Characters

The Centre had some bicycles that they are letting Ellen and Katie use. This was their first ride on them. Unfortunately, though they looked like great bikes they are not the easiest to ride. They have some problems. Many Guyanese ride bikes. Brother Moti sells vegetables from his bike. He travels on the main road about 5-6 hours a day serving his customers.

This is the Pastoral class that John is teaching. The men are: L-R, Brother Terry Rohit, Brother Motilall Harlall, Brother Hemdath Balgobin, John, and Brother Troy Dhalu. They are meeting on the court as it is cooler there. The men's class is a great group of godly men who are interested in being used. They are characters in their own way.

This is the group at the #69 Village where we meet at Brother Harry and Sister Mary's. Brother Harry is in the back by the post and his wife is sitting in front of him. This is not the whole group but it's hard to get a picture when they are all there. I don't always think of it or it is too dark to take a picture.

All children wear uniforms to school. This girl attends the Nursery School on the street behind us. I thought they had cute little uniforms.

This is our "slasher", or lawn mower. You can see our yard is not very wide so it doesn't take him long.

I have labeled this "Characters". These are typical Guyanese activities and people. Guyanese pronoun "characters" -- car-rack-ters. It took us a while to figure out what they were saying.

Interesting study place and other News

Ellen is one of those people that like to study in strange places--especially on the floor. She was studying on the sun porch on the second floor when a storm came up with very wild winds. It blew so hard it was coming in the screen all the way across the room so she had to protect herself and books in the doorway from the rain......

OTHER COMMENTS

We have had an interesting time with these young ladies, Ellen White and Katie Matthews. They are cooking something all the time which everyone enjoys. Besides that we have people giving us food often. I have wondered why, but I guess it's because they think we don't eat right or something or that we need to learn to eat Guyanese food.

Ellen and Katie are very busy at the Centre on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You can read their blog at www.ellenandkatieinguyana.blogspot.com to find out all about what they are doing. I read it just to find out because I am not there much to see what they are up too. I go on Fridays and last Friday they were teaching the young people to line dance. Some of the staff also joined in.

If you read their blog you will see that they have had some problems with stomach ailments. I am grateful that I only had a problem with it once. Occasionally, something doesn't set right but it hasn't lasted long.

John has not had to run to #57 Village to keep paying people as he has the checkbook for the Mission now that the carpenters are through working. We have spent all the funds that Brother Almond Katryan was able to send from the Churches where he presented the work except for $700.00. As I mentioned we have all the electrical work to do, plus get the water turned on, build a platform, have the gates made, put up gutters and furnish the building. Brother Almond is shipping some pews that will have to be adjusted. We have some pulpit furniture here at Corriverton Baptist that they can borrow until they are able to get their own. Roadside has an offering box for them to use, and we have some benches and chairs we can use in the mean time until the pews can be prepared.

We would appreciate your prayers on behalf of the work that is yet to be done. Also, a crusade is being scheduled in a few weeks and we anticipate holding a service in the new building at that time. We would also desire your prayers on behalf of the Crusade as it will be conducted in both Churches and the #57 Mission. John will be speaking and we have a number of special numbers that Ellen and Katie are helping to work up. Pastor Terry Rohit is handling the details and setting up the announcement on the public address system they use for announcing funeral notices and special meetings, etc. (a vehicle that drives all over the area with a speaker on top of his vehicle blaring the news). Its kind of like a "town crier".

#57 Mission Building

This picture is the back of the new building at #57 Village. The carpenters have completed their work and now the electrician is due to come in and wire it. You see we also need 2 gates. The building at the left of the picture is the washroom.

This is the front of the building where the main entrance is. The carpenter cemented this area for us as a special favor. He did a nice job and his crew were there every decent working day which is unusual. We are grateful for the Lord's provision of this building.

Library

The Library at Corriverton Baptist Church

I have been working on the library at the Church here. It appeared that someone shuffled the books as they were not in any semblance of order. I have the books all neatly on the shelves in most areas but am working on the children's section and young adult sections. I want the children's books on their eye level so I have to move them off of the top 2 shelves. I have to try to get the non-fiction out of the fiction area so they can be found. Many books don't have numbers or they have fallen off, many don't have cards or sometimes pockets. Unfortunately, there have been some literal book worms munching on some so they have to be removed. It is a long process. Besides that the accession book is missing all except for one page, so they need to be re-listed. That will be a major undertaking. I'm not sure I will get it done but maybe someone can follow me and finish. I have the promise of a member of the Church who is a librarian in the local library to help me on several days. I have had the library open for 2 afternoons and had a couple children come in to get books. I also had another child show up after it was closed wanting books, but we were headed to #57 Mission so I couldn't help him and invited him to come back on Thursday. Pray that this resource will be used of the Lord to open conversations about the Lord.

Things Don't Always Come Out the Way You Expect

Just thought that I would apologize for the crazy address for our newsletter. It is 2 addresses together. I had one on one side of the page and the second one on the other but they all went left together.

February Newsletter

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION C/O Corriverton Baptist Church
5440 Highway 202 99 Line Path D, PO Box 936
Anniston, Alabama 36201 Corriverton, Berbice, Guyana, S. America
Jon Cardwell, Jimmy Turner, Pastors 592-339-3448
sgbcanniston@gmail.com j-khunter.gbca@juno.com;
February, 2009 hunter.jhkp@yahoo.com
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your prayers and bless God for His answers.

The Church here in Corriverton has picked back up in attendance and people seem to be more interested and we have had more men in the services. This Church needs a real movement of God's Spirit. But there are signs of life and hope.

At the Center a number of young people have indicated a real interest in Christ. The girls' class I have on Thursday mornings is very attentive as we go through the life of Christ. My second boys' class of the day have been a real encouragement as they listen and indicate a readiness to follow Christ--pray that this is real and not just a temporary phenomenon.

The folks at Roadside Baptist Church at #68 Village are always attentive and seem to be growing. Brother Terry Rohit has been both a dutiful and caring Pastor to these people in Brother Katryan's absence. Brother Motil Harlall assists here as well as leading the #57 Mission. Brothers Troy and Hemdath also work in this Church. Brother Troy also leads a home Bible study at #69 but I do most of the preaching there. He also works with the youth at #68.

This work at #57 has been a blessing by and large but we have had our share of trouble here, too. Sister Faneeza has been in the hospital with female difficulties and now her husband Birbal has been bitten on the foot by an alligator. The damage has been less that you might expect but there is danger of infection.

The #57 Mission building is going fast forward ever since God led us to a good hardworking, honest carpenter with a good crew of men. This Saturday we will provide a meal for this crew because of all the help they have been to us. Pray for these men as most are Hindus. It is very unusual to find Hindus with a good work ethic like these men have. Although the carpenter's work is finished, we need to paint and do all the electrical work as well as fit out the building. All this must be done on the smallest of budgets since the bulk of the money sent from the States has about been exhausted. The Guyanese have little in the way of resources beyond regular expenses. If you can help, please do so by designating for this work and sending it to the Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission address above.

I am not a "soul counter" but I do believe we are seeing the movement of the Spirit in some lives. We are encouraged to say the least. Ellen and Katie have a gift for being able to talk to people. They engage the students at the Centre frequently in conversations about the Lord as well as appropriate behavior. They take the "bull by the horns" when they see young people that need some correction. The young people have taken a real liking to them and usually receive their instruction well and have asked for other sessions!

Ellen and Katie have been busy filling up their blogspot. They have lots of pictures. You can find them at: www.ellenandkatieinguyana.blogspot.com. The computer crashed a while back and we were without it for a week. Needless to say, it was a difficult time until we got it to Georgetown and got it fixed complete with our files in tact. We were concerned about loosing all our pictures and data. The Lord was gracious.

In three months we will be headed home looking to the Lord for His further direction. Please pray with us that we will know the Lord's direction and Christ will be exalted in our lives.

In Christ, John Hunter