On October 8th and 9th, the church in Katy, Texas took advantage of the local “Rice Festival” to offer free English classes to Spanish-speaking people who attended the festivities next door.
Justin Speer writes, “The response to the WEI program from the community and the church has been nothing short of amazing. We are fast-tracking this program . . . to hold WEI sessions during regularly scheduled classes on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM and afterwards at 8:00 PM. We encourage students to bring their families to church while they [the parents] learn English. Look at how powerful this tool is in bringing souls to learn about Christ.
“As many as 25 individuals from the [Katy] congregation will help teach these students. This will enrich both teacher and student who otherwise would not have had the opportunities they now have through WEI.”
“This success will not be bottled up for long. I am sure that in the fullness of time, many will come to see how valuable WEI is to the world (local and abroad). The material is perfect for our situation.”
Justin concludes, “The results are literally overwhelming. We are already forced to turn away potential students who are hungry to learn. We need all hands on deck. Opportunity is knocking, and it isn’t doing so softly.”
Below is a message that Gladys Mejia wrote to the Katy elders expressing thanks for the WEI ministry. Gladys and her husband, Jaime, are WEI Intermediate students. They also serve as translators for the Beginner’s English classes. Gladys is hugely important in helping to recruit students.
Gladys writes, “I would like to express the word ‘wow’ to the person or people who came up with the idea to take advantage of the Rice Festival. We saw the beginning of the WEI, but we have no idea how deep it can go. It has been a blessing to me to be part of the WEI. I’m getting close to members that I did not have a chance to know before. . . . I think WEI will open doors and ways to bring people to the Gospel.”
Justin Speer writes, “With the dawning of a new year, we want to spread the message of a powerful local evangelism opportunity through WEI.
“There are a large and growing number of immigrants from Mexico and other parts of the world. Many of these individuals are desperate to learn English. This presents opportunity for evangelism and local outreach using the WEI curriculum.
Three years ago, Tom Gillson (Katy elder) registered as a WEI Internet teacher. Tom says, “Before the end of six months, I was thoroughly convinced of WEI’s effectiveness, scriptural soundness, and potential for spreading the gospel.
Brother Jean Robert St. Hilaire, Evangelist in South Haiti, writes, “At least 602 people were baptized in sites where we help train men and women also through the spreading of English and Bible courses offered by WEI (World English Institute)—and this is just what we know about! At least three new congregations were planted.”
Brother Hilaire is Director of WEI in Haiti. We feel blessed that such a busy, gifted, and productive man has seen fit to include WEI in his crowded schedule. Praise God for Jean Robert.
Prabhu Kumar’s reports are full of exciting news. November 11, Prabhu sent pictures of five WEI students who had just been baptized in the Chittoor district of Andhrapradesh. The teachers, Brothers Payani and Jayapaul, have done excellent work, and God has blessed them with fruit.
We are looking for people who would like to go with us on a short-term mission campaign to Podgorica, Montenegro either this year or next. Montenegro is a beautiful little mountainous country just north of Albania. So far as we know, Marsida Bobaj is the only member if the Church of Christ in Montenegro, and she needs the fellowship of a good church. If you would like to help us plant a church in Montenegro, please get in touch with Dick Ady at weiady@aol.com, and we will talk. A great opportunity awaits us.
On November 9, Aniefiok Akpan reported that a young girl, Idorenyin Friday Benjamin, accepted Christ and was baptized at Uruk Otong, Nigeria. Aniefiok writes, “She was led to Christ through WEI. Five students of Obong Christian High School accepted Christ and were baptized. Another group of five persons were baptized recently at Ikot Imo.”
This report is late simply because we ran out of space in our last newsletter. During the past three summers, teams of WEI short-term missionaries have worked with Hawatthia Jones and Byron Benitez in Guatemala City. In August, Greg Weston wrote, “Tonight, I had the honor of baptizing Donna Suseth Alvarado Castillo and her husband Giovanni into Christ. Donna has been my student in Guatemala for three years. . . . What a great night!”
ISA 55:10 “As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word …It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
These responses from students reflect the seed being sown in the heart of Islam. We are encouraged and we know you will be also.
“I always remember Jesus saying, “Father, forgive these people.” Really, I like this sentence. Other religions want you to die for their leader, but their leader does not die for them.”
“I am so happy to know all these information about Christ and Baptize. And I wanna learn more and more. We believe the Bible, the word of God. I will looking for Christians here, because I can’t give my number…”
“I become fully sure Jesus was the true king, the miracles were amazing and proved he was divine. His word is the word of God. He suffered and died, but God raised him. Jesus is lord of all people and all will be judged by him.”
“We cannot compare him with any person, he is from God. I learned to love Jesus. All he said about lifting him from death was true. I don’t know what to say. I did not know about Christian religion, but now I know. I am Happy for that, it is great. When I move to the reading assignment I feel happy and So excited especially when read the story of Jesus.”
“I learned to change your hearts and lives and be baptized, God will forgive your sins. This meaningful speech really touched my heart. I learned the amazing connection between baptism and Jesus’ death, that baptism is a symbol of death, burial and resurrection that’s amasing, isn’t it?”
Matthew 4:16 “People living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” —Bob & Jan Towell
Thank you for your fellowship in world evangelism. May God bless you for your sacrificial service. We love you with the love of the Lord, and we thank God for you in our prayers.
