GBI, Ethiopia (Report from Rev. Ephrem Chiracho)
Dear Rev Koshy and the Session of Gethsemane B-P Church, Singapore,
Greetings in the blessed Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings… Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:1-5).
Truly, we are pleased to inform you that 27 trainees of GBI, Ethiopia will have graduated on the Lord’s Day (1st Aug, 2021). We are thankful to the LORD for the meaningful and fruitful fellowship we have in the Gospel. We praise God for using your wisdom, prayer, labour and support to accomplish His work in Ethiopia. God has been merciful to use us, weak vessels as we are, to extend His kingdom on earth, and to edify and establish His people to do great exploits for the glory of His name. “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5).
By God’s grace, we have been endeavouring to disseminate the sound biblical truths we have been taught by our spiritual fathers. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). God has never failed us, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death at times.
God has graciously provided all the needs of the church ministries, including GBI, Ethiopia. We have no sufficient words to declare His goodness and mercy. All glory and praise to the living and true God!
As you rejoice with us on what the LORD has done thus far, please continue praying for us so that God may help us to hold the fort faithfully and valiantly until Christ our King comes. Please convey our gratitude and greetings to the whole congregation of Gethsemane BP Church.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ephrem,
(On behalf of Gethsemane BP Church of Ethiopia and GBI, Ethiopia)
GBI, Cebu, the Philippines (Report from Rev. Reggor Galarpe)
Dear Pastor Koshy,
Greetings to you in our Lord's most blessed Name!
Praise God for His grace and mercies that sustain and keep us in these difficult times. Cebu City has been placed under a "stricter" quarantine protocol because of the increasing number of Covid cases (which include the Delta variant). Thank God that a good number of our brethren has been fully vaccinated.
Last Monday, we had the GBI “Day of Prayer and Registration” for the first semester. Thank God for the brethren who are able to attend physically as well as those who joined us on-line. For this semester, we have 6 full-time students, with another 8 taking part-time courses and another 5 joining the Tuesday Night Class "on-line" via Google meet.
Preacher Edsel is teaching Proverbs and the Gospel of John, and these classes are held via Google meet. Elder Eliezer is teaching the Book of Philippians and Ten Commandments, and his classes are a mix of physical and virtual meetings. As for me, I am handling the class on Homiletics, as well as Survey of the Bible and Practical Issues of Christian Living (Tuesday Night Class). In addition, a good number of them are taking GBI-online courses (Names of God).
Pastor, thank you very much for your (and the church’s) prayers for us, especially for the work and the building project. We have visited a few places recently, but the location (meaning the immediate surrounding) is not so conducive. So, we continue to pray as we continue to search for more prospective venues.
Our greetings to Sis. Carolyn and the children.
Respectfully,
Rev. Reggor
