Ashtown, Ghana evangelizes their area

BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE, ASH TOWN, KASOA – GHANA

Second Quarter Report 2024

Introduction

We offer our sincere appreciation to the Almighty God for His divine guidance throughout this quarter. The following report delineates the salient events, accomplishments, and highlights of Bear Valley Bible Institute, situated in Ashtown, Kasoa, Ghana, for the second quarter of 2024.

Courses

During this quarter, three courses were delivered, with Emmanuel Larbi being the instructor. The courses were the Book of Hebrews, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and the Book of James. Fourteen students engaged actively in these enriching courses, acquiring a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Graduation Ceremony

The school had the privilege of attending the 6th Graduation Ceremony at Bear Valley Bible Institute, Accra on April 20, 2024. The ceremony featured Brother Keith Kasarjian, Director for International Schools, as the guest speaker. His insightful address undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the graduates. The event marked a significant milestone for the institute, celebrating the achievements of its students.

Director visits to Church of Christ in Pious, Ofankor – Kasoa

On June 16, 2024, the Director visited the Church of Christ in Pious, Ofankor-Kasoa, where Brother Isaac Ekow Arthur (student) , serves as the Preacher. I was pleased to see the congregation thriving, with an average attendance of 55, including 30 baptized members. Bro Isaac Arthur led the Bible class that day and I had the opportunity to exhort the brethren. It was heartening to see Brother Isaac working harmoniously with other brethren towards the growth of the Lord's church. We pray that Almighty God continues to empower him with strength and wisdom to fulfill His work.

News on Adom Estate Church of Christ, Kasoa

During this quarter, the Director visited the Adom Estate church to assess its progress. The congregation has grown to 95 members, with 65 of them being baptized. The average attendance of baptized members stands at 50. Encouragingly, the church leaders have implemented visitation programs aimed at re-engaging inactive members. These efforts have led to a renewed interest in the church, with members showing a keen desire to learn more. Sadly, the church recently mourned the loss of Bro Nicholas Tsitsi, a dedicated leader and pioneer who played a significant role in the church's establishment. May his soul rest in peace until we meet again.

Seminar

On June 22, 2024, our students were privileged to attend a seminar hosted by Ashtown Church of Christ, featuring Brother Charles Nii Odotei Odoi as the guest speaker. The thought-provoking topic, "Building Leadership Capacity for the Lord's Church," resonated deeply with our students, who gained valuable insights and knowledge to enhance their leadership skills. This enriching  experience equipped them with practical tools to effectively serve and lead in their respective congregations, furthering the growth and prosperity of the Lord's church.

Baptisms

Rejoice with us as we celebrate the fruit of our students' labour! Through their dedicated efforts, four precious souls have been added to the Lord's church through baptism. This milestone is a testament to the impact of our students' tireless work in sharing the Gospel and nurturing individuals in their faith. We praise God for these new additions to the body of Christ and continue to pray for their spiritual growth and development.

Student Profile

Our student spotlight for this quarter shines on Brother Anthony Kwesi Eshun, a dedicated member of the Church of Christ for 20 years. At 42, he's a devoted husband and father of two lovely daughters. As a skilled plumber, he serves his community with excellence. Moreover, he's a vital part of the Church of Christ, Adom Estate in Kasoa, where he fulfills the roles of secretary and Bible teacher. Since joining Bear Valley School, Brother Tony has experienced significant growth in sermon preparation and has been inspired to deepen his studies, further equipping him to serve the Lord effectively. We're proud of his commitment to his faith and his community!

Conclusion

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of Bear Valley Bible Institute, USA, and the entire brotherhood for their unwavering support and guidance. Your generosity and encouragement have been invaluable to our school, and we are deeply thankful for your investment in our mission. May God abundantly bless and replenish you, returning exceedingly more than you have sown, as you continue to nurture the growth of His kingdom.

Kisumu, Kenya school nears graduation

Dear brethren,

We,  on July 1st of 2024, at the  Kenya  school of Preaching resumed classes for the last quarter of the second year. Eighteen students have reported except one who is Richard Tumbo Kiema who has been diagnosed with pneumonia and is under medication. We pray for his healing and quick recovery. 

 Graduation day is drawing near. We are just counting weeks to August 24th of 2024, when the sixth class will end and 7th class to begin. This is one great event ahead of us. We pray for its arrival and success and ask that brethren join us in same prayers.

We have in this quarter, four African instructors (Charles, Phabian, Wasonga and Elias), teaching five regular courses: Greek IV, Jeremiah &Lamentations, I, II&III John, Preacher & His Work and the book of Hebrews. 

 As well we have, towards the end of this semester, two American instructors (Michael P. Reese and Peter Ray Cole). These will teach two short courses: Marriage & Family together with Congregational Development. We pray for God's will to be done as He uses these servants of His to impart Bible knowledge to these serious Bible students who are going to preach.

The current 19 students, during school break,  served 25 local congregations in their areas, attended 5 Gospel Meetings, restored 10 congregations to true worship in Spirit and in truth (from using instrumental music), helped plant 4 new congregations and restored 27 individuals to fellowship with the churches. 

We invite and encourage those in the brotherhood to attend the forthcoming graduation ceremony of the sixth class.  Be blessed as we look forward to seeing all at KSOP on 24th August, 2024.

 Your brother in the Lord, 

  Elias Owana Omollo.

School Update in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Good morning! I pray all is well with you!

Here's what God has done in Brazil during this last quarter.

April - June 2024:

- Two courses offered (Life of Chris IV [John] and Church History I [Class Picture Attached]

- 20 students 

- God added ⁠4 souls to His Kingdom through the lives of staff and students

- Development of a platform (like Blackboard and Populi) for instructors and students that will be ready in the next quarter.

I ask for continuous prayers for this ministry.

In Christ,

- Alex Girodo

Work continues in Ghana

OPERATIONAL REPORT MAY 2024

1.     CLASSROOM WORK

Regular students reported to school from vacation on 6th may. On the 7th, which was a Tuesday, classes begun. They started a short course on Pastoral Epistles, this course was taught by Nathaniel Brobbey. The course was completed on Thursday and the students wrote examination on Friday.  

On Monday ,13th May, the students started another short course on Epistles to the Thessalonians. The course was taught by Douglas Armah and was completed on Thursday. The students wrote examination on Friday.   

These two short courses were courses from last term.

Academic work for second term begun on Tuesday, 21st May. This term, students are studying courses such as Congregational Development, Marriage and Family Life, Logic and the Bible, Life of Christ (John), and books of Hebrew and Galatians.

Part-time students wrote exams for the three courses they had just studied, these courses were Denominational Doctrines, World Religions and Epistles of John and Jude.

As part of their assessment on denominational doctrines, students were given certain topics to research and present. Instructors and Regular students were invited to witness the presentations, to ask questions and make input. It was a great program.  

2.     PERSONAL EVANGELISM AND BAPTISM

The work of evangelism is always happening. This month, there were several evangelistic efforts by current and past students of the school. This month’s efforts were mainly house-to-house or personal evangelism, and the Lord blessed our labor with some baptisms.

Thank you.

Joshua.

Accra students conduct follow up campaign

Monthly Report - May 2024

Southern Institute of Biblical Studies

As we conclude the month of May 2024, we reflect on the activities that have shaped our institution and propelled us forward. Here are the highlights of our endeavors:

Class Activities

1. Staff Meeting: Following the successful graduation and matriculation ceremonies, our staff convened to assess the outcomes and plan for the future. We celebrated the achievements of our students and discussed ways to enhance their learning experience. The camaraderie among our faculty members continues to foster a positive environment.

2. New Greek Instructor: We welcome Samuel Papa Woode as our new Greek instructor. His expertise will undoubtedly enrich our students' understanding of biblical languages. We look forward to his contributions in equipping our learners for effective ministry.

3. Campaign for New Students: Our commitment to growth extends beyond the classroom. We have initiated a campaign to attract new students to our institution. Through targeted outreach and personal invitations, we aim to expand our student body and impact more lives.

4. Upcoming Campaigns:

 Follow-up at Paanor: Building on our recent gospel campaign, we will diligently follow up with those who expressed interest. Personal connections and nurturing relationships are essential in guiding souls toward Christ.

 Church Planting at Kasoa: Our next endeavor involves planting a church in Kasoa. We recognize the importance of establishing vibrant congregations that serve as beacons of hope in their communities.

Fundraising and Community Support

Our recent graduation and matriculation ceremonies were joyous occasions and opportunities to raise funds. The generosity of our community members and supporters has been heartwarming. These funds will contribute to scholarships, infrastructure development, and outreach programs.

We remain grateful for our partners, alumni, and friends' prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions. May the Lord bless our endeavors as we strive to fulfill our mission.

 By E.O. Larbi

Mombasa school finishing strong

Dear Brethren,

Praise the Lord! We hope that this report finds you all fine in the Lord. We are all fine here, and the school is going on as scheduled each Saturday. 

We have come to the of our second quarter this year, having satisfactorily completed the lessons that had been scheduled for the quarter. We're now venturing into the 3rd Quarter of this year, being our fourth year. 

We thank God for guiding us throughout the last quarter. the lessons taught were Congregational Development (Church Growth), Advanced Hermeneutics and Personal evangelism.

Moreover, the students have been doing personal evangelism and therefore each is engaged with a prospect and is involved in follow ups. 

the Third quarter will begin on 6th July 2024. The next lesson to start off the quarter will be The New Testament Church. We believe the Students will enjoy the lessons as all the others. 

We plan to have our graduation in the first week of December, though we have not yet settled on a date since we want to engage the students on the date that they will all be available. We thought this is wise sincemost students do travel upcountry for the holidays, yet we had earlier selected December 7th. 

Currently we've begun contacting churches for next year's January intake. We pray that God may guide the churches to provide us with good students and in this, we request your prayers. 

Thank you for all your support for the school and prayers. 

Blessings.

Yours in Christ,

Paul and Francis. 

Gweru welcomes new students

JUNE 2024 NARRATIVE REPORT

Introduction

The Institute continued its mission, that is, to equip and empower future Christian leaders through academic excellence, spiritual formation, and practical ministry experience. This monthly report provides a summary of key activities and achievements during the month. Enjoy the highlights!

1. Student Progress

We are looking closely at the progress of the new students. Most of the students have demonstrated significant improvement in their preaching skills, biblical knowledge and spiritual growth. We ask for prayers for continued guidance for our students as they navigate complex Biblical and ministerial issues as they grow in their faith and preaching.

2. Guest Lecturer

We are delighted to share with you the impact of our recent guest lecturer, Lovemore Manyanhaire who taught on Personal Evangelism for a week. Lovemore is an experienced preacher with more than 15 years in the preaching ministry. He is a passionate and successful preacher with a proven record of teaching, church planting and growing churches.

The sessions were insightful, engaging, and inspiring, leaving a lasting impression on our students. He established a solid biblical foundation for personal evangelism, emphasizing the Great Commission and the importance of sharing the Gospel. The sessions offered practical guidance on how to engage in personal evangelism, including strategies for initiating conversations, building relationships, and sharing testimonies. The students were fully engaged throughout the sessions, participating in discussions, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing their experiences after practical field work. The teaching also contributed to the students' spiritual growth, deepening their understanding of God's Word and its application in everyday life.

3. Welcome Ceremony

Celebrating the arrival of new students, a welcome ceremony was organized that was attended by all students, faculty members, and the guest speaker. We hosted a renowned guest speaker Lovemore Manyanhaire, who shared his expertise and his insights on various aspects of preaching and ministry.

In his speech, he encouraged students to pursue their calling with passion and purpose. He also emphasized that the role of a preacher is not just to convey information but to inspire transformation, as he said “You are called to be the light in the darkness, the hope in the midst of despair, and the voice of truth in a world that desperately needs to hear it.” New students also appreciated the warm welcome and sense of community. A braai party with delicious food and refreshments helped students connect and relax.

4. Ministry Outreach

Our student preachers on attachment have been sharing the Gospel with passion and dedication, and we are thrilled to report that several individuals have responded to the message and been baptized. A total number of 12 souls were baptized in June.

These new believers are a testament to the power of God's Word and the impact of faithful witness. We celebrate this answered prayer and the fruit of our student preachers' labor. Please join us in rejoicing and praying for these new believers as they begin their journey with Christ. May God continue to guide and grow them in their faith.

5. Empowering Young Leaders

The school recently conducted a youth leadership-training program aimed at equipping young individuals with biblical principles, leadership skills, and fostering spiritual growth and character development. In attendance also were the National Youth Committee and their advisors.The program was held on the 1st of June at the school campus. Key highlights of the program include interactive sessions on leadership, communication, and teamwork; mentor-ship sessions with experienced leaders and group discussions. The youth leadership training program was a resounding success, empowering young leaders to make a positive impact in their churches and communities. We look forward to continuing this important work in the future.

6. Sustainable Agriculture Workshop in Prison

From the 18th to 19th of June, a sustainable agriculture workshop was held at Whawha prison. The prison houses around 1700 inmates. The training was done by brother John Dube of Healing Hands International as part and parcel of the school’s efforts to reach out to everyone.

The workshop came with several lessons ranging from compost making, use of drip system, preparation of beds, planting, disease control, and marketing of crops among many other notables.35 inmates and 15 officers were trained. BVBIZ students have an opportunity to visit the prison and encourage inmates as part and parcel of their training. Great appreciation to Healing Hands International for partnering the school in this endeavor.

7. Graduation Ceremony

On 29 June, the staff members had the privilege of attending the 59th graduation ceremony of 7 student preachers at Mutare School of Preaching. It was a momentous occasion, filled with joy and inspiration. The graduates demonstrated remarkable growth, passion, and dedication to their calling. We celebrate their achievement and the positive impact they will have on their communities and the world. May God continue to guide and bless them on their journey.

Conclusion

Bear Valley remains dedicated to its mission of training and equipping students to effectively proclaim the Gospel and serve in various ministry contexts. With the support of faculty, staff, students, and partners, the school continues to make a positive impact in the lives of individuals and communities. Thank you for your unwavering support, prayers, and encouragement. Your partnership is crucial to our mission.

Cape Coast school finishes first two years

BEAR VALLEY, CAPE COAST

SECOND QUARTER REPORT OF THE YEAR

JUNE 2024

The Bear Valley Bible School in Cape Coast has successfully completed two calendar years. We are currently in our third year by the gracious mercies of God. The first set of students who were admitted have been ushered into what is hopefully their final years of studies if all things go according to plan. It has really been an exciting period of studies in the last two years, and it just keeps getting better. 

OVERVIEW

The Cape Coast Study Center is arguably one of the best Bible School outlets in the region. It is expected to make serious inroads in the country by the time people start seeing and hearing our graduates preach and teach in the various congregations. Starting with just a little over ten students in February of the year 2022, the school keeps on attracting students from across the region. As at the end of the last quarter, our numbers stood at 38. Some of the students are not regular at school due to their work schedule and family and social commitments. 

STUDENT TRANSFER 

One of our students transferred to main study center in Accra. This reduced our numbers by one at the beginning of the second quarter. However, due to constant advertisement and announcements at various church programs (funeral, wedding, naming ceremonies, etc), we had a new student joining our ranks. Our number has thus been restored to 38, just like how the year started for us. The improvement in our student’s enrollment is a testimony to the good works we are putting in here as we keep attracting interest and attention of the people of the central region. Brethren from all around the region keep calling to make inquiries about our programs and activities. And for this we have our students to thank for, as they have proven to be very good ambassadors to the school and the Bear Valley name.  

USE OF PORTABLE LIBRARY

During the first quarter we received laptops and routers as portable library resource for us to use as a school. It has proven to be very effective and an efficient tool. The portable library has expanded students access to wider reading materials and now we are able to do comprehensive exegesis of issues with a lot of references. 

COURSES 

As at the end of the June, the second quarter of the year 2024, we have successfully completed the following courses: OLD TESTATMENT HISTORY 2, HERMENUETICS 2, AND CHRISTIAN EVIDENCE.

We hope to continue with: THE WISDOM BOOKS, THE GODHEAD AND HOMILETICS 2 in the next quarter.   

UPDATE ON EVANGELISM 

Our planned evangelism could not come off as a result of the late release of funds. The financial support came in at the death end of the first quarter when logistics for the program had not been procured. The situation also coincided with the onset of the heavy rainfall season that is still happening. The Director then met the students on the way forward about the evangelism. After the meeting, the school took a decision to wait until the rains are over before embarking on the evangelism drive so that we do not waste scare financial resources. As a school, we are now hoping to embark on this outreach in the month of August when the rains will hopefully be over.

PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT QUARTER

We are definitely on course to completing our program on schedule. Students have come to understand and appreciate that regular meetings are the only panacea to achieving this. We also a have group of committed teachers and instructors who are always ready to give off their best in all situations. 

We also plan to keep on visiting the local congregations of students on specific dates to help revive and encourage the local and rural churches. As has been a great time as we go on such visits. 

Eleven baptisms in Zimbabwe

                                                                                MAY 2024 NARRATIVE REPORT

INTRODUCTION

Activities picked up in May with the arrival of a new class. They shall be with the school for the next 3 years. The 2022-2024 class is currently in the field doing its practicum which has seen 11 souls getting baptized whilst the long awaited classroom and office block had some notable progress made to it. This report shall highlight these issues and others that transpired in the month of May.

1.0 NEW CLASS

The 2024-2026 class arrived on campus on the 13th of May 2024. The number of applications were more but the 14 that were accepted made it to school. The following are the names of the students and their places of origin;

Name                                           Congregation/Place of origin              Province

Gunnet Chitsiku                               Maruru                                            Manicaland

Tafadzwa Matanhike                       Kwekwe                                          Midlands

Blessing Gonye                                Maruru                                            Manicaland

Ndoro   (bro. & sis.)                         Igava                                               Mashonaland East

Bonwell Masango                             Maware                                          Mashonaland East

Shelton Mandongwe                         Maware                                          Mashonaland East

Diner Sumali Hosam                        Mupudzi                                         Manicaland

Makanaka Mekeresi                          Dangamvura                                  Manicaland

Davis Nyirongo                                 Glendale                                        Mashonaland Central

Dzingai Mugova Jnr                          Triangle                                         Masvingo

Chigodora (bro. & sis.)                     Chiware (Rusape)                          Manicaland

Benny Biriati Jnr                               Mutorashanga                                Mashonaland Central

Tobias Mabika Mureyatu                  Mutungagore                                 Manicaland

This class is made up of 15 students (13 males and two females). One student, Benny Biriati Jr. listed above, shall join the class in January next year. He has already completed two terms with us and will be coming to continue with his studies.

The following are the subjects that are being done this term; Old Testament Law, How We Got the Bible, Christian Evidences, English and Writing Skills, Scheme of Redemption, Personal Evangelism 1, Public Speaking, Life of Christ 1, New Testament Church (SC) and Horticulture (SC).                                                                    

2.0 CLASSROOM BLOCK PROGRESS

The foundation to the classroom and office block was completed on the 31st of May. Great appreciation goes to Woodland Oaks Church of Christ for providing part of the funding. The members of the churches in Zimbabwe who contributed funds during the school’s fundraising effort in 2022, thank you. This united effort has ensured the completion of the foundation. The next stage is the construction of the superstructure then the roof.

3.0 FIELD PROGRAM UPDATES

The 2022-2024 class in currently in the field carrying its final practicum before its graduation in October. To date 11 souls have been converted and one restoration made. The following are the results that came in from the field.

BVBIZ wishes to thank all congregations and preachers who are hosting this students through the provision of food, accommodation and the necessary experience. This program shall continue until the 14th of October. The following pictures are a summary of what took place in May in the field; The effort at Mt Darwin in Mashonaland central has the sole goal of establishing a congregation in the town. A few are coming for worship services and we request your prayers towards this effort.

4.0 KEITH KASARJIAN’S VISIT

We were blessed to have Keith Kasarjian, the BVBII director of International schools on the 28th and 29th of May. The purpose was to appraise himself on current developments together with exploring some possibilities for BVBIZ in Zimbabwe. Besides the meetings held, he visited Nhowe Mission for the first time where he met the superintendent, the church leadership, some of the BVBIZ students and departmental heads besides touring the institution. BVBIZ remain grateful for such a visit.

5.0 RECEIPT OF LIBRARY BOOKS AND TRACTS

The school received another consignment of library books and tracts from Mission Printing in the United States. The books arrived the Eastern border town of Mutare in a container. Brothers Mutichu and Muchingami went there to receive the consignment. The container other material for other organizations as well. A few of the boxes are already in Gweru with the majority still holed up in Mutare due to transport challenges. Great appreciation goes to both our regional director for facilitating this development and Mission Printing for answering our request. Sakubva Relief Organization is well appreciated as well for facilitating the entry of the container into Zimbabwe.

CONCLUSION

We praise God for what we were able to achieve in May. Thank you for your financial, material and the moral support we are receiving. Souls continue to be saved, men and women continue to be trained and so much more. To God be the glory!

The harvest is plentiful in Zambia

INTRODUCTION

We send to you warm greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We also take this opportunity to give honor and glory to God our heavenly Father who through His grace and the love fully shown in Christ has granted us the rare opportunity to work in His Kingdom!

Once again this report has been written in an effort to provide some insight into the work that BVBI-Zambia has continued to experience.  It is always uplifting to write and reflect on the happenings here at BVBI-Zambia during the month of May, 2024.

New congregations

We have continued to do evangelism with our Alumni and many times working with our current student body which saw a new congregation becoming to reality in Choma. At least six new members with nine already members of the Church met for the first time at a primary school to begin a congregation. We continue to work and pray that Aclay Kabaya one of our former students will continue like Timothy to see the growth of this congregation. Efforts were made through one-on-one preaching as seen in the pictures attached and baptisms were witnessed.

Gershom Chansa has continued to do great work. He was given opportunity to present the gospel to expecting mothers at hospital and his work was marvelous. This was a place where those mothers expecting to give birth wait. In attendance during his preaching they were one hundred and sixteen (116) and out of this sixty six (66) stood up to be prayed for and four (4) stood up for baptism. 

Boyd kalaba now preaching in Kitwe in Kanfisa constituency he is the one in charge of the newly established congregation there. Kanfinsa is a big constituency with a population of thirty-seven thousand (37,000) we target the growth of the congregation to be great. Five (5) souls have been added to the church for the month of May.

In Baluba of Luanshya district, Baluba is 22kilimeters West of Luanshya, there we have Austin and Joseph Musonda (our former students) working together to have the spiritual growth of that congregation. We witnessed the addition to the Lord’s church of three (3) souls and the restoration of fourteen Souls. Our current students have a schedule of visiting this congregation every Sunday and the work is going on well. Five souls were restored during the preaching in this area by Levy Silungwe one of the current students.

Promoting survival skills 

We are currently involved in growing vegetables and soybeans, as our strategic long plan in training quality preachers who may be able to survive in any situation of life, as Paul said in Acts 20:34 “yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.”

We have harvested soybeans and part of it will be used for producing feed for chicken. We had raised thirty of the layers and students have benefited a lot by eating the eggs, and above all most of the community are already benefiting from our vegetable production. All our students have learned on land preparations and vegetable production.

Total Baptisms recorded

We have a total number of eighteen (18) baptisms were recorded in southern and copper belt provinces respectively.

Total Restorations!

We had recorded a total number of ninety one (91) restorations during the month of May. We keep looking forward to a more glorious month of June in our work for the Lord   

Short course

We received brother Kennedy Mukuka from Lusaka province who taught the Book of Romans in our second quarter, once again the Bible knowledge is expanded to our students for this was another great experience for our students. During his stay we discussed more on recruitment which is going on. We also planned the trip to D.R.Congo for recruitment and to visit brothers there who we are working with. We are praying that our plans will come to pass.

Conclusion

May our God the creator of heaven and earth keep all of you safe and sound, indeed in our oneness we can make life meaningful to the last day here on earth. We continue to glorify God for Bear Valley Bible Institute International and to our supportive family at Woodland Oarks Church of Christ, may God richly bless you all. 

In His service,

Cephas and Fred

Successful campaigns in Uganda

Brethren,  Greetings in the mighty name of our dear Lord Jesus christ. Peace, grace and mercy from our Lord be with you.

I am so much grateful for the favor God has given us to still be alive to-date.  I can't wait to share with you the beautiful things the Lord has done for us through our time in the holidays and to this present day.

To begin  with, we broke off mid April having arranged the evangelism sessions for the students.  We were able to have  six evangelism grounds in many different parts of the country.  Teachers working hand in hand with students by knocking  doors in the morning and during evening hours, we would go on open air campaigns.  Men of God labored and God being behind us, ten souls were added to the church through this struggle.  Students showed the heart of commitment because it would have been their time of resting at home but we chose to do this for the betterment of the Lord’s church here in Uganda. 

Through these campaigns,  we were joined by some of our old students who gave much encouragement to these outgoing students.  The school is truly making a difference.  In all the places we have been at, they were blessing the school and asking that we keep on doing this to grow the kingdom of God. 

On the other hand, the school has reported back for the final semester. Students started reporting as early as 1st of June  and classes started on Monday which was 3rd of June. Only one student who had some inconveniences at home reported late on 3rd. We thank God they have all come back in good health and we look forward to pushing on until the last day and then graduation comes. We are blessed this time that we have our brother Jerry who is taking the students through a short course dealing with the book of Roman's.

On  behalf of bear valley Uganda,  I take this opportunity to thank brother Jerry  for his tireless efforts and the love he has for the Lord’s work. We have been blessed by his coming to us. God rewards. We have nothing we can give in exchange to his service he is rendering. 

Concerning  the next intake, I have been able to move around the country  and we have so far received 15 applications and we hope for more. We continue asking for your support both physical and spiritual. 

May the almighty God bless and protect you 

Be blessed in the lord. 

Until all have heard 

Raymond 

Beautiful fellowship in Cambodia

Dear Brethren in Jesus Christ,

I am very grateful to bring warm greetings and updates on the Preachers Training School work in Siem Reap Cambodia. It is always wonderful to hear that you and your family are doing well by the grace of God.

We give honor and glory to God who has given us this rare opportunity to work in His Kingdom. We want to thank you for taking the time to read this report and look at these recent photos.

IBISR’s Academy:

Nowadays we continue to train our students in the subjects of (preachers and their work) as well (family and marriage).  Darat Run and I (Piseth Rin) are the teachers of those classes. Our students were very happy and satisfied with their studies in those subjects.

 Application week:

Since our students have finished some courses related to spreading the gospel to the world, every week, Darat and I lead the students in sharing the words of God in the new town named RunTahek. Every Sunday, about 25 to 30 people come to study God’s word with us. We are so proud of what our students have learned from direct evangelism.

Some of our students also go out preaching every Saturday and Sunday. They went down to the three villages such as Ta Kamm, Sam Buor,  and Kouk Khnang villages.

 Bible Chapel class on Zoom:

We are so grateful to our coordinator name Wes Autrey and his wife Teri Autrey for sharing valuable God’s words in both female and male classes through virtual meetings every Friday.

Monthly fellowship meal:

Making this special fellowship meal happens because we want to show our relationship as lovers of God to one another. This shows us how our church has been growing, and our current Christian members can observe how the life of Jesus's followers love sharing. We always do this meeting once a month. This encourages us to enjoy fellowship with each other and the world can see how Christians spend time with one another.

A weekly Lady Class:

Since the ladies have a rotated turn in directing the children every Sunday morning, the ladies prefer to devote more time to practicing and training on how to instruct the youngsters and the other ladies as well as give all the ladies to take turns to lecture in the lady group. They mostly have this guidance every Sunday evening at Hannah’s Home Children’s Home. This activity has benefited them a lot in establishing their fearless and gaining from each other ladies on how to instruct the youngsters and the female group.

Prayer:

Without your prayers and care, we can’t do these things. We ask you to pray for many lost souls who need the gospel. And remember our students who went down to preach the gospel to the villages as well.  

Servants of Christ.

Piseth Rin and Darat Run.

Co-Directors IBISR.

Baptisms in India

Date 06/06/2024

BVBI-Tirupati-India -Reporting Letter for the month of May-2024

Respected beloved brother Keith Kasarjian our director, our coordinator Mark Reynolds and all the prayer partners greetings to you in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that this reporting letter finds you all well physically as well as spiritually. We would like to share report for the month of May-2024.

BVBI-students practical training:  In the month of May we have gave a break for the students, The month of May was  summer season  in India and all the students participated in the practical work at different local churches.

BVBI-students Students campaigning to conduct V.B.S : We conducted a two day VBS children classes at Vidyangar on May 24th & 25th. We collected about 100 children from different villages and gathered them at the Vidyanagar church of Christ meeting place. We trained 10 teachers and gave each teacher 10 children for the group bible study. We appointed 10 volunteers to help the program. The theme for 2024 was God’s Love. The local church and other individual members donated money for food, snacks, drinks and gifts . God has blessed our two day campaign .

BVBI-students Students campaigning to distribute New testaments: We conducted a student campaign on May 29th at Ambedkar colony. We distributed New testaments. There were more than 50 people who were able to attend for the campaign .

Baptisms in the  month of May : In the month of May 3 souls were baptized and added to the body of Christ. We request you to pray for the newly baptized souls so that they may grow in the image of His son Jesus Christ.

Preachers meeting: We attended a preachers meeting which was held in the city of Nellore, Andhra Padesh-India on May 30th.

BVBI-students -3 days workshop on Fruit tree Garden Plantation :  In the third week of May we planted a fruit tree garden by the partnership of Healing Hands International.

Based on the poverty situation of the poor people in this location , we established  one  agri based fruit plantation garden . in this garden we  grow mango trees, jack fruit trees, guava, orange, pomegranate , lemon, papaya, banana, coconut, citrus plants.  We selected land with all infrastructure facilities like agro based inputs , fencing , equipments material and grown the above said fruit plants with provision of organic manure, drip irrigation system etc..with the help of Healing Hands International .

Brothers, we thank you for creating this wonderful platform of BVBI at our city.  We express our gratitude and thanks to our director Keith Kasarjian and our coordinator Mr.Mark Reynolds for their restless efforts for the smooth function of BVBI extension centre in Tirupati-India. They are always available for any suggestions and guidance .  Even in midnight  we call them they could able to respond with kindness and love. We appreciate their service . We treat your assistance as a blessing of God to train young people in India. We need your continual prayers for our extension centre.

Thanking you.

Yours brother in Christ.

B.Vijaya Kumar – BVBI-Tirupati-India-

New congregation planted in Kenya

Dear brethren,

  We have today, on May 31, 2024, taken a break till we resume classes from July 1st - August 23rd of 2024. Courses that remain are for the last quarter after which, graduation of the sixth class. The 19 students in this class have really persevered till now  and it is our prayer, that by our God's mercy, they will make it to the graduation day of August 24th,  2024. 

 We have had four African instructors this time and no American. We are thankful for the service they tirelessly rendered to these serious Bible students. May the Lord reward them accordingly as He sees fit, that is to Charles, David and Phabian.

The students have been a very big help to the churches around. Each quarter they cannot miss invitations to attend gospel meetings in order to help with evangelism. This time they had the opportunity to serve local congregations at Rangengni, Obera, Wang' Arot, Tiengre and Kapsimotwet. While  at Kapsimotwet, six students from Rift Valley managed to plant one new congregation of 9 members _ called Kipkoriyan church of Christ. Now that they are back home, we pray that they will help wherever possible with initial development of that newly established congregation.

Much thanks to all of you who endeavor to support, both in prayers and finances this great work at KSOP.

May the Lord of all mercies bless you richly to the end as we look forward to seeing you on the graduation day of August 24th, 2024.

In his service, Elias Omollo

Putting their education into action in Arusha, Tanzania

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them,All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim.3:14,16). The Apostle Paul is writing to the young man Timothy, to assure him of the great work that God has started in him. Timothy has to been imparted with the knowledge that he learned from those who are faithful to the Lord in his life. This is the same thing we do here at Andrew Connally School of Preaching. Imparting life who will go out full of zeal and will for the sake of the Kingdom.

The school started on the second week of February having 22 students, and has been closed for break this past Friday,

We were able to do the following things through God’s help.

 1.     The total number of 28 courses (14 in English and 14 in Swahili) were taught.

2.     Two campaigns were conducted.

3.     Seventy-five Bible class were taught

4.     Two courses of the Cy Stafford School of Leadership went on these past two weeks.

These and many other good things are continuing in the Kingdom, just because you chose to support and pray for this good work. Thank you so much.

Please continue to pray for our students as they have returned to their homes and work with their local congregations. We are expecting them to bring changes and help their home congregations at this time. We are excited to start visiting them at their homes starting next month, to see how they are helping the church through what they have received.

Thank you so much for all that you mean and do in His Kingdom.

Your servant in His Kingdom

Till all have heard

Charles Mwanga

Director

School Updates and Evangelistic Outreach in Liberia

Operation Report April 2024 — Sanniquillie City, Nimba County

Our Sincere Greetings!

We are very thankful to the Almighty God for guiding and protecting us through our first Academic Year. We also extend thanks and appreciation to the Bear Valley Family for their tireless support since we started this academic year (2024 – 2025). Moreover, we are asking for your constant prayers for strength and wisdom to successfully go through this academic year.

Relocating The School to Sanniquillie

We started and ended the first quarter of this academic year (2024 –2025) in Ganta successfully. From January 22, to April 19, 2024 we conducted classes successfully. From April 22, to April 28, 2024 has been used for Campaign, and from April 28, to May 10, 2024 was for the break, but because time was against us to move to Sanniquillie, and we wanted to be on time with the Curriculum, we used both the Campaign and the break times to speedily move to Sanniquillie. We thank God and appreciate Bear Valley so greatly for the support that enabled the School to finally move in Sanniquillie.

School in Session, Classes Continue

Upon the completion of transporting the materials and setting up the Campus, we immediately On May 13, 2024 as the Commencement of the second Quarter which is presently ongoing.

House to House Evangelism

During the following two weekends, after the commencement of classes, a strong Students House to House Evangelism Campaign was conducted resulting in three Baptisms. We pray that more souls will be won through the same method (Student’s House to house Evangelism).

Updates from Tamale, Ghana

BEAR VALLEY INSTITUTE OF BIBLICAL STUDIES — TAMALE, GHANA

APRIL 2024 OPERATING REPORT

It is a great blessing to be given the privilege to give account or report on events or activities that one has taken which concerns others. We are grateful once again to briefly report on the things that happened in Bear Valley Tamale in the month of April, 2024. April has been a good month just like all the past months, though students were on break.

PAINTING AND WRITING ON THE FRONT OF THE FENCE WALL

Painting work and writing the school name on the front view of the gate was successfully completed. Funds were released in the month of March; work started, and got completed in the month of April. Some two trips of gravel were also purchased to fill some portion of the front to make it level. More filling work needs to be done to add some bit of beauty to the entrance of the school. We need to consider as and when we are able, a continued painting of the eternal part of the fence wall. We will also need to do a lot of filling work, both outside and inside to put our compound and environment in a more presentable way.

As the rains have started, we intend to purchase good flowers to beautify and demarcate the school garden from the compound. It is our desire to do our best to make the environment of the school attractive and of a certain good standard. We wish to thank our Coordinators, Kojo and Steven and Mama Karen as well for encouraging and inspiring us to raise the standard of our environment. God bless you.

Brother Kojo in particular was in Tamale in the month of April purposely to address the issue of our environment and the need for us to keep it clean and healthy.

ANIMALS RAISED BY SOME STAFF

1 Timothy “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” To fulfill this command, hard work and wise investment and good decision making is necessary. Some of the resident staff are raising pigs and fowls by the fence wall, distance from the school compound to support the upkeep of our families and our Christian responsibilities. It is a great blessing serving the Lord through Bear Valley. Brother Kojo supported some of us with a very good brahma breed of fowls, which will help better our lives. We thank the Lord for his life.

PURCHASE

We purchased a new battery, a diesel pump router, and a starter for the school bus in the month of April. It was very important to replace them because we were to embark on a journey to Ivory Coast for an evangelistic campaign with the bus.

For the same reason and other evangelistic activities that were ongoing, we had to also purchase a new amplifier for smooth evangelistic work. Our amplifier got spoiled, we got it fixed, and it broke down again and we were advised by the repairer to get a bit higher one. He said, our speakers were stronger than the amplifier. We were in an evangelistic campaign in Tamale town, this called for the need for us to quickly arrange for a new amplifier to help the situation. Since the purchase of the new amplifier, our sound system performs much better than before.  

KPALSI SOUTH CONGREGATION

Evangelism: The Kpalsi South congregation together with the Tamale evangelistic team jointly embarked on an evangelistic campaign in the Kpalsi community in an effort to reach out to our neighborhood. Both public preaching and door to door studies were done, and it was very promising. The public preaching was done right in front of the church auditorium. Two souls were added to the Church at the end of the program.

Benevolence: As part of the church’s activities and duty, and as a strategy in preaching Christ to the lost, the church embarked on a benevolent journey to a needy organization. We visited social welfare, to support some disabled babies. We also identified a blind man who had learned a trade but needed some little capital to start, and supported him. We are following up on him with the hope of converting him. It is our hope that all the activities we are engaging in will aid us to preach Christ to the lost.

Brother Jacob and his wife visit: Brother Jacob Yeboah and his newly weeded wife visited the Kpalsi South congregation in the month of April to show appreciation to the church for our participation in their wedding ceremony. His wife and he were so happy to be with us.

SCHOOL GARDEN

We harvested a great deal of onions from our school garden. The onions cultivated in the dry season didn’t disappoint us at all. We bless God for blessing our work. We wish to use some to complement the feeding, while some will be sold to offload part of the bills of the irrigating materials. Onions have no price this year, it is our hope all these efforts would be profitable for the school in the very near future.

 Praise the Lord.

Thank you,

Bear Valley Tamale

Great success in Kpalime

May God's peace and mercy be with us all, and let us give glory to God for his blessings during this period ending in April. Everyone is doing well. The only exception was student Ezéchiel, who spent three days in the hospital in March with a stomachache.

Many activities have been carried out, especially evangelism, which is a primordial activity in the evangelist's work.

Classes

Classes proceed as usual with research that teachers now give students to do without difficulty utilizing the Bear Valley Digital Library. 

During this period, the following classes were taught at the school:

 1. RTAO — Akovi Esperance

2. I and II Corinthians — Akovi Esperance

3. Gospel according to John — Attah Komi Ekpe

4. Galatians to 2 Thessalonians — Attah Komi Ekpe

5. Hebrews — Cephas

6. Doctrine of Denomination — Cephas

After a two-week break, classes resumed on May 06, 2024

1. Homiletics II — ATTAH

2. The Little Prophets — ATTAH

3. Evidences Chrétiennes — CEPHAS

4. Preaching work — CEPHAS

5. Local church planting and development — ESPERANCE

6. Hermeneutics — ESPERANCE

7. Church history — BEDJELSI Fidèle

Guest Teacher

During this term, Evangelist Fidèle Bedjelsi in Kara will come to teach the course Church History to the students.

Training for teachers and students

SENGHOR Avougna, a teacher at the Lycée, was asked to help with training on how to use the research programs he teaches in schools. This was done via WhatsApp video. 

Evangelism

First, as is their custom, the students go to the ZOMAYI district every Friday in February from 8:00 to 15:00 to do door-to-door evangelism for a new assembly that has just been planted. With no one evangelist to lead it, the students and evangelists work to help the assembly grow and edify.

A three-day evangelization took place in the Tsévié area in March (DALAVE's village) and in some other areas where seminars and general worship were held.

Much work was carried out during April in Kpalime and Côte d'Ivoire. From April 15 to 21, a team of 6 joined the brothers in Ghana for a week of evangelism: Three days in BONDOUKOU and three days in TANDA. In each of these towns, two (2) people were baptized.

In the work plan for southern Togo, two new assemblies will be set up: one in Glekope and another in Danyi-Ndigbe. Through teamwork, two people were baptized in Gleykope, and a new assembly was baptized at the beginning of May. For May, two three-day evangelizations are planned in Lavie-Apedome and Temedja. Teams are hard at work in these localities to get good results from the evangelization campaigns.

Note: an unprepared campaign will not produce lasting results. Those who convert often abandon the church, so we must prepare the ground several weeks before the evangelistic campaign.

The results of the South Togo evangelism teams

Each evangelistic team in southern Togo had several baptisms during the period. Over sixty souls were baptized into Christ by the evangelistic teams shown below:

1. Kpalime: 10

2. Kpele: 9

3. Agou : 6

4. Fiokpo: 1

5. Lome: 12

6. Tsevie and Dalavé: 5

7. Atakpame: 3

8. Temedja: 7

9. Blita: 8

10. Notse: 4 

In the north, evangelistic teams were formed in Kuka and Dapaong. In Dapaong, team training for good cooperation did not take place due to the unavailability of evangelists on that day. Another opportunity for this training is planned for a later date.

Seminar

Focusing on training women who lead children in local assemblies, sister Karen Ashcraft came with educational material that the women benefited from free of charge.

After three consecutive days of hard work by our Karen in Kpalime at the end of February, the women from twenty-eight congregations completed their training with great joy. They are now ready to take charge of the children in our different congregations and train other women to continue the mission in Togo. Karen then went north to Kara and held her second seminar in Togo with ten additional congregations.

Saturday courses for denominational leaders

It's a challenge for the Church of Christ to reach more people in the denominations with the Gospel. Separate from the Bear Valley school, we continue to hold Saturday evangelistic classes for denominational leaders. We presently have programs in fifteen locations with around 200 students. A seminar was held in Kpalime for students of the denominational program for two days in March.

Having fully understood the Gospel of Christ and his Church, some of the students began by giving their names for further training at the Institute Biblique Bear Togo.

Updates from Ukraine

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to share some significant events from this past month that, in my opinion, will shape Ukraine's future and impact the church in our country.

Unfortunately, the war has been ongoing for two and a half years now, and the situation is only deteriorating. We are losing some of our best men daily, who could have been great fathers and grandfathers. The gene pool of our country is rapidly diminishing. This is also reflected in the church; if you look at congregations in different cities, you will mostly see pensioners who constantly need food packages and assistance.

Sadly, a new mobilization law came into effect on May 18th. In short, all men aged 25 to 60 will be required to serve and fight, with almost no exceptions. Therefore, the situation is becoming more difficult every day. There is hardly anyone left to work in factories and fields. Men have divided into two categories: those who are ready to serve and those who are hiding from military recruiters. This harsh reality has affected every family in Ukraine and will only worsen if the war continues.

Now, about the work of the institute. This year, we have three students graduating: Vyacheslav, Victoria, and Alexander. They are all remarkable individuals who want to serve the Lord and support the work of the church. However, the question arises, will they have the opportunity to do so? Each of them will turn 25 in a couple of years and will be called to the front.

Let me share another story. We have a potential student who wants to enroll. He will turn 25 this summer; he has one child and a wife who is pregnant with their second child. Unfortunately, his plans may be disrupted as he has already received a summons and has been asked to report with his belongings.

I ask you to continue praying for the war to end soon, not for the sake of victory or defeat, but for the preservation of our people as a nation.

Last month, I taught two courses: Prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel, using excellent material by Denny Petrillo. Dmitry Galyuk also taught the Gospel of Luke. I want to highlight the very active work of the churches in Ukraine. Many preachers can be called to the military at any moment, yet they still help people in need. Recently, there were baptisms in Poltava and Pokrovsk, demonstrating the continuous work of our brothers. I am grateful to God for knowing them personally and for the opportunity to pray for them.

I also ask for prayers for those Christians who are already serving. Many of them are struggling, especially mentally, but there is no alternative. Our legislation does not provide for alternative service for Christians.

May God keep you, and thank you for your constant support.

Sincerely, Denys Sopelnyk

Souls Converted by Students and Staff in Sierra Leone

INTRODUCTION

We have come again with exciting news regarding the spread of the Gospel and the training of men to spread the Gospel more! We are appreciative to God to have come your way again with our April 2024 report, our committed readers, partners, and supporters. We know that the successes that we are recording here all come from the prayers and the financial support you are giving us and we do not take that for granted. Our team here (the staff, students, graduates and evangelistic teams) are also not relenting in pursuing the cause of Christ. That is why in April 2024, our students excelled in their academics, evangelistic campaigns and lectureships were conducted, fifty four (54) souls were converted, and our Agricultural farm yielded some good fruits.

THE STUDENTS CONTINUED WITH THEIR ACADEMICS

Our students (full time and part time) continued their classes and were very committed to their studies. Our full-time students progressed to their second quarter of their first year while our part-time students continued with their fourth quarter, which is anticipated to end by May. Apart from academics, you have always been informed from our reports (and for those who have visited us from firsthand knowledge) that our students are always going on the evangelistic field to demonstrate practically the skills they are learning in the classroom. To this cause, they have truly been committed and we truly covet your prayers for them.  

THE SCHOOL CONDUCTED AN EVANGELISM CAMPAIGN AND CONVERTED 31 SOULS

Truly, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are very few! This is very true with the situation of the Churches of Christ in Sierra Leone. Souls are thirsty to hear the word, but there are not many committed brethren. So when you find few that truly love the Lord, they need to be prayed for and encouraged. By March of 2023, we sent you a report that we conducted an evangelistic campaign at Segbwema with six souls converted which led to the establishment of a local congregation. And you were also informed that we were going to nurture that congregation through our External Mission Program. You were given the description of the typical setting of Segbwema, how it is dominated by Muslims (though few denominations are there) but that there were many prospects there. Based on how we have been engaging this community with the Gospel since last year, we decided to launch a Gospel campaign there. Before the campaign, something interesting happened. We found a denomination, bearing the name “Church of Christ” but practicing error (instruments, tithe and everything that is erroneous) and started studying with her members. By December of 2023, many of her members were converted (though we did not report this, but our coordinator, Steve Ashcraft knows about it and he and brother Francis Musa, a long time Sierra Leonean Missionary to Guinea, even gave us some good guidance. Brother Mike Udam and his wife, upon their visit in December last year, were also taken to these new Christians for exhortation and encouragement). Therefore we brought those who accepted the truth together with our previous members and they made up a congregation. We have been going to build this congregation up consistently. In fact, one of our last year graduates, Epaphras A. Missailie has been assigned to this congregation as her preacher. Not only Missailie, but the school is involved with the congregation because many are people who are just coming from error, therefore they need a more mature and sound teacher to uphold them with the doctrine of Christ.  So it was an attempt to strengthen this congregation that we took a campaign there from April 10 to 15. During this time, evangelism was done vigorously and as the result, thirty one (31) souls were converted. This congregation, with the addition of the 31 brethren, has a big challenge of a place of worship. And as you will be praying for them, please remember to include that also in your prayers.

EVANGELISTIC SEMINARS AND CONVERSION OF SOULS BY THE EVANGELISTIC TEAMS AND ALUMNI

You are already aware of the active works of the evangelistic teams across the country. So training seminars were held in Freetown, Kenema, Kpayeh, and Kono Most of these programs actually go along with evangelism and not just sitting down in a church building to receive lectures. Therefore, as a result of the combined efforts of the teams and alumni, twenty three (23) souls were converted.

FOOD PRODUCTION THROUGH AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM

It was in February this year that we informed you that we received good and educational training from Healing Hands International through Dr. Udofia. We immediately went ahead to apply the skills we learnt and this has yielded us some good benefits. We are even very optimistic that it would help us greatly as we continue to embark on Agriculture as a school in order to augment your cherished finances you send to us to feed our students and staff. In April, we had an encouraging harvest of cucumbers, corn, beans and lettuce. This is truly good as preachers so that we can also be trained on how to find food for our families. We are on the Operation Feed Bear Valley Family, hence we will continue to pursue this cause.

CONCLUSION

As you went through this report, it was evident that the Lord is promoting His work here through the instrumentality of people like you. We are also making our efforts here. Therefore, we continue to be grateful to God and to you. We look forward again to updating you in our May report.

Peter Sahr Makundu

Director, Sierra Leone Bear Valley Bible Institute