Help Plant The Gospel Seed In Kenya
Michael P. Reese
If you have ever tasted a mango in season you know the delicious, sweet, juicy taste that reminds one of a cross between a very ripe peach and a cantaloupe. The mango is a fruit grown on a hardwood tree in the tropical lowlands. The pear-shaped fruit is about the size of a softball and produces a seed a little larger than a peach seed. A mature mango tree will average bearing between 1,000 and 1,500 fruits per season. There is a famous mango, the “Pane Ka tam” of Maharashtra and Khmgaon, India, where a single tree has yielded 29,000 fruits in a single growing season. As much as I enjoy eating fresh mangos in season, I would much rather plant one mango seed that has the potential to grow into a tree producing 29,000 mango fruits.
In your mind, transfer this seed principle to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul instilled the multiplying seed principle of the Gospel when he wrote, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Teaching faithful men in their native land who will be able to teach others is the vision of the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Colorado (BVBID). For more information on Bear Valley’s work around the world visit www.wetrainpreachers.com. Lord willing, a Bear Valley preacher training extension will become a reality in Luanda, Kenya, in 2012.
November 7-14, 2011, Keith Kasarjian (assistant director of overseas extensions for Bear Valley) and I made a survey trip to western Kenya upon the request of several Kenyan evangelists to explore the feasibility of placing a Bear Valley extension in the Western Region of Kenya. Seventy-five percent of Kenya’s nearly 40 million people live in and northwest of Nairobi. The site chosen for the school is outside of Kisumu and is strategically located to reach the majority of the population of Kenya. Over thirty students have already expressed serious interest in attending the school. Also, eleven qualified, potential instructors attended an informational meeting November 12 at the Ahono Church of Christ in Luanda (the chosen site for the school).
With plans being made to possibly begin class in September 2012, there are several immediate needs:
Several congregations have already pledged one-time contributions for the building construction and monthly support for the students.
To date, the following aspects of the school have been secured:
I will be sending informational and request letters to several congregations in the immediate future.
Please consider this wonderful opportunity to spread the Gospel in your prayers, financial support, and donation of quality religious books. Be a part of the effort to teach faithful men in their native tongue who will be able to teach others. Help plant the Gospel seed. -PO Box 107, Mannington, WV 26582. (304) 986 2924. preachermiker@frontier.com
(Editor’s note: Brother Mike recently wrote, “I received six stents December 22, 2011. I feel great … Back to work and in cardiac rehab … I had no heart damage and am well on the road to recovery … I thank everyone so much for their prayers.”)