November, 2022 Report
Introduction
Once again Bear Valley Bible Institute Zambia’s (BVBIZ) goal to advance the kingdom of God throughout Zambia and Africa at large was realized in the month of October when we just graduated eleven men.
The Planting Season
The rainy season has just started a few weeks ago in the month of November. The meteorological department of Zambia has forecasted that the nation will experience normal to above-normal rainfall this season. Hence, farmers are very busy cultivating and planting their seeds. The school thought it wise to push forward the start of the new intake to the first week of January 2023. This is to allow our new students to cultivate and plant their fields.
New Intake (2023)
We are expecting five married men and nine unmarried men to begin class in January 2023. The new intake will represent about seven Provinces of Zambia. We will have for the first time one student from the town of Zambezi in the North-Western Province of Zambia. This town borders the country of Angola. We understand that the church is still at its infant stage in Angola probably due to the prolonged civil war the country experienced. The scarcity of the church in neighboring Angola makes the area a very ripe field to work for our graduates. Three men from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have so far expressed interest to come and be part of the 2023 class. All three are from the town of Kolwezi in DRC. The information is still inadequate concerning the growth of the church in the entire country of DRC, but whatever we know about it leaves much to be desired. We are hopeful that there will be a positive change (minimal as it might be) once the prospective students from there graduate and go back to work in their own country.
Evangelism After Graduation (2022)
BVBI-Zambia organized evangelism in Luanshya District three days after our 3rd graduation day on 22nd October 2022. All our graduates were allowed to preach in the congregations we had worked with during their two years time of training here in Luanshya and the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. This was so because on their graduation day we received a good number of members of the Lord’s Church from within Luanshya and a good representation from the Copperbelt churches of Christ. They gave our students gifts to thank them for their participation in the work of God during their time of training.
We as administration at BVBIZ were very much impressed with the obvious amount of work and dedication expressed by our students. We have received good reports from congregations were we did not reach but managed to send our students to do the work there.
When Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are special people he also says “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Paul in 2 Timothy 3:17, after saying that all scripture is inspired, gives the reason for its purpose: “that the saints of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We are playing our part until we all attain the unity of faith.
Baptisms
It was a real joy to witness the birth of Mailes Sekelani, Fridah Chisenga, Lumbu Kapamba, Mirriam Chimowa, Emmaness Namwanda, Ruth Masonga, Memory Mulubwa, Moreen Kaunda, Chinyanta Mumba who were baptized in the month of November. We also recorded two baptisms from Southern Province where Daniel Kapata is preaching and one in Northern Province where Reuben Museka is preaching. Simon Nkhazi baptized the woman he has betrothed for marriage, his fiancé (the two intend to marry next year). It was a good sight to see a preacher baptizing his wife-to-be. We are proud of our students who are working so diligently for the Lord!
Restorations
We have also recorded thirteen souls restored in the sheepfold in the Chingola District of the Copperbelt Province and three other in Mtendere of Lusaka where Simon Nkhazi is preaching. Nicholus Mulubwa updated us with six restorations in Samfya District where he is preaching. We have recorded a total of twenty-two restorations in the month of November. We give God the Glory for this!!
Marriage Blessings!
Our Institute has continued to be a center of blessings of marriages. As we conclude the year 2022, we witnessed once again a blessing of Mwaka Musonda and Carren Chilufya into holy matrimony held on 3rd December 2022. The marriage blessing ceremony was conducted and officiated by Brother Cephas Mwamba.
Mwaka Musonda (the groom) a resident of Kalulushi where his parents stay, married Carren Chilufya (Bride) whose parents stay in Luanshya District. So we had the church in Luanshya and Kalulushi come together for this wedding. Kalulushi is 143 kilometers west of Luanshya District. This blessing was witnessed by many Christians on the Copperbelt. We continue to thank God for the recognition our Institute is enjoying here in Zambia. We anticipate a lot of good things to happen as we labor in the vineyard of our master.
Conclusion
Thank you all of you for the partnership! And please continue to pray for the overall work that we are involved in here in Zambia. Pray for wisdom, support, and perseverance and for the Word of God to continuously have an impact on our lives and also the lives of those we are teaching.
We will likewise pray that God will bless the works that you all are involved in as well.
In His Service,
Cephas and Fred