A 50 Year Celebration At Bear Valley...

The Bear Valley Church of Christ celebrated its 50th Anniversary yesterday. The day was filled with an atmosphere of great joy and reunion through presentations of this great congregation’s development and influence over the past 50 years.

One significant part of the work of the Bear Valley congregation has been seen in the 47 years the Bear Valley Bible Institute has been training men to preach the gospel. The establishment and growth of the Bible Institute expanded even further in 1997 when it began partnering with others around the world preparing men for the work of ministry. 

Thousands of men and women have gained a greater understanding of God’s word and are serving in various capacities around the world as a part of the Lord’s kingdom. While it is exciting, the very thought of how many souls have been touched by this work is humbling. Our God is incredible and how He continues to work through His people to His glory is nothing short of astounding. I am blessed and thankful to have a small part and to be working with you.

As you will read in the reports this week, God continues to give the increase in powerful ways throughout the various locations where schools are preparing men to preach. It is awesome to think of the fellowship we have as fellow-workers with one another and our God laboring in His vineyard.

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/

Keith Kasarjian’s full report involving his recent trip to Arusha is here.

Click here to read the latest report from Donnie Bates about his trip to Honduras. 

Gary Fallis recently returned from Arusha, Tanzania. Click here to read his report.

Extension Reports 

A New Brother In Cameroon: The working of God’s word in the heart of one who would seem to be the least likely to respond produces fruit for the Lord’s kingdom.

New Students Arrive In Uganda: A new class of students begin their course work in the Uganda School of Evangelism.

Looking To The Future In Cambodia: The development of the church in Cambodia gives hope for leadership in the future.

Classes, Breakdowns, And Evangelism: Recent travel challenges demonstrate the difficulties often faced in Chimala, but the work continues.

Souls Are Added To The Kingdom: The God we serve continues to give the increase as souls are obeying the gospel in Arusha.

Fun, Fun, Fun in Tanzania: While there is much activity in Tanzania, this is cute and provides a missionaries perspective on the events on the mission field.

One Special Night In Arusha: Nothing is more special than the opportunity to baptize your own children then they are ready to accept Christ. 

Final Thoughts
At times I find it very difficult to adequately express the depth of my gratitude. There are so many areas for which I am thankful. I am thankful to God for the opportunity to share in this work with each of you. I am thankful for each person who plays a part (there are no small or insignificant parts) in the overall work. 

I look forward to the future in our efforts together to make an eternal difference in the lives of people all over the world. God is GREAT!

God bless
Bob

One Special Night In Arusha...

April 25, 2012 - 10:40 PM Under the stars of the African sky I had the privilege of baptizing my daughter into Christ.

We are so excited and overjoyed to report that our daughter Madeleine was obedient to the gospel by putting on Christ in baptism last night. There is no greater joy than knowing that your children have come to accept Christ and desire to serve him. It was also a privilege for us to have our dear friends Cy & Stephanie Stafford and Madeleine's close friend, Melissa Burnett, attend. Such friendships only enhance an already glorious occasion.

On behalf of Anita and myself we want to offer our gratitude to those who have encouraged and taught Madeleine over the years. Your godly influence means more to us than you will ever know. 

In Christ,
Sean Hochdorf

Souls Are Added To The Kingdom...

Greetings Fellow Workers:

With hearts of joy we greet you all. We thank you for all you do and mean to the Kingdoms’ work. God is doing mighty works here in Tanzania/East Africa through your prayers and support. This past week was a grand week for the Church and, as a result, souls have been saved. 

Blessings: We were blessed by the company and co-labor of Cotton & Beulah Box, Dupree & Soneia Galloway and Eric Graham. Eric is the nephew of Soneia from Jackson, MS. This was Eric’s fist trip to Tanzania. Hopefully, he will bring his wife and two children back in the future.

During the two week stay, Cotton and Dupree worked with David Bayi on the slopes of Mt. Meru around the Kioga area. After twenty-one or more studies, seven souls gave  their lives to Christ. Cotton, Dupree as well as Gene Davis have been coming to TZ for several years working primarily with the Kioga congregation as well as the Ushirombo congregation with Yusuph Madaki. 

What a blessing our coworkers have been to the overall work. The Kioga congregation continues to grow through their efforts as well as the hard work of David Bayi. The first Sunday service this year they broke one hundred in attendance. This is a great example of cooperation and God’s blessing His workers work. 

Opportunity: In our last report we informed you of the passing of our late brother Paul Ndwani. His wife is left without a means to provide for herself or their two youngest children. They are currently in need of school fees. They will be dismissed from school at the end of May if this need is not met. The fee’s are $200 per term each (total per year cost is $600 each, or $50 per month). We would like to secure a Sponsor for each child, willing to help this family in need. If you can, in whole or in part, please let me know and I will let you know how to send the funds.

Request: Over the next several weeks we will have many visitors/coworkers coming to work with us in the many Safari for Souls campaigns. We solicit your prayers on their/our behalf that God might bless them, their/our efforts and that God might be glorified through all the efforts to the saving of many souls. Please pray, pray daily, pray often! God is able and through the faithful prayers of His Saints all things are indeed possible. 

For the many answered prayers we praise God and we thank you. May your week be all you hoped it would be and more. You are in our hearts and prayers.  

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Fun, Fun, Fun In Tanzania (please read)...

Dear Supporters, Family and Friends, 

We are thrilled to have two new sisters in Christ! Maddie Hochdorf (daughter of co-missionaries Sean and Anita Hochdorf) and Lucy (Matthew's therapist). Please pray for these two new sisters as they begin their new lives in Christ and grow and mature in the faith.

In family news, Trina has been sick for several days with some kind of stomach bacteria. In addition, we have a house full of fundis (Swahili for "workmen") who are breaking up cement to repair cracks in the floors and walls, and scraping and painting walls. We are trying to get the house ready for the upcoming family visit! We also had some excitement on Friday night. About 11 PM the breaker box caught on fire. Flames were shooting several inches out of the top of it. It went out on its own, thankfully. It turns out that the breakers were defective in someway, according to Innocent Mafayo, a brother in Christ who is a former employee of the electric company. So, we went without power Friday night and most of the day Saturday until the repairs were done. Fun, Fun, Fun!!

We said goodbye to the Galloway and Box families as well as Eric Graham (nephew of Soniea Galloway). We are so very thankful they came our way again. Many were encouraged and seven souls were added to the Kingdom. It is always a joy to be with them and they always do a great amount of good wherever they work in this country. We pray they had a safe trip home and will rest up from their trip quickly and come back as soon as possible.

Lindsey has had some studies with Sophia and Rehema. She has another one scheduled for today with Jackie. Please pray for Lindsey and these ladies as they study together.

On Wednesday of this week Christopher Mwakabanje announced in chapel at the ACSOP that he had received an invitation from a graduate of the school to come to Morogoro to help with his work. Felix graduated from the ACSOP in November of last year. He was a part of our first Swahili class. Because he had a Bachelor's degree from Bear Valley he was able to get a job in one of the local secondary schools (High School) as the Bible and Divinity teacher (as the government calls it). His instruction brought about many questions from the students. As these students were to graduate yesterday, Felix called and asked that an instructor from the ACSOP come and speak to the graduating class and answer their questions. So, Christopher went on Friday and spoke at the graduation on Saturday. He started his journey back after worship this morning and we hope to have pictures and a full report next week.

As always, we are grateful to God, and to you, for your sacrifices that make our work possible. May He bless you abundantly. 

In Christ,
Jimmy, Trina, and family

Classes, Breakdowns, And Evangelism

We finished the last quarter’s short courses this week at the Chimala Bible Institute. I taught Ezra, Nehemiah and Ruth while Brent Smith taught James through Jude. The students then all enjoyed a cookout at the Bear Valley House Thursday night. 

The bus broke down that was bringing some missionaries from Iringa back to Dar Thursday night and one of the drivers had to use my car to finish the trip. This is a typical occurrence in Africa as the roads we all have to travel are rough and dangerous, but the spirit and evangelism of the students and teachers never wavers. We delivered Brent to the airport in a vehicle which we all know as “ole number 4.” If you had ever seen it or even ridden in it, the old premodern era British Land Rover is an adventure in travel.

As we were traveling with Brent we also had Joshua, Boaz, Ezekiel, Frankie and Binwell in the Land Rover. They went on their way to Mbozie where they were going to preach in two different villages all weekend. Needless to say the ole #4 was being used to the best of her ability and we are glad to report it made the trip. A special thanks to Brent who willingly took his time to return for the second year in a row to teach our students. It is a great sacrifice just to travel here but men like Brent show us all that the spirit of Christ and missions is alive in our great brotherhood. 

We are excited about the sixteen enrolled Masters students that will start two weeks of intense coursework this coming Monday. They too are making great sacrifices to be here. Some travel for two days over these treacherous roads to come and study the Word of God. It truly thrills the soul to see how even the most treacherous trip does not dampen the spirit of evangelism and Bible training that happens every day at the Chimala Bible Institute. 

Garry L. Hill Extension Coordinator
Dean: Chimala Bible Institute

Looking To The Future In Cambodia...

Dear all my beloved brethren

I am vey happy to write this email to you all, and hope through this letter will find you all doing well in your end.

The work of the church in Siem Reap is doing well; Takam and Leang Dai as well. Since we have more couples engaged to the Christian wedding we see some growth among those brethren and they shared the word of God to their relatives friends and family as well. We hope in the next 15 to 20 years we will have elders for our congregation from those brethren. Please continue to pray for all of us as we dedicate ourselves to the work of the Lord in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Next month we will have another couple marry in the Lord and not very long after that we will have another one, so we have a lot of weddings this year. All of those are our first group of students.

That's what I want to share with all of you for now and will keep you updated later.

God bless you all.

Chann

New Students Arrive In Uganda...

Dear brethren,

We are doing fine here in Uganda. The school now has new students. In the Kiswahili class we have 12 students already including Samuel who is remaining with only with one quarter. We are still hoping to get another student from Burundi in the Kiswahili class. 

The six from Congo have arrived and they are doing well in class. In English class we have ten in number, with two more likely to come next week. They came for interview but have not reported. This quarter Samson Omutele from Nairobi is not teaching. He is attending to some church needs in Nairobi. He might be with us next quarter. 

We now have Peter Ambaka from Lumakanda church of Christ in Western Kenya. He is a graduate of Botswana School of  Biblical Studies. He is teaching the book of John in both English and Kiswahili classes. We have also Raymond Mwero from Maliba church of Christ in Kasese Western Uganda. He is teaching Research, and Homiletics in both Kiswahili and English classes. Brother Ouma Christopher is teaching Genesis and Exodus also in both classes. I am teaching Old and New Testament Survey. 

I am also planning to go to Nairobi to check on the prices of  the solar system for our school. A friend has told me that the prices in Nairobi were better than in Kampala. The rain is raining  well here in Busia. We have started working in our school garden. Paul started his agriculture class last Friday. In the morning students go in agriculture class and later go in the field for practicals. We need your prayers. May the Lord God bless you as you serve Him. 

Yours
Francis Wechesa

A New Brother In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Accept greetings from this end. We are doing fine in health, just for the few who are not fully sound like my wife who is not feeling fine after worship today. The students and staff continue with their responsibilities and God is helping.

Brother Divine, husband to sister Mercy, was angry and brought persecution why the wife is attending the church of Christ. With meekness we took the gospel to him in his home and he started worshipping, but we rejoice with the host of angels as the brother obeyed the gospel this morning.

We do believe that the Lord is doing something great in your life and the life of your local congregation.

The year is speeding and soon we shall start the second quarter exams.

One student went down to help in our young Mondoni congregation. Brother Norbert spoke and listened to the confession that this brother was about to make.

Brother Bea taught Bible study this morning in the Wotutu congregation, on our topic Why I am a Member of the church of Christ. 97 people were able to listen and worship our King. Evangelism is still going on well in Wotutu village every Saturday and our morning preaching through the radio that does not pass through an FM or AM media is still creating much awareness about the truth. A chief called from another village that we were not aware that our waves are getting right there to appreciate the work we are doing. 

Plans
1) I shall attend our annual preacher’s forum in Douala on the 10^th through the 12^th of May 2012

2) Weekend evangelism will take some students far from Wotutu because of the demand from those Christians there. More students keep sending their application forms back to us for study.

3) Plans to organize a preacher’s wife forum is under way.

4) My plans to travel to Zambia is still being looking upon for means to make the trip by His will.

Appreciations
We thank God for helping us meet up with our programs daily. We thank you for your prayers and support towards this work. Do your best to share it with others. May God bless and watch over you all. 

Elangwe and family
By His grace director of CBIW

A Good Place To Start...

A good place to start can sometimes be hard to find. A great deal has happened throughout the extension program over the past week. It is so exciting to read about the growth and development of the schools, but even more so within the church as souls are being added by God through the diligent efforts of servants in the Lord’s kingdom.

While I have one more week of classes I am taking, the week ahead is one I am especially looking forward to taking. The course is called Biblical Foundation of Missions. The focus of the class is to examine the thread of God’s mission as it is seen throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament alike. Especially significant will be the development of leadership within the context of His mission today. I am anticipating an exciting week of learning.

There are several pages of reports to read, so I will not tarry long with the introductory comments for this week’s report. The information being shared is incredibly powerful and I am so thankful to be partnering with the greatest people on earth in trying to fulfill God’s mission of sharing the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Thank you to all of you who are laboring around the world to make an eternal difference in the lives of those who walk without hope. It is both an honor and a privilege to know you and share in God’s plan.

Now on to the other reports...

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

Steven Ashcraft’s report is below. If you would like to see the full report with all the pictures surrounding the activities of Steven’s work, click here.

Extension Reports 

Evangelism Is Our Mission: It is not the first time you have read this mission statement for the school in Cameroon. However, the efforts of it continue to produce fruit.

Student Studies With Parents: How exciting to read about one of the students at the Visakha Valley Bible College in India to study with and see his parents baptized.

Another Staff Member Marries In Cambodia: The work is growing in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Sometimes in ways we might not anticipate.

An Empty Chair And Debates: A recent accident left an empty chair in the Chimala Bible Institute. Also, a visiting instructor uses debates to help train students.

Growth On A Grand Scale In TZ: Reports from the outreach in several locations near Arusha, Tanzania have seen God bringing growth in great ways.

Kioga Congregation Is Growing: Activities within the Kioga congregation, near Arusha, Tanzania, demonstrate growth and development within the Lord’s church.

Gamachisa, A Barber Worth Reading About: Sean Hochdorf’s recent conversation with a barber in Nairobi proved to be quite interesting.  

Final Thoughts
I will close with a word of gratitude. All of you who read the report each week know how exciting it is to see the increase God is giving week after week. For this, we give thanks. Also, thank you for sharing in the work of these beloved servants of God who are laboring in numerous places around the world. 

I find it amazing we have access to the greatest technology which has made the world a very small place. I cannot travel very far without meeting people who have connections, generally an electronic connection, with someone in one of the locations where an extension school is preparing men to preach the gospel. I love it!

Thank you for all you are doing for the Lord and His kingdom.

God bless
Bob

Gamachisa, A Barber Worth Reading About...

Dear friends and brethren,

On behalf of Anita, Mom, Maddie, Melissa, Dad and myself we send you heartfelt greetings from East Africa. There has been a flurry of activity since I last sent a report and we have made great progress toward our getting settled. Negotiations concerning our rent house have concluded and we were able to come to terms. We moved in the first week in April. Our container has yet to make it to Arusha so we have borrowed items from ACSOP, the Gee’s and the Stafford’s in order to make due until the container arrives. The ladies are happy to be in their own place regardless of the inconvenience of not having our possessions. Their happy so I’m happy.

Even though we have been busy Tanzania can supply reminders that we aren’t immortal. Anita and I have both suffered with malaria. We are almost certain that Anita had cerebral malaria which is fatal if not treated in a timely way. She is still with us so I think we gave her the right medicine. Once Anita recovered from malaria it only took her about a week to fall prey to another of Tanzania’s common issues. She contracted an amoeba and suffered with amoebic dysentery for almost a week. Fortunately, Danny and Nancy Smelser of the Tanzanian Christian Clinic were able to properly diagnose and treat her. The Lord has heard and answered our prayers and we are now all doing well.

We have made trips to several congregations in the area and I have preached and taught bible class on a few occasions. Anita has been conducting a regular bible study with a lady named Lucy. Lucy is the cousin of our dear friend Paulina Elbariki. The study has been going on for almost a month and Anita and mom think that good progress has been made toward Lucy being obedient to the gospel. Anita has taken mom with her on each occasion so she can observe how things are done here in Tanzania. In the near future Anita and mom will swap and mom will conduct the bible study. Pray for her as she, like most of us, is nervous about doing so.

Always abounding in the work of the Lord
Let me encourage each of you as supporters of this work and, more importantly servants of God, to trust in the Lord, be strong and of good courage and tell others about Christ. Perhaps we sometimes lose heart when we think our efforts aren’t bearing the fruit we expect to see but we must remember that we simply do the planting and the watering and God gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). We may live a lifetime and never see the results of our labor. We can, however, rest assured as God knows that which we have done (1 Cor. 15:58). In addition to these comments let me offer this story of encouragement. Last week I was in Nairobi to pick up some guests (more about them later). I was in need of a haircut so I ran into a local beauty shop / barber. The barbers name was Gamachisa and he was originally from Ethiopia. Gamachisa asked what I did and where I was from. I proceeded to tell him that I was originally from Texas but now I live in Tanzania and am a teacher and preacher working at a preacher training school in Arusha. 

He said “I too study theology, online.” 

“Interesting, what’s the name of the school where you are studying theology?” 

“Have you ever heard of World Bible School? It is from Texas as well.” 

“Well, of course I have. I have many friends that help with WBS. What is your teachers / graders name?” 

“Her name is Sandra.” 

“Does she happen to be from Round Rock, Texas?” I asked. 

“I believe she is” he replied. 

He asked if there was anyone in Nairobi that could help him study further. I told him we have graduates from the Andrew Connally School of Preaching in the area and they would be more than happy to study with him. We exchanged information and have already been in communication since our initial conversation. I will be returning to Nairobi in another week and am working on arranging a bible study with him and introducing him to Samson, the preacher at the Babadogo congregation.

Just a few days before meeting Gamachisa, the missionary families gathered for a devotional and Cy Stafford delivered a lesson about praying for doors of opportunity to be open. I couldn’t help but think about the lesson when this door of opportunity presented itself. Even more amazing is that Sandra, the lady from Texas, put forth the effort and has made a difference in a young man’s life who lives halfway around the world from her. The power of the gospel coupled with the zealous efforts of dedicated servants of Christ is indeed an amazing, life-changing, dynamic duo (Rom. 1:16; 8:31). Sandra, whomever you may be, thank you for not giving up and doing your best to spread the greatest message the world has ever heard. Sandra’s efforts serve as a good example for us all. Let us sow the seed, pray for good and honest hearts to receive it and then have peace knowing we have done for the Lord what we could.

Visitors from abroad
We are currently enjoying the company of Cotton and Beulah Box and DuPree and Soneia Galloway from Alabama. These couples also serve as a great example to everyone, especially to the seniors among us. I’m not going to get myself into to trouble by guessing an age but I believe I am safe in saying they are all over 60 and a couple of  them over 70. They conduct bible studies all day long leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. They work every young buck I know under the table. Thus far the studies they have conducted have fallen on good soil and a number of people have been added to the kingdom. Cotton and DuPree work mainly on Mt. Meru and those that are converted attend the congregation at Kioga where David Bai is the preacher. The congregation has seen tremendous growth since its beginning. The Galloway’s and Box’s will be returning home next Friday.

We also have been blessed to have an addition to our home until August. Melissa Burnett, a close friend to Maddie and member at the Granbury Street congregation in Cleburne, worked like a crazy woman and saved enough money to come to Tanzania. It is impressive when a teenager will work 3 or 4 jobs to save enough money and leave the comforts and distractions of America to spend time in a third-world country in an effort to see if she is cut out for foreign mission work. Melissa is a talented, mature, young lady and we believe she will do fantastic here. Teens, are you paying attention? Save your money and come stay with us for a few months. We’ll take good care of you.

Until next time
Well this short report is turning into a small novel so I will sign off for now. Before I go please know that all of us are deeply appreciative of your financial sacrifice. This work would be impossible without it. Thank you for your selflessness.

Until next time, take care and God bless,

Norm, Alice, Sean, Anita, Maddie and Melissa

Growth On A Grand Scale In TZ...

Greetings Fellow Workers,

We rejoice in the fact we have you as brothers and sisters in Christ and that you have joined us in God’s mission work here in Tanzania. A day never passes that we do not think of you and your contributions to the saving of souls through out the world. We are indeed a very blessed people and by God’s mercy, we hope to continue in His service.

This has been a very busy week on many levels. Cotton and Dupree worked with David Bayi on the slopes of Mt. Meru around the area of Kioga. They conducted 15 or so Bible Studies (most having several participants. As a result of David’s efforts, the studies this week and by the power of the Gospel, four new souls were added to the Kingdom of God. Stephanie, Soniea and Beulah have also been very busy. Saturday they had a Bible class with the ladies at the Kwa Mrombo congregation. 

Saturday Cotton, Dupree and I made our way to Moshi where we teamed up with several members of the Kilimanjaro congregation in some house-to-house evangelism. Five studies were conducted with more than ten souls hearing God’s Word. On our way back to Arusha we picked up Soneia Galloway’s nephew, Eric Graham, from Jackson, MS.

Sunday afternoon I was privileged to meet with the evangelist from all the Arusha area congregations. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming Safari for Souls campaigns. It was agreed that each congregation (Five in number), will conduct a week long campaign at each congregation, concurrently. We are thankful for the group from Hoover, AL coming back to join us in this effort.

Two weeks before the Arusha area wide campaign efforts, our brothers and sisters from Second and Adams (Elk City, OK) will come and join us in a campaign at Maji ya Chai. Are we a blessed people or what?

During the same week OK is conducting their meeting, several congregations are joining hands to hold a meeting at Babati.

I only wish I could share all the good news I get each and every week, like: eight souls obeyed at a new congregation one of our recent graduates planted. A new sister in Christ at Arusha last week, and the list goes on and on. We are a part of a great work of God and by His grace, your prayers and our continued unity, God is and will be glorified and souls will continue to be saved.

We offer up a very special prayer for each of you and all you mean to the Church of our Lord. 

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Another Staff Member Marries In Cambodia...

Hello coworkers of Christ! As you can see I bunched the first, second, and third weeks of April together simply because the month of April to Cambodians is equivalent to the month of December to Americans. It is the main national holiday month and the new year for the Cambodian people. Therefore, the students and staff have been on vacation to meet with family and friends in their hometown. 

School will resume on Monday the 23rd and things will slowly get back to normal. I also had the chance to conduct another wedding for one of the staff of IBISR the past Wednesday! It was really good to show the villagers of where his bride lives, how Christians conduct the marriage ceremony. I used that opportunity to talk about the origin of marriages and God's plan for mankind. We pray that we can infiltrate that village with the gospel through Savay's new bride. 

Now the whole staff of IBISR are all married and grown up which will help in their preaching and teaching of the gospel because the society here respects those who are older and have families. We thank God for such blessings! We ask that you keep the work of Christ here in your prayers. Thanks for reading and see you next week!

Phanat
p.s. My wife is 2 months pregnant!

To see Phanat's report with a picture from the wedding, click here.

An Empty Chair And Debates...

We returned to the Chimala Bible Institute with Brent Smith, a short course teacher and preacher from Trenton, Tennessee. We enjoyed the trip as we met Brent in Europe and flew to the capital and then early the next morning to Mbeya on the small plane. He and I are teaching the two undergraduate courses and then I will be teaching the graduate courses for our students.

We have been real busy since our return. The students are all looking forward to their summer break and the church work they will do around their villages in Tanzania and Malawi. Lai, one of our Swahili teachers, tells of a restoration this past Sunday at Chosi A. Boaz went with some students out last Sunday and 40 people attended and where Joshua preached with the students. There was a baptism and restoration. 

We were saddened that there was an empty chair in chapel Friday morning. Joseph Haonga had a serious wreck on a motorcycle the evening before returning from preaching a funeral. He will be fine, but we were all concerned. The roads we all travel with our students are dangerous and we need to be extra careful, but travel we all do. Every church that the teachers and students go to all have the same request, please return and teach us.

In Brent’s “Doctrine of the Godhead” classes this week the students got some special training. They prepared and delivered a debate on the “Work of the Holy Spirit.” The debate was taped and the students were able to even learn how they did by watching themselves. This is a problem in the denominations in the area and Brent’s second year class really did an excellent job in defending the truth. So yes, even though it is dangerous to travel, even though the trips are long we are grateful every day to be training these young men here at the Chimala Bible Institute.  

Garry L. Hill, Extension Coordinator
Dean: Chimala Bible Institute

Kioga Congregation Is Growing...

Dear Faithful Co-Workers:

Quote of the Week: “I’m telling you that fame and fortune are not what they are cracked up to be. Every person on the planet is…trapped into programmed thinking that we’re all expected to have a certain amount of material things to be perceived as worthwhile human beings. Sometimes success is a curse that keeps you from paying attention to what’s important. Okay, I was living in a dream, but I’ve woken up.” ---- “Material Girl” Madonna as told to USA TODAY

The above quote reminds us of one made by Solomon who said, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?”(Eccl. 5: 10, 11)

Today, Paulina taught the Ladies’ Class, Jimmy conducted the New Converts Class (translated by Chuchuba) and preached in worship, Ahimidiwe led the Men’s Class and Abigail (with Happiness as translator) taught the Children’s Class. All the Tanzanian teachers and translators are doing so well in contributing to the church now because they received a good foundation and start several years ago. Americans “got the ball rolling” with schools such as the Arusha Bible School, Kilimanjaro Bible School, Andrew Connelly School of Preaching and with the many congregations that were established. These teachers/translators above (plus many others) were trained to “rightly divide the Word” so they could “entrust… to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” The Ethiopian eunuch, when responding to Philip’s question of whether he understood the passage, replied, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” For any given endeavor to succeed, the people involved need good training and guidance.

The first session of classes for the Kisongo Bible School will continue for three more weeks before new classes start. Candace babysits a one year-old and a three year-old at the house for three hours a day, four days a week while a lady named Janet faithfully attends these classes.

Dupree Galloway and Cotton Box have been busy on Mt. Meru, in the village of Kioga, evangelizing and strengthening the brethren there. Their efforts have resulted in eighteen studies and four baptisms! Soneia Galloway taught at a Ladies’ Seminar in Kwa Mrombo on the subject of “Stages and Roles in the Lives of Christian Women.” We welcome Eric (Soneia’s nephew), who arrived last night.

On the family front, Naomi turned 6 years old on Saturday and celebrated with family plus four friends. Unexpectedly, on this same day, the landlord sent workmen to repair the cracks in our cement walls. This procedure consists of taking a hammer and chisel and making the crack larger in order to add extra cement (and sometimes wire).As you may imagine, this creates lots of dust and piles of broken cement (which the workmen did clean up). Next week, we hope they will repair cracks in the floors and hopefully begin painting the entire house.

We appreciate you all! “May the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”(2 Thess. 3:16).  

In Christian Love,
The Gee Family

Student Studies With Parents...

Dear brethren,

Greetings to you in the precious name of Lord Jesus Christ our savior. By the grace of God we are all doing fine. Hope all is well with you. We are thankful to our God who is enabling us to continue doing his ministry in our part of India. We have 15 students who are regular to the school. We are happy to say that they will be completing this course study by April 2013. All of our students are uplifted in their faith so much through the teaching of various subjects by our faculty. Our students are so blessed to be in this school, of course they remark our school very highly too.

Short Course: Brother Chuck Ramseur visited with us for a week. During his visit he taught the ‘Epistle to the Hebrews’ to the undergraduate students. As usual, this trip has been very productive than previous one. His first trip had been quite bit of learning since everything was new and it was his first visit to teach at an extension school of BVBID.

We were excited about Chuck coming to Visakha for the second time which really helped us to work together for the betterment of the school. He is very mindful of the school in Visakha, we appreciate him for that. Our students had a good time of learning Hebrews from the audience perspective. Chuck has a done a marvelous job of teaching the Epistle to the Hebrews in this perspective so that the students would get the exact message from the epistle. He spent lot of time in explaining the text rather than applying it to the present audience. It was a different learning experience for me as well. Chuck has done a review before the start of every class that helped the students to stay on the same page along with the instructor. Regular memory work and the quizzes have helped the students to learn more from the epistle. It is very important to any student to rightly understand the text before he applies it to himself or teach it to somebody so that they would apply it to themselves. Understanding the epistle to the Hebrews is just like any other book in the Bible. Chuck’s way to teaching it by emphasizing the key words and their connection & relation between them throughout the epistle was marvelous. Especially he mentioned the text coded from Psalms to show how much more blessed we are through Jesus Christ who is superior above all in this universe. He affirmed to the students about the greatest salvation we have in Jesus Christ and the great hope receiving the heavenly Jerusalem.  He did a great job compared to his first visit & teaching. Students have learned so much. They did a good job in writing their final exams; most of them have good grades. We pray that his regular visits would be a blessing to the school and to all of us.

Zeal for towards his loved ones: David Raju, He is one of our diligent students in the current batch. He lives in a village which is 40 kms from Visakhapatnam. He was a Hindu believer. He heard about Jesus and obeyed him by being baptized into Christ. After he became a Christian he wanted his parents to learn about God and obey the Lord. Since they are very old he really wanted them to obey the truth before it is too late. While his curiosity of saving his parents was growing wild, he could not resist himself from teaching them about the plan of salvation and about their need to repent of their sins and becoming children of God. His regular teachings finally motivated them to repent of their sins and come forward to be washed themselves in the blood of Jesus Christ. This wonderful event has taken place at VVBC during the first week of this month. Brother Eric Ramseur witnessed this overwhelming event. After they confessed that Jesus Christ is the son of God, they were baptized by John Dean for the remission of their sins. David Raju has the happiest moment in his life. Tears ran out of David Raju’s eyes during the baptism of his parents really denoting the joy he had from the fulfillment of his long waited desire.

We have scheduled a weekend gospel campaign during the end of the first of May. We are very much looking forward to spending some study time with those who are learning about God. We hope the word of God will be received in gladness and souls will be added to the Church. Certainly there is a great future for the Lord’s church in this village. This only possible through some enthusiastic preachers like David Raju, who is very zealous for the Lord. We have few other men who are very eager to proclaim the word and are strong to live according to it.

Needs: Dear brethren please be mindful of the needs for the preachers in this area, especially to those who are going to school and soon will be full time preachers. A bicycle & lantern with some Bibles at the time of graduation is a wonderful gift that we can offer to them to help with their mission to preach the word.

Summer: Here the weather is getting heated up. Right now the temperatures in some areas are over 95 F. We do not have rains from last 6 months. Due to that, ground water levels are going down and down, with the relative affect on the prices of electricity and vegetables which has been a burden to the common man. Of course the hike of the prices is an uprising problem in the world over, but for a common man like a preacher who doesn’t make so much from very poor congregations it is really struggle. Kindly pray for the preachers in that area who are honestly serving the Lord besides the difficulties.

Future Preachers’ Training Camp: While I was at Bear Valley during my visit in 2010, I was blessed to be at the Church who hosted the FPTC. I was really impressed with that program and wanted to try that in India too. When Dr. Dennis Jones, president of HCU, visited Skinner’s Garden on the 9th of February, he inaugurated the program. We have scheduled this week long FPTC program starting from the 4th of June till the 10th. Since this is our first effort, we would like to invite the preachers’ sons who are over the age of 13. This program would certainly help them to become leaders in the future. Kindly pray for the success of this camp.

Thank you note: Dear brethren we are thankful to the brethren at Strickland Church of Christ, especially to the elders for their trust and charity with which we are able to run the school successfully. We continue to remember them in our daily prayers and thank our heavenly God for their great role in seeking and saving the lost in India. Yes, India is a growing wild in religious perspective with the TV media well spread. Everywhere the entire denominational groups in India, especially in the state of Andhra Pradesh, have been spreading the man made doctrines. These situations need well trained young man who teach the only doctrine which was once for all delivered. We pray that our combined efforts produce more effective preachers to spread good news & the right doctrine to the lost millions in India. 

Work Report: 
Number of people baptized in this month through our ministry: 6
Denominational preachers restored: 1
Gospel meetings conducted – 6
Weekend Campaign – 1
Gospel tracts distributed - 1200
Doors Knocked - 135
Held the Bible Studies - 21

We thank you all so much for your concern for the Lord's work in India. Our calender year has been so busy, kindly pray for our travelling to various places. We thank you all so much for being a part of this great Lord's work in India. 

Samuel Raju & John Dean Muppidi
Visakha Valley Bible College
Church of Christ
Andhra Pradesh,  INDIA

Evangelism Is Our Mission...

Dearest in Christ,

Calvary greetings from this end to you and your entire family and the family of God where you worship. It is amazing again for us to enjoy God’s grace throughout the week without any major problem, from our classes that went on well and our midweek activities in Wotutu congregation.

Brother Innocent baptized brother John Ako into Christ at the church in Mondoni village. Keep the work in your prayers. The Lord added two souls through brother Ititi Benedict in Matoh village. The kingdom of God is being expanded.

We do hope God is showing His grace and love over you too in all that you do for His glory. We wish you just the best in life as we all partner to save souls that are perishing in sin.

Let me share with you some of the other events concerning our weekend evangelism. This week four students accompanied me to Mondoni village for a campaign. I also sent brother Ititi Benedict to Matoh village for weekend evangelism while brother Awatt Manfree and Namina Bernard  went to Tole.

Brother Opel, in Mondoni village, preached the gospel from house to house. As we think souls and pity the souls of many, some will welcome you to listen the gospel while others from their posture will discourage you. We cannot be discouraged because God is giving us encouragement.

I also did the same job. Evangelism is our mission. We don’t just point the way for our students. We show them the way to see the passion we have from souls in bondage. We are standing with courage to rob from the strong man’s house.

I had the opportunity to preach open air with our powerful PA system with our generator. The  little children in that village clustered around me to admire the electricity being produced from the generator set. I preached on New Testament worship. It was great to expose denominational errors (Matt 22:29) Many came around to listen and asked lots of questions. Keep this village in your prayers as the church of Christ which was established two months keeps growing.

Plans
1) We still plan to travel to Batoke to establish a new congregation there.

2) The church of Christ in Wotutu will host the first preacher’s wife forum next month. It will be the first of its kind.

3) My trip to Zambia for the conference is still pending. That will only be possible if you decide to help me financially.

Appreciations
Many thanks to God for His care over us and many thanks to you and your family and the church there to avail yourself to God for Him to use you in this capacity. Stay strong and continue in this service to save souls.

Do your best to share this report with others who may be interested to be part of this soul saving ministry. God bless and watch over you all.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director of CBIW

The 16th Extension School - Paraguay!

We are excited to announce that the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver will be working with the Sacramento Avenue Church of Christ in training men to preach the gospel. The leadership of the Sacramento Avenue congregation made a decision this week to begin a school in Asunción, Paraguay. The elders of the Bear Valley congregation whole heartedly agreed that we should work together in getting this school off the ground.

The plans are to spend the rest of this year putting the final pieces in place with the sponsoring congregation and getting students enrolled to begin classes in March 2013. This is the same time when the local universities and schools in Paraguay begin classes, so it seemed natural to set up the extension school on the same schedule. This also allows plenty of time to work out the remaining details.

As we have mentioned in the past, the Sacramento Avenue congregation is one of two congregations in the entire country of Paraguay. Both of these congregations are located in Asunción. The missionary team consists of four amazing couples / families involved in working with the congregation and reaching out to the people who live in the capital city of Paraguay.

The Academy of Theology - Paraguay will make the 16th school we are privileged to be working with in the Extension Program. The potential of the work to establish congregations and evangelize all of Paraguay is incredible. It is a great venture and responsibility the Sacramento Avenue congregation has assumed. We look forward to the opportunity of working together to accomplish the task before us as fellow-workers in the kingdom of our God. We ask for your prayers in the months ahead.

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 

Preacher’s Forum And Evangelism: A recent preacher’s forum, connected to evangelism, was held in Cameroon. The results are encouraging.

Visiting Instructors And New Opportunities: The Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies is seeing new opportunities on the horizon.

Another Student Added To The Kingdom: The outreach to the students in the Center for Biblical Studies is changing many lives.

Giving A Little Something Back: The suggestion of a Maasai woman to have members collect money to give something back to visiting teachers is a powerful story. 

Final Thoughts
I will be taking classes all this week and next week in Colorado Springs. I will be able to stay connected to the various activities through e-mail in the mornings and evenings. It is exciting to see the growth and planning for future involvement in training preachers around the world. 

Thank you for your vision in the program of Extension Training. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. You are making a difference in the eternal destiny of souls around the world. Heaven will be incredible to see. I will also be excited to meet all of those who will be there because of the gospel preached by those who have been involved in the Extension program.

I pray for you everyday.

God bless
Bob

Preacher's Forum And Evangelism...

Dearest in Christ,

Accept greetings from this end. It is well with us and we send our love to you. Our worship in Wotutu congregation today was great. In my absence we continued to examine the question,  Why I Am A Member Of The Church Of Christ. I went for a four days preacher’s meeting in Etam congregation where one of our lecturers is serving as the evangelist, Itali Ignatius.

A preacher’s forum in Cameroon is not only to come and talk about those things that preachers are facing, but it is a moment to evangelize the area.

In the same manner preaching from house to house led us to meet a young man, Daniel Tikum, who took time to ask all kinds of questions about his conviction that there are many ways that lead to heaven. The scriptures helped him and finally he demanded baptism. He worshipped today and was satisfied to see the New Testament worship without instrumental music. Keep him in your prayers that many will come to obey the truth in their family. The Lord added five souls in total in that local congregation and two restorations. Keep this growing congregation in your prayers to expand the gospel to the entire community and those close to them.

I assigned one student to go and preach and teach in the Mondoni congregation while two other students went to Tole congregation for weekend evangelism. They all returned safe with good reports about steadfastness to the brethren there, but no soul was added this weekend.

I worked with a prospect in sharing the gospel in Etam village. She saw the truth and promised to study more before making a decision.

Where we worshipped today, with the entire Etam congregation, there were 120 in number.

Plans
1) I shall send one of our students this weekend to Matoh village to help in evangelism. This is a demand from the preacher there. Keep him in your prayers. More students will travel to Mondoni village again for another big campaign to help the congregation and also to nurture the men on how to lead. Please pray for the Mondoni congregation. It is young and was established few months ago. I want us to do this so that in case we are not sending a student there because of any unforeseen thing, they will still worship.

2) August will be around soon. My willingness to attend the African Claiming Africa for Christ conference is still pending financially. Please think about it and help me in prayers if I can secure finances to attend. It will help me much with the work here.

3) We are planning for a one day preacher’s wife forum in Wotutu on the 31^st of May 2012. We are calling this with my wife to teach all our married students with their wives the responsibilities in the field. Preacher’s wives who have been in the field will also add some advice to help these young ones on what to do as a preacher’s wife. Please keep this vision in your prayers as we shall be expecting over 75 preacher’s wives and this will be the first of its kind in Cameroon.

4) During the short courses in June we shall call for a one day study seminar on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. It is a serious problem in Cameroon. So I called the seminar at that time so that our visiting lecturers who will be here at that time to also throw some light to the study directly from the Bible.

Appreciations
Many thanks to God for His care over us. God is great and He is the reason why we are here and what we are doing. Thank you for being part of the work here.Your prayers are a strong force for us to move ahead and your support is a pillar. God bless you and your entire family and the church for being who you are. With your prayers and support we shall continue to rob from the strong man’s house because we think about the souls that are perishing in sin. God bless you as you share this with others who may love to be part of the soul saving team.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

Giving A Little Something Back...

Dear Supporters, Family and Friends,

Quote of the Week: "Tact is the art of building a fire under people without making their blood boil." Zig Ziglar

Jimmy preached to a crowd of 99 people this morning. The sermon, "Elijah's Miscalculation" included a fact that you cannot separate politics and religion because people express themselves in the laws they pass. For example, it has come to our attention that in Alberta, Canada it may soon be considered against the law to teach your children that homosexuality is wrong. Hard to believe that in a country close to the U.S. that the government is now dictating what parents can and cannot teach. Something to think about, isn't it?

The ladies' Bible class continued reviewing Genesis (ch. 19 today). At the end of class, Momma Michael (a Maasai lady whose husband made her leave once she became a Christian) requested that the ladies begin putting back a little money in order to buy gifts for the lady visitors who will come this summer. She encouraged the ladies to "give a little something back" to others who spend so much time, money and effort to come and teach them. This lady lives in a mud hut and has no job. She might get money from selling some vegetables, milk or by selling a goat. She mentioned that she learned so much from the "old lady" who taught the seminar last year. By "old lady" I believe she was speaking of Edith Samples Kincaid (Jimmy's great aunt) because she was the oldest who came last year and also taught at two seminars. By referring to her as the "old lady" she was actually speaking of her with respect because age is honored here. Edith is 80 years old and is an example to all for the personal evangelism she has done. In Joshua 14:10-11, Caleb, age 85, says he is strong and wants to "take a mountain." This brings us to thinking about Cotton Box who arrived in Kisongo yesterday. Along with his wife, Beluah, and Dupree and Soneia Gallaway, he is here to evangelize! Speaking of "taking a mountain" this is something he will do tomorrow and has done on most of his trips over here. He goes up (way up) the mountain to a place called Kioga. We've heard many "interesting" stories about "adventures" on this mountain especially during the rainy season. So...Senior folks...it's no time for retirement in the Lord's kingdom. We need you...we need your guidance, your wisdom gained from the Scriptures and from life experience, your vision and your leadership. We appreciate all the older people who have contributed to the TZ 2000 Mission Work in such a vital way. 

Lindsey studied Genesis 5 with Teresia (new Christian) and separately with her sister, Rehema, a non-Christian. The study with Rehema centered around facts/information about the Bible. Sophia (a Christian and neighbor of Teresia's) also sat in on the study. Abigail has studied with Grace twice since our last report. Grace was the 15 year-old who Abigail taught and who wanted to become a Christian but her father would not allow it. The good news is that he is allowing Abigail to continue studying with her. Hopefully, when Grace is out of her Dad's household, she will become a Christian due to the good foundation she is receiving.

Trina was finally able to get an update on Rosemary. In order to talk with her she had to have a translator and due to the sensitive nature of the conversation, she could only speak with her through Paulina. Sadly, Trina learned that she still (after many, many weeks) does not have an answer concerning whether or not she has cancer. The clinic she went to has been very slow in getting her lab results. Then, she missed an appointment to discuss the results because she was scared the treatment they might suggest (or force upon her if her husband gave permission) might endanger her unborn baby (she is 5 months pregnant). When she goes back for a prenatal appointment this week, she promises me she will ask about the results of her lab work.

It's been said that "laughter is good for the soul." We agree. Our daughter, Candace, age 12, has given her permission to write about what she said about certain chores we offered to pay her for. Before we do, let’s just say that she is a hard worker and nearly always has a good attitude when asked to help with the 101 jobs we do everyday (for no pay). However, concerning more difficult jobs she had this to say one day: "I can't keep a job, have no motivation, but I'm broke and desperate for money!" She is saving money for a trip to Nairobi to meet her cousins in May. What made it so funny was that we thought of those words being written on a piece of cardboard being held by someone standing at an intersection. Of course, we know that some holding a sign saying, "will work for food" may truly have fallen on hard times and in need. But sometimes we wonder if the words of Candace would also be true for others.

The new quarter begins this week with Jimmy teaching Hebrews, Christopher Mwakabanje teaching Marriage and Family, Cy Stafford teaching the book of Job, Sean Hochdorf teaching Philippians and Philemon, and Anita Hochdorf teaching English and Writing. Lindsey plans to take Philippians and Philemon. Abigail and I are taking Hebrews. We said farewell to Gary Fallis this past Wednesday night. We are happy to report he made it home safely and we are thankful he came our way to teach a short course.

Thank you so very much for your continued and faithful support of our work. May God bless you for your sacrifices! 

Because He Lives,
The Jimmy Gee family

Another Student Added To The Kingdom...

Another CBS student baptized
AGNALA Essodiname was baptized on the 19th of March. This makes 12 out of the 15 students currently enrolled. We are confident that by the close of this year we shall have all the students as members of the Lord’s church.

CBS on vacation
Students of CBS started their Easter holidays on the 2nd of April and will resume classes on the 16th.

Student and staff assignment to local congregations
Dossa- Kpele beme
Cephas- Pentecost church now turned to the church of Christ: Daniel Abotsi-Kpadafe

The idea is to get these students to start a practical work in some of the local congregations assisting the preachers. 

Notse church needs help
Gabriel, one of the first graduates of CBS started a congregation in Notse where he has been working for the past three years. The congregation has an average attendance of 33 with more than half baptized. Gabriel has decided to return to Kpalime due to financial constraint. There is no trained person to handle this congregation in his absence. We need some help to sustain this work.

Doyle Kee plans to visit CBS
Doyle Kee is a missionary in Switzerland. He works among the French Speaking countries all over the world. He is going to be in Ghana in June working among the French people in the North Of Dzodze in the Volta Region. After the campaign he plans to teach for a week at CBS. We have decided to assign him to teach Teaching Methods.

CBS schedule from April 16th - June 30th subjects
1. Mark and Luke
2. General Epistle
3. Galatians - 2 Thessalonians 
4. Matthew
5. Teaching methods
6. Homiletics 2

Rent
Rent at the center has been paid up to date. It all came up to CFA 560.00 representing seven months. Now, we shall make a monthly payment of CFA 80.00 starting this April.

Nyiveme Church of Christ outgrows place of worship
The Nyiveme Church of Christ was established in 2005 and until 2011 has served as the home for CBS. It now has a membership of over 60 but its average attendance is 50. The congregation has outgrown its present place of worship and plans to relocate, but needs more chairs. The congregation will move in to use the classroom at CBS. This new place should take not less than 80 worshippers. This decision to move into a larger place will also create more space and, therefore, the motivation to evangelize. We are confident that by the close of 2012 the attendance will double.

Each plastic chair will cost $7.00 and we shall need 60 pieces. This will amount to $420.00

Willie Gley