“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law” (Galatians 4:4).

Dear friends, loved ones, and faithful partners,

We have a hard time believing it is possible, but we will complete forty years of ministry to the people of Africa on December 31^st! We would like to express appreciation for those of you who have supported us from the beginning of this ministry. Our journey began while traveling with eighteen-month-old Gwen, eight months before Bethany’s arrival, and the Lord has protected us every step of the way. We have not experienced any accidents while traveling for ministry in Africa or the USA, and we have put many miles on several vehicles over bone-jarring roads on both sides of the Atlantic. Thank you to all those who have carried our contact cards in their Bibles over the years or put them on the fridge, a mirror, or a map as a prayer reminder. God faithfully worked among the people of Ghana, Chad, and the DR Congo, as well as in our own lives.

October began for us in Cape Town, South Africa, at the Central/Southern Africa conference. While there, we met Sarah Nelson, one of our Engage interns who spent nearly two years with us. Sarah currently serves in Cameroon helping to introduce new missionaries to the realities of ministry in the African context. Her dream includes working in a country that is 99% Muslim. Bill trudged and groaned his way up the very rocky two-kilometer staircase to the top of the iconic Table Mountain with her and David Schmidt, a fellow missionary. Because of your help, Sarah has the opportunity to climb to the top of her dream. Thank you!

The first trimester of our Bible institute (IBTAD) began on October 13^th, with 42 new students registered for the combined morning and evening sessions. The Congolese Minister of Justice recently decreed that all pastors must be properly trained. Because of this requirement, we anticipate an uptick in new students in both our diploma (IBTAD) and B.Th. degree (WAAST) programs. We do what we can to add value to the current and future ministries of these students. Bill teaches the first course for incoming students and Sonia handles many of the administrative ins and outs that make a campus run smoothly. Discipling these current and future pastors and Christian leaders keeps us on our toes, and on our knees.

We celebrated the English congregation’s seventh anniversary the first week of November. Pastor Bo and Karen Melin of Fairbanks, Alaska came to help us celebrate. (Our Northwest Ministry Network friends may remember him as the pastor of Glad Tidings Church in Vancouver, WA.) Bo began his ministry traveling with a musical team in South Africa 55 years ago. He has visited over 60 countries during his years of ministry, but he had never seen the DR Congo until this year. His wisdom-filled messages on the theme “I Press On” (Philippians 3:14) had and will continue to have an impact for a long time to come.

You can participate in the week’s celebration by watching this short video clip of our annual Family Fun Day:

https://youtube.com/shorts/LCk8N1l0snc?feature=share

Shortly after the Melins’ departure, Bill traveled to Lomé, Togo, to join six students from our BA degree program for graduation on the main campus of WAAST (West Africa Advanced School of Theology). Our Cameroonian student, Lovert Nchanji, led worship for the service. His dream is to return to Cameroon, establish a local church and reach out to the Fulfulde, an unreached people group in northern Cameroon, where he grew up. He even speaks their language. Thanks to your continued partnership, Lovert’s dream is closer to becoming a reality!

The materials for the IBTAD chapel building arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa, on a truck with a double trailer on October 18^th. Pastor Bo Melin, instrumental in obtaining the steel structure, dedicated the chapel on the morning of October 30^th during the regular campus worship service. Since that time, construction workers have been busily working on the foundation to prepare for the building’s assembly. Last week, two cranes arrived on campus to hoist the various framing sections into place. Much labor remains to complete the building, but we can now envision the completed structure, which will also serve as a local church in this rapidly developing neighborhood. Click on this link to see the unloading: https://youtu.be/jqz_Gkv_lNI

ANNOUNCEMENT: We look forward to seeing many of you during our upcoming mini furlough May – September 2025. We only have 4 Sunday dates still available, so if we can add more value to what you are doing in your corner of the Kingdom, please let us know. Write to one of the email addresses in the heading or send a text message to one of our phones, and we can work together to make that an open door.

We wish all of you a blessed Christmas season and much joy as you celebrate the arrival of the King of kings, coming as a tiny baby born in Bethlehem more than two millennia ago. May the Lord bring joy, peace, and blessings to your Christmas season.

https://youtu.be/rCYwmeNnsLs

Bill & Sonia

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