Utah, Colorado Springs, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, South Africa, Redlands – 23,000 miles

Vickie and I just completed our 4000 mile trip to encourage missionaries in Utah, attend TLI’s conference in Colorado, and visit family, friends and supporters west of the Rockies. Our trip was absolutely fantastic. We came home encouraged by the fellowship, teaching, and beautiful sites of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. We also drove through parts of Nevada.

Vickie and I arrived back home in California, but then I left four days later for South Africa. Currently it is winter there. Our mission: to train pastors and church leaders at two sites: Kimberley and Queenstown.

In Kimberley we had time for a three hour safari. The temperature was very cold! That’s me layered and bundled up to ward off the wind and cold. It seemed like at every turn, our open-bed touring truck got colder and colder. Fortunately our host gave us blankets, or I would not be writing this letter from Orange but from heaven itself.

Our first training was in the city of Kimberly. There were 20 eager students in a classroom without heat. I was warm while teaching, but the rest of our crew was chilly. We taught skills for interpreting the Gospels using Mark as an example. Great students and a great week.

My favorite memory was when the students were working in groups of three, answering questions from their Bibles, working on honing their understanding based on authorial intent.

Our TLI group spent a couple of nights in Fish Hoek, near Cape Town, before our next scheduled training in Queenstown. Fish Hook is a beautiful, quaint, city south of Cape Town.

Following our days in Fish Hoek we traveled to Queenstown. Our two teaching partners taught a couple of lessons each from the curriculum. One of the teachers alternated between English and the local language dialect as he taught. He was very effective in reaching the students. As always, our goal is to train local leaders to train local leaders.

South Africa is a study in economic disparity. These squatters camps pictured are built using tin roofing. However, as soon as the electricity is provided, via the government, the television satellite dishes go up. The entertainment industry reigns in America and South Africa.

TLI sent its own camera crew with us on this trip: pictures, interviews, and video clips for advancing the mission of TLI. These two ladies look very professional as they record testimonies from students and trainers.

After returning to the United States, I recently attended a TLI Diaspora training in Redlands, CA, here is the link to our Diaspora division. Our Diaspora partner has assembled a very fine group of trainers, using a Spanish version of our curriculum, to equip church leaders and strengthen the church in Southern California.

Thank You: for your prayers, and for you giving, and interest in the ministry of training church leaders.

Bob and Vickie Burris

Pure joy! Cousin bath time at grandpa and grandma’s house.