BANGLADESH – NEPAL MISSIONS
AUGUST, 2014 REPORT
The first session (“Session A”) of the fall semester at Khulna Bible College began
Monday, August 4. Each of our sessions lasts for eight weeks, with two sessions per semester,
and two semesters of classes per academic year. Each student takes seven courses per semester,
three in one session and four in the other, thus completing our program in three years. Graduates
have completed over 120 credit hours of work, similar to a four year Bachelor’s degree program
in the United States. All courses are required and all are Biblical, doctrinal, or relevant to the
development of Christian leadership and evangelistic skills. Among other requirements is a
textual study of every book of the Bible.
One reason for the division of the semesters into sessions is that this arrangement allows
me (or other Americans) to take on a significant role of teaching. I can teach three courses per
semester, yet only remain in the country for approximately two months. We have three full time
Bengali teachers. When I am at the school that allows us to teach three courses each, meaning
each student has four courses during that session. During the sessions I am not present only three
courses per class year (i.e., per student) can be offered. That is one of the reasons I schedule my
time in Bangladesh to include two months in the fall (usually for session A at the beginning) and
two in the spring (usually session B).
My normal fall courses are “Hebrew History II” (the O.T. books of Joshua – 2 Samuel);
“Hebrew History IV” (the O.T. books of Lamentations, Daniel, Ezra – Esther); and “Devotional
Literature of the Old Testament” (Psalms and Song of Solomon). I have taught these same
courses for several years now and enjoy the studies very much. We have just completed midterm exams in each course.
When I wrote the report for July, students were not yet on campus and we were
anticipating as many as eight first year students, for a total of twelve. Unfortunately some of
those who had applied decided at the last moment to do other things. As a result our total number
of students is eight: four in the first year, one in the second, and three in the third, which three
are scheduled to graduate in April.
Our budget constraints continue to hamper us. We experienced some break-downs of
equipment, one of which (the van) had to be repaired with funds taken from other needs. Others,
like the lawn mower which is broken down and badly needs replacing, and the water filtration
system which needs overhauling, simply cannot be fit into even the emergency budget. Our two
acre campus has a lot of grass and during the rainy season it grows quickly. Our students and
staff are very good to take up their sickles and try to keep it at bay.
I was playing a game of Carom (a Bangla favorite) with some of the students when one
of them commented, “We have five languages.” He meant that of the five or six of us around the
board, there were five different native tongues: Bangla, Tripura, Chakma, Santal, and English.
Three of these are tribal languages of various indigenous groups located in certain places in
Bangladesh. Our students from these groups also speak adequate to excellent Bangla.
When he said this I was impressed by how diverse our small student body is. I also
appreciated the fact that we are being successful in reaching many different “peoples” in this
country. There are also congregations of the Lord’s church among the Baum people, though at
present we do not have students from that group.
Playing Carom with Students at KBC
Cutting the Grass the Old Fashioned Way
On Friday, August 1 the other KBC teachers, Barnard Biswas who preaches for the
church in Khulna, James (one of our students), and I drove three hours into the southern part of
Khulna district to Gadaipur. This is the village where James and two other students (Rubel and
Sumon) held a meeting and baptized 11 last January. They had requested that I come to visit with
them and teach more about the Bible. Rubel and Sumon met us there. This village is Sumon’s
home.
We had a very good visit in the village. They prepared a delicious meal for us, followed
by singing, prayers, and Bible study. There were about 15 present from the village including
most of those who had been baptized. Some were not available due to their work. We were
impressed with their friendly welcome and interest in the Bible.
Sumon was a student last year, but has not continued in school due to family needs. He is
married with one child and must work to support his family so was not able to come back this
year. The families requested that we help them by providing a preacher and I agreed. Nilay
Baroi, formerly located in Dinajpur district in northern Bangladesh, was available to begin a new
work, and we sent him there to visit. They agreed for him to move and he and his family are
now settled in Gadaipur. We pray that it will be a productive work for them. Nilay is a graduate
of KBC (2005) and an experienced evangelist.
Teaching a Bible Study at Gadaipur
Nilay, Lily and Benjamin Baroi
Tapon Sarker has also moved from Dinajpur towards the south to the district town (like
our county seats) of Meherpur where he is beginning a new work. Simon Mollick has begun to
2
work just outside Jessore. Simon was on leave for health reasons for several months, but is now
much improved.
We believe that these moves will increase the effectiveness of each of these workers and
lead to additional souls being saved and new congregations established. Please include them all
in your prayers.
Thank you again with all sincerity for your continued support and encouragement. Please
lift us up frequently before the Father in your prayers.
Michael E. Brooks
Minister of Missions and Evangelism
Highland Park Church of Christ
PO Box 2216
Muscle Shoals, AL 35662
3