Those are the words of Alice Jewell, the beloved wife of Fred Jewell who succumbed to cancer January 15, 2023 and claimed his “victory in Jesus.”
Alice writes, “Fred and I grew up in the same congregation in Indiana, started dating after his freshman year in college at Indiana University, and married after his graduation in 1963.”
In 1968, Harding College invited Fred and Alice to join their faculty. Fred taught history and political science, and Alice taught English and Latin for forty-three years.
Alice says, “We became members of the College Church in Searcy, and we were exposed constantly to mission work all over the world. . . . When Fred completed his doctorate, he became involved with the missions committee and started participating in European campaigns. . . . Fred served as an elder for 30 years and as chairman of the missions committee for 25.”
Since the mid-1990s, the College Church in Searcy has sponsored and supported Ellen Walker as a missionary in Tirana, Albania. In 2013, Fred and Alice made their first trip to Albania to work with Ellen in a WEI short-term mission effort. That piqued their interest in WEI and Albania. Since then, the Jewells have returned to Tirana again and again to participate in WEI summer campaigns.
Alice writes, “Fred started teaching [WEI students] online as well as in person in the summers. Fred truly enjoyed his students and developed close relationships with many. Our trips to Albania to work with Ellen Walker and Arjan Muça and the Tirana congregation became the highlight of our year.”
Imena Kerpica, one of Fred’s WEI students in Albania, writes, “I am from Berat, Albania, but I have studied and attended the Church of Christ in Tirana. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in the English Language and a Master’s Degree in Teaching English.
I was a WEI student many years ago. Like many other students, my main goal was to improve my English skills. However, it is thanks to WEI that I made the decision to get baptized 10 years ago.
Thanks to WEI, I found the Church of Christ in Tirana where I served [God] for a few years. It was there that I met the Jewells and many other WEI teachers who embraced the WEI initiative to teach around the world. I found a new family which I cherish and hold close to my heart.
I am enclosing a photo where Mr. Fred and I were at the Tirana church. He loved Albania, and he loved WEI. He loved people very much. He was the most patient human being I have ever met. We called each other BFFs. He could listen for hours without being disturbed, without rushing, but being fully present and really caring. His persona changed my life.
I miss my BFF very much, every single day. However, I know he is with God, at a better place, where we all aspire to be someday.”
In honor of Fred’s memory, Imena has become a WEI Internet teacher to help perpetuate Fred’s worldwide ministry.
Save This Date- September 30, 2023
Put it on your calendar and plan to attend our WEI Seminar at the Metro Church of Christ in Gresham, Oregon. You will meet Tom Langley, Lee Allen, Darrell Wallace, and Dick Ady in person. You will have an opportunity to pick their brains and learn about ways God can use us to lead people to Christ in every nation on Earth. God is calling us. Stand by for more news.
WEI Internet teacher Marcella Bailey received an email from her former student Bartholomayo in South Sudan who reports five new baptisms this quarter.
In his email, Bartholomayo says, “These are the students of Aweil Free Bible Courses Center we established in Aweil Town with support from Robert Thurman of Tennessee. They are the first five fruits of the Literature Center.”
Marcella concludes, “I wish I had adequate words to compliment this outstanding young man [Bartholomayo]. He is doing amazing work!!!”
Marcella also received a beautiful email from the parents of her brilliant young student in Kenya.
Marcella writes, “Ephrayim (Ephra) started WEI lessons at the age of 10. He has been my youngest student thus far. This young man has completed all the [WEI] series. I have grown to love Ephra and his entire family.”
Ephra’s parents write, “Ephrayim’s English has improved greatly since he began attending your classes at WEI. We have realized that he is good at writing and has a promising gift in public speaking.”
Think what potential this brilliant young man has for the kingdom of God in Kenya.
Wouldn’t you like to lead someone to Christ?
Chances are you can. Become a WEI Internet teacher by logging on to our web site and signing up at www.worldenglishinstitute.org/register/teacher.Edwin E. Vicente, Director of the WEI Learning Center in San Fernando City, Luzon Island, has inaugurated a new multi-generational outreach ministry in an effort to build up the kingdom of God.
In January, Edwin wrote, “I have five new adult students. Hopefully, God willing, they will submit to baptism, but I’m still pushing on the lessons for them to understand.”
In March, Edwin wrote, “I am happy to inform you that our teens and adult students are enthusiastic about encouraging Christians and non-Christians to join our fellowship and Bible community studies during week-end and selected weekday sessions. In our Sunday services, Dr. John C. Quinionws does the preaching.”
As we reported in our last issue of WEI Update, Dr. John is the veteran preacher at the San Fernando City Church of Christ. He is the retired Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in San Fernando City and a former Bible teacher at Philippine Bible College in Baguio City. Brother John preaches for the new congregation at the WEI Learning Center free of charge except a stipend for transportation.
Currently, Edwin is teaching three groups of adults from a civic organization called “4Ps” who have expressed an interest in studying the WEI courses. In the picture below, Edwin is giving one of the groups a full orientation about WEI, its goals and courses.
In the following photo, Edwin is standing with some of the young people and adults he teaches and mentors on a regular basis.
A WEI Internet teacher from Minnesota rejoices when her former student in Sierra Leon bears fruit by using WEI materials in his outreach ministry. For example, Johnny Karma is a retired senior lab technician in the geology department at the University of Sierra Leone.
While working at the university, Johnny established a school for poor children in a makeshift building in the Massimbo community. It is said he never turns a child or young person away who wants to learn. In order to help cover his expenses, he accepts whatever the parents can afford to pay. His students come from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds.
On Saturday night, Johnny sleeps in the little one-room school building in order to be there early Sunday morning to conduct a worship service for students, parents, and others who have a thirst for truth. His goal is to establish a strong church.
Recently, Johnny baptized one of his Muslim students into Christ. Johnny writes, “He is Brother Mohamed S. Sankoh. He studied WEI with me. He is enthusiastic and studious. He is now interested in working with me by reaching out to souls with the WEI courses. He is determined for the work of winning precious souls into God’s kingdom.”
(Notice the WEI books Mohamed is holding.)
W.E.I. NEEDS YOUR HELP!
More and more national preachers around the world are using WEI courses in their local outreach ministries. National preachers are our most efficient and productive partners in world evangelism. Your donations for printing and mailing these materials are appreciated.
One of our WEI Internet teachers taught Abu Conteh, a young Muslim street vendor in Freetown, Sierra Leone. When Abu came to faith and asked to be baptized, his teacher contacted Charles Mungu, a former WEI student, and Charles baptized Abu into Christ. He then taught him the rest of the WEI courses.
When Charles attended Abu’s wedding in Makondoh, a predominantly Muslim village outside of Freetown, he noticed that there was no church there, so he helped Abu plant a church in the village. Twenty-four people joined them for worship under a tree the first Sunday. Now, there is a congregation of about 24 baptized believers.
Abu uses WEI materials in his preaching, and he uses WEI for teaching religious education to 160 students in the village school.
That’s not all. Abu is also teaching WEI Bible lessons to people at the nearby village of Matindi on Thursday nights. The following picture was taken when Charles baptized two of Abu’s students into Christ. The dominoes continue to fall, as WEI students become teachers who share what they have learned with others.
Austine Ntim, an intelligent nineteen year old in Akpfu Odomi, Ghana, found WEI on the Internet and responded to the Google ad. Mary McKinney started studying with him November 20, 2022. Mary writes, “He didn’t send any lessons in December, and I thought I had lost him. But he began again January 6, and he has been regular in sending lessons ever since.”
Mary says, “He was determined to continue with his lessons even though he lived in a remote area [where Internet connections are spasmodic].”
When Austine advanced to the lessons on the kingdom of God, he said to Mary, “I haven’t been baptized.” So Mary sent him more information about the church and asked him if he would like to talk to someone in Ghana who could baptize him.
When Austine said, “Yes,” Mary contacted Darrell Wallace, who, after an intensive search, located Brother Wolarnyo, a teacher in the church in HoHoe which is within walking distance from Austine’s home.
It turns out that Austine had been sharing his WEI lessons with his brother Michael, and Bro. Wolarnyo baptized both of them on April 4, 2023.
Mary says, “Austine was so happy that his brother also was baptized. God worked all of this out. Recently, Austine said he wants to preach. I think Austine will be a wonderful preacher, so I pray he can go to a preacher training school.”
Mary is praying that Austine’s parents will soon be Christians too.
When our Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan get up in the morning, they never know if they will still be alive that evening. Their once promising secret congregation of twenty-five has now been scattered.
The Rolla, Missouri Church of Christ recently set up an encrypted Zoom worship time slot for them—their only contact with each other. Even then, they have to guard against others overhearing them. One Christian travels four hours round trip by auto-rickshaw to go to rent a hotel room so he can participate in secret.
An unemployed Christian was put in debtor’s prison. While there, he refused to pray with the others five times a day to Allah. His debt was paid, and he fled with his family before they could re-arrest him for apostacy.
Another brother has a job among mountain chiefs who think nothing of killing anyone who gets in their way. Their spies and the Taliban watch his every move. He cannot get alone long enough on Sunday nights to join the other Christians for worship and mutual encouragement.
Armed robbers burst into the home of yet another of our brothers an sisters, beat him in front of his wife and children, and grabbed his computer and cell phone which were probably passed on to the Taliban for a bribe. Although both required passwords, the family feared the Taliban might break through them, so they fled to live elsewhere.
Neighbors accused one Christian family of harboring an American spy and later accused the family of being spies for Christian America. They have been on the run for over a year.
Our oldest convert from Islam has been discovered and gone into hiding in the mountains an average of once a year for the past eleven years. His wife has always taken their children to yet another province to protect them from being kidnapped by the Taliban and turned into slaves for life or killed.
One of our newest converts has a wife and six children. In an effort to avoid persecution, during the past year he has wandered with his family from one city to another, one village to another, from hidden valleys to high up mountain caves.
One of our Afghan brothers travels by auto-rickshaw every Sunday for two hours to go to a hotel to worship with us over Zoom so that his family does not find out he became a Christian. In the middle of our Zoom worship tonight, he got suspicious of shouting in the hall and told us he had to leave because the Taliban were there. After that, we did not hear from him for over an hour. We prayed that God would blind the eyes of the Taliban, even if they looked directly at him.
We learned later that the Taliban had burst into his room and ordered him out into the hall along with all the other hotel guests. The Taliban lined the guests up in the hall. They looked directly at him and then moved on to the next person. They didn’t demand to see his phone. They said nothing, and moved on. God had blinded their eyes.
WHAT CAN WE DO? All Afghan converts are given Bible names upon their baptisms. They love their Bible names, plus it helps them communicate with each other incognito. If you would like a list of their Bible names so you can pray for them individually, contact the Rolla, MO Church of Christ: https://seekgrowservelove.org/contact.html
Prabhu Kumar, Director of WEI-India, and his wife have recently returned from a three-week trip through northeastern India and neighboring nations.
While in the northeastern states of India, Prabhu reactivated some of the thirty-one church-related WEI extension schools that stopped functioning due to lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Jakalbandha, Assam in far northeastern India, Prabhu launched a new WEI branch with Bro Ahimon Nayak leading the class.
In Japha, Nepal, Prabhu talked with Bro Swagath Kadka who agreed to start a new church-related branch of WEI in Japha. While in Japha, Prabu was invited to the second graduation ceremony at the Jamica School of Preaching and was hoored as a VIP Guest on behalf of World English Institute. The hall was packed with fifty-four graduates and hundreds of guests including preachers and local dignitaries.
When Prabhu and his wife entered Bangladesh, Prabhu said, “In the beginning, I was so fearful because this was the first time I am taking my wife along with me. But at the border, the local Police Constable and Sub-Inspector met us and stayed with us until we exited across the border.”
Prabhu writes, “It is really a miracle done by our God Almighty. Those two [law enforcement agents] are friends of our WEI teachers, Bros. Emon and Sheplu.”
WEI teacher, Laura Huff, received the following testimony from her student in Armenia: “This is a very important experience for me. I will continue to study, and the most important thing for me is that I also read the Bible in English. It’s a miracle; every time I read it, I feel the presence of God. Thank you very much.”
Len Hardaway, long time WEI teacher in Woodenville, Washington, would like to introduce us to Faith Kamanu, a young woman from Nairobi, Kenya who has befriended Len’s youngest son, Bryan.
Len writes, “Faith is working in the healthcare industry here in Bellevue, Washington and is also a trained pastry chef. Her training was in Switzerland. She is quite well-traveled in Europe and America.”
Len, says, “After a few conversations and many questions from her, I simply asked if she wanted to study with me online using the WEI Bible lessons, and she excitedly said, ‘Yes!.”So she is now diligently doing the WEI Bible studies. Faith is well into the advanced-level courses and likes to ask many questions, plus she is sharing what she learns with her parents in Nairobi. I was privileged to baptize her recently, and she is already engaged in worship and classes at the Woodenville Church of Christ. What a blessing this young lady is to all who get to know her.”
“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
Honorariums and Memorials
Starr, Jean
In Honor of Our four girls
Gough, Sean & April
In Memory of Harriet Barrentine
Adams, John & Ginger
White, Diane
In Memory of Joy Bishop
Adams, John & Ginger
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
Gallaher, Roy & Carolyn
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
Langley, Tom & Angie
Maryville church of Christ
McClellan, Bruce & Brenda
Samuels, Larry & Linda
Spencer, Dan
In Memory of Frances Brown
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
In Memory of Barbara Burton
Adams, John & Ginger
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
Gallaher, Roy & Carolyn
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
Langley, Tom & Angie
Maryville church of Christ
White, Diane
In Memory of Billie Christian
Griffin, Jim & Diane
In Memory of Janet Dale
Eastside church of Christ ladies
Smith, Jim & Alice
In Memory of Lee Davis
Harris, Randall & Judy
In Memory of Juanita Dockery
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
Gallaher, Roy & Carolyn
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
Langley, Tom & Angie
McClellan, Bruce & Brenda
Harris, Randall & Judy
In Memory of Reese Fondren
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
In Memory of William J & Isabelle Foster
Foster, Jim
In Memory of Pat & Julia Green
Phillips, Virginia
In Memory of Lela Mae “Johnny” Higgins
Skinner, Ruth
In Memory of Fred Jewell
Allen, Lee & Jan
Cole, David & Barbara
Langley, Tom & Angie
Rollmann, Hans & Marcella
Wilson, Edmond & Elizabeth
In Memory of Maryville church of Christ members and their loved ones who passed away in 2022
Huff, David & Laura
In Memory of Priscilla Millard
Gallaher, Roy & Carolyn
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
McClellan, Bruce & Brenda
White, Diane
In Memory of Karen Nabors
Phillips, Virginia
In Memory of Larry Raburn
Raburn, Shirley
In Memory of Faye Stephens
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
Haynes, Rodney & Linda
Langley, Tom & Angie
McClellan, Bruce & Brenda
Maryville church of Christ
In memory of Judy Taylor
Edwards, Art & Bonnie
McClellan, Bruce & Brenda
In Memory of Mr. & Mrs. C.W. Whitten
Carden, Robert & Virginia
In Memory of Charlotte Wood
Skinner, Ruth
