May 2024 AIU Newsletter
We are grateful to the Lord for His provision and the positive impact He has on Ambassador International University! Recently, we received uplifting news of a generous donation from EaglePoint Church. This donation is specifically intended to expand our poultry farming operation, enabling us to produce both broiler chickens and layer hens. This expansion is a significant step towards our goal of self-sustainability. Our campus cafeteria heavily relies on eggs for meal preparation, and by producing both our own meat and eggs, we will experience substantial cost savings. Additionally, we will generate income from surplus produce sales, allowing for further growth. An added benefit is that our students will gain valuable skills in managing the operational and business aspects of this project, which will serve them well in their future endeavors to support their families and ministry work. We extend our deepest gratitude to the EaglePoint Church for their support and partnership in this endeavor!
Our outreach ministry to local schools in the area has recently resumed, and we have received encouraging feedback from students in six village schools. The impact of their learning is evident in the thoughtful questions they ask during lessons, showing their desire to grow in their relationship with the Lord. These students are also interested in taking discipleship classes and learning more about God. However, one challenge brought to our attention by school leaders is the physical hunger students are experiencing due to drought and high inflation. We are praying for the means to provide food to these students, even if it is only once per term. Another challenge we face is the lack of Bibles available to distribute to students after they complete discipleship classes. Last year, we had 250 students graduate from these classes, and we were unable to provide them with Bibles. Additionally, the bicycles our students use to reach the village schools are worn out, making it difficult to travel. We hope that the Lord will provide us with the means to address these challenges and ensure the smooth operation of this ministry.
Sunday church outreach has been consistently active since last year, with ongoing collaboration with 13 local churches. Our relationship with these churches has deepened, and they have been instrumental in providing practical experience for our students. By the grace of God, we have expanded our ministry to include a new village church. David Chibiya, a staff member of AIU, has taken the initiative to serve at this church and assist the residential pastor in developing church leadership. This has been greatly beneficial, as the pastor has been leading the church alone for over 13 years.
During Sunday Bible study, the majority of church members actively participated, despite not having Bibles. However, we were able to provide most of them with Bibles translated into their local languages. There are still some individuals without Bibles, and we are praying and seeking means to raise funds to purchase more in their local languages. One of our main objectives in the village churches is to cultivate independent leadership. We have addressed this challenge by sending students to these churches on Saturdays to mentor and guide the youth in identifying their spiritual gifts and serving their churches. These gifts encompass various roles such as ushering, presiding, singing, teaching children, reading the Bible, and conducting discipleship lessons. Additionally, we have focused on developing children's ministry in these churches, as they often lack individuals who can effectively manage and teach young people. Our students have been actively involved in teaching the youth in this regard.
Source of Light International has recently joined forces with us in our mission to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Their primary focus is on discipleship ministry, aiming to establish a strong connection between individuals from various nations, languages, and ethnicities with Jesus Christ and their local church community. They achieve this by collaborating with partners worldwide to create, print, and distribute evangelistic, discipleship, and advanced Bible training resources in multiple languages and media formats.
In Zambia, they have established a chapter known as Source of Light - Zambia, where they have been actively engaging in discipleship activities. As part of our partnership, AIU will provide them with a dedicated space on our campus to serve as their national headquarters. This collaboration will greatly benefit our campus community, students, staff, and the surrounding local communities. The construction of their office building and print shop is progressing well, with the walls and roofing already completed. Currently, the construction team is working on plastering and installing the electric system. In the near future, Source of Light will install printing machinery to produce discipleship literature that will be distributed throughout Zambia, with AIU serving as a central hub. Additionally, having this equipment on campus presents an opportunity for us to print AIU course modules for our residential students as needed. We kindly request your prayers for this partnership to bear abundant fruit as we work together to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Kevin Walters is from Hartsville, South Carolina, USA. He has been married to his wife Donna for 35 years. Together, they have been blessed with two daughters, Ashley and Audra. He has been a pastor for 17 years and currently serves as the pastor of West Hartsville Baptist Church in Hartsville, South Carolina.
Pastor Kevin’s 2024 visit to AIU will be his fifth time visiting us. While here he teaches courses on Eschatology (the study of last things/end times). This time, he taught his course between May 20 and 29. Pastor Kevin finds it a joy and sheer privilege to serve the Lord in this way.
We are so grateful for Pastor Kevin, his dedicated service, and his love for the students at AIU. Pray for him as he returns to the United States and continues with other ministry assignments.
Jeremiah, a professional teacher specializing in Early Childhood Education, serves as one of our Daycare teachers at AIU. Until recently, our other teacher, Idah, was the only one serving in this role. Jeremiah’s relationship with AIU traces back to late 2023. During the last quarter of 2023, while Idah traveled in the United States as part of the Voices of Zambia singing group, Jeremiah stepped in as a substitute teacher.
With the increased enrolment of children at the Daycare came demand for more teachers. In response to this, Jeremiah joined the AIU faculty last February, and is now, along with Idah, one of our two Daycare teachers. This is huge a blessing to the AIU community.
In addition to his role as Daycare teacher, Jeremiah also serves as our receptionist at the H. E. Wyatt administration building where he welcomes and assists guests, staff and students with administrative matters while also managing our printing machines.
Jeremiah is grateful for the privilege of serving in his roles, finding much pleasure in what he does in his respective capacities. His work at AIU allows him to learn many new things while developing important communication skills, time management, organization, and all-around personal discipline. When asked about his responsibilities as the receptionist, he states, “I am thankful to God for such a conducive work environment where I am surrounded by other believers who encourage and help me in my walk with the Lord.” Pray with Jeremiah that he would continue growing spiritually and that God would continue to use him to His glory.
Emmanuel Salimu is part of the 2024 freshmen class at AIU and hails from Kanyama, a compound in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. He is the firstborn in a family of four with one brother and two sisters. Born into a Christian family, he enjoyed going to church as a child alongside his family every Sunday, all the while not knowing what it meant to be a Christian. In his adolescent years, he came under the negative influence of peers leading to addictive behaviors and habitual disrespect towards other people.
Emmanuel recalls when, as a high school student in 2018, he heard and understood the gospel message for the first time. God used his elder brother, a pastor and graduate of AIU, to explain clearly the reality and consequence of his sin, his need to repent, and the hope he can find exclusively in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Believing this to be true, the relief Emmanuel experienced was overwhelming, as the weight of the sin he carried had been so incredibly burdensome. He was converted, and after doing so, turned away from the addictions that had taken control of his life. Growing in a desire for the things of God, Emmanuel discovered how in Christ, his life has true meaning. Recognizing Emmanuel’s genuine change and desire to follow Christ, his older brother later introduced him to AIU to which he applied and was granted admission. Attending AIU has been an answer to prayer for Emmanuel. When asked about his experience here, he states:
Emmanuel feels burdened to reach out to the young people of his church and discipling them through Bible studies. After graduation from AIU, Emmanuel would like to develop an online platform from which he can share the gospel with others. He also wants to pursue further studies in the field of Media and Technology, which, he believes, could potentially become a business venture and means of sustaining himself and his family. Emmanuel is grateful to the many people who have invested in his life, making it possible for him to attend AIU. Pray with Emmanuel that he will finish his studies well and that he will continue to grow in his walk with the Lord and impact many with the message of the gospel.