I am constantly amazed and humbled when I hear our student’s stories about their reason for coming to the Chimala Bible institute. We have finished our second week of classes and brother Howell Ferguson gave a Friday presentation to the evangelism committee of how to better use the students on the weekend for training in using what they learn in school. We are going to be having weekend seminars at the area churches in which our students will be preaching and doing home Bible studies. This training will help students like Luka Chove. He says he came to school because there is no church in his home town and he came to school to get the knowledge of the Bible so he could start the church of Christ in his village of Lubaruku.
Lyford, one of our second year Malawian students, tells of how he spent his break before returning to school. He preached in three congregations; Luzi, Thumbi and Bwengu. Because of his work, there were 12 baptisms and 15 restorations. He then shares that all of these congregations are sending their greetings and appreciation for the Chimala Bible Institute and Bear Valley for making his training possible. Samuel, a student in Tanzania, reports he held 12 classes with different people in their homes and preached 4 times. Israel has been preaching with a congregation at Uturo. Besides preaching, he reports that he has been teaching the children how to love God in the congregation.
That is why they come to school. To use their talents and be taught the “unsearchable riches of the Gospel of Christ.” We are at full capacity at this time with 25 undergraduate students and 14 Masters students. We have 10 full time faculty members, who not only teach weekly, but spend the weekends going out and preaching with the students of CBI. The latest evangelism report tells of William, one of our students, who preached a “very powerful sermon on repentance” at Madibira while with two of our teachers, Joseph and Frank. Just a few minutes ago we received another report from Ezekiel, one of our instructors and a student in the Master’s program, that this weekend there have been two baptisms and a restoration at Sumbawanga. Brother Seth Ferguson will be leaving us tomorrow after a two week stay at the school. Seth preached in chapel, preached in area churches, taught Bible at the secondary school and lead singing at Friday’s chapel, teaching our students new songs to use in praise and worship. The students and teachers all enjoyed and were edified with his stay with us. We look forward to him returning later this year. So please pray for the work, the training, the Bible study, the effort that is going on with our students at CBI, because that is why they come.
Garry L. Hill
BVBID Extension Coordinator