Christadelphian Bible Mission of the Americas / Canada

The 16th Triennial Christadelphian Caribbean Youth Camp! Over the last few posts we've highlighted four special projects we're currently working on. These products are focused on baptizing individuals, building ecclesias, and preaching the gospel.

This is the last special project to tell you about and it has just finished. The Christadelphian Caribbean Youth Camp just wrapped up. It took place this August 7-17 in Trinidad and we are so looking forward to hearing all about it.

Youth from across the Caribbean, along with their leaders, were joined by some campers from North America. Studies were lead from the life of Samson. We pray it was a wonderful opportunity for young people to make new friendships and explore the word of God, together.

Read the back story to the Caribbean Youth Camp : https://cbma.net/news/invitation-to-caribbean-youth-camp-2024/

Read about all our special projects and the costs associated with them here: https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/

Please continue to pray for these efforts and if you can, donate today: https://cbma.net/donate/

(photo from a previous youth camp)

By God's grace, we have ambitious plans for new projects and special events that speak to our core values: baptizing individuals, building ecclesias, and preaching the gospel. We've highlighted three of these special projects so far, let us introduce you to the fourth: North America Refugee Support.

For some time, CBMA has helped support an ecclesia in the mid-west United States to provide travel and preaching support for Swahili speaking Christadelphian refugees and their families in that area.

Refugees continue to arrive, often in locations remote from an ecclesia and we are committed to support local ecclesias to integrate refugees into ecclesial life, C*C and Sunday School activities.

Please continue to pray for these efforts and if you can, donate today: https://cbma.net/donate/

Read about all our special projects and the costs associated with them here: https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/

A Financial Appeal - CBMAC Our Bible Missions entered 2024, prayerfully, with ambitious plans for new projects and special events. Now into the second half of the year, with thanks to our Heavenly Father, these projects are in full swing. These projects are at the core of Bible Mission values: baptizing individuals, building....

The third special project to share with you is a Spanish language, online Bible study platform that helps bring the Bible message to Spanish speakers in both Latin America and South America. There is so much interest, students are signing up by the thousands!

There are so many features of this online portal, and one such feature developed was a translation tool. Spanish speaking tutors could not keep up with student demand and so the translation tool was essential for allowing English speaking tutors to work with Spanish speaking students.

Even though the team managing this large task is a group of brothers and sisters volunteering from all over the world, there are still significant development costs. If you can donate to support this work, please do. Click any of the links below to read more.

✔More details on this special project (plus the other special projects): https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/
✔ The log in site currently development that we are actively seeking financial support for: https://estudios.labiblia.com/login
✔ Learn about LaBiblia: https://labiblia.com/
✔Please pray for the work being done and donate today: https://cbma.net/donate/

We recently released a financial appeal for some special projects underway. We highlighted the Guyana bus purchase on Friday. Today we share with you news on the mission house in Antigua. Please consider donating to help with the cost of this project: https://cbma.net/donate/

In 2023 CBMC approved a fulltime missionary program with brother Albert Mwashi from Kenya returning in November. The ecclesia needs the stability of a brother and good influence to keep the young people growing in the Truth.

With land available adjacent to the ecclesial hall, brothers Clive Solomon and Albert Washi have constructed a mission house, now nearing completion. We rejoice at this progress, now a suitable residence for Albert’s wife and three children to join him later in the year. Please keep praying for the efforts at this ecclesia.

✔ A New Sunday School in Antigua (update from May 2023): https://cbma.net/news/a-new-sunday-school-in-antigua/

✔Financial Appeal and all the special project stories: https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/

✔Please pray for the work being done and donate today: https://cbma.net/donate/

The first special project we are highlighting is the bus purchase for the Kilroy ecclesia in Guyana. Please consider donating to help offset the cost of this purchase: https://cbma.net/donate/

Kilcoy once was a thriving ecclesia, actively proclaiming the gospel to the community around them but over time membership reduced to a handful of members. In 2023, an exciting new initiative was undertaken in Kilcoy to create a community Sunday School and Youth Group as well as an annual Vacation Bible school for children in the community.

Today, the Sunday School has grown to 32 children, with the C*C Youth Activities at 14 young adults and teenagers. Many of the kids who attend are community children with no parental ties to Christadelphia so ensuring that they get to the hall is a vital link in the success of activities.

The bus is being used to transport children to and from Sunday School and C*C activities and also to strengthen ties with the ecclesia in New Amsterdam, fostering joint ecclesial memorial services, joint Sunday School, and other activities. Read more about this exciting endeavor below.

✔Financial Appeal: https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/
✔Guyana Bible School: https://cbma.net/news/guyana-bible-school/
✔Please pray for the work being done and donate today: https://cbma.net/donate/

The CBMAC has ambitious plans for new projects and special events that are at the core of our values: baptizing individuals, building ecclesias, and preaching the gospel. https://cbma.net/news/a-financial-appeal/

Over the next week we will be highlighting the projects we are prayerfully aiming to assist with (but if you can't wait to see what these projects are click the link above and see them all today).

By the grace of God, benefits from these investments of time and financial resources will touch many lives and reach long into the future. Please pray for the work and donate. Your donation may be specified for one of these projects or for general use (and we can allocate funds as needed). Donate here: https://cbma.net/donate/

Baptism in Guyana!

Sis Stacy Mootoo, a kind and warm-hearted individual of Hindu background, works in an accounting capacity with a security company. About four years ago, she met Bro Rovin Budhan, who discussed his faith in God and the Bible with her. Intrigued, she began listening to several online exhortations and accompanied Bro Rovin to Memorial Services at both the Georgetown and New Amsterdam ecclesia halls.

Her interest deepened, leading her to join the online First Principles Class conducted by Bro David Andrews, where she diligently attended all twenty lessons. Sis Stacy’s willingness to be taught the Truth grew, and she engaged in discussions with Sis Jemmy Budhan, Rovin’s mother, who shared the background of the Christadelphians and provided relevant literature.

Convinced of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His coming Kingdom, Sis Stacy decided to put on the Saving Name of our Lord through baptism. After undergoing the necessary interview by the elders of the New Amsterdam Ecclesia, she was baptized on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at a packed New Amsterdam hall in Berbice.

We give thanks and praise to Almighty God for this significant step in her spiritual journey. Bro David delivered the Word of Exhortation after she was immersed by Bro Abedi N’djelekulu.

May Sis Stacy’s faith continue to grow, and may she find joy and fulfillment in her newfound spiritual path!

https://cbma.net/news/baptism-in-guyana/
Above written by Brother Rafeek Soolaman

Update on the study weekend in Mexico.
https://cbma.net/news/mexico-study-weekend/

Three excerpts:

🙏🏽 While there are only two ecclesias in Mexico (one in Guadalajara, the other in Ocotlán), there are several brothers and sisters who live in other areas of the country, some of whom are quite busy preaching and holding Bible classes.

🙏🏽We made our way to the village square where we sat and talked as we watched groups practicing the regional dance of this area in preparation for an upcoming festival. It was nice to have fellowship in this relaxed environment.

🙏🏽Around midday, we gathered as a group and had a reading and a prayer before witnessing Emilio and Antonio pass through the waters of baptism. It was a very moving experience. After the baptism, we welcomed our new brothers into the family of faith, and then had a delicious picnic lunch, after which we packed up and headed to the ecclesial hall.

Read the full account here: https://cbma.net/news/mexico-study-weekend/

As we continue to expand our internet preaching capabilities in Latin America, we need volunteers who can write snippets (in English) on the daily readings. Two to four times every week, snippet writers will provide a short 100 word commentary and we will translate that content into Spanish and use it to bolster our social media preaching campaigns.

Please contact Bro. Kevin Hunter at [email protected] if you are open to serving in this capacity. Frequently Asked Questions below!

FAQ

1. How long is a snippet? 100-300 words is ideal

2. How often are the snippets needed? 2-4 times per week.

3. How long is my commitment? 3 months or more

4. Do I have to use the daily readings? Yes, we ask that you please stay on schedule and connected to the readings.

5. Do I need to know Spanish? No, your snippet will be translated into Spanish by our team.

6. Who can volunteer? Both Sisters and Brothers are welcome to become snippet writers.

7. What approach should I use? Simple and direct is better than complicated and wandering.

If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please contact Bro. Kevin Hunter at [email protected]

Read all about the good work happening in Barbados!
https://cbma.net/news/visit-to-barbados/
May our gracious and loving Father continue to bless the efforts of the brothers and sisters in the Bank Hall Road Barbados ecclesia, and of those who labor to assist them.

A look back at the programs in Guyana at the start of the year as we await the Caricom Fraternal Gathering at New Amsterdam in July: https://cbma.net/news/outreach-in-guyana/

The number of Spanish speakers signing up to learn about the bible in Mexico, Central America and South America is currently approaching 20,000 (TWENTY THOUSAND!!) and has far outstripped the capabilities of the relatively small number of tutors from Central and South American ecclesias.

To help ease the burden, in addition to Spanish speaking tutors, international English-speaking tutors are stepping up to help using online translation tools to communicate with the students - but even with this assistance it's a huge challenge to keep up with demand.

Read about how LaBiblia is attracting so many interested friends, learn about their efforts and get the full update here: https://cbma.net/news/update-status-report-on-labiblia-com/

There are many different opportunities for brothers and sisters to get involved. Consider being part of our international team working to help spread the message of the Truth to Latin America. Spanish language proficiency is not required to share in this exciting work.

If you are able to help as a tutor (or even a relief tutor for a short period of time!) please contact Bro. Dennis Paggi at [email protected].

https://labiblia.com/

Good news to share from the Asia Pacific Christadelphian Bible Mission (ACBM) in the Philippines. Click on their link below to see even more baptisms!

Thinking about visiting Costa Rica? At any point during the year, the link brother may have plans for trips to Costa Rica. If you’re thinking of visiting, please email David Collister at [email protected] to see if your visit might coincide with any ecclesial activities there - or to see how your visit might help to strength their ecclesial community.

In the meantime, enjoy his description below:

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with a warm, tropical climate year-round. The beaches, highly sought out by tourists, can be quite hot and humid, but the central valley, where many of the major cities are located, is about 4,000 feet (1,160 meters) above sea level, and because of this, the temperatures there are quite temperate.

I usually tell people who ask about the climate that it is like springtime year-round, with a rainy season going from about May through November, during which it rains almost every day for an hour or so, and the dry season, from December through April, which the Ticos (Costa Ricans) call their summer, and which warms up gradually as May approaches. However, as soon as the rains start again in April or May, it cools down again.

It’s worth mentioning that it never really gets too hot in Costa Rica. However, because of the high humidity and the intense tropical sunshine, it can feel warm at times. The central valley is where the capital city of San José is located, as well as the province of Heredia, where the ecclesia is located.

Throughout any year, the Link Brother may have plans for trips to Costa Rica, and always makes plans to attend the year end Bible School, and visit the two ecclesias there. If you’re interested in a visit, please email the link brother at [email protected]

The Webster's tell of their most recent trip to St. Lucia, the ecclesial events, the death of a landlady, the ministry afterward and the opportunity God has provided in the wake of her passing. "This is an opportunity that is worthy of serious consideration and support." https://cbma.net/news/visit-to-st-lucia/

In recent weeks Haiti has been besieged by violent gang activity. Haiti has 3 ecclesias and over 200 brothers and sisters and the situation has become dire for the country and particularly for the ecclesias there. Your prayers for the struggles they endure are much needed. Read our full Haiti report here: https://cbma.net/news/haiti-update/

Read all about the El Salvador Bible School this past December!
https://cbma.net/news/el-salvador-bible-school-2/

The Christadelphian Truth Corps is actively seeking members for their 2024 summer program. If you are passionate about spreading the Gospel, and want to apply that passion helping ecclesias alongside likeminded young brothers and sisters, consider joining Truth Corps!

It’s a great place to practice and gain confidence talking to others about the Truth, and get to meet and assist brothers and sisters from many places in the world.

This summer up to eight team members will join us from July 20th to August 19th, completing a training week in Virginia, then a week each in Antigua and Tobago. We will finish the program by attending the All Caribbean Youth Camp in Trinidad.

Interested young people should be 18 years or older and baptized for at least two years.

Questions may be directed to Brother David and Sister Cassie Giordano at: [email protected]

More information may be found on the CBMA website at this link.
https://cbma.net/the-mission-field/truth-corps/

Planning for the 16th Triennial Christadelphian Caribbean Youth Camp is underway! Save the date: August 10-17, 2024.

Back in the 1960’s when camps were held locally in only Guyana, it was suggested we expand into the Caribbean so we could have our young people get to know each other and study God’s word together. With the financial backing of the CBMC, eventually in 1979 the first Triennial Christadelphian Caribbean Youth Camp was held.

This August, we hope that young people not only from the Caribbean but all parts of the globe would take advantage of this opportunity to build their spiritual level, be encouraged in the regular reading and study of the bible, develop stronger preaching skills and strengthen their friendships in the brotherhood as we await the coming our Lord Jesus.

Read more about the event here: https://cbma.net/news/invitation-to-caribbean-youth-camp-2024/

Sign up here: https://yorkcuny.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Lki8Xcwo8mzmzY

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year! We thank you for your ongoing support and generous donations that make it possible for us to continue to spread the gospel in the Caribbean and Central and South America. May God bless you in 2024 and may this be the year that sees our Lord's return.

Our January 2023 Newsletter concluded with messages from our chairmen, brothers Dennis Paggi (CBMA) and Bill Hlina (CBMC), reflecting on 2022 and looking ahead to 2023. With our Lord’s blessing, they saw more normal visiting schedules, full Truth Corps, Bible schools, new missionary brothers in Antigua, TV preaching in Tobago and support for fraternals and youth events. Budgets for 2023 followed, reflecting the financial aspect of these activities.

Throughout 2023 our newsletters, full of color, brought you reports on these and other activities across the Americas and the Caribbean. We hope that you felt the energy of mission volunteers and the joy of the brothers, sisters and youth as they joined together in sharing the gospel and the fellowship of love.

As 2023 draws to a close, it is timely to share with you our summary financial reports for the first nine months of the year (to September 30th). For CBMA the results indicate that planned levels of activity are yet to be achieved, and for CBMC, ecclesia-based programs in the Caribbean and Guyana made a strong showing. As economic stresses continue following the pandemic, welfare needs also continue.

Your continued financial support enables the Missions to reach so many friends and believers, proclaiming the truth of the Gospel of Christ. Thank you! A year-end expression of your generosity will put the Missions in a strong financial position to meet the expanding needs of 2024.

Make a donation here: https://cbma.net/donate/
Find all the newsletters here: https://cbma.net/about/newsletter-archives/

We received the following update from CBM-UK and wanted to share it with you as we have received several inquiries about safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel:

We are pleased to report that so far by God's grace our brothers and sisters in Israel are safe. One sister from the north that was in a town being shelled from Lebanon has left for the USA. Our brothers and sisters in Ashdod and Rishon LeZion have been subjected to bombing and have had to spend time in bomb shelters.

The main effect so far is that some of our brothers and sisters have been made unemployed and some have had their salaries reduced. The most significant impact other than this is that food and petrol prices are now much higher. Many Thai and Arab agricultural workers have left the country leaving Israel requesting civic volunteers to come and help with the harvest to provide food for the country.

We pray for our Heavenly Father's blessing on our brothers and sisters in Israel that they remain safe. We do this whilst also remembering the continuing hardship and fear being experienced by our Ukrainian brothers and sisters too.

With Love in our shared hope,
CBM Council

This wraps up our updates on 2023 pastoral activities related to brothers and sisters relocated from Africa. Our last update is about the ecclesia in Des Moines, Iowa:

This ecclesia continues to thrive and actively preach the Word of God to those around them. Made up of 17 brothers and sisters and a similar number of children in Sunday School, the ecclesial members have a good number of friends who come to the meeting, some of whom are taking baptismal classes.

Over the past few months, several new families have moved into the area, helping to make this a vibrant and exciting lamp stand in the mid-West. This month, Bro. Tony Ball was able to spend a weekend with the ecclesia.

After 6 1/2 years meeting at the local VFW hall, the ecclesia just secured a new meeting location. The new building is a large, excellent location that is well suited for ecclesial meetings. It used to be a private Lutheran school building and is in great shape.

The address is 5625 Franklin Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310. If you find yourself in the area, please be sure to visit as you'll be welcomed with open arms.

As we mentioned last week, many Christadelphian families who have fled Africa as refugees have found themselves spread throughout North America. Some are blessed to be near existing ecclesias while others are in isolation.

Brothers and sisters, ecclesias and Bible schools have responded to the call to provide pastoral care to those who make a new life so far from the home they know.

Here, we continue our updates with news from Avon, Indiana:

In August, Sis. Lonti Shindano and Sis. Jackie Shindano returned home to Seattle after their year-long service as domestic missionaries in Avon. This is their report:

For the last six months most of our time in Indiana seemed to have flown by. Jr C*C went great. We had it once a week, and often throughout the week we would hang out with the kids. We enjoyed sleepovers and picnics at the park with our new friends often, and hours upon hours of volleyball.

Our C*C would have six to nine regular attendees depending on the week, but in late April we had a new family move to the area from Arizona, adding four more kids to our C*C and six to the Sunday school roster.

The family is originally from Congo and they too spoke Swahili. They have been in America for about four and half years. They had moved just in time for the Sunday school play. The kids were all very excited to participate. The Sunday school play was based on what the kids had learned this past year, which was the Acts of the apostles.

We took different stories from Acts and the kids acted them out, along with a few songs. We were able to see Faza and her children a few more times as well, though they were not able to join us for the Sunday school performances, the kids had practiced with us often.

Though the ecclesia is few in number, there is a great love there. We were blessed to often have visitors, and when all the families were able to attend ecclesial activities and functions, the hall was full and lively. We enjoyed a Passover meal together as an ecclesial family, Bible readings at the park, and everyday fellowship one with another.

Leaving Indiana has been a challenge, as many relationships have been built in the last year. We are ever thankful that God granted us this opportunity to be with those of like precious faith and be of service to them, and them likewise to us.

We hope to go back and visit regularly, and pray earnestly that God continues to nurture and care for this small lovely ecclesia and every ecclesia worldwide as we wait for the soon return of our Lord and savior.

We continue our updates on the pastoral activities related to brothers and sisters relocated from Africa, these are the 2023 updates from New York:

In April, Bro. Benoit Mukendi visited Buffalo, New York to drop clothes and other supplies with the new family of eight brethren and sisters relocated from the Gasorwe ecclesia in Burundi (pictured).

They are the Barakas family (Bro. Jonathan, Bro. David, Sis. Hortence and Sis. Rose) and the Botis family (Bro. Mwenebatu, Bro. Alphonse, Sis. Mauwa and Sis. Lwitela). In addition to these eight baptized members, there are four young people preparing for baptism and some younger children attending Sunday School classes.

In June, Bro. Benoit and Bro. Jonathan Baraka visited Bro. Eninga in Syracuse, New York. Bro. Eninga is from the Nyarugusu ecclesia in Tanzania and came into the Truth with two wives.

His first wife lives with him in Syracuse along with their five children, while his second wife and children remain in Africa waiting to relocate to the U.S. Bro. Eninga’s wife was originally reluctant to send the children to Sunday School, but has now softened on her position, and the children are attending classes.

Update on our brothers and sisters relocated from Africa to Newfoundland:

In May, Bro. Benoit Mukendi travelled to Newfoundland to visit Bro. Mushi Zawako and Sis. Zainabu Simba who have six children and two grandchildren. The family came from the Cayankuzo ecclesia in Burundi. Five of the family members are studying from the “Preparing for Baptism” teaching materials with weekly remote classes led by Brothers Lennox Prashad, Jim Keating and Benoit Mukendi.

Many Christadelphian families who have fled Africa as refugees have found themselves spread throughout North America. Some are blessed to be near existing ecclesias, but others are in isolation.

Brothers and sisters, ecclesias and Bible schools have responded to the call to provide pastoral care to those who make a new life so far from the home they know.

Over the next few days, we'll be posting some updates on the pastoral activities related to brothers and sisters relocated from Africa. First up, the Eastern Christadelphian Bible School in held this past July:

Once again, classes in Swahili were offered to those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy a Bible School. Classes this year were led by Bro. Bernard Ikola on the theme of Fellowship, and several families came from all across North America to meet together in New England.

The October Heroes Day Fraternal in Jamaica was a wonderful gathering—despite the fact that after several months of drought in this part of the island, the skies opened in a deluge just as two buses filled with believers were unloading their charges. But it didn’t dampen our spirits too much and all together, sixty brothers, sisters, children and babies gathered from all over the island in the beautiful hillside setting of Round Hill for fellowship and spiritual food. Get the full story here: https://cbma.net/news/jamaica-heroes-day/

On a recent trip to Bolivia and Chile we spent time talking about current events in Israel. Read what we talked about in detail here: https://cbma.net/news/time-in-chile-bolivia/.

How I Came to the Truth – Guatemala.
Click a photo and read how our brothers and sisters in Guatemala learned of the Truth and became part of our spiritual family.