The elevation of Quito is about 9,200 ft. and I can definitely feel it. I got up this morning and headed to the Baptist Mission headquarters. It was my privilege to meet with all the IMB missionaries in Ecuador and discuss how we might expand World Hope Bible Institute here. The meeting lasted 2-3 hours and was a great help in assessing and understanding some of the unique needs of the churches in Ecuador. One of our IMB missionaries asked if I would be willing to meet with the leaders of the Ecuadorian Baptist Convention. If all goes well, we will try to meet with those leaders next Friday after I return from teaching pastors in the Amazon Basin. The meeting concluded and, once again, I was reminded of the many missionaries who faithfully serve far from their homeland.

One of our IMB missionaries and I left the meeting and headed north to the town of Ibarra. We passed through the town and headed up the side of a mountain that overlooked the city. We arrived at a church on the hillside where a group of Quechan pastors and leaders were waiting on us. After lunch (not sure what was in the soup but sometimes you just trust the Lord and go for it), we spent the next three hours talking about the potential of establishing a Bible Institute in this area. The meeting ended with a commitment to begin classes there near the end of September/beginning of October. It is difficult to communicate how desirous these people are for solid biblical training. I guess that should never surprise me. However, it is something that we have come to take completely for granted. They do not. After the meeting we drove back through the mountains to Quito. The ride itself was quite an adventure and it was not until the next morning that I learned that the missionary driving me was a former NASCAR style track driver—now I more fully appreciate some of his passing maneuvers on the climb into Quito.

Friday, April 27
Today was a day of logistical preparation and some quality time with IMB missionary, Mark Cody. The house where they live is undergoing a major addition. Eventually, the operational office of the Baptist Mission here will be moved to this new addition. In the interim, Mark needed a gate built to shut off part of the grounds from the construction workers. It was a joy to spend part of the day helping Mark build the gate and hang it. I enjoy doing carpentry work and it gave me some good visit time with Mark. One of the joys of this job is to be an encouragement to those who are living abroad. We ate dinner and headed to the airport to pick up Pastor Sam Glass. Pastor Sam serves as Missions Pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX. It was great to see Sam and I am looking forward to a great week of ministry.

Saturday, April 28
This morning, Pastor Sam and I met with pastors and church leaders from the greater Quito area. They were hoping that we would be willing to open a location here to meet their needs. Since we began to work in Ecuador almost four years ago, these brothers have been saying, “what about here?” The meeting could not have gone better. One of the pastors has offered a facility to us, about 30 minutes outside of town. He also offered to provide housing at no charge for the students. As he spoke, my eyes filled with tears. In almost every turn in this adventure, I am blown away by the provision of God—amazing! We will begin classes here in late September/ early October. Today ended with a wonderful time of fellowship in the Cody’s home.

Sunday, April 29
This morning we had a time of worship and sharing in the Cody’s home.  After that, Pastor Sam and I were driven down to the Napo River in the Amazon Basin. The drive is remarkable. To get to the Amazon Basin, we left Quito (9300 ft.) and drove up over the surrounding mountains. Our drive took us to 13,300 ft. before we began the 12,000 ft. descent down the other side of the mountains to our destination along the Napo River.  The contrast between the high mountains and the rain forest is a vivid reminder of God’s splendid handiwork. When we arrived, we ate dinner with about sixty-five pastors and leaders who would be our students. This group contains many pastors and other church leaders, men and women, hungry to learn. It was wonderful to see familiar faces. Even my own poor Spanish is no barrier to true fellowship among Christian brothers and sisters.

Monday, April 30-Wednesday, May 2
For the last three days, Pastor Sam and I settled into a daily routine.  Here in the jungle of the Amazon Basin, time seems to stand still. The Napo River is a tributary to the Amazon River. Small wooden boats have traveled along these meandering waters for centuries. Some of our students have come to class on this river and some walked more than nine hours to get here. In this location, our students are mostly native South Americans, Quichua and Waorani. Some of you will remember the story of the five missionaries who died in Ecuador in 1956; among them were Nate Saint and Jim Elliot. And, among our students are family members of those who killed those missionaries. The Gospel planted by those dear missionaries now bears fruit, and for the first time, many of these brothers are receiving systematic theological training through the World Hope Bible Institute.

Teaching in blocks of four hours taxes the mind and the body, but the heart is full. For me to be here is personally rewarding on so many levels. Almost a year ago, we shared with our home church that this is what God was calling us to do. When we did so, we had so many questions… Will the support come in? Will others catch the vision and go teach?? How we will handle all the logistics that this will take? So many other questions… As I watched Pastor Sam teach his course with such passion, such a pastor’s heart, and see the response of the students, I was reminded again that only God could have come up with such a plan that works so well among so many different people all over the world.

Thursday, May 3
Today we completed the course work and enjoyed taking questions from the students. During each week of classes we try to schedule 1-2 hours where students can submit questions on any topic. For them to have trained teachers available to answer any question about any topic in the Bible always makes for a lively exchange. These students, like those we teach around the world, are hungry to learn and even ending the Q & A session is a challenge. Our time with the students ended as we presented certificates to everyone who completed the courses we taught this week. For those of you who support the Bible Institute, I so wish I could transport you to this moment in any one of our Institutes around the world. The joy that the students have in taking another step toward completing their training is palpable. I thank God for each of you.

After lunch, Pastor Sam and I headed for Quito—hearts full and thankful that God allowed us to be with these dear people.  Again, straight up the mountain, over the 13,300 ft. pass and back to Quito.

Friday, May 4
Today was a very full and fruitful day. I made the decision for Sam and me to fly to Guayaquil today for a meeting. Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador and home to a major sea port. Our meeting today was with the President of the Baptist Convention of Ecuador and Director of Theological Education for the same group. Through the contact of one of our IMB missionaries, the meeting was arranged. After a snafu with our early morning flight (our plane tickets had been wrongly issued) we finally made it to Guayaquil in the afternoon. The meeting lasted about two hours. Both the President and the Director of Theological Training were fine men and were very keen on providing training to pastors throughout Ecuador. They have asked us to consider the possibility of helping provide training in all fourteen regions of Ecuador. This will require an enormous amount of work and we will need to be sure, from both sides, that this is the will of God. Please pray for us that we will have the faith to take large steps when God calls us to do so. At the same time, pray that God will protect us from being foolish or presumptive in determining God’s will. The opportunity here is strategic.  Many are watching Ecuador take a path toward socialism and the missionaries here are becoming increasingly concerned that they may not be allowed to stay too many more years. Perhaps God will allow us to train many leaders in Ecuador. That way we can know that, even if the nation becomes closed to missionaries, hundreds of trained indigenous pastors will be left to tend the people of God and expand His Kingdom here.

Tomorrow we will leave at 4:30 AM to catch our flight home to Houston.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV)

Dr. Stuart Sheehan
WHMI President

Noel R. Vincent is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently working on a graduate degree in Christian Apologetics at Biola University.  Noel has served as Senior Pastor of Compass Community Church in Houston, Texas, for 12 years.  He also serves on the Southwestern Advisory Council of Southwestern Seminary’s Houston campus.  In addition to his ministry experience, Noel is Managing Director of Senior Partners, LLC, a full-service investment, tax and estate planning practice devoted to serving the unique needs of mature investors. He has more than 25 years of professional business management and investment experience as a specialist in retirement and estate planning. His firm manages investor assets approaching $100 million.  Although born in the Midwest, he was raised in Texas. Noel coaches youth baseball and is an avid bird hunter with his English Setter, Sage, and his French Brittany, Cash.  Noel and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for 24 years, and they have two children, Chelsea and Noah.

Team Members:
Jason Bull
Pastor Noel Vincent
Dr. Stuart Sheehan

God allowed this team to:
• Preach among the Maasai people
• Witness a historic agreement among Baptist groups in Zimbabwe
• Agree to open an Institute in Zimbabwe
• Discuss potential locations near/in Mozambique
• Work toward an Institute in the Limpopo region of South Africa
• Register new students in Botswana
• Register new students in Isinya, Kenya
• Teach the first round of classes in Suswa, Kenya (see photo above)
• Teach the first round of classes in Nyahururu, Kenya
• Teach classes in Lemoru, Kenya

This brings the total of WHBI students in Africa to over 600!

God is amazing… ALL GLORY TO HIM!!!!

We arrived in Nairobi as scheduled and our transport was waiting to take us to Methodist Guest House in Nairobi. Our other team member, Jason Bull, had stayed at Methodist on Saturday night but left early this morning to preach in Suswa. He needed to be in Suswa Sunday night so he would be ready to begin teaching a Bible Institute class there on Monday morning. Methodist Guest House in Nairobi has become a sort of home for us as we work out of Nairobi. Several things make this a welcomed stopover. For one, they have free Internet. When it works, it provides the opportunity to catch up on emails and, if it is working well, it provides the opportunity to call home for free. It is also nice to see a face that is familiar. The men and women there greet me with a broad smile and say, “Welcome, Sheehan!” Joel Ikaba Chege, the pastor who is helping coordinate three locations of the Bible Institute in Kenya met us and we had dinner together. I was anxious to see Joel and go over our very complex agenda for the week. Bishop Chege had already talked to Bishop John Koina in Suswa and received a great report that Jason had done a wonderful job preaching the Word and had been well received by the Maasai people in Suswa.

Following dinner, Noel and I settled into the room. Sometime around 11:00 PM, Noel asked me in a calm but serious voice, “Have you seen my passport?” Noel is an experienced traveler and well organized. We thought that surely the passport was somewhere in our room. We systematically took apart everything in the room and in our luggage. We could not find it. We mentally retraced our steps and could only hope that the passport was in the van that had brought us from the airport. Knowing this could be a serious problem, I texted Amy and asked her to pray. Noel emailed his church and they joined us praying. By this time it was well after midnight and much too late to call and see if the passport had been found. It was not a restful night.

Monday morning I placed a call to Elias who operates the transport company that brought Noel and me to Methodist from Nairobi Airport. He was quick to say he would have the driver check the van. We continued with preparations to head to Isinya for an opening conference. They would be expecting us and, passport or not, at least Joel and I would need to get there. As we readied the car to leave, the phone call came saying Noel’s passport had been found! We were relieved, to say the least, and knew that God had protected us.

We left Nairobi and headed to Isynia. Isinya is located in the Kajaido district, which encompasses the southern territory of the Maasai people in Kenya. When we arrived, we were discouraged that almost no one was there. Joel assured us that we should not worry but instead trust God to bring the people to the meeting. Within an hour the room was filling. During the meeting Noel and I laid out what students of the World Hope Bible Institute could expect from us and what we would expect from them. It was a wonderful meeting.

I would be remiss if I did not tell you about the comic relief that God provided through me. Noel and I were sitting at the back of the church building. The floor was gravel, like we would use on a driveway. The chairs were lightweight plastic chairs… are you getting the picture? After a quite ornate introduction, they called me to come to the front and speak. As I got out of the chair, the front right leg of the chair dug into the gravel and twisted. The other three legs soon followed suit and worked in concert to eject me onto the ground. A gasp went up from the crowd as I literally “bit the dust.” I could not help but laugh and it took no time for the Maasai to join me. As I took the platform, I was still tickled and it did not help at all that Noel was sitting on the back row red-faced and trying to control his convulsions of laughter. Finally, I got hold of myself and continued. What a memory!

As Noel and I concluded the registration meeting, we got word that about 100 had registered for the classes. We were told many times that this type of teaching was “new teaching,” something they had never experienced before. At first we did not understand what they meant. Finally we got it. The men told us that several of them had Diplomas in Ministry. However, when they explained what they meant, it became clear why the Bible Institute was something very different. The men said that, since they could not get training, several of them had initiated correspondence courses. They had paid a fee and had received a list of ten books to read. When they sent in a form showing that they had read the books, the Diploma came… never a teacher and never a lecture. Praise God for those who go and teach for the Bible Institute! They have no idea the massive impact that their teaching can have on these precious pastors. We returned to Nairobi tired but very thankful for this door to open so widely. If God allows, we will hold our first round of courses there later this year.

Tuesday (3/6)

We left early to join Jason in Suswa, where he was already teaching. Suswa is in the Narok District and encompasses the northern territory of the Maasai people. You may recall that we did a registration conference there last August and they waited eagerly for classes to begin. We arrived and Jason was teaching to a church building full of Maasai pastors and leaders. Several of them wore the traditional Maasai clothing, making the class look more like a gathering for a National Geographic photo shoot than a Bible Institute classroom–it was beautiful. For me personally, it was a special blessing to see my nephew, a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, standing before those men and teaching the Word of God with power and authority. He had taught them all day Monday and was finishing his lecture at mid-day so he could then go to Nyahururu where he was to teach another class. At the lunch break, we hugged him and sent him on his way. The pastors there could not say enough about the teaching they had received through Jason.

In the afternoon, I taught the afternoon session and then Noel and I headed to the Mount Logonot Hotel in Maimahu, about 40 minutes from the church in Suswa. Jason had already given us a heads-up on the hotel–he told me it was interesting. We arrived and got checked into our rooms. As we surveyed the situation, it was clear that this would be a tough place for our faculty who teach in Suswa to stay. As you can imagine, many of the places where we teach are very remote. The food and water is often unsafe and simple things, like electricity and cell phone service, are not a given. We had already been instructed not to eat the food that was being prepared during the day for the Maasai pastors. When we got to the hotel, Noel and I ordered dinner and we could not eat very much of it. To travel to remote locations, you have to learn how to cope with these situations. When you have come so far to teach and there are 100-200 men waiting for you, getting sick from the food or water is not an option. Noel and I had made provisions to bring water purifiers so, even though we did not have much to eat that night, we had plenty of water. Some protein bars and a well-scrambled egg the next morning for breakfast was sufficient.

Would you please make this a special pray request? We will need faculty that are not afraid to rough it a bit so that the Maasai pastors can be trained. We have already made a contingency plan so that when we have faculty members arrive at the airport, the van can be filled with flats of sufficient drinking water, peanut butter, bread, etc. Pray that God will call faculty for this location who are willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel.

Wednesday (3/7)

The morning session began with Noel’s teaching. While he had struggled a bit the day before–it was his first time to work with a translator–that changed very quickly. Noel is a fast learner and, as he taught, there was no sign that he struggled at all. He found his rythmn and the students fell in love with his teaching. At lunch Noel left Suswa to travel to Nairobi. There, he caught a plane for Eldoret, traveling on by car to Lemoru where he would be teaching students of the Bible Institute. He told me the children had waited up to greet him with songs and smiles. He said it touched him. For some of you, that is a familiar story. World Hope Ministries has a very wonderful long-term partnership there, supporting the needs of many dear children and a variety of other ministries that have had an enormous impact on that community. We also have over 180 students enrolled in the Bible Institute in Lemoru.

Back in Suswa, I remained to teach the afternoon session. I wish I had some way to communicate the impact this has on these pastors. For the first time ever, they are getting systematic biblical training. I am at a loss for a way to describe the palpable excitement, the eyes filled with tears and hope, the inquisitive words that try to confirm that we really are coming back. The group picture of those who completed the first class in Suswa was so exciting. For these dear leaders, this is a game-changer.

After finishing the class in Suswa, I headed back to Nairobi. My driver was fighting a car that was overheating. I did not learn until later that Noel had the same problem earlier in the day on the way to catch his plane. In my case, the trouble was offset by the sheer beauty of the sun setting over the plains in the Great Rift valley. Thomson’s Gazelles, giraffes, the goats and cattle of the Maasai, all bathed in the warm glow of sunset.  Finally, I made it back to Nairobi to Methodist Guest House about 9:30 to spend the night.

Oh God, I ask You to please call out the faculty to teach the Maasai people.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday (3/8-10)

In the morning, I left Nairobi to travel to Nyahururu. Jason was already there teaching and I was scheduled to teach the afternoon session. While Jason and I were teaching there, Noel began teaching at the Bible Institute in Lemoru. On Saturday, Noel traveled back to Nairobi and Jason and I joined him late Saturday afternoon. For Nyahururu, this is their first cycle of classes. I arrived to find Jason teaching a large church nearly full of pastors and leaders. The students here were very engaged. Many were taking notes as fast as they could write. In the afternoon, I taught the first session of my class. Bishop Chege delivered Jason and me to the Thomson Fall’s Lodge that evening to spend the night. It is a 1930′s era place and is situated near a beautiful waterfall. For Jason, teaching in Nyahururu holds a special significance. Twelve years ago, he spent 5-6 weeks living in Nyahururu, staying with the Chege’s in their home. I could tell that Mama Rose (Joel’s wife) was very happy to have Jason “home.” She told me in her lovely accent, “He is my son.” Jason and I had dinner at the lodge and visited by a crackling fire. The elevation here is almost 7,000 feet and it gets quite cold at night. Both Jason and I stayed in rooms that have no heater, but they built a fire in the fireplaces in our rooms. That was a blessing, both in warming our rooms and providing a surreal feeling of Africa in days gone by.

Friday, Jason and I tag-teamed throughout the day. During both our lectures we were peppered with deep questions and our answers were often met with applause. However, in one instance, we had a question that we answered, causing a bit of tension in the room. I will not name the issue, only to say that our answers were clearly biblical. When it came time for lunch, we dined alone. It was actually a bit funny. I don’t think they were mad as much as they did not want to have to discuss the issue further over lunch. However, that passed and by the end of the day all the warmth and hugs had returned in full force.

I tell you these things just to illustrate that teaching like this has a very real impact on these pastors. Some have had very little teaching and have done the best they could in developing answers to questions they have. In some cases our teaching winds up dealing with issues that they have not thought through in light of biblical truth. Helping them apply biblical truth to specific areas of their ministry is part of why we are here. I told the earlier gatherings among the Maasai as I told those gathered in Nyahururu, that I believe Kenya is in a crisis. Almost everywhere you go, people will tell you that they know Jesus Christ as Savior. Yet, because they have had little discipleship and their pastors have had little training, they often fall prey to false prophets and teachers that travel throughout Kenya. Many of these wolves bring holy water or oil, special anointing for healings, etc. They do so charging the people money for them. In other words, the level of Bible literacy and doctrinal training is so low that people do not know how to respond to these false teachers and in many instances give them money in hopes of a healing or some special portion of prosperity. It is so sad. However, solid biblical teaching IS the way to deal with this and that is why we are here.

Saturday morning, Jason and I concluded the class. Over 120 of the 150 students in  Nyahururu  completed the class. Again, the spirit of the men who gathered for the class picture seemed like a party–cheers, hugs, endless photos of pastors standing in front of a banner fixed to the side of the church building.  It read, “World Hope Bible Institute on [sic] Progress.” I left there very satisfied that the Institute there will be (and already is) a wonderful success. ALL GLORY TO GOD!

Before the day was out I received word from our brothers in Lemoru that they had claimed Noel for themselves and want him to come back as soon as possible. That evening, Noel gave us a full report over dinner. I could not be more pleased.

For those of you who are praying and/or giving, PLEASE DO NOT STOP! In Kenya, we now have over 500 students. Adding those that have joined us in southern Africa, we have over 700 students in Africa who are praying for their education to continue. Later this year we will return to Africa to implement an Institute in Nigeria and in Uganda. I expect that to raise our number of students in Africa to over 1500 by the end of this year and may well exceed 2000 students in 2013. This does not count students in any of our other locations in the world. When I think what God has done since we launched this faith venture August 1, 2011, I am overwhelmed. God has made all of this possible through people just like you.

Stay tuned… I believe He is just getting started with this!!

I am writing this from the plane (3/11) as we approach Houston. God has been so gracious to us these last two weeks. Much protection, some we know of and much we will never know, many prayers answered, fruit in the lives of hundreds of leaders; and the joy of coming home to our families. God is good–all the time!

Pray for the team as they finish teaching in Nyahururu and make their way to Nairobi to start the long flight home.  Pray for their rest, comfort and safety as they travel home.

Pray for the team as they continue to teach in Suswa today.

Pray as new classes continue today in Suswa.  Pray for the team members; pray for those attending.

Pray as the first team prepares for the conference in Isinya, outside of Nairobi, today.  Again, pray that the surrounding pastors will respond and commit to attend the classes over the next 3 years.

Pray as the new team member begins new classes in Suswa.

Pray as the first team leaves Isinya this afternoon and makes their way to Suswa to join up with the new team member.

Friday-Saturday

After a long flight Pastor Noel Vincent and I arrived in Johannesburg, SA. We were pleased to have found a small hotel that was not too expensive and will provide a base of operations for us this week.

Sunday morning

Finished a great breakfast and headed to the airport. Today we will travel to Zimbabwe. For the last several months we have been in an email discussion with a Southern Baptist missionary, Gregg Fort, who has served in Zimbabwe for over 24 years. In fact, his parents went to that same region as medical missionaries in the 1950’s and he was born there. After finishing college and Seminary, he returned to the place of his birth and the people he had grown to love as a boy. Now, led by an oppressive regime, Zimbabwe is desperately looking for a way forward. Pray for God to lift the oppressive regime that is so entrenched in that country. Gregg is undeterred and has a great vision for the future of Christ’s Church in Zimbabwe. He has asked us to come and meet with a group of leaders to discuss how to meet the need for systematic theological training. While there has been a Baptist Seminary there for years, even at its best, it cannot solve the problems of many pastors who cannot take advantage of traditional forms of education. We will overnight at a remote game park outside of Gweru. I am hopeful that somehow we can help them.

Monday evening

This afternoon we flew from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe back to Johannesburg. Unfortunately, the Internet is down. I relish the time that I can have a good Internet connection because it means that I can use the Internet to call Amy and the kids for free and we can talk as much as we want. While we are all in this spiritual calling together, I miss them terribly when I travel. Having said that, I can say that the trip we had to Zimbabwe is what makes the challenges of this job seem like minor inconveniences.

We arrived at the airport in Zimbabwe yesterday and were met by a pastor. His name was Isaac and I think he and I scarcely caught our breath as we talked and laughed for the entire two and a half hour drive to Gweru. If you have never been to Africa, it is difficult to describe the broad smiles and the deep laughter that is most often displayed by the believers here. The unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is nearly 90% and the ruler is a ruthless man, who has made himself rich by exploiting the people and resources of this land, all the while congratulating himself for being a liberator. With all of the challenges here, you will rarely see evidence that such hardship has dampened the joy of brothers and sisters when they speak of the Lord.

The meeting for which we had come began with afternoon tea and continued well into the night. While WHMI works with a variety of denominations around the world, this meeting was specifically to address the dire need in rural areas for trained pastors among various groups of Baptists. The meeting was attended by leaders of three different Baptists groups (with another represented) and hosted by Gregg and Donna Fort, who have served as SBC missionaries there for 24 years. Gregg’s passion is for these groups to join forces in an unprecedented thrust to evangelize Zimbabwe. In a nutshell, here is the problem: each of these groups is planting churches but has no way to qualify men to pastor those churches… and, while each has been trying a variety of approaches, none has been highly successful and none is mutually acceptable to the other. This creates a great deal of duplication and inefficiency. In a meeting that lasted almost five hours, the four hour mark was historic. Gregg Fort, Noel Vincent and I sat to the side as the leaders engaged in a lively exchange. When they emerged, we could barely contain our elation. ALL the groups agreed that the Diploma from the World Hope Bible Institute would be the standard by which all groups would qualify pastors for ordination, thus creating a path where laymen who are leading churches planted in the African bush can be trained and officially recognized. According to Gregg this is a historic development and could be a precursor to unification of Baptists in Zimbabwe. We were simply amazed to even be in the room.

This morning we woke early to enjoy a few hours of fellowship with some of the leaders that were at the meeting last night. It is clear that we did not dream the miracle we witnessed. Man after man tells both Pastor Noel and me that God has worked a mighty miracle. Some are in tears that God has provided something so basic for which they have longed and prayed. Heaven help us for sitting on all we have; all the while lacking deep gratitude for what we have and failing to share it liberally with others. Gregg said something to us in the meeting that I will never forget, “Africans value knowledge and share possessions. Americans value possessions and share knowledge.” We have a lot to learn. The drive back from Gweru to Bulawayo and the flight back to Johannesburg were moments ripe with deep reflection.

Tuesday

Today was one of those surprising days, a day that gave as much joy in surprising developments as it did in experiencing some “uh oh’s.” We left Johannesburg at 8:30 AM to make the long drive to a mission outpost near the border of Mozambique. We were driven by my friend, Johan Walkenshaw. He is a dear brother who owns a business in Pretoria and is studying for the ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church. If you looked at a map to find our destination, we would be standing in South Africa and almost be able to touch two other countries (Mozambique and Swaziland). When we arrived we were greeted by a group made up mostly of Dutch Reformed leaders. There are some very solid brothers and sisters in the Dutch Reformed Church and they are very serious about sharing the Gospel. At some length, we discussed the possibility of opening a Bible Institute near the border of Mozambique, one in Mozambique, and another further south of where we were meeting in South Africa. The spirit of these men was wonderful. One of them was head of the mission in which we met. It is a self-sustaining farm where locals are taught farming skills, operate a mill and a bakery, and grow enough food for the children in the school and some to sell. The man had a great heart for the Lord and offered the facility for use as a location for the World Hope Bible Institute.  We will make this a matter of much prayer and see where it leads. There is no doubt that the vast majority of people with whom we meet just want to know how soon we can start.

We left this village to embark on a five hour drive that would put us within 45 min of our meeting on Wednesday. We had already driven several hundred miles that day.  After driving about two hours the sun set and it appeared that it would be a beautiful night to travel. We descended through the mountains. In the first long flat part of the road, we heard a funny noise. Suddenly the car jerked left and Johan reacted quickly to get control of the vehicle. We were traveling at about 70 mph. As he gained control and got the truck at least part of the way off the road, the front left wheel flew off and disappeared into the tall roadside grasses. We were stranded—not an electric light as far as the eye could see. This was a nice vehicle and Johan shared with some frustration that he had just had the tires rotated. Could there be a connection??? I must say the stars were incredible and provided some solace to being stranded far out in the African bush.  We were just a few miles from the southern border of Kruger National Park. Later we learned the area where we were stranded was a frequent range of leopards and sometimes lions, as well. By God’s grace we survived both the loss of the wheel at 70 mph and the long wait for a truck to come and tow us to the nearest town (about 50 km and another hour ride). We stayed in a hostel and caught a bit of sleep. Since we did not make it to our destination that night, we needed to leave early to make it for our Wednesday morning meeting. Tired and thankful to God for our safety, we fell into our beds.

Wednesday

Have you ever asked for something and then, when it is offered to you in abundance, realized that it is not the hand of God offering it but the hand of the adversary? It is an unsettling feeling… a test perhaps. That is what happened to us today. Before I left for Africa, Amy, Kitty Sandel and I talked about how we would love for God to supply us with some way to print curricula in Africa. Hauling hundreds of pounds of materials from the US each year is quite a bother.

Following last night’s debacle with the wheel and our stay in an “insect happy” hostel, we were still almost three hours from the location of our next meeting. With Johan’s vehicle in the shop, we needed transportation. My good friend Tino (Johan’s cousin) lives in the area where the meeting was to take place. In order to get us to our morning meeting, he left his home at 3:30 AM so he could pick us up at 6:30 and have us to our meeting. I would like to tell you the details of that day, but for security reasons, I cannot. The wellbeing, perhaps even the lives, of several people could be affected if I did. I will say this, some of the help and resources we desired (see above) were offered, and in much more abundance than I could have imagined. However, it became clear that what was offered was not from God. Somehow, the direction of the Institute in this location had become subject to a spiritual hijack attempt.

Through the experience of that day, I came to realize something I had never realized before. Our enemy can offer things to us, even things for which we may be asking God–good things. However, to accept them, if they are not from God’s hand, may lead us into business dealings and partnerships that cannot please God. As the President of World Hope Ministries International and Director of the Bible Institute, this was an important lesson. Just because someone offers to give us something, even something we think we need, something for which we have prayed, it does not mean that it is from God. This makes it very important to ensure that our desires are ultimately for God and His will. Do I desire for there to be ample resources for WHMI? Of course! But we cannot desire that at the expense of our reputation and integrity. Here is the neat part of the truth: among the many things we may desire, there is something that our adversary cannot offer–the presence and approval of the Lord. This is a reminder that the presence and approval of the Lord must be at the root of all we seek. Others can offer us all sorts of “good” things. But God alone can reward us with His presence and approval. In the situation that presented itself today, God graciously provided ample warning signs to heed. I am so thankful that He did. He used several means to do so: a basic awareness of business and political workings where we are serving, the counsel of friends, including Pastor Noel, Johan and others, and the presence of the Spirit at work in us. God be praised!

So what of the Institute in this location? I believe it will happen–perhaps all the more it must happen, if, as it appears, the enemy was so set against its happening. However, we must pause and pray, waiting for God to show us a different set of local leaders. Developments in that direction have already begun, and we will move forward when we are certain that God has raised up the right local leaders. There is clearly much spiritual darkness here and instructing pastors in the truth would certainly strike a blow to such darkness. Lord, please let it be!

Thursday and Friday

In God’s Providence, He had ordered the schedule so that Thursday would be a much needed day of respite. Spending this day in the outdoors with good friends and enjoying a bit of bird hunting was a blessing indeed. While we were out in the bush we saw so many different varieties of animals that I cannot recall them. What a gracious gift from God to give us a day to refill our tanks.

It is now Friday and we are off to the airport, headed back to Johannesburg and then on to Gaborone, Botswana. On my way to the airport I received two different phone calls. In those conversations I learned that the region of South Africa we were now leaving is one of the greatest strongholds in the country for ancestral worship, syncretism, and spiritism. As we left this region of South Africa we left praying that God will grant us the right open door in this place, that the people here may become grounded in the truth of God’s Word.

Remember images of O.J. Simpson running? If you don’t remember, you are very young. If you only remember him “running” in a white Suburban, you are a bit older, but if you remember him actually running through the airport, then you must be my age or older. :-0  All that to say, if you remember that, then you can imagine Pastor Noel and I trying to catch our flight to Botswana. We actually arrived only 2-3 min before they closed the flight. I am so glad we made it. We were greeted at the airport by a Southern Baptist Missionary and taken directly to Gaborone Baptist Church, where we shared a meal with several local pastors. Among them was the pastor there, Maruti Kabika and a dear brother I met last summer, Maruti Jack (maruti is Setswana for pastor).

Maruti Jack is head of the Pastors’ Conference for the Botswana Baptists. It is impossible to describe the fellowship that is shared among brothers and sisters in Christ who come from another culture or whom you have never known. It is real and it is a true confirmation of the work of the Holy Spirit among all God’s people around the world. After sharing a meal, we headed to Maruti Kabika’s home to spend the night. It was very hot in Botswana, and I must tell you that God was VERY gracious to us. Maruti Kabika has a room in his house that has air conditioning. He invited us to use that room or the bedroom where there were two single beds. Pastor Noel and I were up late making preparations for the meeting the next morning. After debating back and forth, we decided to take Maruti Kabika up on his offer. Sometime after midnight, Pastor Noel and I relocated our mattresses to the aircon room, as they called it. It was a wonderful, albeit short night of sleep.

Saturday

Saturday morning began with a breakfast at the church. Boiled eggs and baloney sandwiches—quite tasty! As the meeting began, I must confess I was a bit concerned. We had traveled some distance, and there might not be many who would commit to take the training we offered. Still, we began the presentation. For about 3 hours, Noel and I shared the vision and the workings of the World Hope Bible Institute. As we spoke, we continued to have arrivals, and in all about 30-40 people attended the meeting. About 25 registered for the classes, and the local leaders assured us there would be many more in the coming weeks. Again, tears were shed as men told us they had prayed for this training for years.

The peculiarity and surety of God’s providence is wonderful. I saw that so clearly in Botswana. A bit of background–in the 1990’s, Louis Giglio, well-known teacher and conference leader, conducted a youth meeting in Botswana. He was impressed with a young black African man named Jack. Through his connections, he helped Jack find his way to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth. For seven years this young man went to school, completing both a Bachelors and Master of Divinity (with languages). He was a virtual straight-A student and was encouraged to continue his studies for the PhD. He was offered well-paying ministry jobs in the US. However, he had made a promise to his people that he would return home to Botswana. That man is Maruti Jack, now head of the Pastors’ Conference in Botswana and one who has given himself to trying to find a way to educate pastors in his homeland.

Meanwhile, in the late 1990’s God gave a burning passion to Maruti Kabika to build a church where the facilities could one day house a center for pastoral training in Botswana.  Kabika owns a construction business in Botswana and, for the last twelve years, he has raked and scraped to build an impressive facility including classrooms, a kitchen, and a worship center that can hold more than a thousand people. I wish you could have seen his face when he told us that they would be installing bathrooms before classes in July. He wanted to make sure we knew that the students could stay at the church and have adequate facilities. Consider Maruti Jack and Maruti Kabika… and then think about what God has called us to do. World Hope established the Bible Institute in 2008, and four years later we arrived in Botswana where there is already a highly trained pastor who is ready to lead the Institute and a visionary pastor who is working to provide the facilities. Over and over again I heard Maruti Kabika repeat under his breath, “God’s timing; God’s timing.” God’s timing, to be sure! Longtime IMB missionary, Robert Fortenberry, said that as long as he had been there they had tried many different approaches to get theological training for pastors. None worked. Not until he found out about WHBI was he confident that, finally, systematic pastoral training would come to Botswana.  And this is so exciting for the future! Nearly all of the students who registered were under the age of 25. You may be unaware that on the whole continent of Africa it is estimated that more than 75% of the entire population is under the age of 25. The future of Africa literally hangs in the balance. We have a chance to make a real difference in shaping that future. God’s providence, indeed!

Sunday

We have now left South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe behind—still in our hearts and longing to be back soon to see these dear leaders trained. We arrived in Nairobi and headed to the Methodist Guest House. It is a hostel of sorts, and because it has Internet, I am able to send this update! Pastor Noel and I have just returned from dinner with our friend, Joel Chege. He brings us news that fellow World Hope Bible Institute teacher, Jason Bull, has preached among the Masai people this morning and was well received. They have decorated him with Masai gifts and now he is resting in the hotel near Suswa where he will begin classes in the morning. Tomorrow, Noel and I will travel to Isinya where we are informed that there is a huge crowd of pastors waiting to hear about the Bible Institute and register for classes. God is so good. He has carried us by His hand and is continuing to meet our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Pray for the first team as they make their way to Nairobi.  Pray that they have a time to rest and re-energize for the upcoming conference and new class start-ups this next week.

Pray for the new team member as he makes his way to Suswa, outside of Nairobi, to begin teaching new classes.