Preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ!

Achieve Guyana

More than 100 souls perished.

On the night of July 18, the M.V. Barima, a large ferry carrying passengers and cargo, sent out a distress signal around 11 p.m.; minutes later the boat sunk. On board were 179 souls. Tragically only 76 were rescued, many of the bodies were recovered, but many more have yet to be found. This horrible tragedy has shaken the entire nation, but particularly Region 1 where we live and minister. Our ministry has conducted several funerals. Greg has done funerals for a 3-year-old, a 7-year-old, two 12-year-olds, and a 20-year-old. One man in our Riverside church lost his wife and 4 of his grandchildren, though he was rescued by his son. A lady in the Riverside church lost her 3-year-old and 12-year-old, though she was rescued. Pastor Norbert's son, Job, was rescued and he then helped rescue 11 others. Many of the survivors have told us harrowing stories of their time in the water. Most waited 7 hours or more for rescue.

We have never faced a tragedy of this magnitude. Our hope and consolation rests in the Word of God where we not only find comfort but also where we are able to offer comfort. Through the funerals for the victims, we have been able to proclaim the gospel to thousands. In one funeral the regional government broadcasted the service giving all of Guyana the opportunity to hear the gospel.

This season of sorrow will not soon pass. The families who lost their loved ones so quickly on that fateful night are trying to pick up and move forward with huge holes in their hearts. Please pray for the grieving families and the survivors. Pray for people to seek comfort in Christ and his gospel.

Photos below show survivors, who also lost family members, sharing testimonies in the Riverside church days after the tragedy. Also, there are photos of one of the many graveside services and funerals our ministry has conducted.

The Power of The Gospel!

We had a team from New York scheduled to partner with us for a series of Vacation Bible Schools. Their trip was called off at the last second. We immediately met with some of our local people and put together a plan to do a VBS without an outside partner. Little did we know that our VBS would be held just days after the M.V. Barima tragedy and in a village not far from the ocean and the site of the sunken ship. Our local team performed wonderfully. The children had a great time, but at the same time there was a seriousness about them as well. On the final day we recorded the names of 37 young people who had come forward to be counseled and to pray with someone to receive Christ.

The Enemy at Work

Through the years we have often had teams who visit to comment about the "innocence" of the people here. What people fail to see in a short-term visit is the work of the enemy, like anywhere else, his attacks are unrelenting. Presently the focus of the attack is on our pastoral leadership. We have one pastor who has been beaten down so frequently and so consistently over the past 3-4 years that he sounds and acts defeated. We have another leader who is facing an onslaught of accusations (we believe to be false) that could destroy his ministry and his family. In a third leader we are deeply concerned about his political involvement and associations with people and groups who are very unsound in their faith and practice. You will recall from our last letter that we lost one of our pastoral leaders earlier this year to another "church" that is very unsound in their teaching. In our 27 years since we first visited Guyana, we have never seen the level of attacks against leaders like we are seeing now. We need some prayer partners who will storm the throne of grace on behalf of our pastoral leadership team.

Prayer

Pray for our pastors. Pray for their growth and maturity in doctrine as well as leadership skills.

Pray for healing in Guyana from the horrific loss of life from the sinking of the M.V. Barima.

Pray for doors to continue to open for the gospel.

Thank God for the 86 souls who have trusted Christ this year and 131 baptisms in our village churches!

TRAINING

In March we held another training session for our pastors and leaders. Men came from throughout the region to study and fellowship together; our focus was the Book of Acts. One blessing of these sessions is that pastors leave with study outlines they can use in their village churches — most use these notes in their weekly messages. Hosting these 2–3 day events require substantial logistics, but the reward is strengthened fellowship, unity, and sound doctrinal teaching that permeates our ministry.

FURLOUGH

We are in a good season to take a short furlough. We will remain in weekly contact and continue mentoring leaders using available technology. This time will allow us to focus on our health, and on curriculum writing for our leadership training. The long-term goal is to give to our existing leaders a much more reproducible training program so that they can do more development on their own. Additionally, as we are physically away, it will help break some of the dependency that develops over time and encourage more independence from our leaders. We’ve already had the privilege of speaking at Trinity College’s missions emphasis week and reporting to several supporters. The ministry in Guyana is functioning well in our absence, as it should. We are grateful for all who pray for and support the work God is doing through our team.

PRAYER

Pray for our pastors and leaders in Guyana as they continue to minister the Word each week. This time is a great opportunity to blossom on their own.

Pray for victory in each of the challenges we have shared with you.

Pray for guidance as we prepare the training materials that will be used throughout the ministry for years to come.

Pray for the planning already underway for our July-August season of ministry.

Pray for God’s wisdom and direction as we seek His face during furlough.