New Sister in Lushnja, Albania
Tom Bonner, missionary in Lushnja, Albania, reports good news: “Era
Met-Hoxha, who has been attending for about 2 years, and studying first with
Alma, then with me, was buried with Christ and raised to walk a new life. I
asked Era to share with us what Jesus means to her, and what her baptism
meant to her.
“Wise beyond her years (14), she said that it is her intention to make Jesus
her life, not just something she does.”
Tom Baptizes Era into Christ
“After the baptism, she wanted to say something to the group. Tearfully,
she said, ‘I haven’t had a father for some time, but now, I have God as my
Father.’ Her father died about 7 or 8 years ago, and she has very fond
memories of him. Pray that I can be an adequate spiritual father to her.”
Tom says, “We will be having a World English Institute campaign here in
Lushnja this summer. This will consist of teaching English and the Bible
together, utilizing the WEI materials. Almost all the converts here in
Lushnja have come through this means of teaching.”
A Touching and Disturbing Story
Katheryn Maddox Haddad has been teaching a male WEI student in an Asian
country via the Internet. This student has looked into the yawning jaws of
death and survived by the providence of God. He and his wife have asked us
to share their story with you. (The names are fictitious to protect the
innocent. We have decided not to print their picture even though they are a
beautiful couple.)
FD and Noor talked on the telephone for a year before meeting in person.
Even though Noor was a Muslim and FD was a Christian, they dated for two
years and secretly fell in love.
Noor’s family was making preparations for her to marry a Muslim, but Noor
didn’t want to marry the boy her mother had chosen for her. Every day on the
phone, she begged FD to take her away with him, or she would kill herself.
She bought some poison just in case. On the day before her wedding, Noor
left her family to be with FD. Later, she told FD that she would have killed
herself on the day of her wedding if he had not rescued her.
FD says, “I think it was very brave of Noor that she didn’t care what
happened to her. I had no job, no future, no relatives out of my town, only
$250, no place to live, and no nice house to keep my new bride, no nice bed
for the first special night, no wedding party, no wedding dress, and no
wedding band. Nothing! I believe God was watching over us.”
For seven days, FD agonized over what he should do. He wanted to flee with
Noor, but he thought, “I will be killed if I do. My family will suffer. My
only sister might be a victim too. How can I leave my three brothers? How
can I play with their future like this? Why should I cause problems for
their education and happy life? Most of all how can my parents, especially
my father, face other people in society? He won’t have work to do. How can
the family survive? How can my parents solve the court issues? They have
never been to the police station. There were so many questions in my mind.
What a painful time. (I am crying as I recall the past.)”
After hiding at his father’s house for a week, FD took Noor and secretly
flew to another city. When they arrived at their destination, FD checked his
cell phone and found 135 missed calls. His parents were trying to reach him.
When FD called home, his father was crying loudly. Noor’s family was there
with him.
FD says, “Our parents wanted us to go back, but we couldn’t. If we had
decided to go back, what would have been the result? Death! Muslims are very
strong in our town. I had seen them with my own eyes, selling drugs,
smuggling weapons, killing poor people, killing their own daughters who had
gone against their wills and burying them so that police would not know
about it.”
Noor’s father, a wealthy and influential land-owner, accused FD of
kidnapping his daughter and stealing his gold. He and his eight
brothers-in-law went after FD’s entire family. They hired a member of
Al-Quida to find and kill FD and Noor. Fortunately, nobody ever found them.
FD’s family fled to another city to save their lives. Two of his brothers
were caught by the police and put in prison. FD says that the “police beat
them every day. My wife’s family was bribing the police to beat my brothers
as badly as they could. They were swollen, but they didn’t tell where I was.
What brotherly love! (I am crying again.)”
On March 7, 2007, FD and Noor went to the court house in their city of
refuge and made their marriage official.
Finally, FD took Noor in a secure place and, at great risk to himself,
returned to his home town to clear his name. In court, he affirmed that he
had neither kidnapped Noor nor robbed her father of his gold. When it became
obvious that the judge was about to turn FD over to Noor’s family who stood
behind him in the courtroom, FD ran out the door and escaped.
On August 11, 2007, FD and Noor flew to another country where FD enrolled
in WEI. FD and Noor have both been baptized into Christ, and FD is now using
WEI materials to teach others.
FD concludes, “Our awesome God has blessed us with a cute daughter and
has given me a job. All I want to say is please continue to pray for us.
Pray, also, that God can make a way for my family. Pray for my wife’s
parents and her uncles that God can change their hearts.
“Praise God that Noor has the Savior now. Our greatest desire is to serve
the Lord our God and to spread his true and sweet word.”
WEI Sweeps through India
The most productive work that God is doing through WEI today is in India.
This work is being facilitated by Prabhu Kumar through the generous support
of Mike Hale and his family.
The subject line of Prabhu’s e-mail on January 16 was, “Five People Saved by
God.” Two of the five new converts were Hindus.
Prabhu Watches as Bro. Payani Baptizes H. Hamsa
On January 18, Prabhu wrote, “Seven WEI students baptized from the
Neloakondapalii WEI branch.”
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J. Suresh Is Baptized by Br. Adarsh
On February 26, Prabhu wrote, “By the grace of God and because of our
teachers’ hard work, eight WEI students have been baptized into Christ. I am
so happy to inform you of this matter.”
Six of the eight come from Hindu families.
The subject line of Prabhu’s e-mail March 9 was, “Three WEI Students
Saved in Orissa.” Prabhu said, “After receiving me, our WEI teacher, Brother
Ajith, took me to the baptismal tub which he had constructed. There, he
baptized three of his WEI students in the presence of me. Once again, I came
to know that nothing is impossible to our Almighty God.” Two of the three
students baptized in Orissa were Hindus.
In his March 10 e-mail, Prabhu wrote, “I am so happy to inform you that we
have entered into a new state of Chattisgargh. On 2nd of March, I and our
teacher both went to Bhilai. There, a young man named Naresh Nanda had
studied under our WEI teacher, Bro. Ajith, at Bhargargh and had graduated
February 27th. I found that this young man had good character and the fear
of God also. Bro. Naresh Nanda is now working with us in WEI.
“Brother Jonathan, also, wants to work with us, and he promised that he will
show us the way to enter into a few more Northern states.”
Three Souls Added in Cameroon
Obed Anthony, a self-supporting evangelist in Cameroon, is effectively using
WEI in his ministry. In an e-mail dated March 3, he said, “I write to let
you know that last Sunday was a great day as three souls were added to the
Lord’s church through the efforts of WEI Cameroon. Attached are the pictures
of the WEI students who were baptized: Andong Meslin, Kema Teckla, and Tabit
Salonge.”
Obed Anthony Baptizes WEI Student in Cameroon
We commend Brother Anthony for his outstanding work in Cameroon.
WEI Wins Another in China
Bob Patterson, one of our two webmasters, also teaches WEI students via
e-mail. Bob writes, “Studying English and the Bible by e-mail often takes
midnight hours since there is a sixteen-hour time difference, and teaching
goes beyond just sending lessons. In the past five years, over 100 students
have been sent to me by other students who have found the Lord by WEI
e-mail. Converts are a ready source of students.
“Recently, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a converted Catholic was
baptized and is thrilled. At her baptism, she said to her father, ‘I hope
that I can help my mother be our sister some day.’ Peter baptized her after
preaching a sermon titled, ‘Our Own Exodus.’ Peter has been preaching since
his own conversion, having completed both the basic and advanced WEI
courses.”
We have decided not to include the picture of this baptism in order to
protect the identity of those involved. Let us pray for our unnamed sister.
WEI Flourishes in Nigeria
Aniefiok Akpan, Director of WEI in Nigeria, continues to bear fruit on a
shoestring budget. On January 24, he wrote, “Four persons have already been
baptized into Christ this year. Anieti Japhet Idiong is our WEI student and
studies with brother Art Hitt (an elder of the Peninsula church in Portland,
Oregon).”
Aniefiok Baptizes Anieti into Christ
On February 8, Aniefiok wrote, “Please join us to celebrate the baptism
of another WEI student in Nigeria who came to Christ yesterday. His name is
Uduak Jonah Abasiubong.”
On March 5, he wrote, “We have a list of more students to be assigned to new
teachers. New intakes are enrolled in our WEI Teaching Center at Abak on a
daily basis. We are handling over | WEI students ourselves. We are
teaching some of the students at the WEI Center.”
On March 10, he wrote, “Please rejoice with us about the baptism of two of
our WEI students in Ukanafun which happened yesterday.”
Finally, Aniefiok wrote, “Our WEI student, Victor Okon John accepted Christ
and was baptized on Sunday March 14. Victor and his wife, Glory, are the
students of Sister Cathy Gusek (WEI teacher) from the Northside Church of
Christ in Hanceville, Alabama.
Aniefiok Baptizes Victor in the Jungle
WEI Internet Ministry
Bob and Jan Towell
After thinking about the things that our Iraqi guest told us Sunday, I
feel compelled to write about what I believe is our “Macedonian Call.” It is
a call to evangelize Muslim nations. More than a third of the WEI students
who use the teaching website specify Islam as their faith.
I know that many have your sights set on Romania, Albania, Slovenia, India,
Mexico, Brazil, etc., but you know that the Spirit did not allow Paul and
his companions to turn northward. Instead, the Spirit pointed them toward
the west. It wasn’t until they reached the sea that the Spirit showed them
where they were to go—across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Could it be that
the low number of registrants and students we are getting from certain
nations is the Spirit’s way of directing us elsewhere?
Read the last section of Joel Rosenburg's book, Inside the Revolution, and
see if the Spirit does not set your hearts on fire with a desire to
evangelize the Muslim world. The Spirit directed Paul to go to a land filled with idols,
temples, and so many religions that, in Athens, there was an altar dedicated
to “The Unknown God.” We know that radical Islamists will kill anyone who
leaves Islam and anyone who teaches people to leave Islam. But Rosenburg
tells about the tens of thousands who are leaving Islam for Christ each
year. We feel compelled to use WEI’s lessons to teach them the way “more
perfectly.”
What do we need to do? We hope, because the Spirit dwells in the hearts of
those who read this newsletter, that more people will pick up their mouse
and put their fingers to their keyboards and join this missionary journey
into the lands where Satan dwells.
Suppose Paul had not gone to Philippi because he was too busy with something
else? Would Lydia and her household have found Christ? Would the jailer and
his family have found Christ? Will Muslims find Christ because we answer the
call? Or will we have to tell God, “Well, I was busy with. . .”? Who else
will not have an opportunity to find Christ?
In March 2010, WEI’s teaching website had its biggest month since we began
registering and teaching students. Five thousand, nine hundred and three
people registered and had the opportunity to study WEI’s Introductory
Lesson. Of these, 997 submitted their answers and were assigned to teachers.
Thanks to all who participated in this growth—to those who recruited
teachers; to teachers who continue to take new students, to those who keep
the website operating, and to those who contribute to WEI’s Google
advertising budget.
---Bob and Jan Towell
Short-term Missions
Tom, Angela, Bianca, and Brianna Langley
Flowers and trees are blooming, and fresh warm breezes are blowing
through East Tennessee. Spring is a reminder that exciting times are coming
in our WEI ministry.
The time is quickly approaching for several of our WEI short-term summer
mission teams to be launching out to different places around the world to
begin personal Bible studies with hundreds of precious souls. Some of our
short-term mission sites have a full compliment of teachers, and others
still need a few teachers to complete their teams.
Here are a few sites and dates that still need WEI teachers this summer:
- Guatemala City, Guatemala (needs two teachers), July 31 – August 14.
- Tirana, Albania (needs several teachers), July 17-31.
- Padova, Italy (team does not yet exist), October 17 – November 13.
One of the blessings of the WEI short-term mission is that the WEI
material was originally written as a correspondence course. Study by
correspondence enables our short-term mission teachers to easily follow up
with their students. One of the greatest concerns of long-term missionaries
and national evangelists is the difficulty they face in following up with
every student who studies during the short-term mission. Thus, many of our
teachers continue teaching their students by correspondence. They enjoy the
spiritually thrilling and rewarding experiences of sharing their faith even
after leaving the mission field. Students don’t feel abandoned by those they
have grown to respect and love. Many students have come to the Lord through
post-short-term mission correspondence. There is no greater joy than to hear
through the Internet or postal mail that a former student has obeyed the
gospel.
Our Maryville office is experiencing some financial difficulties due solely
to the national economic downturn. A few churches have had to regretfully
reduce or eliminate their support. If you are in a position to support an
extremely effective Bible teaching mission ministry, please give WEI
prayerful consideration. We love and appreciate all of you who continue to
make this ministry available to lost souls all over the world. Thank you!
---Tom and Angela
Our Amazing God
Dick and Maudine Ady
As winds of violence swirl around the earth, we take comfort in the fact
that the Prince of Peace is at work drawing people to himself. God is using
WEI to accomplish his eternal purposes.
In November 2003, John Ed Clark, Behailu Abebe, and I inaugurated a WEI
Center in Awasa, Ethiopia. Since then, hundreds of people have been baptized
into Christ. In a recent report, Behailu said that 85 people had been
baptized in the Awasa area in one month, and three new churches had been
planted.
On March 31, we received a report from Larry Ware, Prison Minister at
Oklahoma State Reformatory, saying that “at least fourteen (14) inmates
have requested baptism.” Larry uses WEI materials in his prison
ministry.
When the disastrous earthquake hit Haiti January 12, death and devastation
gripped the nation. Since that tragic day, however, God and his people have
been busy saving lives and souls.
Brother Jean Robert St. Hilaire, minister of the Church of Christ at Delmas
43 in Port-au-Prince and Director of WEI in Haiti, reports that “seven
precious souls” were baptized February 7, and ten more were baptized
February 8. On February 14, 118 people were baptized, including
Jean Robert’s son, Nahum. And the harvest goes on.
Chuck Gusek, a WEI teacher in Hanceville, Alabama, reports that Jean Robert
baptized one of his WEI students in Haiti.
The earthquake in Haiti was a terrible tragedy, but God has used the tragedy
to bless the lives of many people.
SUPPORT CRISIS
In the United States, our national economy has taken a nosedive. Countless
people have lost their jobs, and many have lost their homes. At the same
time, WEI is suffering, a shortfall of several thousand dollars a month. We
look to God and to God’s people for the resources needed to keep this
worldwide ministry going.
We ask that you provide copies of
this update for your congregation.
To all our friends who are supporting us with their prayers, time, effort,
and financial resources, we say, “Thank you. We love you; and we are
grateful.”
NEED 1
WEI’s Internet Teaching
Website and Postal Mail Have Reached 202 of the World’s 203 Nations
To become an Internet teacher, send email to
jrtowell@aol.com
WEI currently gets 1000 new students per month. Almost
40% are Muslims, many are Hindu and Buddhist
Man, 37, in Mongolia with no religion: “This is really interesting
history which I have never heard about, so now I know history of who created
the earth.”
Atheist Woman, 44, in China: "I didn't believe any super natural
power prior to my taking this course. I'm anxious to know more. I wish I
could really find God.”
NEED 2
Campaign Teaching: Short-term Mission Trips
To join a short-term mission team, send email to Tom
Langley at weimaryville@aol.com
A campaign is arranged to attract students by offering
FREE English. Each student is assigned to a campaign teacher. Typically, up
to a hundred students study during the summer's 6 week period. Books are
available in several foreign translations including Albanian, Chinese,
French, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish.
NEED 3
By Founder, Dick Ady
(former west coast WBS board member)
There is no way of knowing how many lives have
been impacted by WEI in 202 nations during the past twenty years. Perhaps a
million. Maybe two million. God knows. However, I am
convinced that we could have 100 million students by the end of this decade
if (1) we had the money for round-the-clock
Google ads, (2) the funds to develop and maintain a web site that could
handle 100 million students, and (3) teachers to teach them.
By running Google ads one hour a day around the
globe, we are now getting more than 1,000 new students per month.
Every time we double the Google ad time, we double the number of students.
That means we could potentially get 24,000 new students per month from every
nation on earth. The only reason we are not attracting that many students
right now is limited finances and teachers
ALMOST 40% OF OUR WEI
STUDENTS ARE MUSLIMS, and nearly all Muslin students are studying
via the internet. A number of them have renounced radical Islam and have
embraced Jesus Christ. I have been telling people that Muslim leaders plan
to take over the world by (1) immigration, and (2) multiplication. The
average Muslim family has eight children. The best way to keep Islam from
conquering the world is to convert Muslims to Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace.
I have on file several pages of testimonies from WEI
students who have left Islam to become Christians. Most of these
testimonies run something like this: "I have
decided I can no longer worship a God who rewards people for killing
themselves in order to kill innocent men, women, and children. I have
decided to follow Jesus Christ and worship the God of love."
Churches in the U.S. (such as Sunset in Lubbock; Texas, Waterview in
Richardson, Texas, Adams Blvd. in Bartlesville, OK, etc.) have used
WEI MATERIAL FOR PLANTING CHURCHES in
Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Nigeria, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, and Ukraine, to name a few. In many cases, if funds are
available, we mail WEI materials to national preachers free of charge to
help them reap a fruitful harvest. In some cases, we send one set of
materials to missionaries, and they reproduce them locally. God is also
using WEI materials in jail and prison ministries
throughout the U.S. and in local Hispanic outreach ministries. As
time passes by, more and more churches and church leaders are using WEI as
an evangelistic tool for saving the lost.
Dick Ady,
WEIADY@aol.com
---Dick & Maudine
Artan Xhaferi Baptizes His
Mother
For nearly a decade, Artan Xhaferi was the national coordinator of WEI
follow-up in Albania. He also served as a minister of the church in Tirana.
Last year, Artan and his family moved to Maryville, Tennessee. A few months
later, his mother became ill with cancer.
Artan Xhaferi's Mother
Ellen Walker, missionary in Tirana, wrote in her newsletter, “Recently,
Artan Xhaferaj returned to take care of his mother. She was diagnosed with
cancer of the stomach, and within just a few weeks, she was gone.
“When the doctors told her there was no hope, she asked to see Artan’s kids.
Artan and Rumira were helped with some ‘buddy tickets’ by a member of the
Maryville congregation, and used some heroic efforts to get here. Artan,
Rumira, and the kids spent about 10 days with her. During that time Luli
talked with her mom a lot during her last days. Finally, Veve expressed a
desire to be baptized. The Tirana brothers found a portable baptistery and
on Saturday the 17th of October, I was privileged to be present when Artan
baptized her into Christ. It was a bitter sweet event.
“Early Thursday morning, Artan and Rumira had to leave. After they had said
good-bye to her, sometime in the wee hours of the morning, she slipped into
the hands of her Father, and her pain was over. We buried her on Friday in
the village beside her husband who had died years before. Bledi performed
the graveside service at Artan’s request. Praise God that we will meet her
again in heaven.”
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