Sometimes it is difficult to quantify our results, especially with adults because we do not put our students through exams or qualifications unless they are going into the ministry. Also our work is extremely varied, and every family and student has unique requirements, so initiative is needed every time. Therefore, to provide a broader idea of what we do, we have here a few examples.
Billy Hughes is not a minister, but preaches occasionally. Many in the church commented on how his preaching changed while he was learning with us. For example he read out the scriptures himself instead of asking others to do so for him, and he included a great many more scriptures which made his sermons far more instructive. He learned much for his ministry exams from teaching CDs we made with scriptures read very slowly. He often serves the Lord by helping a Gypsy church in Eastern Europe. He says:
“Very, very enjoyable. Learned me a lot that I never knew about the Bible. Improved tremendously with my reading and with my everyday studies. Its opened my mind and my intellect - knowledge about the Bible. It’s improved me in my calling, my ministry to which the Lord called me, my preaching, and a big help with testifying. Knowing Jesus more because the more I can read of the Bible, the more I can get to know about the Lord. Gerry is very encouraging and faithful to his word - what he says he’ll do, he does.
Sailey & Deno were taught twice a week throughout 2006-7. Their mother is a Christian but can not read, but finds it difficult to learn from a man such as myself (normal for most of the Gypsy culture). With female tutors she could join in a lot more without feeling awkward. Their father can read but is not a believer so I set homework such as memory verses for him to help them with, in the hope that it might draw him back to God.
Caleb Smith (who is Elsie's son) learned with me and with his dad, who is a minister and, for a full day every week until he turned 15. When he was 11 he left school to go out working with his dad cutting trees and doing garden work. He is a good reader and wants to be a preacher like his dad, and says he would like to go to Bible College. He is seen here constructing a cardboard model of the Ark of the Covenant, the measurements of which we worked out from Exodus andscaled down.
At the church at Newton le Willows I ran a group withthe help of Ray Price, a Light & Life trainee, to take the men through various Bible studies by means of them reading the scriptures in turn, discussing them and filling out word exercises based on them. We moved the group to Bolton in the Autumn of 2007. Also at the church in Newton we have run a day-timewomen's group to study the Gospels verse by verse.
