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God Opens New Door in Kenya
When Satan slams one door shut, God opens another one. Last month, while we
were grieving over developments in Kenya, we received an exciting e-mail
from Ted and Martha Ogle, veteran missionaries in
Nairobi.
Ted & Martha Ogle in Kenya
The Ogles wrote, “We had two of our men look over the WEI materials to see
if we could use them here. They both had high praise of the material.
“One of the men, Peter Milimo, works with WBS and is an evangelist with the
church. Andrew Onyango, who works with us in NationsUniversity, is really
excited about it. He said the material was just outstanding for teaching
grammar and the Bible. Both Peter and Andrew think it would be a wonderful
tool to add to our present ministry outreach.”
Andrew Onyango
On October 4, the Ogles wrote, “We met
this morning to talk about working with WEI here in Kenya. We definitely
want to use your material.”
Ted says, “It would seem most economical and efficient to have the lessons
printed here and to do the grading here. Then, there is more personal
contact with the students. We feel that the contacts will be many.”
Martha concludes, “We need your help in
approaching churches or individuals who may be interested in this work. We
can get it off the ground very quickly. There is a lot of interest here.”
Matching Funds Available
The Ogles need a supply of WEI materials so that Peter and Andrew can use
them to “fish for people.” If we can raise $5,000 for the Ogles, there is a
trust fund in Nashville, Tennessee that will match it with another $5,000.
Here is your chance to double your money and stretch it to save souls.
Satan tried to stop WEI in Kenya, but God is stronger than Satan.
New
Christian in Belarus
Barbara Camp tells an exciting story about Victoria Manlukevich, her WEI
student in Belarus. Barbara writes, “After finishing her Internet studies
and expressing interest in baptism, I put her in touch with a sister in
Christ from Minsk, who immediately contacted Victoria and asked her to come
to church. Soon, Victoria was able to go and was received very warmly by the
brethren. One of the elders began studying with her, and after awhile, she
wrote me that she had been baptized.
“Minsk is about three hours by train from her home. She attends as often as
she can. Also, the brethren from Minsk have visited her home town.
“Not only has Victoria become a Christian; she has also shared her studies
with her fiancé and her mother. In fact, she was involved recently in an
evangelistic outreach sponsored by the church in Minsk.
Victoria Manlukevich and Barbara Camp in Warsaw
“Victoria came to meet me in Warsaw,
Poland, traveling 10 hours one way. We had a thirty-minute visit; then she
left for another 10 hour trip to Belarus.” Praise God for teachers like
Barbara and for students such as Victoria.
Two New Christians in Ghana
John Travis, WBS/WEI teacher at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, reports
that two young men have been baptized into Christ: Jever Korsoe Gee, a
twenty-year-old WBS student, and Methusalah Kumon Gee, a fifteen-year-old
WEI student. Both were baptized in a lake October 13.
John and his fellow-workers are doing a great job sharing the Good News with
Liberian refugees.
Jever Korsoe Gee & Methusalah Kumon Gee
Joyous
Day in Durrës
During the summer of 1992, in Tirana, Albania, Yvonne Davis taught Alfred
Zike about Christ. That summer, Alfred’s wife, Diana, gave birth to a baby
girl, and they named her Yvonne.
Alfred Zike Baptizes His Daughter, Yvonne
Now, Alfred is a gospel preacher in
Durrës. On October 23, he wrote, “Today, our daughter Yvonne confessed her
faith and was baptized for the remission of her sins in the name of our Lord
and Savior. We sing praises to Him, and we would like for you to join us
too. To Him be the glory and praise. Hallelujah!”
Update on IBIA
On October 3 and 4, six men met at the Adams Boulevard church building in
Bartlesville, Oklahoma to finalize plans for launching International Bible
Institute of Albania: Steve Stamatis, Bob Seat, Art Henley, Doug Reeves,
Chris Swinford, and Dick Ady.
Initially, IBIA will conduct classes in an apartment in Tirana. This
apartment will also serve as a dining hall and dormitory facility for
full-time male students. As soon as the new multipurpose building is
completed next door, IBIA will share classroom space with WEI and the
church.
About $10,000 will be needed for purchasing chairs, desks, file cabinet,
white board, markers, TV, VCR, teaching materials, bunk beds, linens,
washing machine, pots, pans, dishes, flatware, fans, and a generator. $6,350
has already been given. That means we need to raise another $3,650 to get
started.
Seven men have expressed a desire to study at IBIA: (1) Bledi Valca, (2)
Besnik Balliu, (3) Skender Kola, (4) Dashmir Xhika, (5) Driton Mallaku, (6)
Elvin Xhimitiku, and (7) Ray Wheeler. Inquiries have also come in from
Nigeria, India, and the Netherlands. Each fulltime Albanian student will
need a scholarship fund of $400 a month. This fund will cover the cost of
food, lodging, classroom space, study materials, and a $50 stipend for
transportation and personal items. The Adams Boulevard congregation has
agreed to provide scholarship funds for three students. An estimated eight
students will enroll in the first class. That means we must find
scholarships for four or five additional students. On weekends and during
the summer months, the students will work with their own Albanian churches,
preaching and teaching.
At this point, one church in Arkansas has pledged $100 a month toward a
student scholarship. Are there other congregations who will help these
promising young men prepare for ministry? Please put IBIA in your church
budget during the coming year.
For more information about IBIA, contact Dick Ady at
weiady@aol.com or call
503-661-0348.
WEI and NationsUniversity
During the past year, WEI has formed an official partnership with
NationsUniversity. NationsUniversity is a distance learning institution that
offers Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Religious Studies. WEI is
encouraging all students who complete our Advanced Bible Course to enroll in
NationsUniversity.
Tom Langley writes, “It is our prayer that this partnership will strengthen
mission site churches by providing high level, non-denominational Bible
teaching for preachers and teachers all over the world.
“The Romanian Churches of Christ have organized the Romanian Bible Academy.
Several WEI graduates are helping translate the NationsUniversity curriculum
into Romanian. The school will operate using the distance learning method of
training and will neither own property nor maintain a campus. This will
allow students, many of whom are married, to remain with their families and
jobs while earning a degree in Bible.
“Ten learning centers will be established throughout the country (five in
the east, and five in the west), each hosted by a local congregation. The
first school year will begin October 2006.”
New Sister in Romania
The North Stafford Church of Christ in Stafford, Virginia, assisted by Tom
Langley, conducted a WEI short-term mission school in Constanta, Romania
this summer, and one was baptized into Christ on the last
day.
June White, one of the WEI teachers,
says, “Ana told me that, at the beginning of this year,she prayed that she
would be able to read and study the Bible. She did not know how that would
be possible, since there were big obstacles in her life to keep her from
doing this. Then, in late spring or early summer, she heard about the WEI
course being offered using the Bible as a text, and jumped at the chance to
take the course. That was the answer to her prayer.
“I have never been around anyone who soaked up the Word of God like she
does. It is very humbling. She has a heart that truly loves God, and I am
thankful to know her.”
Tom & Angela Langley
Message from the Langleys
One of the many blessings of working full time in world missions is the
wonderful, dedicated Christian people we are privileged to know and work
with. It’s been a pure joy these past few months to communicate and work
with the Missions Department at Freed Hardeman University. Mark Hooper and
Mark Blackwelder have been so helpful and instrumental in allowing us to
recruit WEI short-term mission teachers from the FHU student body. It’s such
an encouragement and thrill to be in the presence of men who truly have a
burning passion for world missions. As a result of this new partnership, we
are excited at the possibility of sending a few teams of FHU students as WEI
teachers into the mission field this spring and summer.
Goal for 2006
Our WEI short-term mission goal is to maintain the number of our current
short-term efforts and, at the same time, send WEI teachers into two new
mission sites per year. Tempere, Finland; Lugoj, Romania; and Lasi, Romania
are three cities that have committed to host a first-time four-week WEI
Bible school in 2006. Two additional mission sites are also interested in
hosting their first WEI short-term effort in 2006. Great news! It looks like
we are going to have to revise our goals upward. We need teachers.
We cannot begin to express our gratitude for the financial and spiritual
support that so many of you have graciously given to our WEI Eastern Office.
As we review our 2005 budget and begin to make plans for 2006, we are
humbled by your past generosity. Still, the opportunities for 2006 exceed
our current financial abilities. We trust that the Lord will continue to
provide generous Christians like you to help carry on the mission of WEI,
which is to promote the worldwide spread of the Gospel using innovative
materials and techniques.
Thank you, and may God bless you.
---Tim & Angela Langley
Dick & Maudine Ady
Message from the Adys
The church in Tirana, Albania continues to amaze and inspire us by its deeds
of kindness. On September 24, Artan Samara wrote, “Last week, the Church of
Christ in Tirana had a special collection to help the brethren in America
who are damaged from the Katrina hurricane. We have been daily praying for
the situation there, and we feel blessed to be able to assist with this
modest contribution of $300 that is close to double amount that we usually
collect on Sunday. We are kindly asking your assistance in sending that
amount in the right place.”
In response to this request, we promptly sent $300 to the Whites Ferry Road
Relief Ministry.
Almost daily, we receive exciting reports from people all over the world who
are using WEI materials in their outreach ministries
Thank You, Dear Friends
Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude to our beloved friends and
partners-in-Christ. May God bless you for helping us dig out of our recent
financial hole. This is our last Update for 2005. We pray that God will
continue to bless you and us so that we can end this year in the black.
Our greatest need right now is to find more churches and individuals who
will put us in your budgets and have ongoing fellowship with us in world
evangelism.
WEI has grown beyond our wildest dreams. God has given us students in 178
nations. Our goal is to share the Good News with every person on earth.
Together, we can fulfill the great commission.
All of us at WEI—the Adys, the Langleys, Debbie Henry, Ramona Woods, the
Pattersons, Towells, and the WEI board wish each of you a happy holiday
season and a blessed New Year.
May God be with you. We love you.
---Dick and Maudine Ady
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