May, 2023
Dear Co-Laborers in the Lord,
Greetings from East Africa in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is our joy to share with you the things which the Lord has done on this mission field.
1. Bible College of East Africa (BCEA-Rwanda) is now International Covenant Christian College (ICCC).
The ICCC was visited by the government accrediting body of Higher Learning Institutions on March 1 through 3. A team of 12 officers came for a thorough inspection and evaluation, and concluded their visit with an 82-page report containing 70 recommendations. We submitted a response and progress report addressing these. Construction is now 70% complete for a new Education Center with six classrooms (pictured above). God willing, we are prayerfully working toward completion in July. As with all other things, the accreditation of ICCC is only possible by God’s leading and will. We ask for your fervent prayers, that ICCC will be able to open its doors to train ministers of the Word in this region and beyond. We pray that many will be trained for the proclamation of the Gospel.
2. Kigali Bible Presbyterian Church (KBPC) continues to grow by the grace of our Lord.
KBPC holds four worship services each Sunday: 8:00am adults, 11:00am adults, 11:00am teenagers, 2:00pm children’s worship and Sunday School. In total, over a thousand villagers typically attend across these four services. Rev. Kim is preaching through all 66 books of Scripture, presenting one book per week with a summary, main themes, and practical lessons for the congregation. Last week was 2 Corinthians and this coming week will be Galatians. This has not been an easy task, but we do praise God for the rich blessings of His Word and for the members who listen and take notes each week. We thank God for the many who profess their faith weekly as he dedicated a separate time for the presentation of the Gospel.
On April 23, he also baptized 32 adults and one infant, and presented completion certificates to 72 believers who had completed the Shorter Catechism Class under the guidance of our local Pastor and BCEA-Kenya graduate, Kennedy Ruhosha. We welcomed these new members into our church with the gift of a Bible.
Weekly home fellowships resumed in January of this year, for the first time since the pandemic. Each week, God’s Word is preached and prayer requests are shared. There is also a time of prayer, testimony, and giving glory to God for praise items. Currently, a total of nine home fellowship groups meet weekly, and the groupings are according to village divisions. It is our hope and prayer that the home fellowships will be times of growth in the Word, abounding in prayer, and strengthened fellowship in the Lord.
3. Bible College of East Africa (BCEA-Kenya) continues to grow in the grace of our Lord.
Rev. Kim had the privilege of teaching on the Nairobi, Kenya campus amidst our full schedule in Kigali, Rwanda. In March, he taught a book-study on Acts and in May, he taught a book-study on Judges. Praise God for the privilege of serving and for granting the strength and wisdom to complete the intensive courses.
We are able to serve on the field by your prayers and by your support of love. Though we are weak, it is our fervent hope and prayer that we will be used as precious instruments for the saving of souls and for the progress of the Gospel according to His sovereign plan. Please join us in prayer for God’s people in East Africa.
In the bond of Christ,
Kyung Soo (Mark) Kim and Hang Sook (Hannah) Rhee