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.

Opportunity to Preach the Gospel

On March 9th Nadira and I had an appointment to visit a Hindustani lady in a hospital who was suffering from Aids.  Sister M, a believer, wanted us to visit and pray with her sister.  M shared with us that her sister had attended church for a while and then drifted into the the ways of the world.  She was into drugs and had illicit relationships with different men which resulted in the birth of four children.  Two were given up for adoption, one has Aids and is in a special home, and the youngest is with her father.

Some assumed that she was a believer because she had attended church, but we were planning to find out about her spiritual condition and  share the gospel with her.  On our way in the hospital to visit, we met M who was troubled and crying.  She mentioned that the nurse had called her and told her that her sister was not doing well.  We believed at that point her sister S passed away but the nurse was waiting for her to come to her office.  Once we got to the office, the nurse took us to the place where S was lying.  Her body was reduced to bones and some flesh.  The disease had already destroyed the immune system and taken away the desire for food and nurishment.  It was a very sad situation when I saw other family members came and wept.  My heart was saddened when I thought about coming too late to share the gospel.  I realised more than ever that I need to seize the opportunity to visit and share  the gospel with people who are sick befor their state worsen.  That incident made an impact on me personally to be more diligent and more intentional in sharing the gospel with the lost. 

On Friday 11, I went to the preach the message for the funeral service at the cemetary.  About 50 people gathered together under a leaky shed and with the rain pouring  and flooding the areas.  At one point, I nearly did not find the cemetary since someone gave me wrong directons to get there and I almost ended up in a pasture.  It was raining heavily that I did not know where I was going.  The thought even came to my mind that I should return home since the pastor could take charge.  I drove a little longer until I spot the hearse in a side street and headed in that  direction.  At last, I found the place.  I took the opportunity to share the gospel in Dutch and Sarnami to several Hindustani families who do not know the Lord.  I shared on how they can passed from death unto life and be prepared for the future without fearing it.  Keep pray that God will use us to minister to M and her family and seize the opportunity to share Christ with the lost.

Gurudatt & Nathan's Birthday Celebration

On March 12, I celebrated my 50th birthday and Nathan celebrated his 6th on March 11th in the city. We invited friends, church folks, and neighbors to join us for a time of worship, praise, fellowship, and hearing from the Word of God.  It rained a lot during that week and on the day of our celebration it rained most of the day.  Even though it rained heavily, we had about 70 people.  We were hoping for over 100 to come but the weather prevented the rest from coming.  We had a lot to eat and to give thanks to God for.  He has indeed been good to us and His mercies are evident each day. 

Nathan had his celebration at school with 27 of his classmates.  He served cupcake, pop corn, candies, and a drink to the children.  He was looking forward to his birthday celebrate many months ago.  Finally it came and he was excited to celebrated with his friends and also to receive all the gifts.

On March 13, we had another celebration among the Hindustani people in the district.  We had about 40 people who came and joined us.  Our friends brought in a small band and surprised with wonderful songs of praise in Sarnami and Dutch language.  We also heard a short message from the Word of God. 

The Lord was truly glorified in our celebration.  It was a testimony of His goodness and greatness to His people.  His name was honored and praised among His people and even some non Christians were able to hear about the Gospel.

CELEBRATION OF PRAISE

"The rain came down and the floods came up" but the celebration when on to honor the Lord.  It rained heavily each day last week.  Homes and streets were flooded in many districts in Suriname.  We also got a lot of it in our area in the city.  In the midst of it, we had several birthday celebration.  Among the people we work with, it is common to celebrate one's birthday by having a "Thanksgiving Service."   It is a time when relatives, friends, neighbors, and church folks gather together celebrate and give thanks to God for His protection, sustainance and goodness.  During this celebration the Word of God is proclaimed, special songs are being sung, and a hearthy meal is served.   

             Equip to Serve



Rakesh, Nandanie & Joshua

 On Thursday 10 Joshua celebrated his 5th birthday.  I remembered the day when we visited him in the hospital at his birth and prayed for his well being.  Rakesh and Nandanie have been special to us since we led them to the Lord when they were teenagers.  During their marriage in September 2003 I brought the message and walked Nandanie down the asle to give her away.  Her father lived in Guyana and he had abandoned the family when she was a little child.  Her mother took the two daughters and moved to Suriname to find a better life for her children.  She worked very hard and made many sacrifices to provide and care for her children. In the early 90s Nandanie came to church with her mother and sister several times.  They stopped coming to church for a while and we did not know what happened to them. One day while we were out doing evangelism, our path crossed again and we encouraged them to visit the church since they moved into our area to live.  Then one evening, we visited the family Nandanie and her older sister and her brother-in-law prayed to receive the Lord.  The mother had received the Lord in Guyana.

Rakesh came from a Hindu home where his father was abusive and a heavy drinker of alcohol.  He lived in the same street where we lived and had church meetings.  Rakesh came to church whenever he was not busy with chores at home.  It was during our weekly evangelistic outreach in the community that we visited the family.  After several visits, Rakesh and her mother and sister came to church a few times but his father, Harry was a regular visitor at the bar.  Eventually, the father suprised everyone by coming to church with his whole family.  We followed up with the family and then in 1994 the entire family prayed to received the Lord.  We discipled the family and Harry gave up drinking and took better care of his family.  Rakesh has been involved in leading the worship and preaching occassionally.  Presently, he has been attending our Thursday evening Leadership Training Class.  Rakesh has potential in becoming a leader in the Guyanese church.  Pray that God will work in Rakesh lives and make him to be the leader that He will have him to be and that Rakesh will lead his family well for God's glory.

       Salvation Celebration



Gurudatt & Nikki

On March 10, I had the opportunity to share the gospel with Nikki, an 11 year old, who prayed to receive the Lord.  She has been attending church and Sunday School for almost her entire life.  Her father Harry, whom we led to the Lord, told us that Nikki was ready to receive the Lord.  Since I led his family to the Lord in the past, he wanted me to talk to Nikki about salvation and the need to receive Christ.  It rained a lot that afternoon but that did not stop us from visiting the family.  Once we got there, Nikki was ready and prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.  The seed was planted many years ago and it was a matter of simply reaping the fruit. 

Now, the entire family has become believers.  Truly a household has been reached for the Lord.  Pray that Nikki will continue to grow in the Lord through the discipleship process.  Pray for Harry who is on the leadership team of the church and he will be officially ordained as Deacon of the church.

Big 50

How times fly by so quickly.  I remember where I was and what I was doing 25 years ago.  I was working in the kitchen in Bible College when a dear friend of mine, bought a birthday cake and brought it in the dining room.  He lighted the candles and called me to blow it out.  As I tried to blow out the candles, it would not go out.  It was then I realized that he bought the type of candles that won't blow out.  So I had to put it own with my fingers.  He really pulled a trick on me.  Later he came into my room in the dormitory and brought a large box with a gift wrapped up inside.  I opened the box to find out that there were several boxes withing the boxes and all neatly wrapped and taped.  It took me quite some time and with some effort before I finally got to the final box with the gift.  When I opened the box, the gift turned out to be a bag of Doritos, my favorite.  We sat together and eat Doritos and drank Cola.  

I remember a few years ago I was celebrating my 45th birthday and Nathan his first birthday.  It was a sobering when I thought about when I will be 50 years old on March 12 Nathan will be 6 years old.  In the midst of it all, I must conclude that God is good all times and He is in total control of every things that happened to us. He works everything after the counsel of His own will for His good pleasure.  Indeed, He is directing the affairs of our lives.  All that we are and all that we will ever become, we owe it all to our Great God and our Great Savior who keeps on loving us and blessing us.

Pray that we will continue to rejoice in Him regardless of the circumstances and look to Him to sustain us each day of our lives.