Busy Fall Preparing for Uganda in January
PREPARING FOR A NEW YEAR OF TRAINING IN EAST AFRICA
I again want to thank you all for your prayers and partnership with leaders in East Africa. Planning has already begun for 2 significant trips in early 2018.
UGANDA IN JANUARY: BIBLICAL DISCIPLE-MAKING
God has opened the door in Mbale, Uganda for a new Christain university. This is in the region called Green Pastures where ELI has invested many years of training.
I am working on final plans, trusting God for the resources, to travel with Jim Barnes, our former pastor at Christ Covenant Church, to teach university students a two week course on the Biblical call and practical aspects of disciplemaking. These students are pastors studying in an accredited program. Jim and I have taught this course five times in Africa and once in India. Please pray for God's provision and final preparations.
RWANDA & DR CONGO IN MARCH: CERTIFIED COURSE INSTRUCTOR TRAINING ON ROMANS 11-16
The Lord has provided a full team for me to return to Rwanda and the DRC in March. I will be joined by two other instructors plus two observers who are traveling to learn about ELI's work in Rwanda. This may result in greater ways to implement future ministry. I will give more information in the next newsletter about the team.
God continues to multiply our work in Rwanda. Following the model of Paul in 2 Timothy 2:1-2, our Rwandan leader, Theophile, has taken our training to Goma, DR Congo. Theophile is able to safely go where we cannot: Chuck McArthur, the Director of ELI has been raising funding to send this brother out. Here is a recent email sent to our director concerning the work (in his own words):
Chuck and friends,
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"(Romans 8:31)
I am very thankful for what God did for us when we went to DR Congo (Goma) for three days conference of 1 Timothy, 100 pastors attended and it was GREAT, we went with two other good teachers one is Bishop Noah, a man of God, he was the pastor of my father, and was pastor for more than 40 years and was Bible school teacher for many years.
We had Rev. RUGAZURA Emmanuel pastor 30 years ago, Bible school teacher and fluent in Kiswahili. we were blessed for the three days and pastors were whelmed to hear teachers and for them it was like their first time to have kind of that conference.
"We thank you for thinking to this nation, we are in the ministry but sure many of us don't know what to do and why we are there but now this is a light for our pastors to see the way and understand why we are serving God in DR Congo ten conferences like this one maybe the great step for our church leaders. Bishop Israel said "
The teachers understood well the situation of Congo because they lived in Congo and were teachers in Bible schools in Congo but now they are working in Rwanda.
The last day Oct 7 morning when we crossed the border to go to teach as usual, robbers jumped in the car when we were driving to the conference center and take one bag, by grace of God the bag contained Bibles, notes that we used, my mini fan and we finished the conference safe, but the situation there is not safe but we are determined to continue to help the pastors who are very interested to receive the teachings .
We thank ELI for trusting us and send us and support us, we thank you and all donors.
We have another great opportunity opened for us in one Burundi Refugee Camp which is in Eastern Province of Rwanda, we are invited to go there and help them too. if we have any support we are ready to go in Dec or 2018.
My heart was full of joy to see how the pastors received the teachings even if their country is not safe God was in our side, we saw his grace.
Bishop Theophile
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING...
- Give thanks to God for HIs faithfulness and your partnership in the year 2017
- Intercede for God to enable me to complete preprations for Jan and March
- God's provision for January training at the University: $3900.00.
Joel McCall
Equipping Leaders International