Gueckedou, Guinea Bear Valley Bible Institute Activity Operations Report for September 2020
It is time again to share briefings of the activities taking place here at the Gueckedou BVBI with our dear supporters and well-wishers. The month of September has covered several activities including classroom work, evangelism, gospel campaign and the construction of a temporal worship/ceremony shelter. On the overall it was successful and we want to thank and appreciate you all for the spiritual and material support. Now here below in sub-headings are the details of the activities for the month under review.
Classroom: During the second quarter which started in July we were able to cover a lot of courses including Hermeneutics 1, Christian Evidence 1, the Godhead and the New Testament Church. For the most part the results were good with the exception of a few needing to do extra assignments to meet requirement. All 17 students reported since August are still on roll. Classes have stopped and our second quarter breaks for 3 weeks started on October the 5th.
Evangelism: As part of our regular routine, we did go out around town and in the villages to preach the word. Responses were only appreciations. Some have promised to try to pay visit to the church in the coming days and weeks. Nevertheless 2 persons were converted to Christ.
Gospel Campaign: Just before the close of the second quarter, we organized a 3 days gospel campaign dividing the students along with a few of the previous graduates in 3 groups to attend 3 quarters of the town. This campaign was not as the usual ones when we made public proclamation of the word. Rather, a type of evangelism, a house to house preaching. Again, 1 soul was converted with others promising to visit the church. Then by the close of the month, we resumed the preaching campaign - this time in the villages. A total of 19 souls resulted to another 3 days of work to mark the beginning of 1 new congregation in the village of Bouliedou.
Worship/Ceremony Shelter Construction: Even though the Covid-19 barn was lifted to allow public worship, the announcement came along with strict restrictions of health measures such as distancing between worshipers. And with the increase of membership of the congregation meeting in the classroom of the school building, the need arose for a wider space. For this reason our request for a temporal, but durable shelter was granted. It will henceforth serve not only for the congregation’s meeting or the Covid-19 distancing, but for any eventual gatherings such as for seminars and graduation ceremonies. So far we have planted and roofed the 12 meter by 7.5 meter structure on iron poles. The church members are now gathering local materials – gravel and sand so that we can finish up – lay the floor with cement.
Purchase of EPSON Printer: The small size printer which was in the list of “Start Up Materials” purchased in early February 2018 had required too much maintenance and repairs and therefore ineffective to satisfy our needs. For this reason, a high quality printer, EPSON was purchased to replace it.
Mini Office: In order to protect certain secretarial materials and especially the EPSON printer we thought to make a closure of what was meant to be a dining room in the upper apartment of the house. This room will also server as an office for the school secretary where certain stationary materials are also safeguarded. The cost is far more less than the purpose it serves!
Proposal for Temporal Training: We are experiencing problems for the upkeep of the newly planted congregations especially during our break periods when we, the staff and all students are on holidays. Gospel Campaigns are usually conducted at the close of the quarter followed by a 2 to 3 weeks break period. Now when new congregations are planted at that time we often have the problem of who takes care or make the follow up while we are on holidays. Therefore we are planning if permission is given to conduct a temporal training and or offer certain essential courses to certain ones of the new congregations who will eventually satisfy that need. Financial requirement proposal for whatever number of such persons will be detailed to the Bear Valley Administration when we return from our second quarter breaks in the last week of October.
Conclusion: The month of September was another successful month for the activities at the Gueckedou BVBI. Courses for the second quarter were completed. Our evangelism efforts resulted to the planting of 1 new congregation with a total of 21 persons converted. We have gotten the needed office or printing material. Also, the need for additional space and mini-office are being satisfied. We are grateful to the Bear Valley Administration and to all of you who support this work in any way.
Photos attached
Wishing us all good health
Francis