Chimala Bible Institute and School of Preaching is off to a great start this year.
On January 15 the Chimala Bible Institute (CBI) and School of Preaching began its new year with 32 students. As the last year was closing, we thought our student body would be down this year due to a lack of funding, but at the last moment prayers were answered and a generous donation made it possible for us to have the 32 students.
Our breakdown this year is: 12 in the first year students in the English program (BVBI), 10 first year students in the Swahili program, and 10 returning second year students in the Swahili program. Three of our English students are Congo refugees, and we are thankful that after all of the government paperwork they were allowed to come.
Some of our English students are also from last year’s graduating Swahili class. This year we have also had a slight change in our teaching staff with Remmy Mfaume coming on staff to direct the English program. We have even made a change in the Swahili program to where the Swahili students are in class all day just like the English students. At this writing we are into our third week of studies with a great group of men and women. I am excited to be able to work with them not only in training them to preach and effectively study God’s word, but also as we go out into the villages each week.
The projects we began last year, we will be continuing this year. These projects that are meant to help train the students in a trade they can use when they graduate and got back home, as well as provide food for the students. We learned many things last year and thus will be making some changes in the program, and planning on adding some additional projects to the agenda. Just a few days ago we got some pictures of the students working in the garden cleaning, preparing, and planting some new vegetables. We also have over an acre of corn that was planted while the students were on break which is coming along very nicely and we look forward to it helping cut down some of our food costs.
I do not have a full record of what all occurred during the students November to January break, but I do have a report on what the 2017 graduates have done since their graduation on November 3 up to January 3, 2018. The report shows that they have had a total number of 77 baptisms, 30 people restored, and one dead church revived. This is a report of their work for just two months! Think what they will be able to do in one year. Many of these men came from the Mwanza area which is in the northwestern part of Tanzania and by bus 23 hours away. God has promised if we will just spread the word it will not return void, and the efforts of these graduates prove that fact.
Richard Rogers.