| June 2008 |
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CBT
News
News
Student Seminar at Thomassique
April was the first break month of this year for our students, and they
spent 5 days of their first week working in the mountain town of
Thomassique. This is part of the students’ practical training after their
first year of classes at the CBT. One of our students, Raphael
Jonathan, has recently begun work to start a church in Thomassique,
which is his home town. Thomassique is a few miles from Hinche,
where Calice Bellot, one of our school directors, works with the church
and has a radio program. In the past few years, he has done some
evangelistic work in Thomassique, but due to some difficulties has not
been able to follow up on the work.
On the way to Thomassique, our students stopped by and visited a
community of about 225 blind people. Apparently this is a small village
in which (because of some unknown problem) many of the people,
young and old, went blind. What is extraordinary about them is that
rather than just ask for charity, they have formed an association and
are working together on a small farm growing corn, beans and millet in
order to provide for their own needs. Our students left a little financial
help to contribute to these people’s efforts and were very impressed by
what they were able to accomplish. They also visited with a preacher
working in that village who was also blind and shared some of their
knowledge of the Bible with him.
The students stopped by a local home for some of the extremely poor
people in the area who were unable to care for themselves. They
visited, tried to encourage them and left some funds with the director
of the home to assist with their needs.
In Thomassique, the students visited members of the community and
invited them to evening Bible studies. They also conducted individual
studies with those who were interested. As a result of their efforts
during the day, they had over a hundred people attending the evening
Bible studies, where they talked about the nature of the church, the
plan of salvation and other topics. On Sunday morning, they had more
than 200 people in attendance. The students were very encouraged at
the people’s response, especially since Thomassique has had no
organized congregation of the churches of Christ up until this point.
After the students left, Raphael said that 3 people were baptized as a
result of this evangelistic effort. He is also continuing to study with
several of the people with whom they made contact.
More than a year earlier, Bellot had the opportunity to do some
teaching in Thomassique. In response to his teaching, 4 people were
baptized into Christ. Because Bellot was unable at that time to
continue working in Thomassique, and there was no one else available
to follow up on this work, these 4 new Christian began worshipping
with a local Baptist church. Before they did so, they talked to the
Baptist preacher and explained to him that they believed the scriptures
taught some things about salvation and the church that were not the
same as he preached, but because they wanted to worship God as best
they knew how they wanted to attend services at the Baptist church
until they were able to do something else. When our students went to
Thomassique, they contacted this group of people and they were very
excited to hear that Raphael was establishing a church there. These
Christians therefore left the Baptist church and were glad to join in with
the effort to establish a new congregation.
Because of this effort and the work they did at the end of last trimester
at Savanne Longue, the students are very excited about continuing to
work in these evangelistic efforts. At the end of this current trimester,
they will be going to La Victoire, near Ranquitte (Etienne Diony's
hometown).
April was the first break month of this year for our students, and they
spent 5 days of their first week working in the mountain town of
Thomassique. This is part of the students’ practical training after their
first year of classes at the CBT. One of our students, Raphael
Jonathan, has recently begun work to start a church in Thomassique,
which is his home town. Thomassique is a few miles from Hinche,
where Calice Bellot, one of our school directors, works with the church
and has a radio program. In the past few years, he has done some
evangelistic work in Thomassique, but due to some difficulties has not
been able to follow up on the work.
On the way to Thomassique, our students stopped by and visited a
community of about 225 blind people. Apparently this is a small village
in which (because of some unknown problem) many of the people,
young and old, went blind. What is extraordinary about them is that
rather than just ask for charity, they have formed an association and
are working together on a small farm growing corn, beans and millet in
order to provide for their own needs. Our students left a little financial
help to contribute to these people’s efforts and were very impressed by
what they were able to accomplish. They also visited with a preacher
working in that village who was also blind and shared some of their
knowledge of the Bible with him.
The students stopped by a local home for some of the extremely poor
people in the area who were unable to care for themselves. They
visited, tried to encourage them and left some funds with the director
of the home to assist with their needs.
In Thomassique, the students visited members of the community and
invited them to evening Bible studies. They also conducted individual
studies with those who were interested. As a result of their efforts
during the day, they had over a hundred people attending the evening
Bible studies, where they talked about the nature of the church, the
plan of salvation and other topics. On Sunday morning, they had more
than 200 people in attendance. The students were very encouraged at
the people’s response, especially since Thomassique has had no
organized congregation of the churches of Christ up until this point.
After the students left, Raphael said that 3 people were baptized as a
result of this evangelistic effort. He is also continuing to study with
several of the people with whom they made contact.
More than a year earlier, Bellot had the opportunity to do some
teaching in Thomassique. In response to his teaching, 4 people were
baptized into Christ. Because Bellot was unable at that time to
continue working in Thomassique, and there was no one else available
to follow up on this work, these 4 new Christian began worshipping
with a local Baptist church. Before they did so, they talked to the
Baptist preacher and explained to him that they believed the scriptures
taught some things about salvation and the church that were not the
same as he preached, but because they wanted to worship God as best
they knew how they wanted to attend services at the Baptist church
until they were able to do something else. When our students went to
Thomassique, they contacted this group of people and they were very
excited to hear that Raphael was establishing a church there. These
Christians therefore left the Baptist church and were glad to join in with
the effort to establish a new congregation.
Because of this effort and the work they did at the end of last trimester
at Savanne Longue, the students are very excited about continuing to
work in these evangelistic efforts. At the end of this current trimester,
they will be going to La Victoire, near Ranquitte (Etienne Diony's
hometown).
Raphael Jonathan
| Calice Bellot |
Visiting blind
preacher and his
wife
preacher and his
wife
Sunday morning
in Thomassique
in Thomassique
Altagrace
teaches
children's class
teaches
children's class
One of the
original group
brings her baby
and gives flowers
to the church
original group
brings her baby
and gives flowers
to the church