Tanzania Leadership Conference Influences The Direction Of Leaders...

Last week the brethren of East Africa got a little TLC. Of course, I'm talking about their time at the Tanzanian Leadership Conference. Church leaders from 3 East African nations gathered at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching for four days of fellowship and lectures aimed at improving leadership skills. This year's theme was Lessons on Leadership from Nehemiah. It was an enriching endeavor as Nehemiah does prove to be an excellent case-study in leadership. 

This was my first experience with TLC. I found it to be kind of like an African version of Polishing the Pulpit or the Freed-Hardeman Lectures. Many of the attendees were alumni of the school. This was a great time to catch up with them, and see how their work is going. There were also Ladies sessions, and Tiffany was honored to be among the women who taught lessons. We were also glad to have American visitors, Ralph and Cindy Williams, and Garry Hill, participating in the event.

Times like this offer encouragement in knowing how the church is thriving across East Africa. We expect that God will continue doing great things hear, and that the harvest will continue to be abundant. Take courage, my friends, to know that the kingdom is thriving and that victories are being won each day.

Daniel Gaines

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

16 Years After Its Beginning, The Vision Is Working On A Grand Scale...

Greetings Fellow Servants:

Thank you! Thank you for your love and support for God’s mission work where you are and for God’s work here in Tanzania, East Africa. We know, without you, fewer souls would hear the gospel and fewer souls would be saved. 

The Tanzania mission effort that began over 16 years ago had a vision of training men God’s word in their own country, that in turn they would take God’s Word to their own people. It is working on a grand scale. Thanks be to God along with each and everyone of you. 

Each year we host the Tanzania Leadership Conference here at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Our goal is to teach leadership, church growth, and all that entails. This year’s conference centered around the God’s man, Nehemiah, and how he demonstrated leadership for God’s people. Each year the numbers grow, as more and more show a desire to be the people God would have them to be. We have ladies classes as well as classes for the men. 

This year was by far the best year, not only in numbers but in enthusiasm, cooperation, and leadership. This year is the first time our fellow Tanzanian brothers and sisters planned and executed the entire event. Behind the scenes we missionaries encouraged and supported each as they did what was needed. They did an amazing work, each one adding to the success of “discipling” and building up each other in the most Holy Faith. 

Also during this week the Alumni met and discussed how they can help each other in their various ministries. Last year was the first year they met as a group, with 22 present at the meeting. This year, they were 33 in number and all very excited about the future. 

It thrills the soul to see the Lord’s church maturing and working in unity. For sure, the devil is not happy, but with God all things are possible. We thank Ralph and Cindy Williams for coming and participating in this year’s TLC, as well as, our brother Garry Hill. Please remember them and all who will be traveling home over the next day or two. 

We close this Short Report with a request for your prayers on behalf of those who have graduated and are now in the field planting and watering the Seed of God to His glory and to the saving of countless souls throughout East Africa. 

Till all have heard...

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

The Past Week Has Been A Busy One In Nigeria...

Dearest in Christ, 

Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ from your fellow brethren in Nigeria.

Brother Abraham Idu Yeje and I were the speakers at a day long open-air Bible Lectureship at Ogunbunmi village. The event was a great success, even though the program fell on the Salah festival.

On Sunday, at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation, Ibadan, I taught lesson 4 of the Great Commission title “The How of the Great Commission,” while I also admonished the church on “Facing Challenges with Faith” (1 Samuel 17:40-50; John 11:38-44).

Brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe, one of the SWSE Ibadan instructors, taught on “Be Strong and Be Courageous” at the Egbeda congregation, Ibadan, and brother Nwarorji Emmanuel, a year 1 student of the SWSE Ibadan, taught on “The NT Church” at the young congregation in Ilisan Remo, Ogun state, while brother Dele Shotola admonished the church on “The True Worship.” They had 22 in attendance at the young congregation in Ilisan Remo.

All our year 2 students were very active in the service of the Lord on the Lord's day of Octobter 5th, 2014.

Brethren, the school will be on Vocational Training from October 10 - November 7, 2014, while the second semester classes commence on November 10, 2014 - Lord willing.

Beloved, we thank you for all you are doing for the Lord. May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all your undertaking in Jesus Christ name.

We started our first semester examinations at the Ibadan main campus on Monday. October 4th,2014 and concluded on Friday afternoon to enable our students go on the month long vocational training in Lagos, Ibadan, Oyo state and Osun state.

At the Monday morning devotion, between 5:00 am to 6:00 am, I taught at the campus on “The Winning Formula” (study from the life of Christ). Brother Kayode Eniafe taught on “What Does It Profit A Man” (Mark 8:36) during the Tuesday morning devotion, and brother Abraham Idu Yeje, our campus minister, taught at the Wednesday morning devotion on “Looking Unto Jesus” from Hebrews 12, while I taught on “Obedience…The Eternal Principle” (1 Kings 17 & 18) during the Wednesday chapel.

Brother Nwaorji Emmanuel, one of our year 1 students taught on “Grace Means Service” (1 Peter 5:1-11) during the morning devotion.

Beloved, Lord willing, I will send you the semester results on Monday of October 13, 2014 in order to glance at the students performances.

Our plan is to reduce the number of students at the Ibadan campus to twenty five from the 2nd semester that, by God's grace, will commence on November 10, 2014.

In conclusion, I cannot do without thanking those of you who have been contributing in one way or the other for the growth of the Lord's church in Africa, Nigeria in particular. I deeply appreciate all our critics, both positively and negatively. All things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Thanks once again for your partnership! Earth holds no treasures but perish with using, however precious they be; yet there's a country to which I am going, heaven holds all to me. Heaven holds all to me.....Brighter it's glory will be; joy without measure will be my treasure. Heaven holds all to me.

I won't give up, shut up, or slow down for the cause of Master Jesus. I must go till the end, preach all the truth that I know, and work in His kingdom till He calls me home. I will serve Him in any situation that I find myself and when He comes for His own, by His grace, I will be among the numbers that will be saved. Evangelism is my task and heaven is my goooooal!

One of our year one students, named brother Nnamdi Blessing Eze, admonished the staff and the students at the Friday morning devotion at SWSE Ibadan main campus on “Remember Me In Your Kingdom,” while I dismissed the school with a 30 minute sermon on “The Ambassador of Christ,” in the afternoon.

Brethren, we (the WBS TEAM) in Oyo state are in our way for this weekend house to house evangelism at Jago village with the few students that are doing their vocational training inland. Brother Kayode Eniafe will be leading the SWSE students in Osun state for this weekend assignment.

We (the WBS team in Oyo and Osun states) evangelized Jago village over the weekend with the remnant left in that congregation due to the storm of life that nearly devastated this young congregation planted two years ago by the staff and students of SWSE Ibadan.

Before I arrived at Jago with brother Dele Shotola, brother James Waleola, and some SWSE students who are in Ibadan for four weeks vocational training, brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe and brother David Edor (the evangelist working with Jago congregation) already divided the participants, mainly the SWSE Ibadan students, into four groups.

Three groups were assigned to house-to-house evangelism, while I, brother Dele Shotola, and brother Kayode Eniafe worked with brother David Edor to visit the erring brethren on that Saturday. Our joint effort resulted in the restoration of two families of seven.

Today, Lord's day, I concluded my five Sunday teaching on “The Great Commission” at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation in Ibadan, as I taught on the “Why?” of the Great Commission, and brother James Waleola admonished the church on “Living a New Life” (Ephesians 4:17-32).

Beloved, I will be home resting till Thursday and, Lord willing, I will travel to Lagos state with some SWSE foundation members to pay a condolent visit to the family of our late brother Philip Okome. On Saturday I will teach on “The Fundamentals of the Faith” at our new campus in Ikorodu, Lagos.

Brethren, it is a blessing to be part of the soldiers of the cross. A big thanks to you all for your encouragement in words and in financial support! May the Lord of blessing continue to bless each and every one of you in Christ 's name, amen. 

Keep on laboring in the Lord's vineyard, for we shall be rewarded here on earth and over there in heaven (Matthew 10:41-42; Hebrew 4:11)

I remain yours in His grace as a servant,

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

Amidst The Difficulties In Ukraine, The Church Is Growing And Classes Began...

Dear brothers, families and churches.

The situation in Ukraine is still difficult. Military actions are still taking place in Donetsk and Lugansk areas. Many people (both civilians and soldiers) die there daily on both sides due to the military actions. We are praying for peace and stability, and maybe God will give us new lessons on how important it is to appreciate peace, how important it is to build a moral Christian society, how important it is to value the time that we have. Studying the history of Jewish nation, we see that history of this world repeats itself. A society that departs from God can be punished by an even more wicked nation, which is in turn being punished by God. We will rely upon God’s wisdom and hope that the Ukrainian nation is ready to learn these lessons. 

Church of Christ in Ternopil
The church of Christ in Ternopil is making its first steps now. We have a wonderful place and a good team of missionaries. We continue getting acquainted with the city and our neighbors.  For several days we have been evangelizing on the streets. We brought out a table with Christian literature and invited people passing by to attend Bible studies.  Some people were interested and talked to us; others were very cautious. Because of the historical background (this territory was under Poland and was influenced by Catholicism), many citizens of Ternopil seriously consider traditional churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Uniats), and I think it is a problem all around the world. There are about 20-22 people attending our Sunday services regularly. Mostly these are students, teachers at the Institute and several from Ternopil. During this short period of time we were blessed by visits of our American brothers Howell Ferguson, Denton Landon, Johnny Mack Young, Walter Rayburn, Jim Sherman, and Dennis Curd. They were able to really encourage both the Institute and the church. These brothers have a huge missionary experience in Ukraine. Despite the military actions in the east of the country, they are still with us. We pray for their work and ministry here. 

Also in September, we started a Bible School for children: “Sunflower.” We had a grand opening of the school and there were many children who attended it. We have prepared a puppet theatre play, skits, games, quizzes songs, and crafts. Presently, we don’t have many children in regular classes. I think they have to get used to us. We are just getting to know the neighborhood and telling them about us. 

Bible institute
Classes started on September 1. As I have mentioned in my previous report, we have 8 students in both courses. We are looking forward to have two more students in the first-year class in November. Due to the fact that we had to move the school, now we are experiencing difficulties with the lack of teachers. We have really moved far from the military actions, and it’s quiet and peaceful here, but many teachers stayed in the Donetsk area. We thought how we can still cooperate with them and decided to use Skype to teach. First of all, it will give an opportunity for teachers not to take unnecessary risks while traveling. Second, they will stay with their families. Also we decided to try new teachers and give them an opportunity to be useful for the Institute. All candidates for teachers are discussed with the coordinator of the Institute before hand. 

Bogdan Chigvintsev and Eugene Tebel continue helping the Institute and the church in their work. Bogdan has dedicated himself to the work with young people and leading small home groups in Bible studies. Eugene teaches Bible classes at church during the week and helps with translating. We are trying to recreate the atmosphere of joy we had in Gorlovka, and I hope we are successful. 

At the moment, we are the only theological Church of Christ school in Ukraine that continued its work. We continue having the same goal of training ministers who will be ready to spread the Gospel among the people. May God bless us and continue helping us in this. 

We are grateful to everyone who supports the Institute and the church in Ternopil. All students and teachers send you their greetings and their gratitude for your faithfulness in this ministry. 

Your brother and coworker in His work,

Dennis Sopelnik

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

Youth Camp In Nepal Yields Fruit...

Greetings to you all from NCBS.

We finished our regular classes. We are in our regular curriculum and routine.

We began our five weeks of long holiday September 29th, 2014. We will begin our class the 3rd of November, 2014. We are always busy and happy in October. We had different faces in this year’s youth camp. New youth were from India, East Nepal. We had 70+ youths. Brother Mithun Tamang (current student), Roshan Rana (member from Dhumbarahi), Praksh Tamang (son of a preacher) and I, lead most of the classes from the book of Luke. We didn't cover all chapters. We selected important and useful topics for the youth and presented classes. Four souls were added into the church. Lessons, game-hour, fellowship made them strong in their faith. Their questions, answers, enthusiasm, fellowship, and friendship were awesome. They left each other with lots of joy in tears. I can't forget that moment.

Members and leaders from Kathmandu valley helped a lot in this youth camp. Christians from outside of Kathmandu valley were supportive. They sent their faithful and good young stars in this class. It shows the fellowship and unity in the church. 

Four souls were added in to His kingdom. Please kindly remember them in your prayer.

If the Lord wills we will begin our vacation trip October 10th. We will revisit India, East Nepal, southwest Nepal. Brother Parsuram, Deepak, Surya, I, and some others, will join us. It will be a 15 day trip. I will be back in Kathmandu on the 24th of October. Please kindly pray for us. This will be an important trip for us. We will get more good students for next year. We will build our unity and strengthen churches. We will try to help grow our congregations through our services. We will do our best.

Thanks

Servant of Christ
Gajendra Deshar

Students Enter Their Final Quarter Of Study In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ, 

Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ. We do hope you are doing great and God continues to do His work in our lives and the work He has entrusted in our hands.

Last week at CBIW went on well. Classes are going on well as students keep growing and anticipating being in the field to labor tirelessly for the Lord. Keep praying for them.

In the cause of the week, all the teachers in our communities came to Wotutu for their meeting and they recognized the church of Christ to come and exhort the entire group which was above 700 in attendance. We had opportunity to discuss, have fellowship with them, and give tracts to many.

After the exhortation, I had them with many of the teachers who came out of Wotutu who had not heard anything about the church of Christ. It was awesome for our students sit and watch as I addressed questions about denominationalism. Many want us to study some more in Bonjongo court areas. That is why, by the grace of God, after our graduation one of our graduates will go to the Bonjongo area for missionary work. Keep him in your prayers.

Last week, during the Wednesday Bible class, it was a solemn day with the Christians and students of CBIW. Students handed over benches to some leaders of the Wotutu congregation. This is a signal that their time of departure is at hand. The Alpha batch of students gave us a pulpit stand. The Beta batch of students gave 5 solid benches to the Wotutu congregation to help in the ever growing population in our congregation. Keep them in your prayers as they finalize their preparations for full time ministry. CBIW is a great blessing, not only to the Wotutu congregation, but to the entire country because the influence of what is happening here is spreading to the entire nation. To God be the glory. 

Sister Rachael Ebia obeyed the gospel in Wotutu during the week. Keep her in your prayers, as she is the first to become a Christian in their family.

Sister Alice Eyang also obeyed the gospel. She is happy to be part of the family.

Plans
We are still making plans for the campaign in Lebialem, a region solely dominated by Catholicism. The roads to get there are really horrible, but wherever the gospel calls, we are ready to go, if we have the means to pay the way. It is long and it is not easy.

We are also planning for the annual Bible lectureship of the church in Cameroon. We shall also use that opportunity to tell other congregations about our graduation, which will come 11 days after the close of the lectureship. It is in Mamfe, very far from Wotutu. If we have the means to move, it will be great. The congregation have invited our school to be there 3 days before the entire brethren arrive. We shall be involved in house to house evangelism to the community. Keep praying for the possibilities for this to come to pass. That will be the last outing with the Beta batch of students.

Appreciations
Many thanks to you, your family, and the congregation for all that they are doing for the work here. If not of them, we doubt how this work would have been possible.

On This Sad Note
From Thursday, I was out of Wotutu to attend the funeral of my wife’s cousin. I transited from that funeral to attend a preacher’s meeting in Kake with two congregations. After the meeting, we were supposed to have another meeting with a congregation. Before we got up from sleep, the preacher that chaired our preacher’s meeting died in his sleep. Please pray for the family of late minister Nangoh Rudolf Obase, who was serving in Kombone village and moved to big Nganjo, his home congregation. He was suffering from high blood pressure. As of now, we don’t have any details of what really killed him. Keep praying for his family because his departure has created a big vacuum in his family and the struggling congregation.

Do your best to share this with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

Campaigns Highlight The Reports...

The first quarter of studies for students in Denver came to a close Friday at noon. Students then left for campaigns in Arizona and Colorado. The outreach in Arizona is located east of Phoenix and another location at Fort Defiance. Two locations near Denver (Conifer and Aurora) also have students working to share the gospel with those who live in these areas. Once the students return and provide reports, we will share news of their progress. New classes for the students begins on Monday, October 20th.  

Reports within the extension program demonstrate encouraging news about the spread of the gospel and the impact it has on the souls of those who obey. The powerful nature of these reports is based on the diligence applied by these men throughout their studies and outreach. The lessons they learn are shared within the communities where they live and the results are worth taking a few minutes to read about.

Additional news about expanding the program will highlight reports in the future. Research and investigation is occurring as this report is written and read. As the information is compiled and finalized we will share the exciting news of where and when these schools will open. We are thankful for the opportunity to have so many potential locations to consider. This is foundational for the growth of the program.

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 Tony Johnson, please click here.

Extension Reports 

Campaign Cameroon, And A Story Worth Reading: A campaign in Cameroon added 35 new souls to the kingdom and 48 restorations. The story of one of those converted is worth reading.

20 New Students Are Ready To Begin Their Journey: Monday, October 6th, is the day 20 men begin classes as the second intake of students in Kenya.

Tamale Campaign Brings Souls To Christ: A recent campaign in Tamale, Ghana witnessed souls coming to the Lord as the gospel is proclaimed.

The Lord’s Kingdom In Paraguay Is Growing: Troy Spradlin’s report from Paraguay expresses the power of the gospel in changing lives in the work.

A Call To Service In Nigeria: The message recently preached to Christians in Nigeria is simple, “A Call to Service.” This lesson was designed to move Christians to action.

An Interesting Approach: Second-Hand Evangelism: Daniel Gaines shares an interesting avenue for getting the gospel of Jesus into the hands of Tanzanians.

Final Thoughts 
With each day that goes by, we want you to know how much we appreciate all you contribute to the development of the work. This far exceeds the financial gift, because your encouragement and ability adds the various components needed to create success in this program. Thank you for your love for the Lord, His church, and the lost. Thank you for believing in extension training.

God bless
Bob

An Interesting Approach: Second-Hand Evangelism...

Recently a man approached me with a request. He was a man who has diligently completed nearly a dozen correspondence courses that I have given him. Correspondence courses and tracts have become one of my favorite methods of evangelism because they don’t require a translator. With a few greetings and language basics I can open a dialogue and offer a tract that gives soul-saving information. It is also convenient because I can give them out wherever I go as I conduct the regular business of life – the store, the gas station, the policeman on the side of the road… anywhere! 

Anyway, back to the man’s request. There was a worker at a nearby house that he wanted to give a correspondence course to. I had never met the lady or her employers, yet she wanted literature from me. Furthermore, this man who has not yet been obedient to the gospel was already seeking to share what he has learned.

Not long ago I was flagged down in my truck by another man. To my knowledge, I had never met or even seen the man before  A little wary, I cracked my window to see what he wanted.  He asked me if I was the man who had been spreading the Bible lessons around. I couldn’t tell by his demeanor if he was mad or glad about that, but I told him that I did share Bible lessons. He then looked excited and asked if he could have one. A few days later, he returned his completed lesson in to me via a common acquaintance.  

I did not seek that man out. I did not approach him and flag him down. He looked for ME. He looked for me because other people told him what I had shared with them, and he was interested. 

I relish the opportunities that I have to approach people with the gospel message, but these secondary contacts really have me excited. They demonstrate the organic nature of the gospel.  “Gospel” means “good news.” If there is one thing that good news does well, it’s spread. Watching the good news spread so readily encourages me greatly.

This is the way it’s supposed to be. This is the way it was always intended to be. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). It is these people who are “teaching others also,” as well as those who are taught be them, who will continue to make a difference long after the missionaries return home. This is why we do what we do, and this is why you have sent us. 

Tracts and correspondence courses can be printed at the price of a mere 2 cents apiece. We would like to print 500,000 for our coming efforts, which will require about $10,000. Of course, how can a student complete a proper Bible study if he has no access to a Bible? We need 2,500 Bibles for the work here, which we can purchase for just $6 each. Can you help us meet these needs? This is really one area in which you can make a big difference with a small donation.

Keep spreading the good news!

Adding another “school” to our list…Schooling in Africa and God’s unexpected blessings

Living in Africa it is easy to realize that you are very fortunate if you get an education. Public schools here are very sub-par and the private schools cost a fortune to attend. Homeschooling is basically unheard of as even most expats attend the international schools. Abby has had a very wide array of schooling. She has attended preschool, public school, private schools, homeschool, co-ops, and is now adding international school to her list.

We never intended to send her to school here, but when our missionary friends returned to the states they took the only friends her age we had available. The congregation we attend has many, many children. However, they are all very young. We quickly found that Abby was lonely and in need of interaction with children her age.  We began looking into international schools as options but found that they cost more to attend than private universities in the states! We approached God prayerfully for an answer and set up a meeting with the Headmistress at Braeburn School. We were able to enroll her successfully in extracurricular activities and electives 2 days a week to supplement her homeschooling. She would be with children her own age learning art, music theory, internet technology, design technology, photography, and piano.

Still, the money was a huge chunk. Exactly 2 days after enrolling Abby, a good friend messaged saying she was sending an extra donation this month to cover some of Abby’s school fees as she knew of our plans. The amount was $7 shy of the full amount needed. Our God is truly amazing and will always do things in His timing if you rely fully on Him. What a great financial relief and answer that we are choosing what is best for our Abby.

She has made friends and is feeling a bit more “normal.” She loves the school and her classes. As parents, we are trying our best to show our children the most important thing there is, the love of Christ and sharing His word with others. In doing so we are not amiss that other challenges will arise but God handles all things beautifully when you are a disciple of Him. To God be the Glory!

Daniel Gaines

A Call To Service In Nigeria...

Dear fellow soldiers of the cross,

Greetings from Nigeria and the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan and Lagos.

Our campus minister, brother Abraham Idu Yeje, taught at the campus church on Sunday, September 28, on “Remembering the Poor,” while one of our students, Nnamdi Blessing Eze, admonished the church from Ezekiel 33.

Brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe taught on “Admission into the Lord’s Church” at the Egbeda congregation and one of their prospects was baptized after the Sunday morning worship.

At the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation, Ibadan, I taught lesson three of the Great Commission which I tittle as “Saved to Serve.”

I taught on “A Call for Service” in the school’s morning devotion of September 30, and in Wednesday chapel on “Christian Service,” and on October 2, 2014, I taught on “Tackle Your Problems with Prayer” (1 Samuel 1:9-20; 1 Chronicle 4:9 & 10; Matthew 14:22-30; James 5:13-16) for a two hour special class on prayer between 5:00 am to 7:00 am. We used that medium to pray for peace in Nigeria and the world as a whole. We also pray for SWSE, Nigeria, and all our supporters, for God's blessing on all their undertaking and we remember all our graduates and the present students and the instructors in a two-hour prayer program before we resumed for class work at SWSE by 8:00 am.

Brethren, this coming Saturday is our evangelism program and we plan an open air lectureship at Ogunbunmi and Alaase villages via Jago due to the Muslim festival (Salah) that comes up on October 3 & 4 in our country.

This coming week is set aside for our first semester test before the students go for vocational training over the next four weeks between October 11 - November 7, when we shall resume, Lord's willing for second semester classes on November 10, 2014.

Beloved, we thank you all for your brotherly love and partnership in training more soldiers of the cross.

May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all your undertaking in Jesus Christ's name, amen.

Yours in His grace as a servant,

Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi (Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE) Nigeria

The Lord's Kingdom In Paraguay Is Growing...

September was a month of growth and development. Several souls were added to the Lord’s kingdom and some exciting plans are being developed. We pray this month’s mission report brings you much joy! God bless!

BAPTISMS!
Alma Agüero, (pictured at right, top), asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” and was then baptized. She is the daughter of our brother and sister in Christ, Gustavo and Elva Agüero. There is now another entire household of disciples of the Lord’s church in Paraguay. Praise God!

Mikael Jara. Francisca Villalba. Estefania Bogado. (pictured at right) Do you remember that flyer we reported on earlier this year that got put in the mailbox of one young man, (Alex Valdez) who told a friend, (Fabian Nuñez) who told a friend, (Sebastian Garcia) plus one more friend (Marcelo Alcaraz) of the original young man... that ended up with all 4 being baptized? Well, Marcelo has been studying with several of his friends and all 3 of them were baptized this month (and hopefully 2 more will be coming soon). Now we are up to 7 SOULS being added to the church all from JUST ONE FLYER that got put in someone’s mailbox when they weren’t home.... (which, by the way, was a campaign conducted by the Asuncion Bible Academy, AND.... all four of these young men are interested in attending the Academy). Indeed, “God provides the increase”! (1 Cor 3:6)

Developments at Ave. Sacramento Church of Christ
Special Benevolence Project (cont’d). The church distributed some more beans and rice packages to the local flood victims. It was just a little something to bring some much needed relief to a group who is suffering (Matt 25:40). Paraguay continues to experience high river levels and some reports say there are still some 55,000 people displaced from their homes.

The Directors of “AME” (Adventures in Evangelistic Missions) made a special survey trip to Paraguay this month to coordinate sending interns to come work with us in 2015. AME is a work of the church of Christ in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, which trains and prepares Christian youth to go out and work with various congregations in Brazil and Latin America. We will be receiving two interns in January and we’re looking forward to having these evangelistic minded young men as part of our mission team in Paraguay!

Men’s Retreat. The men of the church held a special, overnight retreat in the town of Itacurubi, this month. We prayed together, studied the subject of “Spiritual Development,” and enjoyed some wonderful Christian fellowship. Many were already talking about the next time we could do this!

Developments at Ñemby Church of Christ
Preaching the Gospel. Vicente Martinez carried Eliezer Perez and David Avila (who was visiting Eliezer from Guatemala) to a town in the interior so they could preach the Gospel to some of his family members. This may turn into a possible church plant in the near future! Please pray for the possibility!

Asunción Bible Academy
Quarterly Report. The Asuncion Bible Academy continues to move forward with its classes and activities. After an initial introduction, the new report we have developed for the school will now be published every quarter. The next report will be published in October. You can see all the previous reports by visiting www.paraguaymission.com/asuncion-bible-academy/

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies / Activities:
I was able to connect a couple of times with our brother Ruben Castro in Meteti, Panama, via Skype this past month in order to study “Fundamentals” with him. Not only is he learning the material for himself, but he is using it to prepare lessons to teach the congregation on Sunday mornings.

Our ABA “Leadership Training by Extension” students , Javier Zarate, Luis Yegros, and Enrique Albera have been steadily continuing their courses.

Bible Studies and more Bible Studies!
We wish you could see all the wonderful things happening here, especially all the Bible studies that are taking place! We have members studying with other members, others studying with coworkers, with family members, and visitors, and new Bible study groups that have started up in different homes. How wonderful to see a church that is increasingly becoming more self-perpetuating!

One of our members, Magda Ortiz, asked if we would come study with her son, Junior, who is struggling with drug addiction and other problems. Before we arrived, he had invited a friend of his and his friend brought his family with him. There were five new contacts at what turned out to be a new, evangelistic Bible study! We shared God’s word with them by focusing on where we should place authority for religious matters and then gave them a copy of “Searching for Truth.” They were all very receptive!

Andrea has been continuing her Bible studies in English with Adriana, Martin, and Oscar.

I am continuing to study the Bible with Beatriz Ortiz in English, as well as, with Sebastian Garcia. I also have a couple of new contacts that will be starting a study this next month.

We pray all of these listed above will develop into more souls being added to the kingdom of God!

David Ávila, who is a close friend to Eliezer Perez from when they attended ITL Bible Institute in Guatemala, came to visit Paraguay and work with us for a month. He taught a class in the Bible Academy, preached several times at Ave Sacramento and Ñemby, and lead several evangelistic Bible studies. It was a real pleasure to have him here with us and we hope he returns real soon!

Coming Up:
Brother Luis Camacho will be returning to Paraguay to teach “Denominational Doctrines” in the ABA next month.

Andrea will be traveling to Brazil for “Continent Care Connection,” a missionary retreat and renewal seminar.

Personal Development and Activities
Andrea had quite an interesting and exciting challenge this past month! She was asked to cater lunch for the employees at the US Embassy. With her usual high-level of enthusiasm, she tackled the challenge and “knocked the ball out of the park.” Everyone loved her food and, of course, she now has a few more customers for “Mas Que Dulces.”

An interesting factoid: there just wasn’t a lot of reliable tourist information on Paraguay in the recent past. However, there are now two great guidebooks on Paraguay for American tourists written in English. Andrea has met the authors of each book! One is Natalia Goldberg, who is Paraguayan and now living in the USA (her website is listed below), and the other is Margaret Hebblethwaite, who owns a hotel in Santa Maria de Fe. Coming to Paraguay sometime? We highly recommend their guide books. Both are available on Amazon.com.

We hosted another “Grilled Pizza Party” for the youth at our house. It is always so much fun and they just love it!

My mother, A’Gatha Spradlin, suffered a major stroke this past month. She was completely paralyzed on one side and unresponsive to anyone or anything. She is still in the hospital, slowly recovering, and doing some better. Please keep my family in your prayers. We would greatly appreciate it.

Personal study:
I have been reading (or, still reading):

“Isaiah,” “The Gospel Accounts in Chronological Order”

“The Book of Ezekiel” by Jim McGiuggan

“The Major Prophets” by James E. Smith

“Contextualization and Syncretism” by Gailyn Van Rheenen.

I am continuing to take classes in Guarani and have also begun a basic study of Portuguese.

Preaching/teaching opportunities:
I preached one Sunday at Avenida Sacramento and one Sunday at Ñemby.

I taught “Biblical Greek 2,” “Baptism: Unwatered Down,” and “Ezekiel and Daniel” in the Bible Academy.

Paraguayan Culture Spotlight: Cerro Lambaré (Lambare Hill)
As one sails northward on the Paraguay River, there is a peculiar high spot that stands out alongside the riverbank called “Cerro Lambaré.” The hill lies just South of the city of Asuncion and there exists varying legends regarding its historical importance. One has it that it was here where the Spanish conquistadors first came into contact with Paraguay’s fierce Guarani Indians, lead by Chief Lambaré. Several battles ensued and it was soon discovered that the mighty Spanish armada was no match for the Indian chief’s warriors. Another legend says the conquistadors landed here peaceably, scaled the hill to make observations up river, and were met at the top by Chief Lambaré, who extended an open welcome ... and yerba mate! The Spanish then established the city of Asunción in 1537 and even enlisted some of the Guarani for explorations into the region of the Chaco. Today, the hill stands as a monument to Paraguay’s eclectic history. In fact, a monument called “Victorious Peace” was installed in 1982 which had five statues of Paraguayan heroes prominently displayed which included the then dictator, Alfredo Stroessner. After he was overthrown, his statue was destroyed and removed from the monument, leaving an empty space on one of it’s sides! For more information on all things Paraguay, visit this informative website: http://discoveringparaguay.com.

Troy and Andrea Spradlin

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

Tamale Campaign Brings Souls To Christ...

By the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, every bit of the plan for the quarter is being unfolded. Presently, students are out for a gospel campaign at Gumani, one of the suburbs of Tamale. This is an effort from the Institute to establish a congregation in that suburb to make the number of congregations to three. There are a number of brethren who reside in that suburb who will be glad to worship closer to their residencies.

After the campaign, brother Joe Wilkie will arrive from America to handle the class for two weeks, together with brother Tony and brother Jaminja Ndakar. This arrangement is to end the quarter on the 17th of October, 2014.

Among the students is Brother Isaiah Ahmed Amadu, who has impaired eyesight. He is an enterprising student who could be developed to preach to specifically the citizenry with impaired eyesight. We, however, are faced with the lack of equipment and materials for teaching and learning such challenged students. The Institute wishes to humbly appeal to our sponsors and all brethren who can come to our aid to assist us in the effective training of this brother/student so that he can also become an effective preacher for the Lord’s Kingdom.

Aside from the materials and equipment for teaching and learning, if there is anything available to motivate this student, the Institute would be glad to have it for this brother.

The Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies welcomes all brethren who have the desire to support any activity which will build the faith of the flock of the Lord in Tamale to win more souls to inform the Institute through the Director (joebah2003@yahoo.co.uk), brother Anthony Johnson (toeknee223@hotmail.com) or brother Steven Ashcraft (samtnhome@yahoo.com). 

Let us all build together the House of God through which salvation can be obtained.

Baah Joseph Okyere (Director)

20 New Students Are Ready To Begin Their Journey...

Beloved, 

We at the Kenya School of Preaching are very excited to inform you that we had 47 applicants for the second intake and we selected 20. This was a very stiff selection because of the qualifications and their involvement with Lord's work, but we will determine whether they are up to the task when classes begin on October 6th. 

We, the faculty are still very determined to keep training high and will not entertain laziness and joy riding. 

We are also happy to tell you that all 20 students selected have reported and another additional student came without an invitation letter on October 3rd and insists on staying at the school. Unfortunately we will have to send him home and he has to wait for the third intake 2016. 

The number of applicants is a proof of perpetuity and a vote of confidence in the new school and the great work we did with the first intake.

After our graduation we didn't have rest, as is sometimes good for workers, but joined local congregations for a series of gospel meetings and door to door evangelism where 11 obeyed the gospel. 

We had a good number of KSOP graduates serving in various ways during the meetings, we are proud of them and look forward to greater service from them.

God is causing the increase when men go out to plant and water the seed. 

Keep praying for the school, new students and our graduates who are in the field already. 

I will be leaving to Arusha Tanzania on October 8th to attend Men's leadership conference where am scheduled to speak on "Perfect leaders manage their resources well" Nehemiah 4:16-18.

Keep me prayers.

Thanks all for your prayers and assistance to keep the good work going on.

God bless you more and more.

His servant,
Charles Ogutu
Kenya School of Preaching

Campaign Cameroon, And A Story Worth Reading...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from Wotutu. It is another day here and our worship was great as we invested time to worship God according to how He wants people to worship Him.

We hope this report finds you in good health. We are doing better in health. We do hope you are doing fine in health. Keep us in your prayers. Our students are back on campus strong and ready to start learning for the final quarter. One student is sick and has not been able to return, but he called and said by His grace he will be here after one week.

The students spent two weeks in the mission field reaching out to many and nurturing congregations. This field work led to the establishment of two new congregations and the revival of the Mile One Kumba congregation where the church stopped worshipping because there was no one to preach. The nearby congregation started sending their Christians to go and help, but they stopped also without any explanation. We praise God because one of our students went to that community and invested two weeks and the congregation had 42 fallen Christians return to the Lord.

Today in Wotutu, we had a meeting with our students and their wives. This meeting was scheduled for us to start making preparations for graduation. I used that opportunity to thank their wives for such a sacrifice leaving their husbands to be in the school for two years. More appreciations will be expressed on the day of graduation, which is on the 11th of December 2014.

After the meeting we took a family picture with the wives. It was another opportunity for our wives to meet their friends and for them to share visions toward full time work come January 2015. Our graduation and matriculation will be on the same day. The new Gamma batch of students have started coming to my office to get their admission letters.

Our student, Itoe David, spent two weeks in the Muea congregation and the Lord added 5 souls and 4 fallen Christians came back. The Muea congregation is the congregation I shared last week with the overflow population sitting outside the hall.

Our student, Mokwe Eugene, spent two weeks in Yoke village and the Lord added two souls into the church there. He was able to baptized our new brother. He is called brother Tita. He is 85 years old and was a polygamist with 3 wives. When he got the truth he called his wives and told them that he had found the Lord and could not continue in his old ways. He settled with all the wives by sharing his wealth and houses and took his first wife. He gave them portions of his property and told them that he will continue to take care his children as long as they need his help. What a God we serve. It was a “come to and see something” in that community. The wives were amazed what the gospel can do. We have started studies with the Mission Printing tracts on polygamy and shared with many in that community because that is a habit there.

Our young congregations in Batoke, Dikome, Koba, Ediki, and Down Beach Limbe witnessed great spiritual growth because students stayed longer. Sister Sylvia obeyed the gospel in Batoke.

Brother Tita popularly called in the community. After His baptism he said it aloud and was very happy, “Thank you God, you have remembered me.” It was a joyous day for his family and the community. Keep him in your prayers as our students continue to go there on weekly basis until their graduation in December, where by His grace a student will go there and start his ministry.

Summary of the two weeks evangelism by CBIW students:

Number of baptism: 35
Number of restoration: 48
Number of newly established congregations: 2
Number of congregation revived: 1 mile from Kumba.

Plans
Keep praying as we move closer to November where we shall have a mass evangelism in Lebialem and Mamfe for the annual Bible lectureship in Cameroon.

Appreciations
God alone will bless you and reward you in due season for all that you are doing tirelessly for the work here in Cameroon. We say, “thank you” because if not of your kind heart it would not have been like this here. God bless you as you share this with others.

Elangwe and family

By His grace Director CBIW

Back In West Africa...

West Africa has been in the international news a lot over the past few months. Unfortunately most of the news coming out of this part of the world has been negative. Ebola is certainly the story most people are familiar with right now when it comes to West Africa. Boko Haram’s aggression in Northern Nigeria continues to receive attention, especially in regards to the fate of the over two hundred school girls who were kidnapped. On a local level, a recent cholera outbreak along the Ghanaian coast is causing a level of concern, as well as economic issues that has resulted in an inflation rate of almost 16% this summer and has resulted in the local currency losing over half its value in the past year. There are a lot of distractions in West Africa at the present time!

I have been back in West Africa for over a month now and, despite all of the distractions, the work continues. I arrived in time to start teaching classes at the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies, which began its seventh (out of ten) term in September. All twelve students were able to report on time for classes, which got the term off to a good start. Unfortunately, one student came down with an ailment that required him to return home during the second week of classes, so we are down to eleven students at present. I am teaching two classes this term, both covering the book of Romans. 

Other classes being taught this term are Old Testament 6 (Major Prophets), 1 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians. There is also a student campaign scheduled during the term. Our 1 Corinthians class will be taught by a visiting instructor from the U.S., Joe Wilkie, of the Lone Tree, Colorado congregation. This will be Joe’s second trip to teach at the school in Tamale, as he also traveled over last year to teach Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to the New Testament courses during the first term. I, personally, am very thankful for Joe’s willingness to come, especially in light of all the negative news reports. Joe arrived on Friday, October 3rd, and will be here until October 20th.

The student campaign this term was in the neighboring community of Gumani, a prominently Muslim community on the outskirts of Tamale. One of the school’s local instructors lives in the community so the plan was to determine the feasibility of establishing a congregation in the area in the future. The students canvased the area and were able to talk with many people, and in the process learned how difficult it can be to evangelize in a community where Christianity is an unknown or unaccepted religion (most of our students come from predominately denominational Christian villages). While the work produced no baptisms and no real hope for a local congregation in the near future, there were three ongoing Bible studies established. We continue to pray for the work in that area and for open minds to the truth of God’s Word during these studies.

While the students were in Gumani, I made a trip to Burkina Faso to meet with the church at Ouagudougou and see how plans were progressing for me to send teams of evangelists to assist them. We were supposed to have a place ready for the evangelists to stay while working there, but due to the housing laws they have not yet been able to take control of the location. So we are sending the first teams to the area of Po where there are now 4 village congregations meeting, including one in Kaya where we did a campaign last year. Arrangements have been made to send a full time worker to help these congregations by the Ouagadougou congregation, and our evangelist team will be assisting him during the month of October. In November, we will have a week long campaign in Ouagadougou with both of our evangelist teams working there during the campaign and remaining the next week to do follow up work. There have been a total of three baptisms at the congregation since our campaign there this spring. I am excited to see this work begin to grow.

Thank you again for your support and prayers. Until the next time we meet, “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).

In His service,
Tony ‘Wintima’ Johnson

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

Immeasurable Joy Through Extension Training...

After an incredible weekend of lectures, the past week settled into a more normal routine of students back in class. The week ahead brings an end to the first quarter of this school year and students are preparing for finals and then off to campaigns around the country. The opportunity to put into practice what the students learn during classes provides valuable experience for them and it brings a benefit to the congregations where they serve. The greatest benefit is that souls are taught the gospel and given an opportunity to become Christians.

As hard as it is to believe, we are only three months away from the start of another year. These next few months are critical to the implementation of plans for developing the future of extension training. A number of new locations are being considered for 2015 and we look forward to sharing news of their beginning in the months ahead. We ask that you pray with us and for us in the success of this work.

News from several extension locations is encouraging. There is an immeasurable joy that exists in reading about those who become Christians, the restoration of those who left the church, and Christians who are built up in the faith. The increase God gives continues to make this work worth the time and effort given to it. Thank you for your partnership in this global work.

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 

Tracts Continue To Have An Impact In Cameroon: Mission Printing’s delivery of tracts for the work in Cameroon continue to reach into uncharted places that need the gospel.

After 22 Years, A Blind Lady In Togo Finds The Church: Seek and you shall find, Jesus promised. A touching story in Togo demonstrates the truth of His claim.

A Compassionate Plea For Training Preachers In Nigeria: Efforts in Nigeria continue to see the gospel proclaimed and the need for help is the plea from the school in Ibadan.

East Africa Gospel Meeting Yields Fruit: The EAGM is an annual event and this year it was held in Kisongo, Tanzania. The results are worth reading about.

Twenty-One New Souls In Arusha, Tanzania: The power of the gospel is changing lives around the world, and recent efforts in Tanzania are seeing souls brought into the kingdom.

How Can I Get To Know The Right Church? This question was posed to one of the staff members at the ACSOP in Arusha, Tanzania and is leading through a Bible study.

Final Thoughts 
Thank you for trusting us to carry out the task of training men to preach the gospel around the world. Your confidence in us to partner with faithful men in each location, to provide them with training, encourages us to work harder in fulfilling the Great Commission. Thank you.

God bless
Bob

How Can I Get To Know The Right Church?

The scripture says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit,…” NKJV. This is a great commission where we are told to "go." The scripture does not tell us how we should go. There are so many ways we can use to carry the gospel to the unbelievers. I came to believe that even those who say “using the Bible tracts as a way of reaching out to lost souls is an outdated method,” are very wrong!

We recently started a program of giving our Church members a Bible tract to hand over to their neighbors or friends. So, each week about 35 church members get an opportunity to hand out one tract with a different topic. Each of these tracts have a preacher’s phone number, and we instructed them to give it to a person they know. Many are calling in and asking for further explanation on what they are reading from the tracts, and some are asking about the location of the church building and time of our worship service. About 40-50 people called in and texted.

It happened last week when I received a text message from Raphael asking, “How can I get to know the right Church?” We started chatting in regards to his question and he finally gave me a call inviting me to his home place to conduct a Bible study. He then invited his family members to listen to me; there were four of them. As we continued with the topic of the one true church, they came to understand that denominations are not the plan of God. We spent much time showing the one true church, the New Testament church. We established the fact that Jesus established one church, of which we ought to be members. In the next lesson we talked about the mark of the one true church. This was the point when their eyes were about to come out. They were touched when they heard what the scripture says,  “ …the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” Acts 2:47. The fact that those who are members of the church have Jesus Himself adding them to the church after obeying the Gospel.

Raphael then promised to come and visit the church next Sunday. We thank God that his family was more open for more Bible study with us. It is our hope that they grow in their desire to know the truth, and soon they will be added to the church. It is our sincere hope that you will pray for Raphael and his family as we continue studying with them and answering their questions.

It could not have been possible for us to meet Raphael and his family, if that one church member had not handed them a Bible tract. So there has never been an outdated method for reaching out, and one method can be as good as another. We have to use any means in our ability and time to reach out to people with the Gospel of Christ. About 180 Bible tracts have been handed to people and 21 people have been registered to take Bible correspondence courses. We thank the church members who are learning and participating to share the gospel with others. Thanks goes to the sponsor of the Tanzania mission, for enabling us use the resources you are sending in strengthening the local congregation and reaching many with the gospel. May Lord God Bless you.

In Him,

Godfrey Mngoma  
Student DEAN-ACSOP

Twenty-One New Souls In Arusha, Tanzania...

Dear Brethren,

I would like to take this opportunity to again thank all of you who are making things possible through your Christian love. The Kisongo congregation’s follow up to the East Africa gospel meeting is going extremely well. Last report shows that 90 souls have been taught the gospel. We praise our great God as 21 souls have put on Christ in baptism! We were blessed to have Lance Leavens and Cary Oglesby, two of our brethren from America, visiting to help us a great deal with our follow up. 

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). The Kisongo church has a great responsibility to feed these 21 souls. This is not easy task because Satan is not happy that we are busy doing the Lord’s work. For instance, this week big opposition from a group of Lutherans rose up against the church, accusing the church that they had taken their followers. This happened during a local funeral service. The brethren here need your prayers as they resist our adversaries and their efforts to destroy the good seed that has been planted.

Recently, several first year students from ACSOP and I were able to visit two congregations in Babati. Aside from the many preachers that have been trained at ACSOP, the school has been a great blessing from God in encouraging the brotherhood in this area. Babati is almost 120 miles from Arusha. I left one group of students at Babati town and I moved with another group to the congregation at Nakwa. We were privileged to meet with several brethren including ACSOP graduates Salvatore Mwakimbwala, Godwin Elisha, and Naaman Oto Sheizer. I found the Babati town congregation doing well and growing even better than during my last visit. Their biggest obstacle is a place to meet. They are growing at a fast rate, but are still meeting in a rental house. With the town growing rapidly, a building provides a sense of legitimacy to their effort. Unfortunately, congregations aren’t considered “legitimate” unless they are in their own building.

I encourage you to join us in this work that we, together, can accomplish what our Lord has required us to do.

In His Work

Ahimidiwe Kimaro
Assistant Director, Andrew Connally School of Preaching
A Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver extension school
Arusha, Tanzania

East Africa Gospel Meeting Yields Fruit...

Greetings Fellow Servants;

We serve the God of love, oh, to be like Him. We serve the Savior of love, oh, to act like Him. We serve the Spirit of love, oh, to think like Him. When I think of where I have came from, where I am, and where I hope to be, I thank God I am in Him. Without Him I (we) are a most miserable soul indeed. We thank you all who show genuine biblical love in all you say and do for God’s mission work in Tanzania. 

This week has been a reminder of God’s love and power when shared with the lost of this world. Neil Richey and his team have taught and shared the love of God with many in the ACSOP and in the Kisongo community. They worked hand in hand with our fellow believers, sharing the good news of the Gospel with a dying world. 

God has blessed their good works by giving the increase. They watered where others had planted. They dared to care, leaving family, and the creature comforts of “home” to come and give, to give that others might live. 

It thrills the soul to see God’s hand at work. Many years ago we encouraged and engaged in an evangelistic work here in the Arusha area. We call this ministry “Safari for Souls.” Our good friends and supporters from America have come and continue to come, engaging in evangelistic efforts. Our brothers and sisters in East Africa have participated and seen the good that can be done when Christians join hands and hearts in the work of the Church, yes, the main work of the Church, and are now doing the same. They call their outreach ministry the “East Africa Gospel Meeting.” Men and women from all over East Africa come together each year to glorify God through a joint effort of teaching and preaching of the Good News. 

This year’s E.A.G.M. was conducted here in Kisongo, Tanzania during the month of August. Through their efforts three souls obeyed the gospel during the meeting and seven during the follow-up efforts. When Neal’s team arrived this past week, they engaged in continued efforts in follow-up.  The Lord smiled down on the efforts of all by adding twelve more souls to His Kingdom. Yes, God does desire all men every where to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4)! Twenty-one new souls added to the kingdom; that’s what I call a GREAT blessing.

We are an imperfect people who serve a perfect God, the God of love. Let us love as He has loved, let us forgive as He has forgiven, let us give as He has given, and let us be faithful, for He is always faithful. 

God is love (1 John 4:8). Let us love one another. Until all have heard...

Wisdom from above: “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.” [Proverbs 27:9]

In Him, 
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

A Compassionate Plea For Training Preachers In Nigeria...

Dear fellow soldiers of Christ,

Grace and mercy be multiplied unto you all from God our Father and from Christ the chief commander of the troop.

The students and the staff of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan main campus played active roles in a two day open air Bible lectureship organized by the church at Ikoyi-Osun state and brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe on September 19 & 20, 2014. 

I spoke on “Freedom from Bondage (OT law)” on Friday night, while brother Kayode spoke on “Tithes and NT Giving,” and on Saturday evening I spoke on “Christ -The Last Prophet of God” (Deut. 18:18-19; Acts 3:22-23), while brother Kayode, the host minister, concluded his teaching on “Tithes and NT Giving.” The turn out was impressive. Two souls was restored on Sunday as the result of the exercise.

Brethren, as we are relaxing on Friday night around 8:00 pm, I received a call from brother Matthew Idowu and a tex message from brother Dairo Joseph Abiodun announcing the sudden death of SWSE foundation secretary, brother Phillip Okome, who passed away at the age of 50, after a brief illness. His body was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon at his house in the Agoro-Ijoko area of Ogun state. He is survived by children and his young wife! 

On Sunday morning at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation, Ibadan, I continued my four Sunday’s teaching on “The Great Commission,” as I taught on the four "alls" in the Great Commission before we moved out of the meeting hall for one and half hours door-to-door evangelism, which resulted in the conversion of a young boy of 17 years named Mayowa Akindele. 

In the evening, I admonished the saints on “Why Cumbereth it the Ground” (Luke 13:7). Brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe taught on “The Narrow Way” at the Egbeda congregation on September 21, 2014.  

At the campus church, brother Abraham Idu Yeje, our campus minister, taught on “Helping the Helpless,” while brother Akinade Oluwaseun Akinleye , one of our year-one students admonished the campus church on “Idolatry in the House of God” (Ezekiel 8:1ff).

All our year-two students were all active in the Lord's service on the Lord's day of September 21 in their respective congregations.

Brethren, we thank the Almighty God for His mercies on us all and we appreciate you all for your kind gesture and partnership. May the Lord continue to bless all our joint efforts in Christ’s name, Amen.

The report reaching me now from brother Dele Shotola (one of our  2013 graduates) and brother Nwarorji Emmanuel shows that their three week door-to-door evangelism in Ilisan -Remo town has given birth to another congregation in the city. They were eighteen in attendance in the first worship on September 28, 2014.

Reports reaching from the SWSE instructors shows the conversion of two souls by brother Matthew Idowu during their end of the month evangelism at Ijegun Ikotun area of Lagos state, while brother Abiola Joseph Olusoji reported the conversion of one lady at the Agege congregation and five at the young congregations in Mary Land Lagos. Brother Dairo Joseph Abiodun reported the conversion of two during their monthly Open-Air Bible lectureship at Ota, Ogun state and brother Isaac Olaniyan reported the conversion of one at Ijoko-Ota, Ogun state this Lord's day.

Brethren, the SWSE Ibadan and Lagos campus’ have been operating since August 11, 2014 to the present date on money borrowed from friends and relatives with the hope of refunding or paying the loan back on November 17 or 18, 2014.

We rely totally on God and godly men and women such as you for our survival and the continuity of this good work of training more soldiers of the cross.

Therefore, be compassionate on us at SWSE, Ibadan and Lagos, Nigeria and please give your fellow laborers in Christ 's vineyard whatever you can afford now to keep us marching forward for the Lord in this 2014 / 2015 session. We budgeted $23,000 for this 2014/2015 session.

Brethren, October 1, 2014 is our Independence day. Please, keep on praying for us and next year’s election.

We deeply are appreciative of your dedication for the cause the Master, Jesus Christ.

My best regards to the saints over there.

Your fellow laborer in Christ's vineyard,

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

After 22 Years, A Blind Lady In Togo Finds The Church...

She kept listening to the radio program each Sunday night, but felt she had met some missionaries in Lome about 22 years ago who kept mentioning Eglise du Christ (Church of Christ). She remembered some of the teachings about the church. She was then an official at the Lome Airport, but later became blind and had to return to Kpalime. Recently, she took the telephone number of the presenter and the direction and decided she was going to worship with the church one Sunday. Her search that Sunday morning took her and the motor bike taxi to several churches in the area, but each time they arrived at a church she asked several questions that the leaders of the denominations couldn’t answer. She never gave up, but continued her search that Sunday morning until she came to the entrance of the church of Christ and asked for the presenter Essotena (Cephas). Though she was blind, she found the Lord’s church. Any diligent seeker of the truth will surely find it. Though the service was almost over when she got there, she was given the opportunity to tell her story. Her presence at the church was a source of encouragement to the brethren after they heard her story of a long search.

Golokuati Church of Christ
During my recent visit home, I had the opportunity to preach to my people. A lady responded to the gospel invitation and was baptized. I grew up and started my primary education in this village.

Mars Hill Christian Academy
Mars Hill Christian Academy reopened on the 16th of September to start another academic year. Our mission still remains as an institution that exists to give these little ones the best preschool education in the Afadjato district of the Volta Region. However, as low as the fee is, most parents cannot afford to send their kids to school. There are several villages in the area that have little kids of school going age who are still at home. With $25.00 a month for each kid, Mars Hill can assist them to be in school. This amount can take care of tuition, provide one meal a day, provide free transport to convey kids to and from school, provide uniform and school materials and support infrastructural development. Should you be interested in giving a kid a future, contact me. We shall not only be supporting a child to go to school, but also developing a potential Christian - a member of the Lord’s church.

We have almost completed a wooden three classroom block, a toilet facility and have constructed few desks for the classrooms. We need help.

Activities of the Gospel Chariot in Ghana
The Zone 7 churches in the greater Accra region organized a one month six days campaign to strengthen their congregations and win souls for Christ. The Zone is made up 16 congregations of the Lord’s Church. The campaign started on the 4th of August and ended on the 11th of September. By the close of the campaign seven souls were added to the Church while 485 names were enrolled for WBS. Several hundreds of tracts provided by Mission Printing were also distributed. Below are some of the activities during the campaign.

Activities during the campaigns include: Open air preaching each night, visit to schools, tract distribution and enrollment exercise. Sometimes the chariot team members are given the opportunity to preach or teach a Bible class on Sundays. The host congregation has the responsibility to feed and lodge the chariot team and the team is enjoyed a meal together.

The Gospel Chariot is a great blessing to the church in Ghana. It has rekindled the evangelism spirit in Ghana. Brethren are now cooperating to organize outreach programs that benefit their congregations. We thank all who in divers ways have made all these possible.

Facts and Figures:

    Names enrolled- 4,180 

    Congregations visited - 16 

    Boxes of tracts distributed – 10 

    Baptisms conducted - 7 

H. Willie Gley
P.O. Box AN 19611
Accra North, Ghana
My new email address is wgleycbs@gmail.com