| Class of 2003... Well another year as finished and our seniors have graduated and are ready to serve. Many already have positions, many are going on for further studies and some are still seeking God�s direction as they make the transition from Bible student to working servant. Please keep our graduating seniors in your prayers as they enter this new time in their life, where they will have opportunities to put into practice all they have learned while studying here at African Bible College. |
| Larry and Janet's Lilongwe Letter |
| Some problems are GOOD problems! We have had over 500 applicants for this year�s incoming freshman class. Our director, Dr. Paul Chinchen is trying to find some way to admit more students so that more Malawians can be trained for ministry and so many won�t need to be turned away. The classrooms are filled to capacity now, but we are considering adding an additional 20 freshmen and letting them meet in the Dining hall until larger classrooms can be built. This is a large undertaking because even though they pay tuition (it runs about $1300 US dollars a year for tuition AND room and board. Needless to say, this doesn�t come near covering the actual costs and our beloved friends and supporters of African Bible College in the States underwrite most of it. Even though that may seem inexpensive by American standards because it is only a fraction of what it would cost if they came to the UK or the USA for their education, it is still beyond the reach of most of our students and many of them are on work scholarships or funded by outside private individuals in the states or elsewhere. One of the great things that remains about ABC is the fact that since our students are educated here in Africa, they aren�t faced with the dilemma of feeling �called� to live and work in the UK or the USA, which happens to so many who study abroad. The sad truth is that for those few bright Africans who can get out to complete their studies, very few come back to put their skills back into Africa where they are so desperately needed. |
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| THE JESUS FILM MINISTRY The first weekend in May Janet, Carey and I took four students to Mozambique to show the Jesus film in a village. This was Carey�s first missionary journey. What was amazing about this trip was the way people prayed to receive Christ during our Saturday afternoon door-to-door visitation. It was amazing because once they prayed; they demonstrated their sincerity by cutting off the charms from their necks, their wrists, and from their children. This was a powerful statement of faith in Jesus because in this culture people really believe in the power of charms to ward off evil. They are definitely not for decorative purposes only. What made all this so amazing is that we went to this same area one year ago, and it was cold and unresponsive, we got lost on the way there, and we had equipment falling off the Land Cruiser. We felt that the trip was a flop. It wasn�t; it prepared the way for this year�s victorious weekend. That�s the way ministry � and God- work sometimes. Two weeks later I showed the Jesus film in a Malawian village, working with a Malawian pastor, Rev. Sankhani. On this trip I left Janet and Carey behind but took a Southern Baptist colleague of mine, Ed Barnes. He reminds me a little of Walter Cronkite. I had attempted to show the film in this place six months earlier and the whole system just shut down. This time we showed the entire movie, distributed Bibles, and preached that Sunday morning. Once again the local church people were warm and gracious. I spied a little boy that reminded me of Carey, so I bent down and spoke to him. He fled in terror; I was probably the first white man he had ever seen! When I�m not frightening children, the Jesus film is a powerful evangelistic tool and an effective training exercise for ABC students. In June I loaned out the video equipment to David Taylor, an Englishman with the Navigators and part-time professor at ABC. He used it to show the Jesus film to university students in Mzuzu during a two-week campaign. He came back with a glowing report about the success of the campaign; he told us that they showed the Jesus film to hundreds and that many students came to faith in the Lord. Another Navigator leader with whom we work is Pam Forster; she lives next door to us and is from the Presbyterian Church of Ireland (�Hav feth in Gawd�). As the faculty member who is responsible for student outreach, I�ve learned over the years that partnering with solid groups like the Navigators, AWANA and Life Ministries (what they call Campus Crusade here; you can�t use the word �Crusade� in a country where there are many Muslims) is the way to go. That way, you get the benefit of skills and gifts of people like David and Pam. And they�re a good fit for African Bible College, since we�re a multi-denominational institution. |
| Carey�s Corner� It is hard to believe that Carey is almost one year old already! July 10th will be the big day. He started life as a little boy nobody wanted, he was even named �trouble.� We have been able to meet with his maternal aunt (who praise God has signed the release papers!!) and found out that he is from the Ngoni tribe and not the Yao as we had been told. We were inducted as honorary members of the Ngoni tribe several years ago, so this makes Carey�s heritage X-tra special! We have renamed him Carey Khetwayo (which in Ngoni means �the chosen one� because we feel God has chosen him just for us! He is now taking steps and learning just the best ways to make his opinions known � what a joy he continues to be! |
| Summer 2003 |
| Prayer Requests: Please pray for the continuing adoption process. Please pray for the selection of just the right students to be in the incoming Freshman class. Over 500 have applied for the approximately 40? positions that are available. Please continue to pray for the Uganda and Swaziland projects as they are beginning their development. |