Evangelist Imprisoned in Kenya
Our last newsletter contained an exciting report from Brother Geoffrey Nyaboga along with a photo of ten people being baptized in western Kenya. In this issue, the story continues to unfold.
Geoffrey writes, “Great news! We had eleven more souls added to the Lord’s church. Please, brethren, we request that you pray for us and the Lord’s work. We are involved in a fight with antichrists.
“We have been studying and preaching with the seventh day keepers. Eleven more people have obeyed the gospel. The good news is that they welcomed us to their place of meeting, and they are no longer Sabbath keepers. Now, they are members of the Lord’s church.
I was arrested for no reason and taken to prison, falsely accused of misleading people by teaching them what was not found in the Bible. When I reached the prison, no one was standing there to press charges. I gave them my Bible and told them, ‘This is what I teach.’ They were surprised. I preached there, and they finally released me.
“We know who these false teachers are. We have received humiliation, hatred, mockery, discrimination, and jealousy from them. These Antichrists are doing everything possible to make us fear them, but we only fear God, the one who can kill the body and the soul.”
Geoffrey concludes, “We have been baptizing many people, hence they are being added to the Lord’s church. Now, we have set aside this month and next month, God willing, to keep teaching them to observe all that the Lord has commanded. Still, these antichrists are like Satan, roaring like a lion, moving here and there, looking for God’s faithful servants. But they will be defeated. The Lord is with us, and if the Lord is with us, who can be against us?”
David Crouch’s Amazing Story
David Crouch writes, “It is a small world, especially in the circles of WEI teachers and students. This was never truer than for three Searcy, Ark. teachers and their three students in Uganda.
In August, 2017, David started teaching a Ugandan student named Taire Stephen. Two months later, after Stephen completed the Advanced Lessons, he was baptized by a gospel preacher named Samson.
The name Samson sounded familiar to David because his friend Dan Newsom had a WEI student named Samson in Uganda. David says, “A little checking confirmed that Samson was the same in both cases. Samson had chosen to take the WEI courses to enhance his English skills as a minister. Unknown to either Dan Newsom or me, we were teaching students who lived within thirty-five kilometers of each other.”
Fast forward to March 2019, and Lola Crouch, David’s wife, had a student in Uganda named Bwana Fred who had traveled sixty kilometers to be baptized by Samson.
It turns out that David Crouch’s student, Tiara Stephen, is a teacher at the Step Ahead Nursery and Primary School in his home town. Dan Newsom’s student, Mubiru Samson, is the Director of The True Blessing Primary School and minister of the Kitukiro Church of Christ. Lola’s student, Bwana Fred, is now the minister at the Kairo Church of Christ which has forty-two members.
We are happy to announce that nine preachers in Uganda, including Mubiru Samson and Bwana Fred, are scheduled to open a Bible School in July of this year, and they plan to use WEI materials in their Bible classes.
As we reported in our last WEI Update, Bill McDonough has initiated a church plant in Battambang, Cambodia, the second-largest city in the nation. Joining Bill in this church plant are
Phanat Ouch and his wife. On March 28, Phanat sent an email saying, “I am writing to inform you of the recent baptisms that we’ve had in Battambang.
“The first person baptized is named Deoun. She is sixteen years old and is from Siem Reap. Her father is in prison, and her mother abandoned her when she remarried. Her brother is involved with drugs, and the environment she was in was not healthy at all. She was brought to Battambang to enroll in Project 412 (Ephesians 4:12), a new start-up work of the Lord’s church in Battambang where she learns the bakery and pastry from my wife, and Bible and English with WEI teachers. After Bob Patterson’s Sunday morning lesson, Deoun wanted to put on Christ in baptism.
“The second person’s name is Sarat. He is from the Takeo Province, nine hours away from Battambang. He, also, is a student of Project E412, and he has enjoyed the benefits of WEI.
“I just wanted you to know a little bit about these two new Christians and how WEI played a vital role in their conversion.
INVITATION:
We invite you to include WEI in your 2019 church budget. Please join us in a concerted effort to lead the whole world to Christ.The Binkleys Are Still Active in Ukraine
Our hearts go out to Galina Binkley whose mother recently passed away in Slavyansk, Ukraine. During the three weeks that David and Galina were there for the funeral, David preached for the church in Slavyansk, and he and Galina taught a group of children and young people using the WEI Elementary Bible course.
David said, “Those precious children are our students at Sunflower ABC Bible School where we are teaching them the wonderful WEI Elementary Course. They love it, and our very talented helper, Anna Ushakova, has made the lessons into a booklet format complete with vocabulary puzzles. She is an amazing talent for the Lord’s work.”
God Opens Doors in Moldova
At the time of this writing, Tom Langley is in Moldova where he has hosted two Receptions for WEI Internet students, one reception in Chisinau, and the other in Comrat. A team of four teachers associated with the Bear Valley International Bible Institute is now in Comrat teaching 32 enthusiastic students.
Tom writes, “One couple (35 to 40 years of age) has great potential to become the lead couple of a future church. They consider themselves Christians, but they are unchurched. They are directors of a young adult center called the ‘Urban Center.’
“The wife is a big WEI supporter and an avid student. Her teacher is Lola Crouch. She absolutely loves Lola.”
At the moment, Tom is teaching in the capital city. He writes, “One of our WEI students here in Chisinau is a High School English teacher. I’ve been studying the Bible with her and her son. She has invited me to speak to her entire High School (approximately 200 students) about WEI and any other subject I choose.”
Tom just now reported, “I spoke to about 150 10th-12th graders at the High School yesterday. It was very well received. I told them about WEI and the Bible and several funny stories. They all had a good time, and so did I. Many signed up to be students afterward. It was so much fun.”
Example of WBS/WEI Partnership
Mary McKinney of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been teaching a young man in Namibia by the name of Alfredos K. Sayelo.
Mary writes, “He is a remarkable young man who is from Zambia originally but has been working in Rundu, Namibia where he was baptized after studying with WBS. However, he requested WEI lesson books. I believe he is impressed with the WEI curriculum. His nickname is Moses or Mosez. That’s what he asked me to call him. I have attached his picture at his baptism.
“I have been interacting with this young man for a long time, and he has soaked up the lessons, doing them almost daily! [He has completed twenty-one WEI books.] He may go to preaching school in Zambia next year, but he feels he should go to Angola. I know there are very few churches there, but perhaps he can change that.”
Moses writes, “Sister Mary, I will be in Angola in March April, and I want to know if I can get all the books I learned in WEI. I will be in areas where there is no network, and having the books in hand would help me teach people. . . . I think it is time to proclaim and tell the world how good is our God.”
Example 2 of WBS/WEI Partnership
Paul M. Kariuki is a 35-year-old policeman in eastern Kenya who was baptized in 2004 after studying with World Bible School. Now he is a WEI Internet student.
Paul writes, “My name is Paul Maina Kariuki from Kenya in East Africa. I’m a New Testament Christian aged 35 years. I’m a police officer and have been on active duty for 10 years.
“This is to thank my teacher, Sherry Townsend, and all who support WEI through prayers and donations. I’m very thrilled to be one of your students. The WEI Intermediate lessons have been very helpful in my Christian journey! I have enjoyed one lesson after another and have realized how spiritually rewarding they are! Today I’m studying the Bible and English on an Advanced level.
“Who said that police officers cannot become New Testament Christians?”
Paul will soon be deployed into Somalia for peace keeping. May God protect him in that dangerous, violent, war-torn nation.
We Need More Internet Teachers
God has blessed WEI with an incredible evangelistic tool that reaches out daily and seeks to rescue the lost from every nation in the world. God continues to open the hearts of thousands for us to share the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since January 1, over 23,000 students have registered on our website; 7,800 students have started new Bible studies, and over 60,600 Bible lessons have been completed by our ongoing students. Praise God!
What is more exciting than these statistics is that we could easily double these numbers if we had more Internet teachers. Several times this year, we have had to shut off our Google ads temporarily because of increasing numbers of students. We desperately need more Internet teachers. Currently, there are 191 precious souls waiting for a teacher.
Would you consider participating with us in the greatest rescue mission in the world? From the comfort of your home, you could help lost souls living in total darkness read and study the Bible for the very first time with you. Using your computer, laptop, ipad, or smart phone, you can teach the Good News to lost souls all around the world without leaving your home, family, and friends. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Begin teaching today! Go to our website at www.worldenglishinstitute.org/register/teacher. WEI’s teaching website is amazing! Simple and easy! Process each student’s lesson in less than 10 minutes.
If you are interested in a WEI Outreach Presentation/Internet Teacher Training Session at your church, please contact Lee Allen at 865-680-9192 or Tom Langley at 865-803-2909.
Please let God use you to save lost souls around the world!
“He has RESCUED us from the kingdom of darkness and transformed us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13).
Lee Allen
Wouldn’t you like to lead someone to Christ? Chances are you can. You can become a WEI Internet teacher by logging on to our web site and signing up at
www.worldenglishinstitute.org/register/teacher.
Testimonials from WEI Students
If you have ever wondered about the effectiveness of WEI, read what these students say:
“I thank God to show me this website at this moment I need it. I know it is not easy, but I ask God to help me during this travel.”
“Through these lessons, I learned a lot about the Bible, God, and his plan for humanity. That’s a great opportunity for me and a great beginning in my studies, because there will always be things to learn during my journeys on earth.”
“I am really thankful to WEI for creating such a powerful and amazing project like that in obedience of the “Great Commission.” I’m also thankful because you’re more than a teacher to me. You did not teach me only what is right and wrong, but you inspired me, you equipped me through the word of God to live a pure life in Christ. Thank you for everything. May God continue to use you, to bless you, and to protect you.”
“I came from poor family and lower caste. Young people like me cannot study in renowned educational institution. We lead our lives hopelessly and habituated to the circumstances around us. You bring a light and hope in our lives through your institution. Now we can learn the Scriptures along with global language. Now we are learning how to preach the word of God. We are improving our language skills to get job opportunities, so we are feeding spiritual food and worldly food for our livelihood. You are transforming our lives in Christ.”
From a student baptized earlier this year: “Last week, I went to community day at secondary school. Over 500 students attended the WEI lessons. Most of them wanted me to print and photocopy lessons to distribute every fortnight. They did the lessons on their own in their groups. Upon completion they sent to me for grading. I am happy with this group because they are able to read and write English. I encouraged them that I would visit once a week, so they are happy.”
Bob and Jan Towell
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” – Romans 10:14
WEI Reception in Haiti
In early February of this year, the Westside church of Christ in Norman, OK sent 11 workers on a week-long mission trip to Cap Haitian, Haiti. During their stay, they hosted a WEI Reception for students who live in that area. About 54 students and their friends arrived.
The reception was held at the Center for Biblical Studies, a church of Christ supported preaching school for Haitian men. After a meal, Phillip Johnson, the preaching minister for Westside provided a gospel message while Rodney Richard, a director of the Center, translated. WEI materials were handed out, and Tracy Sipe, a WEI teacher from Westside, explained how the program works.
Joanna concludes, “This experience has helped me to understand the Parable of the Sower so much better. Many seeds were planted, but it took time for the plant to grow.”
God Uses WEI in U.S. Prison Ministry
Donna Carson, a WEI Internet teacher from the Westark Church of Christ in Fort Smith, Ark., is teaching about fifty WEI Internet students who are incarcerated across the United States. One of her students, Steven, is a diligent Bible student, but he told her up-front that he does not believe in God or Jesus Christ. She thinks he studies so hard because he is trying to disprove the existence of God and the divinity of Christ.
When Steven started studying The New Birth, however, he wrote, “This whole book is chock full of good background resource information.” He admitted that the book had “good information on baptism that he never knew before.”
Donna said to her husband David, “This is BIG! This is Big News! The lessons and scriptures provided in The New Birth have touched Steven’s heart. This has made a difference with Steven, and I think his heart is open to learn more.”
Donna confides, “I have a heart for prison ministry for a reason. My brother made several bad choices in his younger life and spent most of adult life in prison.
“I do not understand the challenges of being in prison, but I do know how that affects a family—parents, siblings, and children. So many men and women in prison are forgotten by family, but God has not forgotten them.”
A Modern Day Samson
Jackie Steen, of Renton, Washington, has been teaching a student in Uganda named Kungu Benard since September of 2017. At the time of his enrollment, Benard was a Sr 3 high school student. He is now twenty years of age and has completed both the Intermediate and Advanced courses. He is currently working in the Evidences course.
Benard was reared a Catholic but was contacted and taught by Mubiru Samson, the same Samson mentioned by David Crouch earlier in this newsletter. It was Samson who encouraged Benard to enroll in WEI, and Samson sent Jackie a picture of Benard early on.
On March 14, Benard wrote, “Dear Madam Jackie, I thank you for teaching me English and the Word of God! The more I study, the more I gain faith, and I need to be baptized (immersed) into Christ. Therefore, I request you to arrange for my baptism. Another thing, I request you to pray for me that I can teach others, starting with my family, particularly my brothers and sisters who are at school.”
Jackie contacted Samson, and Samson baptized Benard in the muddy pool of water pictured below.
Jackie reports that “Benard wants to share WEI lessons with his schoolmates and his family. He will be returning to finish school, and he wants to teach English using the WEI materials in his former secondary school. With our encouragement and prayers, he will succeed”
Jackie concludes, “WEI has changed my life! I cannot adequately express this, but I feel I am serving God, and at my age (81), it is wonderful to do so.”
W.E.I. NEEDS YOUR HELP!!
Harvest in Uruk Otong, Nigeria
Aniefiok and Etang Akpan continue to do a great work in Nigeria. Aniefiok writes, “We had a wonderful Bible conference for Christian women last Saturday, 16th March,2019, with over 300 women from 30 churches of Christ attending. Etang mobilized the women of our campus church, and they cooked a delicious meal for all participants.
“Today, our WEI student, a student at Rhema Christian Academy, accepted Christ and was baptized at the campus church. Her name is Emem Udunk Jonah.”
