Hello,
I am G.B. Shelburne, III, better known to friends as "B." Shelburne. I have worked with South Houston Bible Institute since 1980. Before that, my wife Ruth and I were missionaries to Malawi, Africa, for 19 years. I had been back to Malawi several times on working visits, but the last time before this trip was 1992.
I was asked to teach two week-long short courses in Malawi this summer at Namikango Bible School, the school at which I had worked so many years before. I thought this summer was already too full, but the other teacher who could have gone was not available, and the courses I would teach were vitally needed by the Malawian churches, so I agreed to go. When the mission team at Mbale, Uganda, heard of my Malawi trip, they asked me to stop by Mbale for a 2-day short course. My son and his family are on that team. I agreed to go there also.
In the end I was very thankful that I went to both places. In Uganda, I not only saw my new granddaughter for the first time, but I gained a great new respect for Messiah Theological Institute and for the way the mission team at Mbale functions. They have one of the wisest approaches to mission work that I have ever encountered. In Malawi I renewed dear old friendships with Malawian workers, had wonderful fellowship with Lendal and Peggy Wilks (long-time missionaries and former partners in the work), had very positive response to the material in the courses, identified several serious equipment and personnel needs, took part in important conferences about outreach in neighboring Mozambique, and met with key people to lay plans for the completion of a concordance for the Chichewa language Bible. I thank God for such positive results from the trip. And I am very grateful to those who contributed financially to make the trip possible.
The pictures and commentary on the following pages will give you a better look into the ministry on that journey and will identify some opportunities to paticipate in some of the needs in the mission works at Mbale, Uganda, and Namikango, Malawi.