It’s our earnest hope that the good Lord is caring for you and His fold over there. My family, staff and students of the Cameroon Institute of Biblical Studies, Batibo are equally enjoying God’s love and care daily by His grace. We are not loosing focus on what we started at the CIBS as far as the great commission is concerned; we are doing what we know best to do for the Lord and master Jesus Christ in training servants determined to reach the perishing world and bringing the lost in obedience to His will. Pray for us.
Picture above shows the CIBS Director
exchanging a hand shakes with a new convert at Batibo.
The month of June 2011 was a busy and active month; we were able to accomplished most of the planned activities for the school and the church. At Bamenda, our weekly 30 minutes radio evangelism went on successfully and we had a lot of response from our regular listeners who are seeking for the truth. Most are still dragging their feet and we pray they will obey the gospel of Christ before it shall be eternally too late. The Church of Christ, Batibo and some other congregations around the North West Region enjoyed the brief mission trip visit of Brother Jim Corner and his team from America. Their visit was a source of encouragement to the brethren. Our CIBS proposed Campaign for Christ at Ashong Village around Batibo could not hold due to lack of funds but we did not fail to embark on our traditional door to door preaching/teaching in Batibo town. The CIBS closed its first semester for the year on the 30th of June 2011 after their semester exams. On the 1st of July 2011 both staff and students of the CIBS accompanied the Dean of Studies; Brother Ji Mathias Ofon to his village, Buegeh, Menchum Division, North West Region and attended his mother’s funeral service. After the burial, Ji Mathias and I were out on mission visit to some of our students’ homes and congregations namely; Buegeh, Modelle, Benakuma and Batomo respectively. On Sunday the 3rd of July 2011, I was equally opportune to preach in Ji Mathias village home congregation at Buegeh and left from there to Bamenda to see my family before leaving the next day to Benakuma where we stayed with the brethren there for four day and we taught a good number of people from the word of God. It was very necessary for us to move from Benakuma to Batomo to visit one of the CIBS students place and congregation. Our journey from Benakuma to Batomo was tedious because we made most of the trip on foot. We left Benakuma on Friday the 8th of July at exactly 8.00am on a motor bike to a village called Mbamba , where motor able road ended and from there we started trekking at 10.30am and arrived Batomo village at exactly 5.45pm. Our student who is the paramount chief of Batomo community warmly received us in his palace where we spend our night. The church at Batomo was started by Fonguh Stephen sometime in 1999. Brother Stephen heard the gospel of Christ and became a Christian while serving a prison term in the Bafussam central Prison; he was converted by late Paul Kudi [Evangelist] when he was doing his evangelistic work at Bafussam. When Brother Fonguh Stephen regained his freedom, he returned to his birth place at Batomo with the joy of now being Christian and started immediately to plant the seed of the kingdom there at his village and his efforts yielded much fruits to the glory of God. This ancient community called Batomo is made up of about 3,500 inhabitants and it is an enclave area. There were three congregations established in Batomo, but the sad news is that only one of these congregations is still a bit strong, this is Brother Stephen’s congregation at Bucheng. The paramount community head of Batomo who equally is our CIBS student, Brother Anyi Johannes became a Christian few years ago and until he left for the Bible school remains a member of the Church of Christ, Ketundeuck, Batomo. He was moved by the poor leadership state of the Church in his area and determined to come to the CIBS for training, we are very proud of his courage and interest for the church. There is need for continuous evangelistic effort in this community to counteract with the sound doctrine of Christ these growing denominations. Before Mathias and I left the Chief’s palace at Ketundeuck, Batomo , the next day of our arrival on the 9th of July 2011 , we had a privilege to share the gospel of Christ with John Eki whom we met at the Palace and the Lord opened his heart to received the truth after about 45 minutes studies from the Bible, he accepted to follow Christ and was baptized that same morning . After his Baptism , we agreed to separate ourselves , Mathias was escorted to Njitom , a congregation found up the mountain by a sister in Christ and our new brother in Christ ,John escorted me to brother Fonguh Stephen’s residence at Bucheng village . It took me and John, 2 hours 30 minutes trekking to arrive Bucheng ; while Mathias and the sister trekked for 3hours 10 minutes to reach Njitom village . We ascended and descended a lot of mountains to arrive Batomo, while going around the areas to encouraged brethren. Upon our arrival at Bucheng, Brother Stephen was so glad seeing me in his area. He stopped the work he was doing at his rice farm to keep me company at his house. He gave me water to drink, later brought me food which his wife hurriedly prepared for me by the time I arrived. I introduced Brother John as my son in the faith at Batomo to Stephen and we offered brief prayer of thanks to God. John later left me with Stephen and returned to Ketundeuck on foot again alone, and then Stephen took me to Bucheng 2 to visit some Christians there and to see the proposed site for the church meeting hall. They started work for their meeting hall, but later stopped the work half way due to lack of funds and materials. It took us 1 hour 45 minutes to arrive Bucheng 2. We met with the Church at Bucheng 1 for worship on Sunday the 10th of July. Brother Ji Mathias taught during the Bible class and equally officiated during giving period. I preached a sermon and officiated on the Lord’s Supper. A total of 25 Christians were in attendance excluding children. We left Bucheng and slept at the Chief palace at Ketundeuck village and left early on the next day at exactly 7.00am trekking to Okoro where a Catholic priest assisted us to where we could get a motor home at 12.06 noon.
Photo below shows Brother Ji Mathias struggling to descend a mountain on our way back from Batomo.
The CIBS director brother Prince Otobong Ituen struggling to cross
river Batomo to Agbal on their way from Bucheng village, we crossed
river Batomo
to Agbal.
CIBS evangelistic report of 16th May to July 14th 2011.1. Numbers of studies conducted -98.
2. Numbers of person studied with - 234.
3. Numbers of hours for studies - 103
4. Numbers of Baptism - 3
5. Number of congregations encouraged - 6
Pray equally for our new poultry farm on campus, we trust this will be another means of support for the CIBS.
Without your prayers and support, we would not have been able to achieve much success we have so far accomplished.
Thanks.
In His service,
Prince Ituen,
CIBS Director
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