Jerry Cantrell, Director
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Jerry Cantrell, Director |
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28 April 2000
Please make a note of our new mailing address. A new Cocoa Post Office has opened and as a result Guyana Missions has a new box number. The new address is:
We wish we could think of some novel way of saying "Thank You." All of you do so much for us, make so many things happen in Guyana, and mean so much personally to us that a simple "Thank You" just does not seem to express what we are feeling and what we would like to say. We just don't know anything else to say!
So, we will say it again, "Thank You!" Thank you for the monthly support for us and our students. Thank you for the prayers you offer continually for the Guyana work. Thank you for occasionally coming down to help. Thank you for sending needed items. Most importantly thank you for being a kind, considerate, compassionate and caring Christian. God needs you and so does Guyana.
~Jerry & Mac
We would like for you to meet some of our GIBI students. There are 16 pictured below but only 13 are presently in school. Two in the picture graduated in January (Trevor Emanuel & Adolphus Joseph) and one has since dropped out of class (center picture). These pictured are potentially very good preachers. Of course our one lady student is NOT being trained to preach. I just finished a Homiletic class (art and science of sermon preparation and delivery) with them and they all did very well. Each student of is a potentially good future servant of the Lord in Guyana. Each of them are presently serving well with some congregation. These are the men and women that your contributions are helping to support. They thank you and we thank you. There are four second year students: Terry Ghani, Scherdon Peters, Mark Joseph and Kwami Elias. Nine are first year students: Vernon Stoll, Mervyn Gobin, Doreen Broomes, Alvin Montague, Stephen Ashby, Jerome John, Patrick Kissoon, Prince Carter, Jr. and Cy Walker.
Those of you supporting Guyana International Bible Institute should be receiving notes from one or more of these students each month. Maybe this will help you to put a face to those notes. These notes are and keep you informed of things going on with the students and for them to express their appreciation to you for the sacrifices and dedication on your part.
We are happy to report that brother Mosley has a new home. He called the evening before we left Guyana to let us know. The first apartment was rented out from under him while he was on the way to the bank to get the money. He was very disappointed but I told him I was sure the Lord didn't want him to have that particular apartment.
His new place is not far from the Campbellville church building where he worships. He will now be able to continue at Campbellville which was a major concern of his.
We wanted to let you know what was happening since so many of you contributed to him being able to rent this apartment. end of April. Thanks again to all of you.
One of our missionary families in Guyana has lost their "Work Permit." Without it a person cannot work long term in the nation. Your prayers are needed in behalf of this family. During February and March we had worked with the Church of Christ Board and the Guyana Government to have their "Work Permits" extended. When we left Guyana on 30 March we thought everything was fine for them to remain in the country. Word reached us on April 14 that the Government had terminated their permits and that they were to leave the country.
We need all the available missionaries possible to do the needed job in Guyana. Please pray that something can still be done for this family to remain if it be the Lord's will. If God wants them there nothing can cause them to leave, not even the Guyana Government. Please pray and then we will let God do His work!
~Jerry~
After six full years in Guyana we have reached some conclusions as to the greatest needs for the church, and in our opinion, it is for churches in the USA to become sister churches. The Guyana churches do not need us to finance their preachers, but they do need us to help them to know how to build a successful congregation. They need to know how to build and teach children's programs. They need us to help them develop teaching materials (not furnish them). They need a congregation interested in helping them emotionally and spiritually. They need churches that will provide them teachers who will help them learn how to teach.
I believe it is time for us to help the Guyana church to stand on its own. For several years we have done the work for them. Now it is time for them to do the work with our guidance. It is always easier to do something yourself but as long as we continue to do this with the Guyana church they will never stand alone. It is time to "teach" them to fish rather than "give" them fish.
Each congregation there needs such a congregation here. One that will provide them with the expertise to do their own evangelism, own follow up, own visiting, own planning, hiring, firing, encouraging and on and on... The Guyanese Christians need to take ownership of their local churches instead of just being members of an American transplanted church. This will only happen when we stop doing the work for them and teach them how to do it. I believe this can best be accomplished by USA churches being "sister" churches to specific congregations in Guyana.
Think about this. If your congregation is willing, we will help put you in contact with a congregation in Guyana. By doing this you can play a vital role in helping the Guyana church stand alone!
More Guyanese churches are desirous of become self-supporting. With our help they can accomplish that.
Charles & Cloyce Bishop went to Guyana March 30 to teach at GIBI for April and May, but due to some health problems suffered by Cloyce as the result of an automobile accident they were forced to return to the USA prematurely. The accident happened before they left Atlanta.
Charles has done a good job for us at GIBI and he will be missed. We appreciate the efforts of both these fine Christian people.
Charles also told me there was a good possibility that they may not ever be able to return to Guyana and to GIBI. This would really be a loss if it happens. Please pray that God continues to use this good couple in the work in Guyana. We need Christians like them.
~Jerry
Because of the problem our missionary family is having with their "Work Permit" we have delayed the opening of our first Extension School in the New Amsterdam area. We were counting on the preacher to help us with organization, publicity, recruitment and administration. We will wait until this problem is solved before proceeding. Please keep the whole situation in your prayers.
We were blessed to have groups from Greenville, Alabama; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Spanish Fort, Alabama; and Hixson, Tennessee, working with churches around Georgetown during February and March. They reached several who were unsaved and strengthened some of the churches.
Gilbert Ray, an elder from the Hillcrest church in Decatur, Georgia, stopped by to visit with us while he was there on business with his company.
Mary Alice and I will return in June to host several preachers who will be teaching at GIBI during June and to assist the Mount Dora, Florida, church who will be conducting two Vacation Bible Schools for the Industry and Ruimveldt churches. This will be the first trip to Guyana for the Mt. Dora group. They plan to be in Guyana for approximately eight days. They plan to see some of the sights.
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