Souls Obeying The Gospel And Churches Planted In Kenya...

Greetings from Kenya School of Preaching, we are doing well here. 

The students are headed for a four week break. We had 18 students after 2 left for personal reasons. We expect to have 20 next quarter as we begin the first quarter of the 2nd year in October.

The students did great in evangelism which resulted into 3 baptisms and several Bible studies. 

I had the opportunity to work at a gospel campaign and meeting as a preacher and teacher. We had 9 baptisms. Elias is at a gospel campaign as I write this and we know the word of God will not be in vain. 

We were blessed to have Peter Ray who taught “Foundation of Missions” and Mike Reese who taught the “Gospel according to John.” We are happy they came. 

We are thankful they addressed some immediate needs of the students, Bibles, and song books. We hope we will be able to continue meeting these needs. 

Next quarter I am teaching “Greek” and “Church history.” I love this, while Elias will teach “Romans to Galatians” and “Psalms.” 

We met some graduates who are doing great in the Kingdom. Joseph is riding his bicycle 30km one way every Sunday to preach to a young congregation that he helped to plant. Laban is working with 5 congregations teaching them to be sound. These are just to mention a few. It is wonderful that the first graduates are setting things right in the field and we pray the second class will emulate them. 

We thank you all for your prayers and support of this work. 

Blessings 

Charles Ogutu
Bear Valley Bible Institute, Kenya

Committed People Working Together Toward A Common Goal...

I hope that you are doing well in the kingdom of our Lord. Our God is so good to us here at ACSOP. On August 10, we started our third quarter for all students. There are 12 students in the first year, 15 in the second year class, and 10 in the masters program. 

Since then, the first year class learned the book of “1 Corinthians” as I taught the short-course in the first week, and “World Religions” in the second week was taught by Adam Evans. The second year students learned the books of the “Minor Prophets” as a short-course in the first week, taught by Desdery Massawe, and I taught the book “Romans” in their second week. The master’s class learned the books of “1 & 2 Timothy” in their first week, taught by Ralph Williams, and in their second week they learned “Advanced Homiletics” taught by Ralph Williams.  

The rotating Spiritual Discipline program went well last Sunday. As a part of it, I went to Kioga to teach in the Bible classes as well as in the worship. The topic was “Journaling for the Purpose of Godliness.” I was really encouraged to see about 35 men and women plus children in worship there listening to me teach that topic.

Two weeks ago I read 2 Co. 8:1-5 before the prayer for the contribution.  As I was reading, it reminded me of you, our supporters. If you don't know it by heart, please look it up and read about saints who sacrificed for the cause of Christ. Please accept our deep gratitude for all you have done to help us in this mission work. When committed people work together toward a common goal, great things happen and success is inevitable. We continue to be thankful for the privilege of working in the kingdom of God, teaching people who really desire to know and obey the Truth.

Your fellow-worker in the Kingdom,

Losotwa Michael,
Dean of Academics, Andrew Connally School of Preaching
A Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver extension school
Arusha, TZ

God Is Doing Something Great In Wotutu, Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from this part of the globe. We do hope you are doing great. We keep you in our prayers and we will wish you all well. We are doing our best here and our health are better.

The rainy season is on, but for a few days now we had a weather that was not rainy. As I type this email, however, rain is up the sky in Wotutu.

The past week in BVBIC-Wotutu went on well. Even though some are sick, it is not severe enough that we need to send them to see the doctor. Keep me in your prayers as I continue to recover. I am in need of some medication that will continue to help me through. Students were busy doing revisions as they prepare for examinations this week.

I went on a mission trip this weekend with some students. It takes a great deal to make mission possible. We must be prepared to walk on foot long distances because of bad roads. The bad road is making mission work extremely expensive, but because we know and recognize our calling, we must go. Many are perishing in sin and need the light of the gospel to shine in their dark world. Because of this, we cannot afford to relent our efforts no matter the weather conditions or bad roads.

In Wotutu the Lord is doing something great. Last week, a couple obeyed the gospel at the same time and this week, brother Amaboh and his wife both accepted the gospel. Our students pointed out the truth to them using an umbrella to protect their Bibles.

Brother Mendel baptized brother Amaboh into Christ. Today was his first time to worship God in the New Testament pattern. He was very happy to be part and pleaded with the church to hold his hands so that he will be strong and help many come in.

Sister Florence obeyed the gospel as well. They are married for just three months. They are eager to know more about Christ. We need a copy of the Bible in their hands, which will be the tool for them to use and fight the devil, as the devil will come many times to derail them. Keep them in your prayers as their family will see their growth and love of the church and that they may come to be part of this great family.

The husband and wife obeyed the gospel and it was awesome to see both of them having the same mind to follow the Lord.

Plans
Idenau mission was postponed because of the very bad weather to take students a virgin land like that.

Keep our students in your prayers as they start exams tomorrow. Next week, they will start short-courses on “Galatians” and the “Prison Epistles.” Keep praying for the instructors who will come and teach these books in your prayers.

Keep Brightland Christian Academy in your prayers as they start a new school year on the 7th of September. Brightland Christian is doing well.

Appreciations
​Many thanks from our hearts for your love and deep concern over the work here. God bless you and replenish what you took to make sure this work is smooth. We continue to use our words because when we look around we do not have anything to pay you back. We know our God will reward you as He rewarded other faithful servants in times past and the time to come.

Do your best to share this report with others.

Elangwe and family
By His grace Director BVBIC-Wotutu

Spotlighting Growth In The Kingdom...

Another week and the progress made by students in Denver continues to encourage everyone. These students are hungry to learn and they are eager to use their abilities to help one another and reach out to the lost in this area. The excitement of each student, along with their willingness to do the work, will make the greatest difference in their service in the Lord’s kingdom. Please continue praying for these men as they move forward.

Extension news continues to be a spotlight in the news each week. This week is also encouraging as students in each location reporting are growing and moving forward in their preparation to preach the gospel. We are excited to read about the souls added to the kingdom in Cameroon and Tanzania. We enjoy reading about the church being strengthened and built up in the faith. We also love learning how God is blessing this work on every level.

As we move into the middle of the month, there may be a few less reports, but the news packed in them is powerful. We ask you to take a few moments each day and bring this work before the throne of our Father and ask for His help in this effort. May He be glorified.

Now on to this week’s incredible 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

Providing Practical Grounds For Students In Cameroon: The church in Wotutu provides students an opportunity to put into practice what they learn in class and the result is growth.

Praising God By A Life That Glorifies The Lord: The necessity of a life lived to the glory of God is essential to the growth of His kingdom and the brethren understand this in Mbanga.

Short, Sweet, But Some Kind Of Special News: We rejoice with the brethren in Arusha, Tanzania with the addition of a new sister in Christ. 

Planting, Watering, And Watching God Give The Increase: Staff at ACSOP remind us of the plan God outlines in His word and how it works in Tanzania.

Final Thoughts
A million “thank you’s” will never be enough to express our gratitude to each of you for the role you play in the extension training program. Our prayer is that God will bless you richly for your involvement. We also pray that you are encouraged with the progress you read about every week. We know that together we are making a difference around the world.

God bless
Bob

Short, Sweet, But Some Kind Of Special News...

Greetings from Arusha 

One more soul was added today in the kingdom. Pray for our new sister, Angel, as she begins her new spiritual journey.

Work hard and you will be crowned.

Mtumishi Godfrey

Planting, Watering, And Watching God Give The Increase...

I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s my hope that everyone is doing well in the Lord’s work. Please, I would like share with you in this short time what God is doing in East Africa. This is the second part of the “good will trip” in Kenya. Every faithful Christian has the privilege to serve Him. There are many ways that you can serve Him and still be counted as serving. All who are faithful are privileged to plant seeds or to water in His vineyard. 

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

As many people take a quick view of serving, they think the one who is in the field is the only one serving and forget those who are praying, funding, or helping in any other way. All are the same in serving as Paul said! Then whatever you have done in the Lord’s vineyard, whether you prayed or whether you funded you are counted the same. I was examining these things when I was in Eldoret, Kenya in evangelism after we met with many Andrew Connally School of Preaching graduates who are working hard in the Lord’s vineyard. In that moment, I remembered specifically those who sent money for all two years for them to make it possible to graduate, which has resulted in many churches being established. This is exactly what Paul is talking about. By just working in one area you will not be able to see what God Has done. Many preachers and evangelists have graduated from the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and are busy looking for lost souls. I was able to meet Kennedy Munubi, Juma Omai Juma, Fredrick Bwile, Kennedy Ngetch, Pius Bwile, and two current students, Pius Ngetchand Ibrahimu Tanui. These were only on the Eldoret side. But on the Kisumu side, where the ACSOP has more students, we met Elias Omolo, Richard Randiek, Charles Ogutu, David Wasonga, Vincent Wahungu (the first Kiswahili stream student from Kenyan), Bernard Kagaga, Veroon Kagaga, and Rechard Aroko. Also I was able to contact by phone Julius Manyuru, Barackand Geofrey Ondieki. We were able to work with most of them, and for all these two weeks 14 souls were baptized. The reason to meet with them is to encourage them to see if the ACSOP trained graduates are in the field serving the Lord, recruiting new students, and making good relationships between churches in East Africa and ACSOP. 

Again, this all would not be done without your efforts, also ACSOP faculty, and the best missionary team we have. God is blessing the church abundantly on this side because of your efforts. Please continue to pray for us as we serve Him together.

In His service,

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

Praising God By A Life That Glorifies The Lord...

God is worthy to be praised by the living and I will always glorify the Lord. Among the two congregations that has elders and deacons in Cameroon, one of the few deacons just passed away and was buried yesterday. Deacon Ameli Celestine from the Buea Town congregation is no more.

Special greetings from our young assembly in Mujuka where students go for evangelism every weekend. The church is blessed to start worshiping again in that same building after they were sent away by the land-lady, but now we are doing a concrete agreement and maybe we start paying rent that will only be after our negotiation with brother Nelson and the land-lady.

Oh my beloved, how time flies. We are on our last week of studies for the second semester and instructors are already submitting their exams. Also, they are preparing to wind up their courses and make final revisions if possible.

A new list for the second semester internship is out and new congregations have called for the attention of the school to send students to their congregations. The field is vast but the laborers are few. I pray the next in take should be more than these with committed workers.

This weekend was characterized with weekend evangelism. Two students went to Muyuka, two in Nkonsamba, and three in Mbanga, even thou with the nature of our climate now, serious rains go for a long period, but we are still succeeding with our prospects.

Upcoming Events
We are thinking of making the school known to the public through a short wave TV station that is in Mbanga and to have a PA system that can be used to preach open air early in the morning and late at night if and only if the government will grant us the authorization.

Remain blessed in your congregation as you keep on thinking about the work in Mbanga in your prayers and also in your mind.

Ititi

Providing Practical Grounds For Students In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Calvary greetings to you from your brothers and sisters here. We do hope you are doing great in all that you do. We are doing better here in health. The rainy season continues to make history for the past 6 weeks now. The rain is still on and many cannot do their regular activities with ease.

The gospel and the mission to reach out to souls still tops our agenda because we know we are supposed to think souls and go rob from the strong man’s house. Heavy rain and sickness can only disturb for a while, but it cannot stop us to discharge items on our agenda.

Reaching out to souls provokes lots of persecutions and difficulties. As the rainy season is bad, so too is the means to send students out for weekend evangelism. Roads are bad and prices of transportation are high.

Last week in BVBIC-Wotutu went on well, as we were winding up studies for long courses and we shall give exams. Thereafter, we shall start preparing for two short courses which are coming up in September: “Galatians” and the “Prison Epistles.” Students are growing and we are thankful to God. We can see with our own eyes how God continues to raise His workers through our hands daily.

The Wotutu congregation continues to provide practical grounds for our students. This morning brother Etongwe Theophile lead us in songs. It was great as he provoked and kept everyone in the mode to worship God in the beauty of His holiness.

Because of severe rain our Christians can still make their way to the worship hall. Everyone paid attention to see with his or her eyes what the Bible says about.

Mr. Gregory Ncho, his wife Mrs. Tawi Frida, and their family friend obeyed the gospel the same day. It was wonderful for them to worship with us today for the third time and decide to obey the gospel and put on Christ. It was a remarkable history. This makes it easy for growth because most of the time when one, mostly the lady, obeys the gospel the husband can bring persecution. Keep them in your prayers so that their children who were in worship today will see great changes in their lives and they will follow also.

Brother Gregory smiled in the water pool of baptism. Keep praying for him to lead his family now with a difference.

Sister Tawi Frida obeyed the gospel also. Keep her in your prayers.

Pointing to the word is our business. Students at the riverside pointed to the word of truth, “here is some water, what hinders me from being baptized?”

Brother Edube baptized brother Shudifor all from the same family. Keep them in your prayers.

Plans
Students will begin their third quarter exams soon.

We prepare for short courses and exams in September.

Appreciations
God bless you and keep you strong. Thanks for all your love shown and deep concern for us and the work here.

Do your best to pray for us as we pray for you. Please share our report with others.

Elangwe and family

Reports Overflowing With The Increase Of God...

Classes are in full swing at the Denver campus of the Bear Valley Bible Institute. Sixteen new students began classes last Monday and are on their way to a wonderful two years dedicated to preparing themselves for ministry work. This group of students is impressive. Nine of the students are married with a total of fourteen children. When these thirty-four family members graced the stage at the Bear Valley congregation, along with the current student body behind them, it was an incredible sight. We are encouraged, to say the least, with this intake of students and their potential for future service in the kingdom.

Amazing news continues to flow from the reports received this week in the extension program. The report from David Ballard about the work in the Mbanga prison is exciting as twenty men were baptized into Christ. Troy Spradlin shares news about the leadership growth within the church in Paraguay, Howell Ferguson talks about the development of the mission in Chimala, and news from Ghana discusses the advancement of the program of study at the West Coast School of Preaching in Takoradi. And this is only the beginning. Additional reports share more about the continual blessings of our God on the efforts of these Christians.

As we continue to move forward with the development of the work in each location, we will share news from new locations where Bear Valley is privileged to begin training men to preach the gospel. A new school begins this month in Zambia and we are preparing the ground for new locations in Malawi and Fiji around the first of the year, and more in 2016. We look forward to sharing the development of this program as it grows in the months and year ahead.

Now on to this week’s incredible 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/

The latest report from Howell Ferguson can be read by clicking here.

Extension Reports 

I Cannot Fight With God, So Allow The Church Of Christ The Word Of God: This is a beautiful story of God working through a public official to allow the gospel to be preached.

Angels Rejoice As God Gives The Increase At Mbanga Prison: An outreach program to the prisoners in Mbanga witnessed the increase of God as twenty men obeyed the gospel.

Attempts To Move The School Opened Doors For A New Location: Recent attempts to move to a new location in Ukraine were met with resistance, but a new opportunity flourished.

The Gospel Proclaimed Produces Much Fruit In Ghana: The West Coast School of Preaching is learning how to sustain the work and see the fruit of preaching the gospel.

Short-Term Missions, Long-Term Plans For Paraguay: The leadership in Paraguay is rising to the challenges of planning long-term for the church and the future of the work.

The Work Of Evangelism And A Man Of God Make A Good Combination: The report from Arusha shares the results from a graduate of ACSOP doing the work of evangelism.

Final Thoughts 
Thank you for taking time to read through the reports this week. We always hope you are as encouraged as we are with the development of the work. Additionally, we are constantly expressing our gratitude to God for your involvement. We consider it the highest privilege to be fellow-workers with you and God in advancing the kingdom of our Lord on earth.

God bless
Bob

The Work Of Evangelism And A Man Of God Make A Good Combination...

Greetings Fellow Servants;

We rejoice in the knowledge that our God is a loving God, able to do mighty works in and through His people. Your prayers and support for God’s work in Tanzania through the Tanzania Mission effort is appreciated beyond our ability to adequately express in words. With all that we are and all that we hope to be, we say thank you. Thank you for all you do. 

The Bear Valley congregation working with and through the Bear Valley Bible Institute International leadership is doing a mighty work in the Kingdom. They understand the need and our responsibility to share the truth of God’s word to all people. Our God desires that all people come to a knowledge of Truth. Our desire is to be God’s desire, therefore, we too desire that all come to a knowledge of the Word of God. 

One way that will ensure Kingdom growth is through the teaching and training of faithful gospel preachers/evangelist. The Andrew Connally School of Preaching in Arusha, is one of 17 preaching training schools around the world under the leadership of the BV congregation and BVBII. 

As of this writing, the ACSOP has graduated 140 evangelists who have gone out to do some really amazing things in their own counties and with their own people. These men, their families and the church family they are serving, are doing some really amazing works in East Africa. 

One such example is our brother Yusuph Mdaki. Here is an excerpt from his latest report:

Evangelism: “The work of evangelism continues to do well according to God’s command during this July. I had the opportunity to make evangelistic trips to the following congregations: 1) Bukoba, one soul added to the church; 2) Lulembela, four souls added to the church; 3) Ushirombo, one soul added to the church. I have worked with these congregations discussing how we can evangelize the great lakes zone. 

Our plan is to have a crusade, house to house evangelism. This effort will include one month of prayers, with fasting and a program to edify the local congregation in the area of spiritual growth and Kingdom growth. 

To ensure much success we need your help with the following: 1) 2,500 Bible Correspondence Courses. 2) We need 200 Bibles. 3) 5,000 Bible Tracts. Please help us share God’s Word to the lost souls of this area. 

The crusade will include the following congregations: Katoro, Mganza, Kazibizyo, Lulemela, Nyamigota, and Mtiga. Lastly, we need your prayers, God’s blessings and your participation.”

This man of God has proven himself to be faithful, effective, and an amazing example as to who we should be. Please pray for him and his family. Please help him as he gives of himself sacrificially to the lost and dying world in East Africa. 

We celebrate with the Gaines family in the good report little JoJo received. We thank all who have prayed and supported this family. We are very grateful to have them on our team. 

Until all have heard….

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Attempts To Move The School Opened Doors For A New Location...

Hello friends, brothers and churches,

I know that many of you are praying for the Institute and its future constantly. Thank you for your care and continuous prayer support. As you remember, in the previous report I wrote about the Institute moving to Dnepropetrovsk. Surely, this city has many advantages: it’s big and comfortable, there is an airport here, etc. However, it did not work out, and now we are in the town - Bila Tserkva (80 km south from Kiev). Most likely we will start our school year there. At the very last moment, brethren from the Dnepropetrovsk congregation refused to provide any assistance with the building for the Institute and said that they disagreed with us on some doctrinal issues, though they had been saying that everything is ready for our moving and that our presence would be a blessing for them. It might be the case Luke is describing in Acts 16, when Paul and his team wanted to preach the gospel in Asia and Bithynia, but Holy Spirit didn’t allow for that to happen. However, doors were opened for them to spread God’s Word in Macedonia. Now we are actively getting ready for the beginning of the school year. We need to find apartments for my family, the students, and teachers. Classes will begin on September 7.

In June, my family and I attended camp Americraine, where we visited with many friends, BVBIU teachers, graduates and students. Then we spent a week of vacation at the seaside and two weeks in Dnepropetrovsk. I hoped we would be able to stay in this city, so I was looking for a building to rent for the school and the church. Yet the city is big, and there was little time left, so my family and I moved to Bila Tserkva at the beginning of August. This town has a population of 200,000 people. There is a church of Christ there, which was founded in the 90s. Konstantin Kisilenko preaches there. We plan to have the next school year there and see how it works there for us. Please pray for our stay there and effective ministry to the Lord.  

There is a joyous event that happened recently; it’s a wedding of our brother, BVBIU graduate and a preacher, Stas Kuropyatnikov and Anna. It’s nice to see that the church is growing and there are marriages among the Christians. About 10-15 years ago there was a tendency to look for a spouse outside the church. Many young people were saying that there are so few of us and we could not find friends among the Christians. Now there is an evident progress. Young people are looking for friends among Christians only. Many young Christians are dating and enjoying the fellowship of Christ’s body. It is good progress. I was asked to do the wedding ceremony. Almost all Ukrainian teachers of BVBIU were able to come. These wonderful moments God gives us to enjoy and recharge. 

Thank you for your prayers and support of my family, students and teachers. In 2 Thessalonians Paul thanks God for the growth in love among the Christians. We also thank God for your patience and financial support of the Institute.

Your brother and co-worker,
Dennis Sopelnik

To see Dennis’ report with a picture, please click here.

Short-Term Missions, Long-Term Plans For Paraguay...

What an exciting and busy month! We had a visiting short-term mission team come down to work with the church in Paraguay and then other brethren who came to help make plans for the future. It has been a real blessing to see so much activity taking place among the brethren and to see them thinking about the future! We hope you find this month’s report encouraging. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.

Developments at Avenida Sacramento  
What a blessing it is to have brethren with servant’s hearts take time out of their busy schedules to come and help the church in Paraguay! This month we had several members of the Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ come and help with evangelizing local neighborhoods, visiting church members to encourage them, and assisting with several projects and needed repairs around the building. They did an outstanding job and the church in Paraguay greatly appreciates their service.

We also had brethren from the Margaret Street church of Christ come visit this month. They brought some great ideas to propose to the church and to challenge them to think more seriously about the future. We pray that these plans will result in many souls being added to the Lord’s church!

The churches of Christ at Avenida Sacramento and Ñemby in Paraguay do not have a “located preacher” like many congregations in the USA do. Instead, we have several, capable men who take turns filling the pulpit on Sundays. Also, we regularly have guest speakers come in, or visit, that have preached for us. Such was the case this past month. Brother Phil Porter, from the Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ spoke for us on one Sunday morning and Adam Seal spoke on a Wednesday evening. We also had Preston Silcox from the Margaret Street church of Christ speak for us this month along with Ed Temple speaking on a Wednesday.

Next month, my dad and brother, Dwayne and Lance Spradlin, will be speaking for us.
What a blessing to be able to hear various, faithful men present the Word of God. It is truly a spiritual banquet!

Asunción Bible Academy 
This past month was full of activities, classes, and lots of homework for the students. They participated in the campaign with Palm Beach Lakes and then had a full load of classes with brother Trent Kennedy teaching “Christian Evidences” and “Numbers - Deuteronomy,” as well as the classes I taught on, “The Life of Christ II” and “Exodus - Leviticus.” All of their test results, class work, and research papers have been outstanding! These five students are like sponges, absorbing everything they hear and then making application. We couldn’t be more pleased with their attitudes and the effort they put in.

Brother Eliezer Perez returned to Panama last month to get his immigration documents in order and then, when he was checking in for his return flight to Paraguay, they wouldn’t allow him on the plane for immigration reasons! We have since resolved the issue and he plans to return August 6th.

The men held another “Vision 2020” meeting this month in order to talk about one of their main goals: church planting. Several great ideas were presented and we are now praying for God’s wisdom. The men will hold another meeting real soon (without any missionaries present) so they can make some decisions on how they would like to proceed. It is so exciting to see them working out these challenges!

God bless

Troy and Andrea

To see the Spradlin’s report with pictures, please click here

The Gospel Proclaimed Produces Much Fruit In Ghana...

Dear Brethren,

Another month of operation has passed successfully, by God’s grace. Classroom and other related works went on successfully. All students and instructors were on hand for teaching and learning.

Poultry / Garden
An average of thirty (30) eggs are collected each day. The highest number of eggs collected in a day was 40 and the lowest, 25 (one time). The garden is also showing at least 80 cabbages.

Baptisms
A total of 16 baptisms were recorded through the work of the school.

Personal Evangelism
Joshua Aidoo, an instructor in the school, did a week-long evangelism campaign. The students also went to the nearby village, Ituma, all through the month in the evenings after classes. This directly resulted in 4 baptisms.

Thank you.

Charles Mensah

Angles Rejoice As God Gives The Increase At Mbanga Prison...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents. Today they rejoice twenty-fold as 20 new souls, who have been anxiously awaiting deep enough water, have now been baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins in the newly constructed baptistry. We are thankful to have a baptistry in the Mbanga prison so that men can now say, “Here is water, what prevents me from being baptized.” Thanks to all who made this possible. Thank you brother Nicholas for preaching the Word.

Have a blessed day in Him,

David

I Cannot Fight With God, So Allow The Church Of Christ The Word Of God...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ here in Wotutu, Cameroon. We do hope you are doing great in all that you do. We are doing our best, but the health situation of many here is not the best.

For the past 5 weeks, rain has been falling nonstop for hours. Many thanks to God that Wotutu does not have poor drainage, if not we would have been suffering from floods all this while.

The weather is dark, but we need not to stop our calling which is to reach out to souls and to rescue some to come over to the Lord.

Last week went on well in BVBIC-Wotutu, even though many students are sick. Our nurse, sister Ruth, gave assistance to those within her reach. Many were bound to go to the hospital to see the doctor for further findings in the lab.

Students, even though sick, continue to grow in their studies. Many will stay the night trying to catch up with studies because they either missed it during the day, or because of their health conditions.

Our students who are a little bit stronger in health went out for our normal weekend evangelism. The cause of Christ must continue even in the midst of difficulties in health to make sure our vision and passion are still alive. Going for these brings persecution and hatred, but we are happy when situations like this comes up because the scriptures are being fulfilled in our lives, Mt. 5:11-12.

We sent students to only 5 congregations because of the health situation in the school. We are spending more on health this season and if care is not taking it will affect our end of quarter mission work because it drains us more than what we plan to spend. The Lord added two souls in His vineyard.

Because of rainfall our students could not use their camera to get pictures. We were able to take a picture of one I gave out my copy of a Bible to, a new convert who is serious to know more about the word, the church, and how the church operates. Don’t pay attention to his size, he is very intelligent as a teacher of science in high school in Cameroon. High School prepares students for University. He teaches in Douala and he just came in for holidays and God brought him around to the Brightland Christian Academy area for a walk one evening. He met us and started asking questions about the Brightland Christian orphanage because the building is taller than all other buildings in the village, so that is serves like an attraction. He was told how all of these are connected with the church of Christ. He quickly exclaimed, “Are you the one preaching early every morning?” The early morning radio program is making an impact in the communities. That is why denominational pastors and leaders are against it. They struggle to stop us from preaching, but thanks be to God that the chief of Wotutu told them “I cannot fight with God, so allow the church of Christ the word of God and bless this land every early morning.” We are blessed by that declaration and so our early morning preaching continues to go into the hearts of many when the mind is still very empty.

I stood at the Brightland Christian orphanage and my wife sat with the orphans watching them do some domestic activities to help the nannies before their evening devotions. Your prayers are needed all the time for the works that are going on here.

Plans
I am planning to do a survey of meeting the preacher’s tour. This is an exercise that I wish to visit all our graduates in their respective congregations to share passion and vision with them, so that at the end I will be able to assess their effectiveness and later on call them for a refresher get-together. It will make sense to me if I can do it before the next graduation ceremony. I wait to read from you for your thoughts and advice on this if any.

Next year, by His grace, we shall host the annual Bible lectureship of the churches of Christ in Cameroon. It will be the same period with our third batch graduation and matriculation of the fourth batch. It will be double for us. We are already soliciting for your prayers and if you can pick interest to start planning towards that day because it will mark 10 years of the existence of the church of Christ in Wotutu, so if you can be our guest or a guest speaker, then make known your interest to us when you deem it okay.

Appreciations
God bless you a hundredfold. Without you, we can testify that the work here would not have been to this level. We say thank you for answering the call of the Lord to stand with us in one way or the other to make all this happen. God will continue to bless you, your family, and your love for the old rugged cross that will not fade away. Oh, many cry daily for the Bible for personal use. Our hands are short to provide the many demands. Pray for us as. We pray for you.

Do your best to share this news with others

Elangwe and family
By His grace director BVBIC-Wotutu

Celebrating The Start Of A New Quarter...

Join us in celebrating the start of a new quarter during opening chapel with the latest class of students in Denver. We are excited to have one of the largest classes of students entering the Bear Valley program to prepare themselves to preach the gospel. Sixteen students, nine who are married with a total of fourteen children. We witnessed an impressive group that stood before the Bear Valley congregation. They begin their two-year journey Monday morning. 

This month also brings a new school into the extension program. The Bear Valley Bible Institute-Zambia will open doors in the next few weeks to train men in the Luanshya area of the copper belt of Zambia. We are encouraged by the interest and development of this work. In the weeks ahead we will highlight more about this new location. 

Two schools prepare for graduation over the next month. The first is the Southwest School of Evangelism in Ibadan, Nigeria. This week’s report shares information about this upcoming event. Second is the Center for Biblical Studies in Kpalime, Togo. The report out of Togo shares information about the continued growth of the school and church at CBS. The Lord continues to give the increase to the efforts in both of these powerful locations.

Other news from the extension program helps us see the value of the work in each location. The need in Nepal continues to emphasize the urgency of outreach with both physical and spiritual assistance and direction. Additional reports indicate the exciting opportunities that God continues to bless.

Now on to this week’s incredible 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/

The latest report from Keith Kasarjian can be read here.

Extension Reports 

Evangelism: The Backbone Of The Work In Cameroon: Staff and students continue to work through their studies and reaching out with the gospel into areas surrounding Wotutu.

Preparing For Final Exams And Mission Trip: Students are finishing their second quarter of studies in Mbanga, Cameroon and they prepare for another mission trip to share the gospel.

You Have Stayed Long Enough At This Mountain: Using a passage from the Old Testament, the school in Cambodia sends out its graduates into various parts of the ministry.

Commitment To The Physical And Spiritual Needs Of Nepal: Although the newness about the earthquake in Nepal has faded, the needs have not and the report shares upcoming needs.

Staff And Students Prepare For The Upcoming Graduation: The work in Nigeria is pointed to graduation later this month and the event is coupled with the 13th annual lectureship.

Nine Baptized In Kara Campaign And A New Congregation Is Planted: As the Center for Biblical Studies nears graduation, news about the growth of the kingdom is encouraging.

The Power Of God At Work In The Lives Of His Saints In Tanzania: With 140 graduates from the school in Arusha, the news is always exciting about their work for the Lord.

Final Thoughts 
As we close this week’s report, we are thankful. We always want to express our appreciation for the sacrifices you each make to help this program continue. God is glorified and we are thankful for the opportunity to partner with you in this work. 

God bless
Bob

Evangelism: The Backbone Of The Work In Cameroon...

Dearest in Christ,

Greetings from this end. We do hope you are doing great and God is blessing in all that you do. God is faithful to us, even though many continue to get sick because of the weather condition. For the past 4 weeks now the rain continues nonstop.

Students are continuing in their learning progress and God is seeing them through. Thanks very much for your prayers. The beginning of this month was great to all our students and some staff, as the overseeing congregation gave a gift to all of them. It was a big surprise, but they were told our God is full of surprises as for those who trust in Him.

Evangelism is the backbone of the work here and we do all we can daily and weekly to make sure our students reach out to souls, which is good for their training. We also do a lot of follow up after we pass through a community.

Our students are always happy to preach and teach in the Wotutu congregation, which is the number one ground of their practicals. Keep praying for them.

Join me to thank God for adding one more precious year in my life. I celebrated my birthday on the July 31st. I am thankful to God for adding a year in my life which I will use for the services He has entrusted in my hands. The Wotutu congregation celebrated with me today and I shared candy with the entire congregation. That is what I could afford.

Thank you for your prayers for one of our students, Akama Kingsly, who was sick and needed an emergency surgery for a hernia. Many thanks to the STC for their timely intervention to help our brother. He was able to set up on the day of the surgery.

The doctors were able to do their job. It was successful and we give thanks to God for His great care. Please keep him in your prayers, as he continues to recover from the pains.

Plans
Mission work to Idenau may not come up anytime soon because of the poor weather conditions.

Appreciation
God bless you. Thank you for your care, love, and care towards us and the work here. God will bless you and keep you strong for more of His work. Do your best to share with others.

Elangwe and family
​By His grace Director BVBIC-Wotutu

Nine Baptized In Kara Campaign And A New Congregation Is Planted...

We are grateful for our part in extending the borders of the Lord’s kingdom. We are greatly encouraged by the tools we have that enhance the proclamation of the gospel in Togo. 

We are still in the raining season, thus the reduction in our evangelistic outreach programs. We used part of the month under consideration to take care of maintenance and renewal of the vehicle’s insurance, made it road worthy, service equipment, etc. 

Our major campaign in June was in Lama Kara, the capital of the Northern Region of Togo, about 400 km away from Kpalime. This trip was sponsored by Steven Ashcraft, a missionary in Northern Ghana who is also the coordinator of the Bear Valley Bible Institute extension programs in West Africa. Steven has been working in Kara and surrounding towns for a couple of years now. 

The thirteen campaigners included five students who speak the local language of the people of Kara. The campaign started on June 25th and ended on the 28th with a worship service. The campaigners returned on Monday, June 29th. At the close of the campaign, nine responded to the gospel invitation and were baptized. 

Activities at the campaign included tract distribution, house-to-house Bible study and open air preaching and film show at night. 

Church of Christ in Lama Kara
We were able to take a picture after the first worship service of the Kara Church of Christ in front of the structure where the church meets. The structure was constructed during the campaign. We were able to get a picture that included the thirteen campaigners who went from Kpalime. 

Report by:
H.Willie Gley

The Power Of God At Work In The Lives Of His Saints In Tanzania...

Greetings Fellow Servants;

We are so very grateful for each of you, for your prayers and support of God’s amazing mission efforts in Tanzania and throughout all East Africa. Stephanie and I count it a great blessing to be a part of this team effort and it is our hope and prayer that our God completely wears us out in His service for many years to come, in Tanzania. 

Each week I am faced with the wonderful challenge of choosing what to share with you. The good being done through the church in East Africa is nothing short of amazing. I only wish I were a better writer and communicator, able to “show” you through the printed page, the power of God at work in the lives of His saints in Tanzania. 

One small example can be seen in the life and work of God's two servants, Godfrey and Michael. They are wrapping up almost three weeks of travels throughout Tanzania. They have visited several of our graduates and many of our current students. On there last stop in the village of Katish, they were able to work with a current student who has planted a new congregation. After some time together, preaching and teaching God’s Word, two precious souls put Christ on in baptism. This is what it is all all about. If it is God’s desire that all men (mankind) be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and it is (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4), then this is simple as good as it gets. 

It is really hard to overstate the good being done through the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and the other 16 Bear Valley extension schools around the world. At the ACSOP alone, 140 men have completed their studies and have gone out planting hundreds of new congregations in five different countries. God has given the increase over the years beyond our wildest imagination. Today throughout East Africa, there are thousands of souls who are heaven bound because you cared enough to pray and support God’s work. Thank you ten million times ten million. 

I want to personally thank you for your prayers. I arrived safely back in the States Tuesday night. I left Thursday morning for Dallas and will hopefully be back in Mississippi late Sunday night. My schedule is getting full for the months of August and September, but, I do have a few openings. If you or your congregation would like to have a report on God’s Tanzania work, please let me know and I will do my level best to make it happen. 

Please pray for our students, they are preparing to return to school over the next couple of weeks. It is a great sacrifice for them and their families, being separated for months at a time. Their dedication is to be commended, bringing great joy and hope to the soul. Pray that God will bless them and their families in a special way that their lives might bring light to their neighbors and salvation to many. 

A very special thank you to everyone who stepped up and made a difference over the last couple of weeks. The building at Karatu has been roofed and will soon have windows and doors. The Babati church now has land and a small place to worship God. Your sacrificial giving is appreciated and, remember, our God sees and knows all. Thank you all so very much. 

Another very special thank you to our precious little ones in the 6th to 8th grade class at the  congregation that meets in Byron, Georgia. They have been giving and giving and giving and are sending enough funds to purchase 150 Ki-Swahili Bibles. Is that not the sweetest thing you have read in a while? 

We thank you and we thank our God for our church family in making all this possible. Until all have heard…

In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny

Staff And Students Prepare For The Upcoming Graduation...

Dear fellow ministers of God,

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you all from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ who is our hope and our strength.

CAMPUS CHURCH: Due to a month of teaching practice for both year one and two students of the Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), we were very few in attendance for the morning and evening devotion and Wednesday Bible class at Butubutu campus church. The morning and evening devotion is being rotated between me and brother Abraham Idu Yeje, our campus minister since July 12th. On Wednesday, July 12th, for Bible class I taught on “Help from Above” (Psalm 121). On July 22nd, I taught on “God's Channel of Salvation” (Gen. 6:1–6; Matt.18:13-19), and on July 29th, Lord willing, I will teach on “An Empty Manson” (John 14:1-3).

ONIKOKORO / GBONGUDU  CONGREGATION IBADAN: Two SWSE students, brother Destiny Elijah Sunday and brother Gabriel Ishom are serving for a month at the Onikokoro /Gbongudu congregation and they are in charge of our Wednesday Bible class, Saturday youth class, and also leading the church in evangelism within and outside our environ. On July 12th, brother Gabriel Ishom taught from the book of Jonah 1-4, while I admonished the church from Jonah chapter 2 (cf. Matt.14:22ff, John 11) titled “When Things Fall Apart, What Is The Way OUT?” On July 19th & 26th, I taught on “The Highway to Heaven” (Isaiah 35:1-10). Brother Makinde John admonished the church on July 19th on “Getting your Focus Right” (Col.3:1-4), and brother Destiny Elijah, on July 26th, admonished the church on “Peacemaker.”

THREE DAY OPEN AIR BIBLE LECTURESHIP: The three day open-air Bible lectureship organized by the Onikokoro / Gbongudu congregation was another success, even though there is no convert yet, but we thank God that the inhabitants of Gbongudu ,Olukotun and Olosun were receptive to the truth. The theme of that lectureship was “Salvation in Christ,” from July 17th to July 19th, 2015.

Brother Gabriel Ishom did a comparative between the Ark of Noah and the church of Christ on July 17th. On Saturday and Sunday evening, I spoke on “Jesus Christ as the Last Prophet” from Deuteronomy 18:14-19 and the only way to the Father.

13TH ANNUAL BIBLE LECTURESHIP / GRADUATION: This year’s annual lectureship at SWSE Ibadan main campus will witness the presence of two seasoned ministers of God from America / Bear Valley Bible Institute International of Denver, Colorado, in the persons of brother Steven Ashcraft and brother David Ballard. Also, all arrangements have been concluded to present all our year-2 graduates with a box of gospel materials each sent to us by Mission Printing, Inc.

We are looking forward to accommodate and feed over 200 brethren from all parts of our great country-Nigeria. The sum of $500 is budgeted for July 10th - August 11th for students TP and $1,500 for this year’s annual Bible Lectureship / Graduation. Brethren, we do not have enough strength to carry this load alone! We therefore humbly appeal to godly men and women in USA and Canada to please assist us as usual through any of of these men of God: brother Doug Wheeler, brother Steven Ashcraft, brother David Ballard, brother Bob Turner, or brother Bill Pennell, a close associate of brother Doug Wheeler and the VP of the African Christian School Foundation. No amount is too small or big to partner with us in these notable events at Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

Gospel literature from World Evangelism, World Bible School, Mission Printing, the late brother John Waddey, the left over VOTI vol. 83, and the new edition of Voice of Truth International Vol.84 will be freely distributed to all participants, while regular recipients of VOTI that are not present in the forth coming 13th annual Bible lectureship / Graduation will receive their package for distribution by mail. After the end of the 4th semester tests, ten of our present year-1 students will be graduating with a Diploma in Biblical Studies, while nine will be graduating with Advanced Diploma / BVBI certificate on August 28, 2015, Lord willing.

Due to the  importance of the BVBI Certificate on the continent of Africa, six out of the present twelve instructors at SWSE Ibadan & Lagos campus were also engaged in seventeen Bible related courses in early September 2014 through July 2015 to qualify for the award of BVBI certificate.

CHANGE OF NAME: There is a move to change the present Southwest School of Evangelism, Ibadan and Lagos campus, Nigeria to Bear Valley Bible Institute-Nigeria, Ibadan in the near future to make all the Bible school extension sites affiliated with Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Colorado USA wearing the same names and operate under the same umbrella, which will be more effective and more efficient. This arrangement will be put into action whenever the BVBI complete the logo and meet with the contributors to SWSE Ibadan, Nigeria most especially brother Douglas M.Wheeler, SWSE-Patron and Special Adviser. 

REPORT FROM STUDENTS ONE MONTH TP: Reports thus far received from our students show the conversion of twenty-five souls and the restoration of twenty-five erring Christians. Brother Shotola Segun Emmanuel and brother Ishkwu Samuel Chukwuenekwe recorded the highest converts so far. The Lord blessed their efforts with Abusoro brethren in Akure, Ondo state with five souls on July 12th, 2015. To God be the glory! 

Brethren, I will always thank God that you are all part of my life and my ministry! Thanks for your continuous support for the Lord's work in this part of the world called Africa. Remain blessed and always remember the word of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 6:38 and 1 Corinthians 15:58.

I am looking forward to meet you all in heaven after our journey on earth!

Your fellow faithful servant of the Lord Jesus,

Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi 
(Director of Studies)
Southwest School of Evangelism (SWSE), Ibadan & Lagos, Nigeria - West Africa