Perhaps the most exciting and productive mission work in the world is raging in South Sudan. God has pulled together five mission-minded teams of workers to reap a huge harvest of souls.
First and foremost, there is the Starfish Foundation with ten “boots on the ground” evangelists (six of whom are WEI graduates) who travel by motorcycle to villages around Aweil Town to preach the Gospel where it has never been preached before and to strengthen new congregations that have been recently established.
God has raised up four other groups to work with Starfish Foundation as un-official partners-in-Christ: World English Institute, World Bible School, Global Seed Sowers, and now Southern Sudan Mission. God, in His providence, has bound us together as adjunct partners.
According to the leaders of Starfish Foundation, as of Sunday, July 5, “there had been 3,465 baptisms in and around Aweil, South Sudan in the first half of 2026 and 104 new congregations established.”
On June 28, one of the evangelists associated with Starfish Foundation reported, “I would like to inform you about our three-day seminar in Aweil South Sudan at the Dol Noon newly established Church of Christ. We have baptized 33 new souls.”
On July 2, 2026, another evangelist reported: “We had a wonderful 2-day seminar at Makerawach. A total of 22 souls were added to the Lord’s Kingdom.”
At the time of this writing, Tom and Angie Langley have just returned from Romania where they celebrated the 25th summer short-term mission effort in Oradea.
Tom writes, “This year’s WEI mission is the 25th summer the Church of Christ in Oradea, Romania has hosted WEI Bible teaching teams. The year 2020 was the only year Oradea did not host WEI teachers
We can responsibly estimate that over 15,000 hours of Bible studies have been conducted since the first team of 16 teachers arrived in 2001.
“Four outstanding WEI teachers from the Sanger Church of Christ in Sanger California taught WEI to more than 20 students from June 22 to July 17. They taught approximately 300 hours of WEI Bible lessons. That is sowing a lot of seed, and we’re thankful to God for their efforts. “
“Catalin Flaviu Hategan, 29 years old, was baptized on Sunday, April 26, by Vasile Iuhos, the evangelist and minister of the Oradea Church of Christ.
“Catalin first studied WEI materials, at the age of 13, as a student in a WEI short-term mission in 2013. [Editor’s note: Tom Langley was his teacher.] He was a highly intelligent boy who came well-prepared every day, and always had exceptional questions for his teacher about the Bible lessons.
“As Catalin grew into a tall and very intelligent young man, he never forgot about those Bible lessons, and years later, he began returning to the church building for Wednesday Bible study and worship services on Sundays. Vasile was there to answer his questions and encourage him.
“Sometimes it takes many years for the seed to take root and produce a fruitful response.
“WEI teachers, please be patient and just keep sowing the seed. We simply do not know how long that seed might lie dormant before springing forth to the abundant life promised by the Lord. Even our youngest are eternally impacted by the Power of God’s Word.”
“On the flight home, John Capppelletty shared his powerful testimony after the conclusion of his mission trip this year. He said, ‘As I sit here on my flight back to California, I was thinking about when I decided to help to improve the English of a few Romanian people. I told myself, “This is not a pleasure trip.”
“But you know, it turned into a pleasure to serve God first and foremost. It was a pleasure to meet the church in Oradea. It was a pleasure to help my students improve their English and learn more about the God I worship.”
Recently, we Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of our independence from England. We are blessed to live in historical times.
Most of our [WEI] students live under harsh oppression. They do not have the freedoms we in the U.S. take for granted. In some cases, oppression comes in the form of family tribalism, cultural religious identity, or Marxism. Stepping outside these boundaries can come at a personal price. When they do, the only lifeline they have is the one who brought them to Christ. If they are fortunate, and we are able to find a church family near them, they have an additional layer of support.
If you haven’t had a student ready to be baptized yet, don’t be discouraged. Sowing the seed of the kingdom is the true measure of success, even though making disciples is our goal. If you have had a student be baptized, you know the thrill it brings.
The WEI administration works hard to find evangelists we trust that will connect with your students, will study with them, and will help them become disciples. At times, World Bible School helps us find someone. Still, there challenges, even in our instant-information age. It may take weeks, or months, to find an evangelist. Try not to be too discouraged.
First, ask the student’s permission for someone to contact them. They need to send you their WhatsApp number and their city and country. Once you have received it, send us the information, including their name and ID number. We cannot guarantee 100% success, but we will do all we can. Let your students know that we are working and praying for them as they continue to study. Know that we here are doing all we can to help your student complete their obedience of faith in Christ.
The following report was written by Geng Garang Deng while working with evangelists associated with Starfish Foundation.
“I am thrilled to announce that 26 precious souls have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, culminating in their baptism after a transformative two-day seminar.
Attendance: 57 adults, 72 children, a total of 129.”
“This milestone is a testament to the unswerving dedication of our team and the boundless grace of God. We pray for the continued growth and spiritual maturity of these new brothers and sisters, that they will become steadfast disciples of Christ.”
Geng is a WEI graduate, taught first by Virginia McPeak of Roseville, California, then by the late Bob Patterson of Beaverton, Oregon who encouraged him to become a preacher. Geng moved to Aweil to study under Lang Akol who baptized him and mentored him as a preacher. For two years Geng traveled and preached with the ten Evangelists who are supported by Starfish Foundation. Now he is ready to return home and expand his ministry by planting churches in villages around his hometown.
Early this year, Geng Gerang began communicating with Tyrone Mynhier, an American missionary from Conroe, Texas who is teaching Sudanese refugees in Cambella, Ethiopia. Tyrone founded Southern Sudan Mission in 2008, and his vision has always been to help Sudanese Christians evangelize their own communities. Tyrone responded positively to Geng’s plans and offered to help support him but didn’t specify how much. The support turned out to be inadequate for survival, so more will need to be raised.
Geng writes, “Through Sudan Southern Mission, we have been blessed to plant and establish five congregations in the last three months
- Reang Amaal Church of Christ
- Pan-Lach Church of Christ
- Majook Mou Church of Christ
- Mayen Makuei Church of Christ
- Mayen Keuer Church of Christ”
“By God’s grace, a total of 114 souls were baptized into Christ during this period. We give all the glory and honor to God for these wonderful blessings.”
Geng writes, “I am delighted to share with you the triumphant report of our three-day seminar at Pan-Lach, a newly established congregation that has become a beacon of hope in this village. Along side Mawien Anyuon [Geng’s new companion] I was privileged to share the Gospel with our brothers and sisters, witnessing firsthand the transformative power of Christ as 35 souls surrendered to his lordship.”
“This fledgling community of 35 courageous Christians is now poised to radiate God’s love to the surrounding areas. We are overjoyed by their zeal and commitment to forsake worldly ways, embracing instead the path of righteousness.
We lift up these new believers, particularly the 35 who have taken their first steps in faith.
Edwin E. Vicente, Director of WEI Learning Center in Tuguerarrao, Luzon Island, Reports that two of his students have been baptized into Christ: Sandrea M. Lebad, and Christopher C. Agana, Sandrea’s sixteen-year-old-friend.
A few months ago, Edwin studied with a young man named Dharyl and baptized him into Christ. Dharyl was so excited that he told his whole family about what a difference his baptism had made in his outlook on life. His sister, Sandrea, asked him to introduce her to Edwin who became her teacher and baptized her. Sandrea was so excited about her baptism she took her WEI book and showed it to her friend, Christopher the next day and encouraged him to study with Edwin. The following two pictures tell the story.
WEI Teacher, Laura Huff, has been studying with A young man in Uganda named Stephen. As Stephen studied the WEI Bible lessons with Laura, he shared what he learned with his wife, Sophie, and she became a believer. She concluded that she needed to surrender her life to God and be baptized for the forgiveness of her sins to become a member of God’s kingdom. Stephen was thrilled to share with Laura the good news that Sophie had become a Christian.
In the following photo, Noah Muhiiru is taking Sophie’s confession before immersing her in the waters of baptism.
WEI teacher, Perry Taylor, has a quote from his Student that he would like to share with us in this Newsletter:
My name is David Mastament, and I am grateful to share how God used World English Institute (WEI) to change my life and lead me to the truth of His word. Before I encountered WEI. I believed in God but did not fully understand His plan of salvation. Through the online Bible lessons, I began to see the beauty of God’s love and the power of His word. The lessons opened my eyes to what it means to truly follow Jesus and to be a part of His one true church.
My WEI teacher, Brother Perry, patiently guided me through scripture, helping me understand the gospel and the importance of baptism for the forgiveness of sins. After much study and prayer I made the decision to obey the gospel. I was baptized by Brother Eric Chepkwony on the date 28/01/2024 into Christ. That day remains one of the blessings of my life.
After my baptism, I felt strong desire to share the same truth with others in my community. With prayer, faith, and encouragement from brethren I began teaching and gathering a few believers for Worship and study. By God’s grace, this small group has grown into a new congregation that meets regularly to worship, study the Bible, and serve others.
The Lord has been faithful throughout this Journey. Though we face many challenges, we continue to trust His promises and seek to spread His Word to others.
I’m deeply thankful to WEI and my teacher, Brother Perry for showing me the path of truth. My hope and prayer are that others, too, will come to know Christ through the power of His Word and find the joy of being part of his true church. To God be the Glory.
“I recently lost my job due to organizational downsizing, and it has left me without the income I depended on to support my family and the work here. Despite the challenges, I remain committed to teaching, evangelizing, and helping new believers grow in Christ.
If you have any questions or would like to make a Contribution to David’s support. Contact Perry Tayler, Jefferson Pike Church of Christ Mission Fund, 3207 Springhouse Dr., Murfreesboro, TN. 37128.
I cannot stop smiling. During the first six months of 2026, six hundred WEI teachers have taught 49,469 active students. I am so proud of our wonderful WEI teachers. They never cease to amaze me. Due to commitment and dedication to their current active students from 192 nations WEI is on pace to reach a desired goal that we have been pursuing for a long time. We desperately want to teach 100,000 students in one year.
Our awesome, loving God continues to open doors for us to reach and teach precious souls from all over the world. What makes me smile even more is when a new person signs up to be a WEI student and has the opportunity to read Gog’s precious words, the Bible. What a wonderful gift we have to offer for free.
We desperately need more WEI teachers. Would you please consider becoming a WEI teacher? Become an instant ambassador of Jesus, and help lost souls come to know there is a loving and amazing God who loves them like no one else, and a loving Jesus who told the entire world. “I would rather die than live without you.”
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing greater in life than sharing the loving gospel of Jesus.
Honorariums and Memorials
Yeager, Sheila
Eastman, Alma
