Family Radio Mission To Guyana

August 22 - September 2, 2008




LETTER #1

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5)


Friday, August 22, 2008. Our group of 11 “Ambassadors for Christ” (6 men and 5 women) from various parts of the US has arrived in Georgetown , Guyana on another Family Radio tract distribution trip.

We plan to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the people here during the next ten days by distributing thousands of the Family Radio Does God Love You? tracts and hundreds of Bibles in the English language. As is customary on these trips, the tracts were printed locally and contain (1) the current Family Radio broadcasting schedules for this area, (2) School of the Bible information (which offers free correspondence courses in English and Spanish), and (3) a reference to the multilingual website. The Bibles have been purchased here as well.

We currently have 100,000 tracts and about 500 King James Bibles in our hotel, and we can order more of both as needed. We also have many booklets and CDs of Family Radio’s Bible teaching materials in English and some tracts and booklets in other languages. Some members of the group brought the Family Radio materials as checked baggage.

We scheduled this trip to coincide with the “Caribbean Festival of Arts” (CARIFESTA) that will showcase artistic creativity from various Caribbean and Latin American countries. Visitors from over 30 countries around the world will descend on Guyana for this cultural extravaganza.

Guyana is located on the northeast coast of South America . It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south, and Venezuela to the west. With a population of about 800,000, it is the third smallest country by population and the fourth smallest by area of the 13 countries on the continent of South America . It is also the only English speaking country on the continent. Georgetown is the capital city and the main population center with over 200,000 people. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of Demerara River.

The citizens of Guyana are racially and ethnically mixed, being composed chiefly of the descendants of immigrants who came to the country in the 18th and 19th centuries as slaves and indentured labourers. The population comprises people groups with nationality backgrounds from Europe (especially the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , and Portugal ), Africa, China , India , and the Middle East . In addition, there are several indigenous Amerindian groups.

Culturally, Guyana associates primarily with the English speaking Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica and Trinidad . The primary religions are estimated as follows: Christianity (57%), Hindu (33%), and Muslim (9%). Of those classified as Christians, about two thirds are identified with various Protestant denominations, and one third are Roman Catholics.

These people of diverse nationality and religious backgrounds have been fused together by the common languages of English (the official language) and Guyanese Creole (which is widely spoken). The literacy rate is very high, and some estimates place it at more than 95% for people aged 15 and over.

We are looking forward to sharing the Good News of the Gospel with the people of Guyana and visitors from other countries, and we are praying that God will perform a mighty work of grace in the hearts of many in this part of the world.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created". (Revelation 4:11)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America



LETTER #2

"Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." (Titus 1:9)


Saturday, August 23, 2008. Yesterday, on our arrival in the early afternoon, after being situated in our rooms, we had our usual mini conference where we discussed the logistics of the trip and received our team assignments. It was the Opening Ceremonies of the 11 day festival and we had planned to launch our distribution efforts at this opening which was expected to have at least 15,000 people. However, that was not to be, because just about the 5.00 pm commencement of the event there was thunder and lightning, and then it rained incessantly for about two hours, thereby precluding any distribution for the day. Thus we returned to the hotel for dinner and retired for the evening.

Today is our first full day of activities and we were very blessed by all that ensued. The Lord provided outstretched hands and open hearts to receive the true message of salvation in all the places that we visited today. Two teams visited two large markets where people were out and about doing their weekly grocery shopping, tourists were visiting souvenir shops and eateries and the like, creating a bustle of activity. Another two teams worked at the mini bus terminals and car parks that fed the markets, with people coming from the east and west banks and coasts of the Demerara River, converging in the city of Georgetown (the capital). It being Saturday, all day long there was a steady flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, which, coupled with the near perfect and unprecedented reception rate allowed for a very productive day, with tract load of thousands being depleted at a relatively fast pace. The teams that had the car park/bus terminus detail returned to the locations at the late afternoon/early evening hour and there was no slowing of the near perfect reception rate.

The people are warm and friendly and graciously received the words of life that the Lord has privileged us to bring to them. In some instances the people even more readily accepted the tracts and FR teaching booklets when the ambassadors, upon being asked, responded that we were not affiliated with any church organization or denomination. Some started reading the tract as soon as they received it and after a few minutes, they would return to ask about the 2011 dates saying the usual "no man knows the day or the hour" and they would immediately be given the FR Booklet "We Are Almost There", and told to check its message against the Bible.

In the late afternoon, three teams went to the scheduled CARIFESTA events for that day and even though we were too early for these events, nevertheless, the same level of reception was maintained with everyone we encountered accepting the tracts. Despite the fact that these people were out for an evening of frolic and fun, nonetheless, that preoccupation did not prevent them from accepting the tracts, Bibles and FR teaching materials that we offered them. One man and his very large family were going into the event at one of these locations and as the ambassador gave him a tract, he took it and then jocularly said: "You know, I am going to this event, I am going to have a lot of fun and then tomorrow I will wake up in hell; do you want to come with me? (to which the ambassador replied, definitely not). Then he walked off with his wife and children following him. When he got to the gate, a few yards away he turned, and in all seriousness and in the manner of a strict disciplinarian told the children: "Don't any of you discard that tract, you keep it and read it." This is the seriousness and reverence with which we carefully note that these people have received and accepted the message of grace.

Everyone reports that the people were the most receptive that he/she has experienced in recent times. And what is most striking and amazing, is that even with the tens of thousands of tracts that were distributed, the number of discards was about ten (10) at the most. This is indeed remarkable and unprecedented and may our joint prayers be that the Lord will be merciful to many of these dear people.

"“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalms 138:2)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America




LETTER #3

"The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalms 146:10)


Sunday, August 24, 2008. "This is the day that the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it." We are glad to be able to spend the Lord's Day spreading God's truth to all parts of Guyana, the only English speaking country in all of South America. With this is mind, we visited two other major towns one being New Amsterdam, on the East Coast of the Berbice River and another is Parika on the East Bank of the Essequibo River (the largest river in the country, which is called a "Land Of Many Waters").

One team visited the market at Parika which operates at its fullest only on Sundays and droves of people flock this market to get their specialty produce sold by the Amerindians, the indigenous people of Guyana. This produce is boated in from the plantations and fruit groves along the Essequibo coast. The team shared the message with the many passengers from the mini buses, as well as the ferry and speed boats that traversed the Essequibo River: they had come to do their shopping in the market and the hardware, appliance, electronic equipment and grocery stores in the surrounding area. The reception level was maintained and the team's entire tract load was depleted at a relatively quick pace despite the intermittent rain showers.

Another team went to another Sunday only market about 20 minutes outside of the city center and they too were faced with the rain showers, but that did not daunt their efforts. In fact, it appeared that their efforts were greatly facilitated by a stereo system that was belching out hymns and spiritual songs in the market area. Every time there was a shower, the music stopped and the ambassadors sought shelter; then the shower passed, the sun came out, the ambassadors resumed duty, the music picked up again, and this seemed to fuel the reception rate. This pattern continued until about about 1.00 pm when all the tracts, Bibles and FR booklets were distributed.

The remaining teams took a two hour ride to Rosignol, the end of the highway between the Demerara and Berbice counties, and one team stayed in the Rosignol area going from door to door in the neighborhood and sharing with the community, as well around the ferry terminus. The others then took the ferry over to New Amsterdam, one of the main towns in the Berbice county. There were quite a few people on the ferry, the majority of them being Jehovah Witnesses, perhaps going to New Amsterdam for a convention. We offered them the tracts and everyone of them refused, with a few seeming to want to accept, but were afraid of their peers or the elders. Some of the elders were trying to engage two of the ambassadors in debate about the Deity of Jesus, but the ambassadors refused to pursue that path, and told the elders to beseech God for mercy so that He could open their eyes to truth of His word.

In New Amsterdam it was not as busy as we had anticipated, nevertheless, we worked the neighborhood, and the small market that was in session, with everyone accepting the tracts and additional literature and many were pleased with what they read, with one young man, who had recently been released from prison saying: "This is powerful stuff", expressing his appreciation for us bringing this message to his hometown. A vendor expressed the same sentiments as this young man and even prayed for traveling mercies for us on our return to Georgetown. A security guard readily accepted the tract and asked for a Bible so that she could read during the slow period on duty. She received the Bible with sincere gratitude and told us that we really made her day, because she was praying that she might be able to get a Bible, since she could not afford to buy one. We thank the Lord that by His grace, we could answer this woman's need.

There not being a sufficiently big crowd of people to hold our attention in New Amsterdam, in the early afternoon we returned by the ferry to Rosignol. Lo and behold, we see the doctrine of the Bible "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" coming into sharp focus. Whereas on our inbound ferry trip the Jehovah Witnesses rejected the gospel, on the outbound trip the Hindus and Muslims were readily accepting the tracts and literature. May it be that a mighty harvest would be realized not only with this segment of the population, but the general populace.

In the late afternoon/evening, quite a treat awaited us. There was an air show where the skill and dexterity of airplane maneuvers by the Brazilian contingent to the CARIFESTA celebrations were on display and many were gathered to look on and take pictures. This air show, as well as the crowds of people who flocked the board walk for a Sunday afternoon time of leisure, provided a captive audience for our distribution efforts. Furthermore, there was a Muslim presentation at another venue nearby the air show and this event also drew thousands of people. Together, these three events made for a wonderful finish to the day for the entire group, with over 20,000 tracts, dozens of FR teaching materials and about 50 bibles being shared with grateful recipients, and allowing for the maintenance of the near perfect reception rate, and with minimal discards even for that great volume.

We thank the Lord for the many prayers that have gone forth for the people of Guyana and its continental and Caribbean neighbors. Moreover, we have put in a request to the officials seeking permission to visit the prison and we ask for your special petitions that we might have the opportunity to do so. All praise to God for a great day of soldiering for His kingdom.



"Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 15:11)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America




LETTER #4

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)


Monday, August 25, 2008. Today the teams fanned out to various sections of the city, continuing to spread the message of hope to the Guyanese people and the many visitors to the country. They visited the General Hospital, the Stabroek Market (or Big Market as it is familiarly called) and various points in between. Despite the CARIFESTA celebration, the business of the country must still go on, and as a result there was a lot of pedestrian and vehicular traffic as business and office personnel returned to work after a long weekend and shoppers bustled about primarily to purchase school supplies, since school reopens next Monday.

The team that visited the General Hospital (where the medical care is free, regardless of income level) reported that there were absolutely no barriers to entry in the various clinics and wards of this sprawling complex that spans about ten city blocks. Whether the clinics or wards or even at the entrance, the reception rate was the same high level, with the refusals and/or discards few and far between.

Upon visiting one of the men's wards, the ambassador said that three men each sitting on his bed against the wall and were discussing the scriptures. They gladly received the tracts, sought explanation as to why the group was in Guyana, and thanked the ambassador for visiting the hospital and bringing the true gospel to their country. As the ambassador was leaving, one of the men asked: "Can I please have a Bible?". The ambassador, thinking that she had given out the whole stack of Bibles that she had brought, apologetically responded that she did not have a Bible. But then, she rummaged through the backpack, and there, at the very bottom, providentially, was a solitary Bible. When the man received the Bible, he practically jumped for joy, and he as well as his roommates thanked the ambassador profusely for this precious gift, the "words of life". May it be that the Lord would be merciful to this man, and many others as He harvests the great multitude that no man can number, in these days.

At the Stabroek Market, the two person team walked up and down the many aisles and alleyways that twisted and turned at such unusual junctures that if one is not careful, he/she could very well get disoriented. They were able to reach all the vendors (selling all kinds goods and produce from soup to nuts and everything in between), as well as the hordes of shoppers going to and fro. They also visited the stelling (or wharf) where the ferry and speed boats were bringing in the people from the west coast and bank of the Demerara river. All the while the reception pace kept up, with the people being inquisitive, wanting to know more and more of the message of hope, at which point they were given the FR teaching booklets "We Are Almost There" and "I hope God Would Save Me". Many were especially pleased when they heard that we are not affiliated with any church but that in these days, God is working with mankind on a one on one basis.

During our distribution, we encountered many homeless, and they too readily received the tracts and the teaching booklets and did not even ask for any material goods. One man was lying on a piece of cardboard, reading the Bible that he had received from an ambassador earlier in the day. Even in his state, he was not complaining, but remarked that he is joyful to have the Bible and is content with his lot, giving all the praise and glory to God.

Altogether, the teams were unanimous about the day being a very productive one, the people are generally warm and friendly, and more importantly, they are very receptive to the warning of Judgment Day and the message of hope.

As is customary on the mission trips, we like to gain access to the prison to share the message of salvation with the prisoners, to the end that they would be released from the prison of sin, Satan and God's wrath, as God allows. Consistent with this custom, today the Group leader visited with the Superintendent of Prisons, and though she seemed a little tentative (given the fact that quite recently some prisoners were killed as they tried to escape). Nevertheless, she told him to return on Tuesday when it is expected that the paperwork necessary to gain access would be completed.

We are very appreciative of all those who have contributed to the purchase of Bibles for this mission, especially when we see the joy with which this gift is received by the people, most of whom cannot afford to purchase a Bible. We seek your continued prayers for the people of this country.



"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psalms 127:1)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America




LETTER #5

"IWhoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded." (Proverbs 13:13)


Tuesday & Wednesday, August 26 27, 2008. Notwithstanding the sweltering heat (almost 100 degrees), which practically saps one's energy, we thank God for the strength to continue performing this joyous and awesome responsibility of sharing the precious gospel of Salvation with the Guyanese people, to the end that there would be a great harvest of souls in their midst.

On both days the team assignments included:
  1. visits to the clinics at the General Hospital, and the Woodlands Hospital (a private health care facility),
  2. working outside both the Stabroek and Bourda Markets,
  3. sharing to all the stores and vendor's arcade along Regent Street, and the offices and business establishments in between,
  4. the Merriman Mall/Market which is a Wednesday only event, and
  5. a visit to the Amerindian Village in Sophia, on the outskirts of the city center.
(The Amerindians, which are nine tribes altogether, are the indigenous people of Guyana, and their lifestyle and the arts and crafts that they produce, are being showcased at the Grand Market within this sprawling complex).

All teams have reported that so far the reception rate has maintained its almost 100% level, even though we are now five full days into the mission trip. Every day new people are coming to the city, more especially this week, to purchase school supplies for Monday's school reopening. The inquisitiveness of the people is very noticeable, as more and more are questioning what they are learning from the churches, and they are indeed hungry for the truth.

In one situation, a man had received a tract, Bible and FR teaching booklets late Tuesday afternoon and he came to the hotel on Wednesday morning to collect other literature. In his discussion with one of the team leaders, he indicated that he had seen that there was something amiss in the churches no purity of the gospel he declared, and had "departed out". However, his wife and children refuse to think that it could be possible that the church age was ended, and so they are still trusting in the church. He was very appreciative of the books, "Time Has An End", and "The End Of The Church Age And After", and said he will read it with his family, praying that God would be merciful to them and open their spiritual eyes to His truth.

In yet another incident a woman recounted that recently she had been ill and this prevented a regular attendance to church, but she was reading and studying the Bible at home. Through this personal Bible study, she was finding it more and more difficult to hear truth when she was able to attend church. Upon seeking an audience with the pastor to discuss her spiritual (as well as personal) concerns, she was told she had to wait until January 2009. She further declared that she received the "Does God Love You?" tract from a friend, and was shocked and frightened about what she read. She was amazed that there, in print and scripture reference, was confirmation of what God was revealing to her and her Bible study friends, about the end of the church age (and now, 2011). She was determined to learn more and upon hearing that the ambassadors did their distribution at the marketplace she went there and was told that the ambassadors had already left. Her friends pointed out the direction that the ambassadors had taken and there in the distance she saw the white hats (part of our uniform) and ran for a few blocks to catch up with them and get their attention. They walked back to the hotel, discussing Scriptures all the way and the woman received all the FR teaching books and booklets that group brought to Guyana. This dear woman appeared sincerely hungry for God's Word and was overwhelmed with joy that we visited her country to bring this great message.

There were more than a few incidents of this nature (where the people have an idea that something is wrong in the churches, but cannot put the puzzle together), and we are glad to bring them the truth, warning them of the impending judgment, and telling them of the need to cry out to God for mercy, so that they could spared from His wrath to come. We also pray that the Lord would bless His word to many hearts so that they could continue the work that we have started.

The group leader received permission to visit the prison, and we will do so on Thursday afternoon. Also, we were able to purchase 200 more Bibles (the majority of which will be distributed at the prison), and to print another 25,000 tracts to supplement the rapidly diminishing supply.

We covet your prayers for continued wisdom and direction as we discharge this wonderful responsibility of bringing the truth of the gospel to this hungry nation. In addition we seek your petitions for these dear people.


"“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;" (Hebrews 2:3)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America




LETTER #6

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (I Thessalonians 2:13)


Thursday, August 28, 2008. The manifold blessings that the Lord has provided us for this trip is astounding, so with a rousing sound we declare: "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!" Today we continue our distribution efforts in and around the city and its outskirts, sharing to the many whose hands are still outstretched to receive the gospel of grace.

We can see that Guyana is a very "churched" nation and trapped in the Charismatic gospel, and here is a case in point: An ambassador was giving a tract to the one elderly lady who promptly told her that she is a Christian and that the ambassador should give the tract to someone else. The ambassador told her that she could use the tract as a Bible study because its contents are all from the Bible. She got a little more interested and asked for a few more tracts that she could share with her friends. She also inquired as to whether the message is about, "standing at the foot of the cross, and the blood of Jesus", and other charismatic lingo. The ambassador told this woman that the message is all about Salvation, and a warning of God's judgment which is less than three years away. She asked: "Does the tract talk about speaking in tongues? because I speak in tongues." The ambassador told her that "speaking in tongues" is of Satan, and the woman said: "Well, I don't need these tracts," and promptly returned them to the ambassador. We pray that despite this woman's rejection of the words of life, that God might be merciful to her and pluck her out of fiery furnace of His wrath.

As we have pointed out before, even though many of the Guyanese folk are captivated, but yet trapped by the false gospel, there are still quite a few who are very curious about the message and are seeking truth. One man upon being presented with the tract, said in disgust: "I don't need that, I am fed up with organized religion." The ambassador then said: "I may have something else that might interest you," and he gave him a little card that we distribute with the tracts, and which gives information about the age of the world (11013BC to 2011AD) and tells the recipient about other teaching material that he/she can request from Family Radio. This peaked the man's interest, especially the information about the time line of history. He said that in his study of the Book of Genesis, he could not see how the world could be only 6,000 years (as the churches teach), when you consider the ancient civilizations (particularly the Egyptian civilization). The ambassador told him that the Biblical calendar of Genesis 5 and 11 proves the 13000+ years of the world's history. He also told him that the churches were not taught this information and that is why Family Radio was here, in Guyana, to proclaim this and other truths of the Bible. After witnessing with the man for about ten minutes, he accepted the tract (that he had originally refused) and he said that he would study it, as well as the booklet "We Are Almost There". Praise the Lord for this man's change of heart towards the gospel and may it be that God will be merciful to him and give him a brand new resurrected soul.

Here is another incident where we see the burning desire of the people to satiate their hunger for the truth of the Bible: An elderly man, as he was passing in a car on Sunday, heard an ambassador say while sharing the gospel, that God is not using the churches any more. The man found out where we were staying and today he visited us at the hotel. He told the ambassador that he could not rest since he heard the news about the end of the church age and that he came to get more information, saying that this is a confirmation of what he had been seeing in the Scriptures. We see the mysterious way that God works, because here are a few people in Guyana, not having the opportunity to hear the 24 hour a day broadcast of the true gospel; yet there is a remnant whose eyes God has opened to many of the truths that Family Radio teaches. May it be that more eyes are opened and more hearts are transformed, as we continue to spread this message of hope.

A three person team visited the Georgetown Prison today. This complex occupies about four city blocks and is secured with razor sharp barbed wire fencing, iron gates and a guard tower manned by guards with submachine guns. It houses about 2,000 inmates, from juvenile offenders, to those that have committed capital crimes murder, rape, and the like. The Prison Chaplain took us to the Chapel and had about forty prisoners from the various cell blocks come to hear a short talk from the Group leader and the other male ambassador. They both shared the message that we are all sinners, not deserving of Salvation, but we all can cry out to God for mercy and it may be that He will save any one of us, because in these days God is saving a great multitude that no man can number. The inmates listened very attentively, and were very appreciative of the fact that we showed such great concern for their spiritual well being. Some had questions to which we gladly responded and we encouraged them to read the Bible because God saves in the environment of His Word "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." We left 3,000 tracts, 170 Bibles and the FR booklets and teaching materials with the prison officials who will distribute them to each inmate, and some will be sent to the New Amsterdam and Mazaruni prisons.

To top off the day, a team of four went to the National Stadium where a Gospel Concert (one of the attractions for the CARIFESTA extravaganza) was held. O, what a wonderful treat this was! We had a very captive audience with thousands upon thousands of people coming with their entire family little ones, babies in strollers, the elderly in wheelchairs, all converged at the Stadium for an evening out to whet their spiritual appetites. And there we were distributing the tracts at such a fast pace we could hardly keep up. That was a very blessed way to end the evening and we pray just as they had to have tickets to go in to the Gospel Concert, that these tracts would be used by the Lord as their ticket into the Kingdom of God.

The reception rate has maintained its near 100% level, with very few discards. Again we thank and praise the Lord for His wonderful goodness to the children of men, and we look forward to another blessed day in serving the Lord here in Guyana, among a warm and gracious people.



"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America





LETTER #7

"And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." (Hosea 2:23)


Friday, August 29, 2008 We are indeed grateful to God for a wonderful night's rest, and with our batteries recharged, we now have the added impetus to go forth and share the "words of life" with the graciously receptive Guyanese people.

We continued our distribution efforts today, going a little further out of the city to two villages on the East Coast of the Demerara River. One village, Lusignan, operates a large Friday only market where people from the surrounding villages come to purchase their weekly fruits and vegetables and other produce which are either trucked in, or brought in by donkey or horse drawn carts, from other parts of the East Coast area. While two ambassadors shared the tracts and booklets with the vendors and shoppers in the market, the other two traversed the streets of the village sharing from door to door. A similar door to door distribution was conducted in Mon Repos, the next village that was visited, and at both locations, the teams reported the same high level of reception, even though a great number of the people who are of Indian descent, are either Hindu (predominant) or Muslim, and who are not typically expected to accept the Christian gospel. We pray that the Lord, who is not a respecter of persons, would be merciful to many of these dear people.

Wanting to maintain a presence in the city center to capture the constant turnover of people, two teams worked in the Regent Street area and at the mini bus terminals in the downtown area. They report the same good results, despite our 8 day presence in the city, to date.

Customarily, we like to visit the poorer neighborhoods of the city and distribute the "Does God Love You? tracts and Bible, because, never mind their materially destitute condition, God can use the true gospel to grant them the riches of eternal life, as He saves them, in accordance with His will. With this in mind, yesterday we visited three locations Tiger Bay, West Ruimveldt (RUM VELT) and the Railway Embankment. Here also the tracts were well received even though our efforts were slowed a little by the intermittent rain showers.

At the Railway Embankment, in particular, the houses were made of whatever material came handy, whether it was corrugated and rusted zinc sheets, old tires, scraps of wood, and the like, and the bridges that provided access to these shacks across the Lamaha Canal were in various stages of disrepair, but thankfully, they had running water and electricity. Nevertheless, undauntedly, two ambassadors negotiated these bridges to get to the dear folk in these dilapidated houses, and to share the message of hope that could lift them out of the squalor and transport them to the courts of heaven.

We shared many tracts, about 20 Bibles and some FR booklets with these dear people and we noted that even amongst these folks, many of whom claimed a relationship with Christ, there was a hunger for something other than what they were hearing in their churches. There was a man in one of these homes who came out to receive the tract and the ambassador told him that she was bringing a message of warning about Jesus' soon return in judgment. A conversation ensued and this man indicated that he was turned off by the people in the churches, saying that there was no sincerity in their actions and that for a while he had not gone to church. The ambassador told him that God is finished using the churches for evangelization and that he should just read the Bible and pray that he too might be spared from the wrath to come. She gave him the FR teaching booklets: "I Hope God Would Save Me", and "We Are Almost There". We see God's hand of mercy at work, because this man and his wife were only there to house sit for a cousin for a few hours; they lived in a village that was about 20 miles from the Railway Embankment. Could it be that this couple are among God's lost sheep whom He is bringing into the fold.

Tracts and teaching booklets were also shared with the folks who lived across the street from the Railway Embankment; where, in contrast, there were visible signs of affluence, with the many upscale dwellings. They too were receptive to the message that we brought for which we give all the praise and glory. Altogether the reception rate remains at its 95 98% level.

We sincerely thank all those of the Family Radio listening audience for their generosity in providing the funds for the purchase of Bibles for this, and other mission trips. When we see the delight in the faces of the people, and how appreciative they are of the precious gift of a Bible (which the majority of them cannot afford to purchase), this makes our efforts and sacrifice all the more worthwhile. We continue to covet your petitions on behalf of the dear people of Guyana, and we pray that a mighty harvest would be realized amongst them.





"LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:" (Psalms 10:17)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America





LETTER #8

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalms 19:7)


Saturday, August 30, 2008. With thankful hearts and all praise to God, we greet another day, and another wonderful opportunity to share the gospel of grace with the dear people of Guyana. We started out at 6.00 am and fanned out to distant areas of the country as follows: One team went to Linden, a town located at the very end of the Demerara River which is a about an hour and a half highway drive from Georgetown. Another team went to the village of Lenora on the West Coast of the Demerara River, and two other teams traveled on to the town of Bartica which is located on the West Coast of the Essequibo River (the widest river in the country). The remaining team visited the Annandale and Mon Repos markets on the East Coast of Demerara and also maintained a presence at the Stabroek Market area where there are always new people coming to the city to shop.

Following are the reports of the day's activities from the various teams: LINDEN: Upon reaching their destination, the team members sought directions to the market which was their primary focus, since it was expected to be a large market. On the way to the market which was in a huge municipality building, they met a woman who was driving a truck filed with iron pipes. She was going to the Mazaruni and other hinterland areas off the Berbice River. She asked for additional tracts and the ambassador thought she wanted about two or three more. It turns out that she wanted a huge amount, thus the ambassador gave her about 300 tracts which this woman said she would share on the Amerindian reservations. Because of time constraints, we would not have been able to visit these hinterland locations, but by God's mercy He provided a "runner" for us.

The team continued its distribution at the market place with one member sharing with the vendor and shoppers inside the building and the other covering the shops in the area. He also took a 2 minute boat ride over to the Wismar section and covered the shops there and did a little door to door distribution. On his way back to the municipality market he heard a voice behind him saying: "Is this true about 2011?" He turned around expecting to see a grown person, only to find that it was boy about 8 or 9 years old. The ambassador witnessed with this little boy and was amazed about his knowledge about the Bible. Having exhausted all his FR teaching booklets, the ambassador gave him the little card that we share with the tracts and which identifies "Time Has An End" and other booklets that they could receive in the mail. The young boy asked if he could look it up on the Internet and the ambassador was totally flabbergasted at the technological astuteness of this young boy, which brings to mind the Scripture "And a little child shall lead them". The boy asked for some additional tracts to share with his school friends on Monday when school reopens. Praise the Lord for a marvelous opportunity to share the true gospel with the young and old, the feeble and infirm of not only the Linden Wismar area, but in all places that we have visited in Guyana.

The teams that visited the Lenora, Annandale, Mon Repos and Stabroek markets all reported a very busy day with larger crowds than we had anticipated. In fact the team with the Annandale Mon Repos detail had finished their entire tract load at these two locations, so they had opportunity (being at a closer range) to return to the hotel and reload to distribute at the Stabroek market. They all reported the continued excellent reception, and they were also able to witness to many who had questions and wanted to know more about the 2011 dates.

The two teams with the Bartica detail traveled for a little more than one hour to the Parika Stelling, from where they took a 75 minute speed boat ride to the town (the ride by regular ferry takes three hours). Today the town had a "Pork Knockers' Festival" which is their contribution to the CARIFESTA celebrations, so quite a few people converged on the town to participate in the day's activities. While the two team leaders did a door to door distribution around the town, pressing on in the sweltering heat (close to 100 degrees) and warding of many barking dogs; the teams' members remained at the festival grounds and had a favorable distribution, with excellent reception. (Bartica is somewhat of a hub from which people travel into the Guyana's hinterland regions and Amerindian reservations to the west, and closer to Venezuela).

We broke for lunch, and by God's providence, it was right at the appropriate time because there was a huge shower of rain that lasted for about 45 minutes. Nonetheless, this shower was to our benefit because the conditions were cooler and made for a good distribution at the medium sized market and arcade along the main street of the town. We made our way back to the speed boat for the return trip to Parika. After the rain, the river was very choppy and the ride back was very rough, but by God's mercy and the skill and dexterity of the pilot we returned safely. While on the boat one of the team members sat next to a young man (about 25 years), and even with the boat bouncing around where it took supreme effort for anyone to stay still in his/her seat, never mind be able to read, yet it was a wonderful sight to see this man reading a crumpled tract. He stayed for about 1/2 hour on the first page, as if mesmerized, then he turned to page two and read for a little, by which time we reached our destination. The team member gave the young man the booklet "We Are Almost There" in which he inserted a fresh "Does God Love You?" tract and he promptly put it in his backpack. O, we pray that God would apply His precious word to this man's heart and translate him into the kingdom of Christ.

In the evening, after dinner, the entire group went to the Amerindian Village which had its closing ceremonies for the CARIFESTA celebrations. The activities was very well attended, with thousands upon thousands of people looking for the last opportunity to purchase the many art and craft items and native foodstuff that were on sale. We were able to weave in and out of the crowds and distributed about 2,000 tracts, and the limited lighting in no way detracted from the continued high reception.

We continue to pray that God would do a mighty work of grace to these dear Guyanese people, satisfying their appetites for the truths from God's Word the Bible. A columnist remarked in the Guyana News (one of the newspaper publications) that there seems to be a great change in the spiritual attitude of the people, and we can indeed attest to, and confirm this as we see the splendid reception and the unparalleled inquisitiveness of these dear people. May the Lord have mercy on many, and may there be a full harvest of souls in this part of His vineyard.

We are thankful for the many prayers of the FR listening audience, and for God's hand of protection over us as all teams arrived safely to the hotel and reported a magnificent day of declaring the message of hope far and wide in this country.



"The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence." (II Samuel 22:3)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America





LETTER #9

"Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah." (Psalms 3:8)


Sunday & Monday, August 31 September 1, 2008 We are privileged to have another full day of distribution and the Lord has been very gracious to us throughout the entire trip, for which we give Him all the praise and glory. Today being the Lord's Day, large crowds were expected at the three purported mega churches, so three teams went to these churches. One team went to the National Zoo and another revisited the poor neighborhood of West Ruimveldt (RUM VELT), and they both reported a very productive time of sharing the words of life with the willingly receptive people.

At one of the churches we were told that they would dismiss at 3.00 pm but this was not the case; because, when the team arrived there, they were already gone. The same team had gone earlier in the day to the La Penitence market where there was a hive of activity with the same level of acceptance to which we have become accustomed during our time in Guyana. They then proceeded to another church on the East Bank, about a 20 minute ride from the market, and greeted the people with the true gospel, as they were leaving the church service. Surprisingly, the reception was excellent; there were no refusals to the message of hope which they were given.

At the other mega church on the East Coast, the team initially went through the neighborhood and distributed to those who were there, the majority of whom gladly accepted the tracts. We were ready for the church's 12.30 pm dismissal and distribution ensued at a rapid pace, but, after about twenty minutes (and not unexpectedly), the Pastor and elders came out and were very vociferous about us leaving the location, telling us we were the agents of Satan. They also instructed the parishioners not to take the tracts and sadly, they all obeyed. However, by that time, we had shared the words of truth with about 200 people; and, not wanting to get into an unprofitable altercation with the church officials, we left the premises.

In the afternoon, two teams went to the National Stadium for the CARIFESTA closing ceremonies. The attendance was about 30,000 strong, and even despite our 10 day presence in and around Georgetown and the nearby villages and municipalities, the reception rate remained at its 95% 98% level amongst those who had not received the tracts at an earlier date.

On Monday, we were prepared for a limited distribution (having only about 5,000 tracts remaining), but lo and behold, two men visited us at the hotel that morning, one of them very devoted to spreading the true gospel around the country, but more particularly in the areas of the Amerindian reservations. This man (John) told us that since a little child he had had a keen interest in the Bible and his work in the hinterland regions of the country (being a mining engineer) had given him ample opportunity to study the Bible. God the Holy Spirit had led him into the truths about the doctrines of salvation, the end of time judgment, and, surprisingly, annihilation. He even had prepared his own tract about these truths, which we found it to be on point with all that the Bible teaches and what we have learned to date. This man said he is started listening to Family Radio about a year ago, and was amazed, and delighted to find that we were teaching exactly what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him. This confirms that God is indeed revealing His truths to His servants, the prophets as per Amos 3:7. He was glad to accept a majority of the tracts and teaching materials which he will share with Amerindians, whom we could not fully reach in our distribution efforts, because of their very distant locations. The other man (Lenny), who is also thrilled with this gospel of grace, said that he will continue to share it with the inhabitants of the many villages and districts along the East Coast of Demerara that we could not visit because of time constraints.

We are indeed very appreciative of the magnificent time that the Lord has provided for us to spread the true gospel of Salvation to the Guyanese people. With a song in our mouth and a spring in our steps we marched into the highways and by ways sounding the warning of judgment and proclaiming the message of hope to all whom the Lord inclined to stretch forth their hands to receive the tracts, Bibles and FR teaching booklets. We could only hope that God will reap a great harvest of souls for the kingdom, and, by the mercy of God, many will be raised up to continue the efforts that God has allowed us to start here. With hearts overwhelmed with gratitude because of the near 100% reception and retention rate, we are glad to announce that we have distributed 125,000 tracts, 732 Bibles, and hundreds of FR teaching booklets to the dear people of Guyana. May the Lord have mercy on His lost sheep amongst the almost 800,000 Guyanese and grant them peace and deliverance.

This is our final report and we thank and praise God for His mercies which are new every day. Tomorrow we leave for our respective homes with joy in our hearts at the splendid completion of another mission and we are indeed grateful to all the Family Radio listening audience for your petitions on our behalf, and we seek your continued prayers for the people of Guyana. We trust that our reports about this wonderful mission trip will be an encouragement to others to serve the Lord on future missions.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!




"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." (Ephesians 3:12)


In Christian love, The FR Mission Group in Guyana, South America