Demier Trip

Dear Friends,                                                                                                                         

 

This month has been busy and is still very busy as we wind down our New Life Bible School year and prepare to go to the states. Yet, it has been a very rewarding month for us.

On May 1st we had our annual alumni reunion where 80 former students were present. Of those present, 46 are presently pastoring, and 14 others are elders in their churches. We prayed, worshiped, study God's Word and ate together. We also put some strategies in place of how we can better work together in the future. 

 

Also, this month Margaret and I went to one of our country churches. It took 1 hour 45 minute to drive and a 2 1/2 hour to walk one way. New Life Church of Demier, is way in the mountains at the source of a river. It had been 10 years since Margaret had been there because of the grueling walk over steep and rocky trails. Going in we crossed (forded) a river 13 times. Another reason it had been so long since Margaret visited this church is because every time she went the horse threw her off whenever she neared the end of her ride. It is for this reason that Margaret followed a 4 month exercise program to prepare herself to walk the whole way. It had been 2 years since I visited this church and the first time I walked the whole way. 

 

Of course the people were excited about our coming and treated us like royalty when we arrived. We found the church thriving and a great group of people. We are so proud of the work that Pastor Neslon Espere is doing in this remote area.

Yet, we were very saddened to see that the church parsonage that we have been renting is in total disrepair and the owners are wanting to tear it down. It is termite infested and the roof leaks like a sieve. Every time it rains, the pastor gets wet. There is no other place to rent in this village, so we need to build a church parsonage for the pastor and his family. We have a place on the church property where we can build one. We have calculated the cost to build a one room house will be $4500 if it is built by a work team. It would be considerably less than this if it was not for the transportation cost to get the material into the village. We have to pay people to bring all the material to the village on their heads or on mules.

 

Pray and ask God if he would have you give towards this small church parsonage. Also, we are asking for some church to send a team to build this home. It can be built in 2 days with four skilled workers. The concrete base (slab) will have been poured and all materials will be on sight when group arrives. The 2 days does not include the 2 days of travel to get into and out of the village.