“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-2
Understanding what is happening is the first step to action and we want you to know what is going on in the Orality Institute because this ministry continues to expand all over the world. The people are finding this oral strategy of instruction to be an easy and practical tool for their students. They can quickly learn how to use it to teach others. Those who have been taught become teachers, the disciples are making more disciples.
In this one year:
There were 6 graduations in Uganda
Two training sessions in Malawi with five different ministries
Training of 65 missiology students in Ethiopia
An introduction to orality in South Sudan, they started two classes
Pakistan has a master trainer class and 15 regular classes
Online training for Northern India with a plan to reach the unreached
Completion of two years of study in the Dominican Republic
Interest in training in Nigeria, Zambia, and in England
Bible students from the Baja of Mexico did oral teaching in Oaxaca
Our Ugandan instructors have traveled to four countries bringing God’s Word to people who are excited to learn and begin their own classes. Pastor Kevin has been coaching a group from Pakistan and a student from Northern India using Zoom. We now have the first book translated into Urdu and a plan to get it translated into Hindi. Pastor Andrew Olson is coordinating the translation of the Romans curriculum into Lusoga.
Supply
You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11-12
We are sincerely grateful for your support over these past five years of ministry. It is humbling to consider the full expanse of what the Lord has been doing through this one organization. To consider that He has been moving mountains, opening doors, and providing people that share the desire to see God’s Word brought to new places.
The Lord moves each of us in different ways and at different times. He enables some to teach in various countries, others to support monthly, others annually, and some are the prayer support that keeps this ministry running. Our prayer is that you would be blessed as you participate in the way that Lord supplies you and that you would be encouraged as you hear the reports from all our ministry partners.
If the Lord is prompting you to financially support this ministry, you can give by check to the address below or online at the Orality Institute website, www.oralityinstitute.org. If He is prompting you to pray, please use this as a prayer reminder for yourself and your church. If He is prompting you to teach, we would love to talk further with you. We are a simple organization with a simple mission from 2 Timothy 2:2 which says, “Entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.” By God’s grace, that is happening. Leaders are growing in biblical training, and it is changing lives around the world. God’s commission is also that simple, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12
The Orality Institute has begun working in several new countries where the people have faced persecution for their Christian faith. In three of those countries the leaders have said, “We are ready to preach the gospel until our last breath.” That statement is becoming a reality.
On August 3-4, our first oral training was held in Pakistan. There were 15 master trainers who studied four stories so that they could teach their 150 students throughout the month of August.
On August 16th, several angry Muslim mobs began burning Christian churches, homes, and displacing families because of a suspected desecration of one Quran. At this time, 36 churches have been burned, 180 homes burned to the ground, and 300 families have been displaced. 145 Muslims have been arrested, but great damage has been done.
The Orality Institute will be sending a financial gift to our trusted leader in Pakistan. Their need is great and urgent. Prayerfully consider supporting these persecuted brothers and sisters, through the Orality Institute with the designation “Pakistan Relief”.
Jesus said, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
Blazing
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
Umukoro Gideon is a Pastor and spiritual leader in Nigeria. He wants to introduce the Orality Institute to his country because it is an easy way for the rural people to understand the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus.
During a Zoom call this spring, Gideon stated that the day before our call, 64 people had been buried because of attacks against the Christians. The Boko Haram and the Fulani tribesmen have moved south into central Nigeria with their attacks against Christians.
On July 2nd, Gideon needed encouragement because the country was falling into a financial collapse, petroleum had doubled and tripled in cost, and those who were able evacuated the country. He said, I cannot leave because I am their spiritual leader and the people look to me and my faith in God.
We are working with a leader in north central India who knows the danger of sharing the gospel among the Hindu communities. Yet he and his friends are ready to go to remote areas trained with an oral strategy to share the hope that Jesus gives.
Our Ugandan team just returned from South Sudan. Among their students were those who had fought in the war and now want to become teachers of God’s Word. They had a deep hunger for truth of what Jesus had done for them and the hope the gospel offered. Our world can be a hostile place to share Jesus, yet we have been given the light of the world to shine into every corner. Let’s stand together with our brothers and sisters as they shine in dark places.
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21
The task for disciples is to make more disciples. That is clearly described in scripture and we struggle to carry out that task. Our Ugandan missionaries have been actively putting that into practice.
After two weeks of instruction, three of our missionary teachers returned from South Sudan and two from Malawi. South Sudan was getting their first introduction to oral instruction and in Malawi, six ministries participated in a teacher’s training.
Here are some student comments from each of the countries:
We are taking this training to a higher level and doing it right. We are memorizing the stories accurately. This is very encouraging indeed.
This has been super, what a blessing to have you. God bless you all.
This teaching has moved our believers to great faith. We have more interest in God’s Word and now this is teaching us the Word of God properly. They have even ministered to the children and loved them.
Among our students are former fighters and many from the refugee camps in South Sudan. They really need the Word of God.
Hallelujah, God is great. These are very good trainers. They have served us well. Our lives will not remain the same. We have excitement to teach.
In contrast to these testimonies, Mama Nissi has been trying to start a class in England. She says, I have met people who are interested, but they are too busy. They say that putting the whole story in their heads takes too much time, but that is the heart of this study. I believe we will start a class, but it might need to start online. Pray for England and our busy western cultures.
More to Do
Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”. Matthew 9:37-38
The open doors in South Sudan, Malawi, and England are amazing, but that is only a part of what is happening!
In northern India, Peter gave us a proposal to translate the curriculum into Hindi, print 150 copies, and offer a year of teaching for $2000. He would like to teach a group of 15 leaders who would each teach their own class. He intends to reach into the remote areas where there is a lack of knowledge of the Bible and very few Christians.
In Pakistan, Raja has already translated the curriculum into Urdu and has it printed. He and his two sisters are ready to start the first class of leaders and those leaders are going to be teaching their students immediately. They are expecting 150 students to be taught in this first year. The translation and printing have been paid for, but $1500 more is needed to cover the training for this year.
Ernest just completed the teachers training in Malawi. He said, The training has gone beyond our expectations. He had been a part of training in the past and now he would like to bring the Orality Institute to his friends in Zambia. His budget for training friends in his neighboring country is $1000.
September 30th, we will be holding our annual 50-mile bike ride and October 20-21st our annual Grand Canyon hike to raise awareness and funds for opportunities like these above. Pray about supporting this expansion through the Hike and Bike events. The Lord is growing His kingdom. His workers are ready to go into the fields, and we are passing these opportunities on to you.
“Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them, … proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Matthew 10:5-7
Just a year ago, our Ugandan missionaries returned from their first international mission trip. They had never been out of their country, never had a passport, never been through security, or on an airplane. They went to Malawi to be entrusted with ongoing training for the 100 students who had received the initial instruction.
In November 2022, those same Ugandan missionaries made their first solo mission trip to Malawi and Ethiopia. Now, just over a year later, Musasizi Wilson, Bishop Kinene, and Fauzia Tracy are heading to South Sudan to introduce the oral strategy to them for the first time. They will be responsible for the transportation, budget, and expenses for the trip. They are very capable leaders but keep them in prayer July 11 – 24th because they will be stretched through this whole experience. The budget for this two-week training with three trainers is set for $600 which is one third of the cost of just airfare for one person from the United States.
At the same time, Mufumbiro David and Bagatya George will be flying back to Malawi to lead another two-week training for them. This time our Ugandan missionaries will not be teaching but will instead train the Malawian leaders to teach. We are now working with six separate ministries in Malawi and each of those ministries will only be allowed to bring 3-4 teachers of teachers. It has grown so much that we must focus on the teachers who will be teaching the other teachers. We are limiting the attendance to 20 students who are expected to return and immediately instruct their other teachers. At the same time, from the U.S. we are instructing one person in India, one in Nigeria, and one in Pakistan who are also pouring themselves into their own leaders. It is a challenge to instruct one to one online, but it is working.
Supplied
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11
The Orality Institute has changed in several ways this year. The number of countries we are working with has doubled. The number of people within the countries has doubled, and the methods we are using to reach them have multiplied. This year we have worked with five new countries. There were five graduations in Uganda, three new ministries in Malawi, over 100 students in Ethiopia, 150 potential students in Pakistan, and we don’t know the number in South Sudan or India. Instead of going to every location, we are sending missionaries and meeting leaders online.
This means that our fall awareness events are an essential resource for supplying the needs of this growing ministry. On September 30th, Pastor Kevin will lead a 50-mile bike ride between Cannon Falls and Red Wing, MN. The trail follows a former train line, so it has a gradual slope. On October 20-21st, Pastor Paul will be leading a group of hikers from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is a 25-mile rigorous hike that requires significant preparation. Contact us below to sign up for either event.We hold these awareness events because they give us a chance to highlight what the Lord is doing through the Orality Institute. The effort that is put into the hike or bike is a picture of the effort it takes to bring God’s Word to remote parts of the world. We are working with three countries where proclaiming the gospel is a risk to the lives of our partners, but all three stated that they will proclaim God’s Word until their last breath. These events allow us an opportunity to encourage these friends with this oral strategy.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”
John 15:16
This oral training continues to expand in amazing and miraculous ways. This is a picture of the 35 most recent Ambassador Institute graduates in Uganda. The miraculous part is how this happened.
In 2014, Musasizi Wilson, one of the missionaries with the Orality Institute, started training a group. He traveled eight hours twice a month to Galilaya.
In 2016, Maka Steven graduated from that class and started teaching two classes in Nakasongula that also took a day to reach by boat, motorcycle, and car. He would spend one week a month with them.
In 2021, Chitu graduated from that class and moved to back to Buvuma Island where he had previously been a practicing witch doctor. The islands of Uganda are known for their witchcraft, aids, water-born diseases, and prostitution. Chitu moved to Buvuma without a job, without a home, but with a desire in his heart to teach the people that he had formerly mislead about the powerful Word of God.
Chitu started classes in three locations and as word spread, the class grew to include 35 students. Now those students have completed two years of study in God’s Word, learned 84 stories, and memorized 2200 verses of scripture. The Ugandan leadership team tried to start classes on Buvuma years ago but were unsuccessful. Recently, they found out that oral training had been taking place when they requested a graduation. The island is called Buvuma because it was known as “the despised place” where many had been outcast. Now Buvuma is going to be known as a place where miracles happen, people know the Word of God, and it is bearing fruit!
Mobilizing
Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ Luke 10:2-5
The Ugandan missionaries for the Orality Institute met to discuss how to move forward with training in multiple countries with their various needs. Their questions included:
How can we return to Malawi to continue teaching them? They need to be mentored through the entire curriculum and they need to learn how to teach their own classes.
How can we send those from Malawi over to Zambia to meet their request for training?
How can we start new training in South Sudan since they are the neighbor to the north of Uganda? If we wait too long, they might become discouraged and lose hope.
What is the update from Ethiopia? Are they ready to open a separate branch of the school that is specifically designed to teach students using an oral strategy of education?
Pastor Kevin created six training videos to provide some initial training for the new countries who requested oral training. Those videos have been sent to leaders in Pakistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, and India. One church provided the funds to create an informational video that can help communicate the work of the Orality Institute to other churches. Another church provided the funds to translate the curriculum into Urdu and begin training in Pakistan. It is amazing and miraculous to see these requests come to us from several countries. Pray with us for the provision to meet these new opportunities. Pray for the ability to communicate and mobilize our team of missionaries.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”…“Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Romans 10:15, 18
We continue to receive more invitations from people who want to preach that Good News! This time it was from Dr. Gideon Umukoro in the west African country of Nigeria. Nigeria has been in world news since Boko Haram abducted 279 girls from a school nine years ago. Attacks continue from these militant groups, but the gospel is their hope.
Gideon became a Christian in 1983 when the Lord saved him from a gang background. He served as a pastor for 13 years and in 1998 he began developing resources to train rural leaders. That pursuit led to start the Servant Leadership Institute, a Bible College in Nigeria. The school closed last June because of many aspects of instability. The need to train rural leaders led him to consider media ministry and oral training as tools to meet the need for continued training of rural leaders. His desire is to train two to three leaders from each of Nigeria’s five districts so they can bring the training back to their areas and if one dies, the training will continue.
Last week there was a mass burial of 64 people who had been killed by terrorists. It took place 30 minutes from his home, but Gideon knows that the same God who converted him from a gang lifestyle can change those who are attacking Christians and the churches through out Nigeria and he is committed to spreading the hope of Jesus throughout West Africa. Join us in prayer for Gideon, Nigeria as a country, and the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray also for the Orality Institute as we develop training videos and begin to expand this ministry over the internet.
All Nations
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
Jesus made that promise to His disciples and today we are seeing it fulfilled at an incredible speed. Leaders in seven countries invited the Orality Institute to participate in the proclamation of the gospel in their area since December. Dr. Gideon Umukoro from Nigeria is most recent.
To respond to these amazing opportunities, we need more trainers, and we need to increase our support.
This past year, six leaders from Uganda led the training that IOI hosted in Malawi and Ethiopia. This year, those leaders will be given responsibility to continue that oversight as well as adding South Sudan to their duties. South Sudan is the country directly north of Uganda so they are able to reach there by bus and stay in a rented home.
Friends of those in Malawi have requested oral training for their people in Zambia, so our leaders in Malawi will need to be the ones who travel across the western boarder and train their friends. We will try to raise the money to enable that training.
We will need to create new training videos so that the leaders like Gideon will be able to train their own people in Nigeria, India, and Pakistan. Over these past 3-4 years our ability to communicate over the internet has increased dramatically. Now video conference platforms are available on smart phones, and we can use them to communicate with clarity in remote areas. The role of the International Orality Institute is quickly becoming one of coordination, communication, and supporting the work our international partners are doing in their own countries. That is the way that the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. Oh Lord, may we be faithful to your call!
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