Classes Begin In The Midst Of Turmoil...

Hello dear brothers, families and churches.

I'm happy to inform you that in the last month we managed to start a new congregation in Ternopil and organize the work of the Bible Institute. Thank you for your prayers.

The Church in Ternopil

In the middle of August we had our first church service at the place we rented. Before that we were doing some renovations and repairs at that place, painting the walls, buying the needed furniture and things. We often thought about our building in Gorlovka; everything was running smoothly there. It’s difficult to understand what exactly is going on with us, but life moves on, and souls are in need of salvation still. There were 11 people at our first service, and there were 15 people present at the second. Many of them are the refugees from Eastern Ukraine who previously were connected to the Institute. God continues blessing us. There are brethren at church (Bogdan Chigvintsev and Eugene Tebel), who are BVBIU graduates, and we'll take turns preaching at the church. In September we plan to start a program to work with kids, young people and families. Our sisters in Christ prepared a nice opening of Bible school for the kids. They bought all the necessary materials. It's difficult to predict the results, considering the fact that people in this area are speaking Ukrainian only, and for many people we represent eastern Ukraine (where military actions take place), besides they view us as strangers. People are tightly connected to the history and culture of their area and are very proud of their Ukrainian heritage. Nevertheless, we will do God's work here, and we want to find faithful people eager to study God's word.

Bible Institute

On September 1, we started the new school year. I witnessed yet again that the prayers of many of us are working. At the end of May, many people thought that we wouldn't be able to restructure and continue our work later this year. We have lost a lot indeed; many valuable and rare books stayed at the occupied building together with almost all office technique, TV for web- conferencing, furniture and many other things that help us to run the school smoothly. I was worried about the teachers from eastern Ukraine, that they wouldn't be able to travel to Ternopil. Also, it was difficult to find apartments for the students. Due to the recent military events, the landlords want to lend apartments mostly to the locals, besides prices are going up rapidly. But we have successfully started the school year, and we have three new students. We have 8 students in total in both classes. Teachers from all regions of Ukraine and from the US are willing to come and teach. I'm grateful for every faithful brother who supports our ministry and believes in the future of Ukraine and God's church in this country. It's always difficult to start from scratch, and Satan is actively working to prevent God’s work from being successful. Please keep us in your prayers. Your short letters provide a great inspiration for me to move forward. I’m grateful for your encouragement.

The situation in Ukraine is still tense. Military actions continue to take place in Gorlovka, but the school building isn't damaged yet.

The church in Ternopil and BVBIU send you their greetings and thanks for your support and constant prayers.

Your brother and co-worker for the Lord's cause, 
Dennis Sopelnik

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

Ten Souls Added To The Kingdom In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Love from your brothers and sisters here in Wotutu. We do hope you are doing fine and the family and the church are healthy.

God continues to bless us daily in all our endeavors. He is faithful. Our students finished their long courses exams and had a week of break to prepare for the short course book of Hebrews. Because of the one week space in our program, we decided to use three precious days in the week to evangelize the Down Beach, Limbe congregation, which is a new congregation.

When we arrived at the Down Beach congregation we were set for house to house evangelism with lots of tracts.

Down Beach is closer to the Atlantic ocean, and because of it location many will come and sit beside the sea to enjoy the sea breeze. One of our students, brother Ituka Godwin, was able to study the word with someone.

I was also part of the study, as we sat with someone who came to relax on the beach. We were there to study with him, helping him understand that the best relaxation is when you are in Christ.

At Down Beach, the Lord added brother Sappor and 7 other souls helping the young Down Beach congregation grow by 8 souls within 3 days. To God be the glory.

Brother Abena John and  one other obeyed the gospel in Wotutu, making a total of 10 souls who were added to the church within the week.

Raising thumbs up is a way of life in CBIW meaning we are not alone. God is always with His people. The CBIW family keeps growing from strength to strength. The students stood on the stair case that leads to their new dormitories. By the way, CBIW students are in their new dormitories. No more renting. God bless all those who made this happen. Only God will reward them.

Elder Randy Martin arrived in Cameroon safe and he is in CBIW to teach a short course on the book of Hebrews. He is part of the overseeing eldership of CBIW. We are happy to welcome him here, as he made a speech expressing appreciation to the Wotutu congregation.

Our prison ministry is working well, as we keep reaching out to many inside the central prison in Buea. Today, elder Randy was with us in a cross section of the 56 worshippers today. The brethren are still in need of clothes and slippers. We took food, oil and kerosene to help them.

A brother said he will be released on Wednesday. He will come down to Wotutu and we shall take him to his village and connect him with the church of Christ there.

Another day of sharing love from our congregation, as sisters from the Dibanda Mile 14 congregation prepared food at home and traveled to Wotutu to visit the students of CBIW. They shared food with lots of nice smiles. Keep this congregation in your prayers.

Our students ate with smiles praising God for this gesture. It was a time to sing and share with one another, love in action.

Plans
1) We are looking forward to the Lebialem mission in November to establish a new congregation. Keep this work in your prayers as this area is predominantly Roman Catholic.

2) In the same month we shall make a long trip to Mamfe also for the annual Bible lectureship in Cameroon, if means are available to transport all our students there for mass house to house evangelism.

3) After the short course, students will travel for campaigns in different locations.

Appreciations
God bless you, as we thank you for all that you are doing for the work here. We give glory to God for you. Keep up the great work. God alone will reward you all. Do your best to share this report with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

Visiting Instructor Not Hindered By The Weather...

Warm greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the grace of God, love and peace always be with you.

I am always happy to write about some of our present activities to our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. It is my duty to inform what things are happening with us. It gives us encouragement in the Lord's work, but I am always late to send a report. Please understand me.

We were blessed and encouraged to have brother Jerry Bates and sister Paula Bates during the month of August, 2014 for seven days. Brother Jerry Bates is one of the staff members of the extension program with the BVBID and associate editor of "The Voice of Truth International." He is from Winona, Mississippi.  He arrived at Kathmandu on the 16th of August and left Nepal on the 23rd of August. 

According to our first plan, we were to visit out of Kathmandu for three days. But we couldn't go for the first three days because of heavy rain, a land slide and road block. Then we had decided to have three days of Bible study at Kathmandu valley. We had good classes from the 16th -18th of August at three or four different congregations at Kathmandu. Brother Jerry gave lessons from Romans and other topics. We had a Bible seminar from the 19th-22nd of August, 2014. We invited more than 25 preachers and our graduated students. Because of rain and the land slide, only 14 preachers were able to attend our classes. We had a total of 35 people in our men's classes. But also attending were people who enjoyed and learned many lessons from his classes. There were women's classes during those four days classes. I believe sisters were encouraged by Paula's teaching.

During his visit, we had opportunity to talk with brother Jerry about "The Voice of Truth International." We had requested him to print the material in the Nepali language. He gave us permission to print in our Nepali language. Thank you so much.

Thank you all of our support, help, encouragement and suggestions.

Servant of Christ

Gajendra Deshar
Director of NCBS
Kathmandu, Nepal

Extending The Program In Nigeria...

Beloved, 

Greetings from staff and students of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE) Ibadan and Lagos campuses.

The SWSE, Ibadan opened another campus on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at Ikorodu town, Lagos state, with ten brothers and one of our former instructors at Agege (brother Babatunde David Apata) and two of the SWSE 2008 graduates with BSC degree (brother Mfon Etim & brother Okoro Chinyere) who will be in charge of the program while brother Abiola Joseph Olusoji, one of Ibadan main campus' instructors, will be supervisory instructor.

I taught on August 24 and 31 at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation on “Correcting One Another” and “Speaking Rightly to One Another.”

At the campus church, brother Ikechukwu Eze taught on “Paul's Charge to the Colossians” on August 24, while brother Isaac Philip taught on “The Lord is my Shepherd” on August 31 and all our year 2 students actively participated in their respective congregations.

Concerning the teaching program at SWSE Ibadan main campus...... The following are the instructors for this first semester classes:

1. I (brother Makinde) will handle the Fundamentals of the Faith, Teach with Success, Ministerial Counseling, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

2. Brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe is handling  2 Corinthians, The Pentateuch, and OT & NT Survey 

3. Brother Olaniyan Isaac is handling Wisdom Literatures, LOC - 1& Evangelism 1.

4. Brother Abiola Joseph Olusoji is handling Church Problems & Biblical Eschatological, while our campus minister and one of the recents graduates with the BVBI certificate named brother Abraham Idu Yeje is handling the NT Church 1 and Scheme of Redemption.

Our WBS team just recruited over  200 prospects for those willing to study Bible with teachers overseas and we shall be posting their introduction lessons to WBSTC California next week.

Brethren, we are still appealing to you all for your financial backing and we wish those who are willing to assist us to kindly send his or her contribution to brother Doug Wheeler or brother Steven Ashcraft or brother Bob Turner in order for us to have the funds to run this 2014/2015 session.

Thanks for your love and partnership.

Your co-laborer in Christ,

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

One Power-Packed Weekend...

The annual staff retreat is one special weekend. We all returned to Denver Sunday afternoon and several are already on their way home. Our time together was well spent. We laughed and cried together. We also grew closer in fellowship. This weekend is always a “shot-in-the-arm” for everyone who is able to attend, and this year we experienced the largest gathering in the history of the retreat. We were blessed to hear from men who are associated in one way or another with every school in the program where we are working together around the world.

When the retreat ends and we all return home, there is such a feeling excitement. We receive encouragement, we plan, we discuss various angles of the work, and we strive to leave with a sense of God’s power at work through each of us. The most common thread throughout the few days we are together is the truth that the entire program is not about any one of us. This program we are privileged to share in is for the glory of God. He is the reason we do what we do.

We pray that the beauty of this weekend is something we can bring to the entire program as we expand the development of the work around the world. We want each location to share in the same encouragement and excitement of knowing the ways God blesses each area of the work. We hope everyone shares the same joy for the opportunity of serving in the task of training others to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus.

Reports this week also share news of how God is blessing the proclamation of the Gospel. We are thankful to be fellow-workers with these men and the sacrifices they make to help others see the power of God’s word.

Now on to the other 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/

To read the latest report from Donnie Bates, please click here.

Extension Reports 

Weekend Evangelism Experiences Challenges In Cameroon: As the students participate in door-to-door evangelism, at times the weather introduces several difficulties.

The First Graduating Class In Kenya: After two years of diligent studies, thirteen men were honored with diplomas for their completion of the program at the KSOP.

An Interesting Twist To The Ice-Bucket Challenge: The Gaines’ family provided everyone a challenge that will truly improve the quality of life for Tanzanians.

Final Thoughts 
To say “thank you” is inadequate to express our level of appreciation. We want to thank each of the individuals who came to share in the retreat, especially those who worked so hard to prepare food for the weekend. We also want to thank each of you for sharing with us in this work. We only wish it were possible for all of you to hear the same reports and enjoy the fellowship of this type of event. We love you and want you to know what a great blessing you are to us and the work.

God bless
Bob

Weekend Evangelism Experiences Challenges In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from Cameroon. We do hope you are doing great and God is blessing all your  endeavors. God still sits on the throne and He continues to watch over us and bless us.

Last week in CBIW was a busy one as the students were involved in the writing of their exams for the 7th quarter. They are left with one more quarter to graduate. Keep them in your prayers.

As I am writing this report, I just arrived less than 15 minutes from weekend evangelism with some students at our campus.

The weekend evangelism was great, but with lots of difficulties from the road network this season.

One student, Enow Elvis, and I went to Koba. We had many stops where we waited because of the bad roads. We left school on Friday afternoon, but could not get to our destination because of bad roads. We left another village before getting to Koba the next day with our mission printing tracts.

We made it safe to Koba village and started house to house evangelism, reaching out to many. We spent time with a polygamist who confessed to us that he has seen the truth and he loves the doctrine and the way we are talking, but he is not ready to leave one of his wives for us to baptize him. We left him with God to figure it out. We said he needed to repent from his errors and we handed a tract to him about polygamy. Please keep the man in your prayers as our students will be there after the short course for a campaign. Maybe God will help open his eyes some more.

After our safe arrival, it was not easy to walk from one street to another in Koba village, as the road was bad.

Brother Odine lives 15 miles away from Koba where we were working. He was baptized and we are starting a congregation in his house. He invited his family and they came. A total of 4 souls were added into the body in a village call Wone. Our student, upon graduation, will be working in Koba and  many nearby villages. We shall be there in the months ahead for evangelism.

The prison ministry keeps growing as the number of those who want to study with us keeps increasing. More clothes and food were given to our brethren again today.

Our weekend at other congregations is working well, while we have more studies with those who are eager to get the truth. Dikome is growing daily as many desire to see how they can also stand and handle the word with boldness.

Plans
We have many more  invitations coming to us from brethren who are seeking that a congregation be planted in their communities, mostly those who are not in their home town. We are invited to go to Lebialem, an area which is highly dominated by the Roman Catholics. A sister in Buea is praying that we move there in November with all the students for mass evangelism. Mamfe congregation is also inviting us for the last week in November for evangelism. Keep praying that we have the means to transport all students and staff for this work.

Appreciations
God bless you for all that you are doing here for the work. We thank you for your kindness and a ready heart to share with us in this great commission. God alone will reward you.

Do your best to share this report with others. Keep me and some of the students in your prayers. We are so tired from the trip, as we have few days to refresh ourselves and start a short course on the book of Hebrews with elder Randy. Please keep him in your prayers as he will make his way here this weekend.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

The First Graduating Class In Kenya...

It was all pomp and color as one by one people began trickle to the venue of the first graduation ceremony of Kenya School of preaching. The journey of training men to be preachers that began in October 1st 2012 came to an end with the conferment of diplomas on August 23rd 2014. Despite the limited space of 150 at the graduation venue, multitude of families, relatives and friends of graduates and KSOP defied capacity advice and arrived as early as 7:30 am to witness and congratulate their loved ones. Over 250 attended the ceremony. 

We began the training with 20 men from different parts of Kenya to be preachers and like in any other journey, 7 fell off along the way because the going got tough and they could not withstand the heat. During the two years the 13 men received the best training from qualified faculty who instructed them on 56 courses both textual and topical. Besides the 56 courses was a class on basic computer knowledge. The graduates learned how to become better students of God’s word, how to dig deeper, and how to think critically and now the things they believe they believe them more deeply and firmly.

August 23rd marked the culmination of two years of intense study for the 13 graduates who I had the pleasure to handover to Dr. Mike Reese the KSOP Coordinator and Professor at Amridge University USA who had the full authority to rightfully confer diplomas to the worthy and deserving graduates.

Dr. Mike Reese stirred the crowd when he gave each graduate a literal mango fruit with the piece of advice to either choose to eat the fruit and throw the seed or eat the fruit and plant the seed for more mangos, very practical illustration in Africa.

Each graduate was presented with NKJV study bible and another bible in one’s native language. To make mobility to preach the gospel easier, each graduate was also presented with a new bicycle. Truly much was being given to them and much shall be required of them.

Thanks to Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver Colorado for accepting our request for an extension school in Kenya with the aim of training men in their own culture to reach their own people. This is a realization of what Paul told the young evangelist Timothy in 2Tim 2:2, “…the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

We also acknowledge and thank the loyal assistance and generosity of Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ, Rock Hill SC which serves as the sponsoring congregation and the other many loyal supporters who make this work possible through their prayers, material and financial contributions. We thank the leadership of Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver Colorado and the elders of Bear Valley Church of Christ for the guidance and leadership in this great work. It has been a blessing working with you all.

We appreciate Dr. Reese for his leadership, making sure we get qualified short course teachers from USA and coming to Kenya twice annually to teach. Keep on keeping on. 

We also give special thanks to all the short course teachers from USA and Kenya who made this day a success by coming to teach periodically, Mike Rowand, Bob Turner, Cy Stafford, Dr. Denny Petrillo, Ralph Williams and Wayne Burger. Blessings!

We already have 39 applications from prospective students requesting for a place in the second intake (Beta Class). The KSOP faculty with the local preachers around will go through the applications and invite 20 if they qualify for the class beginning October 6th, 2014.

We request that you keep on praying and assisting the work to enable us keep training more faithful men. Thanks again and God bless you all.

With brotherly love and joy.

Charles Ogutu
KSOP - Director

An Interesting Twist To The Ice-Bucket Challenge...

We live in a place where scenes like that above are common place. Don't get the wrong impression. Everyone doesn't live like this, but there are plenty that do. We were recently challenged to accept the Ice-Bucket Challenge. We obliged, but added out own twist. In light of the fact that clean water is a precious commodity here, we chose to use dirty water for the challenge. Then we donated a large container of drinking water to each of the families at the Ilkiurei church on Wednesday evening... NONE of whom even have running water at home, much less clean water. With the heavy load of water, we gave everyone a ride home. (Not to neglect ALS, we completed the challenge with a small donation to pro-life ALS research at the Mayo clinic.) 

Romans Class
This quarter at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching, I have the pleasure of teaching the book of Romans. It is a challenging and rewarding study as we wrestle with the roles that law, grace, faith, and obedience play in the scheme of salvation. Romans 3:23 reminds us that sin is a universal problem that every person must deal with. Meanwhile, Romans 1:16 lets us know that the gospel is the power of God until salvation for everyone who believe. What a wondrous and precious thing the gospel is! What a privilege to be able to preach it, and to teach others who will preach as well!

The One-Cup Issue
This month I have been teaching a special series on the Parables of Jesus at the Arusha congregation.  However, for the last Sunday of the month, they asked me to deal with a specific "hot topic." The brothers that bind the belief that the Lord's supper must be taken with a single cup shared by the whole congregation have caused a good bit of division in some parts of the country. They have recently begun to make a little noise here in this area as well. So as a preemptive measure, the brethren wanted to study the issue clearly. It was well-received, and we will continue to prize very highly the unity of the brotherhood. 

School Party
Our friend and sister in Christ invited us to attend a large celebration at her child's school. We love opportunities like this to experience the local culture and to show ourselves to be members of the community. We couldn't stay for the whole event (it was an all-day production), but enjoyed what we did witness. The children showed off a program that they had prepared and school officials made speeches. Of course it was all followed up by an African feast.  

It is important to be seen in the community. Taking an interest in local activities is not only enjoyable, but it also opens up opportunities for the Gospel. People appreciate when interest is shown in their lives, and a rapport is built. We try our best to be mindful of who we represent at all times, after all we don't exactly blend in around here. Anything we do in public might create an opportunity or a barrier.  

You may not stand out from your community as readily as we do, but the same is true of your public behavior. Do all in the name of the Lord.

Daniel Gaines

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

Kicking Off 50 Years Of Training Preachers...

The week ahead is a very special week for the staff in Denver and the extension program. Next weekend most staff will make their way to Denver for our annual retreat. This is such a wonderful time of fellowship. We enjoy hearing reports about the work in each of the locations where we are partnering with great brethren in the program. Each evening we hear lessons that are structured around a theme to encourage us in God’s word. We sing together, laugh together, cry together, and come away with a better understanding of God’s greatness and blessing in our lives.

Since this is the introduction to the 50th year of the Bear Valley Bible Institute’s training of preachers, this retreat is even more special as we kick off this great celebration of achievement. God continues to bless the work in Denver and the opportunities to expand this work in seventeen locations around the world. Working together in the task of sharing the gospel is reaching new heights and we are thankful to have a part in it.

The various reports demonstrate the ways God continues to work in and through each of the students who are involved. They are prepared to teach the word and they go out with the message to the people where they live. The message is being heard and people are responding to it. This is what the extension program is all about.

We ask you to be praying for those who are traveling this week to share in this event. We also ask you to pray for each of the schools and the incredible work they are doing “day in and day out.” These are the true spiritual warriors that keep all of us excited about the work. God continues to give the increase as we work side by side in His kingdom. 

Now on to the other reports...

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

Extension Reports 

Reaching Out To Those In A Cameroon Prison: After being detained without cause, one of the CBIW students began a congregation in prison and now it is flourishing.

Three Days Of Mass Evangelism: Students at the Southwest School of Evangelism were involved in a mass evangelism campaign and God gave the increase.

The Kisongo Church Is Blessed For Several Reasons: The Kisongo congregation meets behind the ACSOP and there are several reasons why they are blessed to be there.

Restoring The Unfaithful To The Lord: Students at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching (ACSOP) have been reaching out to those unfaithful to the Lord.

Final Thoughts 
A final word of thanks to each of you for your participation in one of the greatest works on earth. The partnerships that have come together to make this work possible is encouraging and exciting. By our working together, God will continue to bless our effort to His glory and the growth of His kingdom. Thank you.

God bless
Bob

Restoring The Unfaithful To The Lord...

Dear brethren,

It is my hope that you are all doing very well in your service to our Lord. All is well in Arusha and we are very busy at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Currently, I am proofing the translation of Growing in Christ. I have been translating this material into Swahili over the past several weeks.

For the past two weeks I have benefited greatly from instruction given by Jerry Bates in our ACSOP graduate classes. He has done a great job teaching Advanced Hermeneutics and New Testament Criticism. We have covered so much material that is new and helpful to me. I can’t wait to share it with other brethren.

Over the past several days, Isaac Kusupa, and I have been visiting a number of backsliding members of the Arusha congregation. One such visit was with our brother John Mpapa and his family. John has not been to services since 2010. We spent a great deal of time studying Luke 15 and explaining to John how much God loves him and that He is always anxious to accept His children back when they repent. We thank God that John came to bible class on Wednesday night and repented before the congregation. The whole church welcomed him with open arms and rejoiced at his return to the Lord. Please pray for him and his family that they will stay faithful.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers on behalf of the work in Tanzania. We pray God continues to bless you as you labor daily in His kingdom.

In Christ,

Godfrey Mngoma
Student Dean-ACSOP

The Kisongo Church Is Blessed For Several Reasons...

Dear brethren,

I hope this report finds you doing well. I thank God for all who are seeking first the kingdom and supporting Tanzania Missions. Your dedication to the task given to us by the Lord is heartwarming and greatly encourages us.

The Lord’s church in Kisongo (located at the back of the ACSOP campus) has been abundantly blessed this month and we have enjoyed some significant spiritual growth. With our close proximity to ACSOP we are fortunate to be blessed by:

1.    A large number of the student body while they attend ACSOP.

2.    The many talented instructors, from all over the world, who teach at ACSOP and in turn, preach and teach at Kisongo. 

3.    Our well planned, local outreach. The Kisongo congregation is very diligent in seeking out the lost and encouraging the weak. Members are also active in attending conferences, campaigns and seminars – anything that will help them grow.

4.    The work and advice provided by the Tanzania Missions missionary team.

We had the privilege of hosting the East Africa gospel meeting August 4-10. This annual meeting rotates countries each year. We had many brethren, and ACSOP graduates, from all over East Africa attend. The meeting was a great blessing! Each day we would enjoy sermons in the morning and then we spent the afternoon doing door-to-door evangelism. This effort resulted in 90 new souls hearing the gospel and 5 being added to the Lord’s kingdom. We solicit your prayers as we work hard to follow up and that God will open more doors.

May God continue to bless you where you are laboring for Him.

In Christ,

Ahimidiwe Kimaro
ACSOP, Assistant Director

Three Days Of Mass Evangelism...

Beloved in Christ,

Greetings in Jesus name. As usual, we visited members of the church at Onikokoro / Gbongudu, Ibadan and evangelized our community on Sunday between 9:45 am & 11:30 am.

The three days mass evangelism organized by Lagos ministers at Mary Land, Lagos state witnessed the presence of the WBS team in Lagos & Ogun states and staff and students of SWSE, Lagos campus. The SWSE crew was led by brother Abiola Joseph Olusoji. The three days mass evangelism and open air Bible lectureship resulted in four conversions, many prospects and planting of the Lord's church in that part of Lagos state.

To God be the glory, one of the SWSE graduates in year 2008, named brother Matthew Odey, was appointed as the evangelist of that new congregation along with another brother to work for the Lord.

At the campus church in SWSE Ibadan, brother Olofingorite Adetunji Mayowa taught on “Spiritual Blessings” while another student, named brother Eze Ikechukwu Collins, admonished on “The Efficacy of the Word of God.”  

Brethren, we are now preparing seriously for the successful hosting of this year’s annual Bible Lectureship on August 21-23, 2014.

Thanks for your partnership. May the Lord keep on using you all for His glory in Jesus Christ name, amen.

Yours in Him

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

Reaching Out To Those In A Cameroon Prison...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ here in Wotutu. We thank God we are able to say hello with lots of peace in our hearts.

We do hope this report finds you in good health.

Our week in the Wotutu congregation and in CBIW went on well. We are thanking God that the climate is not too disturbing again in the health of many people. Keep your prayers going to God.

CBIW students wind up their 7th semester lectures and will start long course exams starting tomorrow the 25th of August  2014. Keep them in your prayers as they continue to grow and prepare themselves for full time ministry after their graduation this December.

We received a paper as authorization that the government of Cameroon gave to us through the central prison in Buea. This gives us access to the main yard to reach out to the inmates with the gospel message. The government has made a law that visitors should not take pictures inside the prison yard, that is why I don’t have pictures for the work today. But one officer will take pictures if we need it and sell it to us as we need it.

I left school with 4 students and one member of the Wotutu congregation for our maiden worship with the congregation. Brother Vincent established the church there while he was detained from no crime. We met 23 men in the congregation because women are not allowed where the men are. We are authorized to spend one and a half hours in the yard, but because we met an officer that loved the tract I gave him last time, he allowed us inside the yard before our time. We spent time sharing tracts that we took from Mission Printing and invited some to come and worship with us. This prison ministry will do good to many there. Today, a total of 87 people came and worshipped with us, but records show that they are almost 900 inmates, meaning this is almost the same as a smaller village, so we need to pray and penetrate the hearts of many with the gospel message. They are very receptive. From the 87 that came and worship with us, 8 obeyed the gospel. It was amazing for me to see it and I shed tears, as many in that type of deplorable condition love the gospel and appreciate us for thinking about them. We took clothes, shoes, and some food to them. We shall make it to always send food as we are going there twice a week,Wednesdays and Sundays, as we give spiritual food to them. It will be good for us to give them physical food to give them strength to sit up and worship and get the message. Keep this work in your prayers. Many may be innocent from the allegations levied against them.

The students have been involved in practical ministerial counseling. On belief therapy, I taught them how to welcome people in their office and listen to them and keep what is secret, secret as a minister.

During the week, the Lord added sister Caroline Ijang. Keep her in your prayers as she grows. She is wise enough to read and to ask questions. She came right into my office to get clarification about the Church of Christ and the way they worship. “The Churches of Christ - Who are These People,” what a great tract. I gave it to her to read. It is on my table and I study with many in my office and give them to further study to come back with questions, if any.

I gave her a copy of the Bible to study more. We are in need of more Bibles, as many, even those in prison, asked me for Bibles, “that in our quite time, the best companion will be the Bible, so we might read more about God.” As they read the tracts, they will need to cross check from the Bible. Please, many need Bibles there in that growing congregation inside the prison.

Plans
1) We shall be going to the prison twice weekly. We need your prayers and support of those inside there Mt. 25:31-39. Food stuff is their greatest need.

2) I will be in Koba with a student this weekend to do evangelism in other villages near to Koba. Our other mission work areas are getting on well. Two souls were added also to the congregation at Mile 16. The worship today was great as the student evangelist reported the growth. A total of 11 souls were added to the Lord's body in 3 locations this week.

Appreciation
God bless you for all that you are doing for the work here. God will reward you as you continue to stand with us mostly as we start this new ministry in prison. God bless you for your prayers and support. Share with others our report, Pro. 11:30.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

Seeking And Saving The Lost Through Extension Training...

“To seek and save the lost” was the very purpose for Jesus coming, and must be the very heartbeat of the Christian walk today. Based on this direction, Paul further expounds by instructing Timothy to take the things that he had heard and entrust them to the faithful who would teach others. From these two passages, the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver serves in training men to preach the Gospel.

Working with others in the Extension program elevates this work even further. Consider the power of hundreds of men who, during and after their training, take the gospel of Jesus in various locations around the world. The multiplied efforts of these men exemplifies the incredible way God uses the power of the message preached to save those who believe. We are honored and privileged to work with them for the cause of the kingdom.

We are thankful for the opportunity to work in each location and to read weekly about the growth and development of the Lord’s church. This week is no exception, as the schools reporting continue to share news about the increase God is giving to the planting and watering of the Gospel. 

Now on to the other 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 

God Is Doing Great Things In Cameroon: The students near graduation, but between now and then they are seeing the power of God working through the growth of the church.

Souls Are Added And The Message Is Expanding: The work in Togo witnesses the new birth of several and the message is reaching out in greater ways through radio.

Triple Play From SIBS, And Worth The Read: This report catches us up on the news from the Southern Institute of Biblical Studies in Nsawam-Dobro in Ghana.

God Is Glorified With Souls Added To The Kingdom: The news from Nigeria is exciting and powerful as God gave the increase to the work bringing souls into the kingdom.

Meeting The Need In Extreme Poverty: The challenges facing the poor in Tanzania touch the hearts of all who experience the situation and help was provided.

Final Thoughts 
Closing out the report this week, we express our gratitude to each of you for the ways you continue to provide for the needs of this program. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a tool in the hands of God to fulfill the Great Commission on a global scale, and we appreciate your willingness to be a fellow-worker in this effort. May God be glorified in our united efforts to train others to preach the Gospel.

God bless
Bob

God Is Doing Great Things In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings and peace from your brothers and sisters over here in Wotutu, Cameroon in Africa. We do hope you are all doing fine over there. Our God is good. We are moving ahead with life here. God continues to help many from their health issues. Keep praying for us.

God is great and He has done another great thing for us, with the prison administrator of Buea central prison, where one of our students was jailed for no crime that he committed. God has used that circumstance to trigger our vision to move to the prison, that while in prison he baptized souls there several times last week and the government has given us the authorization to have access to the prison to reach out the gospel to the in mates. Keep praying for us as we answer this Divine call, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” We shall start the prison ministry this coming Sunday.

Last week was characterized with lots of blessings as students started making preparations for their exams.

After worship we went house to house sharing the good news and leaving behind tracts. This will help the readers and they will call our numbers for any doubt and further studies.

Our youth are having a class now to learn more about their involvement in Christ. We are empowering the youth, so that the future of the church is assured.

God is blessing our newly established congregations. The Batoke congregation, which was established less than six months, keeps growing as a student goes there on a weekly basis to nurture and keep the congregation going. This is also helping our students get a real picture of what it will take for them to be in the field full time.

We have a lady here that is the Tabith of our time. She is doing a lot of work in the church and the students in the Bible college. She just moved to Wotutu from another congregation. Keep her in your prayers that God will give her the desires of her heart.

Sister Vero invited all the students and some leaders of the Wotutu congregation for a lunch. It was hectic as she prepares fufu and vegetables. What a sister, as she spoke with tears that she is overjoyed with the brothers who have abandoned many things in life to preach the gospel. I was happy that some people value us because we preach the message of God.

She thrilled the students with juice and vegetable salad. It was great for us to enjoy fellowship with her in songs and prayers. God will replenish for her.

It was an opportunity for me and my wife to be part of it. Wow, it was great for my wife to be part and see how our work is valued by some people. God is good.

This week, sister Marceline obeyed the gospel in Wotutu. She is a visitor in Wotutu and she can listen to us every morning, so she came and visited to our congregation for the past four weeks. She has been regular with our programs. Keep her in your prayers as her husband watches her grow in Christ.

After the baptism of sister Marceline Ashu, the husband said, “let her go first that one day maybe he will follow. Please keep her in your prayers. Many will face persecution from family members when they obey the gospel, but her husband is watching and I know as we continue to visit them and show them love, he will respond.

Plans
1) We shall start the prison ministry this coming Sunday. Please keep this new work in your prayers.

2 We are still searching for a house to rent for the congregation in Isokolo so the church can start worshiping.

Appreciations
God will continue to bless you for all that you do. Thanks for your prayers and deep love shown to us and the work here. God will bless you and reward you for all the endeavors . Do your best to share this with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director CBIW

Meeting The Need In Extreme Poverty...

Extreme poverty is a part of life here. We are surrounded by it on many levels and many fronts. Recently we became aware of a sister in Christ whose already impoverished situation had taken a turn for the worse. Her husband abandoned her, leaving her with no source of income and 4 children to care for. That includes twins that are still nursing.  

Without income she was unable to pay rent and lost her very humble home. Her church family is helping her in various ways, and she has a roof over her head, but that's about it - a roof, four dirt walls, and a dirt floor. When we visited her, we were very saddened to see that there was not a single piece of furniture in her home. All five of them were sleeping on a palate on the dirt floor. It is winter here and it does actually get pretty chilly at night.  

We couldn't stomach seeing our sister live this way. Some kind and concerned brethren in America provided funds to buy her a bed. Given the lack of space, we decided that a bunk bed was the best way to get this family off the ground. Our brother and expert handyman, Elly Martin agreed to build and deliver the bed. 

Like many others in the community, this poor sister still faces many hardships. At least now she and her babies now have a place to lay their heads at night.

It is such a blessing to be a part of the family of God. Keep taking care of each other. Keep loving each other. Keep being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Conducting personal Bible studies might be my very favorite part of my job. Walking an eager student through the Bible's teachings about God's love for them and His will for their lives is a great joy. People are often willing to stop whatever they are doing and study. One lady always receives us eagerly. On this occasion she was doing her very best to listen and participate while controlling her 3 small children. No stranger to this struggle myself, we read the situation and made the study brief. However, eager to learn she still wants us to continue coming to study.

Daniel

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

God Is Glorified With Souls Added To The Kingdom...

Beloved in Christ Jesus, 

Greetings from staff and students of the Southwest School of Evangelism, Nigeria.

The students started their return from a month of teaching practice last Monday afternoon and we hope to have a full house by Wednesday.

Nevertheless, the report reaching the school from the thirty three students shows that twenty-four souls were added to the Lord's church and thirty-five restored by their joint efforts with the brethren of the congregations where they served for a month. To God be the Glory!

Brethren, we are preparing for the hosting of our 12th annual Bible Lectureship / Graduation that by God's grace will come up between August 21-23, 2014 at SWSE permanent site. Between 300 and 400 brethren are expected from Southern states of Nigeria and central North.

We humbly request for your continuous prayer.

Thanks for your love and care. Remain blessed. 

Sincerely yours in Christ,

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

Triple Play From SIBS, And Worth The Read...

May, 2014

Staff and Students
During this period, one outstanding issue that was noteworthy and needed commendation was the spirit and zeal of our teaching staff. All the instructors, but our English teacher, who had just enrolled in his Master’s program, showed such great dedication in the discharge of their respective roles. Our instructors travel each week from far and near to teach their classes. Some of them travel as far as about 220 kilometers away, from Takoradi to the school. The wonderful harmony that existed between the instructors and students at the campus was wonderful.

Besides two students, Francis Mbugri and Roger Osei, who were having some personal challenges which affected their attendance, the rest of the students were punctual. Besides our twelve regular male students, Angela, the only female student, continued to attend classes for audit purposes.

Groundwork At Dobro Township
(SIBS) campaign week gave our students and some of the teachers the opportunity to undertake a vigorous but spontaneous open air preaching at Dobro township with the intention of beginning the Lord’s church at least from the campus in the meantime. This was like a “presence evangelism,” which certainly would be followed with proclamation and total evangelization of Dobro.

Due to frequent power cuts, the need for a generator set could not be over-emphasized. This is to help with students studies when the lights go out, and to protect students from dangerous reptiles and intruders sneaking into the compound.

June, 2014

The month of June was a memorable one for us at [SIBS]. Brethren met to worship the Lord for the first time at the school campus, which is a separated area from the main township of Dobro.

Campus Church Starts
The area house to house evangelism, coupled with the distribution of gospel tracts and literature, has been productive. Some members of the Lord’s church living in the area where (SIBS) is located were reached. There were also others who occasionally attended worship services far away in town from where they had relocated, or were not attending at all at this point in time. On average, we had twenty-seven meeting each Sunday, comprising nineteen adults and seven children. We plan to extend the campaign here to the main township of Dobro where natives and residents will have the opportunity to hear the gospel.

All students were present for classes this time, which was a great encouragement to the campus church. Some of them were assigned to worship with the campus church, while the rest were distributed to worship with nearby congregations around us.

Visiting Instructor
It was indeed a privilege to have brother Jerry Bates from Truth For Today, visiting to teach the course on Leadership during the first short-course period in our second quarter. Undoubtedly, the students learned new lessons on Christian leadership, focusing especially on the virtues of humility and service. The students’ general observation was that the class provided them with very useful insights on Christian leadership.

To arrest the problem of the constant electricity supply cuts, we have been fortunate enough to be able to purchase a generator to help with the students study and other electricity needs.

July, 2014

Students’ Concerns
The end of July also marked a successful end of our second quarter on our school schedule. All the students, having been tested on the courses taught them during the period, came out with encouraging grades. Concerning the course content of [SIBS], some were of the view that, this could be higher than a certificate level course, and even merits a diploma. Another cause for concern is that, most of the preaching schools in the country are diploma awarding institutions after completion of the course. Accordingly, most churches now emphasize the diploma as a requirement for the qualification for preacher employment. The students pondered if the [SIBS] governing board would consider their viewpoint.

Short Course
As usual, in the middle of the quarter comes a two week short-course. Kojo Acquah Beenyi taught the second part of the short-course on: The New Testament Church. This again gave most of the students, the opportunity to appreciate the biblical teaching on: the one true church in the eternal purpose of God for man. There was a great sense of fulfillment in them, as they realized they are being sufficiently equipped to preach the truth of God’s word.

Campus Church Makes Steady Progress
The Lord’s church, established on the campus, continues to make steady growth. Attendance has gone from fifteen to twenty-four adults. Since the church here is about four kilometers away from the main township of Dobro, we have decided to organize a campaign in September, hoping to establish the church here, where the campus church will be moved to the main town. One major reason for this move is to make the church accessible to the local people. We have already looked for a meeting place in one of the public schools in town for a meeting place.

Please remember [SIBS] and the beginning mission efforts always in your thoughts and prayers.

Seth Osae-Larbi

Souls Are Added And The Message Is Expanding...

Eight Souls Added to Tsame Church of Christ
David Potcholo continues to share his new found faith with the group he is studying with. In my recent report, I mentioned that he had a large following when he was in the denomination. David apparently had established five congregations as a “pastor” prior to enrolling at CBS. Now, David is in the process converting all his followers to the church of Christ. Though this is an awesome task, he is determined to continue until the last person is baptized.

Campaign planning session with preachers
I met with some of the area preachers to plan our maiden campaign with the Chariot. This was necessary to get the maximum participation by all preachers. At this meeting, we came up with the theme, topics, and speakers. We then met with the ladies about the cost of feeding the personnel during the campaign. Certain responsibilities were also assigned to preachers and church members.

Numetukorji Campaign, July 24-26
The Chariot was engaged in it’s maiden campaign for Christ. The goal of this campaign was to test the equipment in a campaign setting for the first time. Though the weather did not permit us to do the open air preaching, we used the sitting compartment as a studio from which the speaker preached. Since we had a PA system installed in the vehicle we were able to reach those in the community. There is a follow up into the the homes each morning for personal Bible studies. We mounted a booth where tracts were displayed and distributed. We had people approaching us with questions about the messages they heard. There were twenty preachers and students present to assist.

Worship at Nyiveme church of Christ
I had the opportunity to encourage my brethren at the Nyiveme church of Christ after the campaign.The text was Acts 2:41- 47 and the lesson was titled “They that believed were together.” The goal of the lesson was to get the church to understand that the early Christians were together in faith, devotion, reverence, benevolence, and growth. The attendance during worship was 56.

Gospel Chariot Dedicated to God
As part of preparations for the maiden campaign, church leaders and elders from Lome were invited to a brief dedicatory ceremony. We invited all these leaders to join in thanking God for providing this tool through brother George Funk and also to commit the bus and all of it’s activities into the hands of God. There was singing, praying, and fellowship meal to thank God for the great things he has done for Togo. The leaders later had a meeting to discuss how they can cooperate in using the Chariot to win Togo for Christ.

Hanyigba Church is bereaved
Akli Koffi, the father of Jean Akli, was the Hanyigba preacher. Akli Koffi was a witch doctor and most feared man in the region of Kloto. He was well respected among his peers because of the powers he possessed. Akli Koffi at a point in his life started listening to our radio programs and visiting the small church in Hanyigba. Little did he know that his powers were being neutralized by the Spirit of God. It was big news in Kpalime when the association of witch doctors heard that Akli Koffi gave up all his powers in order to become a Christian. This was a great source of encouragement to members of the church.

Unfortunately, Akli Koffi spent only a few months in Christ and died. There were several who came to the burial not to mourn, but to verify the death of this great witch doctor. Most people could not believe that truly Akli Koffi is gone. At a point I understood his friends were afraid that all the men who officiated the burial ceremony would die within a matter of days. Most of the people who came vowed that if nothing evil happens to the church within six months, they will become members of the church of Christ. We are waiting for them.

Willie at Radio Planet FM 95.3
On Sunday night there was a presentation by me on Radio Planet on the subject of “The second coming of Christ.” The program started at 6:00 pm and was supposed to end at 7:00, pm but we had to pay for an extra 30 minutes. We gave the public the opportunity to ask questions and that lasted for about 35 minutes. At the end of it all ten people phoned in to ask questions. One particular lady invited two of our preachers in Kpalime early Monday morning to respond to a few questions she had. God is using several means to get the gospel to the lost.

Gospel Chariot Driver- ATSOU KOSSI
God uses different means to get us very close to the kingdom. Such was the situation in which Atsou found himself. His house shares a common wall with CBS in Kpalime. He has never associated himself with the church until recently. We needed a driver for the Gospel Chariot but all our members had no drivers’ permit to drive such a vehicle. Someone recommended Atsou and when contacted, he agreed to assist during the campaign. I watched Atsou’s performance during the period and found him to be the right person to drive the bus. Though the rain did not allow us to preach publicly, we set up in the bus and preached through the horns mounted on the bus. Each time there was a preaching going on, he sat at the front in the drivers’ seat listening attentively and using his phone to to record and later play it for the wife to listen when he got home. I felt sorry for how he was bombarded with these messages. At one point I realized he was confused and needed help. On Sunday the last day of the campaign, I preached a message titled “The second coming of Christ,” heard by thousands of listeners. Atsou was so shocked by the lesson that he told me “ my wife and I are considering becoming a part of Church of

Christ.” Brethren have continued to study with him. Remember Atsou and his wife in your prayers. God needs him in this great ministry.

Congregations that benefited from funds for sheds:

1) Hanyigba
2) Beme
3) Kpadape
4) Atakpame
5) Yorkele

Church Adoption program
Since we launched our church adoption program, the three congregations that have so far benefited are:

1) Hanyigba Church of Christ
2) Kpadape Church of Christ
3) Zomayi Church of Christ

Should you be interested in adopting a congregation with $100.00 per month let me know. There are still many congregations waiting for adoption.

H. Willie Gley

williegley@gmail.com
P.O. Box AN 19611
Accra North, Ghana

One Pretty Incredible Week...

The students survived the first full week of classes in Denver. Fifteen men, several with families, arrived in Denver to begin their preparation for ministry. We are excited to also report that many of the prospective students who were unable to make it for the August enrollment are planning to be a part of the class that begins in January. We ask you again to be praying for these men as they desire to be involved in kingdom work.

Monday also begins the first day of classes for the new extension in Port au Prince, Haiti. Donnie Bates is set to begin classes tomorrow with 24 students at the International School of Theology. The beginning of classes in this new location makes 17 schools where Bear Valley is privileged to partner with some wonderful brethren in training men to preach.

Reports from the various extensions this week indicate that God continues to bless the work done around the world. The work in Ghana is encouraging as the program at the West Coast School of Preaching approaches graduation. We encourage you to pray for the former director of WCSOP, Daniel Ampadu Asiamah, who suffered a stroke last year. Let us give thanks as he seems to be responding to treatments. Also, pray for the school as it continues to train men in Takoradi.

Classes will soon begin in Ukraine at a new location in the Western city of Ternopil. The report from Dennis provides an update on the situation in Gorlovka and the Donetsk region. He also indicates a location has been rented for the upcoming class of students and he speaks about the program’s beginning in Ternopil. 

The other locations in Nigeria, Cameroon, and both locations in Tanzania also report the wonderful ways God is blessing the studies and outreach of the students to the lost in their location. The gospel is spreading and the growth of the extension program will increase the reach of God’s hand through the message of Jesus.

Now on to the other 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 

More Souls Are Added To The Kingdom In Cameroon: The outreach of the students in Cameroon continues to influence the direction of the Lord’s kingdom.

Students Are Set For Graduation At The WCSOP: The West Coast School of Preaching in Takoradi, Ghana prepares for their next graduation, scheduled for November.

Ukraine Work Set To Begin In Ternopil: Amidst the tragedy occurring in Gorlovka and the Donetsk region, staff and students are prepared to continue in Western Ukraine.

Returning Students In Chimala Prepare For The Fall Quarter: Students are in their fall classes and a group from the Rossville Church of Christ helped kick of the new quarter.

6 + 6 = The Number Of Souls Added And Restored In Nigeria: Six were baptized and six restored as a result of the work of the Southwest School of Evangelism.

The Providential Working Of God Brings 7 Souls To Christ: A series of unusual events helps one Christian influence seven others in Tanzania, one of which is her husband.

Always Be Ready: One never knows what circumstances might occur on the mission field and, in this case, the need to be flexible is critical to the development of the work.

Final Thoughts 
We are continually reminded of your generosity and effort to keep the extension program growing. We are thankful for the ways you contribute to the work through your prayers, encouragement, abilities, and resources. We are fully aware that without you, this program would not exist. Thank you.

God bless
Bob