MISSION TO GUYANA UPDATE

Greetings friends and prayer partners,
This morning we had a meeting to discuss details of the upcoming October Mission trip to Guyana. We began our meeting with a Guyanese breakfast of "Curry beef, curried fish, dall, chicken chow main, fried pumpkin, fried eggplant, rotie, rice and washed it all down with Mississauga's best Chai tea". Wow! Thank you Suliman for this introduction to some Guyanese staples.

Suliman reported to us how God has provided for the DVD's and we were each given a copy to take with us. This DVD has the Guyana flag on the back jacket along with the contact information and name of the Pastors of eight churches we will be working with. This DVD is in English along with the local Guyanese Creole, Caribbean Carib and a number of other languages. Over 30,000 have already been shipped and one more shipment of DVD's and bibles is leaving soon. Also over 150,000 tracts have been shipped, plastic door hanger bags, New Testaments and full bibles, along with solar powered MP3's with the Bible and testimonies on them for those who cannot read, and Galcom solar powered radios preset to Trans World Radio from Bonair, which is an island just off the coast of Guyana. These solar powered preset radios will be given to people living in remote jungles who will be visited by local believers. We want to do our best to get the gospel to every home in Guyana. We will also be visiting schools and the University in Georgetown. We will be saturating two provinces on this trip and next year doing more remote areas and isolated jungle villages. What an exciting venture for Christ.

The cost of the trip has been reduced to about $1200 for flight, food and lodging. When the Pastor's heard we were going to stay in hotels they suggested that would be too expensive for us so they have rented a large house and will provide cooks and security for us. We will of course pay for the use of the house and labor and food but this will reduce our living costs to less than $500 each and with the flight being less than $700 return the financial costs in terms of what we will be accomplishing is well worth it. If you want to come along we are leaving from Toronto on October 9th and returning on October 24th. The team is about a dozen strong at the moment.

The local Pastors and churches are very excited about our coming and look forward to joining with us on the distributions. I am looking forward to fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Guyana and to hearing their stories and seeing their love for God. I have already been told to be ready to preach so that is another way you can pray for me as you pray for this trip and for the people of Guyana.

Lastly with regard to my personal faith goals for this mission trip to Guyana. I personally committed to raising $5,000 toward distribution supplies and shipping and to 4 to 5 people to come with me. So far $4,030 has been raised from the Niagara area toward the $5,000 goal and $217 toward the cost of the magnetic flags which was $306. Some have made pledges but I will not add those pledges to the total until I receive those pledges. So by the end of July I am looking to God to supply $970 more toward distribution supplies and $89 to cover costs of the flags. I also have 3 who have committed to join me in Guyana and am looking to God for at least one more person to join us. Will you come? If you know of anyone who might be interested in giving to this mission trip or coming on this mission trip who has not yet heard please forward this blog to them and have them contact me.

I want to thank all the individuals who have committed to pray and want to encourage you to continue to pray at least for the next year for Guyana. Will you do that? I want to thank those individuals who have given to provide for the distribution supplies and the cost of the flags. I want to especially thank Pastor Rene and Pastor John who have encouraged me and their churches in this project. I am looking for a rich blessing for God's kingdom and for God's glory in Guyana. All who participate can especially rejoice in the part they have played. ron