Graduation nears in Visakhapatnam, India

Dear brethren in Christ, 

Greetings to you all from Visakhapatnam. We are all doing good by the mercies of our God and His son Jesus in Christ. We pray that everything is going well at your end. We appreciate your prayers towards us. Preaching school at Visakhapatam is continuing to do well as it has been since the beginning. We are grateful to God for blessing us to continue the same mission with the vision to establish the New Testament churches in Southern India by producing some affective evangelists. 

In regard to our common mission, we tend to have the same spirit among our faculty members. Every year, faculty and staff members meet for a one full day meeting. A meeting proposed to discuss several things regarding the school year as well as the upcoming events. First of all, we all had discussed about the present burning doctrinal issues around. We all agreed that New Testament is the ultimate authority in any matters of faith and doctrine. So our discussion on this topic has concluded with a sole agreement on strictly following the New Testament pattern for any issues. 

Also the discussion about the remaining subjects to be taught, students record to be kept, electronic teaching system and training classes have been discussed. We have also discussed about the upcoming Graduation ceremony as well as the Leadership workshop at Bikkavolu Bible College; this is scheduled for 17.18th of April. We have purchased a couple of Interactive Touch Screen Televisions to use for the teaching purpose, in fact i have brought two Laptops given by Bear Valley to use them for Library purposes. We have had a network established where we are keeping the laptop server and the interactive touch screen TV in the same network to drag the information on the screen while teaching. We had a training session to help the teaching staff about the mechanics of this setup, I will share more in the next report. I want to thank brother Keith as well as Mark for making this possible. 

The importance of a full-time school and required improvements have been discussed. Also at the end of the meeting, Current religious difficulties in our country were also mentioned in the prayer.

Prayer request: one of our Graduates brother Rajesh had paralysis stroke and is undergoing treatment, kindly pray. He is a great Christian, bold enough to straighten their biblical errors. We sure need your prayers for their family as well. The first picture shows him laying on the bed when brother Nageswarao and other faculty members visited. 

Dear brethren, we appreciate your prayers, we do thank you very much for your help and support, please convey our gratitude to the Elders at Bear Valley Church of Christ. We do thank the brethren at Lake Houston, Strickland Church of Christ as well as Farmersville. we are always mindful of our dear beloved brethren, Jerry and Paula Bates. 

In Christ, 

John Dean Muppidi

Visakha Valley Bible College

Studies continue in Tirupati, India

Reporting Letter for the Month of February-2025

Date; March 5th,2025.

Respected beloved brother Keith Kasarjian, our international director, our coordinator Mr. Mark Reynolds and all the prayer partners. Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We pray that this reporting letter finds you well. We express our gratitude and thanks to you for your prayers and  encouragement . We humbly submit our reporting letter for the month of February-2025.

Classroom work: - This quarter we taught: The book of Matthew, New testament  Christianity, The Importance of Blood, Repentance,  Study on Pentateuch, and Abiding in Hope. We also adopted a few topics from World Video Bible School Material. We are thankful to our coordinator (BVBI) for presenting projector and WVBS video devices for our BVBI-Tirupati extension  centre. These are very much useful to learn several subjects.

Assignment work:- All the students are cooperating well in writing their assignments . We collect the note books and evaluate from time to time.

Bible Seminar:- In the month of February 7th and 8th we have conducted a two day seminar. The theme for the seminar was “The Parables of Jesus Christ. We have invited local preachers, active members in the local churches, BVBI-students and  teachers . The seminar went on successfully. The study material  for the seminars was prepared by Dr. Damon Vincent. We appreciate his guidelines for the grand success of the seminar. BVBI-students were involved actively and learned several good things on how to organize the lectureship meetings.

Gospel  Campaignings:- In the month of February we conducted gospel campaigning at Vemuguntapallem-village on 23RD evening. The village people were able to attended the meeting and requested monthly campaigning.  This is my birthplace , personally I was very happy to conduct camp in this village.

Bible Quiz:- In the month of February 22nd we conducted Bible quiz to BVBI students from the Book of Matthew. We divided students into 5 groups and conducted the quiz. It was very interesting and helped a lot in  learning  the word of God.

Thanking you.

Yours brother and sister in Christ.

Vijay&Swarupa, my children Timothy and Tabitha from India.

Kisumu, Kenya

Dear brethren,

Today marks the end of our second quarter of the first year of seventh class students at Kenya school of Preaching- Kisumu. We have a break till we resume classes from April 14th to June 6th, 2025. We are thankful that the students are going to have opportunities to meet again with their family and church members and be able to serve them even  better as they increase in Biblical knowledge. It is our prayer that the Almighty Lord be with them and give them journey mercies. 

We give thanks to our able regular local teachers, Charles and Phabian, who had taken the last six weeks to see that these courses are taught: Introduction to Hermeneutics, Life of Christ 2 (The Gospel According Mathew), and English Skills 2. We also appreciate our short course instructor Dr. Michael Reese, who had earlier in January, this year, taught 2 courses,  the Godhead and Christian Evidences.

May the Almighty God continue to keep and uphold them in their effort to impart Bible knowledge to the students.

Thanks to each and everyone who receives this report and endeavors to support the school and the work going on here.

May the Lord bless you abundantly

Your servant Elias Omollo.

Students Evangelize in Takoradi, Ghana

OPERATIONAL REPORT JANUARY, 2025

1.     CLASSROOM WORK

We thank God for a new year and an opportunity to still serve Him in His vineyard. We say a happy new year to you all and we are most grateful to God for all of you and your continuous partnership in this great work.

As indicated in last month’s report, the men who came to the school for training two years ago have successfully completed their studies and are now waiting patiently for their graduation. A new academic journey has begun for our new students. Their two years’ studies began on 20th January 2025, when school officially resumed. 

Currently, we have eight (8) full time students and we are still expecting others to join them.

Classes are already in session; the new students are studying the first term batch of courses. These courses include; Hermeneutics-1, Homiletics-1, Christian Evidences, Life of Christ-1 and Old Testament-1. 

Two of the part-time students completed their studies this month but the rest are still in school. The last set of second year third term courses were completed in the first three weeks of the month. New courses were also started in the last two weeks of the month. On Fridays, Joshua Aidoo teaches them hermeneutics, and on Saturdays, they are studying life of Christ 1 and Christian evidences. The Saturday class is divided into two sections; morning and afternoon.

A new student joined the class on the last day of the month. 

2.     PERSONAL EVANGELISM AND BAPTISM

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is still being spread by our students. Our students are preaching the gospel through social and traditional media.

New School in Mozambique Celebrates a Successful Beginning

Introduction

Instituto Biblico Bear Valley Mozambique is a new school in Chimoio Mozambique in Southern Africa. Excitement has been part of us with the mere idea of having a school in this part of Africa. We give glory to God for the efforts and collective input with the likes of Keith Kasarjian, Mathew Muchingami, Theophilus Tanhera, Owen Tirivaviri Marange and many others. Eventually Mozambique has first of its kind a Bible School. The new school is located in Chimoio in the Manica Province of Mozambique. It is an extended school model that has weekend classes. The staff complement is currently five.

The school has since been in progress since the fourth of January 2025 with nineteen students. To date they have done and finished two courses with one in progress. We welcome new relations to date with possible others to come.   

1.0 Mozambique

Mozambique is an underdeveloped third world country on the Indian Ocean coast in the east of the Southern African region. It stretches from the southern part of Tanzania and borders with the southern part of Malawi and southeast of Zambia, the Eastern part of Zimbabwe and also borders with South Africa and Kingdom of Eswatini on its south. The country has ten provinces with a total population of 33 million people. It is one of the two Portuguese speaking countries in Southern Africa. The other one being Angola. These two countries were former colonies of Portugal. All the other countries that it borders with are English speaking, making it an Island in the Southern region. While all of the countries that it borders with have several native languages they use, Mozambique’s many vernacular languages were destroyed by the Portuguese colonial system. Even some that its populations shared with other bordering tribes making it truly an Island.

Both Portuguese colonies attained their independence from the Portuguese colonial rule in the mid-seventies. However, the liberation movements that took over leadership in both former Portuguese colonies enjoyed less than a decade of peace in their countries. These countries were soon torn into pieces by civil strife that haunted them for two decades. These wars impoverished the big part of the populations and ripped important institutions like the schools to the ground. To date both countries have very low literacy rates as a result of these wars. Their health institutions standards are low and need a lot to be desired. The infrastructure needs a lot of attention just like many other African countries. Sanitation is at its worst as the nation failed to recover from the Portuguese sabotage after the liberation war.

The conditions and state above made Mozambique really a solitary child. The church has been there for a while but lacks the vibrant spirit and growth. A good example is the Province of Manica which borders with Manicaland in Zimbabwe with the highest number of churches. Its first recorded church was established by Campion Mugweni of Zimbabwe with his team in 1989. Yet, for over three decades there are only five congregations in a Province with a population of around 9million. Trained preachers who are serving do not go beyond ten in the whole country. The Manica Province in particular has two known preachers from Mutare School of Preaching in Zimbabwe and only one of them is still faithful and serving.

History has it that attempts have been made by different groups to start preacher training schools but none of these attempts left traces of their existence. One is said to have been built in Maputo but thought to have been sold with a circulating story that the rebels grabbed it during the civil war. There are also other groups that have made other attempts but have no traces of ever having trained preachers. We hope there will be future breakthrough with others.

We have every reason to say thank you YHWH the Most High God for this breakthrough. In the same vein we continue to ask for prayers from the brethren that we may complete what has been started in us by God. This tender shoot starts at a harsh period with other trying conditions such as the recent post-election violence that rocked other parts of the country and destroyed many lives.

The Intake

Another excitement proceeds from the size of intake we started with. We had 19 students to start with in the school. Seventeen of these are men while two are females and wives to two of the male students. Our students are from Manica town, Messica, and Chimoio. Messica has the highest number of students. Many of the student commute coming to school. Many of them are employed in different government departments that include education, health, and other departments. Two are heads in circular schools. Three are teachers and another is an administrative clerk in school and a nurse. The others are employed and self-employed in different sectors.  Many of them that are married have been coming with their wives to classes and the school has been planning their separate lessons in the near future.

The Staff

The current staff complement stands at five with the Director – Owen Tirivaviri Marange and three part-time lecturers; Theophilus Tanhera, Owen Simone Ruraca and Tatenda Tizora and Mrs Ruraca who is handling some other works and keeping our records. The three, Owen Tirivaviri Marange, Theophilus Tanhera and Tatenda Tizora are from Zimbabwe. Owen Simone Ruraca and Eunice his wife are preachers in Messica in Mozambique. All of the staff are graduates from Mutare School of Preaching in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Owen Tirivaviri Marange is finishing on his Master of Science in Peace Leadership and Governance with Zimbabwe Open University. He is also a preacher at Hillview Church of Christ in Mutare Zimbabwe. Theophilus Tanhera is yet to embark of his Doctorate in New Testament studies with a University in South Africa. He is a deacon at Hillside Church of Christ in Dangamvura, Mutare, Zimbabwe. Owen Simone Ruraca and Tatenda Tizora are pursuing their Honors in Biblical Studies.

The school in Progress

The school had its orientation on the fourth of January. We had a big turn up with other many potential students in the future. This event was also graced by elders from Manica congregation, leaders from Messica and others from Mutare in Zimbabwe. One of the figures present was an elder and preacher who is the founder of the work in the Manica Province of Mozambique – Campion Mugweni.

To date the students are on their third course on their curriculum. They all have been participating in different worship activities at their respective congregations, and we are yet to design forms they will use so that we can formalize the data.  

The school has also started a vegetable garden in the compound. This is a project which is meant to assist the school financially and create visibility within the community. According to the baseline survey by brother Tizora, the type of vegetable we started with is easy to maintain and on demand in the local communities. The students will be responsible for the maintenance of this garden. We look forward to introducing more projects that will teach life skills and a variety income generating activities. 

6.0 The Visitor from Bear Valley in Denver

We were happy having a visitor from Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. Keith Kasajian is Director of International Studies. We received him on the 28th of January at the Zimbabwean Robert Mugabe Airport. We travelled by road to Chimoio past Mutare. We want to thank the LORD for the safe passage mixed with challenges and learning experiences. We arrived at the school in Chimoio the same day at dusk. Keith met the staff and students with some other church members. The following day he had an opportunity to visit the MSOP campus and meet the staff and students there. In the afternoon of the 29th of January he was in Harare to meet Howard Suwari and Gideon Madyira who both Bear Valley staff members. Keith left for South Africa on the 30th.

7.0 Relations

We call upon different church-oriented organizations to come on board and be part of the efforts of producing preachers in Mozambique. To date we have the PACT missionaries as one of our new partners. The PACT missionaries have donated an incubator to the school. We celebrate this move and look forward to its use toward to the development of the school in many ways. Of significance in our needs is the move toward staff development which is our currently our priority number one on hierarchy of needs.

Conclusion

There is a lot of excitement on both the students and the staff at Instituto Biblico Bear Valley in Mozambique. The school started in January 2025 with an intake of 19 students and four teaching staff and one non-teaching staff. We were happy to receive Keith Karsajian in the month of January. PACT missionaries have joined hands with us by donating an incubator meant to generate additional income for other needs in the school.

Updates from Port au Prince, Haiti

The violence in Haiti continues to tear the country apart. Over the last two years, more

than 12,000 people have died due to gang violence. Thousands more have been injured

or kidnapped. The gangs have burned businesses, attacked police stations, destroyed

hospitals, and schools have been closed. Thousands of people have abandoned their

homes and communities to seek safety. For many, the daily mission is to find enough

food and water for the day. The country of Haiti needs your prayers.

With the violence raging in Haiti, many have asked, “How is the school theology doing,

and how is the church?” In many areas, the church must meet in smaller groups, in

homes, and at various times to provide safety from the gangs. The threats make it very

difficult for the Christians, but they continue. The church continues to grow as the

Christians reach out to the lost. Pray for the church in Haiti.

IST (the International School of Theology) continues to train preachers and teachers to

proclaim Christ’s message. Unable to meet on IST’s campus, the school moved to the

Santo area. The move worked great for a while, but they had to move again due to

increased gang activity. We have rented a building where it is safe to meet, although, at

times, it is difficult for students or teachers to reach. The gangs will set up roadblocks

preventing anyone from passing through. Despite the problems, the classes continue,

and the church continues to grow. In 2024, we had 191 souls baptized into the body of

Christ and three new congregations planted. God opens the doors because God is in

control. I am able to be in regular contact with the directors of the school weekly. Pray

for our students and teachers as they continue working in God’s great kingdom.

The students and faculty also help provide food and medicine when they can. One way

of reaching the lost is to help them in a difficult time. Even the helping of others must be

handled quietly. If the gangs find that someone is providing food, that person becomes a

target. When they go to deliver the food and medicine, they literally put their lives in

danger, but they do it. Pray for their safety.

We know the time will come when the violence stops, businesses reopen, children

return to school, and IST can move back on the campus grounds. The attitude of the

directors, teachers, and students is, “Even in difficult times, the work must continue, the

lost must be reached, and God’s will must be done. If we don’t, who will?” Pray that

they will continue to have the attitude that they have.

Larry Waymire

BVBI in Accra, Ghana, Celebrates a Graduation and a Fruitful Month

Overview

February was a productive month for the Southern Institute of Biblical Studies, marked by five significant long courses, a campaign to attract new students, radio preaching, visitation, and a Graduation and Matriculation ceremony. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing our academic offerings and expanding our student body.

Classroom Activities   

Throughout January, our class sessions focused on several key areas:

Church History: Students engaged in a comprehensive review of the early church, exploring significant events and figures that shaped Christianity. 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT): This course covered the integration of technology in modern ministry. Students learned about digital tools for outreach and engagement.

Pastoral Epistles: A deep dive into the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, focusing on leadership, church organization, and pastoral care.

Major Prophets: The class studied the messages and themes of major prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, emphasizing their relevance in contemporary society.

Greek: The students started their study of Koine Greek, focusing on the learning and writing of the alphabets.

Every afternoon is a session where students are given fifteen (15) minutes and are assessed on their preaching skills.

Radio Program 

Our radio program continues to be a vital outreach tool for BVBI, allowing us to connect with the community and share the Gospel.

Weekly Broadcasts: our topic for the month is still on the church of the Bible, specifically on the New Testament Worship. The church of the Bible has been selected again for the month of February because listeners are asking many questions.

Audience Engagement: We saw an increase in listener interactions, with many reaching out via phone calls and social media, and to share how the program has impacted their lives.

Campaign for New Students

As most of the students are through with their course, February was dedicated to campaigning for new students:

Visitation letters: Letters have been sent to churches, requesting their approval to campaign in their churches.

Scholarship Opportunities: We promoted scholarship programs available for incoming students, incentivizing applications and providing financial support for those in need.

The campaign was fruitful and three students have been admitted.

Planned Visitation and church strengthening 

Looking ahead, we have several planned visitation initiatives to strengthen our community ties and outreach efforts:

Scheduled Visits: we have visited the Fotobi congregation in the Eastern Region of Ghana on the 9th February. Since we gave a prior notice, the brethren welcomed us warmly and gave us a topic on stewardship to discuss with them

We also visited the Medie Ketewaa congregation on the 16th February 2025. The church was happy to welcome us and gave us a topic on church growth to boost attendance and their giving.

Our presence motivated them and as a result, increasing church attendance. This is being done to strengthen and edify the local congregations established by the school to grow and assist in evangelism.

Graduation

15th February marks the 7th Graduation and 8th Matriculation ceremony of the school. Invitations were extended to the churches requesting their presence to celebrate the brethren who have completed their courses

Diploma: Eight (8) men who have completed the disciplines leading to obtaining a diploma in Biblical studies were honored with certificates

Bachelor’s degree: Seven (7) men who, through hard work and continuous effort, were certified with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical studies

Master’s Degree: Eight (8) men who passed the four years courses leading to obtaining a Master's in Biblical studies were also certified.

Awards: Aside from the certificate, awards were presented to the students who have necessary requirements and exhibited the following traits throughout their stay on campus

Evangelistic, promising, well-behaved, best in Academics, and overall Best student.

Matriculation: On that same day, men who had the desire to pursue all the courses in the school were officially inaugurated as students.

Conclusion 

February 2025 has been a fruitful month for the Bear Valley Bible Institute, with successful outreach initiatives and preparations for the new year. We are excited about the impact of our radio program, the progress made in the response to our campaign for new students, the upcoming planned visitations, and a successful Graduation and Matriculation ceremony. As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission of equipping leaders for service in the Kingdom of God.

We remain grateful to our partners, alumni, and friends, prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions

May the Lord bless our endeavors as we strive to fulfil our mission.

By E.O. Larbi

Students in Sanniquellie, Liberia continue Evangelizing at home during Year End Break

Operation Report For January 2025

SCHOOL RESUMED AFTER YEAR END BREAK

Our students returned back to school on the 12th of January, 2025 after a successful Year end vacation (Christmas and New Year). Regular classes started on January 14, 2025 under a careful supervision. We are saying successful because of the many good work they were able to do back home at their congregations during the period of the vacation. Leaders of some congregations called to recognize and appreciate their meaningful contributions helping with evangelism works and edification during their stay.

Since our return from the year end vacation, everyone is in high spirits to play their own role very well to enable us complete the 1st year 4th quarter. Students are playing their roles very well, and the instructors are also playing theirs as well.

Before the season break, the school administration expelled a student from the school for disorderly conduct after several warnings to have him repented but to no avail.

 As part of our tradition after vacation, students are required to write on their vacations activities:

1.     Where they spent their vacation

2.     Their roles in the Church

3.     The results of their work and contacts of the preachers or church leaders they worked with.

Meanwhile, reports received are all encouraging. They were involved in preaching and teaching at their various congregations, and deeply involved in house to house evangelism and personal works. We confirmed those information by placing phone calls to leaders of their various congregations. We are proud of the practical work out of the classroom done by our students. Please pray that these men continue to grow in the work of our Lord.

Short Course (Galatians)

On January 18, 2025 Bro. Calvin Jusu Johnson was invited by the School Administration to conduct a week’s Class, teaching one of the Short Courses (The book of Galatians). He ably ended the Couse Successfully on January 24, 2025 and has since returned back to Monrovia.

4th QUARTER COURSES AND INSTRUCTORS

Our 4th quarter continued after the break with the follow courses and assigned instructors.

1.                 Personal Evangelism --------------------------------- Thomas Jimmy

2.                 1, 2 Peter & Jude  ------------------------------------- Fester Lee

3.                 New Testament Worship ----------------------------- Fester Lee

4.                 1&2 Thessalonians ----------------------------------- Joel Weah

5.                 Leadership -------------------------------------------- Joel Weah

6.                 Short Course (The Book Of Galatians) ----------- Calvin Jusu Johnson

7.                 Agriculture -------------------------------------------- Samuel B. K. Jabaty

8.                 English------------------------------------------------- Marcus Joel Wehye

9.                 Computer---------------------------------------------- Augustine Quoigbay

Children Sunday School Female Teachers Training Program

One January 27, 2025 we graciously received in Liberia Bro. Steven Ashcraft and his wife Sis. Karen Ashcraft in preparation for a seminar aiming at training Female Children Sunday School teachers from forty congregations in Liberia, to be conducted in two areas. Beginning January 31 to February 1, 2025 in Sanniquellie City, Nimba County, at the Sanniquellie Central Church Of Christ, for sixty (60) participants from thirty (30) congregations, two persons each per congregation. And February 7-8, 2025 in Monrovia, Paynesville City at the GSA Road Church of Christ for twenty (20) participants from ten (10) congregations, two per congregation.

CONCLUSION:

Without your love for God and your constant support, we wouldn't have come thus far with this huge task given us. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your spiritual and financial assistance. We are eternally grateful to each and every one of you. To God be the glory, praise and honor belong to Him always.

With The Love We Share In Christ;

Thanks

Students in Lome, Togo Continue their Studies

Good morning.

I’m Evangelist MENSAH Akovi Espérance from Lome, the Directory of BEAR VALLEY Lome.
We thank you sincerely for all your efforts towards us in Togo, especially in Lome, according to your support for our Bible school. May God bless you.

Here are the details of my report of the last quarter of 2024, from September to December.

Students:

1. ADJABLI KOSSI MENSAH

2. DIMON JOSUE ESPEDY

3. KAVI KOFFI GILBERT

4. GNAGNIKO KOKOUVI

5. KALO KODJO

6. MINTCHI ROGER

7. N’SOUVI KOSSI

8. ATILA  KOAMI

9. ADAM FOUSSENI

10. KPALMA KOSSI

Teachers:

1. MENSAH Akovi Espérance: Directory

2. KOUDJODJI Kokouvi Pascal: Coordonator

3. EMALA Germain: Teacher/ resp Evangelism

4. ADJAHO Kokou: Teacher/ resp Evangelism

I want to inform that in our school in Lome, we have three quarters of four months in the year. And by every quarter we have 5 lessons to teach. In that quarter (September to December 2024) which is the first for the beginning of our school. There are 10 students and the studies are in the night from 6 PM to 9 PM from Monday to Thursday every week.

We have done one public evangelism  in Lome in that quarter. But we are sure that in this year 2025, we are going to do better done the last year.

Thank you sincerely my brother.

May God bless you very much for your efforts towards us in Togo.
Your brother Espérance from Bear Valley Lome

Updates from Ukraine

Report for the Biblical Institute BVBIU

Monthly Summary: January and February

1. Teaching and Courses

• In the past month, we were blessed to have Michael Underwood teach a course on The Prison Epistles of Apostle Paul.

• Dmitry Galyuk teach a course on 1–2 Timothy and Titus.

• Currently, Oleg Fafonov is teaching a course on 1–2 Peter and Jude.

• We are deeply grateful to our brothers from both the American and Ukrainian sides for their dedication and hard work in teaching and supporting the Institute.

2. Student Engagement and Promotion

• We continue to actively plan and develop our social media presence to reach and attract more students.

• A Greek language course is being conducted once a week.

• We are also hosting webinars on various topics — at this stage, we are focusing on Managing Finances Wisely.

• To further promote the Institute, we are preparing new posters and plan to distribute them to several churches.

3. Future Plans and Events

• We look forward to welcoming Terry Harman to Ukraine, which we believe will be a great encouragement and support to our work.

• Next month, under the auspices of the Institute, the Uzhhorod Church of Christ is planning to hold a Women’s Seminar.

   Also, a computer was purchased for the needs of the institute, and we are planning to create a website for the institute in the near future.

4. Local Ministry

• Here in Germany, God has also blessed me with the opportunity to minister locally. We currently have more than 10 people gathering at our home for Bible study, and we continually pray that the Lord will bless this work and bring forth fruit.

5. Situation in Ukraine

• We remain steadfast in prayer and trust in God’s sovereignty over the situation in Ukraine.

• The war continues, and while recent news reports mention peace talks between the administrations of President Trump and President Putin, Ukraine has not yet been invited to participate.

• Despite these challenges, we firmly believe that everything is in God’s hands. Though events may seem uncertain, we hold onto faith and pray earnestly for the war to end and for peace to be restored.

We deeply appreciate your ongoing prayers and support. May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen all of us in His work.

Blessings,

Sopelnyk Denys

Students in South Sudan work with 5 Nearby Congregations

Greetings brothers, 

I hope you're doing well.

The school is moving well, we were affected by heatwave from last two weeks, but we pray it will be normal.  

Courses 

We are now at quarter 2, having 1 long course and 1 short course.

Students Performance 

The students are going on well, though the English is a big challenge to a few, but the teachers are trying their best help them with listening, writing and speaking.

Teachers

We have the same teachers no new teacher assigned, only next month is were we expect a teacher who graduated from biblical school in Ethiopia.

Evangelism 

Each Sunday we sent out 10 students to help 5 congregations that are here in Bor, and with the feedback from congregation leaders, they really appreciate our school and students for the messages they deliver.

Students Health 

With the help of First Aid medicine that is in our store, we solved some minor cases of headaches, fever, and other. Students are all now doing well.

With that May God bless us all to continue do his work!

Have a blessed day!

Your brother in Christ 

Jacob Ajak - 

South Sudan School of Preaching -BVIBI

Sign language added to curriculum in Zimbabwe

FEBRUARY 2025 NARRATIVE REPORT

INTRODUCTION

February 2025 was a month with a difference. A month that saw BVBIZ adding more building blocks in the training of God’s vessels in view of the tasks that awaited them. Instructors, in ensuring that students receive the best and relevant content, take meticulous care in the process. This report details progress made in classes, in construction, on projects, at board level, student profiles and other notable activities.   

1.0 CURRICULUM PROGRESS

To date, a few subjects have already been done and completed. These include Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Sign language and broiler production training. The following is the list of subjects being taught this term including their instructors.

Entrepreneurship Skills Development                                 S. Chiunga

Broiler Production (workshop)                                            S. Chiunga

Greek I                                                                                 K. Madyira

1 & 2 Corinthians                                                                 I. Mutichu

Denominational Doctrines                                               M.Muchingami

1 & 2 Thessalonians                                                             D. Estep

Wisdom Literature                                                               I.Mutichu

Christian Evaluation of Contemporary Ethics                     I.Mutichu

Sign Language                                                                      C.Muzambi

Peter and Jude                                                                      H.Suwar

2.0 YOUTH TRANSIT PROGRAM

The youth transit program that the school hosted from the 7th of January ended on the 7th of February. The following main issues were at the centre of the program; moral development, career guidance, entrepreneurship skills development and doctrinal aptitude development. Core modules included the New Testament church and its worship, Christian Ethics, Denominational Doctrines, Study skills, Career Guidance and Entrepreneurship Skills Development. The youths were being prepared for life in college or university. Since the church loses a number of young people at this stage, it is hoped that this program will assist the youths to remain faithful and be agents of change to their mates. The attendees received certificates of attendance to the program.

3.0 SIGN LANGUAGE

BVBIZ has made several inroads in its attempt to produce highly competent graduates who will be able to communicate God’s word to everyone at any level. One strategy was the inclusion of Sign Language and Theology of Disability as subjects to the curriculum. Method Moyo (a 2022 graduate, working as a chaplain at Cure Zimbabwe Children’s Hospital in Bulawayo and preaching at Bellevue Church of Christ in Bulawayo) teaches theology of Disability. Charles Muzambi, a 2021 graduate advanced in Sign Language though he is working with Warren Park congregation in Harare. The teaching of sign language is a partnership between Rutendo Foundation and BVBIZ. This partnership has enabled every student to receive the necessary training in this area. The current class did its first level of training in February. The second level shall commence early next year. The parallel class will undergo the same training as well. After the first level training, one student, Takudzwa Chitura was moved to say the following;

 Steps towards Inclusivity: Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe's Ground breaking Initiative

In a remarkable stride towards inclusivity, sign language has been added as a course for preachers-in-training at Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe, an emerging church of Christ preacher training college in the heart of Zimbabwe's Midlands province, marking a significant step towards inclusivity. This innovative initiative, which attempts to close the gap in the church's outreach to the deaf and other minority groups and make the gospel accessible to all. The school started teaching sign language 5 years ago.

According to John 3:16, the Bible tells us that "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse emphasizes how God's love and salvation are available to everyone. Communication hurdles have, however, frequently impeded the church's capacity to reach everyone, especially those with physical impairments. One important step in removing these obstacles is the addition of sign language instruction to the curriculum at Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe.

The students' progress in this new course has been greatly aided by Minister Muzambi, the sign language instructor. In turn, the students have demonstrated their dedication to inclusive ministry by exhibiting amazing acceptance and eagerness in learning the language.

The impact of this project on the church's outreach to the deaf and hard-of-hearing people is extensive. The institute is giving preachers the tools they need to share the gospel with a previously unreached population by teaching them sign language. "So, how can they call on the one they have not believed in?" wrote the apostle Paul. Furthermore, how can they have faith in someone they have not heard of and how are they able to hear if no one is preaching to them? (Romans 10:14). Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe is just getting started on its path to diversity with the introduction of sign language. Other such actions that could be included are:

1. Accessibility: Making sure that those with disabilities may physically access church facilities.

2. Inclusive worship: Including components of inclusive worship, like communion tables that are wheelchair accessible and audio descriptions for worshippers who are blind or visually impaired.

3. Training on disability awareness: Educating church leaders and members on disability awareness, support, and etiquette.

4. Community outreach: Forming alliances with nearby groups that assist those with disabilities in order to make sure that the church's outreach initiatives are successful and inclusive.

Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe's faculty succinctly states that inclusion is not only morally required, but also mandated by the Bible. As ministers of reconciliation, it is our responsibility to dismantle obstacles and construct bridges. BVBIZ is making a big stride in meeting this obligation by offering sign language as a subject.

To sum up, Bear Valley Bible Institute Zimbabwe's decision to offer sign language instruction is a ground-breaking move that serves as a strong model for organizations and churches around the nation. We would be wise to take the institute's lead and make daring efforts to close the divides that divide us as we work to build a more compassionate and inclusive community.

4.0 PROJECTS UPDATE

BVBIZ projects continued well in the month of February. Crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, green paper, maize and covo continued to do fairly well. Butternuts failed to meet our expectations. More cabbages and yellow paper will be grown in early March. Goats, cattle and poultry projects are still ongoing. Incessant rains and ever-changing temperatures slowed poultry projects a bit but the resolve is still ongoing. Harvesting of the tomatoes in the green houses began on the 26th of February. Produce from such projects have been key in lowering the food budget and provide a bit of extra income for the school’s operations.

5.0 CLASSROOM BLOCK PROGRESS

Construction of the classroom block to the seal level began on the 3rd of February and ended on the 6th. Incessant rains then stopped progress on the structure. The inspector passed the level on the 20th and builders were back on site on the 22nd to continue with the work. BVBIZ wishes to thank all those individuals who made a contribution towards this project including Woodland Oaks church of Christ. Current available materials should enable us to reach the roof level only. After this, resources will be needed for window frames, doors, plastering of the interior, floors, ceiling, plumbing and electrical wiring. 

6.0 STUDENT PROFILES

The conventional class has 14 students. There are two couples and eleven single students. The following are their names, congregations and provinces of origin:

7.0 STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP

The 2025-2029 BVBIZ strategic plan is currently being finalised. The 2022-2024 plan ended in December 2024. The strategic plan will act as a blueprint for the school until 2029. After getting inputs from various stakeholders, the second stage was a strategic planning workshop, which took place at the Avondale Church of Christ premises on the 22nd of February 2025. Management, board members, alumni representatives and representatives from the ambassadors’ wing attended the event. Bro. Lavert Zungunde (commonly referred to as the strategist) of SPED Empowerment and Development (Pvt) (Ltd) and a board member, was the facilitator.                

CONCLUSION

We thank God for what He has been able to do for the school in February. We look back and see God’s hand and favour following us. This would not have been possible without your financial, moral and spiritual support.To the partners and sponsors, may God continue to bless you.  We always look to the future with hope that indeed, through these efforts, the gates of hades will not prevail against the church (Mt 16.18).  Classes proceeded well, progress was registered on the projects, progress on the classroom block continued, the formulation of the school’s strategy is in full swing, the board’s progress was registered and the youth transit program ended well. For all these and more, God’s presence was remarkable. To Him, be the glory forever and ever!

Beautiful cooperation in Zambia

February, 2025 

Introduction

The month of February has been declared by world standards as a month of love between the two genders male and female, and especially those in marriages. We at BVBI-Zambia declared it for us to demonstrate our love for God, with the understanding that evangelism does not end with bringing a person to Christ, but, it has to continue with the maturing of that person he/she too begins to bring others to Christ. We had a good experience with our new students as we interacted with the youths and all the members of the Lord’s Church at large. We also have some exciting news as we coordinate with our Alumni in reaching out to various communities throughout Zambia.    

LEADERSHIP MEETING IN LUANSHYA DISTRICT

We had a good start with leadership meeting in Mpongwe district on the copper belt province; in this meeting we had seventeen leaders from 5 congregations. In our meeting we discussed on being one mind as we worship and evangelize, and we also looked at worship atmosphere when we meet it was a good step in a right direction. 

It was agreed that such meetings should be held quarterly so that unscriptural practices may not creep in our midst as we worship God. 

YOUTH MEETING AT BVBI-Zambia

On the other development we organized the meeting for the youths in Luanshya District churches of Christ to make good strategies as we do evangelism. It was a one day workshop and our students and youths from three congregations in Luanshya interacted well on the same. We would like to see them all develop into the great leaders in the church of the Lord. They live in a world where there are many temptations beckoning them to abandon the way of truth and righteousness, but on this day we had a combined prayer so that their  deliberate commitment and the wonderful grace of God can keep them focused on the importance of living a godly life.

 We also had 4 youths from the neighborhood that were attracted with the same meeting at BVBI-Zambia. This meeting presented a good platform for our new students to interact with many youths from churches of Christ in Luanshya district. 

We are planning to take our students in Central province in April this year in order to meet and interact with many youths in the church as we teach and do evangelism for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  

SCHOOL PROJECTS UPDATES

Our Institute has acquired a land which is measured 60*100 meters where we expect to build and do extra activities for our students as they learn and acquire skills for life. First we have a field where we have planted maize and soya beans, though the fields are not that big but they have provided a good platform for our students to learn some skills in Agri-business.

We are also making feeds in order to raise sasso or free range chickens of which every student is participating well, we are intending to do more on these projects as we Train preachers here in Zambia. 

WORK WITH OUR ALUMINI

We are so excited to write this report on the work as we coordinate with our former students, we have Joseph and Steven Ngosa who worked together in Baluba and their labor yielded good fruit. We have recorded two (2) Baptisms and 7 restorations, they have continued to do the work and we are expecting good results in the month of March.

We also received Sthembiso Magawa (2022 graduate) who is currently studying Medicine at the University of Zambia and he is in his fourth year. He came when they went on recess for two weeks and used his time at BVBI- Zambia to interact and encourage our current student body during his stay we also recorded one Baptism and 1 restoration.

In Northern province we have 4 of our former students working there in Mporokoso and Mpulungu Districts respectively, in Mporokoso where Ishmael and Mike are preaching we have recorded 5 restorations and 1 baptism and in Mpulungu and Mbala where Reuben Museka and Levy Silungwe have combined forces we recorded 4 Baptisms and 3 restoration, our aim is never to lose contact with our former students as we preach and encourage Christians, please keep on praying for us that we may bring them together for fresher courses most of our students are looking forward to this day for their revival.

Conclusion

We continue to praise Yahweh because of the work you support here, thank you Bear Valley Bible Institute International indeed we are a big family. We are eternally grateful for the partnership that we have with you in the Lord and the financial support that we have continued receiving from Woodland Oaks Church of Christ.

 “I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of the world… and can change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise”. God bless all of you for loving God.

In His service,

Cephas and Fred

Three more souls added to the family in Cambodia

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus! We are grateful for another opportunity to share the wonderful works that God is doing through our ministry. It is always a joy to witness His grace and faithfulness in our session.  In this report, we are excited to update you on IBISR.

IBISR's Academy:

We rejoice in the dedication and hard work of our students who faithfully go to the villages every weekend to share God's word. Their commitment to spreading the Gospel is a blessing, as they bring the message of salvation to families and children in these communities. 

We ask for your prayers for these students that God may strengthen them, fill them with wisdom, and use them as vessels for His Glory. May the villagers' hearts be open to receiving the word, and may the children grow in faith as they hear about the love of Christ.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer. May God continue to bless and guide His servants in this mission.

Application week:

We are grateful for the work God is doing through us every weekend in RunDeik New City. Each gathering is an opportunity to share the Gospel, and we thank Him for opening doors for His Word to be heard.

We kindly ask for your prayers for the place where we meet, that it may remain a place of peace and worship, and for the people who come to listen, may their hearts be open to receiving the truth, and may they welcome God into their lives with faith and joy.

Adding to the Family!

With great joy, we share the wonderful news that three new souls have been baptized and welcomed into the family of Christ. This is a time of celebration, as heaven rejoices with us (LuKe 15:10). We are grateful for God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 

These are their names: Kiry, Miy, and Roth.

As they begin their faith journey, we humbly ask for your prayers. May they grow in the knowledge of God's word, stand firm in their faith, and be a light to those around them. Let us lift them together, asking the Lord to guide and strengthen them in their walk with Him.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. May the Lord bless and keep you all.

In Christ's Love.

Piseth Rin and Darat Run.

Co-directors of IBISR.

Great gospel results in Kenya

Dear brethren, 

Today marks the forth day since we at KSOP resumed classes from Monday January 13th of 2025. This is the 7th class of 2024 to 2026. Classes began with Dr. Michael Reese teaching two short courses in two weeks - The Godhead and Christian Evidences. After he shall be done then we, African instructors (Charles, Phabian and Elias) will come in to teach 5 other courses: Introduction to Hermeneutics, Homiletics 2, English Skills 2, The Book of Matthew and Old Testament II (Exodus to Deuteronomy).

We are so happy to share with the brethren the good work which our current students managed to do in their home congregations during that long holiday. It had been by God's mercy and grace that many gospel meetings (34) had been conducted and supported in November/December, 42 local churches were served by the students, door knocking carried out in villages and centres, lessons taught and Bible questions answered. All these resulted in 74 baptisms performed, 25 erring church members restored and untold numbers received edification.

We do not know much about current students, for it is still early but, surely, they have started very well and we give God the glory due Him! This encourages us more than anything else. We hope that sending them to different congregations while in school will add to their knowledge and experience as they meet and learn from different mature preachers in sound congregations. They will implement what they learn in class and at the same time meet challenges in their evangelism trips.

We still ask prayers on behalf of these men and for the work at this school as we pray also for God's servants everywhere. May you be blessed so much.

Your brother Elias Omollo.

Many activities in Nigeria

Beloved in Christ Jesus,

Compliments of the Season!  

We are delighted to share a summary of our activities for the first month of 2025.  

Overview

1. End-of-the-Year Program  

2. Conclusion of Second Semester Classes  

3. January Weekend Evangelism Outreach  

4. Two Congregations Planted  

5. Opening of a Study Center in Ijebu Land  

END -OF- THE -YEAR PROGRAM: 

The students and staff of BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN actively participated in an end-of-the-year program across the Western States of Nigeria from December 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025.  

This two-week program featured Open-Air Bible Lectureship and House-to-House Evangelism in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Kwara, and Ekiti States. By God’s grace, these efforts resulted in:  

11 conversions and 16 restorations of erring brethren . 

CONCLUSION OF SECOND SEMESTER CLASSES:

By God’s will, the second semester’s classes, tests, and projects will conclude on February 7, 2025.  

Courses and Instructors:

- *Life of Christ - 2 (Mark) and Galatians — Bro. Olaniyan Isaac  

- *Evangelism - 2 (Church Planting) and Acts of the Apostles — Bro. Eniafe Olukayode  

- *How We Got the Bible and Basic Bible Doctrine — Bro. Makinde John  

- *Christian Evidences and Hermeneutics - 1 (Introduction) — Bro. Israel Tajomavwo  

- *The Preacher’s Life and Work — Bro. Oladokun Samuel  

- *World Religions and Cost of Discipleship — Bro. Ebenezer Ojo  

- *Computer Training — Bro. Folorunso Richard and Sister Esther Oyenuga  

- *Hermeneutics - 2 (In-depth Studies) and Homiletics - 1 (Introduction) — Bro. Makinde Ebens  

The third semester will commence on March 10, 2025, following a four-week Vacation Studies program.  

JANUARY 2025 WEEKEND EVANGELISM OUTREACH

In January, students were divided into 12 groups for evangelism outreach on the following dates:  

- January 10–12  

- January 17–19  

- January 24–26  

Evangelism efforts were focused on Ajia Town, Badeku, Jago, Egbeda, Felele, Felele Rab, Elewura, Fasade, Butubutu, Lamini, Laduntan (all in Oyo State), and Asejire (in Osun State).  

By God’s grace, nine souls were converted at Hausa's  community during outreach efforts in Butubutu, Lamini, and Laduntan. To God be the glory! 

TWO CONGREGATIONS PLANTED

In early January 2025, BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN staff and students in collaboration with some like minded gospel preachers in Lagos and Ogun States planted two congregations:  

1. Iworo Town (via Badagry, Lagos State)  

2. Kajola/Interchange Area (Sagamu, Ogun State)  

These new congregations, located in areas heavily influenced by denominationalism, require moral and financial support to thrive.  

BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN OPENED A STUDY CENTER IN IJEBU LAND:  

Ijebu Land has historically been resistant to the Gospel. However, through divine intervention, two congregations were planted in the area in previous years by the school, bringing the total number of congregations there to eight or ten.  

On January 11, 2025, BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN opened a new study center in Sabo Sagamu, Ogun State. The center began with 11 students, and by the time of this report, the number had grown to 15, representing five congregations in Ijebu Land.  

The study center is coordinated by Bro. Olowe Bode (a BVBIN degree student and evangelist at Sabo Sagamu COC), assisted by Bro. Olaegbe Samuel (a graduate of WNCC and the School of Biblical Studies, Abeokuta) and Bro. Oladokun Samuel (a BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN instructor).  

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:

Bro. Siyanbola Mumini Olukayode is one of our year -1-students. A native of Ibadan City in Oyo State. Converted from Islamic religion to Christianity in 2022. 

Born in 1948. Blessed with children. His mission of coming to BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN is to acquire more knowledge of the Scriptures and to spend his remaining life for God and salvation of mankind starting from his family.

In Conclusion: Lord's willing, I will be using my support from Dorman and Donna Lough to sponsor three of my fellow workers to this year Great Workshop in Ogoja, Cross River State on February 18 through 22,2025.

Thanks once again for your service and love towards the growth of the Lord's Church in Africa most especially in Nigeria. May the Lord continue to bless all our work together in Christ Jesus name, amen.

Sincerely yours in His Grace & Love as a servant,

Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi 

The Chief Servant of BVBIN & SWSE-IBADAN and WBSFUW 

A new intake of students in Cameroon

Dearest in Christ,

Happy new year, 2025, to you and your entire family. We praise God, from whom all blessings flow, for His great mercy to all us all as He has allowed us to be part of the year 2025 and to continue His work here in this part of the globe.

We do hope you are doing well and the blessings of the new year are very much around you and those within your influence. God is too faithful to fail! We pray and hope for an even  better year than 2024 in all aspects of life and ministry.

God has blessed the Bear Valley Bible Institute here in Cameroon to commence with the 8th (Theta) batch of students. They came to Wotutu on the 4th of January 2025 to start their two-year training in Biblical studies. As of now we are moving on with 18 students rather than our normal 20 as some, who after passing the entrance exams and coming to Wotutu to start, were not willing to stay after the first week as they felt different in the program than what they had prepared themselves for mentally. Keep these 18 in your daily prayers as they invest the rest of their lives in the service of God and His church, as preachers of the gospel.

Evangelism is our mission and that is top on our agenda. We engage in hinterland missions to nurture and encourage Christians who have felt as though they have been abandoned. Most congregations in the hinterland are suffering from serious spiritual kwashiorkor (malnutrition) because of the absence of trained preachers there. It is clear that the gospel is needed in villages, as well as in town and cities. It is also clear that there is a dire need to penetrate the hinterland which is very difficult because of bad roads or no roads at all. We must trek many miles inside the virgin forest to meet Christians there.

Our students in the theta batch have started house to house evangelism in the Wotutu community, as they share the gospel in follow up to our early morning radio program, “Back to the Bible.” This early morning program started since June of 2011 and has been going continually until today. Our PA and speaker system as well as our backup generator are not very good at all anymore. Even the chief of the village has asked if we can update them. We are praying for a replacement because the radio program eases the evangelistic efforts of the school and the congregation here in Wotutu as we reach out to over 20,000 people daily from 5 AM to 6 AM, a time when their hearts are still empty of life’s bustles. Because we trust that the hearts of many are empty at that time, we take that advantage to put the words of God there, which will make a difference to those lives. The testimonies are enormous! Please, if you can help us or can tell someone that can help us replace our machines it will be a milestone for us here. You can contact our school coordinator, David Ballard if you are interested in helping in this way.

Comfort Mande and Katie Esowe obeyed the gospel. Our student preachers admonished them beside the river before their baptism. I was there as well observing these new students to see if they needed any instruction or correction in their administration of the event.

Plans

The top item on our agenda is always evangelism as we have given this batch the name of “Revival” as we will be sending them to help bring revival the congregations in the hinterland.

Appreciations

We thank you for your love for the gospel and for all you are doing to make the gospel move. Thanks for your prayers and support. God is watching! Please share this report with others.

Elangwe and family

By His grace Director of BVBIC-Wotutu

Graduation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dear brethren,

We are good and continue with the work of God in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

We have 29 students in Dar es Salaam right now. Temeke has 15 students and Temeke has 14 students for the Saturday program. We also have 14 attending our Monday classes. Our teachers are still progressing: Iddy, Kihwele, Justine and Essau Ruheta.

Evangelism is doing well through classes in cooperation with their teachers.

Thanks to Brother Chad Wagner for coming here to Dar es Salaam in December. He attended our graduation ceremony and conducted a very huge evangelism workshop with more than one hundred participants.

Apart from that, we are also excited about our new location for Temeke class shifting to another nice place. Around this February, we will start using this place which will house our program much better than our current arrangement. 

May God bless you more and more for what you are doing here Dar es Salaam!

The new year is off to a good start in Accra, Ghana

Overview 

As we begin the year 2025, we reflect on our initiatives and activities at the Bear Valley Bible Institute (BVBI). January has been a month of growth, outreach, and preparation as we look forward to the new year schedules. 

Staff Meeting: A staff meeting was held on January 8th to discuss the following key points:

Schedule and the topics for the Top Radio program: The house planned and selected topics for the year

Student Support Services: Discussion on enhancing academic, spiritual and financial support for students, including counseling and mentoring programs.

Event Planning: Planning for upcoming events, including the 7th Graduation and the 8th Matriculation ceremony and lectureship for the Alumni 

Classroom Activities: Throughout January, our class sessions focused on several key areas:

Church History: Students engaged in a comprehensive review of the early church, exploring significant events and figures that shaped Christianity. 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT): This course covered the integration of technology in modern ministry. Students learned about digital tools for outreach and engagement.

Pastoral Epistles: A deep dive into the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, focusing on leadership, church organization, and pastoral care.

Major Prophets: The class studied the messages and themes of major prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, emphasizing their relevance in contemporary society.

Greek: The students started their study of Koine Greek, focusing on the learning and writing of the alphabet.

Every afternoon is a session where students are given fifteen minutes and are assessed on their preaching skills.

 Radio Program 

Our radio program continues to be a vital outreach tool for BVBI, allowing us to connect with the community and share the Gospel.

Weekly Broadcasts: our topic for the month is still on the church of the Bible, specifically on the New Testament Worship. The church of the Bible has been selected again for the month of January because listeners are asking many questions.

Audience Engagement: We saw an increase in listener interactions, with many reaching out via phone calls and social media and to share how the program has impacted their lives.

Campaign for New Students: 

As most of the students are through with their course, January was dedicated to our campaign for new students:

Visitation letters: Letters has been sent to churches, requesting their approval to campaign in their churches.

Scholarship Opportunities: We promoted scholarship programs available for incoming students, incentivizing applications and providing financial support for those in need.

The campaign was fruitful and five (5) students has been admitted 

Planned Visitation

Looking ahead, we have several planned visitation initiatives to strengthen our community ties and outreach efforts:

Scheduled Visits: we have visited the Akwamu and the Akotuakrom congregations in the Eastern Region of Ghana on Wednesday evenings, our presence motivated them and as a result increasing church attendance. This is being done to strengthen and edify the local congregations established by the school to grow and assist in evangelism.

Conclusion 

January 2025 has been a fruitful month for the Bear Valley Bible Institute, with successful outreach initiatives and preparations for the new year. We are excited about the impact of our radio program, the progress made in the response to our campaign for new students, and the upcoming planned visitations. As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission of equipping leaders for service in the Kingdom of God.

We remain grateful to our partners, alumni, and friends’ prayers, encouragement and financial contributions

May the Lord bless our endeavors as we strive to fulfil our mission.

By E.O. Larbi

Many Updates from the Warri, Nigeria Extended School

REPORT OF THE BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE NIGERIA – WARRI CENTERS

DECEMBER-JANUARY 2025 

INTRODUCTION

It is another opportunity to take statistics of the work done so far. We are grateful to God Almighty for his abundant grace and mercy. The staff and students have journeyed all through the year from one point to another and have enjoyed God’s protection all the way. Our international partners have also traversed the length and breadth of many countries under God’s guidance. Our immense gratitude goes to the Bear Valley Family for the awesome support for the good work around the world. We pray the good Lord keep this great work going as many gospel preachers are enjoying the tremendous support. Support for the teachers (Preachers) both financially and the fact of the studies they are making as they teach these courses, and the support the student preacher gains as they study, interact and use the bear valley material. They gain more knowledge in the process. On the whole, it is an amazing work.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

DSC CENTER

The month of December, Solomon Usim continued discussion on the book of John. The gospel of John has been the long-awaited book because of the recent controversy on the Godhead. It became very important that the director ends that discussion once and for all. The outcome of the course shows that Jesus was not created (John 1:1-3). He was from eternity and will exist through eternity. A total of nineteen people sat for the examination.

As the new year opened, Gabi Alaba discussed the cause, Preacher and His Work. The Preacher and his Work is a course aimed at informing the gospel preacher what God expects of him, and how he can better fortify himself for the divine mission. The Preacher is one among the leaders appointed by Jesus Christ in the local Church for the equipping of saints unto Ministerial functions. It is a course divided into three major sections: (1) The Preacher's Preaching (2) The Preacher's Life (3) The Preacher and the Church. In each of these sections, several instructions and warnings especially from Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus were given to the Preacher/anyone intending to become a Preacher. A total of sixteen (16) persons attended the course.

PTI CENTER

In the month of December, Godwin Ojocheogwu, taught the class on Church History. This course reveals the beginning of the church of Christ, the departures from God’s Scriptural pattern and restoration to its original states. It also tells us the church Early growth as against false religions and persecution fought by reformers. The development of creeds and councils. Then departures from the faith and how it resulted into apostasy and into Roman Catholicism as well as other Protestant churches. A total of fifteen (15) persons were in attendance.

Solomon Usim was at the PTI center in January. The cause was denominational doctrines. The cause centered on the fact that the church of Jesus Christ was in the mind of God. It was not an accident. The many denominational churches today were a product of the reformation mainly. Twelve (12) persons sat for the examination.

UGHELLI CENTER

 In the month of December, Abiola Ojoade, discussed the course Christian Evidences. At the end of the Course, the students were able to learn and understand that

1. All Christians are commanded to be ready always to give a defense of their hope in light of I Peter 3:15.

2. The Christian Faith is an intelligent and rational faith.

3. The various arguments about God show that God exists.

4. The many faces of Unbelief are reasons why people reject God's existence.

5. Evolution is not the standard to prove the work of creation.

A total of seven (7) students attended the class.

In the month of January, Ejay Bliss led the class through the course Christian Ethics. Christian Ethics is a study of the conduct that should characterize the true Christian in view of Biblical principles, statements and implications that are properly interpreted and rightly divided. It deals with matters of right and wrong. Students were made to learn to raise their standard of morality, living as shining amour among the people of the world. A total of eight persons attended the class.

EVANGELISM CAMPAIGNS

The Church of Christ Ovwor Olomu led the brethren to the reestablishment of the church of Christ Okpe Olomu in December 2024. The programme lasted for four days from 5th-8th of December 2024. Seven persons have been baptized so far. There were 25 members in attendance on the day of inauguration.

On the 7th of December 2024, another evangelism was held. The sisters of Egini Church of Christ in Udu L.G.A of Delta State came out in their numbers. Sisters from other congregations attended the program and all went to reach out to the lost souls with the Gospel of Christ and the evangelism was fruitful for Sis. Florence Oyibo was added to the Lord's Church.

Furthermore, on the 17th and 18th of January, the Great Evangelism was organized by the Egini Church of Christ in Udu L.G.A of Delta State. The two days of evangelism witnessed door to door and opening Air evangelism. Brethren from various congregations were in attendance and saturated the Egini Community with the Gospel of Christ. About 150 prospects were reached with the Gospel of Christ and the evangelism was fruitful. Four persons were added to the Church.

CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT

The struggle continues as both staff and students deal with the current hardship in the country. However, we have remained resilient. Some of the students who travel from afar have paid their price coming to the school these four years. At some point the entire class would contribute transportation for these preachers. It has been a joint effort and the battle is almost won. The program will be completed in March 2025. To this end, the school has scheduled their lectureship and graduation for the 28th of February and 1st of March respectively. The total monetary expenditure is about two million two hundred thousand. The students and the faculty have been able to raise over a million naira so far. We trust God to see us through. The lectureship has become very important as crucial questions plaguing the churches in this area would be answered. In fact, the issue of marriage, divorce and remarry has remained a thorny issue. Also, the controversy of appointment of city elders in contradistinction with congregational elders will be resolved. We request that you join us in prayers and support us in any way you can to enable us achieve this lofty agenda.

STATISTICS

1.  Number of Students: Fifty-nine (59), Seventeen (17) at PTI, Twenty-seven (27) at DSC and Fifteen (15) at Ughelli center.

2.  Number of Graduates (if any this year) None

3.  Number of Campaigns: Three Campaigns at Okpe Olomu, Egini Sisters Evangelism and Egini General evangelism.

4.  Number of Baptisms: 25 baptisms.

5.  Number of any New Churches Planted: None.

6.  Number of Churches Restored: Okpe Olomu church of Christ was reestablished.

7.  Number of Teachers: Seven (7)

8.  Number of Restorations: None

CONCLUSION

To God be the glory for all the efforts. The combined efforts have yielded greatly. The year is just starting and we pray for a great harvest to the glory of God. Once again, we are grateful to the entire Bear Valley for the kingdom's work. Happy New year! Brethren.