Thanks for praying for the Bible teacher seminar. It is rainy season, but the Lord held the rain off so they didn’t have to travel by foot and by motorcycle in the rain either coming here or going home. Thirty three of the forty Manubu’ Bible teachers were able to attend. One of those Bible teachers who wasn’t able to attend is an old man in the lowlands who is very hard of hearing which also affects his balance so he finds it difficult to ride on a motorcycle, but he teaches God’s Word!
The youngest Bible teacher attending, Agung, is 16 years old. His grandfather listened to our teaching of the evangelistic phase of the teaching many years ago and was one of the first Manubu’ Bible teachers. Presently, his father and two uncles are Bible teachers. The oldest attending was Jose, 60 years old and a fairly new believer. There have been elderly Manubu’ men over the years who have also been saved, but Jose is the first one we know of who became a Bible teacher.
The seminar was three days of in-depth teaching of some deep truths followed by deep discussion. Gene taught on the need to be constantly studying God’s Word and to not just read lessons to those we are teaching, but to study ahead so can explain well and give good cultural illustrations and examples.
All the rest of the teaching was done by Manubu’ Bible teachers from our village. By far the best Bible teacher seminar we’ve had.
On the last day of the seminar there were 39 people baptized. They came from five different Manubu’ churches. A large crowd was gathered on the river bank and in the river were four sets of baptizers. I, Gene, said to Carol, “Has the thirty years of our lives we have spent here been worth it?” Of course, the answer was positive. After the baptism was completed, we and all the Bible teachers were crying for joy and could hardly talk.
You may remember that a few months ago Mahan discipled three young men, Jundri, Ipil, and Ibit, to teach God’s Word. They have been faithfully teaching the evangelistic phase and there are already saved people through their ministry. Now Jundri is discipling three other young men to teach God’s Word. Please PRAY for these young men, Tutu, Jeppy, and Upaw, that they will be faithful to learn to teach, be faithful to teach, and not fall to temptation that would pull them away from serving the Lord. We know that as young people and Bible teacher trainees they will face a lot of temptation.
