Congregations Get Help From Uganda School Of Evangelism Students...

Dear  brethren,

We do again thank you for the good work you are doing to make possible the Lord’s work here in Uganda grow. The Uganda School of Evangelism ended the long courses on the 25th of September and the short course teachers came on the 6th of October 2014. The alumni seminar began on the 24th of October.

One student from the Congo got information from home that his child passed away. We sent him home so that he may join his family and grieve together.

The Uganda School of Evangelism students, being members of Nandwa church of Christ through the evangelism committee of this church, are going out in the neighboring villages. The Nandwa church is also planning to use them in visiting the weak congregations every Sunday. The Nandwa church’s evangelism committee has identified the Bulukuyi church of Christ as one of the congregations to send some students. 

The Bulukuyi church of Christ has managed to purchase land of 150 ft x 150 ft. The Nandwa Church shared with them in erecting the church building. The grass which was on it was blown by the storm and they plan to put on iron sheets. They need 35 iron sheets, each costing UGX 24,000/= shillings, worth $9 dollars each. The Nandwa church of Christ is willing to support them with 10 iron sheets. Anyone willing to help with purchasing the remaining iron sheet, you can send your support to the Woodland Oaks Church of Christ in Houston. May the Lord bless you as you serve Him.

Yours

In Christ’s love
Francis and Margaret Wechesa

Students Near The End Of Their Studies...

Greetings from this end, in the name of Jesus Christ. We do hope this report finds you and the entire family doing well. We are doing our best here and the work entrusted in our hands is on good footing.

All students are doing great, as they are counting days to get into full-time ministry. Keep them in your prayers as they finalize studies, spending more time to pray and fast, and do retreats, preparing them to be vessels of honor that God will use to accomplish many things in Cameroon.

I finalized the exercise of giving out admission letters to our prospective students who will also matriculate the same day as graduation.

As I write this note, weekend evangelism is working well, as this weekend a congregation, as small as they are, who were lacking behind because their preacher left them untimely. They finally came to us, and our student, Njume Kelvin, went there and it was a day of joy for the congregation to see someone they can listen to every week. Ngousso is in Yaoundé, our capital city, and this congregation is located in the university area. This young evangelist will create lots of impact in that area. Keep this young congregation purely French community in your prayers. The gospel is for all.

One of our students, Ekelle Thiery, baptized Dieudonne Tila, a Muslim guy whose father was baptized last week. The son obeyed the gospel to become a Christian. The power of the word is doing a new thing in this family. Keep them in your prayers.

Our student, Kenechi, baptized brother Lawrence Tandi into Christ also in the Wotutu congregation. Keep this young man in your prayers as he grows to become mature in Christ.

Our other works, outside of Wotutu, continue to witness transformation and growth. The prison ministry keeps making waves in the entire prison yard, as the brethren, even in our absence, continue to share tracts and invite their friends and cell mates to come and worship with us. We can have one on one studies from the tracts. The work is going on well and we witnessed two of the brethren that were released and they are comfortable in their respective congregations in their villages. Keep this work in your prayers, it is a work for us to always show our love for the brethren there, but at times we don’t have the means to get bread for them, soap for them to wash their clothes. The major problem inside the prison yard is food, medicines, and clothing physically. Our two days a week visit to the prison is helping them spiritually. Some desire a correspondent course, like that of the WBS. This weekend, the congregation decided to put in place those who can be leaders to always see into it that every brother is doing fine in health and that they keep themselves away from the life style inside the yard.

Plans
We shall have our last campaign with the students on the 25th - 28th in Mamfe far away from Wotutu during the annual Bible lectureship. It will be mass evangelism on house to house and nurturing.

Appreciation
Many thanks to God for you and all the work you are doing for the Lord. We thank God daily on your behalf and we pray God’s blessing on you to keep you strong.

Share this report with others. As you pray for us, we also pray for you.

God bless you.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director CBIW

Traveling To Busia, Uganda...

My trip to Busia, Uganda to teach at USOE was very successful and spiritually uplifting, for me personally. Of course, it seems that I am always the one that benefits the most when teaching these short courses and visiting with fellow Christians in east Africa.  We have students this year from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and the Congo, sixteen total. Seven are in the English class and nine are in the Swahili class. I taught the Book of Acts and I was blessed to have Dean Meadows from North Carolina with me who taught Christian Evidences. Dean always does an excellent job and was able to adapt the material to fit the cultural differences, not to mention the language barriers that make teaching a little more challenging for us and especially for them! These first year students, overall, seemed to be well balanced and eager to learn and ready to equip themselves to become effective and capable Gospel preachers. May we pray daily for these brethren and all of our extension schools at Bear Valley!

John and Molly the owners of the hotel (Jireh Guest House) where we stay in Busia picked me up at the airport in Entebbe when I arrived at 10:30 pm (October 5th.) and we then proceeded to drive to Kampala where Dean was already waiting for us having arrived the day before. We then made the 5 hour drive to Busia reaching there about 5:30 am Monday morning. Not resting much on the plane and being totally exhausted we spent the day resting and trying to acclimate ourselves to the time difference and the warmer climate. Of course for me it usually takes a few days, however, with Dean being younger and more energetic, he seemed to adapt much quicker. We began teaching the following day (October 7th.).

We had brought with us teaching materials, commentaries and a few books to give to the students as well as Bibles for each one. Eight of the Congolese students received French Bibles and one of them an English Bible; in addition they also have Swahili Bibles.  Of course, the English students all received English Bibles. The Swahili class is made up of 8 Congolese and 1 Tanzanian student. In the English class we have 1 Ugandan, 5 Kenyans and 1 Congolese student. All of the students did very well in their course work which included tests, writing assignments and memory work. In addition, they eagerly participated in class discussions including reading, answering and asking questions. One of the highlights for the students on the last day included a debate that was held between them and their teacher, Dean Meadows. They were divided up into 3 groups and were assigned various topics to defend such as "the existence of God," "the resurrection of Jesus" and "the Bible is inspired by God." The students began by stating the affirmative and Dean always countered with the negative. They really enjoyed the debate and it helped them in a very practical way. 

A few weeks before I was to leave on this trip I had some medical issues that I at first thought might prevent me from traveling, but thankfully I was "patched up" the week prior to leaving and as a result I was able to make the trip; although, I did take it a little easier this time around. I promised my family I would rest as much as possible and even though they did not think it wise for me to travel (nor did my doctor) they, reluctantly, gave in to my wishes (stubbornness). Dean was aware of my health issues and so he really helped out as much as possible, even trying to look out for me when he could. 

On Sunday I really enjoyed worshipping with the brethren near the school where Francis and Margaret Wechesa attend. I had the privilege of teaching the Bible class that morning as well as preaching the sermon. The singing and fellowship was great as always. Dean did the same thing, teaching and preaching near Busia as he worshipped with the church about 5 kilometers outside of town with Emmanuel and Edith Mawa. Emma is a former student and now teacher at the Uganda School of Evangelism. Emmanuel is also working on his graduate degree at the ACSP in Arusha, Tanzania.  

We left for home early Friday morning (October 17th) Dean had a 6:30 pm flight on Ethiopian Airlines and I was flying out 11:40 pm. on Delta. Leaving at 7 am that morning allowed us to make a short stop in Jinja (2nd largest city in Uganda) where the Nile river begins as it flows from its source, Lake Victoria. Since Dean had never had the opportunity to see the Nile up close we took a short 30 minute boat ride up the Nile onto Lake Victoria. The water that flows out of the Lake forming the Nile takes 3 months to make its way north as it finally empties into the Mediterranean Sea. After that it was back on the road and back on our way to the airport in Entebbe arriving there around 4 pm. Dean was able to go through the boarding process immediately while I waited another 5 hours until I could do the same. I made it into Charleston, WV around 9:30 pm Saturday night and drove home reaching there about 11:30 pm.

It was a blessing to have made that journey again and to work with the school in Uganda and to see my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am always amazed at what God can do through us as we allow Him to fulfill His purpose as we teach His word and do His will. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me and my family and who support us financially.  What a privilege it is for me to be working with Bear Valley as we partner with Woodland Oaks and Uganda School of Evangelism in saving souls in east Africa. I love working with fellow Christians who have a desire to train these preachers locally as we help fulfill the Great Commission in reaching the world for Christ. Saving souls is the greatest work there is and thanks to all of you once again for your support, encouragement and prayers!

Donnie Estep

A Difficult Time To Be In West Africa...

Last month I mentioned some of the problems that West Africa has been facing, and unfortunately things have not been getting any better. It is certainly a difficult time to be in West Africa! This past month has had an Ebola scare in Tamale, more kidnappings in Northern Nigeria, and just this past week civil disturbances in Burkina Faso that interrupted plans for a campaign in Ouagadougou. 

Our Ebola scare in Tamale was caused by a decision by the Ghanaian sports authority to move the African Cup qualifier soccer game with the Guinea national team to the Tamale Sports Stadium, which brought a couple of thousand fans from one of the countries currently dealing with the Ebola outbreak streaming into Tamale. Beefed up health checks at the borders were put in place, but how do you really check for a disease that has a 21 day incubation period? In the week after the game was finished there were a number of people who had attended the game who went to the hospital with fevers and each one had to be treated as a possible Ebola contact, causing havoc with the limited health resources available. Fortunately there were no confirmed cases and the incubation period has now passed. During this period, the school in Tamale continued to operate as normal, just with an extra caution to our students about outside contact. Eleven students successfully completed their seventh term and are left with just three more before graduation. Special thanks to Joe Wilkie from the Lone Tree, CO church for coming over for two weeks to teach 1st Corinthians to the students. This was Joe’s second trip to Ghana to teach at the school and the students have been greatly blessed by his efforts.

Northern Nigeria remains a concern for our brethren in the Upper East Region as well as for those in Northern Togo. So far, the radical Boko Haram group has not only failed to release the hundreds of school girls previously kidnapped as they promised in a brokered peace deal with the government, but they have resumed raids on Christian villages and have kidnapped another group of students in the past week. While this activity is still over 300 miles east of Ghana we watch it closely because of the Kingdom of Hope Orphan’s School’s location in the Upper East region. It has been a difficult year in the Upper East Region as the rainy season was late arriving and much less than needed for good crops, which has caused some of the children to be taken out of school in order to help their families forage for shea nuts and firewood to sell, or do whatever else is necessary to help their families survive the upcoming dry season. The school, however, is carrying on and doing what it can to assist the families in need, and the church in Kuka has stepped up to help as much as possible as well. We are just finishing up the third classroom and have begun working on bathrooms for the school, thanks to a donation from the Mesa church of Christ in Arizona. Other donations from the White Oak church of Christ allowed us to purchase 100 additional mango trees for the school, buy some play equipment for the children, and purchase desks and chairs for each of the teachers classrooms. We also added our first female teacher at KOH, Moses Cyntha, to teach our pre-school and kindergarten aged children. The grain mill that was provided last year is doing well and allowing the school to pay its teachers, pay the cost of fuel to run the lights at the school and church, and help with some of the feeding costs for the children who live at the school.

Burkina Faso has been in the news the past couple of days due to the political unrest that has resulted in demonstrations and riots across the country. I was in Ouagadougou this past weekend for a scheduled campaign when the news of a plan “strike day” to protest some government actions was announced, which caused us to cut short our activities. I left on Monday as the demonstrators began blockading the streets and was back in Ghana before the violence began, but we have a number of brothers and sisters who are caught in the middle of it all that need our prayers. Thanks to the Broadway church of Christ in Paducah, KY and the Mesa church of Christ I was able to leave the church enough money to reschedule the outdoor part of the campaign for later this year, once the situation has calmed and public gatherings are allowed, as well as for a campaign in February. We are also helping the church with door to door evangelism by providing the travel and living expenses for preachers to come from Ghana and Togo to help. While we had to get everyone out of the country early on this campaign there remains a commitment from both the church and the visiting preachers to continue the work once things stabilize. The church in Ouagadougou was also able to send one of its members to the French speaking Bible School in Cote de Ivorie thanks in part to a personal donation that I was able to deliver. Ko Ciaca left at the beginning of October to begin the three year program, the first of what we hope are many who will make the decision to become leaders and preachers in the church in Burkina.

There is still lots of work to be done, but for the next few months I will have to do my part from a distance. I will be leaving West Africa soon to return to the states and begin the process of raising support once again. I will continue working with Kingdom of Hope and with the church in Burkina Faso using e-mail, phone calls and bank transfers until such time as I can arrange to travel back personally. I am also looking forward to working closely with the Bear Valley Bible Institute Extension Schools in a new capacity next year as they work to expand their ability to train preachers and leaders in their own countries. 2015 should be an exciting year!

On a sadder note my association with the Greenbrier church of Christ as my sponsoring congregation will be ending as of December 31st of this year. I have great respect for the elders and the members at Greenbrier who have done so much to get me started in this work. I will not be seeking personal support for the immediate future, but will continue to raise support for the work at Kingdom of Hope and in Burkina Faso. For those who would like to support those works I would ask that you begin sending the funds directly to me with a note regarding what the contribution is to be used for. Correspondence and checks can be sent to the following address: Tony Johnson, 3310 Ave B, Council Bluffs, IA 51501. Quarterly updates of monies received and their distribution will be provided to those who are interested.  

It has certainly been an interesting month with many challenges and changes. I want to thank all of you who have been a part of this work in the past. Even more so I want to thank those who will continue to support this work as we move forward!

In His service,
Tony ‘Wintima’ Johnson

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

Harvest Sunday Is Helping Change The World...

Today is one of those days that encourages people all around the world. I had the privilege of participating in Levy’s Harvest Sunday. The congregation at Levy prepares all year for this amazing event. The goal this year was $305,000 and the initial collection (which is not the final) was already at nearly $302,000. Sharing in this event every year is always a blessing for me. Having the opportunity today to share a message from God’s word about the missional God we serve just added to that blessing.

The elders and mission’s committee at Levy learned the power of leadership in developing this event and encouraging the generosity of these brethren. Between last year’s Harvest Sunday and today, the congregation helped 175 individuals involved in fulfilling the mission of God in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. There are no words to adequately describe the excitement and encouragement received from participating in this event.

Thank you Levy for all you do in the Lord’s kingdom. Thank you for believing in Bear Valley and the work of training preachers. Thank you for your dedication to see the gospel preached around the world. Thank you for allowing me to share in this special day. And, thank you God for working through such wonderful brethren to help in the kingdom work.

Students in Denver continues this week to be fully engaged in the new quarter. Their studies range from the Old Testament to Leadership to Greek. Each step prepares them for greater service in the Lord’s kingdom. Please pray for them as they work diligently to ready themselves to preach the gospel.

Around the world, the work is the same. Reports this week (see below) share news of the same nature, as students prepare themselves for greater service in the kingdom. The passion for the work grows as the information indicates the hand of God blessing the efforts of these men in preaching the gospel. Your prayers on their behalf are appreciated as they also work diligently in the classroom and the 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 

A New Birth (Physically And Spiritually) While A Brother Passes: While several mourn the loss of a brother in Christ, they also rejoice with the birth of a child and a new brother.

The Lord Adds To The Church In Togo: God is blessing the efforts in Togo on many fronts, from giving the increase to providing a new and unexpected meeting place for the church.

Two Souls Added To The Kingdom In Nigeria: As the Lord provides the increase, the work of staff and students at the SWSE in Nigeria witnessed two precious souls obey the gospel.

Upcoming Activities In Arusha Will Leave You Encouraged With The Work: The months ahead into the new year will be busy, but the reason is encouraging, to say the least.

The Joy Of Mentoring At The Andrew Connally School Of Preaching: In his monthly report, Sean Hochdorf shares how wonderful it is to mentor some good men in Tanzania.

God Provides Opportunities To Serve The Local Community: The news is always encouraging when men recognize God-given opportunities to make a difference where they live.

An Alumni Report That Is Incredibly Impressive: During a recent Leadership Conference in Tanzania, the alumni from ACSOP shared news that will encourage you.

You Never Know What A Little Duct Tape Can Do In A Pinch: After a little brush with a pike pike, Daniel Gaines only did what he knew he could do to patch the vehicle.

Final Thoughts 
A big thank you to each of you for the incredible sacrifice you make to provide what is needed in the work of training preachers. We love and appreciate you for the blessing you are to us. The opportunity afforded us to work in Denver and around the world in training men to preach is exciting. We look forward to a great future partnering together in changing the world.

God bless
Bob

Two Souls Added To The Kingdom In Nigeria...

Beloved in Christ,

Happy Lord's day to you all from Southwest School of Evangelism, Ibadan and your fellow brethren in Nigeria.

We were all at the burial of the mother of brother Ayodele Waleola on Friday. On Saturday, I led the few SWSE students that are doing their vocational training in Ibadan to house to house evangelism at Aronfolu, Jenriyin, and Olukotun villages of the Lagelu local government. My friend and co-instructor at SWSE IBADAN campus, brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe led the students under his custody to house to house evangelism at Egbeda and Olukeye towns in the Egbeda local government of Oyo state.

As God will have it, one of our Saturday prospects named Matthew Enoch was baptized at the Onikokoro River after this morning’s service, while brother Kayode Solomon Eniafe also reported a conversion this evening at the Egbeda congregation.  

I taught this morning on “Jesus Christ, Our Friend Forever” at the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation, Ibadan, Oyo State, while one of the present year 1 students admonished the church from Genesis 3:1-7.

Brethren, we are very proud of you all for being our partner in the Lord's business and we keep on praying for you and all your associates daily, so that we shall all meet in heaven with our Master, Jesus the Christ.

Thanks for your love, concern, and contribution to the growth of the Lord 's kingdom on earth. Be blessed forever.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

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

You Never Know What A Little Pink Duct Tape Can Do In A Pinch...

If you've ever been to Arusha, then you know that one of the biggest hazards that we face is simply traffic. Motorcycles (they call them piki pikis here) swarm around, in, and out of traffic like swarms of bees. They mostly drive on the center and side lines of the road, but can swerve across the lane with no warning. Yesterday, we fell victim to just such a maneuver. A piki piki swerved right into us, knocking off the rear quarter panel of our vehicle. Apparently, not seriously injured (thankfully!) the piki piki driver quickly disappeared.  

So what could we do? It just so happened that we had some duct tape with us, but... it was my daughter's PINK duct tape. Urgh. How unmanly can you get? Oh well, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. So, we taped it back on and went on about our day. 

The school year is moving right along. These men are just a few weeks away from graduation, but first they must conquer my class on Revelation. It is proving to be a rich and rewarding study. I hope they are benefiting from it as much as I am.

Would You Like a Visit?
We do have a few slots left in our schedule for our upcoming visit to the U.S. If you would like me to come by and visit with your congregation, then contact me and we will work it out. 

Daniel Gaines

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

An Alumni Report That Is Incredibly Impressive...

This years Tanzania leadership conference (TLC) was very successful. We thank God for the numerous speakers that came from throughout East Africa to deliver great lessons from the book of Nehemiah. In addition to the large crowd and great speakers we were privileged to have 34 ACSOP Alumni present this year. We were very grateful to have our brethren from Kenya and Uganda in attendance. They brought great encouragement to those of us who live and preach in Tanzania.TLC was a great opportunity for brethren to be edified and enjoy a level of fellowship that is only available at this type of gathering.

During the conference the Alumni met for dinner. Cy Stafford, Daniel Gaines and other faculty members presented lessons to encourage the alumni to work together to build the kingdom of God in East Africa and beyond. The first and second year students had the privilege of serving their predecessors the meal. 

One reason for our alumni meeting was to take a survey to try and gather some information about the growth of the kingdom in their respective areas. We had 20 surveys turned in and the results were encouraging.

1.    24 congregations were planted that accounted for a membership of over 1035 members over the past four years.

2.    Approximately 204 new souls were added to the kingdom this year through gospel meetings and seminars.

The biggest challenge for many of the graduates is a place to worship. Many are renting space or worshipping in school buildings. While we understand that a building doesn’t define who we are, in Africa, a building is a sign of legitimacy to our fellow Africans.

We thank God for a successful leadership conference, our faithful brethren who are preaching throughout East Africa, and for you, our dedicated supporters.

In Him,

Godfrey Mngoma
Dean of Students, Andrew Connally School of Preaching
A Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver extension school
Arusha, Tanzania

God Provides Opportunities To Serve In The Local Community...

It is my prayer and hope that this report will find you well and active in the kingdom of the Lord. In Ephesians 5:16 Paul reminds us of three important things: that we are living in evil days, that time is running out, and that we must make the most of the time God has given us.

I mention these three things because they are just as relevant to us today as they were to our brethren in Ephesus. Think of how many opportunities we get per hour, per day, per week, per month or per year to serve the Lord. In our communities there are so many opportunities provided for us to reach the lost with the message of salvation.

I am grateful God has provided these opportunities. I, and the good brethren I work with, have seen the results of the seed sown to those in our colleges and schools who have studied with us via correspondence courses. For several years we have been fortunate to watch many people obey the gospel. Indeed the harvest truly is plenteous (John 4:5). May we always take advantage of our opportunities and remain steadfast in our efforts to take the gospel to the lost (1 Cor. 15:58).

In Christ Jesus,

Michael Lesotwa
ACSOP, Dean of Academics

The Joy Of Mentoring At The Andrew Connally School Of Preaching...

Dear friends and brethren,

It is such a joy to be partners with you in our effort to broaden the kingdom. Anita and I are so very grateful for your constant support and prayers. We have just a few days left until our furlough comes to an end. We have a couple of final appointments left and are spending as much time as we can with our children and families before the long journey back to Tanzania. While we are grateful for the time with family and brethren we are anxious to return home to resume our work.

One of the greatest joys of the work at ACSOP is mentoring the four men that make up our faculty. That’s them in the picture above. These men have proven to be exceptional. They take initiative, work tirelessly, and have completely invested themselves in the work of the kingdom. As a mentor, I have stressed the mantra that “good teachers are good learners”. These men have accepted this thought and soak up knowledge as if their lives depended on it. Honestly, I could spend several pages praising each one of them for their myriad abilities but I’ll spare you from my pride in them.

One of the tasks that we have asked each of them to do is write a report, or relay a story, concerning the work at ACSOP. It is my hope to send these to you on a regular basis. By so doing you will hear about the work from their perspective and hopefully you will get to know them a little. As you read their reports, if you have questions come to mind, send them to me. I’ll pass them along and they will post the answers in their next report.

This weeks report comes from Godfrey Mngoma. Godfrey has been through ACSOP and college. He was teaching in the coastal town of Tanga when we asked him to come work with us at ACSOP. He is married and has triplet daughters. Godfrey is the preacher for the Arusha church of Christ and serves as the Dean of Students at ACSOP.

Sean and Anita Hochdorf

Upcoming Activities In Arusha Will Leave You Encouraged With The Work...

Greetings Fellow Servants, 

We thank you for your prayers and support of God’s mission work here in Tanzania. God is working powerfully through His faithful men and women in His Church in East Africa. 

Let me illustrate... On November 29th the Andrew Connally School of Preaching will graduate eight more faithful evangelist. These men represent three countries here in East Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. These men spent the last two years studying God’s Word from cover to cover. They also learned to apply their knowledge, working with local congregations and actively engaging in personal evangelism. Including this class, we have sent 137 men into this world to proclaim the message of the Gospel. I cannot think of a better stewardship process than 2 Timothy 2:2, “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.” We ask that you remember each of these men of God and their families as they serve God in His Kingdom’s work. 

During the week of December 15th through the 21st, the Andrew Connally School of Preaching will host the yearly Future Preacher’s Training Camp. Each year about this time we bring in 35-45 young men, ages 13-23, to learn how to lead in worship, develop and preach Biblical lessons, and what it means to “Lead!” Many of these young men have proven themselves to be really good Bible class teachers, preachers, and, yes, amazing evangelists. They helped with our Christian camp, teaching many of their friends and peers the Truth of God’s Word. We thank our brother Roger Shepherd for introducing this idea to the Lord’s work here in Tanzania many years ago. This has proven to be a power tool in the “disciplining process.” 

During the week of January 5th through 10th, the Andrew Connally School of Preaching will host the yearly Tanzania Christian Camp. Young boys and girls, ages 13 to 23, from the Lord’s church are invited to come and learn more about God’s Word, as they fellowship and meet new friends. They are encouraged to bring a friend who might not be a Christian that they might learn of the saving message of the Gospel. We thank Ben Thompson (who will not make it this year because he and his wife just had a baby), John Rice and Burt Fuller for bringing this idea to Tanzania. They are also going to conduct a second camp this year in Dar es Salaam. Each year several obey the Gospel during this camp, all to His glory!

I have highlighted the above to say this - our good brothers and sisters in Christ here in Tanzania are maturing and doing the work with joyful hearts. The scriptural growth we are witnessing is truly amazing and can only be attributed to God, for “what God controls, grows.”

On behalf of the entire Tanzania mission team, we say thank you from the very depth of our souls. We know you have sacrificed much, making this work what it is. May our God bring joy and peace into your lives in a very special way. We thank you, we love you and we will continue praying for you. 

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie, Granny, Mama Happy, Bryson and Benson. 

(Mama Happy, or better known to some of you as Paulina, gave birth to a healthy boy, Bryson, last week. Her good friend and nurse, Stephanie, is taking care of them in our home for a few days before they return home).

P.S. Early this week we received a surprise from the government owned and operated power company. Instead of 240 volts, we received 300 volts of power. So, we are in the process of repairing and replacing; 23 light bulbs, a micro-wave, washer, printer, two power supplies for our lap-tops, etc. We have covered the cost of our personal items, but, if you would like to help with the Kensington House (missionary house), we (the mission team) would be very grateful. As of this writing we have spent $910.32, still waiting to see if our coffee pot and printer can be repaired. Thank you in advance for your concern and generosity. 

The Lord Adds To The Church In Togo...

Kpodzi Church of Christ has a meeting place.
David has every reason to smile. A few weeks ago, David was concerned with the worship place of the Tsame Church of Christ. An appeal was launched and someone was touched to respond. The Tsame Church was blessed with funds to purchase the land and erect a structure for meeting. One interesting thing that happened was that the very time payment for the land was to be made, the owner decided to triple the price of the land because it was in a prime area on the outskirts of Kpalime. However, God had prepared another place for the church just across the street on a hill overlooking the city of Kpalime. Brethren purchased the land and completed the structure within a week and had the place ready for worship the following Sunday. 

Students and instructors were on site to assist with the construction. The brethren are grateful and asked God’s blessing on the donor. Due to change in location, there is the need for the change in the name of the Tsame Church of Christ, it is now Kpodzi Church of Christ. 

A family is added to the Nyivme church of Christ. 
Mrs. Abalo recently attended a seminar at CBS and informed her husband and the children of the teachings she had received. The family visited the church a couple of times and listened to the radio program each Sunday while reading the tracts they received from the church. The entire family of four decided recently to obey the gospel. 

The family currently worships with the Nyiveme Church of Christ. The family used to worship with the Zion Hill Church, a charismatic church in Kpalime. 

Four Baptized During EYOH Campaign
On the 25th - 27th of September, the EYOH Church of Christ organized a three day campaign for Christ. The three day campaign produced four additions to the Eyoh Church of Christ. The activities include the following: Open air preaching, house to house Bible study, tract distribution, Jesus film show, and Passion of the Christ. In all, there were 12 preachers, 18 students, ten members of the Nyiveme congregation, 4 members from the Hanyigba congregation and 14 members of the Eyoh congregation were present to assist in this worthy cause.

Todego Achille Teaches Short Course at CBS 
Todego teaches at the Benin Center for Biblical Studies. We recently invited him to teach the book of Hebrews at CBS. We will continue to use such teachers in our future programs. 

Tract Distribution by CBS Students 
We spent a couple of hours on a Friday distributing tracts in the city of Kpalime. We were in the shops, market place, homes, offices, and also set up a distribution center along a major street. 

The tracts were donated through George Funk of Gospel Chariot Mission in South Africa. The church of Christ is reaching many through its outreach programs which include: tracts distribution, radio program, Bible correspondence courses, and house to house personal work. 

Chariot driver Atsou helps with distribution of tracts 
Ever since his conversion in August, Atsou has not rested from telling people about the Church of Christ; he is on fire for the Lord. On my recent trip to Kpalime, he was part of my team during the tract distribution. Atsou is so excited about the church and even confided in me that there is nothing that will send him back into denominationalism. The ‘pastor’ of his former church is still trying to lure him back because he claimed they miss his skillful drumming during worship service. However, Atsou has vowed never to look back. They have tried to convince him to propose a salary. Atsou now understands that the use of instrument is not commanded in the New Testament Church worship. 

H. Willie Gley
wgleycbs@gmail.com
P.O. Box AN 19611
Accra North, Ghana

A New Birth (Physically And Spiritually) While A Brother Passes...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters here in Wotutu and Cameroon. We do hope this report finds you all in good health and a sound faith. We are doing our best here and God is blessing our efforts daily.

We just returned from a long tiring journey to a village for a funeral. Some students made transit to their areas for weekend evangelism thereafter.

Last week went on well, as our students gained daily from the last courses that will take them to their different locations after graduation in December. We are doing a lot now to finalize their stay at CBIW as they are eager to start serving full time.

Our congregation is blessed again with a new born baby. Sister Adamu is less than a year in our congregation. She stood with her husband as they brought their new born baby for prayers. The husband came because he said, “Let me come and see, after all we don’t worship today.” He is a Muslim and he really enjoyed our worship and I had some time with him in my office to point him to the Bible. Wow! I gave him a tract that is a reply to a Muslim and that was great for him to come back to me after one week.

I spoke during the funeral of minister Nangoh Rudolf in his home town. It was a moment of sadness and reflection. The wife stood during eulogies and said, “What else is the reason for us to live? Oh, oh, what a day again. History repeated itself again as preachers serve and when they die, their families are left without a pillar. Most preachers in Cameroon will die without their own home, and their families remain renting until they are unable to pay the rent again and they will be thrown out of the house. Sister Pauline Nangohs cried out that God would allow her husband to live a little while, but that God’s will is done. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Brother Mbappe baptized brother Damacious, the husband of sister Adamu, who came and worshipped with us for the very first time sluggishly because Christians worship on Sunday, but they worship on Friday as a Muslim. The gospel is powerful. We thank God for the power he has placed in our hands which is more than all missiles.

Keep this brother in your prayers, so that he will stand the persecution that will come from his kinsmen.

Plans
We are planning to make a trip to Mamfe for the annual Bible lectureship. It is purely for evangelism to help the local congregation. Keep praying for us to get the transport means to move there.

Appreciations
We give glory to God for you, for all that you are doing here for us. If not for you we doubt how far this work would have gone. God bless you. Replenish all that you are using wisely for this work. He will reward you in due season, so do not faint.

Do your best to share this with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace director CBIW

The Pivotal Word: Growth...

Growth is the key word for the week. Students are returning to classes this week in Denver. For some, it will be the last quarter of studies before they graduate and enter the work. For others, it will be their second quarter and the challenge of beginning their studies in the Greek language. We are sure they would appreciate your prayers as they begin the first of three quarters of intense study in another language, while keeping up with their additional classes.

We see growth in the program this week as the Kenya School of Preaching began their second class of students. KSOP’s recent graduation in August was an exciting achievement. Now, recognizing their selection of 20 students out of 47 for the second class is amazing. We look forward to learning more about the growth of these men in preparing themselves to preach the gospel in their country.

Further growth unfolds over the next month as two locations (Chimala and Takoradi) will host their graduation ceremonies for the men who are prepared to finish their studies and enter the work. The accomplishments of these men will not go unnoticed or be in vain as they reach out with the gospel of Christ to the lost of their countries.

Growth also came this week in the form of God’s increase to the kingdom. Souls in several locations were added to the church as the gospel was proclaimed and people responded by being baptized into Christ. The joy of reading about these individuals, their love for learning the truth, and their obedience to it, cannot be overstated.

Reading about the growth of the program in Denver and around the world is rewarding in many ways. The fact that God has given us an opportunity to share in the training of preachers on a global scale is beyond words. Our God is great and the development of this work is exciting!!

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 

Gaining Ground In The Prison Ministry Of Cameroon: Throughout the activities of CBIW, the work unfolding in the local prison ministry is reaching out in powerful ways with the gospel.

A New Class Is Settling Into The Work Of The KSOP: Students are excited to begin their journey of biblical studies in Kenya. Twenty men are preparing for kingdom work.

Another Quarter Is Completed in Ghana: Students at the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies finished another quarter and have a short break before continuing their studies.

Graduation Approaches In Chimala And New Students Prepare: Graduation at the Chimala Bible Institute is less than two weeks away and 27 new students prepare to begin.

Graduation, Support, A Baptism, Ebenezer Amable, And Brother Asiamah: These headings are developed in a recent report from the brethren in Takoradi, Ghana about their work.

A New Congregation Is Born Out Of The Recent Bible Lectureship: The Southwest School of Evangelism participated in a recent Bible Lectureship that led to the start of a new congregation.

Areawide Evangelism Meeting Leads To 40 Calls Or Texts: The church in Arusha, Tanzania is distributing tracts with information to call or text one of the leaders, and it is working.

A Different Flavor For Reporting From Daniel Gaines: If you enjoy watching and listening to the report, you will love this week’s message from the Gaines’ family in Tanzania.

Final Thoughts 
As we close out this week’s report, we thank you for taking time to read through the information provided from each location. We hope you were as uplifted and encouraged as we were when reading through the reports. Thank you for making this work a part of your service in the kingdom. Our prayer is that God will bless you richly for your efforts.

God bless
Bob

A Different Flavor For Reporting From Daniel Gaines...

The Gaines’ report comes in the form of a video. Please watch and listen to the information from Daniel and his family by going to the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1oG3HkaETQ&feature=youtu.be

Areawide Evangelism Meeting Leads To 40 Calls Or Texts...

Greetings Fellow Servants, 

We rejoice with humble hearts in the fact we are privileged to serve together in the seeking and saving of the lost of this world, to the glory of our Heavenly Father. Thank you for caring, for praying, and for your support of God’s mission effort here in Tanzania. There is always so much good going on, being reported, and so little space to share. Here are a couple of recent events that really demonstrate God’s love and His power at work in the lives of His saints here in Tanzania. 

“It works brother as you always say...work work work work work work work...” Godfrey Mngoma (evangelist for the Arusha congregation, team leader for our Translation team, ACSOP instructor and President of the ACSOP Alumni Association) wrote regarding the baptism of our new sister in Christ, Diana. 

Yesterday, at the Arusha areawide Evangelism meeting (each month the evangelist from the eight congregations in Arusha get together and discuss how they can help one another in the discipling of the lost of this area and as well as the Lord’s church) Godfrey recounted the Arusha congregation’s outreach plan (and results). For the last 90 days each member was given one Bible tract (at each church service) and simply asked to give it to a friend, neighbor or co-worker, etc. Godfrey puts his phone number on each tract, insuring anyone who has a question or would like additional information can call him. 

As a result, more than 40 calls or text have been received. They have met with and established 34 Bible studies, had two visitors at the worship service, and one soul has already been added to the Kingdom. The secret? Willing hearts.....willing hands.....and yes, work, work, work! What a truly simple, yet amazing idea. 

Another great example of team work, unity, cooperation, and love as the report of each man at the Arusha Evangelism meeting regarding the increase the Lord has given this year alone in His church in the Arusha area. At least 132 souls have said yes to the saving message of the Gospel. Amen! Thanks be to our God, great things He is doing!

There are many factors that made this possible: for sure the love of God, the power of the gospel, our friends and supporters, and because each of these congregations are being lead by trained, qualified, faithful evangelist who have studied God’s Word at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and are now taking the gospel of our Lord to their own people. Preacher training schools are an amazing way to “disciple the world.” 

May your week be fruitful as you continue in your service to Him and to His people, the people of the world. Let us never forget, God is always willing and able if we are willing to serve. God is love. Let us love one another.

Please remember Granny in your prayers. She has some health issues that are troubling her (and us). We believe, and know, God is able and that He always answers the prayers of His righteous in the best way possible. 

Until all have heard...

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie and Granny

A New Congregation Is Born Out Of The Recent Bible Lectureship...

Dear fellow soldiers of the cross,

Greetings from your co-laborers in Christ.

We paid a condolence visit to the wife of our late brother, sister Okome yesterday before I left Ogun state to spend the night with the Meiran brethren in Lagos state.

By 5:30 am, I left Meiran to teach the ten SWSE students at the Ikorodu campus on “The Fundamentals of the Faith” from 8:00 am till 4:00 pm. The Ikorodu campus is being tutored by two of the SWSE graduates (brother Mfon Etim and brother Okoro Chinyere) and a graduate of WNCC named brother Linus Agada.

During my visit, brother Mfon Etim informed me that he and the rest of SWSE Ikorodu teamed up with some brethren to plant the Lord 's church at Oworo two weeks ago through mass evangelism and an open-air Bible Lectureship that gave birth to the church at Oworo. The results included two conversions and two restorations of the families of four each during the Friday through Sunday afternoon evangelism of October 3-5, 2014.

Brethren, the new campus at Ikorodu is in need of books for their library and hymn books for that satellite campus. I will make the photocopies of the material we are using at the main campus available to them, Lord willing, on November 25, 2014.

A big thanks to you all for your partnership. May the Lord of blessing continue to bless all our joint efforts in Christ name, amen.

I remain your fellow worker in Christ vineyard,

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

Graduation, Support, A Baptism, Ebenezer Amable, And Brother Asiamah...

Dear Brethren,

As has been said in an earlier report, the new school year began on September 15, 2014. It began with fifteen (15) new students. We had earlier reported that seventeen (17) new students were coming but two had called to say they were no more coming. However, additional two have also called to express their readiness to come. We are in contact with them and would know in the next week or two how things would turn out to be. Below is a group picture of those new students in attendance.

Graduation
As was reported to you, in our beginning of year staff meeting we agreed that the graduation date be shifted to November 29. We are working towards this date. The graduation gowns are being sown and we hope to get them before time.

Support
Brother Collins Agyekum is one of the immediate past students of the school. He has pledged to support our work with ten Cedis (10) each month. His first contribution has been acknowledged in the financial account.

Baptism
Brother Matthew Ackah studied and baptized his mother who has been a worshipper in a denomination all the while. We rejoice with her as she is now added to the Lord’s church.

Also we had one visitor who had come up the hill to see what we do there. We took advantage of his visit to study with him. Below also are pictures of these.

Ebenezer Amable
Ebenezer, one of our immediate past students who was recruited to help as an instructor also began work when we started the new school year.

Daniel Ampadu Asiamah
He continues to receive treatment in Accra and reports indicate he is responding to treatment.

Finally, we thank you all for your support and prayer and hope you would continue to pray for us as we continue with our labour in the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.

Thank you all once again.

Charles

Graduation Approaches In Chimala And New Students Prepare...

We were privileged to travel to Arusha, Tanzania and attend the Leadership Conference at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching this month. We spoke twice on Nehemiah and heard many local preachers speak on this vital topic. It was so inspiring and rewarding to see the unity and strong desire to advance the cause of Christ of Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan brethren.  

I was able to stay with Cy and Stephanie Stafford, and their hospitality was outstanding. The house guests included Ralph and Cindy Williams. Boaz Kasiba, one of the teachers at CBI and an elder in the local church, also traveled to the conference and spoke on leadership. He was invited to preach at the local church on Sunday. Boaz and I then traveled back to Chimala where we both began teaching our students. 

Boaz is teaching the Holy Spirit and Revelation, and I am teaching World Religions and Church History. Along with the rest of the teachers, we are also making plans for the next school year. We already have 27 students lined up to come in 2015. We are pleased to have a large group from other countries besides Tanzania in our student body. 

Jean Niyonkuru is from Burundi. He was converted in a regugee camp and desires to return to his country and build the church when he finishes. Mkoko Celestin was converted by a World Bible School track while in the refugee camp and is from the Congo. He has been a Christian since 2010 and has a strong desire to return to the Congo when he finishes at Chimala Bible Institute. 

Asenda Evaristo became a Christian when the local preacher from Kidoma, Tanzania taught him the gospel in 2003. He has a tremendous passion for learning the New Testament and also desires to return to his war torn country when he is able to “preach Christ.” 

Another refugee from the Congo is Makyambe Mwinde Eminya. He was converted when he started the study provided by the World Bible School and his teacher was a Christian woman from Texas. He was baptized when he learned the truth and was able to attend the school of preaching in Dar es Salaam. After finishing there, he wanted to continue his Bible education and is now finishing his first year in the English program at the Chimala Bible Institute. He says he is here because he wants to “learn the whole Bible” so he can return to the Congo and preach.

It is students like these men who make the work at CBI so rewarding, men who are willing to sacrifice to prepare themselves to share the gospel to their homes. May God continue to bless them and all of our students’ efforts to serve God.

Garry L. Hill
Director of Chimala Bible Institute
for the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver

Another Quarter Is Completed In Ghana...

The Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies, as usual, is enjoying the good blessings of the Almighty God. With barely a few days to come to the close of work for the quarter, everything has gone well with us with regards to the program of activities.

By the grace of God, brother Joe Wilkie is healthy and doing marvelously with his class. He has proved to be very efficient and hardworking. The Institute, therefore, wishes to thank all those who supported him to render such a service here in the Northern Region of Ghana. It is our prayer that he continues to be a part of the work of the Lord going on here in Ghana. 

As scheduled, the Institute will be vacating on Friday, the 17th of October, 2014. We are, by this report, thanking all our dear sponsors, coordinators, staff and well-wishers for their prayers and efforts toward a successful quarter.

May our good Lord continue to bind, protect and guide us in our service in his Vineyard.

Baah Joseph Okyere