Dearest in Christ,
We continue to wish you happy new year. We trust God that this new year bring something new in your life and that of your family. We are doing well here. We experience new things in our lives and the ministries under our care.
Every week we make significant progress in all that the Lord has entrusted in our hands. The students in the Bible college grow daily and that brings great satisfaction to me who stays with them daily, who saw them when they came into the school, and how they were almost empty as compared in the scriptures and the organization of the Lord’s Body. Many thanks to God for the privilege to be there to serve these students and prepare them for the work of the ministry which Jesus said, “The field is ripe and the laborers are few.” Thank you for all you do to make sure we prepare men to send into the field for the harvest.
We continue to thank God for the providence of means to always send our students out on weekend evangelism to gain practical experience in house to house evangelism. This week we were in 6 locations, with Bole village having the highest number of students because the van could take us right there. Even though the road was not the best, but we thank God we made it there and back safe.
We entered the van in Bole village after the work for us to return to Wotutu. Some staff were part of this evangelistic efforts. Thanks to all for the providence of the van; it makes evangelism easier at times now.
I love moving with the students because they continue to learn some practical ways of handling the scriptures from classroom, like in Bole village. I spoke in an open air forum. They will also learn some ethics in public speaking. It was great.
Our kids in the Wotutu congregation this morning worked on their studies. Sister Tabeson Alpha taught them to have a small sketch or drama, so she gave them roles when I came in and one child, refused the role they gave him. He was going to act the role God. The little boy said, “I will not be able to act God” because they are told that God is spirit and knows everything. That caught my attention. We are not wasting time to teach our children in Wotutu. That is why many children from Brightland Christian Academy keeps coming to our worship even though their parents are not members of the church of Christ,. The future of this congregation is sure, as we see children loving the Lord, rushing to get a sit in their hall to study. Tt gladdens my heart to sit and watch little children running to carry their teachers bags and books because they know the teachers will teach them something. What a mission we have here. Come be a part to make these communities turn totally to God.
Brother Otte, our student, opened the Bible to show a prospect, not only to hear the truth, but to see the truth. It is part of our lives to always point the truth to many.
God blessed us today with the adding of sister Diale Helen, as brother Otte baptized her into Christ. She keeps smiling throughout. It is a strong sign that in Christ there is joy. Keep her in your prayers that she grows to make known the truth to the husband. She smiled as she put on Christ.
I took a picture with the kids on the first of January 2016. It is 17 days old now, but these are children of the Brightland Christian orphanage. Wow! I am always happy to see the children run past my house as they rush to the church hall for Sunday activities. I am always happy when I enter into a home and they will all rush to welcome me with smiling faces. This is what God has done to turn their story around again for their good because back in their homes after they lose their parents their hopes are dashed into the air, not knowing what life can give to them. That is why I doubt if I was not a Christian what I would have been. These children owe no explanation to any one why they are orphans. The youngest, who came into the home less than 2 years of age, can now talk, run around, look up into someone’s eyes and say mom and grandma as they called their nannies. With tears in my eyes I am happy that God saw something in me and entrusted this great work into my hands with my wife to give hope to the hopeless and activate what was deactivated. What a God we serve. Keep it in your prayers. How wonderful will these children turn around and see you getting into the hall and you will feel the way I am feeling and you will have that experience of love coming to you from these children, always smiling. They cried maybe all day long before God opened doors for them to be admitted into this home. Their tears are dried up because I doubt what can ever make them cry again.
The Batoke congregation meets in a brother’s house. The church is growing as you they gather in a brothers sitting room. He does not have space again. Pray for these Christians.
Brethren sit outside on the corridor for whatever number of hours the service will last because there is no space inside. Pray for this congregation. In our last mission work, a sister was baptized alongside the daughter. The husband said he did not know more about the new church, but he will not stop them from attending. He will take his time. When our students take him back through the history of the church starting AD 33, he wondered where the church was all this while. Wow! Many will always ask these types of questions. That is why in BVBIC-Wotutu we are not sleeping as long as we have the means to go to make sure we go and expose the truth about Jesus and His church. The husband was handed the tract from Mission Printing about AD 33. This week, he called the student and showed him a space in his compound where the church can erect a temporal place of worship with wood, zinc, and concrete floor. They will worship there until they secure their own land and they can dismantle it and go to their permanent place. Wow! He has not been baptized, but he started feeling for the church. Doing this will cost us about $2000.
The Batoke congregation is our mission field, as our students go there every weekend to conduct Bible classes, prayer meeting, and worship. This is the first congregation and the only congregation along the west coast of Cameroon.
Plans
1) We shall have all the graduates of Wotutu come back to Wotutu on the 6th of February for a retreat and discussion how it has been since they left us. Keep that program in your prayers.
2) We are still making plans for another mass evangelism in Lebialem. We call it now Lebialem Mission, to evangelize and nurture the congregations there.
3) Please keep in prayer our end of the year programs in Wotutu, which will start with the annual Bible lectureship, valedictory night, matriculation, graduation, and the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Wotutu congregation. Please, if you are interested in attending, tell me so that I can include you in one of the programs.
Appreciations
God bless you and watch over you. We keep you in our prayers daily for all your love, concern, prayers, and support to make this work be what it is. Without you, we doubt the possibilities of this work. Thank you, and may God continue His blessings in your life, that of your family members, and your congregation.
Do your best to share with others what is making news here. Make a great week.
Elangwe and family
By His grace director BVBIC-Wotutu