October Ministry Update

“Glorifying God by working together to establish reproducing

Churches focusing on unreached peoples of the world”

Once more we give thanks to God for all that He is doing through the ministry in Suriname.  Your continual prayers and support have enabled us to keep on proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples among the Hindustani and Guyanese.  The Lord continues to give us many opportunities to disciple believers, preach, teach, coach, and evangelize.  It seems like there is so much to do and very little time to get it all done.  Thus, keep on praying that the Lord will send forth more workers to come and join us in our efforts to make disciples and establish local churches. 

October 27, marked the completion of the first training model for the Guyanese leaders.  I began to teach the leaders and their wives on Church Organization and Leadership with the purpose of helping them to establish the local churches they are shepherding.  Although it was difficult at times to get the men to come weekly because of working outside the church to supplement their salary, yet we stuck to the goal of equipping them with practical teachings on how they can work toward getting the churches established.  I plan to teach another module on Making and Multiplying Disciples in January 2012.  Pray that the Guyanese church leaders will implement what they have been taught in order to get the church organized and established.

A few weeks ago, we met a Hindustani man who professed to believe in Christ.  We visited his home a couple of time to build friendship with them.  Last week, their son had a birthday and he was disappointed that his parents did not do something special for him.  As such, we invited them in our home for a meal and we surprised him by having a birthday cake for him and the living room decorated with balloons.  The family was delighted to see that we did this for their son.  We spent time learning about each other and sharing stories about our upbringing and experiences.  It took the family about 2 hours to get to our home with the bus and we drove them back to their home. We are planning to have a Bible Study in their home on Wednesdays.  Pray that God will use this time to make disciples among this family and others in their community will be impacted with the Gospel.

Marco & Marjolein Schuurmans, who has been seconded to World Team to come and work in the jungle of Suriname, has arrived safely for their vision trip.  Thanks for praying for this couple during their successful application process.  They have been accepted to join our Suriname team to train Wayana church leaders.  The Schuurmans are here with us for about 6 weeks.  We had a good orientation time during which I was able to encourage and challenge them to stay focus on our vision and purpose of training reproducing Tribal church leaders who will be able to establish the Wayana churches to be all that God would have them to be and to do.  Roy and Margaret Lytle, veteran Wayana missionaries, and the Schuurmans have already departed to the Wayana village of Lawa where they will spend two weeks, and from there they will move on to Apetina for another two weeks.  The Schuurmans will be introduced to the Wayana people and the church leaders in both villages.  They will also be able to see some of the needs in the area of leadership and discipleship and what can be done to meet those needs.   In addition, Roy and Margaret will also spend some time teaching them  the culture and some basic Wayana language.  Upon their return to the city, we will have a time of debriefing and working on the paperwork so that the Schuurmans, upon their return to Holland, can begin the application process for their resident permit.

Pray that God will use this time to give the Schuurmans a greater vision, burden, and love for the Wayana people and the desire and determination to learn the language upon their return to the field for full-time ministry in April 2012.  Pray also that God will provide for all of their needs so that they will not be delayed in their coming to the mission field.                                   

Thank you very much for standing with us in prayer, encouragement, and giving so that we can keep on making Christ known by making disciples.

September Ministry Update

We are thankful once again for your prayers for us as we continue to reach out to the Hindustani with the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Indeed, your prayers have contributed toward a successful weekend of reaching out to the Hindustani through at short-term team from Missouri. We praised God that the seven team members of Extend Global arrived safely on September 15 and they were ready for ministry from day one. We felt, in a powerful way, the prayers of God’s people as we visited homes and shared the gospel with those who do not know Christ and encouraged and prayed for the believing Hindustani who are struggling. In everything we did, God was glorified and His message was proclaimed to those who have not heard the gospel. 

After orientation and lunch on Saturday afternoon, the team traveled to the Hindustani community where we visited from house to house and shared the gospel. We had two teams that went into different streets with a translator.  We also had some young Surinamese believers who came along as apprentice to see how evangelism was being done among the Hindustani people.  I led one team and visited several families who have not heard the gospel.  We were able to get a hearing from them, give out the gospel, and pray for them.  They all appreciated us for taking the time to listen to their needs and to pray for them.  We also visited some who were opened to the gospel and would like for us to come back and visit them. 

On Sunday afternoon, we all went out again and visited more families and were able to share the gospel and giving out tracts and portion of the Scriptures in the Hindustani language.   We praise God that we were able to connect with the people we visited and for the many doors that were opened for us to go back and share the love of Christ.  On Sunday evening, we had a special gathering (Satsang) in which the truth of the Gospel was proclaimed, the Scipture was read, and songs were sung. The Satsang was the highlight of the weekend and we were pleased that over 110 people attended.  At first, we had no idea how many unsaved Hindustani would accept the invitation which was given out by the believers.  We also had very good support from other believers who came with a band to sing songs in Hindi, Sarnami, and Dutch.  One of the team member shared a powerful testimony how Jesus changed her life and this in itself showed that Jesus can change the Hindustani lives.  Another member brought a very practical message on the truth of the gospel and how one can know Jesus Christ and have their sins forgiven.  We praise God that the message of the gospel was clearly communicated to many who have not heard it before.  The believers prepared and served a meal to everyone who attended.  Pray that God will use the open doors and the contacts for us to continue to share the gospel with the people and that the seed of the gospel that was sown will be used by the Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit.

On Saturday evening, the team did a seminar on Marriage and the Family.  There was one session with the women and men apart and then another with both groups together.  We requested that the team shared on this topic because without a strong family the Hindustani believers will not be able to positively impact their unsaved loved ones, neighbors, and friends in the communities.  It is essential for the unsaved to see that Jesus is able to change lives at conversion and to empower toward godly living.  One young believer shared how he made a mistake by marryiny a non Christianwith the idea that he would lead her to Christ.  He shared his struggles and the group encouraged him to keep on being a witness.  Pray that the Hindustani believers will indeed be the light of the world and the salt of the earth in their daily lives.

Michael and Erin Pfleegor and their one year old daughter Lyla came on a vision trip on September 14-20 to visit the ministry in Suriname.  Last year Michael came alone when Erin was pregnant with Lyla.  They have three other children who stayed with friends in the U.S. during their visit to Suriname.  It was great having them with us.  Michael had opportunities to teach and preach among the believers and do evangelism among the the unsaved.  We were able also to have some team time to talk about what it would be like living and working in Suriname among those who need the gospel.  We also did a surprise birthday celebration for Lyla who turned one year old in Suriname.  The Pfleegors will need to raise full support and go through the rest of the process to get to the field.  Pray that God will prepare them and supply all of their needs to get to Suriname to work do their ministry.

Thanks for your partnership with us in proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples among the least evangelized people of Suriname.

We are thankful for all your prayers and support as we continue to share the love of Christ with those who need to hear about His saving grace and to equip leaders who will positively impact the kingdom of God.  The opportuni-ties to evangelize, disciple, and equip workers are many and we are seeking to grasp it as they come our way. 

My shoulder has been doing a lot better.  The medication has helped and the pain has been reduced.  I have been careful not to put much stress on it.  I will need to see how it all goes in the weeks to come.  Keep on praying that the Lord will do His work of strengthening my left shoulder and bringing complete healing.

Thanks a lot for praying for us during our ministry in Guyana.  We had a very profitable time preaching, teaching, counseling, and interacting with different ones who were having various problems in their lives.  I spoke a few evenings on Marriage & the Family to encourage those who were struggling in their relationship.  We also helped with the planning, preparation, ceremony, and the reception of the wedding. It was a delight to be actively involved in the marriage of Vinal and Alicia, a Guyanese couple.  We spent time counseling both of them about their duties to one another and encouraged them to stay close to God and give Him first place in their lives.

Since we are living in a time when traditional marriage has been rejected, redefined, perverted, and seen as irrelevant, I used the occasion not only to challenge the married couple but also the audience to see marriage not as a contract of temporary convenience but a permanent bond and a covenant between two souls and a divine institution ordained by God. 

The annual memorial service for Nadira’s sister-in-law who passed away in August 2010 went very well.  It is traditional after the passing of a loved one to invite relatives, neighbors, and friends to reflect back on the life of their loved one, eat a meal together, and to worship together.  There were about 130 people gathered together on July 30 at 3:30 pm.  A lot of work went into the preparation of a meal to serve to the guests.  I had the responsibility to lead the worship and to preach the Word of God.  It was a great opportunity for me to share on The Cure for a Troubled Heart from John 14:1-6 and give a clear presentation of the Gospel on how to receive Jesus Christ as

Lord and Savior.  The majority of the people who came were Hindus and they have never attended a church before.  Pray that the Spirit of God will convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment and that the precious Word of God will not return void but accomplish what He has purposed.

We spent most of our time counseling with different families and we saw some positive results.  One relationship was plagued with an unfaithful spouse and as a result of confession, repentance, and forgiveness; the couple committed themselves to one another and to make their marriage work.  Another family was affected by a passive husband who has neglected his role to lead his family and discipline his rebellious son.  We have reminded the parents to take their role seriously and to implement it.  A widower who was struggling with loneliness and the need for companionship was encouraged and he was able to get a better perspective on his future with regards to remarriage and honoring the Lord in the process.  We interacted and shared biblical principles to help these families in their struggles.  Pray that these families will lean upon God to help them with their weaknesses, struggles, and trials and that they will have the faith and strength to live out the principles of God’s Word in their lives so that they can experience His victory over their problems.

Our prayer is that God will strengthen your faith, provide for all of your needs, and give you divine wisdom to honor and glorify Him in your daily walk with Him. Thanks again for your partnership in “God’s kingdom work” of calling a people from the nations to be His very own. 

June Ministry Update

For the past few months we have been giving much of our time in discipling and training church leaders and potential leaders among the Guyanese and Hindustani.  We see this as the key to reproduce leaders who will not only serve competently in the churches but also to go out and make disciples with the end result of planting other churches.  Your prayers and partnership have enabled us to keep on pursuing our goal of making disciples in Suriname.  There is a lot of work yet to be done.  The challenges and tasks are great, and therefore we all need to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will provide faithful, reliable, and capable laborers to join our team.  

On June 12, the two Guyanese churches that we worked with gathered together for a worship and baptism service at Cola Creek.  A couple of weeks prior to the baptism, the Guyanese pastors spent time with the candidates to determine whether they clearly understood what is salvation and the significance of baptism.   They worked together on planning the fellowship and hiring a couple of busses to transport the people to the meeting place which was an hour drive from the city.  It was a wonderful experience to be in the open air with people sitting on benches and on the ground to sing praises to God and listen to the preaching of God’s Word. 

It was a delight for us to see 17 people baptized in the creek with most of them between the ages of 13-17.  I remembered some years ago when most of these young folks were just young children.  After the baptism service, the believers had a picnic together.  There was a lot to eat and to share with one another.  There was also a time for chatting with one another, swimming in the creek, and walking in the park.  Join us in praying for the continual growth and commit-ment of those baptized.  Pray that God will give them a hunger and thirst for the things of God and that they will be conformed to the likeness of Christ and not to the way of the world.

This wonderful couple are members of our Hindustani house church.  A few weeks ago, we celebrated their first year marriage anniversary and  the wife's 20th birthday.  We have been encouraged that this couple has been faithful to the Lord and their marriage has been a testimony in the community.  The young man has come from a Hindu home where the rest of his family members are practicing Hindus.  After his conversion, he got married to his wife and he has been growing in the Lord and He desires to be used of Him.  I have been discipling and training him to serve in the church.  I recognized his potential and his servant’s attitude of wanting to live for the Lord.  Pray that God will give this couple wisdom and strength to be steadfast in the Lord and courage to be a witness to the unbelievers in their community and faith and perseverance to face the challenges that that will come upon them.

R is one of the young Hindustani Christian that I have been discipling and equipping for the ministry.  I knew him since he was a teenager.  Our house church meets in the home of his parents.  He is a respectable young man who is looking for a Christian life partner.  In his community, there are only unsaved Hindu girls.  We have seen how some of our young men and women have ruined their lives by marrying unbelievers.  We are planning to have him spend some time with us in the city in order to introduce him to other potential believing partners in the churches.  Pray that God will lead him to the right individual who will be compatible and a blessing to him and that God’s purposes for him will be fulfilled.Thanks for standing with us in praying and giving to make disciples and equip leaders among the Hindustani and Guyanese people of Suriname.

May Ministry Update

The Sovereign God, who alone knows the day and the hour when our Lord Jesus Christ shall return for His people, has not raptured the believers on May 21.  How unwise is it of man to think that He knows the day and the hour when the Son of Man shall return!  A few in Suriname were wondering whether the world would indeed come to an end.  It struck fear in the hearts of a few but we paid no attention to it since we know what the Bible says. Like Paul, at times we desire to depart and be with Christ but to remain and proclaim the Gospel to those who are yet to hear and to rescue souls from the power of darkness is more necessary.  In the meantime, our hearts are fixed on making disciples, serving Him faithfully, and living in anticipation of the return of our Blessed Hope, Jesus Christ.

The opportunities to reach children for Christ are many and we need to seize it before rebellion, rejection, hardness of heart, indifference, and a lack of fear of God takes over.  Nadira has working with the Hindustani children in Jarikaba and with the Guyanese and Bush Creole children in the city.  Some of the children are from broken homes where is little or no supervision, discipline, and nurturing.  There are rejected, abused, and deprived of some of the basic needs.  When they come to Sunday School, they display anger, lack of respect for authority, and stubbornness.  Pray that Nadira and others will be granted the patience, and wisdom to reach out to these children and lead them to Christ.

Nathan has completed K-4 and he has done very well.  When school reopens on August 15, he will be in first grade.  He has a lot of free time and now we are looking at ways to keep him occupied.  Nathan is 6 years old and he has been very sensitive to the things of God and he is learning about God.  He understands what sin is and the judgment of God on sin, and God’s love through Jesus Christ. In our busyness of sharing Christ, discipling, and training others to impact the kingdom of God, we did not want to neglect sharing Christ with Nathan and leading him to the Lord.  Each night, Nadira tells him a story and explains the Scriptures to him. A few weeks ago, Nadira talked to him about sin, God’s holiness and judgment, and the provision of Christ to forgive him of sin and he prayed to receive the Lord Jesus.  As adults, we tend to down play the simplicity of the faith of children and their willingness to receive Christ.  I spent some time with Nathan to find out whether he understood what he did.  I was delighted that he trusted in Jesus and he is opened to the things of God.  We are spending time nurturing him in his faith and explaining the Scriptures to him so that he will grow to love the Lord and serve Him.   Pray that we will continue to set time aside to teach him to love and respect God and that he will respond to the teachings and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Schuurmans were born and raised in Holland.  They served for a little over 10 years in Suriname in children’s work, in marriage and the family training, education, and pastoral care, and helped with other ministries in the city.  Upon their return to Holland, he served as one of the pastors in a large evangelical church since 2003 to the present.  With their three children grown up, the Lord has opened the door for them to be seconded to World Team to come and teach and train church leaders among the Wayana churches in the jungle of Suriname.  They are working through the rest of the process to get to Suriname to begin their ministry.  They will be coming at the end of October for several weeks for a vision trip to get more acquainted with us and the tribal ministry.  Lord’s willing, they are hoping to begin their ministry in April 2012.  Pray that God will provide for all of their needs, take them through the rest of the process to get to the mission field, and prepare them in the language, and give them the faith, wisdom, and skills to teach and develop leaders.

April Ministry Update

We are once again reminded of what our Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished for us through His death and resurrection.  In Suriname, on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday (Eerste Paasdag), it is traditional for Christians to dress up and go to church with their families.  Even though most businesses were closed, many small grocery stores were opened.  I had opportunities to preach on Good Friday and twice on Sunday and Nadira taught the children. We had a blessed and worshipful time with the Guyanese and Hindustani believers.  We also thank God for you and your continual partnership with us as we seek to make disciples and equipping leaders among the Hindustani and Guyanese people. 

We have been working with three young Hindustani men who have potential in being equipped for the ministry.  We have met with them on Wednesdays to disciple and equip them to use their gifts and abilities to build up the church and to multiply disciples among the Hindustani.  Our desire and burden for the Hindustani ministry is to see potential leaders equipped to make disciples among their people and plant house churches within the Hindustani communities.  Pray that these men will commit themselves to God and His ministry and that they will receive the teachings and apply it in their lives and ministry.

I have been meeting with a Guyanese Hindustani man to disciple and help him in areas of his life where he is struggling.  He came to Suriname as a young child from Guyana.  After his parents divorced, he remained in Suriname with his mother.  At an early age in Sunday School, he was led to the Lord by World Team missionaries.  Later, as a young man, he went astray from the Lord and his life has been affected in a negative way by sinful habits.  He is desirous of living for the Lord but he needs a positive role model and discipleship. Pray that I will be able to work with him through his problems and that God will liberate him from unwholesome habits and he will draw near to God and find his strength and delight in Him.

We have been training Guyanese pastors to get the churches organized and established in the area of its leadership and outreach. The pastors need to be more intentional and committed to making and multiplying disciples.  We are also seeking to prepare potential leaders in the Guyanese churches to be involved in the leadership of the churches. These men need to be equipped and encouraged to maximize their gifts and potential and be all that God would have them to be to impact the kingdom of Christ. 

Our desire is to see the Guyanese churches established with able and faithful leaders who will reproduce disciples by crossing cultures and planting multi-cultural churches.  The Guyanese churches have been focusing in the past on reaching English speaking Guyanese people but the Guyanese population has dwindled and the churches have stagnated in growth. There is a great need to plant multi-cultural churches by using the trade language Sranantongo or the official language Dutch.  The Guyanese children are attending Dutch schools and they speak Dutch and Sranantongo.  Pray that God will give the Guyanese leaders the vision, passion, and burden to make disciples among the other ethnic groups that are in their communities.