Moses Born Again in Malawi
Welcome to our first WEI promotional website monthly newsletter. We hope and pray that this little monthly newsletter will be a source of encouragement and inspiration as we highlight teachers, students, and related stories generated through the WEI ministry. This monthly publication will not replace our larger quarterly “WEI UPDATE” newsletter which is distributed by email and postal service to thousands of our supporters within our worldwide network of Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
2020 has been one of those very unusual years which many of us have never experienced and hopefully will never again experience in our lifetimes. For many, it has been a year of loneliness, anxiety, despair, and grief. Yet with all the suffering and isolation, we have experienced due to the pandemic, God is in control and we can be sure of His constant presence and eternal promises.
This year as I have pondered our unusual circumstances finding no relief in human explanations, I have turned for comfort to this passage in Isaiah 55 where the Lord speaks through the prophet:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
As we prayerfully and eagerly look forward to 2021 with the hope of a return to more normal life routines, we give thanks to God as always for the opportunities 2020 provided us. Little hidden treasures during times of uncertainty. Because of the pandemic, more Christians found the time to become WEI teachers and began sharing the truth of God’s word and their faith with students from every country of the world. Likewise, individuals from all over the world found themselves in the same isolated situation, so we had more Internet student registrations than in all previous years. To God be the glory.
Below is a year-on-year comparative review of the many souls from all over the world who were in some way touched by the truth of God’s word through the WEI materials. This growth would not have been possible without the dedication of our over 700 loyal volunteer teachers. We give all thanks and praise to God for all these new 2020 opportunities He graciously provided WEI.
We are deeply thankful for all our prayerful and financial supporters. Without your generous gifts, this non-profit Great Commission ministry would not be possible. Thank you!
May the Lord bless you
and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
May the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace
Tom Langley (WEI president)
Paul and Debbie Pinckley are committed to beginning a new work in Tavira, Portugal, and the surrounding region. Lord willing, their plans are to move to Tavira in January 2021. After serving on the Ship of Life and teaching WEI for 3 years in Cambodia, they returned to the States 6 years ago and have since been seeking opportunities to once again serve full-time in the mission field.
While visiting southern Portugal on vacation they fell in love with the people and culture and observed an absence of the Lord’s church throughout the entire region. They agreed to house sit for a new friend in central Portugal for 6 months and spent the first part of 2020 getting to know the city, people, culture, and surrounding region better.
Inspired by an active evangelical ministry in Berlin and Prague called, “Open Door Libraries”.
Moses Born Again in Malawi
- Christian literature lending library.
- English language instruction using the Bible (World English Institute).
- Evening Bible study, as interest grows.
- Bible story time for Children.
- Christian reading room.
- Periodic lectures on subjects of community interest, utilizing a Biblical basis.
- Choral performances in the community, hosted by Tudo Bem.
FINANCING TUDO BEM
The Pinckleys will take no salary or supplement, as they are receiving personal retirement funds. Any funds raised are specifically focused on the establishment and operation of Tudo Bem. After the initial start-up costs (approximately $4500), the regular monthly expenses are estimated to be less than $1,100. A bi-annual financial report will be included with the Tudo Bem newsletter, which will be sent to all partners.
The Pinckleys believe this project is an excellent way to help the Portuguese “find and follow Jesus.”
If you would like to be involved in helping support this
new and exciting evangelistic ministry in southern Portugal,
please contact Paul at :
SPONSORING CHURCH:
Simi Church of Christ, 1554 Sinaloa Rd.Simi Valley, CA 93065
Donations may be made to them
with the memo notation: Pinckley – Tudo Bem.
Moses Born Again in Malawi
MORE ABOUT THE PINCKLEYS
Paul and Debbie are retired academicians, who currently live in Greeneville, Tennessee. Paul worked in higher education as a faculty member, administrator, and executive, and still serves as an adjunct at the local community college. Debbie chose smaller people to work with, teaching grades K-4. The Pinckleys passionately believe that books can change lives. With the addition of a spiritual emphasis, it is believed that books may change eternities.
Prabhu Kumar WEI-India
On November 4, 2007, a faithful Christian man and WEI teacher, the late Mike Hale, kept on sowing new seed by claiming more WEI Internet students. Unknown to him he just happened to claim an exceptionally good WEI student from India. His name was Prabhu Kumar. Prabhu had been surfing the Internet looking for a free course to improve his English. Prabhu was a Bible professor at the churches of Christ World Bible School in Chennai, India. He was thrilled to learn that WEI was a combination English grammar and Bible course written by a Brother in Christ, Dr. Richard “Dick” Ady. Prabhu was an outstanding student and completed the course in record time and achievement. He quickly realized that WEI would be a powerful evangelistic tool in the country of India. He had the vision to offer WEI classes to students in cities, towns, and villages all over India. Many of his former students were now active preachers in churches of Christ, and Prabhu would use them as year-round WEI teachers. He recruited 55 former students, friends, and colleagues to teach WEI in various villages, cities, and towns where they were serving the Lord. They easily gathered eager new students every year from within each of their respective communities.
WEI materials were printed in India and distributed there to save money on shipping. Each class of new students would be called a batch and two batches of students would be taught the full course of WEI each year. Prabhu himself left his teaching position at the Bible School in Chennai. He planted a church near Punadipadu, India to serve as the pulpit minister and devote full time to WEI-India. Just as Prabhu envisioned, many of these WEI students from the 55 year-round schools learned the truth of the Gospel for the first time and the results have been amazing.
Since the first WEI-India school began operating in 2008:
- Approximately 20,000 students have studied the Bible in these WEI schools.
- There have been well over 700 baptisms, of which 30% were either friends or relatives of the WEI students who attended these year-round schools.
- The WEI-India ministry has now expanded to include a ministry training school in Punadipadu called the Mike Hale School of Theology in honor of Prabhu’s WEI teacher. As Timothy encouraged in his 2nd epistle, verse 2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others…”
- Prabhu directs this Bible-teaching ministry school with 12 to 15 students each year who are taught Bible and trained in Christian ministry. Several American ministers serve on the faculty and teach via web conferencing.
TEACHERS, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CLAIM MANY STUDENTS TO FIND ONE GOOD SEEKING SOUL WHO WILL PRODUCE A HARVEST 100 TIMES WHAT WAS SOWN.
WEI-India is sponsored by the Maryville Church of Christ, TN.
This ministry is not fully funded. Please contact Tom Langley or elder, Artan Xhaferaj if you would like to partner with us in supporting this very fruitful ministry.
Katheryn Haddad
We are blessed to have a WEI Internet teacher who is one of the most passionate and zealous sisters we have had the honor and privilege of knowing and being associated with. Her story is inspiring and her love for the lost is unequaled. Many of her students have turned from Islam and become members of God’s kingdom. They were living in total darkness, but because of her love and diligence, they now are co-heirs with us in God’s glorious kingdom. Her name is Katheryn Haddad. This is her WEI story in her own words. I think you will find it most inspiring.
In December 2010 I became a WEI teacher because I learned WEI reaches those who never saw a Bible, could care less about the Bible but would tolerate the Bible to learn English. I planned to teach Buddhists and Hindus but ended up teaching Muslims. When 9/11 came and a few Muslims signed up, I saw other teachers were not taking them out of fear. I grew up with Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, so began taking them. At that time, we had maybe five Muslims sign up a week. We began a special ad campaign in the Middle East with all students funneled to me. By the time we reached 25 a day, we started sending them to all teachers and it has grown from there.
I have taught around 7400 students because I “report to work” half a day every day. I have canned replies so I can go through four students an hour without rushing. I take new students every day because most correspondence students do not continue (it was the same in surface-mail days too). I do not spend time running after them; they will come back when they are ready. I have had students return after seven years. I make a list of all students who turn in lessons to me one day and grade them the next. I stay up to midnight if I have to if I got busy that day doing other things. I know the next day will have its own list of students.
I periodically say to promising students, “You are beginning to think and write like a Christian. Why don’t you be baptized and become a Christian all the way?” Or I might say, “You are right about baptism. Did you mean it? I can tell you how to be baptized.” I have had 22 students decide to become Christians. Out of 7400 students? That’s .03 percent, exactly the same ratio that were baptized on Pentecost in a city of one million during feast times.
Once baptized, I encourage them to secretly put-up signs around town to get more to sign up with WEI. I had one student in the Middle East who told over 100 people in person at risk to his life to sign up for WEI. He says, “I will not stop until they kill me.” I taught those who responded, and he baptized them. Today, there is a secret congregation of the Church of Christ in that country where people are imprisoned and executed for being Christians.
Our missionary sister Katheryn is also a prolific writer. Many of her books were inspired by her WEI teaching experiences and insight. You are welcome to visit her website for a list of all her books. Her website address is:
