I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I have updated! A lot has been happening in the past few months so I will try and bring everyone up to date. First of all, the crime here has been on the increase! So far this year, we have had 252 murders! If this keep up, we will easily hit 500+ for the year. I was coming back from the US last New Years and remember reading a US paper and seeing how many murders took place in the major cities in the US. We had more murders in Trinidad/Tobago than they had in NY city or Houston, TX. Both of these cities about double the population of Trinidad/Tobago.This past weekend we had 3 kidnappings here in Central Trinidad.
So as you read this, please keep us in your prayers as we go about our daily routine in ministry.
Over the past 2 months, I was able to teach 6 classes in our MINTS study center here. So far we have completed 2 courses since February. In July, we will begin a new course on systematic theology. We expect at least 3 more students to join. Next weekend I will be in St. Vincent to finish a course in Historical Theology. They will take their summer break and get prepared for graduation in the fall. They plan on graduating 40 students!
Our church in Central is continuing to grow. We have new visitors each week and brought in a new member this past Lord's Day. I continue to preach through the Heidelberg Catechism and the congregation seems to enjoy the in depth teaching. Most of our congregation comes from a Pentecostal background so doctrinal preaching is something that is quite new to them.
Our two radio broadcast continue to do very well. Since we began the Ligonier broadcast in February, we have sent out over 1000 CDs. We give a free offer each week and offer (for sale) many of Dr. Sproul's teaching materials on CD, DVD or in book form.
We are preparing for a VBS team to come in July and then a medical team of 93 med students to arrive in August! After that, I hope to join my family in the US for about a month of rest!
We are expecting 2 couples to come down this summer to observe the work here to see if there is where God may be leading them. We do need help! So please pray with us that God will soon send 1 or 2 couples here to join in our labors!
Currently we have a MTW missionary couple that are in the process of raising support to join our work here. They need about $1800.00 more per month before they can make a move. Please join us in prayer that they will soon have these funds raise. Ron and Peg were missionaries in Equador and came back to the US about 2 years ago. They have been looking for a new field of service and it seems that Trinidad is where they want to be.
Ron has extensive radio experience and will be a great help to us here in our radio and church planting efforts. We are ready to go into a new area to begin a weekly study but Ricky and I cannot take on any more work.
Jerry Bridges has come out with a new book that I encourage all to read "Respectable Sins." It is so easy in our fallen nature to point the finger at others and cast judgment upon them. We like to point out certain sins as particularly evil and ignore or even approve of transgressions that we often consider more trivial. In this book, Jerry Bridges looks at some of these so called "trivial" sins such as judgmentalism, anger, discontentment, selfishness, pride, gossip, slander, tale-bearing and others. He helps us learn to reonize these "trivial" sins as real sins and just as offensive to God and the so-called "big" sins!
Many times we slander and gossip about others under the guise of "concern" or asking for prayer for someone. I think this book is very helpful to point out these "trivial" sins that are often tolerated in the church and reminds us of God's perspective on such sins. This book is available through Ligonier Ministries.
Below are a few pics of what has been going on:
We finally took a day off for some R&R. We were celebrating our 25th anniversary with our
children at the beach.
Hannah on her 19th birthday. We had the Gosyne family over for dinner and of course
cake!
Our daughter, Jennifer, and four of our grandchildren. I was able to spend a day with them during
my recent trip to Orlando to meet with the folks at Ligonier International.
My son-in-law, Jon, with some of our grandchildren (and his children too)
Patrick Dyer. He is one of the broadcast engineers who is with me in studio for our
all night broadcast.
This is the Hindu god Hunaman (the Monkey god). This is the largest idol outside India. He resides about
10 miles from our home in Central, Trinidad.
This is Joshua reminding everyone just how big this idol is compared to the Yahweh, the True and Living God!
Post a Comment