The James Family
Kep & Debbie May 2023 Update
We are thankful for your prayers during the past few months we’ve been teaching in Africa. In April, I led three 4-day training retreats in Zambia and Burundi. In our study of Romans we saw the Lord encourage many African church pastors and leaders. Many expressed that they had never studied the Bible, and even admitted that their churches have gotten off track from the gospel.
In Kasempa and Ndola, Zambia, 80 church leaders decided to study Romans in their local churches. In Bujumbura, Burundi, another 70 committed to this. One pastor from neighboring Congo decided to start doing this in his church, and another in Botswana informed us that as a result of last year’s ESI training in Tanzania, he is already taking 50 members of his church through Romans.
This week, we are in Nairobi visiting 8 ESI groups that began in Kenya in February. We always try to visit groups when they start to make sure they are on track with the plan to keep Jesus and the gospel in their center of their Bible study and group discussion.
One of the most encouraging developments in our ESI work in East Africa is to have Paulo and Vania join our ESI team. They are missionaries from Brazil whom God called to be missionaries in Burundi. They are giving significant time inviting pastors to join ESI, planning and giving oversight to the trainings, then following up once the groups begin. Having them with us in the ESI leadership team is making it possible to effectively begin this work in East Africa.
On May 30, we will join Paulo and Vania in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to train 120 pastors and Church Leaders in the study of Romans. Please pray that the Lord will allow us to help strengthen the church in Brazil, to see it get back on track with Jesus and the Gospel at the center.
We thank God for your partnership in the gospel with us,
Kep and Debbie