As you probably know, this year again we’ve raised money for Christmas gifts for our children in Malawi. My team over there bought the items, packed the gifts and then took them and delivered them to all the kids at our two Feeding Centres in Kachere and Mpyupyu.
There was a lot of joy there, as everyone received food items, clothes, shoes, different toys, candies and personal hygiene items. In addition to this, all the staff members involved in one way or another with the work in Malawi received an attention as well. There were a total of 210 gifts which were prepared and given!!!
Thank you every one of you who gave! Your generosity made this possible and brought enormous joy in everyone’s hearts. May God bless you!
In the beginning of this year I wrote about a major event in the life of our family, the process of obtaining dual citizenship for our three children, namely getting them the US citizenship alongside their existing Romanian one.
The process started in May 2019, although we’ve been praying for this for several years at that point. Initially, the appointment was set for March 2020, and we were supposed to be in WI, to appear before a USCIS official. As we all know, covid19 happened and our appointment was cancelled a few days before the date. Of course, we were already in the US at that point.
Jessica, proud of her US passport
The date kept getting pushed but it finally happened in July. It was then our kids became US citizens!!!
After getting the Certificates of Citizenship, we knew we had to get them their US passports but, once again, covid19. Offices were either closed or severely backlogged and we couldn’t wait any longer. Our 1 month trip to the US was already extended to 5 months and we needed to get back home.
Last week, now in December 2020, we finally got around to drive the 9-hour long road to the US Embassy here in Romania, where we applied for their passports. As of yesterday, our kids have their shiny US passports!!!
Aimee, posing with both her passports
As I shared many times before, we believe that getting US citizenship for our children was, first and foremost, their right. Secondly, this is very important for their future, as it will open many more doors for study, work or ministry.
2020 was a crazy year, a year we all want to forget and put behind us. For us, the Cornea family, it was an amazing year, God has shown us many times He is in control, regardless of the situation around us. Everything we set out to do for this year, the Lord helped us accomplish it and even more.
I am very grateful to everyone who prayed or supported us during this entire process. It was lengthy, it was complicated at times and it wasn’t cheap, but God used many of you to make this happen. THANK YOU!
This month we had yet another graduation at the Tom Gentry Bible Training Centre in Africa. 15 students successfully completed the requirements and receive their diplomas of graduation.
As you can see, this year was different, because of 2020. None of us could be there with them but, nevertheless, the work needs to go on. I am very thankful for technology and the ability to be there, even if just virtual.
I am grateful for my team in Malawi and for their faithfulness to the Lord and His work there.
The graduation took place Saturday, Nov. 14 and by Monday, the 16th, we already started with the new generation of students. This is now the third generation of young men whom we train to be pastors, ministers and missionaries among the African people. Pray for them! Pray for more laborers unto the field!
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he 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.’
Jesus, Matthew 9:36-38
15 young men, ready for the work ahead!One of the graduates, posing with his Certificate of CompletionStarting off the new year of school.
Most of you who receive our English Prayer Letters know by now that we’ve been hard at work preparing all the paperwork and following the process needed in order to obtain US citizenship for our children: Jessica, Aimee & Ethan.
The process started sometimes in May 2019 and right now we have the interview date set for March 23 this year. We will have to appear before a US Citizenship and Immigration Services officer in WI. If all goes well – and we believe all will go well – our children will go to the US as Romanian citizens and return back as Romanian/US citizens.
From left: Aimee (10), Ethan (5), Jessica (11).
We believe that getting US citizenship for our children is, first and foremost, their right; we’re not requesting citizenship, but asking the US Government to recognize what’s already true. Secondly, this is very important for their future, as it will open many more doors for study, work or ministry.
As of right now, our scheduled arrival in the US is March 5th. We plan on visiting with friends and family, see some supporting churches along the way and, of course, attend the interview in Milwaukee, WI.
Would you continue to pray for us as we embark on this journey? This is very important to us as a family and we need your support. If the Lord leads you to help us with the expenses – for it is quite costly – you can donate either through your church, through PayPal or online using the form below.
As this will be our very first trip to the US – as a family – please join us on Facebook as we enjoy the beautiful America! Our kids are extremely excited and can hardly wait!!!
Yesterday, Sunday the 10th, we had a great day here at the Mission House in Zomba, Malawi. The first generation of students, their pastors and the new generation of students met together with my team and our visitors for an amazing time of fellowship and thanksgiving to our Lord. All in all, more than 70 people were present and celebrated all that God is doing.
After the church service and the lunch, we had the graduation ceremony for our first generation of students as well as the welcoming ceremony for the new generation. 16 students are ready to go out and share the Word throughout Malawi, planting churches, leading people to Christ and serving God in any way He calls them.
Malawi is a nation that needs Jesus. Every way you turn, you can find helpless people and a nation harassed by the demonic influences which are so active in their communities. There is a need for more followers of Jesus to share the Gospel and to tell people about the only hope for the future: Jesus Christ.
Pray for these 16 men who were just sent out; pray for the new 16 students who have just begun. Pray the Lord of the harvest will send out more laborers into His harvest.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he 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.’
Burnet comes from the village of Makandanje, where pastor Katerere is leading the church. As you know, pastor Katerere was born in Nasedegu and he is the one who first introduced me to this village but he also knows many of the other villages surrounding Nasedegu. One of these villages is called “Salim” and pastor Katerere had a family walking from Salim all the way to his church, a distance “crossing 6 villages and 6 chiefs” (according to the way this family described it). This was a long distance and the husband and the wife of the family are not young anymore.
Because of the training Burnet received at our Tom Gentry Bible Training Centre, pastor Katerere decided that now is the right time to plant a church in this village of Salim, where no other churches or missionaries exist at this time. Just like in Nasedegu, in Salim there is only a mosque.
Salim is several villages away from Nasedegu and a perfect place where we could plant a church. Pray for Burnet and for the hard task he has ahead of him, to plant a new church in a village where the Gospel has not really penetrated yet.
Be in prayer for pastor Katerere, a dedicated man of God, always looking for villages and places where there is a need to plant a church. Pastor Katerere is a result of the Pastors Conferences and Pastors Meetings we’ve organized since 2013. At these important meetings he has learned many good things, including about the need to expand the reach of the Gospel in this nation of Malawi.
To all of you who are praying for the work with the pastors and students: thank you! The ministry is growing like never before and more and more nationals are getting involved in this important goal of reaching Malawi for Jesus!
Sunday in SalimSunday in SalimPastor Katerere, Burnet and myself
In the previous article I wrote about our very first student who will take over the church in Nasedegu. Today, I am happy and grateful to tell you that a second student, Rafael, will soon take over a church in the village of Nkotima.
With Rafael and his wife
Just like Jonah from yesterday’s article, Rafael is part of the 1st generation of students at our Tom Gentry Bible Training Centre and has been prepared and trained for this ministry.
His pastor, Brother Chabwera, is waiting for him to graduate this Sunday and then Rafael will be ordained at the church!
Rafael is the second student to be a pastor! As you know, our vision is to train 100 pastors so, at this point, we have 98 more to go!!!
Sunday, Nov. 3, we had the ordination ceremony for Jonah Kaipa, our outgoing student who has been chosen to serve as a pastor at our church in Nasedegu.
Jonah came to our “Tom Gentry Bible Training Centre” since November 2018 and he received all the necessary training he needed to serve his people in this capacity. Of course, no amount of training has any value if the man of God does not have a call from God, and I am happy to say that Jonah expressed his desire to serve as a pastor, desire which comes from God’s calling upon his life.
Jonah & Elina Kaipa
His appointment as a pastor took place the previous Sunday, on the 27th of October, almost 2 full years after the work in Nasedegu first started.
Sep. 24, 2017 marked my very first Sunday in the village of Nasedegu, day when I introduced myself to a handful of people and told them who I am, what I want, what I preach and what I want to do in the village. Back then I told them this: I want to preach the Gospel, proclaim the truth, make disciples of Christ and edify the believers. I told them about the Great Comission on my life and how it is the main reason I arrived in a village like this one.
Oct. 13, 2018 was the day when we first started to dig the foundation for our church. The work in Nasedegu has been going well, of course not without its challenges. We’ve had the Jesus movie shown, we’ve had Evangelistic Camps and we’ve done several door-to-door visits. Every Sunday we would meet under a tree with all those interested to come and the church of God in Nasedegu slowly, but surely, grew.
July 2, 2019 was the day when we’ve finished building the church building in Nasedegu, again, not without many challenges.
July 21, 2019 is when we had the Official Opening and Dedication of Hope Baptist Church in Nasedegu. It was a great day of celebration for the entire village.
August 2019 is when I first started a series of studies about the office of a pastor. Every Sunday we went through 1 Tim. 3:1-7, verse by verse and qualification by qualification. I knew some men wanted to be pastors already but I wanted the church to know what to look for in a pastor and also those men to judge themselves (1 Cor. 11:31). You see, many want to be pastors here because of the position, power and pennies. On their end, the people in the churches usually choose pastors based on pretty much the same things: How successful they are, how powerful they are, how important they are, etc. I’ve seen many churches destroyed by these worldly principles of choosing their leadership and I wanted our church in Nasedegu to be different, to be Biblical.
Oct. 27, 2019 – or two Sundays ago – Jonah Kaipa was officially announced as a pastor before the whole church. Following the example of missionary Paul, who preached the Gospel, planted churches and left local leaders in every place (Acts 14:21-23), I, as the founding missionary of this church, left Jonah Kaipa as an elder-pastor. Soon several other men will be appointed in different other roles and they will help Jonah to reach more people for Christ.
Nov. 3, 2019 was the day when Jonah was ordained as a pastor. Several pastors we work with were invited, as well as some choirs from other churches. It was a day of celebration which marked a new beginning for Hope Baptist Church in Nasedegu.
Last Sunday also marked a new chapter in my life, as a missionary to Nasedegu. It was a great day but filled with mixed emotions. I was happy beyond measure for the progress of the work in Nasedegu but, at the same time, I realized my work here is going to be different from now on. I love, love, love what I do and I love planting churches in villages like Nasedegu but there comes a time when those churches have to be turned over to the nationals. It’s the normal way and the Biblical way but it is still very hard. I personally went through emotions like these ones several times in our last 11 years of ministry and it never gets easier. In many ways, I feel like one of my precious children has grown and left the home. Even though, experience has taught me that God, who is Sovereign, has another plan for me and that plan is always better than I could’ve ever dreamed.
Jonah is the first student from our Bible School to be appointed a pastor and serve the Lord in this capacity. 99 more to go!!! As you know, our vision is to train 100 pastors and I am happy to tell you that 2 more students will be pastors soon after graduation but I will write about them in a separate article.
Most of you have never met my team here in Malawi and are probably wondering what is going to happen with the ministry while my family will go on sabbatical. You may just want to know who are the ones who help us every single day, what are their names, roles and responsibilities.
In this article I want to introduce to you Tendai Kilowe.
Tendai (32) joined our team in March 2016, working as a translator for the ladies work as well as with the children. She is married to Dalitso (35) and, together, they have 3 children: Vivien (14), Eugene (8) and Laura (2).
Tendai’s main responsibilities have to do with the work with orphans in Kachere and Mpyupyu. On a weekly basis, she visits the 2 Feeding Centres and makes sure the work is going smoothly. At the office, she helps with the translation work, both on a computer as well as for our ladies visitors. Tendai is our only translator for the Pastors’ Wives Conferences.
At our Feeding Centres in Kachere and Mpyupyu, Tendai also visits the 173 orphans and learns about their current challenges. When a child moves away from the village, she makes sure a replacement is found ASAP.
Every Wednesday, both Tendai and Misozi work with close to 300 children in the villages of Bwanali and Nasedegu, teaching them the Word of God.
As the school year at our Tom Gentry Bible Training Centre is coming to an end, we are preparing things for the next generation of students who will start next month.
Between Nov. 4 – 8, Pastor Keith will teach the last – the 10th – session of intensive courses for the current generation of students. Starting with Nov. 11 and until November next year, 16 new students will go through the same courses, for the purpose of preparing them for a life of ministry, serving and pastoring a church.
100 young men sent to 100 villages to plant 100 churches.
Our goal
Today, 24 young men sent and recommended by their pastors/churches, came to the Mission House and took a simple test which will help us with the selection process. We only have a few requirements: students should know how to read/write and should have a calling or at least a strong desire to follow Jesus. Their pastors, on their hand, have carefully selected them from among all those interested to come. As their spiritual leaders, their responsibility was to find and send to us young men who love the Lord and want to learn more about Him so they can serve Him for the rest of their lives.
As a matter of praise report, at least one of our current students (from the 1st generation) is already serving the Lord as a pastor. Looking at our goal above, we still have a ways to go but we are very excited about this beginning.
