New Students Begin Classes At VVBC...

Dear Brethren, 

Greetings in Christ name. Through our joint efforts we are fulfilling the great commission that is commanded to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ, as the population of India keeps increasing.

New Batch of Students: We have received many applications this time, as we expected. In our previous report we mentioned about promoting the Bible College during the gospel meetings in the month of May. It has worked out really well, also the preachers in many other places are observing our graduates and approaching the school recommending it for several young folks. We have received over 37 applications and several phone calls were received.  But the amount of funds available is only letting us entertain 14 students. However, by stretching the penny we have extended the opportunity to 16 students.

Registration: In order for certain students to apply for admission they have to duly fill in an application with a picture pasted on it. Also they have a face to face interview after writing an Entrance Exam. This is not a very difficult exam, it is very formal but gives us an understanding of the student's exposure to the Bible and the Truth. Once it is over and selected, he would receive the code of conduct information and books for taking the running notes for each subject. 

Our Graduates in the Mission Field: It is beyond our joy of expression to see our graduates who completed their two year preacher Training program working in the real time mission field, and their efforts are very fruitful. Usually, we expect these students to invite us to encourage their congregations by teaching and showing our concern towards them. We have been conducting several programs at their places like, Gospel meetings, Bible Classes and door knocking campaign. Some of the students are taking advantage of every opportunity to invite the teachers of the school and preachers in the local villages so that they would teach their local congregations. 

Brother Appalanaidu, who is a graduate of class of 2013, invited us to spend the whole day teaching about God's plan of salvation to his villagers. It worked out wonderfully when two people came forward to accept the Lord. There is a small story behind this as well, that is during the public gospel meetings in the month of May, a video camera man who was hired to record the meetings has heard all the messages and contacted the Director of the school 'M. Samuel Raju' and requested him to visit their villages. Fortunately our recent graduate is visiting this village, since he is one of our students, so both things worked out very well. This has given us an opportunity to visit them and teach them for the whole day about God's plan of salvation, Three Dispensations, and The Church.

Library: When the resource of books is in hundreds the research work can be done passionately / enthusiastically, then for research, only the sky is the limit. Our library has taken a new shape with shelves covered with books both in English & Telugu. I personally believe that the Library with this number books is certainly an asset to the school. Some of the Master’s class students have gathered in the library to complete their assignments. We are so delighted to see our library being a helpful resource. We thank brother Jerry & sister Paula for helping us mail some of the books to India from USA.

Master’s Class: I am constantly in touch with the Master’s Class students and helping them to finish their assignments before due time. We are getting ready for the next master’s class week which would be in the month of September. We received several calls inquiring about the next Master’s Class batch. I wonder how many of them would show up to the next class, but I clearly told them that the current batch is already having classes and the newcomers would have to wait until the next class started.

New Addition to the Church: As the gospel is being preached, a number of people are coming forward to accept our Lord Jesus Christ. We were privileged to baptize two women who were taught about Jesus by one of our graduates. 

Gratitude: Our heart felt thanks goes to the brethren at Lake Houston, TX who are funding the school, also the congregation at the Strickland Church of Christ who are supplying the funds to fill the gap. Through their support and encouragement we are able to do all the above mentioned work. We thank our God for His mercy which is bestowed upon us through which were are able to fulfill the commandment of Jesus, that is, “Go into all the world to preach the gospel.” We will do our best to keep up the good work and trust and confidence you brethren have in us. We must also appreciate the brethren at Bear Valley Church of Christ and BVBID who are behind this whole Extension school program.

Please give our greetings to the brethren at your home congregation. Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we remember all of you in our daily prayers. Please pray for our graduates who are striving for His cause.

Thanking you all in Christ,  

John Dean Muppidi
Visakha Valley Bible College
Church of Christ
Andhra Pradesh,  INDIA
Cell: 091 - 9989922844

www.skinnergarden.org

Evangelizing Nigeria Through Preacher Training...

Dear brethren,

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you all from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Here is the summary of our weekend campaign in Ibadan, Oyo State and Asejire in Osun State:

The staff and students of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan, Oyo State were divided into two groups on the weekend of July 20th to evangelize Kusela village of Akinyele L.G.A of Oyo State and Asejire town of Oshun state.

I and brother Arowolo Samuel (year 2 student of SWSE) led the group that evangelized Kusela village while brother Dele Shotola and brother Kayode Eniafe led the group that evangelized Asejire town, Oshun State on Saturday of July 20, 2013.

On Sunday at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation, Ibadan, I taught the 6th lesson under our series of studies on Walking With God titled “How To Overcome Temptation” (Matt.4:1-11) while brother Arowolo Samuel admonished the church on Holiness. We are 52 in attendance with  a total collection of N1,800= and in the afternoon, I taught on the Six Characteristics of a Helper at the sister's Bible class.

In the evening, brother Kayode Eniafe reported the conversion of three souls at the Asejire congregation in Oshun State as the result of the July 20 gospel campaign at that city.

Brethren, we thank you all for your moral and financial support toward the growth of the Lord's church in Africa and beyond. May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all our work together in Jesus Christ name, amen.

Thanks be unto the Lord for the successful completion of this session - 2012/2013. We also thank you all for your partnership and great contribution toward the growth of the Lord's church in Africa and the world as a whole.

First semester of 2013/2014 session will commence, Lord willing, on August 12, 2013 with 20 students in Ibadan main campus + 4 students in the supplementary list and 10 students in Lagos satellite campus.

I, brother Makinde E.Olufemi, will be teaching: Evangelism 1 and year 2 on Ministerial Counseling & Teaching with Success.

Brother Okon Sunday Udoh will teach: NT church 1, Scheme of Redemption, and year 2 on Church Problems.

Brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe will teach on: The Pentateuch and OT & NT Survey.

Brother Isaac Olaniyan will teach on Life of Christ 1.

Brother Abiola Joseph Olusoji will teach on The Fundamentals of the Faith.

Brother Matthew Idowu will teach year 2 on OT Wisdom 1 and 2nd Corinthians. 

Brother Dairo Abiodun Joseph will also teach the year 2 students on 1st & 2nd Thessalonians and Biblical Eschatological.

Brethren, the just concluded session cost us the sum of N4,797,000= ($32,000). Contributions from brethren & churches in USA, Canada and Nigeria totaled N4,333,000= ($29,000) and the loan of N464,000= ($3,000). A $600 gift from the Lough family is included in the total contributions.

In conclusion, we thank all our supporters for their patience, the confidence they have reposed in us, and the moral and financial support which they have all shown us over the years. Hope you will not relent in this good and great work! Thanks and God bless.

I remain yours in His grace as a servant,

Makinde E. Olufemi (Director of studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE) Ibadan-Nigeria

The Heart Of The People In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Workers;

We hope and pray all is well in your life and that the Lord continues to bless you. We thank you for your prayers; they are being answered in a most powerful way here in Tanzania. 

The “heart of the people” here in Tanzania continues to amaze me. Example: One of our brothers in Christ at the Arusha congregation, Lenjima, went to Dodoma (the official Capital of Tanzania) to visit his daughter (Katherine) who is a student at the University. She was working at a small shop between semesters where her father met her upon arriving. 

She introduced her father to a teacher from the university that was at the shop. The teacher’s name is Delphine. Katherine had been studying the Bible with Delphine for some time. Delphine invited Lenjima to her home village of Kibosho (on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, just outside the city of Moshi) to study with her and her family. Lenjima returned to Arusha and met with me, asking if I would come and meet this family and study God’s word with them. 

We did! This past Wednesday Lenjima, Nathan & Jessica McVeigh, and another brother from Arusha, Anthony Frido, made the two hour trip to Kibosho to meet Delphine and her family. We arrived around noon and were greeted by Delphine (who traveled from Dodoma, a full days ride on the bus just to meet and study with us), her mother and eight other ladies. They offered us tea and chapati followed by a study of God’s Word. 

After the study Delphine informed us they wanted the church to be planted in their village and that her mother was willing to donate land to build a place to worship. We expressed our gratitude and set things up for Lenjima to return this coming week to introduce Josephat Massawe (the Evangelist for the Kilimanjaro congregation and Director of the Moshi Bible School) to this family for further studies. 

The power of God’s Word, in the heart and hands of faithful young people, raised in a Godly home, with a father who puts God first in his life, and the heart of the Tanzania people, makes for a really good thing. 

This is but one of many examples that illustrate the need to train more and more faithful evangelist in God’s Word that they might in turn take the saving message of the Truth to their own people. (2 Tim. 2.2). We need your help that we might help them help themselves. Support a student and change lives for eternity! Please!

We are thankful for Jerry Bates who arrived this week to teach two Master’s level classes. Jerry is one of the extension teachers for Bear Valley. He does a lot of work in India and is a full time worker at Voice for Truth International. We are so very thankful for men like Jerry who are willing to give of themselves for the sake of the lost of this world. 

Fariji Paul wrote of a new sister in Christ at Usa River. Issac Kusupa wrote saying they had a great attendance at White Rose today, over 20 adults and 15 children. Issac’s father obeyed the Gospel last week during the Kwa Mrombo campaign. Nsumve writes; “Four souls have become New Testament Christians today here at Mwanza. We have a big challenge, no place to worship for all five congregations. Please try to help these congregations.”

Thank you all for all you do and please continue to remember God’s workers throughout the world. We love and admire each of you for your love of the Truth and for your desire to teach others through your support of missions. 

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Rainy Season Challenges Evangelism...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters here in Wotutu. We do hope this reports meets you in good health and sound faith. Life is moving ahead here with lots of challenges because of the climatic conditions here now.

We are in the heart of the rainy season. Rain falls on and on and is not easy to discharge all we have to discharge. As I type this email, rain is falling and will continue all day long.

Our brother Edriex taught this morning on our weekly theme “Working Hard to Improve on Family Relationships.” This is to help our Christians build their families during this holiday period in Cameroon where children from different backgrounds will visit and exchange visits. Keep them in your prayers as they continue to study His word to help many on their way. Brother Edriex Adang’s mother was baptized last Sunday in their village. It was a joy for all of us. Keep his family in your prayers for many to see the truth and obey it as he continues to reach out to them.

There has been flooding in Limbe and other villages where many are displaced and are suffering because of the climatic conditions. Many Christians in our congregation are sick because of this climate. I personally slept in the hospital because my children were hospitalized. As I write this report some of our students like brother Mbappe Guy were not in worship. Brother Guy is in the hospital and taking some fluids. Keep us in your prayers. Because of the bad weather conditions, there was no way we could go out on house to house, but we continue to preach our radio program “Back to the Bible.”

Plans
1) This weekend we shall travel with healthy students to Ediki village where we shall revive a dead congregation. This congregation died off because of lack of a preacher to lead. We saw this congregation last June and some members cried out for us to come and help them. Keep us in your prayers as we go there this weekend for success. We shall also preach house to house.

2) We shall storm Batoke village the third week of August to continue evangelism and also to fully establish a new congregation. If finally established, we shall be sending students on a weekly basis to go and preach and teach during weekends in Edki and Batoke till we graduate this batch.

Appreciations
God bless you and your family for all that you are doing for the work here. God will reward you, your family and your congregation for their great sacrifice to help train men to preach the gospel in Cameroon. We say thank you and God bless you. Do your best to share this with others. We shall always appreciate your comments. Make a great day.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director CBIW

48 Years Of Training Preachers...

The time is drawing near for the Bear Valley Bible Institute to begin the 48th year of training men to preach in Denver. I am thankful to have been a recipient of the training Bear Valley provides and even more thankful for the opportunity to serve on the staff of this great organization. I know the next 48 years will continue to see sound men trained in God’s word who will go out and teach others.

The next class of students in Denver is shaping up to be a great class. Orientation is just over a week away and several students have arrived already as they prepare to begin classes. There is something exciting about seeing these men leave the security of their homes and jobs to move to Denver and begin a new path in ministry in the Lord’s kingdom. 

The same is true around the world. The sacrifices made by the brethren in every country is humbling. Their willingness and dedication to study God’s word and give their lives to serve in the Lord’s kingdom is amazing. They serve as great examples of faith for all of us today. As they grow in their understanding of the truth, they go out and begin sharing the message with their families, friends, and communities. The beautiful part is seeing God give the increase.

This week’s report continues to share news about the growth and development of these students who are a tool in the hands of God as He prepares them for the greatest work on earth. Please pray for the students about to begin their journey in Denver and for all those who are currently studying around the world.

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 

A New Quarter Begins And God Blesses The Work: While students are beginning the 3rd quarter of studies in Cameroon, God continues to give the increase to the work.

Graduation And Lectureship In Tamale, Ghana: The Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies held a recent graduation and lectureship and the work is growing.

Preparing For Short Courses In Nigeria: Students at the Southwest School of Evangelism are getting ready for two short courses.

57 Obey The Gospel In Tanzania: The news is exciting in Tanzania as the Safari for Souls Campaigns continue to show the working of God through His people. 

Final Thoughts
A final word of gratitude. Thank you for your continued prayers, support and encouragement for the work of training preachers. We know that without you this work would fall short of the goals and plans established for developing the Bear Valley Bible Institute. We want each of you to know how important you are to the Lord’s work. Our prayer is that God will continue to bless you richly.

God bless
Bob

57 Obey The Gospel In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Workers,

We thank each of your for your continued prayers and support for God’s work in Tanzania. The work continues to be blessed in so many ways. We are indeed a blessed people working with some of God’s finest.

We have now completed our third campaign for the summer. With sixteen new souls being added to the Church of our Lord this week at Kwa Mrombo. We thank God, John Hall and his fellow workers for a job well done. The church at Kwa Mrombo worked very hard a month prior to the group coming and they also have plans to continue with the follow-up studies in the coming months.

The Lord has blessed His Kingdom with twenty-two new souls at White Rose and another seventeen souls at Ngordoto. I received a message today from Kambi ya Chui (a congregation planted by the Mtu wa Mbu congregation) of two new souls being added to the Church. It thrills the soul to see the power of God’s Word working in the lives of the good people of Tanzania. I would also ask that you continue praying for the good brothers and sisters here in Tanzania. The campaigns are what they are in a large part due to the talent of our translators, evangelist, and Bible teachers.

The campaign season comes to a close, but the work continues. Our brother Jerry Bates will arrive this weekend. He will be teaching two Masters classes at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. We are thankful for Jerry and others with the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver and the extension program (working with eighteen schools around the world), for the good they do in the training of faithful men that they in turn might teach their fellow man. 

We would like to introduce Nathan and Jessica McVeigh. They have joined us for a one year mission internship. Nathan completed his studies at Bear Valley and both he and Jessica have a strong desire to do God’s mission work. We are thankful for them and their desire to do God’s will. They are adjusting to their new home and work and have jumped right in and are serving faithfully.

Please continue to remember the Gaines family as they continue on the fundraising trail. They hope to join us later this year. They have made a three year commitment and are about 75% funded. If you or someone you know are interested in taking the Gospel to a people truly desiring to know the Truth of God’s Word. Please consider this family in your support of God’s mission work. Please drop Daniel, Tiffany and children a short note, letting them know you are thinking and praying for them. If at all possible, please support this good family in their desire to do the will of the Father. Daniel Gaines (daniel-gaines@hotmail.com)

In closing I would like to ask for your help. We have a great need before us. We would like to bring in thirty new students in the 2014 class. We need to raise funds for fifteen. Any help in this area is greatly needed and will do much good. If you need information to help in you decision, please let me know. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie, Granny & Parker

Preparing For Short Courses In Nigeria...

Beloved in Christ,

Greetings from staff and students of Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan-Nigeria.

We evangelized Asaju and Jenrinyin Estate on Saturday of July 13, 2013 with some youth of Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan, and in the evening I studied with eight WBS students of Cathy Carpenter and Sheri Boggess of West Olive congregation, Peoria, AZ in the Amuloko area of Ona-Ara Loca Government, Oyo State.

On Sunday, July 14, two of our students named Makinde Emmanuel and Arowolo Samuel actively participated at Sunday morning worship in Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation-Ibadan.

Brethren, we are now preparing for the two weeks visit of brother Gary Fallis from the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver to SWSE-Ibadan, Nigeria on August 17-30, 2013.

We appreciate the great work you are all doing for the Lord here in Africa and we are praying for God's blessing on all your endeavors. 

Thanks and God blessed for your partnership. 

Yours in Christian love,

Makinde E.Olufemi(Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism(SWSE),Ibadan-Nigeria

Graduation And Lectureship In Tamale, Ghana...

Greetings from Tamale, Ghana.

It has been very quiet around the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies (TIBS) for the past two months as all of the students had completed their courses at the end of April and had departed to their various villages and towns. That all changed on July 9th as the Institute once again came to life, welcoming the graduating class, alumni, and the next class of students back to the campus for a week long program and graduation celebration.

Rather than holding its graduation ceremony immediately after the final classes of the two year program, TIBS’ holds its graduation during the first week of classes for the next group of students. This allows the new students to meet and be encouraged by those who have completed the course. For this year’s graduation the school also invited back the alumni from the first graduating class of 2011 for a special seminar with the new students and graduating students. This three day seminar on The Preacher and Finances was attended by over 35 past and present students. Classes were taught by Bear Valley Regional Coordinator Steven Ashcraft, TIBS Director Baah Joseph Okyere, and Cape Coast area evangelist Kojo Acquah Beenyi. Topics included were The Preacher and Member Relationships, The Preacher and Church’s Finances, The Preacher and His Family’s Finances, and The Preacher and Budgeting. 

On Friday TIBS hosted its fourth annual lectureship with the theme “The Essence Of Being A Christian.” During this day long lectureship TIBS Board Member Roger Ayillah spoke on “Christ- One Sacrifice For All”; Accra area evangelist and Director of the Center for Biblical Studies in Kpalime, Togo Willie Gley spoke on “Getting into the Covenant with Christ”; Bear Valley Coordinator Tony Johnson spoke on “Staying in the Covenant”; and TIBS Director Baah spoke on “Faithful Until Death-Who is going to Heaven?” In addition to the students, members from local congregations were invited to attend and the lectureship was open to the public. 

On Saturday the week’s event culminated with Graduation exercises for the class of 2013. Eleven of the thirteen graduating men received TIBS’ highest certificate, a Certificate of Biblical Studies, indicating that they had successfully completed the intensive two year course that includes over 2000 hours of classroom instruction and field work. Receiving a Certificate  Of  Biblical  Studies were: Abraham   Dilegm, Godwin  Bentikme, Jacob  Nichema, Johnson  Tilinyi, Joseph  Molsak, Kwame  Nkumuye   Lot, Lot  Nlakidi, Matthew  Donkor  Chakpuju, Philip   Bilam, Solomon Lanyan, and Timothy  Niligrini. Receiving a Certificate of Leadership was Augustine  Assoro, and receiving a Certificate  Of  Attendance was Bijine  Nnurubi  Amos. A special award of a laptop computer was given to Timothy Niligrini as the Best Student based upon cumulative grade point average. Additional awards of a Strong’s Concordance were given to Lot Nlakidi for Best Servant, Joseph Molsak for Most Determined Student, and Godwin Bentikme for Most Promising Student. 

It was a very busy and a very great week, with lots of fellowship, renewing of old friendships, and making of new ones. Now it is back to regular business for all of us at the Tamale School of Biblical Studies as we begin training the class of 2015!  

Tony Johnson
Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies

New Quarter Begins And God Blesses The Work...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings to you all from Cameroon. We do hope you are doing great over there in the church and family. God is blessing us and we praise Him. We are in the heart of rainy season and, because of the poor weather condition, many are sick here. Keep our students and some Christians in your prayers.

I baptized sister Immaculate Momai into Christ. Please keep her in your prayers, so that many in her family will come to know God, love Him and obey the gospel because of her.

CBIW students are all on campus and have already started the 3rd quarter fully, without any major problems.We went out to Muyuka town, a very big town, for weekend evangelism with those students who are sound in health, and we just made our way back to Wotutu safe and sound.

In class I was able to introduce the students to a new semester that will take us up to September. They are doing great keep them in your prayers.

We went to Muyuka this weekend for our very first weekend evangelism for the 3rd semester. We hired a 19 seat van ready to take us to our mission field. The journey was safe. We thank you for your prayers.

Our safe arrival in Muyuka gave us the opportunity to start reaching out to many through house to house evangelism, as brother Chijioke and others preached and pointed out what the Bible says to prospects.

I was also able to show the way by reaching out to prospects as we take them back to the Bible. Muyuka is a town characterized with all kinds of denominations. The weekend was really not enough time for us to go through the town, but our impact was felt for those houses where we were able to knock their doors. They opened wide the doors of their houses and some also opened the doors to their hearts.

Brother Ebage, our student, also baptized sister Tongo Nadesh whose husband was very happy as a brother who has struggled to help her become a Christians. The family is completely, now in Christ.Keep them in your prayers for them to grow to macturity. A total of 5 precious souls were added into the church in Muyuka. Praise goes to God for His care and love.

Plans
1) We shall move to Batoke, by His grace, next month for evangelism and possible establishment of a new congregation, if the Lord wills.

2) We shall go to Ediki village in August for a revival trip to revive a dead congregation , keep us in your prayers to discharge all this mission for His glory.

3) We shall also travel to the island of Bakassi with some students for evangelism in a community that denominations have not yet been dominated.

Requests
Pray for us. Most of us were beaten by mosquitoes during this trip which means that we may have malaria attacks, because we were to exposed. Please pray for us as we prepare some herbs and drugs to keep fit and flush our systems.

Appreciations
Thank you for your help and prayers. God bless you and replenish your deep sacrifice for the work going on here. Only God will reward you all.

Do your best to share this report with others. Jesus Christ is Lord.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director CBIW

Challenges To Extension Training...

While the work of Extension Training is the most exciting work I know on earth, there are always various challenges that arise that must be addressed in the most spiritual, biblical and practical way. It goes without saying, but the cultural, economic, language and technological barriers add to the difficulties that play a part in the direction and development of Extension Training.

I say this to provide a basis for some of the most recent activities within the program. After much time in prayer and counsel concerning the best course of action, the Bear Valley Bible Institute will no longer be partnering with the work in Monrovia, Liberia. To keep from making this a long story, it became apparent there was a misunderstanding about the nature of how the school was to be established and operate on a monthly basis. 

After several months and numerous attempts to determine the best approach to resolving the issues at hand, it was decided (in the mutual interest of the goals and plans for the extension program and the work in Liberia) that the Smythe Road congregation move in the direction of their choosing to best serve their plans for the Lord’s work. As difficult as it is to make decisions of this magnitude, we believe the greater good of the kingdom will be served for everyone involved by moving forward.

On behalf of the Bear Valley Bible Institute, we appreciate your understanding and trust to provide the best quality teaching for students in each location where we are privileged to partner with those who desire to train preachers. We ask that you pray for the leadership and growth of the church in Liberia. We also ask that you pray for the Bear Valley Bible Institute as we continue to move forward in looking at how best to develop the overall program of Extension Training.

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 

God Gives A Great Increase And Persecution Follows: A recent campaign in Cameroon adds 58 souls to Christ, and persecution occurs with some of the students.

Denominational Preacher Obeys The Gospel: The providence of God is powerfully seen in this account of conversion in Ghana.

An Appeal For Help In Takoradi: In Daniel Asiamah’s latest report, he appeals for help for Jerome, a Liberian refugee seeking to return home with his children.

Transition In Place And God Is Blessing The Work: Please take time to read about the transition in Tanzania and God’s blessing in the work. 

Final Thoughts
We are overwhelmingly thankful when it comes to everything involved in this work. God has blessed us with the opportunity to partner with strong and faithful Christians on a worldwide basis. We are blessed to know the dedication of God’s people. Thank you for the example you provide us by your willingness to be involved in this great work. Please pray for the efforts of Bear Valley, as well as, the work of each individual who shares in the work of Extension Training.

God bless
Bob

An Appeal For Help In Takoradi...

Dear Brethren,

We thank God for His mercies and kindness upon us as we progress steadily towards the end of another school term. We also thank God for you, our brothers, who have been holding up our hands in our efforts to prepare laborers for the Lord’s vineyard.

We had our mid-term break June 16- 23, 2013. It afforded me the opportunity to slow down and take some needed rest and to follow the doctor’s orders fully.  Incidentally, my 67th birthday fell within that week (June 17). It was significant because it was one of the rare cases in which my birthday fell on Monday, the day of the week on which I was born.

In about a month from now our third and final term of the 2012/2013 academic year will end. That means the Seniors would have completed their studies at West Coast –a journey of two years which started in September of 2011. The class is made up of three elderly men and two young men.

In a group photo, the oldest student, George Hodofia is first from the left (in his mid-sixties), and the youngest, George Kuntoh is second from the right (in his mid-twenties). The rest, are from left to right, Solomon Pantsil, David Mbedu and Kofi Krampah.

The Junior Class is nearing the completion of their first year in school. We still have health problems among students and teachers. At the time this picture was taken three students were not in school – there was one admitted to the Regional Hospital, and two others recovering at home.

Brother Arthur who obtained the Masters from Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver last year teaches most of the Old Testament  books as well as Homiletics, The Preacher and His work and Marriage and the Home. He preaches for the church in Kwesimintsim, Takoradi. The church is preparing for the ordination of elders and deacons in the first quarter of 2014. Currently various classes and training sessions are in progress. Brother Arthur receives calls to participate in lectureships, gospel campaigns and special training classes which he fulfills during school vacations.

Jerome Torh, the Liberian refugee who recently lost his wife is seeking help to go back to Liberia with his two children, a boy and a girl. Jerome graduated from West Coast last November. Some of you helped to pay the hospital bills for his ailing wife and when she died you helped with the funeral expenses. Posted below is a breakdown of what he needs to go back and settle in Liberia.

• He and his two kids will need $1300 for air fare ( 300 each person plus 400 for belongings)
• House rent of $100 a month
• Food for the three at $50 a month
• School fees for kids – son $300/year and daughter $400/year.
• Will need $200 for cooking utensils.

We are raising some local funds for him, but I am afraid that will not scratch the surface of what he needs. I herby appeal on his behalf to brethren to help get him the funds to go home. Please, channel you assistance through brother Steven Ashcraft, our BVBID coordinator (email: Steven Ashcraft samtnhome@yahoo.com). I have attached a copy of his appeal for your information which contains his contact number and e-mail address.

Sorry State of our Access Road
This road was built a little over four years ago. We have maintained it and made it motorable till the last two years when some heavy construction work started at the foot of the steep hill. The man who built there and worsened the road promised to help fix it but now that his building is ready for renting, he is nowhere to be found. Plus, other construction works uphill have done much damage to the road. Until it was disturbed, it held its own for well over two years and a half. Some local roads made with heavier equipment under experienced civil engineers are torn down in less than two years. Ours has held longer under same conditions with heavy trucks plying it every week. So far, brother Charles and I are able to drive up to the school with some difficulty. It is motorable with challenges and tire wearing when dry but unmotorable when wet and slippery.

We have company on top of the hill. A guest house is under construction across from our admin/classrooms block and others have started building private houses nearby. We shall soon lose our sole occupancy of the hilltop. We pray we do not lose much of the quietness we have enjoyed for the past seven years. We would much rather have a guest house up there with us than a noisy Pentecostal/holiness church.

Computers: Brother Ashcraft visited West Coast and gave us three laptops to supplement the computers we have available for training and research. With those we now have six working computers. Our target is ten for our twenty students. We still need four more. Can you help us?

Thank you again, and may the Lord continue to bless and keep you all.

Your servant for Jesus’ sake
Daniel K Ampadu-Asiamah  

To see brother Daniel's report with pictures, please click here.

To read brother Jerome's appeal, click here.

Transition In Place And God Is Blessing The Work...

Greetings,

What a joy it is to be a part of God’s family. We take great comfort in knowing we have family around the world with common goals, those willing to serve God faithfully as well as our fellow man. We thank each of you for the part you play in the saving of souls here in Tanzania and throughout East Africa.

I have just returned from a short three week trip to the States. The transition has taken place, with a few more details to still be worked out. The Tanzania 2000 mission effort is now sponsored by the Bear Valley church of Christ. We will work directly with the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver (under the oversight of the Bear Valley Elders). Denny Petrillo is the President of the school, Bob Turner the Director of the extension schools. I have known and worked with these men, and the Bear Valley staff, for a number of years. I am excited, to say the least, as to the bright future that lays ahead. 

I am also mindful of the oversight of the Kensington Woods elders for the last 15 years, the good done and the positive future that is yet before us, because they cared enough to follow through with their commitment and vision to do God’s work around the world. Thank you Ken, thank you KW and thank God for bringing us this far.

We have now completed two of our three summer Safari for Souls campaigns. The first one being held at the newly planted congregation in the White Rose area of Arusha (planted through the efforts of the Hoover, AL campaigners during last years SFS efforts). So far, this effort has resulted in the conversion of 22 souls, and the follow-up work continues. Also, a permanent meeting house is about to be completed!

The second campaign effort was conducted at Ngurdoto, a new church plant through the efforts of our good brothers and sisters from Elk City, OK. It was during our SFS campaign last year at Maji ya Chai, that this church plant took place. Thus far 14 souls have been added to the Kingdom and the work continues.

We are now in the middle of our third campaign at Kwa Mrombo. This effort is being supported by several, led by John Hall (former TZ2000 missionary) and has already been blessed with four conversions. What a blessing it is to be a part of God’s work and seeing His power transform lives in a most powerful way.

Please remember the Gee family and the Hochdorf families as they continue on their furloughs. Please remember Sean’s mother Alice and our dear sister Soniea Galloway as they continue in their cancer recovery.

May God bless you with a week of serving others to His glory. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie, Granny & Parker

Denominational Preacher Obeys The Gospel...

Dear Brethren in the Lord,

About a month ago, I sought for an opportunity to study with one denominational pastor of which, by God's own grace, I was granted the chance. The name of the denomination is called, the Assemblies of God. This man stays at my area, and before he goes to his house, he passes through my house. After some few interactions, he was convinced that I could help him, especially when he realized that I am teaching in a preaching school.

All his mind was to get close to me so that he could get more insight in the Scriptures to do his work in the Assemblies of God. Therefore, he arranged with me some classes which he used to come to my house on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And each time, before I go anywhere, he comes to my house as early as 8:00 a.m. to spend about 4 hours for Bible studies. 

Well, I also had my own agenda (that is, to help him become a Christian in the Lord's Church, though, he thought he already was) and so, I started with him about the differences between the Old and New Testaments, the authority of the Scriptures, on to the pattern of Christianity (concerning, the New Testament church, the worship, work, organization, plan of salvation, etc.). Also, I spent a lot of time teaching him about the sin and errors of denominationalism. And one time he confessed to me that, he had been in the Assemblies of God for 30 years, but had never heard of a pattern for Christians.

To cut the long story short, the man visited the church of Christ Sunday (June 23) to observe our worship, and from what he saw, after worship, he told the whole congregation that he did not come to me with the intent of stopping his Church for anybody, but the truth that has been opened to him and the light that has been shown him, he is no more going to his church, and wants us to go and baptize him. So, immediately after worship, we went and baptized him. He is called George Cassidy. I was the one who baptized him.

Please, this new brother needs our prayers, for now his wife and children are still attending the Assemblies of God, and he has told me to help him convert his family too. So I need a prayer support from all of you so that God will help me accomplish this noble task.

Thanks
Joshua

God Gives A Great Increase And Persecution Follows...

Dearest in Christ,

Amazing grace and love is what we wish you all over there. We are happy that we were able to come together in one accord to worship God in spirit and in truth. We hope the worship of God was awesome where you are.

Our students enjoyed a spectacular event as they went for the very first time to this locality. It is far from Wotutu with horrible roads, but we had the call to come and help and we sent brother Agbor James. He did a great job. He baptized brother Anthony who obeyed the gospel in Mundemba.

The students of CBIW made their way back to Wotutu yesterday and just 3 are still on the way struggling in bad roads, as I write this report, to get back from their villages to Wotutu. They came back refreshed and ready to start another semester which will be the 3rd in their first year of studies. They came with lots of appreciation and request from the mission field where they serve in 24 different locations. Traditional rulers, who we must notify as our students get into their villages, sent their appreciation back to the school and God receives all the glory. They brought great news and we shall share the moments of joy with you as you are part of this great work. Thank you for being there for us and making all these things happen.

Brother Abgor also baptized sister Emeline in Mumdemba. This is the first congregation and the only congregation now in Ndian Division. They continue to cry out for us to come and help them. We are ready to go and we shall go. Keep us and all our efforts to reach out as we think souls and go to rob from the strong man’s house.

The revived congregation in Mundemba worshiped in the house of one of the adult brothers. Keep praying for this young, but fertile soil for the gospel, as we map out plans to reach out with the pure undiluted word to this community. Brother Agbor came back with words of encouragement that we should not relent our efforts to continue sending students to that community. The authorities are eager that we should come back.

Thanks for your prayers for all the students safety since they left campus for campaign. They are happy to be back even though some of them that went to a remote village in Matoh Butu were beaten terrible by some Roman Catholic youths with their catechist, who was very angry that our student Dikana and Thiery studied with his son and the son was reading the scriptures from his father’s Bible with some apocryphal books for close to 7 hours. He made up his mind after seeing the truth to be baptized. After the youths beat our students, the young baptized brother Lawrence told his father, and the other youths, that they should stop deceiving many to lose their salvation. He read from his father’s Bible the truth that he said “you have hidden from me since I was born.” The brother in 30 years said he will not look behind again. Today as I type this mail the minister in that congregation called me and said all went on well and they brother was happy to see and be part of the New Testament worship and was impressed. Oh, oh many 21st century persecution is coming our way these days. Please, please keep us in your fervent prayers.

The Wotutu congregation today visited with our 3 month old baby in Christ, brother Kunda Julius, who was a chairman in the large Roman Catholic assembly here in Wotutu. He has started going to the pulpit and today he officiated with the collection. We were impressed with his courage and zeal to study more so that he will help many in his family who are staunch Roman Catholics. Please keep him in your prayers.

In our worship today at Wotutu, a brother did the reading during our morning Bible study. We had 3 visitors who came for worship even though with the torrential down pour of rain. 110 strugglee with the rain to make it to our worship hall. Ebia Samson, who was one of the visitors told us that he listened to our morning preaching and has decided to come fully and start worshiping with us, but he is a theology student in Grace Mission. We had a good discussion in my office and we shall visit him and share the pure light of the gospel soon.

Preachers in the field signed and evaluation sheet with some leaders in the congregation to report back to us about our students.

Statistics for this second evangelistic campaign in 24 locations.

Studies on house to house - many studies with our 27 students in 24 locations.

Number of Baptism - a total of 58 souls were added in those congregations.

Number of restorations - a total of 27 Christians who had fallen away came back with joy.

Revived  Congregations - Mundemba congregation is back to the light, and we shall not allow it again. Help us in your prayers and any way you can be part of this work.

Plans
1) We shall leave Campus this weekend with all the students to attend the special invitation from the Muyuka congregation to come and help them. Evangelism is our mission and our mission is evangelism. So, we are happy with any opportunity that comes our way to reach out to souls, because daily we thinks souls. We must go so as to rob from the strong man’s house.

2) We still plan for Batoke work to establish a new congregation.

3) We shall go to Ediki village to revive a congregation that stopped worshipping since 2010, because they don’t have someone to preach there.

Appreciations
God bless you for all that you are doing for the work here. God alone will reward you for all your great gestures toward the cross. Thank you for standing with us.

Students also came with lots of appeal for Tracts and Bibles. We shall handle it with time.

Do your best to share this report with others. We shall love to read your comments.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

Spreading Hope Globally...

We have enjoyed another exciting week in the Extension Program. The reports provide encouragement concerning the increase God is giving to the work. Reading about students who are diligent in their efforts of reaching out to their communities with the message of Jesus Christ is thrilling. The are spreading hope around the world.

Amidst the challenges that accompany the work, there is joy in stepping back to really examine the good that God is doing through His people. The enjoyment of the work is coupled with the involvement of so many of you. Your prayers and support help unite our hands in training men to preach the gospel. This partnership has been and continues to be blessed by God.

Students are beginning to arrive in Denver in preparation for the new enrollment in August. This promises to be another great class of students who desire to preach the gospel. An air of excitement exists as preliminary plans are being developed for classes to begin in just a few weeks. We ask you to be praying about the current student body, but also for this new class of students as they prepare for greater work in the 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/

Don Prather, along with his wife, are visiting the work in Kathmandu. Click here to read Don’s latest report.

Extension Reports 

Marriage Class Strengthens The Church In Cameroon: A recent class in Cameroon has proven to help one of the young Christian couples in Wotutu.

Work / Study Program In Cambodia: The Bible Institute in Cambodia is making efforts to work with the third enrollment of students to prepare them for the future work.

Teaching People Who Have Been Taught: The school and church in Siem Reap, Cambodia is focusing on strengthening the faith of Christians for a stronger church.

Stronger Families, Leaders, And Future Students: The work in Gorlovka, Ukraine is influencing families, leaders and future students for a stronger church.

Visiting American Instructors In Nepal: The Nepal Center of Biblical Studies is enjoying the teaching of two American teachers and the news of their work is encouraging.

Furlough, First Quarter And Fruition: The Asunción Bible Academy has completed the first quarter and many plans are bringing wonderful fruit to the work in Paraguay. 

Final Thoughts
I hope you are were as encouraged in reading through the reports as I was when I read them. Knowing that we are partnering with the greatest people in the greatest work on earth is a cause worthy of our time and effort. Thank you for making it all possible. May our God receive all the glory.

God bless
Bob

Stronger Families, Leaders And Future Students...

Hello dear brothers, families and churches.

In my letter, I want to share with you some news about events at the Institute and in the churches of Christ in Ukraine. Ukraine is a big country in Central Europe, and its population now consists of 45 million people. God’s church in Ukraine became active after the fall of the Soviet Union, and for more than 20 years we continued preaching the sound doctrine. 

We have to work more and be more diligent to build strong churches. Even now we have very few strong families in local churches; the majority of believers are elderly people. Churches are in great need of encouragement, sound teaching and continuous evangelizing efforts. Recently we had a camp for families in Svyatogorsk that was organized by American brothers (their leader is Jeff Abrams) and the Church of Christ in Kramatorsk. My family and I were happy to participate in this camp. There were many families from different parts of Donetsk region. For 4 days, we were praising the Lord and listening to classes on making strong families and churches. During this camp 4 people were baptized and many people were encouraged by this event. I think that finding time for spiritual fellowship is an important part of the work in God’s church. 

In this year, we organized a three-day camp for future preachers in order to help local congregations. We invited young men (ages 13-18) from all over Ukraine. It was a wonderful time of studying the Bible, acquiring leadership skills and practical exercises. There were 9 young men participating in our camp. Every one of them had to prepare a short Bible lesson and present it in front of the church. It was a second camp that we have on the basis of our Bible Institute, and we want continue this tradition. In such a way, young people get to know about the Institute and the possibility of getting a quality Bible education. The church in Ukraine is in need of strong leaders.  

Our Institute also had a Masters’ classes in the middle of June, and we had a teacher from the US, Denton Landon. He also teaches in the Bachelors’ program. We are grateful for his ministry and help to our Institute and the church in Ukraine. 

In this month, I also visited a church of Christ in Ivano-Frankovsk, Western Ukraine. Pavel Tuznichenko and Vladimir Didukh, who are second-year students in our Institute, minister there. There are very few churches of Christ in the Western part of our country. It is very important to train new ministers so we could plant new churches in different towns and cities in the future. I believe that God will open these doors for us when we start working on that.

In July I plan to visit churches in Mariupol and Lugansk and maybe in some other towns with my family. I keep looking for new students, but we don’t have any applications for this school year yet. There are a few people who were interested in studying, but they haven’t submitted their applications. Please pray with us for the recruitment of new students. 

In this letter I want to thank everyone who supports us spiritually and physically both the Institute and me. We continue praying for you and your zeal in ministering to us. Many of you are an example for us in persistence and care for others. 

With love in Christ your brother and coworker,
Dennis Sopelnik

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

Angry Birds And Playboy Bunnies... Coordinator Perspective

This has been our most exhausting and exhilarating trip to Nepal to date.  It is Wednesday AM and already Janie has taught 2 1/2 days of ladies classes to 20+ each time.  I taught a 3-hour Bible class on Saturday, preached five sermons on Sunday, and to this point  12+ hours here at the school to 40+ men.  

This schedule has not been so unusual.  What has been unusual is our crowded evenings.  Three of our evenings have been used up as administrative meetings.  These are thick with details and sometimes a wee bit tense.

The challenge in teaching in Nepal is represented by the title: Angry Birds and Playboy Bunnies. In the class I am teaching today is a grown man in an Angry Birds shirt.  Another man is wearing a Playboy shirt complete with a large "Bunny" logo.  Seeing a man stand with a bunny on his chest to read scripture out loud takes some getting used to.

My audience consists of our current students, our graduates and serving preachers and other leaders from all over Nepal. If such a group gathered in the US, everyone would be college educated or the equivalent.  Here, at least 10 of the men are totally illiterate and only about 10 rise above the level of functional illiteracy.   They are not wearing odd shirts to be silly or to promote a sensual lifestyle, they just don't know what they are wearing and they are wearing their finest.

Teaching here requires ever last iota of knowledge and skills I have gained through my (almost) 58 years and I love it.  Teaching about the history of New Testament churches like Ephesus and Corinth, teaching how to prepare sermons, and teaching how to teach Bible classes is like driving a really great sports car (I drove an MGB before I married - sigh) at law-breaking speeds.  Down-shifting through a series of literacy-limited "S-curves" gives me a crazy-fun adrenaline rush.  

When students "get it" here, their eyes make the throaty noise of a hot-rod engine rumbling to life.  Hearing the roar of their "get it" and seeing the high-beams in their eyes is the thrill that keeps me coming back and that bounces me out of bed after a too-short night.

Janie and I are well.  Something about being in Nepal together makes us love each other more.

Don Prather

Furlough, First Quarter, And Fruition...

“Mba ‘eishapa” (hello in Guarani) from Paraguay! This report covers our activities for both May and June. We were traveling in the USA all during May for our annual furlough visit back home which made it a bit difficult to send out our report. I arrived back in Paraguay on June 10 and have been running non-stop ever since! I count it as a great blessing to have so much to do! We hope you find this report encouraging and informative! 

BIG PLANS COMING TO FRUITION! 
Just two days after getting back to Paraguay and trying to “get back into the groove” of things, I went to the airport to pick up brother Eliezer Pérez. He is from Colón, Panama and a graduate of the Institute of Theology of Latinamerica, located in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Eliezer came to Paraguay in November of last year to work with the church for a few weeks during a campaign. He liked the work here so much that he has decided to return and labor with us full-time for a couple of years! To add to this excitement, the congregation here has decided to support him as their first, very own missionary! They would like for him to help them plant a congregation of the Lord’s church in the nearby suburb of Ñemby. We are truly excited about the forward thinking that the church is demonstrating and we are praying that God will richly bless the efforts of brother Eliezer. 

ASUNCION BIBLE ACADEMY UPDATE
The students have already finished their first quarter of studies and each finished strong! We are very pleased to announce that all the students received passing grades in all their subjects. Their quarter ended with brother Donnie Bates of BVBID teaching a “short course” on Bible Geography.

During the past quarter, the students also participated in their first evangelistic campaign. As an effort to generate new Bible study contacts for the upcoming church plant in Ñemby, the students went doorknocking around the neighborhood of our brother Vicente Martinez’s house, who lives in that city. They organized a special Bible study for the final night of the campaign and invited lots of neighbors to come. Unfortunately, the electricity went out in the area that night making it difficult for anyone to attend. They went ahead with their plans and finished the week having considered the campaign a success.

Their second quarter began with brother Gary Fallis, of BVBID, coming to Paraguay to teach on the subject of  the “Godhead.” We were able to incorporate a couple of  our brethren, Ale Yegros and Silvina Gimenez, as translators for brother Gary. The class was well received and the students are excited about the upcoming courses.

This quarter will also include a considerable amount of  time dedicated to "Practical Ministry," or “hands-on” experience, where we will be teaching how to do various service works like visitation and benevolence, as well as, teaching how to lead prayers, preside over the Lord's Supper, organize the service, etc. 

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies:
We have started facilitating our weekly home Bible studies again in the homes of Delci Enciso and the Vicente Martinez family. These have been very fruitful in the past in not only edifying our brethren, but also providing a means to invite their neighbors to join us.

Andrea and I will be starting up our “Teaching English Using the Bible” studies again in July. 

Recent Developments:
History in the making! In order to help facilitate the new church plant in Ñemby, the brethren have decided to start meeting every other Sunday morning to formulate their  plan. The first meeting brought up questions of “when, where, who, and how.” It was decided that the plant will probably start in the home of  Vicente Martinez. Brother Eliezer Perez will start leading the weekly Bible study out there and knocking on doors around the neighborhood with some of the brethren that live in Ñemby. No date has been set, as of yet, to begin worship services, but it is so exciting to watch and help in this church growth process!

Saturino Gonzalez is a missionary from Mexico to the USA, who contacted our brother Ike Yegros several months ago about the possibility of coming to Paraguay to meet with and get to know the brethren here. He and his wife, Elizabet, arrived on June 15th and he taught our  Bible study class the following Sunday. We also gave him an opportunity to teach a couple of classes on song leading for the Academy students. It was nice to get to meet them and we appreciate them taking the time to come and visit us.

Finished more improvements on facility! The entire front has been cleaned and whitewashed. It looks great! Also, the students put down a layer of rocks out behind the student housing in order to improve the use of that area. 

Upcoming plans:
We are preparing for mission groups who will be coming down to work with us this summer in June and July.

A group from Palm Beach Lakes will be here June 28 until July 7. They will be helping with our evangelism campaign in Ñemby and doing service projects.

A group from Leanna will be here July 24 until the 31st. They will be bringing lessons on leadership, church planting, and congregational development.

Two of our Academy students will be traveling to the Darien Jungle of Panama in July to work in a campaign with our  brethren from Margaret Street church of Christ. 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHT(s) of the Month:
Call me crazy, but “un-eventful” international flights to and from the USA and Paraguay are a huge highlight for me! We were blessed with safe travel for all of our furlough and I am happy to rejoice in such small blessings as that. 

2013 Furlough was the best one yet!
We had such a wonderful furlough visit to the States! It was so good to get to see and visit many of our wonderful, loving supporters. Thank you so much to all of you for making our  stay so enjoyable. Even though we love working in South America, we still miss each of you dearly and long for the next time we get to see you again.

We are especially thankful to the many brethren who provided us a place to stay, prepared delicious meals, took us out to eat, or on several fun outings. Our cup runneth over!

We became rather nervous when Andrea was traveling to Paraguay and the Asuncion airport announced it was closing its runway for 48 hours due to inclement weather. We thought she’d be stranded in Lima, Peru, for two days where her connecting flight was. But, thanks to many answered prayers, the weather decided to cooperate and she made it home at her already scheduled time.

Be sure and check out our 2013 Furlough Mission Report on video by going to www.pblcoc.org and then navigating to “Sermons, Missionaries, South America.” 

Visitation / Other Activities:
We had a real nice dinner with the Ike Yegros family visiting with brother Gary Fallis and then another one with the Pedro Vera family, visiting with Eliezer Perez.

Andrea’s family had a big family reunion while she was in the USA. It was the first time her family (seven brothers and sisters) had all been together like that in more than twenty years! 

Personal study:
I have spent a great deal of time preparing for this quarter’s classes: “Exodus through Deuteronomy” with Bible study and various materials in Spanish and English.

I am currently reading / have read: 

“The Pentateuch”  by James E. Smith

“Guidelines to World Evangelism” Ed. by George Gurganus

“The New Global Mission” by Samuel Escobar 

“Planting Missional Churches” by Ed Stetzler  

Cultural or language discovery: 
Paraguay doesn’t have an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to monitor safety on construction sights, that I am aware of, like that found in the USA. If they do, they certainly have their work cut out for them! Everywhere one drives that is near a construction sight, (and there are a lot these days) it is possible to see a scene like the photo at right. Usually, the workers can be found in very precarious positions, at dangerous heights, and almost never with any safety or fall protection. It’s no surprise, then, when I read in the newspapers about a construction worker falling to his death or serious injury. Sad.

Troy Spradlin

To see Troy's report with pictures, please click here.

Visiting American Instructors In Nepal...

Don Prather, from Liberty, TX, is one of the two stateside Coordinators for the Nepal Center For Biblical Studies [NCBS]. He and his wife, Janie, arrived on June 28 to begin two weeks of teaching at the school and also in congregations outside Kathmandu. This is the third trip for Don and Janie. Technically they are visitors, but they are like visiting family. The same is true for our other Coordinator, Mike York from Buna, TX, who was here for his third time in February.

This is the first visit to Nepal for Carl and Debby Fronabarger, who are good friends of Janie, Don, and Mike. The ladies taught classes especially for the Nepali Christian ladies at three different locations on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Each day they had over 20 students enjoying their teaching and their fellowship. The smiles at the end of each day on the faces of Debby, Janie, and Sunita, their interpreter, told the whole happy story before you heard a single word.

Carl and Don are teaching each day at NCBS. We have about 30 preachers and leaders from many parts of Nepal. Some of them have traveled for two days to reach Kathmandu to join with other eager students to learn from these classes.  

Carl is teaching about 40% of the time about individual Christian maturity using examples from both the Old and New Testaments to demonstrate the attitudes, character, and actions of God’s leaders.  Don spends about 40% of the time discussing congregational growth. The remaining 20% of the time is devoted to helping develop skills for preparing sermons and lessons for class presentation. 

This is a very energetic group. They frequently are given an issue to consider or a challenge to be met, and break up into four small groups for discussions. They then come together to share their ideas and discuss how they can return to their congregations to apply the principles and practices with their local brothers and sisters to bring growth of numbers and individual Christian maturity to their congregations.

This afternoon [Thursday] Janie, Debby, Don, Carl, Sunita, and Gajendra [NCBS Director] flew to east Nepal to have classes and worship for four days in three different locations. This is the first time Don and Janie have visited any congregation outside the Kathmandu Valley. Their excitement is matched by the enthusiasm of their Nepali brothers and sisters waiting to welcome them.

They will finish their time here by teaching classes to our regular students on Tuesday through Thursday next week. These students will graduate in September, comprising our second group to graduate.  We encourage all our graduates to teach at least one class [2 days-5 days] each year. This helps them to continue their own progress, encourages and motivates the present students, and builds fellowship among brethren having a common purpose and mission in life.   

The time with Mike in February and Don in July has helped all of us, USA and Nepal, to share a clear picture of the work here, to discuss and form common goals, and to review the investment of time and money to strengthen Christ’s kingdom in Nepal. The progress we have seen in the four years since the school was established tastes so good that we want to savor the increased aroma and nutrition in the future by increasing and improving our labor and service of love.

Jerry Golphenee

Teaching People Who Have Been Taught...

Dear brethren in Christ,

I would like to share with you about the work in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The church is doing well. We are stronger and stronger from day to day and week to week. We also learned a lot of things in life. For right now I am focused on the work of evangelizing more to the people around the city, as before I had been out more to villages, as we, Sokchea and Ravy place an emphasis on teaching the people that have been taught.

The work at Takam is doing alright, as what I heard from our brother Choeuy who working as a full time preacher for the church there, along with two of our students from the bible school in Siem Reap who go to help the work there every week. Choeuy used to work with Lon for the church at Takam, but about four months ago Lon went to work in Thailand and came back about two months later and has not remained faithful. So we asked two student to volunteer to help the work at Takam with Choeuy.

The work in Leang Dai is doing great. Sokchea and Ravy get more and more influence with the people there and the villages around Leang Dai, as Sokchea is working with one of the organizations that help the poor people. He just recommended that organization to work at the villages around Leang Dai. He got more opportunity to see and know more people in those areas, especially as he gets the chance to teach them the gospel.

I am teaching along with three other brothers, Phanat, Piset and Darat, at our bible school. Currently I am teaching on a course Buddhism. We all working together trying to teach our students and church members to be strong in their faith.

We got some young men who come to play volleyball in our yard almost everyday, most of them from our neighborhood, and they get to know our brethren when they work together in restaurant. So, hopefully through our conduct and keep teaching them, show them why we are different from the world, they will decide to follow Christ as we are.

We don't have much activity now as we used to have before on going out to pass out the flyers to people and teach them the truth, because now in Cambodia we are close to the election for the next prime minister that will take for about a month. After that everything will go on as normal, because now those political parties are on the roads and trying to tell people how good their party is in order to gain votes.

Anyway, we still have a chance to teach and preach in our church and others but not openly because that can be mess up with their political party as the local authority told me. We heard lots of bad words from those political party and they mocked to one another and say lots of bad words to one another. We don't know what's going on when the election comes, many people are concerned the war may come back. Please pray for Cambodia and our leader in our country.

I want to share with you all about my experience on helping a group of people out of an accident, on the 2nd of June 2013. My family went to Phnom Penh, driving our van to visit our family there. On our way back to Siem Reap on the 9th of June we saw an accident on the way between a bus and a car. It was just about five hundred meters in front of our van only. That's such a terrifying accident because there were four people killed at the scene and about eight more were serious injured. There were 17 people on the bus and five in the car. A group taking a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, most of them are Chinese. They really need help by that time as they could not communicate to the local people there, no one can speak Chinese with them as they cry for help. Finally, I went there and found a lady who could speak English, so she asked me to help take them out from the bus and translate for them to the local police and doctor also driving them to the local hospital, along with a local ambulance and a police car. Later on they wanted to give me some money, as I had helped them, but I refused to take it by telling them that I am happy to help and I am a Christian. Now she keeps saying thank to me on Facebook. You can add her to your Facebook too if you like to, her name is Joanne Gonglin.

All in all, we want to thank God in all things, and we want to thank you for being with us through your prayers, thoughts and soul. 

May God bless you and your family and please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Your brother in Christ
Chann