Bear Valley Bible Institute Sierra Leone
ACTIVITY OPERATION REPORT FOR JANUARY, 2023
Full Time and the Extended Programs
INTRODUCTION
Happy New Year to you all our brethren and avid readers! This is the beginning of 2023 and we have greater hopes that it is going to be a more fruitful year as far as God’s work is concerned. We are so excited with the way 2023 has started with us. In January, a new congregation was planted through our campaign efforts, souls were converted and restored by our evangelistic teams, and our academic activities continued. For more details on the above activities, please we encourage you to keep on reading.
RESUMPTION OF CLASSES
Clearly, in our December report, we informed you that our full time students were to go on a 2 weeks festival break from the 22nd December, and were expected to resume on the 5th January, 2023. Moreover, the extended students were also expected to resume on the 7th January, 2023. Therefore, we are thankful to God that all our students resumed and continued fervently with all the activities of the school.
EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL CONGREGATION
The need to save souls in our contemporary times is so evident and pertinent as if it has never been before. One of the reasons is that many people are lost in sin to the point that if one doesn’t preach to them, they are heading for destruction. We know (KBVBI) that it is for this reason that the Bear Valley Bible Institute International benevolently brought the opportunity to us here in Sierra Leone to further carry the message of salvation to those dying souls. In light of this, the school administration, in the month of January, directed its campaign efforts to Panguma town. Panguma is one of those towns inhabited by the majority Muslims (As it is the case with the whole of the Sierra Leonean society). On the minority level, religiously speaking, the town has a good number of denominations. With this background, we decided to take the true Gospel there as many are lost. The team that went for the campaign was composed of the staff, the full time and extended students and some members of the evangelistic teams that we have organized through the help of our dearly beloved coordinator, Steve Ashcraft. For the past one week (6th -12th February, 2023) we spent there, the Lord opened the heart of 13 people, among whom were Muslims (5). Since it is a new environment entirely, we faced some challenges of accommodation and others. But with God being on our side, and with all long suffering and perseverance, we were able to start a new congregation there. The zeal that is seen in those new converts is something that is worth commending! They confessed that they had never heard the preaching of the true Gospel as they were taught; all they knew about Christianity was on a denominational basis. There are many in that town that have the potentiality of turning to Christ; our external mission has immediately been extended to them. As of now, they are worshipping in a rented town’s building Let us please continue to remember them in our prayers so that they can remain true to their calling, especially as they are being surrounded by Muslims and denominations. As usual, our regular weekend evangelism also yielded fruits so that 4 souls were converted within the month of January. So all together, for the month of January, 17 souls were converted.
EVANGELISTIC TEAMS REPORT
You will remember that in our November 2022 report, we informed you that through our coordinator’s brilliant ideas and support, we have organized evangelistic teams to various parts of Sierra Leone which include Freetown, Bo, Magburaka, Kailahun, Koindu, Kenema, and Kono. These teams have been working harder to carry the Gospel to the lost souls and in helping to restore erring brethren and dying congregations. This great evangelistic movement and the effort of the school is going to turn Sierra Leone upside down for the Lord in the very near future. We are very grateful again to Brother Steve for this brilliant idea. Sierra Leone is a Muslim-dominated country, as you know, therefore to convert people here is a very great challenge. It requires dedicated men and concerted effort. With the efforts of these men, 10 souls were converted, one congregation (Grafton in Freetown) and 22 brethren were restored in January. Some of the teams lack android phones for pictorial evidence. However, though it is a challenge as there are others like transportation and movement, yet the work continues. The target for these teams this year is to establish congregations, retain them, restore dying congregations and backsliding brethren and equip local congregations. Please brethren, let us remember these servants of the Lord in our prayers.
STUDENT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Peter Tamba Focko
Peter was born on May 2, 1998, to Mr. and Mrs. James Tamba Fock. He hails and lives in Kusedu Village, Kundu Section, Kailahun District. His family members are all members of the Lord’s Church except his mother whom he has been preaching to personally. Brother Peter worships with Kusedu Church of Christ where he serves as the song leader. He was added to the Lord’s Church in 2018. Since then, he has been actively involved in the activities of the Church. At the congregational level, he has proven to be a very evangelistic and truth-loving brother. Peter has been yearning for so long to be a preacher of the Gospel. Therefore, his enrollment into the Bear Valley program here is an answer to his prayer. In the school here, he is studious and committed to his studies. He is expected to graduate in November this year, Lord willing and go to the field to win souls for the Lord. At the end of this report, Peter’s picture will be attached.
CONCLUSION
We want to continually be grateful to you all for reading through, praying for us, supporting us financially and for guiding us with ideas. 2023 is indeed promising; we look forward to making more impacts as it unfolds as the Gospel will continue to be preached until “All have heard.”