Lift Up Your Eyes And Look…
Over the last few days stateside staff in the Bear Valle Extension Program, along with the Denver staff, met in Colorado for a retreat. The theme of the retreat was “Lift Up Your Eyes And Look.” The idea is based on the text of Genesis 13:14-15 where God wants Abram to see the land He is going to give Abram and his descendants. Each lesson was uplifting and faith building. We all learned of the need for us to do as Abram, lift up our eyes and look all around us.
Along with the lessons, staff members provided reports about the various areas of the work. Updates were given regarding each of the locations where Bear Valley is privileged to share in the work of training men to preach the gospel. Exciting only begins to describe the atmosphere of the retreat as we listened to the work being accomplished around the world.
The retreat also affords opportunity to discuss face to face the various issues we need to consider regarding the overall work. This year we were able to look at a number of areas involving the improvement of communication in every location, the possibilities of alternative training models, and the requirements for the various certificates offered through the Bear Valley Bible Institute. The discussions were encouraging and informative. Considering everyone’s suggestions we hope to narrow our focus and improve the overall work of the Extension Program in each location.
The challenges in the work of training men to preach are certainly easier to overcome when working with such qualified and experienced men as the staff of the Bear Valley Bible Institute within the Extension Program and at the Denver campus. I am thankful to have opportunity to learn from such a wonderful group of men who love the Lord, have a compassion for the lost, and are driven by the desire to train men to preach.
Next year’s retreat will focus on the text of Nehemiah 2:18. The theme will be “Let Us Arise And Build.” According to the power of God to do far beyond all we ask or think (Eph. 3:20) and God’s instruction to lift up our eyes and look (Gen. 13:14), it is time for us to arise and build. I look forward to the powerful lessons to aid us in our efforts to fulfill God’s command.
There are several reports this week and they are listed below.
Coordinator Updates
Reports from the coordinators are now located on the website, under Staff Reports. The address is http://www.wetrainpreachers.com/extension-schools/
Howell Ferguson’s report for August is now available. Howell shares a report from Brent Smith and writes about his upcoming trip to Ukraine.
Extension Reports
Cameroon Bible Institute Of Wotutu, Cameroon
Dearest in Christ,
Accept greetings from your brethren here. The students, staff and members of the Wotutu congregation send greetings to you and your family in Jesus name. I do hope you are doing great in your services to the Lord.
God is helping us meet up with our program. The last week of the third quarter in CBIW went on well, we give glory to God for all He had been doing to us and the work we are doing in His vineyard.
Minister Awum Nicholoas, my advisor, was invited to come to CBIW from Kumba, about 80 kilometers from Wotutu, to lecture part of the Prison Epistles as a short course. He did well as he had once been a lecturer in a Bible College. Awum Nicholas checked on students as they were taking notes. Brother Awum stayed in Wotutu for one week teaching in the school. He left and is back home safe and sound. Keep the old minister in your prayers for his zeal to serve even at this age in Africa still moving around for evangelism.
As I am writing you this mail, all our students left campus for campaign into different congregations for mission work. All have called to relate information to me about their safe trip to their various destinations. May God be praised. Some of them travel 4 hours in water to get to a village which a sister is demanding the school to go and help establish a congregation here. Keep them in your prayers.
Brother Tobias, as student of CBIW taught prospects very close to the Wotutu church hall the Bible on house to house evangelism. Please keep this effort in your prayers that we shall plant and continue to water for God to give the increase.
Brother Ititi Benedict took a snap shot with a prospect in Wotutu village. Evangelism is our mission and our mission is evangelism, that is a strong force that drives our students to work even though the work load was too much for them to go through their short courses and also to reach out to souls, all is because we THINK SOULS and we are having the vision to always rob from the strong man’s house. Please help us with your prayers to accomplish all this.
VISIONS
More evangelistic programs as we approach the dry season, but many things are still to be put in place, like a public address system, generator and an evangelistic van.
APPRECIATION
Many thanks to God for His care and love over us. God is the pillar that supports us through you.
I thank you for all your support to see that CBIW stands firm no the solid rock of the gospel to train men to preach the gospel in many places under heaven. Please let us know that to which more is given, more is expected. We have the strong desire to do more for the Lord in this country. Please continue to stand with us for the glory to our King.
The students will finish the campaign and move straight to their homes to spend one week with their families and they shall return on campus on the 18th September 2011 before 6 pm and we shall start the last quarter for this year on the 19th September.
To this effect I will not send a weekly report until the 18th of September where I will report the details of the campaign.
Thanks very much for loving the work here in Wotutu, Cameroon. God will watch over you until then.
Elangwe and family
By His grace, Director CBIW
BVBIU: Gorlovka, Ukraine
Dear brothers, churches and families.
In Ukraine, as it is in other parts of the world, the summer comes to its end, and this period is usually connected with recreation, traveling and spending time with one’s family.
We had a wonderful chance to get some rest and get ready to the new school year. We thank God that we were able to change the registration of the building from educational to religious facility, and this way we can use it safely.
On September 3, we’ll have an orientation day at the institute, where we’ll address the rules and requirements for the students. We have 9 new students entering this program as freshmen. Three of them are ladies. All of them are about of the same age. These young people are willing to sacrifice their time and strength to serve and win new souls for our Lord. The classes at the institute will start on September 5.
In this month I had an opportunity to visit several local churches and preach at some of them, like Slavyansk, Gorlovka, Kramatorsk, and Krasnyy Lyman. Brothers and sisters there accepted me with joy and enthusiasm, and many of them are sending their greetings to you, especially the churches that our students attend.
The building of the institute is ready to the new school year. Our new secretary Oksana has put in order our library and electronic information. We have also prepared a study room for the Master’s class.
Now we have enough room to provide housing for all the students from other towns.
Starting with the new school year, we plan to start a Bible school for kids at the building of the institute, which will work during the week, and in this way it would help Central church of Christ. We would be grateful if you keep this project in your prayers.
On September 29, we had a meeting of the preachers that was attended by brothers from Donetsk and Lugansk regions. We try to meet as often as we can and keep in touch. There is a recent tendency in Ukraine that some churches start departing from sound doctrine and try to influence other churches too. I think it’s very important to have communication and support those preachers who stay committed to the biblical position.
One of the problems, that worry me now, is that we haven’t started any new local churches. We have students, and in the next year we’ll have new graduates, but we don’t have any plans on how to use them after they graduate from school and how to help them in their ministry. If you have any ideas or experience in this matter, please write to me.
I’m very glad that many of the American brothers responded to my previous letter and are ready to come to Ukraine to teach. We are in great need of your experience and support. I will have all of the information in September and will send you an updated schedule with your names.
Thank you for your prayers and support of the institute and my family. God has shown us His power and care in multiple ways when we started previous school year, and I hope we’ll rely more on Him during this year.
Your brother in Christ,
Dennis.
International Bible Institute Of Siem Reap: Cambodia
Dear brethren,
We met again for the month of August to talk about the work of Jesus Christ that’s happening in Siem Reap, Cambodia. As always, I am grateful to God and the brethren for the opportunity to be a part of this meaningful work. I know many people say they love what they do, but I am truly thankful that I am counted worthy enough to be a servant of the Almighty in this part of the world.
Paul wrote to the evangelist Timothy exhorting him to make full proof of his ministry by being sober minded in all things, enduring afflictions, and doing the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5). Part of my responsibility as an evangelist is to be watchful in all things. Especially on the mission field when there are so many distractions from the evil one and his ministers (2 Cor. 11:15).
Time and time again the Bible teaches us to beware of false teachers and mark those who follow not after the traditions and teachings of the apostles. We must be on guard and contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints, keeping sound doctrine. However, we must also consider the emphasis of the Bible on unity, forgiveness, teaching to restore the error, and making sound judgments. Sometimes we focus too much on the former and forget about the latter. It’s true we must guard against man-made doctrines creeping into the church, but we must also be wise enough and loving enough to correct those who may teach false doctrine but are sincere about serving God. We should be able to discern when to ‘speak the truth in love’ in hopes of converting the sinner’s soul and when not to ‘cast our pearls to the pigs’ and have them trampled on.
A good biblical example that I like to use in emphasizing this point is found in Acts 18:24-28. Was Apollos a false teacher? According to scripture, “he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (v-25). That sounds like a false teacher by some of our standard nowadays! However, while in Ephesus he encountered Priscilla and Aquila, coworkers of the apostle Paul who instructed him more accurately (v 26). Evidently Apollos repented of teaching falsely on baptism and became a huge asset to Paul and the work of God in that area.
How many of us today would’ve marked Apollos and had nothing to do with him because we heard him teach falsely on baptism? Moreover, how many of us would even dare to approach a “well versed and eloquent man” and correct him? For tentmakers like Priscilla and Aquila to not only approach but correct the Alexandrian born intellect, proves that it doesn’t matter what our background is. If we have the truth, we should have no fear in correcting and teaching the one in error. Apollos then set out for Corinth, where he encouraged fellow believers and soon became as popular as Paul and Peter; parties loyal to each began to threaten church unity. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians addresses the threat, “every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ” (1Cor 1:12). Far from blaming Apollos for the divisions, Paul credits his work and appeals to the true basis for fellowship when he writes, “I have planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase” (1 Cor 3:6).
Further indication that Paul and Apollos were not rivals is found in Paul’s urging Apollos to revisit the church in Corinth and in his requesting Titus to “bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them” (1 Cor 16:12, Tit 3:13).
What we want to do at IBISR is cultivate this mindset in all of our evangelists. We want to be biblically sound yet humble and confident in winning allies and souls for God. It doesn’t matter if the person is older, or more educated, or wealthier, or is from a more powerful nation, or is more eloquent in speech, or better looking, etc. If they are in error, we should not judge according to appearance and automatically marking them as a false teacher. We should be humble yet confident and sit down with them and ask them to explain why they taught what they taught and reason from the scripture to come to the truth (1 Cor 4:6).
We know that the word of God is the ultimate authority and if both parties submit to it then there should not be any problem resolving the issue at hand. These attributes, soundness, humility, and confidence, are what we want our students to have when teaching the gospel to others. I truly believe that we have men with such traits serving God in this part of the world. I want to thank you for supporting such a great work that’s producing such men and women.
One of our sound, humble, and confident brother in Christ, Choeuy translating for our other sound, humble, and confident brother from Tennessee, brother Jeffery Bell who will also teach in Tanzania with the BV extension school there. Brother Bell and brother Daniel Hamm did mission work in Thailand and Burma before coming to Cambodia to be with us. It’s always good for our students and teachers to be exposed to sound preachers as much as they can so that they can learn from them and their experience. It’s amazing how there are so many unsung heroes in God’s kingdom and these two are truly them. If you get to know these individual as we’ve gotten to know them, you will truly be blessed and be inspired to do more for Christ and His kingdom. Especially brother Hamm’s story.
Our family business of selling school and office supplies is starting to pick up. It’s a low profit business but at least we have an outside source of income. We pray that business will pick up so that we can pay back our loan and in time do more for the Lord and His kingdom. Please keep us and the work in your prayers.
My daughter Katesana is now 13 months old. She’s grown up so fast. She may be born in Siem Reap, Cambodia but she’s a Texan at heart!
Phanat
IBISR: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Dear brethren,
Hope this email email will find you are fine with the work that you are doing for our dear Lord.
We are very honored to have the Christian brethren around the world and to know that they are very dedicated in their time, strength, money and themselves because of God’s work.
That’s really encouraging to all of us who are younger Christians. I am really grateful to you all who involved with the work of our God as some are good preacher, good teacher, some are faithful to give, faithful to do benevolence work for the work that He commanded us to do.
We are very grateful to the brethren who love His work and continue to pray for us and help us financially. Your great love to us we know that because of Jesus teaches us to do so. You are doing a great example to all of us. We pray that in the future, the church in Cambodia will try to get up and work hard to be a self supporting and Lord’s willing we will send to help the brethren at various places who are working for our Lord too.
I have some news want to share with you all about the work which has been done Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Last year and this year we are also blessed to get to know brother John Rice from Alabama State, who is working as a missionary for the camp. This year which is from 03-05.09.2011, the camp had been done smoothly for three congregations in Siem Reap. One is called Takam, Leang Dai and in the town. We had 220 people joined the camp at Takam, 110 at Leang Dai, 50 in the town. The result we had three baptism at Takam village. We are very blessed to have brother Cheouy who is preaching for the congregation there at Takam and he has done a great job.
Once again, on behalf of the work in Siem Reap I truly appreciate you all very much for helping us and the work in Cambodia. May our mighty God bless you with strength both physical and spiritual.
In His service
Chann
Visakha Valley Bible College: Visakhapatnam, India
Greetings from Visakha Valley Bible College to you all at Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Hope all is well with you, we are all doing okay.
We had a memorable time during the one week of Preachers’ Seminar. We thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of 85 preachers who attended for that seminar. Among the 85 who attended for that seminar are some of our old students, current batch students and the students from Skinner’s Garden. On an average we had 65 attending for the Seminar all the 5 days. Actually, on the second we had only 48 present, but from the third day onwards we had an increase of attendance since the teaching done during the last two days remarked highly brethren attended there by the number of preachers attending was increased. We are thrilled to see those many preachers attending this seminar, especially to sit for 6 hours each day to learn from the book ‘The Church’ written by Roy Lanier Sr. This seminar is funded for only 50 preachers by our brother John O’Neal, a missionary from Bridgeport Church of Christ in Alabama.
It was a momentous occasion to end the seminar by thanking brother John O’Neal for his kind consideration to hold the Preachers’ Seminar at Viskaha Valley Bible College. Brother Russell G. Bell, who has been visiting India for over 50 times, was part of this successful Preachers’ Seminar. Being a graduate of Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver and having been learned under Roy Lanier about this subject, ‘The Church,’ he added a lot of cream to the subject taught during this Seminar, so that the preachers and the students pay lot of attention to the topics taught. So, totally we had 5 days 6 lessons each day, about 50 mins each lesson. It was a time of extensive study on the subject as well as a great time of learning.
We have planned this for a long time. By the grace of God we had it in the second week of August. There are several interesting things we can talk about this Seminar; one of them is the theme of the seminar that is ‘The Church.’ We are using the book written by Roy Linear Sr. ‘The Church,’ as a text book. We distributed this book (Telugu version) to the preachers attending. We know brother Roy Lanier Sr. was instrumental in establishing BVBID. It is very ironic that the Bear Valley book is being taught at Visakha Valley. Second thing, this is part of the curriculum for our fresh batch of students who would be attending the Seminar. We were delighted to invite our previous batch graduates, also all our Master Class students to be there. This seminar is also a requirement for the preaching students at Skinner’s Garden Bible School to complete their 2 year training program. Also, this is the first time in this area to hold this 5 day Seminar.
Good News:
We are delighted to hear that most of our graduates are doing a great job of preaching Christ in their communities. We all know this is our whole mission, training men of their community to reach them with Christ and bring them to the Church. We are grateful to our Lord for giving these preachers kind hearts to strive for rescuing the lost souls.
Brother David, one of our graduates, is working in a village called Sankaram which is 40 kms from Viskhapatnam. He reports that 4 souls have been added to the Church last month. In fact, he is in need of 4 Bibles to present them to the newly added members of the Church. Bibles are a great need.
DVS Prakash is another graduate; he reports that he is holding regular studies and discussion with a denominational congregation. This congregation is very close to accepting Jesus Christ as the head of the Church there by coming forward to be baptized and added to the New Testament Church, that is Church of Christ. Last week one of our faculty, P. Malleswarao, went to Praksh’s place to help him in the defense of the sound doctrine. Right now things are favorable for the whole congregation to obey the New Testament doctrine, we pray that this will happen soon.
Another graduate, brother Satyanandam, also reported an addition of two souls to the Lord’s Church. He has introduced one young man who is interested to learn Bible. We met with him and had spent couple of hours explaining the doctrine of the New Testament Church. He is interested in coming and auditing the classes at his convenience. He was present when Chuck was teaching ‘Christian Evidences.’ This young man is coming to school now and will be there for the short classes in the second week of September.
Y. Ratna Raju, who is also one of our graduates, is now working as a fill-in preacher at their local congregation, besides his everyday Bible studies in community. We are very happy to see these graduates working variously in their local communities. Lot of good is going to come in the future through their efforts. Kindly continue to remember them in your prayers.
Short & Master Classes:
We have been in regular contact with brother Jerry Bates who shall be visiting us with another brother Greg to teach two weeks at Viskaha. Jerry will be teaching two subject to the Master Class students, they are, Advanced Homiletics and Humanism & cults. Brother Greg will be teaching, The Scheme of Redemption & The Book of Acts.
We thank you very much for all your concern towards the School in Visakha. Please convey our greetings to the brethren at Bear Valley as well as the brethren at Lake Houston Church of Christ.
In Christ,
John Dean & Samuel Raju Muppidi
Andrew Connally School Of Preaching: Arusha, Tanzania
Greetings Fellow Workers;
It is our continued hope and prayer that God blesses each of you in your faithful service to Him and to our fellow man. We continue to remember you in our prayers, that our God be with you, that He blesses you and that our fellowship in the Gospel might prosper to His glory and to the saving of many lost souls.
There are so many joys in this work! Time or space will simply not allow us to mention them all, but may we list but a few that your soul might be lifted. We are indeed a blessed people, the people of God.
I received a text from our brother David Bayi this morning reporting on the good God is doing through him (David) and his fellow Christians that meet and work at Kioga. In his brief report he mentioned the saving of one new soul yesterday. What joy there is in the fellowship of the Gospel, its purpose, its preaching and its power!
Yesterday (Saturday) I received a message from Isaac Kusupa. He had called earlier in the day asking for some help with a study he was engaged in with fifteen lost souls. I gave him some scriptures to use in his study. The text read; “we rejoice in the Lord in the saving of fifteen new souls who have put Christ on in baptism.” These contacts came from our brother Yusuph Madeaki (graduate of the ACSOP and current evangelist for the Ushirombo congregation). Though I do not know all the details, we have great joy in this wonderful news!
Today during worship a good brother in Christ stood before the congregation and confessed sin in his life. He had gotten caught up in a business deal with his brother (in the flesh), the deal “went south” leaving our brother (in the Spirit) “holding the bag”. In the end it was his brothers in the Spirit that stood by him, helping him through his troubles. He then preached a powerful lesson on “How we are to suffer persecution”. The whole congregation had great joy today with our brother!
We are privileged month after month in that we get to meet, fellowship, work with brothers and sisters in Christ who sacrifice their time, talents and financial resources. There are many who come to lift our spirits and save the lost of this good country. Many are not mentioned in our writings, though they are appreciated and prayed for often. One such person is Penny Cabler! She has been coming to Africa for many years, first to South Africa and for the past several years, Tanzania. She is a perfect example of one who gives sacrificially! We thank her and all who come our way, bringing us such joy!
We thank God for the joy of salvation, the joy of the hope of heaven and we thank God for the privilege of service! We thank you for the joy you bring into our lives and for the joy we see on the faces of countless souls here in East Africa because YOU care enough to share.
May we all, with the Apostle Paul, remember to; “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice”. (Philippians 4.4). Amen!
In Him,
Cy, Stephanie & Granny
Arusha, Tanzania: Jimmy Gee Report
Dear Supporters, Family and Friends
ALWAYS. Everyone is familiar with the Wal-Mart slogan, “Low prices. Always.” While in church services, We were thinking of the constant opportunities that abound JUST in the small village of Kisongo (not to mention the entire country of Tanzania or the entire continent of Africa). There are ALWAYS non-Christians who need teaching. Most of these people are not “cold calls” (to use salesman language). Most (like Lucy who visited this morning) are relatives of members and would welcome a Bible study. There are ALWAYS new converts who need additional teaching and encouraging. There are ALWAYS weak and unfaithful members who need the stronger members of the church to visit them. We know there is similar work to be done in America but here, especially with non-Christians and new Christians, much teaching is always needed and is welcomed by these people. ALWAYS.
SPEAKING OF THE ABOVE, in our last report we mentioned that the work permit has gone up to $550. As a part of the law, our children (listed as dependants on Jimmy’s work permit) are not allowed to teach any classes at church, conduct any Bible studies or attend any classes at the Andrew Connelly School of Preaching unless they have their own work permit. Our oldest girls, Lindsey and Abigail (16 years old), would like to conduct personal Bible studies and continue taking occasional classes at the ACSOP. Abigail, Heather and Candace would like to teach children’s classes at the church. They love being involved in this work. If you (as a congregation or an individual) would like to contribute to their work permits ($1100 total), we would be grateful. Simply earmark your check: “Lindsey and Abigail’s work permit” and mail it to East Side as normal.
THE GOSPEL CHARIOT. “If a brother’s in the road, we will stop and pick him up…” remember this children’s song? That’s what we now call our van because we make the rounds in our neighborhood, picking up mainly women with babies and young children for church services so they don’t have to walk. This morning there was “standing room only” with babies in laps and everyone else “squashed,” but we made it safely.
THE MONTHLY CHILD-TRAINING CLASS was conducted yesterday. Previous material was reviewed. Then we discussed such questions as “Is it a small thing when your child disobeys you?” We discussed the importance of beginning training early when they are “soft clay.” It was made clear that when parents fail to train their children to obey that the parents are disobeying God’s command.
The students of the ACSOP go out each week and do evangelism in various parts of the country. Matthew Laizer goes to Longido where he has helped plant a congregation. Vincent usually goes with Jimmy on his studies with Lembris, Rosemary, Isaac and Usta. And Desderry Massawe takes some students to Arusha. Others go out with other instructors. Much good is being done and many are being taught. Thank you for your continued support which makes it all possible.
In Christ,
The Gee’s
Final Thoughts
I want to close with a thought of thanks to all the men and their spouses who traveled to Denver to be part of this powerful weekend. While we enjoyed the time of fellowship together, we were also able to accomplish another step to improve the work of training men to preach the gospel.
I also want to thank each of you who read the reports for your continual prayers for us and the work of Extension Training. Our gratitude is also extended to all who provide the financial support involved in keeping this work moving forward. We know your generosity sustains everyone involved in this work around the world. Thank you!
Most of all I am thankful to the Lord. He continues to work in so many ways to reassure and strengthen us in our efforts. All we do is to His glory.
God bless
Bob
