January 2025 AIU Newsletter
We are very excited about the start of another new school year. On January 4, our students began to arrive from across Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. This year, AIU welcomed 15 new freshmen, bringing our total up to 70 residential students.
The academic year began with a two-day orientation, which took place soon after students arrived on campus. The orientation was designed to welcome students back to campus and prepare them for the upcoming academic year. This was an especially important event for the freshmen as they were introduced to the various operations of AIU for the first time.
During the orientation, students received instructions on how to use Moodle – a course management system – for their classes. Both facilitators and students at AIU continue to find learning more convenient with Moodle.
We are grateful to God for AIU’s professors, both local and international, who selflessly pour into the lives of these young men. Their commitment and contributions are essential to the mission of AIU.
Please join us in prayer for a fruitful school year. Also, pray for the well-being of all our teachers and God’s provision in their lives as they facilitate this year’s classes.
The included pictures show this year’s orientation and students attending the first classes of the year. We are so thankful for all that God is doing at AIU.
AIU remains true to its resolve to mold its faculty and students according to the Word of God. In light of this, for the past several years, we have begun our academic year with a Bible conference. Our annual conference features different speakers who help fulfill our mission of preparing the next generation of spiritual leaders.
The 2025 Bible Conference was fantastic and attendance was exceptional. Pastor Joseph Lungu, AIU’s campus pastor, had the responsibility of planning and facilitating the Bible conference.
Speakers broke down the conference theme into three parts: learning, unlearning, and relearning. First, ambassadors of Christ should not allow pride to keep them from learning. Rather, an ambassador of Christ should seek to continue learning. Second, ambassadors of Christ should identify their own wrong assumptions and replace them with biblical truth, even if it may be embarrassing. In this way, ambassadors of Christ may need to unlearn what they originally assumed to be true. Finally, ambassadors of Christ must begin relearning: evaluating their beliefs to ensure they are rooted in the Word of God.
This year’s conference featured Pastor Mwindula Mbewe (son of theologian, Conrad Mbewe) as guest speaker. His teaching focused on learning to suffer well, understanding God and money, and serving God even when it goes unrecognized.
We are thankful for every speaker who taught at this year’s conference and all those who were in attendance, both students and staff. Our students were blessed to be able to hear speakers from outside of the AIU community.
Please pray that our students will keep their eyes on God and that they will apply what they learned to lead many to Christ. Also, continue to pray for our staff members as they prepare the next generation of spiritual leaders. To God be the glory!
The 2025 academic year has begun at AIU and students have returned to campus. We are grateful to have all of our students back, and that they are in good health.
For several years, Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California has donated copies of The Jeremiah Study Bible for us to give each incoming freshman. On the first day of class, AIU Vice-Chancellor Jim Gerhart presented one of these study bibles to each new student. We are so grateful for these bibles, which include a wealth of knowledge about Scripture. We praise the Lord for this generous gift!
On behalf of both staff and the students, we want to express our sincere gratitude to Shadow Mountain Community Church for its continued involvement in the lives of our students. These study bibles will be useful for students; they are easy to read and offer accessible, practical study notes. The included picture shows Vice-Chancellor Jim Gerhart giving the study bibles to our 2025 freshmen.
These study bibles are not only useful for academic study, but will be used by students wherever they go, whether preaching the gospel, deepening their understanding of God as they walk with Him daily, or learning to walk in His ways. It is thrilling to see what the Lord is doing in the lives of our students, especially our incoming freshmen.
As they continue to study God’s Word, pray with us for their spiritual growth and passion for Christ. Also, join them in prayer for God’s strength and wisdom as they embark on a new journey at AIU.
The daycare on campus continues operating at full capacity. Since it was first opened in 2020, this ministry has continued to grow steadily. Children from families on campus as well as the surrounding villages attend classes at our daycare facility each day.
Currently, AIU’s daycare has five classes: babies, kindergarten, and grades 1-3. We pray that the Lord will provide enough teachers and adequate facilities as the number of our learners continues to grow. This year, there are a total of 19 students attending the daycare. We expect that number to grow as the number of young children on campus increases and more parents from the surrounding villages express interest in bringing their children to daycare. Our daycare program has changed and continues to change people’s lives.
Conveniently located at the heart of AIU’s campus, the daycare is equipped with a variety of educational resources for the kids. Daycare personnel have access to a large number of books for these kids, as well as charts, photos, and other visual aids to support the learning process. The included pictures show our daycare class setup.
We are grateful to everyone who supports the daycare initiative in various ways. As we expand, please continue to support us and pray for God’s provision.
Lyengamuwa Moses Wakung'oli, known around campus as Waku, is a 2019 AIU graduate. He is from a Silozi-speaking province in the western part of Zambia.
In his years as a student and staff member, Waku has always been grateful to be a part of the AIU family. Looking back, Waku would not say he was a Christian when he first came to AIU, but that he was saved during the course of his theological studies in 2017.
Currently, he serves as the admissions supervisor at AIU, searching for and recruiting new students. He deeply enjoys this role because it challenges him to trust in the Lord. Each year, the admissions team faces the uncertainty of whether new students will apply. But since stepping into his role, Waku’s faith has been strengthened as he witnesses the Lord drawing students to AIU in remarkable ways.
In addition to his work in admissions, Waku assists the deputy vice-chancellor in teaching courses such as Old Testament Hebrew and Biblical Ethics. Teaching is one of his greatest passions, alongside reading, writing theological articles on his blog, writing worship songs, and spending time with his friends.
Waku is currently enrolled in the Master of Theology program through AIU’s distance learning platform and he eagerly looks forward to completing his degree. Waku is so grateful to be entrusted with such a vital role in the life of the institution. Pray with him for God’s wisdom, strength, and provision as he continues to serve in this capacity.
Alberto Vasco Julai is a sophomore at AIU from Mozambique. The second of five children, he was born into a family that subscribed to the Jehovah’s Witness belief system.
Alberto grew up attending different churches, none of which presented him with the true gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. As a teenager, he began to stay home from church services because he felt unable to find the truth his heart needed. Instead, he patterned his life after those of his unbelieving friends, living a life of sin and rebellion against God.
One night, while 17-year-old Alberto was speaking with his friends, one of his neighbors – a Christian – came and joined the conversation. The man began to ask Alberto and his friends penetrating questions concerning salvation. As they answered, he shared with them the good news of what Christ did on the cross. The message he preached touched Alberto’s heart deeply.
After graduation, Alberto plans to teach both English and the Word of God. He is very grateful for the generosity of Christian sponsors who have given him the privilege and opportunity to attend AIU.