‘Disciples of all nations’
LUBBOCK, Texas — SUNSET INTERNATIONAL BIBLE INSTITUTE reaches far beyond…
Around the World: Bikers, Bibles and selfies in Burundi
FEATURED IMAGE (above): In the East African town of Bweru, Burundi, evangelist Akembe Ahumbwe Amou, center, gives Bibles to a group of motorcyclists. “The young people … are pleased to receive a Bible and thank the Church of Christ Burundi and our donors for the fulfillment of the Lord’s mission,” the preacher said. For more information, click here.
SPOTLIGHT
Shahid Khokhar preaches in Pakistan.
HYDERABAD, Pakistan — A few clicks of the mouse changed Shahid Khokhar’s life — and the lives of many others.
Khokhar lives in the Sindh province of southern Pakistan. More than 95 percent of the nation’s 197 million people claim Islam as their faith.
But some, including Khokhar, seek truth in the Bible. He and his family visited multiple Christian groups in their community, but “it seemed everything was not practiced exactly the way it is written in the Bible,” he said. Then he made the “minor decision” to enroll in the online program of World Bible School, a correspondence ministry associated with Churches of Christ.
As they studied online with teachers in the U.S., “the Word fed us and brought nourishment to our empty souls,” Khokhar said. “We became hungry for more.”
Khokhar and his family were baptized and planted a Church of Christ in Hyderabad, a city of about 1.7 million souls (not to be confused with the same-named city in neighboring India). For about eight years, the family has worked with World Evangelism, a church-supported ministry launched by evangelist J.C. Choate. Khokhar has trained other Pakistani evangelists and has helped plant small churches in Pakistan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces.
“In this month, five more souls were added in the Church of Christ,” Khokhar wrote in a recent report, “and we pray that they remain strong in his Word.”
Khokhar also asked for prayers for two ministers working in Punjab.
“They need our encouragement,” he said, “in spreading the truth among different sects of believers.”
BRAZIL
RECIFE — Elders for every congregation: that’s the goal of missionaries working in this northeastern Brazilian city of 1.5 million souls.
That’s also why 60 Christians from 13 Churches of Christ gathered for the recent Elder-Link seminar, hosted by the Boa Vista Church of Christ. Five guest speakers focused on “take heed to yourselves and to all the flock” from Paul’s final charge to the elders in Acts 20.
“Of the two dozen congregations in the metropolitan region, only the Boa Vista church, which is the oldest, has elders,” said missionary Mike Pruitt. However, I am encouraged by the progress two of the congregations are making in this regard. They hope to each have an eldership installed by next year.”
GREECE
Mary Nelson
THESSALONIKI — In this ancient Greek city, 25 women serving churches in Africa, Europe and Central America gathered for a Retreat for Single Women Missionaries. In addition to touring the sites once visited by the apostle Paul, participants heard presentations from speakers including Mary Nelson of Mission Bible Class.
Nelson, who lives in New Zealand, spoke about methods for teaching Bible lessons to children using the free resources at www.missionbibleclass.org. She also spoke to members of the Glyfada Church of Christ in Athens.
INDIA
LAKLA — A Church of Christ in this northeastern Indian village recently celebrated the opening of a new meeting place.
The church members are part of the Karbi ethnic group in India’s Assam state. Garry Jones works with the Karbi through Spiritual Sword Missions, an outreach of the Clinton Church of Christ in Tennessee. The work includes the Mustard Seed Village children’s home, the Spiritual Sword Bible School Program, the Jean Fields Women’s Bible School and the Health Worker’s Training Institute.
“There has been division among the churches in the Karbi state,” Jones said, “and I, along with many Indian brothers, have made it our goal to bring peace and unity.”
LATVIA
RIGA — “Who is Jesus Christ?” The Riga Center Church of Christ pondered that question during a recent lecture series featuring speakers Wayne Brewer, Michael Richardson and John Griffin.
PHOTO PROVIDED
In Riga are, from left, Wayne Brewer, Victor Barviks, Ivars Landorfs, Gary Clowers and John Griffin.
The Mabelvale Church of Christ in Arkansas and individual Christians provided support to help the church advertise the event on Facebook in Latvian, Russian and English.
TANZANIA
MOROGORO — A swing set was stolen from a Church of Christ in this central Tanzanian town recently — despite the fact that it was anchored to the ground with concrete.
“In this fast-growing neighborhood, construction workers are constantly coming and going,” Thayer Salisbury explained. “Anything that is not nailed down disappears — and sometimes even items that are nailed down.
“Someone came in the night, cut the legs of the swing set just above ground level and carried off the whole thing.”
Salisbury, a minister and elder of the Flanders Road Church of Christ in Toledo, Ohio, recently visited Morogoro, a city in central Tanzania with about 300,000 people. The church supports the work of minister Wilfred Massawe and special projects.
The Flanders Road church already had raised most of the money needed for a security wall, Salisbury said, and seeks additional funds to finish the project — and to replace the swing set.
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