We are beginning a new feature profiling students and faculty at BEST.

This month we would like to tell you about one of our graduating students, Fidele Yougouda his wife Rachel, and their family. Fidele and Rachel came to BEST several years ago from Maroua, Cameroon having been sent by the church in which he was one of the pastors. Fidele is receiving his Master’s degree in Missiology this year and Rachel has graduated from the women’s school.

Upon graduation in July, Fidele and Rachel will return to their home city of Maroua where Fidele will resume his duties as pastor, teach in the Bible Institute and the school of Theology. However, their heart is to evangelize the Muslims in Maroua-“the heart of Islam in Cameroon” as Fidele puts it.

Fidele and Rachel will be evangelizing the Muslim members of their families, their neighbors, the Fulani in their area, as well as Muslim students at the University of Maroua using tools like the Jesus Film, Bible study, friendship evangelism, and the Magdelena film which is geared toward Muslim women.

Fidele and Rachel approach their ministry as a team effort. In both the Fulani and Muslim cultures, men share with men and women share with women. Therefore, Fidele will be sharing with the men and Rachel will be sharing with the women. They have already begun this phase of their ministry in Bangui as Fidele is ministering to some of the Muslim men there and Rachel is holding a weekly Bible study with a Muslim woman in Bangui. Support of BEST through scholarships and operational financial support is critical to the training of quality individuals like Fidele and Rachel to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Francophone Africa.

Love and our heartfelt thanks,
John and Marilyn

(from the MteloCAR June newsletter)

In our last newsletter, we brought up the possibility that, due to several long term donors being forced to curtail or eliminate their financial support of BEST, a number of seminary personnel would need to be released. As you could see from Dr. Nupanga’s letter which you received earlier, thus far 12 people have been released. While these reductions in force are difficult and emotionally wrenching they were necessary to insure the continued viability of the seminary. The price of leadership often times involve making difficult decisions. Dr. Nupanga is a leader and we are extremely fortunate that God has brought a leader and visionary like Dr. Nupanga to lead the seminary.

One of the visions and a long term goal that Dr. Nupanga has is to work toward making BEST as self-supporting as possible. This will obviously take time, however let us tell you about a first step in this process and how you can help.

Dr. Nupanga has the vision of establishing an English Language Learning Centre on the grounds of BEST. This will meet an educational need in Bangui since English is the global language of business and will be offered for a fee to the residents of Bangui who desire to learn English. The plan is that the Centre will be managed by an African, who will also be the primary instructor. Eventually, additional instructors from the West and Africa will be utilized on an as needed basis to teach in the Centre. Revenue that exceeds operating expenses of the Centre will be used toward funding the operation of the seminary.

The start up cost of this Centre will be in the neighborhood of $30,000. This includes furniture, computers, electrical work required, fans, a window air conditioner for the “computer lab”, and a curriculum. The furniture will be made on site by the craftsmen working in the woodshop, and the electrical work will be done by local electricians who have worked at BEST in the past. More than likely the computers will be purchased in France and shipped to BEST.

If you would be interested in helping to finance this endeavor, you may do so in several ways. One way is a lump sum cash donation made payable to Mtelo Ministries. Another way is that you may purchase one or more chairs at $20.00 each (a total of 64 are needed); purchase one or more tables at $85.00 each (32 are needed); purchase one or more computers at approximately $1500 each (12 are needed); fans at $100 each (4 are needed); and a window air conditioner at $650 (as you can tell, some items are pretty expensive in CAR!). Finally, we are also in need of $2,000 for electrical work, and about $2,000 for the curriculum. The remaining $3,000, if needed, will be used for classroom supplies and the initial payments of the Centre’s manager and instructor.

You can donate securely via credit card with the Mtelo Ministries donation button. Alternately, checks may be made payable to Mtelo Ministries and sent to Mtelo at P.O. Box 871144, Canton, MI 48187. However you choose to donate, please include a note of what equipment you would like to “buy” (you can also donate to the scholarship fund). We are hoping to open the Centre late summer or early fall of 2009. Thank you for your prayers and your sacrificial giving. May the Lord bless you richly as you continue to partner with our brothers and sisters in Africa.

Love and our heartfelt thanks,
John and Marilyn

(from the MteloCAR June newsletter)

One of the team member’s mother died the Tuesday after we arrived and she had to leave early, but the outpouring of love and sympathy by the Africans was nothing short of amazing.  We got the news on Tuesday morning and that evening about 5:30, about 75 students showed up with chairs and held a memorial service for Nan’s mother.  This is the first time Nan had been to BEST, and she had only been there a few days.  They truly model the Christian walk and Agape love.  The service consisted of singing, Nan was able to share about her mom, a sermon by one of the students, even a collection!  Out of their poverty they gave Nan a monetary gift!

The second week, one of the team members became very sick.  He is the son of another of the team member and is not a believer (or not a commited follower of Christ).  The Africans brought a French trained doctor to the house (the doctor thought it might be malaria or typhoid), took him to the French private clinic for blood tests, and the number of people who came to the house to pray with and for him was probably more of a witness than any words could describe-we think this is why God allowed him to go on the trip.

These things I will probably never forget.

- John