MISSION TO INDONESIA
Batam church of Christ - Winston Bolt, Missionary
PO Box 514 - Batam, Indonesia
Email - batammission@yahoo.com - wlbolt@indosat.net.id
July 2004

Sponsoring Church - Madigan Avenue Church of Christ
Note new mailing address - 361 Scott Avenue - Morgantown, WV 26507

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I write this report I can not help but look to the immediate future when I will be in America seeking a sponsor for the Batam Bible College and the funding that is needed to support the various programs that we are using to take the gospel to all of Indonesia.

I plan to arrive in America the first week of August and after a short rest period I will begin seeking opportunities to present our work to various churches.   I earnestly seek your help in making new contacts.   If you know of a congregation who may be interested in hearing about this work please contact me via the Email addresses list above.   I pray that this report will encourage you in your support of this work.   

BATAM CHURCH OF CHRIST - The Lord continues to bless our efforts on Batam Island.   I was blessed to baptize two souls into Christ this week.   One was a former Muslim who has been studying with us for the past year.   She is the fourth Muslim this year that has been baptized into Christ.     The other person was one of our students who was baptized when he was 11 years old.   After studying for over five months he came to the conclusion that he didn't understand what had taken place back then and requested that he be baptized again.   Please pray for Johan Folebesy and Martha Leah.   (see picture)

The Batam congregation desires to be an example to other congregations in the country.   Thus we continue to strive to expand the church at every opportunity to show them what can be done.   We give our deepest thanks to Ed and Martha Wharton for their wonderful contribution that has made this current expansion possible.   This last week we signed a contract with a local builder to build a small church building in an area called Batu Agi.   Brother Ferdinand Manalu will be the coordinator of this work.   We have ten familes living in the Batu Agi area who will become the core for this new congregation.   This area is thirty kilometers from our present location and thousands will be moving into there in the next year or two.   (see picture of ch building and ch. fellowship)   At this time we have three worship services in three different areas of the island.   We are also planning on starting a worship service for the Chinese community, in conjunction with the churches of Christ in Singapore, at our former location in the city of Nagoya.     This expansion is possible only because we have trained the men to lead and preach and teach the brethren.    Please pray for our efforts to expand the church in Batam, Indonesia.

BATAM   BIBLE COLLEGE   - We are coming to an end of our first term in our new building.   I have to confess that the building has been a blessing to me and hopefully to all the students and visiting teachers.   I thank all of you who have made it possible.  

We have trained fourteen students ranging in age from 20 to 58 years old.   As far as we know at this time they all plan on returning next year for the second term.   We have also heard that there already at least eight new students who wish to enter the school next year.    This means that we have to add national teachers to the staff as we will be teaching two terms at the same time thus doubling the effectiveness of the school.   In 2006 we hope to add a third term where the students can acquire a BA degree.   Up to now I have been teaching and translating the textual courses and brother Mail Banjarnahor has been teaching the practicum courses but this must change with the adding of a second term which will taught concurrently with the first term.   With this in mind we have added brothers Herbin Simanjuntak, Ferdinand Manalu, and Yonathan Suparso as teachers in the school.    (see picture of teachers)

Brother John Reese who works with World Bible School in Austin, Texas is currently teaching the book of Ephesians at the school.    His insight to this wonderful letter to the church has truly been eye opening for the students.   Brother John previously was a missionary to Africa and taught in the Bible College in South Africa.   He is planning on attending a church conference in Africa after he finishes teaching here, so please pray for him and his family during his travels.

This year we were blessed to have brothers John\Massie, Charles Cook, Ed Wharton, Gerald Paden, Steve Cate and John Reese to teach courses that would be the envy of any bible college in America.   Please accept our deepest thanks and appreciation for your   coming to Batam Indonesia to teach the word of God, God bless you all.   

MISSION TEAMS
Duri, Sumatra - The congregation there is in the middle of a building program.   They hope to build a new church building within the next month.   The team has reported that all is stable with a ladies group meeting regularly and two men planning to come to Batam Bible College next year.  

Solo, Central Java - We will be visiting Solo in another week and will send you the report from Solo on our return.   Six of our current students will be returning to Solo on August 2, which will give a tremendous boost to the work there.    I have just received their plan of work for the next six months from brother Yonathan and I am looking forward to the application of this plan to the work in Solo.   God Bless all of you who are helping to support these mission efforts.  

Your servant in Christ,
Winston Bolt