January Newsletter 2012

Start Of Ingesia:  In November we started some Bible Studies in Ingesia, a village out side of the city of Sekondi. Before starting we tried to secure a place to hold the meetings. The school there would not have us. So we went in to the village itself where we were told that they would have a tent and chairs for us. The night we started we arrived to find those who told us of the availability, were not even there. So Shadrick, Benjamin, Prince and myself started reasoning to ourselves and to God about how that He wanted us there. So we started looking for a place right then and a lady at the end of the village opened up to us an uncompleted structure to start having our Bible Studies in that very evening. Praise The Lord! He works if we just stay with His plan. A Bible Study is to study the Bible. We are studying Genesis through Christ – Firm Foundation material. Through this study, young  people are being taught some most important, foundational truths that they need to know to build on, like: the  Bible is without error and correct in all things; God is Supreme and Sovereign; God communicates with man; God does not change; and etc. Also, in these Bible Studies some adults have been coming off and on to be taught on the sidelines by Prince while I have been heading up the kids study that is being interpreted and the main points emphasized on a dry erase board by Shadrick and Benjamin. In December we highlighted our Bible studies there in Ingesia with the film called “Bamboo” a story of a missionary in China coming to a village to see people come to know the Lord as the Saviour of their souls, the Lord of their lives, and Master in whom they follow to carry on the Gospel. New, New, New: New Arrivals; New Salvations; and our Second New Round of Preachers, Lord willing. Francis, a new arrival, came as a result of some contacts from when we first started in Sekondi. He has a background of Assemblies. It’s probable that his claim of being saved is not so. For the last two month he has been coming off and on. He has some problems being re-baptized, tongues, and issues concerning the Holy Spirit. Please pray for him that he will come back. In Ghana there are many things taught here in the so-called churches, correctly, known as CULTS. It takes true salvation and surrender to God’s Word to overcome many years of false doctrines and teachings. Samuel Forson, another new arrival, came last week with Martin his cousin. When I  talked with him after the Sunday morning services, he professed to be saved. On Wednesday the 18th after our devotions at the West Ridge School, Koasi and I visited him at his house. Samuel still professed to be saved. Then we started speaking to him about how he got saved? He mentioned that he confessed his sins to God, because he needed to get right. I told him that he needed to confess that he is a sinner, repent, and accept Christ as his Saviour for the penalty of sin. After realizing he needed Christ, he accepted Christ as his Saviour. After he became a son of God, I showed to him I Jn 1:8-9. How that he is able to confess his sins to Christ, for our Faithful Father in heaven to forgive; answer prayers; and have an unbroken fellowship with the Lord as His born again son. This New Year on the 20th of January, our 2nd round of Prep Classes started. God has done great things through the 1st start of our Prep Classes eight years ago with Prince and Koasi, our preachers. Please pray for us as we start to teach Shadrick, Benjamin, and Joseph. These Prep Classes are designed to prepare them on how to study the Bible, to prepare messages, and to prepare their lives for the ministry. The steady diet of the Word of God through Discipleship Classes, these Prep Classes, and Involvement in the church ministries will help keep them focused on what God wants and also get them to the place of Bible School.  Highlighted Events & Prayer Requests:  This Sunday Morning after church we had a Baptism Service for Evelyn, John, and Samuel with Bro Prince performing his first baptismal. In March we are having a conference on Missions of the Local Church; In May our first Ordination Services for Bro Prince and Bro Koasi; Medical Missions Outreach, if your interested in coming go to MMO web site to get info and to sign up, also some young folks from our church are coming who could use some financial help; In August, possibly, a 3 day Teen Emphasis Week; In October our Revival Conference; and lastly we are still looking to get some church property and are still in need of some financial help in getting some church property. We want to thank those churches that helped us with $1,686.77 this month. Our total is $8,686.77.  Bits Of Bread:  “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”- Eph. 4:13                                                                 With Purposed Determination Towards God,                                                                   Missionary Matthew J. Siekbert

                                        

November 2011 Newsletter

Family Functions:

My prayer is God’s mercy and His promise. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when his is old, he will not depart from it.” Our kids are busy with home schooling. Naomi and Matthew are in 7^th grade, Joseph is in the 3^rd grade, and Nehemiah is a year early in working on Kindergarten. He is watching his sister and brothers and is very eager in doing what they are. He wants to do his fair share in being a part of all that is going on! I as Dad I’m encouraging that and say that is Marvelous! AMEN! Keep it up son! I have been teaching our kids in their Bible class on each book of the Bible. We are in I Chronicles this week and we are using “Thru the Bible in one Year”. For the kids schooling it will take us 2 years, one year surveying the OT and the next year surveying the NT. Naomi sang 3 solos during our Revival. Also during our Revival Nehemiah was watching his sister and brothers taking notes of the messages so he started taking notes also. In his not so easy to read hand writing Nehemiah worked on writing down what is on the banner that is tacked up in the front of the church “The Bible Is His Story”! Naomi goes visiting on Tuesday mornings with Jackie and Priscilla. On Tuesday evenings Matthew goes with Prince and I to discipleship with a few others who are going through our teachings. Saturday’s all our kids and myself except Nehemiah go on visitation with the young men of the church, as has been every term.

Topics Addressed:

Our church is a young church and little but one that is listening and teachable. The Lord has led me to speak on these subjects since our last newsletter. The Marriage, the Husband, and the Home. During our Revival Conference in October I covered David’s Personal Prayer in Psalms 86 concerning His Needs, His Rightful Reasons and State of Being, His Glorifying of God, His Purposed Determination Towards God, and His Strengthening Over His Enemies; Praying According to God’s Will by Abiding in God’s Word and by Being Sensitive to the Holy Spirit; and Intercessory Prayer concerning Moses’, Jesus’, The Spirit’s, and the Apostle Paul’s. Intercessory prayer is truly a needed and a spiritual work. Prayer as you know moves the Mighty hand of God!

Thanks To Give:

We thank the Lord for those who have gotten saved at West Ridge Schools. My wife’s leading to the Lord one of the girls in her young ladies Sunday school class two weeks ago. My wife and my family in serving and accepting wherever and whatever God’s Will is! I am thankful for my personal Salvation and the opportunities the Lord God has given me in leading my children to the Lord except Nehemiah as of yet and in teaching my kids in the things of the Bible through daily devotions and daily Bible classes. My Ministry Starts At Home! Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and have a resolute, Happy New Year Living, Learning, Loving, and Looking for Him until He comes! To God Be The Glory! Thank you all that support us in faithful prayers and finances and for those that have helped us raise some funds for church property this year. In October $1,500 was raised! Praise the Lord! We have $7,600 so far and we are still working on raising more and also working on getting the last mentioned property. The owner told us to contact him in December.

Bits Of Bread: “…,choose you this day whom ye will serve;…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:15 - My Ministry Starts At Home!

Prayer Requests: My wife’s MS was acting up with some dizziness the other day; Church Property; Medical Mission Outreach coming in May 2012; The raising of some finances for those from our church and others in the States who decide to come in May 2012 with MMO – Visit their web site if interested in the trip!

With Purposed Determination Towards God,

Matthew J. Siekbert

September Newsletter 2011

VBS: At the End of July we had VBS. 5 accepted the Lord. The highest day in attendance was 158. During August just about every week someone came to know the Lord. One of the times of soul winning Albert a young man who God has been dealing with in the area of service, teamed up with Prince and got to lead a young lady to the Lord. Responsibility Meeting: The Responsibility meeting is a meeting we have had with our core of responsible leaders and workers at church. It is a time of fellowship and discussion of our responsibilities. It is a time of reminder that we are in the Service of the King. Right before our furlough we had a Responsibility Meetings and another one came on just this August. Starting: Our Wednesday Devotion time at West Ridge School will be starting up again from the month break the school has had in August. Jackie has started a Teen class for the young girls. The design of the class is to teach them to be proper young ladies who follow their leader and assist in church ministries. The 6 young men that I mentioned in my last newsletter for my discipleship class are: Albert, Joseph, Kendal, Isaac, Benjamin, & Shadrick. While on furlough Prince & Koasi were discipling 3 of the young men on the first 20 lessons that we start with. Kendal has been through these first 20 lessons with me along with his faithfully serving in the church. Albert has been going through some discipling with Prince on Wednesday before church services. Koasi is also helping our disciplee, Isaac. These last two young men we are trying to catch them up in having the first 20 lessons finished like the other 4 already have. Disappointments & Repairs: One of our responsible ladies, Nellie, has gone to Accra, the capital city of Ghana to further her education in nursing. She got saved about 4 years ago and has been serving the Lord in our church for at least 3 of those years. She has been a good influence on her family. Her younger sister, Celestina, got saved and became a good church member about 3 and a half years ago. We hope that she will return to us soon. I believe she could be a good wife for one of our young men. Along with these disappointments, the mechanic told us that our car needs its engine replaced. Also, a young man in our church has unsaved parents who keep pushing him away from Growing in the Lord, Listening to the Lord and His Will by trying to divert his attention off church sending him off to get more educated to make some good money! Concerning our church property that we have been working on getting for the last 2 years it is not working out. The man that wanted to sell it to us is being political with the squatters that live on the property and he is not making them move from the land. BUT GOD, WHO IS ALL KNOWING, KNOWS BEST! Just late, last week we have been shown a piece of land that is available now. We at the church were inquiring on this very piece of property before our furlough. It cost half of what the previous property would cost. The cost is about $13,700 as opposed to $30,000. Prices often fluctuate with the rate change here in Ghana and also with the dollar getting weaker. This price does not include any miscellaneous monies for legal fees, permits or etc. We have $6,000 raised. The remainder of what is needed is $7,700 We prayerfully ask that God would lead 7 churches in deciding to send us $1,100 each or 14 churches $550 each. Bits Of Bread: “Failure does not always mean fault”, a statement from Andrew Murray’s book With Christ in the School of Prayer. Disappointments come from Failure but Victories come from Overcoming! Christ is the only One who can give you the strength to live the Christ-Like life. “I can do all things through Christ which strenghtheneth me.” - Phil. 4:13 Prayer Requests: Concerns of our Church Land: The Soon Purchase & Possession of it; It’s Financial Backing & Starting of a temporary Structure on it by November’s Newsletter; Our Quota Approval for Ghana by the end of this mouth; God’s Working in hearts during our Revival Conference in October on the Subject of Prayer.

Standing On The Promises Of God, Matthew J. Siekbert