We have just completed our first week of the three week Bible school and so much has happened already. After such a short time our non-reading adults can now tell you how God created the world through the Bible story reading class, how Jesus was born through the Scripture reading class, what repentance is through the discipleship class and so much more. We are teaching literacy as well and so our non-readers are learning their alphabet and how to sound out the letters in order to read words for the first time! Our reading adults are excelling in their classes as well on how to study the Bible, Christian growth, scripture reading and several other classes.
I must admit that the schedule is a bit intense with six classes a day, 6 days a week but the results are amazing and the Lord is richly blessing all that we are doing. This could not have been done, my precious brothers and sisters without your faith and continued prayer support for this work. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your faithfulness and all that the Lord is doing as a result of it.
I also have the privilege of working with a team from Colorado to facilitate the classes and they have been absolutely incredible! Through our combined effort our people are praying in public for the first time, memorizing Scripture, retaining the material taught and gaining more and more confidence in their relationship with the Lord.
Austin teaching the women
JJ teaching the non-reading men
Sharon teaching the women
Lisa teaching the reading men
We have a total of 14 students and they are divided into four groups: reading and non-reading men, non-reading women and children. This provides enough camaraderie in each group to encourage stronger participation from everyone. Because the groups are smaller and on the same level our people are learning things they never thought they could and are showing much more assertiveness in their desire to know about the Lord. All of us that are teaching the classes are so impressed by how well the students are doing and it is truly a praise to God!
The last and very memorable event that took place this week was a water baptism for 12 of our students, including the hired mini truck driver who brought us to the river to hold the baptisms! He apparently was so moved by the Lord that he also came down to the river to be baptized as a public expression of his re-dedication to the Lord!
JJ and Austin baptizing the driver who rededicated his life to the Lord at that moment.
(L) JJ and one of our new converts, Linser, helping to baptize a fellow student.
(R) Austin and Sharon baptizing the daughter of one of our students who was visiting that day.
I want to thank you so very much for your love, encouragement and prayer for this work and for all that the Lord is doing in the lives of our Shawi brothers and sisters. It is truly miraculous and we all have a wonderful part in it! Would you please continue to keep us in prayer for the next two weeks that our lesson planning and delivery will go really well so that our people will continue to learn quickly and grow their faith and understanding of the Lord. Our classes finish on March 28. God bless you for standing with us and thank you so much again.
With Much Appreciation,
Sharon Malcolm
