Shalom Academy

The new school year began February 15, with a new administrator, several new teachers, and close to 400 students. The number of students is lower than previous years largely due to a tougher admissions test. The new school year also brought the implementing of a higher standard for the teaching staff in order to ensure that exemplary lifestyle and conduct is maintained. The higher standard in both admissions and teaching staff has resulted in some grumbling about the implementation of these standards. On top of all this, the state education department issued a directive that no student should be denied entrance into the school of their choice. This directive poses two major problems:

1) complying with their order means accepting a lower standard of student (we have the rule that a student receives the grade earned, which is now in jeopardy with students possibly not able to maintain adequate grades and looking for other ways to receive them); and

2) the possibility of being forced to accept whatever the education department demands in the future.  We also have a new Chaplain, Thangbem, and a young man that just completed his graduate work at a Bible College in the southern part of India.

The construction of the new septic system and bathrooms is taking much longer than expected and delayed the beginning of school for two weeks.  We began the work in late December in the hope of completing the work by mid February. Instead, we are still not done and anticipate finishing by the end of March. Every operation is done manually and there are frequent interruptions by the non-availability of critical building materials. The opening of new boarding is also delayed since the bathroom construction is still not completed. At this point we are unsure whether or not to even open the boarding for this school year. Many of you may remember that at the end of last year we anticipated a later starting of the school year due to a directive from the State putting all schools on the same schedule, which would have given us the necessary time for completion of the septic systems needed. The hill areas (of which we belong) chose to keep to the old
schedule, thus putting us back to an early February start date.

Other Mission News

Lun Singsit and two other teachers conducted a 3-day seminar where they taught God’s word at Ponlen Baptist Church.  As a result of their saturated teaching of God’s word a 17-year old girl was convicted and gloriously saved. While her husband Lun was at the seminar Heshi Singsit was speaking at Children Bible Camp and seen several children accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord including her five year old daughter.

Kamal reports an exceptionally fruitful ministry as traveling Evangelist preaching and encouraging believers in remote places in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. He also had the opportunity to witness to his brother and family living in Nepal who is still blinded by the Hindu religion. Upon returning from two weeks of traveling Kamal had the opportunity to work with a visiting pastor from the US, ministering God’s word together at the Bible Training Institute. There were eight students in total; of these five students realized their sin and need for Christ and accepted him as their personal Savior and Lord. Pray for these five men as they stand for Christ.  They will need much prayer, for a Hindu embracing Christ means rejection, being despised by their own families.

Helun Kipgen from Bible Baptist Church, Imphal, gave an updated report on the Fundamental Fellowship of Manipur (FBFM) and indicated some of the challenges the fellowship encountered in recent months. Some of the challenges include apostasy and disunity among the churches.  He acknowledges the difficulties associated with leading the various churches. Since the enemy is real as Peter describes it and compares the devil to a  roaring lion, so ought we to stay close to the Master for his shield of protection.

Strategic Ministry – Pastor Ratan Chetri of Grace Baptist Church has a unique ministry of touching the lives of people living in two countries, India (democracy) and Myanmar (military government); two very similar yet distinctly different countries politically.  He travels back and forth between the two and is establishing cell groups inside Myanmar.  Recently, in one meeting eight people accepted the Lord and in obedience to the Lord’s command they followed the Lord in baptism. He also has a ministry inside Nepal and travel there to visit a small group of believers.  One of his sons just completed Bible training and is preparing to work in Nepal establishing local churches.

Fundamental Baptist Fellowship of Manipur

Pastor Jamthang Touthang, President

Manipur, India