Three-Day Training, a Huge Success!

The three-day training that we just completed over a week ago was a glorious success! We had a total of 48 attendees including children who participated from six communities. Eight of the 48 people were there because they heard my radio announcement reminding the three villages that we work with when to meet so that they could be picked up and brought to the training. Oddly, I never mentioned the village of these eight people in my announcement because I've never met them before or knew of their village but praise God they took my announcement as an open invitation and joined us!

Our training included classes on the authority of the Bible, the authority of the believer, Scripture reading and comprehension, Bible storying (for those who couldn't read), literacy, discipleship and how to share their faith.  We had five sessions a day with an evening activity in Word where three of the students shared one night, we attended a service at my local church on the second night (some have never been to a church service before) and at the closing meeting on the last night we gave out gifts and certificates.

The reason that we are investing so much time, energy and money into these trainings is so that each person who attends will be adequately instructed in what they believe and why so that they can grow firm in their faith with clear understanding.  While the teachings were new to some of them everyone walked away with so much more understanding of who God is and what He did for them than what they came with.

These are the seeds that will cause growth and maturity for a life time of transformation in the Spirit and I want to thank all of you who stood in the gap for this very important event.  It is so important that our Shawi brothers and sisters get trained in the Word so that they can not only continue strong in their faith when we are not able to get to their villages but also so that they can share their faith to their people with clarity and understanding.

Besides the training classes once a quarter we will be resuming our radio broadcast of our Bible studies in the Shawi language as well.  The purpose is so that not only our villages can continue to learn but also a host of other Shawi villages within the listening range of the broadcast can partake of the Word of God and understand His incredible love for them and His purpose for their lives.

None of this could be done without each of us linking arms through our various callings to realize the will of God for these people.  We are seeing the fruit of our labor together and watching our "children" take their first steps of faith as they rise to their feet and begin to walk.  This is so exciting and I pray that you will be as encouraged and blessed as I am in being a part of what God is doing in this part of the world.  Thank you so very much for all that you have done and are continuing to do as the Lord leads you.  I pray you are richly and abundantly blessed in every area of your lives for your faithfulness.

Bringing in the Harvest Together,

Sharon Malcolm