Siekbert Newsletter: 2020 July Newsletter II

The Building, Much To Do!: Since May's Newsletter was sent out much has been done, but there is still much to do! In May I mentioned that building sight was marked and our foundation was dug out. I asked for your prayers that our rainy season would not fill dirt back into that which was dug, well thanks to your prayers it did not. The dug out foundation is now full of cement mats, iron rods, more cement, 6" bricks that makeup the foundational walls that are at least 3' deep with 1 to 2 layers of brick breaching the ground with the foundational ring beam on top of that which has been poured. Some of the flooring has been poured for the side veranda, front porch, the first floor of the two-story section (which STMA required us to have before they would issue us a permit to build), and about a 2' outline around the auditorium area. Now that we've made it to the top of the foundation there are 37 structural pillars around the building that are in process of being poured now as I type this letter, and now you can actually see the building taking form. I do not know howto explain it, unless you do construction work and understand, but from when we started in May until now it has been a lot of back breaking manual labor. No earth-movers, No backhoes, and 2 shovel mixing men for cement mixtures. No automated anything except there have only been 2 different times where we rented a cement mixer for a day each time to mix the cement at the bottom of the foundation in the ground and the foundational ring- beam just above the ground. We will do that for the next 2 ring-beams above the windows and for the roof to sit on.Through your help God has Supplied us with $6,110.00 for the church building for Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church in Sekondi Ghana W. Africa, that is a little over 30% raised. Praise the Lord! We now need $13,890to reach our Goal of $20,000. At the end of May we had 2 churches give and at the end of June we had another 2 churches give. Thank you First Baptist, Calvary Bible, Crusade Baptist, and Lighthouse for getting us closer to our goal of $20,000. We have had 6 churches give so far THANK YOU From My Heart. If 20 churches giving $1,000 each the goal of $20,000 can be met. We only need 14 more churches at $1,000 each who will Give to this Project! Of the churches that have given so far some were over $1,000, others gave less than $1,000, and some gave exactly $1,000, some doubled $1,000. God will bless what you can do! You can check out the Building Progress and how the Steel Benders do their work on the iron rods, the placing and pour of the Masons, the Carpenters in making forms for the pillars, and Our Men Of The Church laboring in moving dirt (more than 8, 16 cubit truck loads), carrying bricks, mixing cement through the pictures we post on facebook and our blog page at: siekbertnewsletter.blogspot.com

ABS:Our Sunday and Wednesday Anaji Bible Study meetings started back up by the end of May, but we can only meet 1 hour at a time. So for Sunday morning we have our second hour at home and then we go back to the Bible Study for Sunday evening. We had our Bible study room painted this month. I am teaching on the subjects of: "Grief"; "Understanding Yourself"; and the "Seven Churches of Revelation".

On the Home Front: For the 4^thof July, we were able to get together with two other missionary families. There were four boys who played instruments for us. They played of some patriotic songs in a little concert of sorts. Joseph played the "Stars Spangled Banner" on his violin, Nehemiah played "My Country Tis Of Thee" on his trumpet. The other missionary boys played their guitars and sang the "Star Spangled Banner". Joseph who is in 12^thgrade and Nehemiah is in 9^thgrade are getting ready to take their 9 week exams.

Bits Of Bread:…"I know Thy Works"… - Rev. 2:2,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15; …"Thou hast Thy First Love." - Rev 2:4 Ephesus means "Desirable", It was the Apostolic Church. It had many things to be commended like: Its labor for the name of Christ without fainting; Its patience; Its intolerance of evil; Its trying of the spirits/those who may be liars, but Ephesus also means "to let go"; "to relax" which they did, they had "Left Their First Love". As a Christian we must Stay with our 1^stinitial Love and enthusiasm of the Lord maturing that Love as we grow in the Lord, and guard against a Love for God that slips away! The Proper Love for the Lord is a must! It is what helps One to Properly Know Him, Properly Serve Him, Properly Give to Him, and Properly Live for Him!

~~~~~ Matthew J Siekbert ~~~~~