Serving the Lord in Kenya and Tanzania

Prayer letter of Rev and Mrs Mark Kim Kyung Soo, missionaries of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, USA,
February 2011

 

Greetings from Nairobi in the Name of our faithful Lord and Savior. We trust that you are well in the Lord. It has been 21 years since we first arrived here, and as we begin our 22nd year, we confess with thanksgiving that it is by His grace that we are able to serve in this ministry. It seems just like yesterday that we arrived here, but whenever we look into the mirror we are reminded of the many years that have passed.We do not know how many years we have left in this life, but lately, we have been seizing various opportunities to recommit ourselves to His calling. We praise God for your faithful labor alongside us in equipping laborers for the work of saving and transforming souls. The following is news of what the Lord has been doing here recently.

Bible College of East Africa (Kenya)

On November 27 of last year, BCEA held its 40th graduation service, in which 23 students graduated. On this occasion, 12 students also received a Bachelor of Ministry degree from FEBC (Far Eastern Bible College). These were the 7th group of graduates to be awarded this degree. Please pray for each of these servants, who through God’s grace have completed their studies, that they will now whole-heartedly serve the Lord for His glory—just as Paul sought to magnify Christ in his body, whether by life or by death (Phil 1:20).

It has been our prayer that God will send faithful men and women as students, rather than utilizing an aggressive plan to publicize the programs here. This year, 33 new students enrolled. Currently, 118 students from 7 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Congo, and Korea) are studying at the College. We praise God for these students, particularly those who have utilized the early mornings, lunch breaks, and late nights to engage in faithful prayer in the Chapel and in the prayer chamber. It is our prayer that God will continue to ignite a desire to call upon Him through prayer.

 

We praise God for alumni who are actively engaged in ministry. Rev Henry Ngige, who graduated 3 years ago, has seen a doubling in size of the congregation he served to over 1,000 members. Rev Amos Nganga, who was ordained recently, is serving as the resident pastor of Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi. It is always our privilege and joy to hear of graduates who are faithfully engaged in ministry, and we pray that God will open doors of ministry for those graduates whom He has made ready.

The Bible College Campus Church needs your prayers. It is our great hope and desire that this will be a year in which God will use this ministry to lead many to Himself. There are many in the surrounding community that have been afflicted by drug and alcohol addictions, as well as single mothers facing the difficulty of raising children. Please be in special prayer for our weekly outdoor evangelism on Thursday afternoons. May God’s Spirit work before us and open the hearts of listeners as we carry and proclaim the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16).

With much joy, we praise God for His provision of a new co-laborer, a young man named Joshua Yong. He completed his MDiv at FEBC, and we dare say that he is a natural-born missionary, who fellowships with the students and locals here with ease, and is able to enjoy the local food! He is teaching four courses this semester and is serving here with great joy. Please pray that he will confirm God’s calling for his life and come to serve here long-term as an IBPFM missionary.

Bible College of East Africa (Tanzania)

By God’s grace, 14 students are currently studying at BCEA (TZ). This is a country in which biblical training is scarce, and we pray that the Lord will utilize BCEA (TZ) to train and equip soldiers for His work. Please join us in prayer for this great blessing, that through the dedicated service of these students, many of God’s people will be saved and transformed by His Word.

Only recently has the installation of electricity services begun on campus with the arrival of post and cables. We had made full payment for this last August, and we thank those of you who have not given up in praying for this challenge! Please be in continued prayer, that the project will be completed well.

We have been making great efforts to register the school. There are many obstacles that lie ahead, but we pray and trust that God will open each door, one at a time.

Requests for Prayer

Please pray for a continued spirit of dependence upon the Lord via prayer and calling out to Him in our College campuses and related ministries. Pray also that God will imbue students with a passion and heart for the lost, that they might proclaim His glorious gospel without reservation. Pray that God will grant godly wisdom and strength to the 17 faculty members (Kenya/Tanzania) as they instruct the students in the Word. Pray for the founding of BCEA at Kinshasa, DRC (Congo) for equipping workers to serve French-speaking countries. Finally, we ask that God will grant us health to continue in this work. We praise and thank God for your love and prayers.

FEBC “Products” Shining Bright in Cebu

A testimony by Mr Eio Eng Hua

When the late Rev Timothy Tow started the Far Eastern Bible College in Singapore, I believe the objective was to train men and women who are called of God to serve Him in the mission field. That was in obedience to the Lord’s great commission, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

I was in Cebu, Philippines between 24th and 28th February 2011 to visit the mission stations there with a view to give moral support to our Philippine brethren and to have fellowship with them.

I met Rev Reggor Galarpe, brothers Dominino de la Cruz and Richard Tiu and other worshippers of Gethsemane B-P Mission Church. I also visited their CARE centre where they took care of drug addicts who were willing to forsake their harmful habits and turn to the Lord. Their treatment was better than “cold turkey” – just the Word of God will suffice!

 

On Sunday, 27th February, I attended two services – one in Bogo and the other in St Antonio. Rev Galarpe was the Lord’s messenger for both services. He spoke from 1 Timothy 6:3-11. We are to withdraw ourselves from those who preach another gospel or false doctrines. Prior to the worship service, Preacher Dominino spoke to the Sunday School on the topic of “The Threefold Function of the Moral Law”.

Indeed, the Founder of FEBC and its current principal and lecturers should be proud of the witness in Cebu under the guidance of Rev Prabhudas Koshy for their labour in training those missionaries had not been in vain.