New School Year Starts with Students Representing 7 Different Countries
September 8, 2024
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
First of all, let me apologize for not writing a newsletter last month. Here is my lame excuse – Julie was in the United States visiting family and I was struggling with Chloe here in Kenya and just trying to make it through the month. I felt like I didn’t have much to write about except: Monday – struggled with Chloe; Tuesday – struggled with Chloe; Wednesday – struggled with Chloe, etc. I recognize that it is a lame excuse so, again, I apologize.
This month, however, we have opened up a new school year after seeing our graduates off from last year. It is exciting to welcome the new students and to see what God is doing and is going to do with them in Kenya and the world. As always, one of my greatest prayer requests for many of these students is finances. The economy in Kenya continues to struggle (thus, the many riots and demonstrations by the Gen-Z’s in Nairobi and around the country that have caused so much trouble) and most of the students have difficulties even raising the money for their fees. But one of my goals is to see all of these students educated in the Bible and ministry and graduated at the end of their studies. Therefore, I continue to work with each of them to ensure they all eventually wear their regalia at graduation and go out to minister the Word and the love of Jesus to God’s people and the world.
One of the things that continues to thrill my heart is the growing group of international students that we have at the school. Our four Congolese students graduated in July and have moved on to either further studies or to return to Congo to minister to their people and their country. However, with returning and new students we now have seven countries represented within our student body. Of course, we have students from all over Kenya and many Kenyan tribes represented. Some of our returning students also come from Uganda, South Sudan, India, and Tanzania. Our South Sudanese student has not been home to see his wife and children in over two years because it would be too dangerous to try and travel in and out of his village. He wants to travel back just once, after he graduates this year, to minimize the travel and the danger. When he does return, there will be no open and usable roads to his home, and he will have to fly into a small airstrip and then continue his ministry to his people and his village. In addition to these returning students, we now have new students from other countries. We now have a student from Indonesia. He also will not return home until he graduates and returns to Indonesia to minister the Word and the love of Jesus to his people. The other two international students I need to be very careful about when I talk about them, because of their situations. I will not be able to disclose their origins or their destinations, in order to keep them safe.
One is from an undisclosed African country who also works as a missionary to another undisclosed African country. I wish I could describe even what he is doing for the Kingdom of Christ, but I want to keep him and his ministry safe. The other student comes from even farther away, but we need to keep him safe as well.
I mention these international students because I am excited to know we are teaching the Word and ministering to people who will be taking the gospel back with them to their own countries and ministering God’s grace to their own people. They are not more important or more exciting than our many Kenyan students, but it continues to thrill my heart to know that the reach of the gospel and the extent of Christ’s Kingdom is expanding as a result of our efforts and ministry. I am impressed with all of our students, and I love them all and continue to pray that God would use them mightily in His service and for the Kingdom of His Son. I hope you all will continue to pray for them in this way as well. To the glory of God.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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