Liz and I plan to spend three days in Moengo with family after Easter, and I wanted to ask especially for prayer in two areas.

First, there have been some unforseen complications in buying the property for the Sunny Point church. We have seen the Lord help already, but we need your prayers as well to see the problems overcome so that we can proceed with the church building. When I can share more details with you, I will. For the moment, please join us in prayer.

Also, we praise the Lord for beginning to raise funds for the building itself. A good friend from college was my "running buddy." For four years we trained and competed in cross country and track. I almost always saw his back disappearing in the distance as he outran me. He surprised me with a donation of $500 last week for the church building. Then a supporting church informed us that they will be sending $1000.00 to help the building fund go forward. We plan a meeting of all the leadership to set up the building funds next week in such a way that the nationals will take responsibility. They are setting up controls to ensure that all funds are properly used and accounted for.

Second, we are beginning to restructure the main church. Most of the opposition has quieted down or left the church. We continue to pray for those who have left, that the Lord will bring healing to them as well as the church, and that He will find a way to use them to His glory. We pray that the Lord will complete healing in the main church, and that we will see many workers raised up to serve Him. We continue to pray for unity, love, and a true revival. Two weeks ago, three were baptized and one dedicated her infant. Last week, another three were baptized. We have two scheduled for baptism tomorrow. One young woman will complete what is necessary for church discipline, and will soon be dedicating her infant as well. So the Lord is blessing, and the church attendance continues to do well.

We had a good communion service last Wednesday night, and a good service on Good Friday as well. Good Friday is a national holiday in Suriname, and traditionally churches were filled then. With more secularization of society, we do not see the crowds that used to attend all churches in Suriname. Years ago, the streets were a sea of white, as all Christians in the Evangelical Broeders Gemeente and Roman Catholics would wear white over the Easter weekend. We still find the Good Friday service is a wonderful opportunity to present the gospel to those who might never come another time.

One of the students at our Advanced Bible Institute graduated a few years ago from our regular Bible Institute. He was an Indonesian Javanese Muslim and the first member saved from his family. Later he began a church among Indonesian background Muslims, and now has about 60 or so regularly attending. He was asked to fill in for another pastor this weekend in Tamanredjo, a Javanese town with a Baptist church with about 70 or so former Muslims attending. He says that in Suriname, Muslims of Indonesian background can convert to Christianity without the huge persecution which meet Muslims of some other countries. He still had problems initially with family and friends, but has won a number to the Lord. Praise the Lord for that outreach here.

Thursday Liz and I went soulwinning to see a man recently coming to our church. He has attended a number of churches over the years, and was baptized by immersion a number of years ago. However, he had numerous family problems, as well as problems with demonic attacks. After listening to his long story of problems, I presented the gospel to him, and he made a profession. Afterwards, he said that this is the first time in all his years in church that someone had asked him about salvation. He felt a burden lifted. It is sad that sometime we forget the basics of salvation! Pray that he will grow as a Christian.

Prayer requests:

1. Our spiritual growth and keeping on keeping on
2. Health and strength for the work
3. Safety, especially driving
4. Restructuring of the main church
5. God working in the lives of those having left, and accomplishing His purposes in their lives
6. God raising up new workers in the main church
7. Unity, love and revival in the main church
8. Successful completion of purchasing the Sunny Point property
9. Setting up the structure of a loan fund and beginning the church building proper
10. Continued growth and outreach of all four churches