Statutes approved but... Last Sunday, the statutes were approved to go independent at both the main church and also at Winti Wai. The presentation was apparently not well done at Efraimzegen, and thus the vote was indecisive. We will arrange a better presentation, and anticipate their approval. We also anticipate that Sunny Point will approve this weekend when the statutes are presented there.

However, there has been some opposition to the candidate for new senior pastor at the main church. I am convinced that we are presenting the correct candidate, and also the only really possible candidate. Unfortunately, there is a group who have been consistently opposing this choice and rallying opposition, though not presenting an alternative. There appears to be one young man who seems to think that he is qualified to take over the leadership because he has some support from young people. Without the Lord, no one can lead the church, and I am not certain that he really believes this.

We would appreciate your prayers as the new leadership works through the program. The new senior pastor is already approved, but with a determined opposition, it will be tough sledding. We do not want a divided church. Please pray as I will be bringing two key messages to the church over the next two weeks. The first message will be concerning the entire choice of new leadership and the appropriate biblical response to it. The second message will be at the installation service the following week, when I will be giving the challenge to the new pastor. I am not too concerned about the second message, but the first message may be a bit difficult for some of the opposition.

I am praying to be under control of the Holy Spirit, to speak the truth in love, and to move ahead with courage and clarity of purpose. I remind myself that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness, who I believe are misusing some of our Christian brethren. Thanks in advance for praying.

As soon as the statutes are approved for the other two churches, they will be submitted to the government. There they are checked for internal consistency and to make sure that there is no conflict with the laws of Suriname. Then they are referred for the President of Suriname's signature, and the churches are finally recognized as legal entities. This process takes normally at least three months. The government does not tell you about what you should believe, but the church needs a legal status to be able to buy and sell property.

Sunny Point property: We met with the notaris (he is like a lawyer of buying and selling property) this week. The seller needed one extra paper, which he has already turned in. Our Suriname mission organization, who will be the buyer until all the church legal papers are done, needs to turn in a number of papers. Two are still outstanding. One has to be notarized in the USA and mailed by US mail to come here. Please join us in prayer that this will go smoothly and quickly.

A nice problem: We have been experiencing church growth. Our parking lot is overflowing into the street. We have two buses to transport people who need help. Both buses make multiple trips on Sunday morning, but it appears now that we need a third bus. Recently we have had to leave people standing on the street because the bus was overloaded. Pray as the church rises to the financial challenge of additional transportation costs. Many people need help because they have no vehicles and buses often do not run Sundays in their areas.

A special treat at the Advanced Bible Institute: This module is on world religions, and I finished a two week session on Islam. After concluding the lesson this week, one of our students from a sister church organization gave a testimony and pointers as to how to best witness to Muslims. He is Indonesian in background, and was saved as a child from a Muslim background. Through his witness virtually all his family have received the Lord. The last "holdout" was his father. After he got saved, he came to the Christian book store and asked for two Bibles. He was going to Holland, and wanted to speak to two relatives about his new-found faith. One accepted the Lord while he was there, and the second shortly after his return to Suriname. Another family member from Holland came to Suriname as a new Christian and was baptized in the Suriname River.

The student who gave the testimony has a church now running about 60 of former Muslims. He graduated from our regular Bible Institute a few years ago. His second man there also graduated from our Bible Institute and is in the Advanced Bible Institute also.

We are also seeing the Lord move through the Bush Negroes in Suriname. The number saved now is far far greater than when we first arrived. Many churches have grown. The power of satan is not nearly so obvious in demonic displays as formerly, especially in the city. However, there is still a lot of witchcraft present, and much work to do.

Prayer requests:

1. Health and strength for the work
2. Our spiritual growth
3. Safety driving here
4. Unity and spiritual power in the main church with the new pastor
5. Completion of independence for the four churches
6. Completing purchase of Sunny Point property
7. Souls saved and discipled