Bible Institute Going Strong!

Bible Institute students L to R:  Francisco, Jilton, Nilton (he will be the
pastor of the village church) Francisco Jr. and Maria who travels with me. 

         In September we started the Bible Institute to train leaders and pastors for the new church that was officially planted in May of this year.  The village of San Francisco, where the church resides, is a very small village but has great influence with the villages around them.  Nilton, the man in the middle with the stripped shirt, will be ordained as pastor and Jilton, the man to the left in a blue shirt, will be the Assistant Pastor.  The other men will serve as church leaders.

     The woman in the group is Maria who has been serving with me for the last 7 years and she will continue to serve in her village church as one of the leaders.  Upon completion each participant will receive a Diploma of Theology and Nilton and Jilton will be officially ordained as Assembly of God pastors.  The other men will serve as church leaders for this village church.

     This is truly an exciting time for us since we've been working together for the last 10 years to bring this about.  It is an answer to prayer for me to see these precious people so willing and eager to be trained in the Word of God in order to lead and serve their people.

Nilton's house

Nilton's wife Paula preparing a river fish breakfast for us

Nilton and Paula's kitchen

Breakfast at Nilton and Paula's house - a very typical morning meal for Shawis

COMING UP

     I will be traveling this Monday with an American missionary and Peruvian team to visit some villages that do not know Christ yet.  These are the Condonsi Indians and we will be visiting several villages, two of which have churches but are very weak and others who may or may have not heard of Jesus Christ but are still not Christian.  Would you please stand with us in prayer for this trip so that every time the Word is shared it will impact the hearers and lives will be changed?  It is quite a long distance away and so repeat visits may be difficult although certainly not impossible.  The goal is always to prepare and equip the existing churches to go and minister to their people but due to illiteracy or very low comprehension the process is labored.

     I am also in contact with the pastors of the Ashenika villages who want to have a Bible Institute started in their area as well.  The whole purpose of the Institute and the 5-day trainings that we've had is to empower the people in the Word with understanding so that they can effectively and correctly reach their own people with the Gospel.  Please keep us in prayer as we push forward to accomplish this goal as quickly and effectively as possible.  Thank you so much for all you have done in this vital work.  Together we truly are making great strides in establishing the Kingdom of God in these areas.

Forever for Him,

Sharon Malcolm