I deliberately waited over the weekend to bring up to date information to you for prayer, but did not expect an urgent prayer request. However, we have one related to one of our key preachers who is facing a major problem which I do not feel free to share details about - but would ask much prayer. It seems that often we have a crisis occur just before going to the USA on a furlough, and this year is no exception.

Sunny Point:

Yesterday I went with two leaders from our other churches to join Sunny Point for their last service in the lean-to structure which has been the church home for 9 ½ years. The church was packed out - I would guess perhaps 120 persons or so, with difficulty finding a place to sit. They had a very challenging service (I arrived after the service in the main church where I was preaching.) Then three of us thanked the Lord for bringing Sunny Point so far. Then we brought Zr. Ina, the lady who has had church at the back of her house, to the front of the congregation with her family, and had special prayer that the Lord would bless them. It was a special blessing to have Br. Edgar Zeeman, who is now the senior pastor of Efraimzegen, present to pray. Br. Zeeman had originally started the church.

The church is moving this week to their new location. The church building is not finished, but will be usable. We are praying for the electricity to be hooked up this week and lights installed, as well as the water for toilets to be completed this week. They are also hoping to clean up the area around the church which has been overgrown with brush and trees. The church will have a special area-wide evangelization Saturday afternoon in Sunny Point II, the new area around the church building.

Andoe Kampoe:

We held our last service at Andoe Kampoe yesterday. This is the first time we have started regularly in a location where we have not seen a church start. Liz and I have gone soulwinning basically every week for 8 months, and usually we have seen one or more professions of faith. Zr. Mauke had done a lot of field work during this entire time. However, the attendance in church has dropped - the last three times, we had one adult lady, two adult ladies, and yesterday, three adult ladies with their children. Among the negative factors are: 1. Most are Saramaccan, a different tribe and language group. 2. The area is heavily involved in witchcraft 3. Men are usually involved in witchcraft and do not want to leave it. Also we have tied up two preachers, and involved driving quite a distance with the cost of gasoline (here well over $5.00 / gallon).

Next week we will be out of Suriname for three months. Without me being here, it is too much load on Kalow Palata to continue going there. So yesterday after the service, we loaded up the 10 benches. Kalow Palata believes that he can convert them into regular church benches, though the materials will cost about $75/bench. We might consider them for Sunny Point. We only put 20 benches in the church initially because of lack of funds so that we would be able to pay for other things for the church building. Pray that the Lord will use the time we were at Andoe Kampoe for His glory, and that something positive will occur in the future.

Sickness: A 21 year old woman from our main church underwent open heart surgery by a visiting team from Holland last week. One day later she was rushed back to the operating room for a second emergency operation. She has been quite slow in recovering, but is now doing better. A 62 year old good friend of my wife’s had a very acute aggressive attack of rheumatoid arthritis, but seems to be getting slowly under control now. One of our elderly ladies had a second and rather devastating stroke. This has been a tremendous burden on her family, who are very active in the church.

As we prepare for departure for the USA, it will be a busy week. We are having to do some rescheduling of dates in the USA, packing up, and getting everything ready to be turned over to our national leadership. David Champlin has been willing to handle a shipment of Bibles should they arrive before we return. We have two weddings this weekend as well as a special service opening the new church building at Sunny Point II. This may be our last general communication letter until we are in the USA next Monday night.

Prayer requests:

1. Strength and health for the work
2. Our own spiritual growth
3. Safety on the road
4. Our special request of a preacher’s special need
5. Moving services for Sunny Point to their new building this weekend
6. Continued prayer for God to do a work in Andoe Kampoe
7. Our national leadership as they continue taking responsibility of the four churches
8. Traveling mercies returning to the USA