Bruce and I have moved many times in our life. This time, it is different. How can we say goodbye to a community or a village we have been a part of for over four years? We have made this community in Guyana our home. The people have become our friends, our neighbors, and our Guyanese family. Mabaruma became “me home in Guyana” and we have acclimatized to culture and way of living.
We look back at the things that to us make up Guyana. The “just now” concept, which means it could be right away or sometime in the near future. The red mud that stains all our clothes. The “good day, good morning, good afternoon, and good night” greetings versus the ones we hear in the United States of “hello”, “hi”, and “see ya.” We have become accustomed to the inconveniences of nightly bats and their morning mess, dogs running amuck, hot and humid weather with no air conditioning, 9 hours sometimes less power each day, constant interruptions throughout the day from children and adult alike and many more. Yet, the beauty of living so simply is spellbinding. We will surely miss the macaws and parrots hawking in the morning or the toucan clacking to each other. There is the joy we feel each time it rains because we depend on it for our water consumption. There is the simple diet we eat here in Guyana. Most of all, we will miss the people and the opportunity to participate where the Holy Spirit is tugging hearts.
On August 31, after the Sabbath church service, we announced our upcoming departure to our church family in Hobo Hill, the community or village we live in with heavy hearts and watery eyes. We shared a fellowship lunch together, talked, and encouraged each other to stay close to Christ. Three of our youths presented their illustration of the River of Life flowing from the throne of God, which is found in Revelation 22:1-2. Brother Norman graciously shared a testimony of the impact AWA ministry has had on his family. Many members of his family are now in church because of this ministry, and with two more soon to be baptized and married. We praise God for He is good all the time!
Then, 2 hours later, we made our trek to visit our dear friends at Barabina, where our first church community is located. Our already heavy hearts hurt even more as we delivered the same news of our soon departure to the AWA Mission Base in the Philippines. The news that we are being called to another mission field in the Philippines is not sad, but we are sad as we leave the people we have grown to love and care deeply about. Even if we may not see our dear friends again on this earth, we can all have this Hope that if we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we can all meet again under the tree of life when we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be!
We will go where He wants us to go and to where He sends us. Please help us pray that Bruce and I be attentive to Him who is calling us to another part of His vineyard, the Philippines, which is my (Monique’s) native land. A huge thank you to you who have supported us in the past, to
you who are supporting us now, and to you who will continue to support us in the future as we continue to spread God’s word! Thank you for letting God lead you to help support us!
Prayer Requests:
For the Hobo Hill and Barabina Worship Leaders
For the Youth of Hobo Hill
For the Wilkerson Transition to the Philippines
Project Needs:
Guyana Project Manager
Hangar Gutter to collect rainwater
Relief Pilot for Guyana
