Bi-Lingual Teachers Needed
The Lord is opening so many new doors to Latin America that we can hardly
keep up. Spanish-speaking teachers are needed to share the Good News with
people in Central and South America.
In May, Tom Langley visited Benny and Donna Baker in Jinotega, Nicaragua.
The Bakers began working in the Jinotega and Mategalpa regions of Nicaragua
in 1997 with one congregation of twelve adults and children. Today, there
are seventeen churches with more than 800 adults and children.
Tom writes, “It’s an understatement to say that we are thrilled at the
Bakers’ invitation to introduce WEI into their multifaceted mission
ministry. We will be initiating a pilot program in one of the Jinotega High
Schools in which WEI will be used as the English curriculum. The students
will be studying English, but more importantly, they will also be studying
the Bible. We also plan to send WEI short-term teachers to this area of the
world very soon.”
William Vargas and Jurgen Gonzalez
“Jurgen Gonzalez has accepted the
responsibility of working with our WEI pilot program in a Jinotega high
school. He will also be helping with our future WEI short-term mission
efforts. William Vargas, a teacher in the Spanish Emersion classes in
Jinotega, will also be helping with the WEI efforts. Both of these men are
fluent in English.”
If you read and write Spanish and would like to introduce people in Latin
America to New Testament Christianity, let us hear from you.
Displaying WEI Banner to Thousands in Managua
On June 11, thousands of Christians came together in
Managua, Nicaragua for a national day of worship and fellowship. Information
about WEI and WBS was made available after worship so that Christians could
utilize these tools for personal evangelism. As Tom said, “God’s hand is
moving in Nicaragua, and we are honored to join in these efforts.”
Winhams Launch New WEI Ministry
Steve and Suzie Winham have been using WEI materials in La Paz, Mexico for
several years. They especially like the Beginner’s English Course for
Spanish-speaking people.
They write, “We had the preacher in La Paz put ads in the local newspapers
before our arrival last November announcing the Basic WEI Course and the
Beginner’s English Course. We had tremendous response to the Beginner’s
Course, with over 90 students enrolling in one evening.
“The preacher there continued the classes after we left, and he reported
recently that the students who have continued faithfully should ‘graduate’
in November. He has taken some university English courses himself, but he
tells us he is learning as much English [teaching WEI] as the students.”
The Winhams are so excited about using WEI as an evangelistic tool that they
have agreed to help organize a new Hispanic outreach ministry. We will keep
you informed as this ministry takes shape.
Exciting Inroads into the
Middle East
You have heard about “Daniel in the Lion’s Den.” Well, there is a modern
Daniel who has entered a different kind of lion’s den to preach the gospel
in the Middle East. Daniel Ford, a member of the Reidland Church of Christ
in Paducah, Kentucky, supports himself by tuning pianos, as Paul supported
himself by making tents. Once or twice a year, Dan travels to India and/or
the Middle East, at his own expense, to teach in preacher-training schools
and to proclaim the Good News in gospel meetings.
Earlier this year, Daniel wrote, “I have
just returned from xxxx, and things went very well. We met with and taught
45 people at xxxxxx. They were so excited to hear teaching that emphasizes
the Word of God.
Many good things will come from this
meeting in xxxxxx. One brother has agreed to meet on Sundays in his home,
and there are about 25 who will come for study.
“We had a really remarkable night a few
weeks back. Twenty-three people obeyed the gospel.”
In another major city in the heart of Islam, Dan wrote, “I’ve been posting
WEI notices around the city on my early morning walks. I walk five plus
miles each time—before daylight, between 5:00 and 6:30. I hope we get some
response.
“I’ve met a Christian fellow from XXXXX.
He is working in professional circles, and I am talking to him about WEI.
Hopefully, he will catch the vision of what is possible and help get the
word out so we can enroll students.
“This is a very slow process. There are
so many obstacles and cautions.” But, praise God, there have been 40
immersions so far.
Six New Christians at Buduburam
John Travis reports that six more students have been baptized at the
Buduburam Refugee Camp near Accra, Ghana.
Mustapha (left) after His Baptism
John writes, “The gospel campaign started
June 29 and continued through July 1. We have had five baptisms thus far,
and many more have signed up to be baptized. Two of those were WBS and WEI
students. Among them is Mustapha Tarwolo. He had been a student with us
since 2003. Mustapha came from a Muslem background.”
In addition to these five new Christians, John reports that Rachel Davis, an
active WEI student at Buduburam for three months, was baptized into Christ
on Sunday, May 14.
Two New Christians in Durres
Shkelqim (Çimi) Kafexhiu is a fulltime preacher with the church in Durrës,
Albania. In a recent report, Çimi said, “Rejoice, for two new souls have
been added to the body of Christ in Durres. “On May 19th, Suada Jakupi (15
years of age) said YES to God and Christ. Suada has been studying and
attending the church for a long time, and finally she put on Christ in
baptism.”
Çimi Baptizes Suada Jakupi into Christ
On May 21st, 16th Regi Salataj was also baptized into Christ.
Two New Christians in Tirana
In a recent email, Erik Qirjaqi, Director of WEI in Tirana, Albania,
reported that he had baptized two young women. He said, “Please pray for
them. Their names are Erblina Llapaj, 19 years old, and Elona Cepani, 18
years old.
Erik also reported that forty-three members of the Tirana church have formed
an email chain. Everybody shares his or her request for prayer, problems,
and joys. Erik says, “I am very encouraged by their emails and by their
maturity in Christ.”
Building Permit Granted in
Tirana
We are happy to report that the city of Tirana, Albania has finally granted
a building permit, and our brothers and sisters in Tirana will soon begin
renovating the old WEI/church building. By this time next year, we should be
in our new multipurpose facility. The new building will house the church,
WEI, IBIA, and NationsUniversity. We are planning a big WEI campaign next
summer, and we are looking for teachers. Start planning now for the summer
of 2007.
Tom Bonner Returns to Lushnja
After traveling through America for six weeks visiting children and
grandchildren and raising funds, Tom Bonner has returned to Lushnja, Albania
to continue his work as a missionary.
In his last report, Tom wrote, “Utilizing the WEI materials (authored by
Dick Ady) has proven to be a very effective way to reach out to the
community and share the wonderful story of Jesus. There has been no break in
the succession of students—with active students regularly referring their
relatives and friends as potential students. In fact, many have had to be
put on a waiting list until openings occur in the teaching schedule.”
Update on IBIA
Steve Stamatis, Dean of International Bible Institute of Albania, reports
that IBIA has completed its first five terms. Each term is four weeks, and
three courses are taught each term. Each course has forty hours of classroom
instruction. There has also been a one-week seminar in which the students
meet eight hours a day for five days. So, the students have now completed
640 hours of classroom study.
The four fulltime students are half way through the first year of a two-year
program. They will complete their first year in December.
In order to finish out this year and to add another class of students next
year, we need to raise another four or five student scholarships of $400 a
month. Would your congregation like to help train church leaders to carry on
God’s work in Albania?
Four New Christians in Kenya
Ted and Martha Ogle, missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya, write, “Today,
Nkurunziza (Jean) baptized a young man he had been studying with. He is 21
years old and in his second year of high school. He has been in Islam for 14
years, was born in Rwanda, and he was one excited young man. His name is
Rene Ibrahim Issa.
“Another Rwandese man, 30 years of age, was baptized Sunday, June 15. His
name is John Bosco Kagaba. He was previously Roman Catholic.”
The picture below shows Jean Nkurunziza (with tie), John Bosco on Jean’s
right, and John’s sisters on Jean’s left. Both sisters were baptized July 1.
Tom & Angela Langley
We have just launched five WEI short-term
mission efforts in four different cities in Romania. WEI material is being
used in two short-term mission schools in Bucharest. Both churches of Christ
in Bucharest are having WEI schools. We also have schools in Lugoj, Oradea,
Constanta, and Lasi. I’ve been busy traveling to each site and helping where
needed.
Fifty-seven teachers are working with over 200 students in one-on-one
studies in this country alone. The annual short-term mission to Albania will
be starting soon, and several teachers have already begun teaching this
summer in Cambodia. As I reflect over the last three weeks and recall the
smiles on the faces of the students as they completed their first classes,
I’m again reminded of what a powerful tool WEI is for introducing people to
God’s word.
Students come to us with a strong desire to improve their English language
skills, and as a secondary benefit, they love reading and discussing the
Bible. It’s even more thrilling, after a few weeks of study, to observe the
many students whose hearts are pricked with God’s word. They soon realize
that the secondary benefit has become the primary benefit, because they are
learning something far more valuable than the English language.
One student in Oradea repeated the common line we hear every year at every
mission site: “I feel so good when I am here.” The fruit of the Spirit is so
evident in the lives of the teachers that some students are overwhelmed by
the love and goodness they observe and experience from our teaching teams.
Many soon realize that it is the love of Jesus Christ being displayed in
their teacher’s life that gives them this good feeling.
We are blessed to know and partner with so many of you in this international
mission ministry. We thank you with all our hearts for your financial and
prayer support. Please pray for the success of these many WEI short-term
efforts this summer, and I look forward to sharing with you some of the
results in the next newsletter. We love you all.
---Tom and Angela Langley
Dick & Maudine Ady
It is thrilling to watch God work through
his people. I am especially excited about what the Lord is doing with and
through WEI.
So much is happening in the world that there simply isn’t enough space in
this newsletter to tell about everything. With every issue of WEI Update, we
agonize over what to include and what to exclude. Invariably, we have to
delete stories that need to be told—stories that reveal the glory and power
of God.
On the negative side, we urge WEI
teachers NOT to send gifts to their students. In a recent edition of ACTION,
the WBS newspaper, John Reese wrote the following: “If teachers would
completely stop sending anything besides lessons and certificates to
students, there would be no need for suspicion about ‘fake’ students—the
incentive would not be there. Even a pen or a bookmark is a valuable prize
in a really poor area.
“A young Ghanaian received notice that his WBS teacher had sent him a
package. Having no way to get it through customs, he enlisted L----‘s help.
In the process L---- saw an open letter. In effect, the teacher wrote to her
student, ‘WBS leaders tell us not to send gifts. But I know better, so here
is your camera and school supplies.’ Word of the camera and other gifts
spread like lightning through the student’s school. Suddenly, the school and
nearby community became hotbeds for fraud. People signed up multiple times
to increase the odds of striking it rich with some naïve American. Never
connect WBS with material rewards, gifts, and money.”
John’s words of wisdom apply to WEI.
On the positive side, God has blessed us with hundreds of thousands of
honest, truth-seeking WEI students in 189 nations, and we are grateful for
the opportunity to teach them about Jesus Christ.
We are also grateful to our beloved friends for your prayers and ongoing
financial support and encouragement. We love you with the love of the Lord,
and we pray that God is blessing you for your sacrifice.
---Dick and Maudine Ady
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