Pastor Yarwell and his wife, Elsie

Pastor Yarwell, principal of South Island Bible College, presented us with this letter when I visited the college in February, with Mission to the World.  It says a lot about the needs of the college and how we can meet them.

I didn’t expect so much work to be completed in three months: Pastor Yarwell from Tanna Bible College*, Vanuatu.

Dear Family and Friends,

I didn’t expect such a wonderful job to be done within three months, and I’ve had growing concerns about discipleship centre and Bible College.  I’m not referring to anything bad that’s happening, but about the growing interest people around the island (Tanna) are expressing in the mission and lay ministry training program.  Our fifth graduation in 2010, 10 (ten) mission workers were graduated.  The sixth graduation in November 2011, there were eight from the surrounding parish including two from the Unity in Christ group.  This year 2012, two from the discipleship centre who were recommended to continue training at Tanna Bible College, will be completing their three years training.  This year’s intake now looks to be fifteen (15).

What worries me? … We are short of lecturers and also houses.  By February this year 2012 we’ll be studying in the new cyclone proof classroom.  It’s God’s answer to this need.  But we still need housing for lecturers and students from discipleship centre and Bible College.  We also need fifty desks and fifty chairs.

So I am asking you to pray for these fifteen people who want to learn to how to serve the Lord in a more competent way.  Pray that we find the means to provide housing, desks, chairs, and generous hearts to help teach at South Island Bible College.

In a word, please pray right now for sponsorship for 15 students and for Enafa Bible College and for me and Mama Elsie.

“Your will be done … for yours is the power and the glory for ever.”

Thank you for your prayers,

Sincerely,

Yarwell & Elsie (Tanna Island Bible College Principal, Vanuatu)

*Pastor Yarwell seems to use the names ‘Tanna Bible College,’ ‘South Island Bible College,’ and ‘Enefa Bible College’ to mean the same college in North-West Tanna.  The Discipleship Training Centre is a different place and is in North-East Tanna.

When we told Pastor Yarwell that I was thinking of coming to Tanna to teach, his immediate reaction was to say that I was then an answer to prayer.

We plan to assist the work on Tanna by teaching at the college and hope to raise support to build our own house so as to not put further pressure on housing and to bless the college with a second permanent building.