took off toward the house. After waiting for 30 minutes the manager called me in to say it couldn’t be finished that evening. Great, “Nesta, come get me they can’t fix it today” 30 minutes later he arrived to get me. Now, while I was waiting for Nesta he called to say he would be a little bit because the other vehicle had a flat tire (We are now up to 13 flats in 8 weeks). Flat fixed and we are on our way home. Nesta and I are chatting and the vehicle shuts off. “Nesta, what’s going on?” “Fuel goes off” he said. “Huh? Are you saying we are out of fuel?” “Ndiyo.” Great again. Off he goes to get some diesel while I wait. He arrives, we get it started and get home. We can’t take the vehicle we were in because the belts are showing through on the tires and it will beat you to death when you go faster than 30 mph. Not to worry, we are replacing them in a week or so. But for now, we are scrambling to leave for the airport on time and get a vehicle to do so. We arrange to take Stephanie Stafford’s Rav4. It’s a munchkin vehicle for sure but we manage to get all the bags in and head toward the airport which is an hour / hour and half away. Under good conditions the road is quite dangerous but add rain, no streetlights, very few stripes and people walking across the road and it will make you a praying professional. Well, we safely got Ryan and April to the airport and headed back. Then the deluge came. Outside of Arusha traffic came to a dead stop. Two cars had collided and shut down the road for a lengthy amount of time. In situations like this there is no order whatsoever. People drive wherever they want, whenever they want. They do not care that, in the end, their selfishness makes the whole situation far worse. It’s chaos in the dark with a lot of rain. Fun, fun, fun. The wreck clears and we continue driving through the deluge to get home. We make it safely back, and sit down to relax, catch our breath and watch a little TV, then the power shuts off. Any of this sound typical? It may not to you but it is an accurate picture of about 80% of our regular routine. It’s odd, but we find ourselves missing these types of challenges when we are away from them for any amount of time.

When all the dust settles, and we are able to do our work, the troubles fade and we are able to rejoice that we have either taught men how to preach, educated and edified the brethren in the local church, or shared Christ with those who have never known Him. In the end, the good far outweighs any bad that may come from living in such a diverse and challenging place. 

We thank you for your support and hope that one day you will be our guest and we can share some of these adventures with you in person. Until that time comes, take care and stay busy in the kingdom of the Lord.

Most gratefully,
Sean, Anita, Mom and Dad

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

Lessons On Giving...

Beloved in Christ Jesus,

Greetings from staff, students and foundation members of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan and Lagos satellite campus.

The 2 day program at Owode-Egba congregation in Ogun State take us to many small cities in Ogun State such as Fidiwo, Ipara, Iperu and Ahuja. The two day program was another success even though there was no convert, but we have many prospects that if the church will follow-up with them will result in their conversion!

The afternoon Christian workshop was attended by over 200 brethren from Ogun, Oyo and Lagos State. I served as interpreter for brother Moses Obakemi who spoke on The Sweetness of Christian Fellowship.

On Sunday at Onikokoro congregation, I taught on Giving in the early church and brother Lawrence Olawale Dada, one of the graduates of SWSE-Ibadan, taught on The Purpose of Christian Giving. We are 59 in attendance with a total collection of N1.630=

In the afternoon, I traveled in the company of some SWSE students to discuss with some WBS students of brother Ken Heflin of the West Olive congregation, Peoria, AZ, with the assistance of brother Kayode S. Eniafe and brother Joseph Adeniji (two of SWSE-year -2 students). Three of the WBS students that were also part of those that attended the WBS seminar of February 28 at the A.D.C. Primary school hall in Apomu, Osun state where brother Doug taught during his 2013 trip to Nigeria. Samson Omotunde (husband), Juliana Omotunde (wife) and their first son of about 21 years of age, named Iyanu Emmanuel Omotunde ,was baptized at Asejire River in Osun State after the one and half hours discussion by 3:30 pm. TO GOD BE THE GLORY !

Brethren, we are very appreciative unto the Lord for His mercy and to you for your partnership. May the Lord of blessings continue to bless all our joint efforts in Christ’s name, amen.

Sincerely in Christ,

Makinde E.Olufemi (Director of studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan & Lagos campus.

Short Holidays With Purpose...

Respected brothers in Christ.

Greetings to you all from NCBS. We are doing fine in the Bible school. Our three weeks of short holidays runs from the 29th of March till the 19th of April. I am planning to visit some of our graduate students in the next week. I have a few purposes in visiting congregations:

(1) To encourage our graduate student's home congregations.

(2) To get new batch of students for the next class.

(3) To refresh our minds through visiting different places.

Please kindly remember me in your prayer.

Thank you,

Gajendra Deshar

What Is ITL?

This question was asked by the president of ITL, Hawatthia Jones, at the 4th Annual ITL Lectureship and 2nd graduation. The answer is summed up in the faculty and students who are involved in both the full-time and Saturday programs of study at the Latin America Theological Institute in Guatemala (ITL). The answer would also include the graduates from the Alpha class of ITL, along with all of the potential students for the future. 

Words do not adequately describe the incredible environment that has been created by two men, Byron Benitez and Hawatthia Jones, who have dedicated themselves to the training of students to take the gospel to Central America. Through the challenges and obstacles, these men have demonstrated the tenacity and organizational skills to develop a school second to none.

Hawatthia and Byron have been working in Guatemala for approximately 13 years and this was the 5th anniversary of ITL. These two men, along with staff member, Anibal Ramirez, began a Saturday program five years ago to provide biblical training to students who wanted to grow in their service to the Lord. A year later, Darvin Alvarez was added to the staff and the full-time program was born, along with an annual lectureship to provide opportunity for the church in Guatemala to be encouraged and strengthened in the task of reaching the souls of this country.

First, let me share some information about the lectureship. The theme this year was “Unity Among Brethren, an Answer to the Prayer of Jesus.” Speakers from Central America and the U.S. came together to share in this great event. The lessons were sound and powerful to the need for brethren to be united, not united at any cost, but united in Christ and on the word of God, putting away opinions and standing on truth. “Awesome” is the only word I know to describe how wonderful it was to hear these lessons.

Second, the graduation of the second class of ITL’s full-time program was also a part of this great weekend. Five students completed the program, Eliezer Nieves Pérez Gonzales (valedictorian), Manuel David Avila Chuc, Nohelis de Dardón, Wálter Dardón, and Angel Gabriel Gonzales Morales. Four students, Nidia Aguaré, Elena Aguaré, Maclovio Calderón, and Blanca Pérez (valedictorian), completed the Saturday program. In a wonderful ceremony in their honor, these students received their degrees and certificates for the work they have put into these classes.

Third, everyone was encouraged with the announcement of the great news about the purchase of ITL’s building. I encourage you to click here to read more about the exciting news announced by Hawatthia concerning the funds raised to purchase this property.

One of my favorite lines of the weekend event was Hawatthia Jones in saying; “There’s not a God greater than our God.” How true this thought is and it is seen in the way the work has been developed and the two men who have poured their lives into seeing the success of the program they have developed. 

If could leave you with one last thought, it would be this: I am thankful to be considered a friend of ITL.

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 

Husband And Wife Obey The Gospel In Cameroon: Through the broadcasting of the gospel each morning in Cameroon, a couple respond to be baptized.

Outreach In The SOS Clinic Community Bear Fruit: Souls are being brought to the Lord through the outreach of students in Liberia.

The Goal Has Been Reached: The news from ITL in Guatemala is incredible as the goal has been reached in the funds needed to purchase the property.

Radio Planet Is Ready In Togo: A new radio program is about to take to the air as part of the work in the Center for Biblical Studies in Togo.

Asunción Bible Academy Student Information: The new class of students and a list of the staff members at ABA gives a good foundation to this new work. 

Sijui - I Don’t Know: Some information is best left to you in reading the report. This is a story worth taking a few minutes to read.

Final Thoughts
Just a quick word to say, “Thank you.” You are awesome and such a great blessing to this work. I hope the reports continue to encourage you and build you up in your faith in the Almighty God we serve. Truly, there’s not a God greater than our God.

God bless
Bob

Sijui - "I Don't Know..."

"...unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 18:3) 

Dear Supporters, Family and Friends:         

Thank you for reading this report! Everyone is busy with their own lives, yet you take time to stay involved and informed about one of the fastest- growing mission works that we know of...the TZ 2000 Mission work! Team director, Cy Stafford, says, "What God controls, grows!"          

This report will cover our past two weeks. Last Sunday, the Kisongo church listened to an inspiring lesson on "Unity" preached by Albert, an ACSOP student. Today Jimmy preached an excellent sermon on "Worship" focusing on knowing God as the foundation of worship. The ladies completed Genesis 39, learning from the life of Joseph. 

Last Saturday, Jimmy planned a special surprise and took us to a free horseshow. We met eighty-three-year old Eunice Simonson, who has spent her last fifty-seven years in Tanzania. It was a joy talking about her many adventures in Africa. Jim Klobuchar wrote a book about her and her husband, David, entitled, "The Cross Under the Acacia Tree." (The Simonsons worked with the Lutheran denomination). Eunice wrote her own book a few years ago entitled, "I Count My Blessings." We ordered both from Amazon to simply get a "deeper" perspective of Tanzania. After being in Africa a mere eight years, we've only scratched the surface in our understanding of the people, culture and language. 

Hongara! Congratulations are in order for former TZ missionary, Ben Thompson, on his recent engagement to Elizabeth Box. 

A first-year student, Julius (featured in our last report) asked for prayers for his pregnant wife who has a growth near their unborn baby of 4 months. Right now, his wife is on some medication to help with the pain. He says there is a possibility the doctors will want to operate and "extract" the baby (who obviously will not survive at this stage). Pray this tumor or cyst will stop growing so this baby can grow to be full-term. You may find it difficult to believe what Julius and others have said concerning women and serious medical care in Tanzania (operations, cancer treatment, etc): that is, a grown woman cannot have an operation or treatment for cancer UNLESS her husband or mother-in-law signs for it giving THEIR permission (if single, a woman's father or uncle would probably have the say-so). A woman can be denied treatment based on her husband or mother-in-laws' opinion and she can also be forced to have an operation if the doctor and her husband agree. Simple freedoms enjoyed in America are strange thoughts in other lands, especially in East Africa.          

Sijui (see-jew-ee)  One of our favorite visiting teachers, Buddy Fry, mentioned in his last class that he remembered the Swahili word "sijui" but had momentarily forgotten the meaning. After asking several Tanzanians what the word meant, he was surprised that all the students said, "I don't know." He laughed when our daughter Lindsey finally cleared things up by saying, "The word literally means 'I don't know!'" 

After noticing that Rosie came to Bible class without a Bible, we invited her to our house to get a brand-new one from the supply bought by the Union Grove church of Christ (Cleveland, TN). Their gift is still blessing people. Can you imagine people in the states not having enough money to buy a Bible?     

"We've come a long way, baby!" Speaking of money, the furlough funds still lacking are only $4000. Will your congregation be one of four that we hope will send a check for $1000? Our heart-felt thanks to all the congregations and the many individuals that have sacrificed! The new departure date is April 28th (giving us extra time to receive the immigration visas and make the 10-hour trip to the Embassy in Dar es Salaam). 

No better news could end this report! A soul was washed clean and added to God's Kingdom today!  Esther, pictured on the left with Ahimidiwe, was immersed for the forgiveness of her sins. She was pictured in a previous report and was attending the Kisongo Bible School trying to learn how to read.  

Stop the Presses! We've been informed of another baptism just minutes ago. Witness, from the newly established White Rose congregation, decided to become a Christian. 

Thank you for letting us be a small part of bringing "the Light" to Tanzanians. 

With Love from Africa,
The Jimmy Gee family

Asunción Bible Academy Student Information...

The following information involves the current students and faculty of the Asunción Bible Academy in Paraguay. A picture of the students is attached and the information gives some background to each student as they begin this new program of study.

Enrique Albera (27, fourth from the left) - baptized in October of 2011 and is the son of our sister in Christ, Lina Albera. He was born in Asunción and is a graduate of the National University of Asunción with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He came to know the church through his family and he converted from a local denomination. He hopes to assist the church in planting a congregation in Pilar (6 hours south of Asunción).

William Arzamendia (24, second from the left) - baptized July 2007 and is the brother of our sister in Christ, Carolina Arzamendia. William was born in Argentina and has studied music, as well as, coaching at several Soccer Academies. He enjoys working with youth and hopes to be actively involved with planting the church in Ñemby, where his family lives (just outside Asunción).

Karen Gimenez (26, third from the left) - baptized 2-2-2002 and is the daughter of our sister in Christ, Lucia Acosta, who is a convert from the first mission effort in Paraguay in the 1970's. She and her mother are members at the "Centro" congregation. Karen has worked at McDonalds and in retail sales. She wants to help with church growth for the "Centro" congregation and the church plant in Ñemby.

Ramón Paredes (27, first on the left) - baptized September 2010. He came to the church by noticing a banner that was placed out front advertising free Bible studies. Ramon has spent most of his life working in construction. He was born in Concepción, Paraguay. He wants to assist in church growth for the Sacramento Avenue congregation in Asunción. He has brought his brother and sister-in-law, Hector and Patricia, to the church and also converted his fiancé, Elvira Dominguez.

Paulo Rocholl (24, on the far right) - baptized in January of 2012 after learning about the church through a flyer he found thrown on the floor of a bus. He has completed an intensive, 14 month, English course offered by the Ministry of Defense and has also worked as Assistent Manager at "Plastec," his father ́s plastic manufacturing plant. He would like to see the church planted in Itaugua (about 40 minutes outside Asunción).

Professors and Administration:

Troy Spradlin, Director
Perry Hardin, Academic Co-Director
Josh Blackmer
Jorge Vera, (preacher for the "Centro" congregation) Pedro Vera
Ike Yegros