CMS missionaries Adrian and Anita Lovell taught Nataly and Noemy, Peruvian Christians, a Bible overview course. Nataly and Noemy taught what they had learned to others in their church in Bolivia, with exciting results.

Peruvians Nataly and Noemy knew their Bible stories well. They’d been reading and teaching those Bible stories for years. But in 2015 they began studying MOCLAM’s first subject,[1] ‘Creation to New Creation’ and they were very nervous. The course would cover the whole Bible in four full days of classes!

But as they sat in the classes and read the material, they began to see the Bible stories they knew so well in a different light. They started to grasp what it means to see that Jesus is the key to interpreting each Bible story. In other words, they started to understand biblical theology. Although they knew their Bible stories well, they had come to realise they needed to know their Bibles better!

Nataly says, “The ministry of MOCLAM has had a huge impact on me by showing me that all of God’s promises are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, from start to finish”.

Last year, Nataly and Noemy were serving in a church in Cochabamba, Bolivia as part of the practical component of their missionary training. As they got to know the congregation, they saw a huge need for people to understand God’s salvation plan as revealed in the whole Bible. So they approached Adrian and Anita about using ‘Creation to New Creation’ as the basis for some training at the church. After discussing possible approaches and borrowing visual aids and teaching notes, Nataly and Noemy began to teach a group of young people at their church.

They did a great job teaching others the same things that have clearly had a big impact on them. One of us (Adrian) went along to the final night to share more about MOCLAM, and three people have now expressed interest in studying the same course, including the pastor! It has been exciting to see those we’ve taught take what they’ve learnt and share it with a new group of believers.

Nataly and Noemy are graduating from the mission training program now. Over the past three years they have completed the first six MOCLAM subjects on offer. They now hope to continue studying with MOCLAM alongside their university studies over the coming years. Nataly will be studying medicine, hoping then to serve amongst Muslim women. Noemy is studying linguistics and literature so she can do Bible translation. Who will these faithful teachers now train to teach others?

Pray

Thank God for the work the Lovells are doing with MOCLAM in South America. Ask that CMS missionaries in the Spanish-speaking world will take advantage of the training possibilities through these courses.

[1] MOCLAM provides distance theological education to Spanish-speakers across the world.