Evangelism: The Backbone Of The Work In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from this end. We do hope you are doing great and God is blessing in all that you do. God is faithful to us, even though many continue to get sick because of the weather condition. For the past 4 weeks now the rain continues nonstop.

Students are continuing in their learning progress and God is seeing them through. Thanks very much for your prayers. The beginning of this month was great to all our students and some staff, as the overseeing congregation gave a gift to all of them. It was a big surprise, but they were told our God is full of surprises as for those who trust in Him.

Evangelism is the backbone of the work here and we do all we can daily and weekly to make sure our students reach out to souls, which is good for their training. We also do a lot of follow up after we pass through a community.

Our students are always happy to preach and teach in the Wotutu congregation, which is the number one ground of their practicals. Keep praying for them.

Join me to thank God for adding one more precious year in my life. I celebrated my birthday on the July 31st. I am thankful to God for adding a year in my life which I will use for the services He has entrusted in my hands. The Wotutu congregation celebrated with me today and I shared candy with the entire congregation. That is what I could afford.

Thank you for your prayers for one of our students, Akama Kingsly, who was sick and needed an emergency surgery for a hernia. Many thanks to the STC for their timely intervention to help our brother. He was able to set up on the day of the surgery.

The doctors were able to do their job. It was successful and we give thanks to God for His great care. Please keep him in your prayers, as he continues to recover from the pains.

Plans
Mission work to Idenau may not come up anytime soon because of the poor weather conditions.

Appreciation
God bless you. Thank you for your care, love, and care towards us and the work here. God will bless you and keep you strong for more of His work. Do your best to share with others.

Elangwe and family
​By His grace Director BVBIC-Wotutu

Nine Baptized In Kara Campaign And A New Congregation Is Planted...

We are grateful for our part in extending the borders of the Lord’s kingdom. We are greatly encouraged by the tools we have that enhance the proclamation of the gospel in Togo. 

We are still in the raining season, thus the reduction in our evangelistic outreach programs. We used part of the month under consideration to take care of maintenance and renewal of the vehicle’s insurance, made it road worthy, service equipment, etc. 

Our major campaign in June was in Lama Kara, the capital of the Northern Region of Togo, about 400 km away from Kpalime. This trip was sponsored by Steven Ashcraft, a missionary in Northern Ghana who is also the coordinator of the Bear Valley Bible Institute extension programs in West Africa. Steven has been working in Kara and surrounding towns for a couple of years now. 

The thirteen campaigners included five students who speak the local language of the people of Kara. The campaign started on June 25th and ended on the 28th with a worship service. The campaigners returned on Monday, June 29th. At the close of the campaign, nine responded to the gospel invitation and were baptized. 

Activities at the campaign included tract distribution, house-to-house Bible study and open air preaching and film show at night. 

Church of Christ in Lama Kara
We were able to take a picture after the first worship service of the Kara Church of Christ in front of the structure where the church meets. The structure was constructed during the campaign. We were able to get a picture that included the thirteen campaigners who went from Kpalime. 

Report by:
H.Willie Gley

The Power Of God At Work In The Lives Of His Saints In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Servants;

We are so very grateful for each of you, for your prayers and support of God’s amazing mission efforts in Tanzania and throughout all East Africa. Stephanie and I count it a great blessing to be a part of this team effort and it is our hope and prayer that our God completely wears us out in His service for many years to come, in Tanzania. 

Each week I am faced with the wonderful challenge of choosing what to share with you. The good being done through the church in East Africa is nothing short of amazing. I only wish I were a better writer and communicator, able to “show” you through the printed page, the power of God at work in the lives of His saints in Tanzania. 

One small example can be seen in the life and work of God's two servants, Godfrey and Michael. They are wrapping up almost three weeks of travels throughout Tanzania. They have visited several of our graduates and many of our current students. On there last stop in the village of Katish, they were able to work with a current student who has planted a new congregation. After some time together, preaching and teaching God’s Word, two precious souls put Christ on in baptism. This is what it is all all about. If it is God’s desire that all men (mankind) be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and it is (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4), then this is simple as good as it gets. 

It is really hard to overstate the good being done through the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and the other 16 Bear Valley extension schools around the world. At the ACSOP alone, 140 men have completed their studies and have gone out planting hundreds of new congregations in five different countries. God has given the increase over the years beyond our wildest imagination. Today throughout East Africa, there are thousands of souls who are heaven bound because you cared enough to pray and support God’s work. Thank you ten million times ten million. 

I want to personally thank you for your prayers. I arrived safely back in the States Tuesday night. I left Thursday morning for Dallas and will hopefully be back in Mississippi late Sunday night. My schedule is getting full for the months of August and September, but, I do have a few openings. If you or your congregation would like to have a report on God’s Tanzania work, please let me know and I will do my level best to make it happen. 

Please pray for our students, they are preparing to return to school over the next couple of weeks. It is a great sacrifice for them and their families, being separated for months at a time. Their dedication is to be commended, bringing great joy and hope to the soul. Pray that God will bless them and their families in a special way that their lives might bring light to their neighbors and salvation to many. 

A very special thank you to everyone who stepped up and made a difference over the last couple of weeks. The building at Karatu has been roofed and will soon have windows and doors. The Babati church now has land and a small place to worship God. Your sacrificial giving is appreciated and, remember, our God sees and knows all. Thank you all so very much. 

Another very special thank you to our precious little ones in the 6th to 8th grade class at the  congregation that meets in Byron, Georgia. They have been giving and giving and giving and are sending enough funds to purchase 150 Ki-Swahili Bibles. Is that not the sweetest thing you have read in a while? 

We thank you and we thank our God for our church family in making all this possible. Until all have heard…

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Staff And Students Prepare For The Upcoming Graduation...

Dear fellow ministers of God,

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you all from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ who is our hope and our strength.

CAMPUS CHURCH: Due to a month of teaching practice for both year one and two students of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), we were very few in attendance for the morning and evening devotion and Wednesday Bible class at Butubutu campus church. The morning and evening devotion is being rotated between me and brother Abraham Idu Yeje, our campus minister since July 12th. On Wednesday, July 12th, for Bible class I taught on “Help from Above” (Psalm 121). On July 22nd, I taught on “God's Channel of Salvation” (Gen. 6:1–6; Matt.18:13-19), and on July 29th, Lord willing, I will teach on “An Empty Manson” (John 14:1-3).

ONIKOKORO / GBONGUDU  CONGREGATION IBADAN: Two SWSE students, brother Destiny Elijah Sunday and brother Gabriel Ishom are serving for a month at the Onikokoro /Gbongudu congregation and they are in charge of our Wednesday Bible class, Saturday youth class, and also leading the church in evangelism within and outside our environ. On July 12th, brother Gabriel Ishom taught from the book of Jonah 1-4, while I admonished the church from Jonah chapter 2 (cf. Matt.14:22ff, John 11) titled “When Things Fall Apart, What Is The Way OUT?” On July 19th & 26th, I taught on “The Highway to Heaven” (Isaiah 35:1-10). Brother Makinde John admonished the church on July 19th on “Getting your Focus Right” (Col.3:1-4), and brother Destiny Elijah, on July 26th, admonished the church on “Peacemaker.”

THREE DAY OPEN AIR BIBLE LECTURESHIP: The three day open-air Bible lectureship organized by the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation was another success, even though there is no convert yet, but we thank God that the inhabitants of Gbongudu ,Olukotun and Olosun were receptive to the truth. The theme of that lectureship was “Salvation in Christ,” from July 17th to July 19th, 2015.

Brother Gabriel Ishom did a comparative between the Ark of Noah and the church of Christ on July 17th. On Saturday and Sunday evening, I spoke on “Jesus Christ as the Last Prophet” from Deuteronomy 18:14-19 and the only way to the Father.

13TH ANNUAL BIBLE LECTURESHIP / GRADUATION: This year’s annual lectureship at SWSE Ibadan main campus will witness the presence of two seasoned ministers of God from America / Bear Valley Bible Institute International of Denver, Colorado, in the persons of brother Steven Ashcraft and brother David Ballard. Also, all arrangements have been concluded to present all our year-2 graduates with a box of gospel materials each sent to us by Mission Printing, Inc.

We are looking forward to accommodate and feed over 200 brethren from all parts of our great country-Nigeria. The sum of $500 is budgeted for July 10th - August 11th for students TP and $1,500 for this year’s annual Bible Lectureship / Graduation. Brethren, we do not have enough strength to carry this load alone! We therefore humbly appeal to godly men and women in USA and Canada to please assist us as usual through any of of these men of God: brother Doug Wheeler, brother Steven Ashcraft, brother David Ballard, brother Bob Turner, or brother Bill Pennell, a close associate of brother Doug Wheeler and the VP of the African Christian School Foundation. No amount is too small or big to partner with us in these notable events at Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

Gospel literature from World Evangelism, World Bible School, Mission Printing, the late brother John Waddey, the left over VOTI vol. 83, and the new edition of Voice of Truth International Vol.84 will be freely distributed to all participants, while regular recipients of VOTI that are not present in the forth coming 13th annual Bible lectureship / Graduation will receive their package for distribution by mail. After the end of the 4th semester tests, ten of our present year-1 students will be graduating with a Diploma in Biblical Studies, while nine will be graduating with Advanced Diploma / BVBI certificate on August 28, 2015, Lord willing.

Due to the  importance of the BVBI Certificate on the continent of Africa, six out of the present twelve instructors at SWSE Ibadan & Lagos campus were also engaged in seventeen Bible related courses in early September 2014 through July 2015 to qualify for the award of BVBI certificate.

CHANGE OF NAME: There is a move to change the present Southwest School of Evangelism, Ibadan and Lagos campus, Nigeria to Bear Valley Bible Institute-Nigeria, Ibadan in the near future to make all the Bible school extension sites affiliated with Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Colorado USA wearing the same names and operate under the same umbrella, which will be more effective and more efficient. This arrangement will be put into action whenever the BVBI complete the logo and meet with the contributors to SWSE Ibadan, Nigeria most especially brother Douglas M.Wheeler, SWSE-Patron and Special Adviser. 

REPORT FROM STUDENTS ONE MONTH TP: Reports thus far received from our students show the conversion of twenty-five souls and the restoration of twenty-five erring Christians. Brother Shotola Segun Emmanuel and brother Ishkwu Samuel Chukwuenekwe recorded the highest converts so far. The Lord blessed their efforts with Abusoro brethren in Akure, Ondo state with five souls on July 12th, 2015. To God be the glory! 

Brethren, I will always thank God that you are all part of my life and my ministry! Thanks for your continuous support for the Lord's work in this part of the world called Africa. Remain blessed and always remember the word of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 6:38 and 1 Corinthians 15:58.

I am looking forward to meet you all in heaven after our journey on earth!

Your fellow faithful servant of the Lord Jesus,

Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi 
(Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan & Lagos, Nigeria - West Africa

Commitment To The Physical And Spiritual Needs Of Nepal...

Greetings from Kathmandu:

Thursday morning we had a breakfast meeting at my apartment. There were 2 ladies and 7 men present. Tomorrow [Saturday] will be 14 weeks since the first earthquake. The headlines and even the publicity have almost ended. The problems have hardly lessened. Our perspectives have progressed from urgency, fueled by inexperienced panic, to a much more mature and realistic acceptance, giving fuel to the diligent commitment set before us.  

Our commitment is focused upon two areas:  

A.  Earthquake ........ Physical and Temporary [however long that may be].
B.  Spiritual ............. Souls and Eternal

Our next mission outing and campaign will be a 10 day excursion back to the mountain area of Dhading and Rasuwa [Aug. 25 - Sept. 3]. We plan to have 20+ Christian men and women from the Kathmandu Valley be part of this campaign.

Earthquake ...... Physical:   

250 bundles of metal sheeting for Rasuwa District.
500 bundles of metal sheeting for Dhading District.
Food and blankets also.
Work sessions to clear debris and to prepare for re-building after the monsoon.

Spiritual ........... Eternal:     

Bible classes.   August 28-29         
AM ...... Everyone together
PM ....... Men's classes and Ladies' Classes

On Monday, August 17 we will take 400 Children's Bible Story books to three villages by helicopter. Those congregations will distribute them throughout the mountain villages. The adults don't know the stories or the important messages of the Old Testament stories. They will also publicize and give personal invitations to the villages to partake in the SPIRITUAL healing and strengthening of the Bible classes to be conducted in Syaprubesi. There will be two trucks loaded with PHYSICAL relief and aid items. The trucks will take the items as close to each village as possible.  

The ladies will have two Old Testament Stories and one New Testament Parable each afternoon.   

The fears and the sorrows generated from these earthquakes underscore how this life is so temporary and the need to be ready for eternity. The present pain and grief pale in comparison to an eternity in hell. The promise and hope of heaven can bring joy and peace in the present misfortune. We will do what we can about the pain and grief of the PHYSICAL misfortune, while we also minister to the SPIRITUAL joy and peace waiting as we endure the cross we bear on earth.

This campaign will be expensive. The 750 bundles of metal sheeting and two trucks will be about $45,000.00.  The money will be used for the very purpose that it was donated and sent.  We assure you this is wise use of time and money .......... Physically/Temporary and Spiritually/Eternally. Gajendra leaves in the morning for two weeks in east Nepal and bordering India. The purposes are [a] to deliver Bibles, song books, and Children's Bible stories, [b] to teach and encourage, and [c] to make more plans for his marriage early next year. We will send you updates on our financial situation when he returns. 

Thank you and God bless you,
Jerry

You Have Stayed Long Enough At This Mountain...

"You have stayed long enough at this mountain" -Deut 1:6-8

When it was time for the Israelites to leave the comfort of Mount Horeb, God told them to leave and possess the land that was promised to them. Before they left, Moses reminded them of what they needed to do once God gave the land to them. They were to be faithful to God, influence their neighbors, and not get possessed by them. 

Last week on July 24th, IBISR had our 2015 graduation. A total of 11 students finished a rigorous 3 year program! I am excited for these young leaders and the work that they've set out to do for Him. They have stayed at the Bible school long enough. It is time for them to put what they've learn to practice and serve God faithfully, to be the example in their word and especially in their action, to be the light and influence to their friends and families, to possess souls for Christ and not get possessed by the world and it's allure. These are the men and women that will play a major part in transforming Cambodia from the inside out. 

Our ladies, Khemrey, Phally, Makara, Socheat, Duong, and Ratana, will all serve the children of Hannah's Hope, teaching them godly principles with godly love and nourishment. Our men: Vannak will stay in Siem Reap helping the church and be on staff with the Bible school. Tuk will serve God in his home village of Sambu planting and growing a church there. He already has 4 members there while he was studying in school. He will be the local church's (Siem Reap) first ever sponsored graduate. We are excited about that! Sovanara and Sopheak will serve God together on the Ship of Life, ministering to the poor villagers along the Mekong River proving healthcare to them at the same time sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them. Pros will continue to serve God at Kompong Kleang providing safe water and most importantly Living water to the people there. 

We thank you for your prayers and support and ask that you continue to remember us as we serve him faithfully here in our part of the world.

Phanat

To see Phanat’s post with a picture of the graduates listed below, please click here.

2015 International Bible Institute of Siem Reap Graduates
Sopheak, Tuk, Duong, Socheat, Makara, Khemery, Phally, Ratana, Sovanara, Pros, and Vannak

Preparing For Final Exams And Mission Trip...

Calvary greetings dearest in the Lord,

The blessings of the Lord are upon His chosen generation. The world is evolving, so to Christianity, but positively. Our country is facing a political crisis, most especially in the Northern part. Please commit this section into the hands of God so that it will not inconvenience our mission work the end of this month.

Evangelism is our mission and our mission is Evangelism. Six of our students were out on mission work this weekend all in our newly created assembly in Mujuka for two days. The men in black spent time to dedicate their morning and evening sections for two days with door to door evangelism and visitation. Blessed are those that preach the gospel of peace, at this moment people are displeased. 

The church in Mbanga is praying for the students as they prepare for their second semester exams and second mission trip to various destinations, even though there are only a few of them. The instructors are putting up all their best to see that knowledge is being transferred with great success.

The school is preparing to welcome minister Gallis from Texas for two weeks of short-courses.

Our sincere salutation from our young assembly that we believe you will one day come and see for yourself how the work is going on. 

Ititi

Graduation Is The Highlight Of The Week...

One of the exciting opportunities when traveling to the various extension locations is to participate in graduation ceremonies. Last Friday evening, the International Bible Institute of Siem Reap hosted their third graduation. Eleven students graced the stage to receive their certificate as family and friends honored them for their accomplishments. The joy and excitement shared in this event is a small glimpse into the reasons extension training is making a difference around the world. A full report will be shared in the weeks ahead from the director of the program at IBISR.

Over the next two months, several other locations will host graduation ceremonies for students who are completing their studies. The Southwest School of Evangelism in Ibadan, Nigeria will host graduation later in August and the Center for Biblical Studies in Kpalime, Togo will host their graduation ceremony the first week in September. Other locations are nearing this great event also and we ask you to pray for the graduates, their work in the kingdom, and for the incoming students who begin their journey.

Speaking of a new journey: As we approach August, a new group of students in Denver prepare for their first day of class next week. The anticipation of that first day of class is thrilling for incoming students. They are filled with wonder as to what the courses will be like and what they will learn over the next two years in preparation for preaching the gospel. The road ahead for them seems like an eternity as they begin, but the next two years will go by incredibly fast. Please remember to pray for these men and their families.

Now on to this week’s incredible reports...

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

Extension Reports 

Weekend Evangelism In Batoke, Cameroon Sees 7 Energetic Souls Added: The reports from Cameroon are encouraging as their weekend evangelism is growing the kingdom.

In The Midst Of Sadness In Cameroon, Joy Is Found In The Lord: Brother Ititi shares information about the recent passing of one of the students, brother Albert Naoussi.

Outreach Near Chimala, Tanzania Produces Fruit For The Kingdom: During the month of July, students at Chimala Bible Institute were sharing the gospel and God gave the increase.

The Kingdom Expands More And More Here In Tanzania: The work in Arusha is exciting as it reaches out into areas of Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Serving Where Conversions Are The Norm, Not The Exception: The report from Cy Stafford is exciting as he shares news about God blessing the proclamation of the gospel.

Final Thoughts 
The joy of seeing the gospel spread throughout the world is due to the compassion and generosity of each of you. Thank you for allow us the opportunity to partner with you and the great men and women in each location. The work being accomplished is building the kingdom of our Lord and glorifying His holy name. Thank you for helping make it all possible.

God bless
Bob

Outreach Near Chimala, Tanzania Produces Fruit For The Kingdom...

During the month of June, the Chimala Bible Institute held several seminars at its Southwest Tanzania campus. We had three seminars, a women’s, a youth and a preacher’s seminar, and all had successful results. There were several non-Christian visitors as well. In fact, during the youth seminar, there were 11 baptisms. During the women’s seminar, there were 2 baptisms. For the preacher’s seminar, we had a guest speaker teaching about converting Muslims.

Also, the CBI staff and students went door knocking in five different village locations. These door knockings resulted in a combined total of 12 baptisms. 

Finally, out work on the radio program is reaping great results. Just in the last month, we have 9 baptisms which are a direct result of the radio program. In the words of Xavier Ngullo, one of our CBI teachers, “the radio program, having been received with curiosity by those who hear of the church for the first time on the radio program, is showing promising results as of this and last month alone we have received calls from all over Mbozi, people are asking us to go to them, they want to hear from us directly. And we in effort of satisfying their curiosity and helping them to know Jesus more have gone around and sent to them messengers where we could not go due to time and financial limits.” Please pray for this continued work.

May the Lord continue to bless the work.

Chad Wagner

In The Midst Of Sadness In Cameroon, Joy Is Found In The Lord...

Greetings dearest in the Lord. It was a sad week in BVBIC-Mbanga, but in everything we still give thanks to the Lord. Brother Albert Naoussi fell seriously sick in Mbouda during the first semester holidays and was discovered in his house by the preacher of that congregation who happily was going to visit his brother and student who just came back from school. Instead, he met him in a coma because there was no one to help him at home. Neighbors testified that they heard him praying all night and they knew that he was around because that was his custom. That same day I beckoned on brother Bernard to visit him and he went to see the situation, but met him a bit relieved then gave the report to school which gave us the courage to be praying for him. He was brought back to school by his son to spend some time with his fellow brothers until he was able to walk alone. One week later the son took him to Douala after the matriculation ceremony in which he died on the Sunday the 19th of July 2015 in Douala.

The school played a great role of assistance while on his sick bed. We sent money during this time and even when he was with us. He was taken to the hospital by the school in more than one occasion.

God is great. We appreciate you for your continued prayers, kind participation both spiritually and financially to see that this burial passed on well by His grace. I was given the opportunity to present a sermon before burial and I talk about the “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ” using ACT 24:14-15 “Laying On The Just and the Unjust.” I travel to Douala with brother Philip, a student, and brother Dafta, an instructor at the school, and to the village with Dantoudji, a student, and brother Bernard, an instructor. We successfully buried him in the Lord yesterday in the presence of some brothers and sisters from Douala, Mbanga, Mbouda, Nbangate and Bafoussam.

The work in Mbanga is going on well and also our new congregation in Mujuka Peage that has some crisis right now because the land lady does not want the church to hold services in her house, and even the students should not sleep there. But for the students, they now go and come back everyday during the weekend and go and worship outside because the Presbyterians are still using the school compound. The brother told us about it and this will last till October. We are praying for that mission to be a great one and want to send all the students there this weekend including my self. Evangelism is our Mission and our Mission is Evangelism.

Dearest in the Lord, together we are going to make French Cameroon a place for the dueling of Christ and even the surrounding countries like T chad, Gabon, Congo, Central Africa, while not Mozambique. By His grace, I strongly believe that. Let us keep on praying and working in the Lord. 

Ititi

The Kingdom Expands More And More Here In Tanzania...

To God be the Glory. We found much favor with the love of God as we were traveling to different places in the country. As it was stated in earlier reports, our entire mission of this trip was based on visiting and encouraging our graduate students for their evangelistic efforts. We have been able to link the school of preaching with so many congregations this time and as a result, many local congregations have shown a desire to send more students to the preaching school here in Arusha. 

In some places we were able to do a little of evangelism with our students. This gave us an opportunity to meet with the ongoing Bible classes that are conducted by our students while they are at home. We were able to meet both graduate and current students of ACSOP. Through this program we found out that our students are engaging in local ministries while they are on break. Along with other activities of distributing books, Bible tracts, cd’s of Bible lessons and teaching from time to time in homes of Christians, we have been able recruit new students. In Iringa, two brothers have shown a desire to come and learn the word of God so they can become servants in the Kingdom. Let us continue praying for them as they prepare to come next year.

On our way back we had a chance to stop at Chimala (Mbeya) where we met three older men (Isaac Chando, Edwin Tusekelege and Lenkosi Mkwama, who is one of the elders of the Chimala church of Christ). These brothers have blessed us with a short story of how the true gospel came into the borders of Tanzania in the early 50’s. They told a story of brother Andrew Connally (the first missionary in Tanzania) and how the Arusha congregation was planted through the efforts of these three men. It was 1970 when these brothers came to Arusha and evangelized the area. Their effort resulted in three baptisms by 1974 when they decided to go back home (Mbeya). In 1976, Brother Isaac Chando along with others decided to come back and work as a full time minister of the congregation. Through the support of brothers from US they were able to buy land and construct a church building for worship. Another missionary (brother Cy Stafford) moved to Arusha from Chimala in the late 90’s, along with other local evangelists. The Lord has been able to accomplish much for the Kingdom through them. As we speak today, the Arusha Church of Christ and the TZ2000 effort have been able to plant more than 50 congregations in East Africa with more that 1000 faithful Christians who worship the Lord on Sunday.

May the Lord God bless each one of you who labor each day for the Kingdom and let the wisdom of His love increase each day for you. 

In Him,

Godfrey Mngoma
Dean of Students, Andrew Connally School of Preaching
An Extension School of the Bear Valley Bible Institute - International
Arusha, Tanzania

Serving Where Conversions Are The Norm, Not The Exception...

Greetings Fellow Servants; 

We hope and pray this short report finds you and your families doing well, blessed in all the right ways. We, here in Tanzania are doing well, busy, joyful and thankful. 

It has been a very busy week. Here are but a few examples of the good our God is doing in East Africa through His faithful:

Maurice Gasper reports: “We continue with our follow up from the campaign efforts by our brothers and sisters from IN and AL. We have handed out more than 5,000 Bible tracts, signed up dozens of correspondence courses, and have established over 80 home Bible studies. Three souls have obeyed the saving message of the gospel to His glory. We thank all who have brought the light of the gospel to these dying people.” 

Jacob Omolo reports: “We thank God for the newly established congregation here at Bondo, Kenya. Souls are hearing and souls are obeying the Word of God through the faithful preaching of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!”

David Bayi reports: “We thank God for the “Spiritual Disciplines” seminar. Our numbers are growing with 92 present for worship this day. Two souls were restored through this wonderful effort. We praise Him and we thank Him for His abundant love”. 

Today was another great day in the Kingdom here at the Kisongo congregation. Both last week and this week, souls gave their lives to the Lord. It is such a blessing and privilege to serve where conversions are the norm, not the exception. To witness the power of the gospel working in and through the lives of so many is refreshing to say the least. 

Many remember; “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” But, all to often many forget the rest of the verse; “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) It is true, “The most powerful ongoing Christian witness has always been the speaking of God’s Word by one who is living God’s Word,” (Donald S. Whitney). All the good deeds in the world will never save a soul. Until that person meets Jesus through the reading, teaching or preaching of the gospel, they will remain in darkness. Let us stand up, speak up, and measure up to our personal responsibilities before it is eternally to late!

Let our light so shine in the coming week, that some lost soul might know Jesus, His love, and the power of the gospel in their life. 

Prayers requested: Daniel Gaines will fly out tonight, myself tomorrow night. We have been away from our families way to long and are eagerly anticipating our reunion with our loved ones. Until all have heard…

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Weekend Evangelism In Batoke, Cameroon Sees 7 Energetic Souls Added...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters here in Cameroon. We pray our warm greetings meet you in good health and sound faith. The rainy season is still on and we are doing our best in the midst of bad weather.

Last week went on well in BVBIC-Wotutu. Our instructors continue to struggle even through rain to make sure our schedules in school move on smoothly. Their commitment is a great lesson for our students to keep in their hearts even after they leave school.

Students were out for weekend evangelism in four different locations with Batoke having mass evangelism, as students were there to do house-to-house evangelism.

As I write this report, those who went out for weekend evangelism have made their way back to school.

Because of the bad weather conditions, students are advised to put on a pullover to keep warm, even as they sit in class with white pullovers the school prescribed.

Mass evangelism went to the village of Batoke. It was great, as many were able to be touched with the pure gospel. The work is taking a different dimension now as our students go there on a weekly basis to continue nurturing.

House-to-house evangelism was our business and the Lord was with us to reach out and make known the name of the Lord to the community.

Young men in the community were amazed with the amount of truth exposed by our students. As the Lord continues to add young and vibrant people into His body, it gives the church a future.

Our students were standing on the line like soldiers ready with the word, which is more than the mostly deadly bomb. They were ready and courageous to dismantle the works of the evil one in high places. Keep them in your prayers.

Many thanks to those who made it possible for the van to be here. The van was able to carry above 17 persons to Batoke community. God blessed and replenished the source in His Son’s name.

Children in the Wotutu congregation continue to study the Bible away from the adult class. We are happy to see our children growing with the truth. This gives us a strong future for the church. As our children study, the future of the church is assured.

Sister Rosine obeyed the gospel in Batoke. Keep her in your prayers as she was happy to worship the New Testament design today for her first time.

Brother Peters obeyed the gospel and God added 7 precious energetic souls into His kingdom in Batoke. We are sure of their growth as our students will be there on a weekly basis to nurture.

Getting to some villages during this period is not easy. It takes time and hard work to get to some destinations, but we praise God that He will always take us and bring us back safe and sound.

Getting Bibles into the hands of new converts who are ready to study more is our pleasure. The demand for Bibles comes to my office on a daily basis. Please, if you can donate more Bibles, they go into the hands of our converts and will help them teach others. As they grow in the Lord it is awesome.

Plans
Our Idenau mission is on, as we did a feasibility study of that coastal border town with Nigeria. It will be great for the church of Christ to be established there. It will help many who are in that community.

Appreciations
God bless you. We are thankful for all that you are doing. Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and support for the work going on here.

Brightland Christian Academy and Brightland Christian orphanage continue to make impact on the lives of children in the Wotutu area and Cameroon. God bless you and keep you strong as you share this report with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director BVBIC-Wotutu

Much To Be Thankful For And Much To Pray About...

With only two weeks left before the new quarter of studies begins in Denver, students are arriving from all over the country. The staff and congregation at Bear Valley are excited about the new class of students beginning their program of study, a journey that will take them through the next two years. There will be highs and lows and they will face numerous challenges, so we ask you to pray for each of these men as they prepare to preach the gospel.

Other exciting news pours in from around the world as students prepare to graduate in several locations. Students in Cambodia will graduate this Friday evening and a new class of students is already arriving to begin their studies in just a few weeks. The Southwest School of Evangelism will also host a graduation of their students next month in Nigeria. Others continue their studies in God’s word and the progress can be read below.

The devastation in Nepal is also a pressing need. Jerry Golphenee and Gajendra Deshar provide updated information on their efforts to help in the relief needs of the brethren and people of Nepal.

Now on to this week’s incredible reports...

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

Extension Reports 

Rain May Darken The Skies In Cameroon, But The Evangelistic Spirit Shines: Regardless of the challenges brought on by the weather, evangelism continues to see souls added to the church.

Praying For The Family Of Noassi Albert In Mbanga, Cameroon: One of the students at the new school in Mbanga passed away last week. Please remember his family in prayer.

Five Day Trip Brings Updated Reports From Nepal: The news of devastation in Nepal continues to indicate the need for aid and assistance. Read more in this week’s update.

Graduation Brings Joy To Christians In The Northern Sector Of Ghana: The recent graduation in Tamale was an exciting event for the church in the northern parts of Ghana.

The Good News Just Keeps Getting Better In Tanzania: Reports from the work in Arusha, Tanzania continue to demonstrate the power of preacher training as the gospel spreads.

Recent Trip To Kenya Produces Fruit For The Kingdom: As staff from ACSOP travel to encourage various graduates, the results are producing fruit for the Lord’s church.

ACSOP Planning For A Bright Future In Preacher Training: The foundational planning stages are laid for the future development of the program of study in Arusha.

A Plan For Sustainability In The Work Of Preacher Training: One of the great needs in the program is sustainability and it is exciting to see this coming together at ACSOP.

Final Thoughts 
As we close again this week, we want each of you to know how important you are to this program. Without you, the Bear Valley Bible Institute would not exist. Without your love and compassion for the development of the Lord’s kingdom, thousands of people would not be Christians today. Thank you for the blessing you are to all who participate in and benefit from preacher training.

God bless
Bob

Praying For The Family Of Noassi Albert In Mbanga, Cameroon...

In every situation we still give thanks to God. We had a busy week with the students and the local preachers in Cameroon hoping to create a link with the world’s greatest family, the church. We are pulling on well. Four out of the seven went out for evangelism last weekend and all came back successfully today, by His grace, even though the francophone are very difficult to convert, but we keep on working for the Lord.

Our young congregation in Muyuka worshiped this weekend for their fourth time, but persecution has started already as we where pushed outside by the land-lady, but nevertheless we still worshiped the great God.

Hebrews 9:27, as it is written, brother Noassi Albert, the aged student in BVBIC-Mbanga, is no more. He died yesterday at midnight. The corpse will be removed on Friday the 24th of July 2015 in Douala.

Ititi

Rain May Darken The Skies In Cameroon, But The Evangelistic Spirit Shines...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from Cameroon this rainy day. We do hope you are doing well in all that you do. We praise God we are getting back to normal as concerns our health. Many continue to get sick here because of the weather conditions. For the past two weeks rain has not stopped.

Life in BVBIC-Wotutu is making impacts to those who are connected to that big family. Our students are getting more focused as they see the field ripe and laborers are still few. They have gained consciousness that the prayer of the Lord for the Father to send more laborers and the prayers of many Christians is directly being fulfilled in their lives as they accepted the call to preach. Keep praying for them daily for your prayers are helping in many ways.

“How can they hear without a preacher? This question is a strong drive for us to reach out. After weeks of sickness and bed rest prescribed to me by my lovely wife, who is not a medical doctor, the gospel calling can still get us up from our beds to go. A soul is out there that needs our word for his or her rescue from darkness. I was able to go with Bibles and communion cups to attend a preacher meeting where about 16 congregations benefited from a box of 1000 communion cups. The news of another ocean container of tracts was applauded with great joy and a prayer was offered to our God for blessings upon Mission Printing and all the volunteers. God alone will reward them for their aid to help sink the gospel to the hearts of many here in Wotutu.

We praise God for the arrival of the Bible school van, which is also used in most rainy days to get Christians who live far away from the church hall and in other villages and some disable people to church, like today. If not for this van I doubt how many of such people would have had the means to make it to church. God’s blessings be upon all those who put their efforts together to make this happen. Many thanks STC, we love you all.

The Wotutu congregation was blessed with a new born baby call Makenzi. I named the baby after this child whom we want this African child to grow up like, full with the love of the Lord. Keep sister Rachael’s family in your prayers for them to bring up this child in the love of the Lord and His church.

Our leaders continue to gain grounds. One of the leaders in the Wotutu congregation, brother Chi, offered lunch to our students last Thursday. It was great for our students to also benefit from the love shown to their predecessors in the Bible college.

There is a lot of questioning in Wotutu where the village clock is not working for the past one week. Our early morning program, “Back to the Bible,” was termed by the villagers that the Church of Christ is the Village Clock, but persecution sets in and some denominational leaders are angry that we preach against their practices and they team up to plot against us with the eventual stop of the program. We wrote to some authorities and we are praying and waiting for their reply, but I comforted the entire congregation that when one door closes the Lord is able to open another door. Keep lifting up our desire to use the PA system to drive the word of God to many when their minds are still empty. But we still evangelized through door to door and it is always our pleasure to point the truth to a prospect who will become a suspect and later the gospel will transform the suspect to a convert to the glory of God.

Sister Ikera Rebecca obeyed the gospel. Keep her in your prayers as she is eager to learn more about God. The heavy rain cannot stop us from doing God’s will as the van can take us closer to the river. What a big blessing we have here. Our God is too good to us.

Sister Rebecca Ikera and 2 more souls were added to the Kingdom, as our students spent weekend in 13 locations. The heavy rain can only disturb, but it cannot stop us from going to where the gospel calls. Many congregations continue to enjoy revival from sound, seasoned messages from our students every week. Keep praying for them. We go to rob from the strong man’s house because we know the one what wins souls is wise.

Plans
Our west coast of Cameroon new work is coming closer, as this weekend we shall have a mass evangelism in Batoke village that will give us a stepping stone to penetrate the west coast areas.

Appreciations
We are full with joy because of what the Lord is using you to make happen here. If not of you we doubt how this work would have been. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We say thank you for being there for us. Your prayers, thoughts, and financially support are highly appreciated by many here. Do your best to share our news with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director BVBIC-Wotutu

The Good News Just Keeps Getting Better In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Servants;

Words fail me in saying thank God and thank you. This past week Stephanie and I received some “good news,” very unexpected. We were facing some personal challenges and the challenge was met in a most unexpected way. We were reminded of God’s love, grace, and mercy. We were reminded of the love of the brotherhood. We were reminded of the privilege it is to be working with the amazing Bear Valley team/family. Thank you all for your prayers and continued support of God’s mission work here in Tanzania. Stephanie and I both feel wholy inadequate, but grateful to be able to serve were we are. 

Good News from the Kisongo congregation: Lilian was baptized into Christ! 

Good News from the Bukoba congregation: One soul added to the church!

Good News from the Lulembela congregation: Two precious souls obey the gospel! 

Good New from the Mbozi congregation: God adds four more souls to His Kingdom!

The Good news of the gospel continues to spread throughout Tanzania and God continues to give the increase. It is a joy and a privilege to be here doing God’s will knowing our labors are not in vain. It is a joy and a privilege knowing you are praying and supporting the Tanzania mission team in all the right ways, making possible the hearing of God’s word. 

Please remember our brother Sean as he prepares to fly out tomorrow night. It has been a very fruitful visit as we plan the work of the ACSOP and the future of the Lord’s work here in East Africa. 

Please remember Daniel as he plans to leave next Sunday. His family longs to see him and he them. Please keep JoJo in your prayers as he continues with his medical tests to hopefully determine the cause of his seizures. 

One last prayer request: if God wills, I, too, will be leaving on the 27th of this month. It has been a challenge not having Stephanie here, but we thank God for all the prayers and support we have received from our church family.  

Remember, God loves you and so do we. Serve Him faithfully and our fellow man daily, knowing souls matter. 

Update: We are grateful for the support in securing the land for the church at Babati. God’s saints continue in their generosity, glorifying Him in all the right ways. 

In Him,
Cy, Stephane and Granny

ACSOP Planning For A Bright Future In Preacher Training...

ACSOP Staff Scatter Across East Africa
For the past ten days, and continuing through the upcoming week, the Andrew Connally School of Preaching faculty have traveled several hundred miles, over roads that you can't imagine, to visit with numerous ACSOP Alumni. Their goal? To encourage our graduates in their kingdom work, spend some time evangelizing with them, preaching to the brethren with whom they labor and to recruit new students for the 2016 school year. In addition to this noble cause they are taking time to visit with several of the elder brethren to document the rich history of the church in East Africa. Please see Charles Heberth’s report above with more details.

Missionaries Plan For The Bright Future
One of the great privileges of this trip has been to sit down with Cy Stafford and Daniel Gaines to discuss future plans for the ACSOP. We have been very blessed that the school is now almost completely run by local brethren and running fairly smooth at that. While we are thrilled at the tremendous progress of ACSOP we also recognize the importance of advancing the school to an even higher plane. Hence, Cy took us to a quiet location and we spent the day planning for the next phase in the development of the ACSOP. Obviously, we are still in the formative stage of planning. When everything comes together we will gladly share our hopes and dreams with you. Until then, pray that we have the wisdom to plan well, dream big and trust our Father.

A Fun Birthday Gathering
Well, it turns out that Cy and Daniel have birthday's that are just a few days apart (although Cy is the old crusty). There is a new restaurant in Arusha called Spurs. It is owned by a South African and he has locations in a number of places throughout the continent. I'm not sure if the owner made a trip to the southwest or was captivated by tv westerns but the place is decorated with a western flair. It is a comical setting to say the least. The icing on the comical cake however is the way they celebrate birthday's with their guests. Not wanting to miss a chance at embarrassing both Daniel and Cy, I just happened to capture the whole ordeal on video. Take a look and don't hesitate at giving both of them a hard time.

Concluding Remarks
Speaking of Daniel and Cy, please remember both of them in your prayers. Daniel's young son, JoJo, has been suffering with unexplained seizures. His wife Tiffany is stateside with the children arranging all the necessary tests, etc. Daniel will be traveling back next week to be present for all the tests. Cy and Stephanie are in need of your prayers as well. Stephanie is gladly taking care of her aging mother and can't be away from her for very long. Cy is spending a lot of time in Tanzania to make sure the work continues as needed. Please keep them in your prayers as the are separated for long periods of time.
Spending time with our brethren and with Daniel and Cy has been a real joy. I love them all and am glad that we are able to work together for the cause of Christ.

Thank you for all YOU do for the kingdom. All of the aforementioned plans and activities are possible because you support this work. You are appreciated more than you can imagine.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Yours in Christ,
Sean & Anita

A Plan For Sustainability In The Work Of Preacher Training...

As we look toward the future of this great work, we want to do all that we can to increase the sustainability of the work. We are increasingly handing over more and more responsibilities to the local brethren and actively working to reduce their dependency on the missionaries. As a part of that, we are also working to cut costs at the school and increase the amount that it can support itself.  

Towards that end, we are improving and expanding the farming/gardening project at the school. We spent a portion of last week hosting and meeting with some interested parties from the US that are going to help us with this by supplying funding and expertise. The future in this area is very promising.  

Expanding our food production will help the school in two ways. First, it reduces the cost of feeding the students and staff. Secondly, whatever can be produced above the school's food-needs can be sold to further offset expenses. In other words, once the operation is in full-swing, it will both sustain itself and contribute to the fiscal health of the school.

One area of food production is livestock. Currently, the school has a medium-sized chicken house supporting a little over 100 broilers. We would like to drastically expand that to include as many as 1,000 layers and 1,000 broilers. We are also exploring the possibility of adding pigs to the project. They would be highly profitable in the market here. Plus that would give us a place for the prodigal to work until they repent. (Just kidding!) We could also marginally increase our cattle stock, but our grounds cannot support more than a few more cows.  

The other area of production is garden crops. This is the most immediate area of focus. Our guys have been building these raised, drip-irrigation beds. Netting is placed around crops like tomatoes that are particularly vulnerable to pests. At this point, we have about 25 of these beds prepared, but we having funding now to go ahead and cover a full acre. 

Another great advantage of this project is the training that it provides to the students. The Lord's church is growing so rapidly in East Africa, that we cannot graduate guys fast enough to keep up with the tremendous demand for trained evangelists. However, most of these needs are at very small congregations that cannot afford to support a man full-time. As our students learn these gardening methods, they gain a skill that will allow them to feed their families while they are serving at a local congregation.  

As you can see, these efforts represent a positive step forward in the area of self-sustainability of both the school and the students entering the work force. Join with me in praying for God's continued blessings on these efforts.

Josiah Update: He continues to have episodes periodically, and we are anxiously awaiting his next round of testing on August 3. Thanks to some very kind friends, I am going to have the opportunity to make a short visit to the US soon. I will arrive just in time for Levi's birthday (my youngest son). I will be able to be there for Josiah's hospital stay. As a bonus, I will have the opportunity to attend Polishing the Pulpit before rushing back to teach my 3rd quarter class at ACSOP. It will have been a full 2 months since I have seen my wife and kids, so I am very eager and appreciative of the opportunity to visit.

By the way, if I was not able to get to your congregation on my last furlough, and you would like for me to visit with you next month, then please contact me and I will be glad to try to work you into the schedule. 

Daniel Gaines

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

Recent Trip To Kenya Produces Fruit For The Kingdom...

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2). This statement is true and worthy of all acceptance. This has been the Andrew Connally School of Preaching motto. We believe that through teaching these men, the Lord and His Church are going to be glorified. The statement has been true, both in the time past and even now. This week we (Charles and Ahimidiwe) were able to travel all the way to Kenya at the Kitale area.There we visited the Mukunga congregation, and were able to meet six of our graduates. These men are diligently working and laboring in the vineyard day and night. They were able to establish three congregations by the time they got out of school. God is being praised by men like Fredrick Bwile, Pius Bwile, Kennedy Ng’etich, Juma Omay, Pius Ng’etich and Abraham Tanui,who is currently in the first year at ACSOP. We were privileged to work with them for a week, and through that effort the Lord added seven (7) more souls to His Kingdom. Please pray for them as they are starting their spiritual journey to heaven. We were able also to establish more than 20 studies, which will keep them busy for the rest of the year. 

We traveled this afternoon to Kisumu town, where we will be meeting with the KSOP staff. We are planning on doing evangelism on Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. Please pray for success in reaching the lost souls that we are going to meet. Here at Kisumu we are going to meet Charles Ogutu, Elisa Omollo and David Wasonga, who are also graduates of ACSOP and faculty members of KSOP. 

Monday afternoon we will be going to Homa Bay, where brothers Bernad Kagaga, McVeroon Kagaga and Elias Omollo are preaching and ministering. While being there we will be doing evangelism from Tuesday through Wednesday and be on our way back home on Thursday morning. These are but a few men who are laboring in the Kingdom, and through their effort hundreds of souls will one day be in Heaven. 

All these and many more have been made possible through your prayers and support. May the Lord bless you abundantly as you continue to serve Him through your contributions. 

Please pray for us as we travel around Kenya evangelizing and recruiting students for our up coming class in February. 

Your servant in His Vineyard, 

Charles Heberth,
Assistant Director
Andrew Connally School of Preaching
P. O. Box 14041
Arusha- Tanzania