School is in Session!

School has been in session for about 3 weeks now! We are busy every day with being involved in the students lives; from checking up on them and their studies, to how they are doing as individuals, and trying to live life with them whether it be via gardening or the routine of life and sharing meals… this has truly made our responsibilities grow, time and time again God gives us opportunities to speak into the lives of these people teaching them about doctrine and even practical things of life like marriage.

Pastor Abraham teaching the students

Seth is working everyday making new lessons in the national language and getting them out early enough so that the local pastors/teachers can have time to study them. Seth is not wanting to be the sole teacher and is training them so that one day this training facility can be autonomous. Since there are little to no materials in the national language, Seth has been translating them himself.

While this is going on, Seth is still learning the Tiale language, discipling the men, preaching regularly, and being the maintenance man for the grounds… all the while still being involved with other villages and our ministries located in town. We were able to take the students out of the Bible School and let them enjoy a missions conference in town. It was a great time of bonding and connecting for the students and teachers.

First time for this little one to eat ice cream & ride in a truck

The group to town

Guilty! Enjoying ice cream in town

For some of the students this is the first time they were required to read and write in a daily format, really challenging them, especially for those students who only completed a few years of primary education. In our short time, we have already had one student (single male) leave and get married… this is Vanuatu, this can happen at any time when the father says so, and another one of the students got saved while going through the studies! Seth was asking them to share their testimony, and in that process another student led him to the Lord. There are a total of 11 students, 3 of which we refer to as student pastors or pastors in training. All three student pastors have made huge strides in their practical maturity in their Christian lives, and in their understanding of God’s Word and letting it reign in their lives. It looks like we will be coming closer to one of them being ordained as early as next year! Continue to pray for one of the student pastors, Francky and his wife Erin, as they have probably one of the hardest works here in the Tiale people; there is much persecution from their family, false-religion, and animism via a witchdoctor.

Francky sharing his testimony at the missions conference (sorry for the poor quality)

Nicole has added some more small groups to her schedule, she now has another small group study with a few ladies along with a prayer group with all the women her from the school grounds and surrounding ministries, along with still progressing in learning the Tiale language. Continue to pray that these groups Nicole is investing in builds the ladies up in their faith, culturally the women have been neglected in all areas of life, even spiritually. Seth is trying to train the men to encourage their wives in the faith, contemporaneously Nicole is trying to grow the women in their faith as well; their identity in Christ is growing, learning that they are no longer property and items for trade, but accepted in the Beloved. The young ladies’ ministry continues to grow! Every week there seems to be a new face! Pray that the young men could learn the fervency of the women. 🙂 Pray for us to have discernment in balancing the many variables and responsibilities of life. We covet your prayers!

Your feet to the Tiale people and the country of Vanuatu, Seth and Nicole Stokes