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Meet Nkurunziza Jean de la Paix
Ted and Martha Ogle, veteran missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya, are now
partnering with WEI as well as WBS and NationsUniversity, and God is
blessing our partnership. Exciting things are happening.
Ted and Martha write, “We have accepted responsibility for administering
another teaching tool known as World English Institute (WEI). It is a
teaching program that teaches English and uses items learned for Bible
study.
“Now, Nkurunziza Jean de la Paix [from Rwanda] is working with us full time
on this approach to Bible study. Though this is new to him, he has 23
students enrolled; 16 of these are refugees. The refugees seem to be a field
ripe unto harvest. Language skills are much needed in a strange land. Please
pray for this work of sharing the good news of salvation.” Jean is
well-qualified for this work both spiritually and academically. He is now
working on his second MRS degree through NationsUniversity.
For those of us who haven’t studied French, the Ogles explain how Jean’s
family name is pronounced. The “N” is almost silent, and “Nkurunziza” is
pronounced: “Kur’ un ziza,” meaning “Good News.” “Jean” is French for John.
“Jean de la Paix” means “John of Peace.” Thus, “John of Peace,” is preaching
the Good News about the Prince of Peace.
Interestingly, Ted and Martha are now working with Peter, Andrew, and John.
Like the apostles for whom they were named, they have been sent forth by
Jesus Christ to share the Good News with others.
Peter, John, and Andrew
We just received word that John has baptized his first WEI student, Rene
Ibrahim Issa, a 21-year-old man from Rwanda. The picture below tells the
story.
The Ogles, Peter, John, and Rene Rejoice with the Angels
Four New Christians in Durrës
Alfred Zike, a minister of the church in Durrës, Albania, writes the
following: “The membership has grown with four new souls since January 2006.
All of them were baptized for the remission of their sins based on their
beliefs and confessions of the Lord among many witnesses. Daniela, Olsa, and
Nikolin Kosta were baptized on January 8th, while Ilsa Basha was baptized in
February.
Çimi (far right) and New Christians
“The four new souls are very devoted. All of them are faithful in attendance
[at worship] and all other activities of the church. “Çimi [Kafexhiu] is
having Bible classes with them. They all are growing spiritually.”
Winhams Evaluate WEI Course
Steve and Suzie Winham, who make regular mission trips to La Paz, Mexico,
have this to say about WEI: “We found the course to be very effective with
the students that knew very little English. One elderly lady said that she
had taken several English courses in Mexico, and this was, by far, the best
one she had seen.”
New Christians at Buduburam
John Travis (minister of the gospel at the Buduburam Refugee Camp near
Accra, Ghana) reports: “We are thankful for the number of baptisms here in
the month of March 2006. There was one baptism in the month of April. Her
name is Mamie Mombo, born February 22, 1973 and baptized April 16, 2006.”
She was a WEI student who “attended most of the Bible classes during the
week and at church. She had visited the church for more than two years
before she got baptized.”
Mamie Mombo Is Baptized into Christ
Bill Morgan Trains Leaders
Each year, Bill Morgan teaches two or three leadership-training classes in
Tirana, Albania. Between twenty and thirty people usually attend these
classes. Consequently, the Tirana church now has eight strong male leaders
as well as a number of well-informed male and female teachers.
We commend Bill for his wisdom and perseverance. God is using him powerfully
to build up the kingdom of Christ in Tirana.
Bill Morgan Teaching Leadership Training Class
WEI Students Increase in
Cambodia
In a recent newsletter, Bill McDonough said, “In an effort to increase the
number of students studying the Bible in English, we have promoted World
English Institute Internet Study opportunities. Today, WEI Internet School
Director, Bob Towell, told us we have the second largest number of
[Internet] students of any country in the world.
“By encouraging Internet study, we can teach many more students, and when
they are ready, they can join our private tutoring program which teaches an
average of seventy-five students a week at the PIP Center in Phnom Penh.
“More than sixty Christians from the USA and Europe have spent one to
nine months teaching in the Phnom Penh Center, and many of those taught obey
the gospel and remain faithful.
“This is another example of how partnering with other ministries increases
our productivity and allows us to share the gospel with many more than we
ever could working alone.”
Steve & Ruth Byrne Move to
Fier
Pray for Steve and Ruth Byrne as they move to Fier, Albania to serve as
long-term missionaries. Steve and Ruth first went to Albania in 1995 as part
of a singing group from Livermore, California. Since then, Steve has
returned to Albania twice for short-term mission efforts.
Steve and Ruth will work with the church in Fier under the oversight of the
Slicer Street Church of Christ in Kennett, Missouri.
Ruth and Steve Byrne
Teaching Sudanese through CDs
A Muslim refugee from Sudan, now living in France, has become a Christian,
and he will soon be using WEI materials to share his faith with others. Bob
and Jan Towell have given several CDs containing the WEI Bible and English
courses to a brother in Abilene, Texas. He, in turn, will send the CDs to
France where they will be used by our brother (whose name is withheld for
security reasons) in his outreach ministry. He is also being encouraged to
enroll in NationsUniversity for advanced Bible training.
“So you see,” says Jan, “the Word is being scattered in all kinds of places.
You never know where, when, and how the seed will touch fertile soil. Amen?”
Opportunities Abound in
Central America
Tom Langley has just returned from an exciting trip to Central America. In
an effort to open doors, he introduced WEI at the Baxter Institute
Lectureships in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for the first time.
Tom says, “Preachers and missionaries from all over Central America attend
this lectureship each year. Baxter Institute is highly regarded for its
Bible instruction and leadership training. Students from all over Central
America attend this school and, after graduation, go on to become ministers,
evangelists, and missionaries primarily in Central America.
“Most of those in attendance did not even know of WEI and were thrilled to
learn of this exciting tool to aid their present and future ministries. They
were so excited about the possibilities that 79 preachers and students
signed up to take the course themselves! They absolutely loved the idea of a
combination of English and Bible courses. Several mission sites in Central
America are also very interested in hosting WEI short-term teams in the
future.
“There is an exciting future for WEI in this part of the world, and we are
praying for God’s blessings as we pursue these wonderful opportunities.”
Tom Langley with Baxter Institute Students
Tom & Angela Langley
These are very good times for WEI, and we are grateful to
God for them. Every aspect of the ministry seems to be growing and
expanding. We have correspondence students in more countries than ever
before. Our e-mail ministry continues to be on the cutting edge of Internet
technology, thanks to the tireless efforts of Bob and Jan Towell, and our
webmaster, Bob Patterson.
Our short-term mission ministry has exceeded its goals for expansion in
2006. In the coming weeks, eight (8) WEI short-term mission teams will be
launching out to personally study the Bible with hundreds of students. Very
good reports are coming in from all over the world where mission efforts are
using WEI as a tool to reach countless numbers of people with God’s word. As
stated in this newsletter, there are even more opportunities on the horizon.
We know that we must not become satisfied and complacent with these
blessings. We will continue to dream and envision the day when every man and
woman has an opportunity to respond to the gospel message. When Jesus
commissioned us to “go into ALL the world,” he meant what he said.
I’ve recently been inspired by the work of World Bible School, our sister
correspondence ministry. They speak in terms of reaching people in biblical
proportions, not just tens of thousands, but millions! May God continue to
bless WBS and WEI as we both strive to reach the lost of the ENTIRE world.
If this is exciting to you, please give prayerful consideration to
partnering with us so that ALL the world may come to know our Lord. Also,
please pray for our teams of WEI short-term teachers who will be traveling
great distances in the coming weeks.
Our family is grateful to God for the opportunity to serve in this
international mission ministry. Over the last 30 months, we have been so
blessed to meet, fellowship, and partner with so many of you: Arlington,
Buffalo Valley, Holladay, Piedmont Road, Tenth Street, and of course our
sponsoring church in Maryville. We love and appreciate you all in the Lord.
---Tom and Angie
Dick & Maudine Ady
Praise God for Tom and Angie Langley. They are tremendous assets to WEI. As
my future successor, Tom is accepting more and more responsibility. He is
now in charge of organizing short-term mission efforts throughout the world.
He is also speaking to churches, setting up his WEI display booth at college
lectureships and missionary workshops, and promoting world evangelism in
general.
Tom just returned from an exciting trip to Central America. At Baxter
Institute in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, seventy-one preachers and students
enrolled in WEI. Most of these know little or no English, so they want to
begin with the WEI Beginner’s English Course for Spanish-speaking students.
That presents a CHALLENGE and an OPPORTUNITY. The challenge is to find
bilingual teachers who can communicate with these students in Spanish.
The opportunity is for Spanish-speaking Christians and Hispanic churches in
the U.S. to get involved in mission work. Hispanic congregations are popping
up everywhere in the United States. Please help us contact them about
teaching these seventy-one new students in Honduras.
Tom also spent three days with Benny and Donna Baker in Nicaragua talking to
them about introducing the WEI English and Bible courses into a Jinotega
high school curriculum. Tom will have more to say about this in our next
newsletter.
We still have matching funds available for gifts up to $25,000, thanks to
the generosity of Bill Stephens and Tim Partlow. Here is your chance to
double your money while laying up treasures in heaven.
God is using WEI to teach people about Christ in 189 countries. To him be
the glory. As WEI grows, the cost of spreading the gospel grows with it.
Only by the grace of God are we able to pay the bills. We are deeply
grateful to him and to you. May he reward you for your love gifts. Thank you
for your friendship and your encouragement. We love you with the love of
God.
---Dick and Maudine
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