Volume: 2 • Issue 1 • January 2002                        

From the President’s Pen:

Dear Friends and Family of CCBI,

I trust you had a glorious Christmas season and I pray this communiqué finds you healthy and prospering.

What an awesome year this has been for us. We have seen many new students enroll and God has sent us several new financial supporters.

Many wonderful and miraculous things unfolded before us in 2001 and we are most lovingly grateful for each one. As well, we are most lovingly grateful for each one of you. You will never know, this side of Heaven, how much good you did in the lives of those whose feet carry the Gospel. We applaud you!

Now, looking forward. I love the new year! It seems as though we are getting a fresh start. It gives us an opportunity to evaluate our lives and see what we have done in the past year and what we would like to do in the future.

For the coming year I would like to see the following:

1. God opening doors for greater ministry in the countries where CCBI has a presence.

2. God giving us new countries for training church leaders.

3. Our current students getting or staying motivated to finish their education.

4. More Children of God, churches and Christian businesses stepping forward to help support CCBI.

So I ask for your prayers along with mine that we will in the coming year, see these things come to fruition.

Thank you again for all you have done, are doing and will do for this great ministry.

We love you!

Praising Yah,

Bro Bill
Romans 8:14

Graduation in Trinidad, November 3, 2001

Back Row (L - R)
Rodger Samuel, Cecily Balkran, Kathleen James, Dr. Victor Gill, Hoover Roopan, Francisa Williams, Claire Gomes
Front Row (L - R)
Parbatee Sookdeo, Samuel Williams, Maria Joseph, Sean Kirk

Leadership Changes in Suriname

Suriname, a small multi-cultural nation on the northern edge of South America, has had students in CCBI for over ten years. One of the three “Guianas”, the Dutch-speaking country has become home to many English-speaking immigrants from its neighbor, formerly British Guyana. One of those Guyanese was Kervin C. Harry, who joined CCBI in 1992 and was one of the first students to graduate on the Bachelor level. Mr. Harry, a missionary with the Salvation Army, was subsequently stationed in several different Caribbean countries as he rose in the ranks of responsibility. He never forgot CCBI, and endeavored to establish students as he was moved from place to place. Now Captain Harry is at home in Suriname where he has accepted the position of National Director for CCBI as appointed by Dr. Bill Sharples and Dr. Frank Jabini.

Rev. Raymond Ramdhari has been National Director for the past several years, during which time CCBI library materials have been maintained in their home and students have been taught, advised and often fed with loving hospitality. He arranged a number of graduations and seminars in his church and with his wife graciously hosted visiting representatives of CCBI on many occasions. Rev. and Mrs. Ramdhari have also attended CCBI international events in Trinidad and US . Dr. Sharples and the Saunderses join in expressing great appreciation to Rev. Raymond Ramdhari, his beautiful family and the entire church for their years of working with CCBI and for the many special ties that are treasured. Prayer is requested for Christians in Suriname as political and economic conditions are extremely unstable.

A Special Thank You To Our Faithful Contributors:

Franklin & Lana Vestal
Jeff & Melanie Scott
Cookeville Baptist Temple
Faith Community Church
Larry & Betty Self
Mary Sue Sharples
Bill & Melissa Sharples
Mark & Paula Replogle
Dayspring Christian Fellowship
Harry and Jane Camp
Clifford and Jean Hepper

Reports from Kenya Students

William Githigah has been ministering in Mombasa to prisoners who have been condemned to die for murder or robbery with violence. Working specifically with four men, his goals have been to lead them to accept God’s forgiveness by accepting Jesus as Saviour. He spends about an hour a week with each man. He says, “I try to show them that all is not lost, and if they can believe in Jesus He can forgive them, perhaps even save them from the rope and give them a new beginning.” Although none have yet received Christ, he notes that fear and loss of hope are leaving them and they are becoming more confident. “I strongly believe that the power of God is working in them and they will be born again and set free. But if God will not save them from the rope they will die in confidence like the thief at the cross.”

Pastor Samuel Ndungu has a deep concern for street children whom he sees daily in the dumps picking all they can get as their daily food. Both boys and girls, from very young to mature, these children were difficult to approach at first, but later became more open to him. He began tracking down their parents to discover more about their circumstances of arriving at such a pitiful life. This pastor has organized teams for prayer and for collection and distribution of food, clothing and money to help these children. He plans to focus his next Ministry Project on victims and survivors of HIV/AIDS.

Letters such as these certainly underscore our responsibility as Christians to pray and support the education of these leaders who minister in such extremely difficult areas.