My apologies for not writing updates for the past few months. I have been hit with many things. I always want to let you know what God is doing here through us, but I have failed very often to do that because of the situations I have been going through.

Before I went to Bible College, I studied pharmacy to earn my bachelor’s degree. I studied well, but somehow I still had two exams I needed to take to complete the degree. In the month of December, they sent me a notification about these two exams, and I was able to pay my exam fee. Then, I prepared and waited for the exams. As the date drew closer to the exams, I was supposed to receive an entrance ticket, which would allow me to take the exams. They told me that I did not receive the entrance ticket because I am no longer a student of the college or under college management. As a result, I had to meet with many professors and officers to receive my entrance ticket from the university so that I could take the exams. (They had not initially told me that I needed to go through a different process to get the entrance ticket, since I am no longer an active student.) Finally, I received my entrance ticket only 1 hour before the exam, on January 23. I am telling you all of this because that was a season when I could not communicate with any of you because all I had was my old phone, that I cannot use for sending a newsletter. Thank you for being so kind!

I did well on my exams and returned back to the Bible college, and God used me in many ways. We hosted two teams back-to-back. This was a great opportunity for me to do various types of ministry along with the teams. I went with the students to a city to do an outreach where one team also attended three days of open air meetings. The students were able to serve practically, ministering with people who came from different areas and with people who speak different dialects.

Before we went to that outreach, the team did a puppet show for the community. I was glad to be a part of it. The team used puppets to teach about God. They also blessed the children in the community with school bags and water bottles. We are all trying to reach the people in the community here, and we need your prayer support.

After that, we hosted the other team, and I was so blessed to travel with them to a large city. We visited brothel colonies there, where there are more than twenty thousand women. These women are from different areas, and they have been seduced to come here for good jobs. Then, they end up in the prostitution business as their profession. We met a pastor who has a rescue house in the heart of that area, with his church. We were able to hear his testimony, how he dedicated his life to rescue the women from that profession, to share the Good News with them, and to restore them back to their homes.

A Slum We Ministered In

We also visited local slum areas in this city and saw how our Lord became a hope for them in the midst of all of their circumstances. We prayed with many families, and those who were ill. We saw a church there with four walls made of women’s clothing. One man who accepted the Lord Jesus gave his small amount of land for the church service. All the church could do was to put up a few logs for the building support beams, and they covered the sides with woman’s clothing. All the Christians in that slum area attend church there every week. It is so fascinating to see their hearts for God!

Slum Church Made with Sticks and Woman’s Clothing

After our short trip to this city, we arrived back at the school. Pastor A taught the students about how to interpret the Bible, including the pastoral epistles. After those classes, many students said that they had never understood the Bible before like that. They said, now they are able to understand why it is written the way it is.

This semester, I am teaching 1 & 2 Kings to the students. Since we have been blessed with a few more new students, I also need to review all of 1 & 2 Samuel to help them understand the history. Please keep praying for me, that the Holy Spirit will bless me with the applications that the students need and that are useful for their future ministries.

God bless you,

Pastor 7*

*Names have been changed or omitted for security reasons.