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Volume: 2 • Issue 7 • July 2002

Teacher Appreciation

Everyone knows that those who are teachers do it cheerfully with no thought of reward or appreciation in this life, right? Then of course this must be especially true for teachers volunteering in the Lord’s work. What serendipity there is, when a rare student takes the time and care to express appreciation, as J.K.Kamata (Kenya) recently did in a letter to Jan Saunders. He expresses gratitude for encouraging comments on his papers, observing, “You must be a very humorous lady and an exciting partner that Dr. Raymond Saunders thanks God for. Your morale-boosting comments have been very motivating and have caused me to excell in other courses also. Besides being my instructor I regard you as a dear friend who has positive wishes for my ministry. Such friends are rare in our present generation, and so I value you highly.”

Cindy Walker also had a letter of appreciation from J. K Kamata in which he wrote, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your most encouraging comment on my Hermeneutics course assignment. I must admit this has not been an easy task. However, this course is one of the most needed courses in our contemporary churches and more so to gospel ministers. I thank God for enabling me to perform beyond the expectation of my instructor. This has given me a good motivation and audacity to expound the oracles of the scriptures without any form of intimidation. I believe in being dynamic and visionary.”

Included with the letter of appreciation from Rev. Kamata are pictures of his family. His wife is Dr. Louise Kahoro Kamata, a surgeon; and they have three children: two sons, Joseph and William, ages 17 and 14, and a daughter, Beatrice, age 18.

Welcome to a New Instructor!

Mr. Lonnie Temple of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee will be grading courses #305 - Pastoral Leadership, and #401 - Creative Bible Teaching.

Ministry Project Reports:

South America
CCBI student Chiquita Nelson-Mak shares a triumphant outpouring of God’s blessing as she has launched full time into implementing Evangelism Explosion training in tropical Suriname. Many people in areas where evangelism has been difficult have begun phoning her, registering for the 13-week training, reporting salvation and purpose in their lives, volunteering to help set up training clinics. Chiquita also reports joyful participation among 11 Roman Catholics, and during one afternoon of training, the salvation of 21 Hindus and Muslims!

This wife and mother last August trained 26 students and school leaders, resulting in evangelism and prayer groups forming in several secondary schools and the university.

Africa
Kenya student Marco Wakuze is ministering through church and youth leaders to those affected by HIV/AIDS, spending about six hours a week in an urban poor area helping to train and equip members of local churches and the community to care for people with AIDS. In the project entitled “Faraja” (Swahili for ‘comfort’), family members are trained in patient care-giving, some oversee children during their parents’ illness and death, some help teach preventive sex education, and some give comfort and encouragement to the affected and the infected.

The highlight of this project for Marco has been “to see people living with the virus demonstrating the kind of hope that only arises from the knowledge that the Lord is with them and will bring them comfort even beyond this life through faith in the Lord Jusus Christ.”

Tom Olang ministers to families with unwed teenage pregnancies in Rongo, Kenya, with the goal of bringing hope to the daughter and her parents, and especially of preventing abortions, suicide, or a lifestyle of promiscuity.

With two colleagues he visits twelve families about an hour each week, giving scriptural reasons for hope and forgiveness and encouraging parents to be supportive and take their daughters back to school to complete their education after delivery.

Mr. Olang’ reports a great work by the Holy Spirit, with nine of the twelve having abandoned their plans of abortion
and/or suicide, most taking their predicament in stride, but two families still considering their daughters as outcasts. He can strongly reaffirm that Christ is the answer to the sin question, being faithful and just to forgive and purify us from all unrighteousness.

West Indies
Rawle Thompson leads a group of prayer warriors for about two hours every week to intercede for their nation of Trinidad. At present, he explains, the country is being governed without a clear mandate, having experienced a tie in December elections.

The group is asking the Lord for peace and stability in the nation. To date He has granted their request, as the country is peaceful, the government functioning and the people going about their business. Highlighting this project has been the realization that God is the Master of every situation and that the hearts of the rulers are in His hand as He rules in the affairs of men.

Cindy Balkaran ministers to shut-ins in her Trinidad church, visiting regularly with fellowship, singing, and reading from Psalms to the blind and inform. Cecily says the Lord has taught her patience, and how to pray for these people, and the old folks are much encouraged and are eager for the time together. She adds that God has placed in her a deeper love and consideration for the shut-ins.