November 2019 Newsletter

ABS Happenings:                                                                                                                                    

ABS does not stand for Anti-Lock Brake System with the yellow light on the dashboard  of your car, but for our Anaji Bible Study. As we go visiting it doesn’t seem so successful, but I believe God Blesses  “GO” because it is Obedience to His Command of the Great Commission. Also Sowing His Word  is Seed that will make an Eternal Difference in the Ground that Receives It. To “GO” does not only mean to just go down streets knocking on doors, but also GOING and SOWING the GOSPEL SEED in every turn and aspect of life. One day out on visitation with my family Joseph and I were walking down a path across a soccer field where there was a soccer team sitting, waiting on the soccer team that they were to play. While they were sitting there I got to talk with them about the Gospel for about a half hour. On visitation I usually don’t speak to a group of people, I rather speak one on one, because most of the time someone is clowning around and the people are not sober minded, but in this case they all were listening well. The Gospel was Presented/Sown and many of them made a profession of Faith in Christ. The most affective way of Soul winning in these times, I believe, is what we do, teaching others through a process of time that they are not Worthy of Heaven, that no Work of theirs will get them to Heaven, and about Why they Need Salvation to get to Heaven, and the Only Way to Heaven. People in today’s world really do not think they are bad enough, that Judgment is not real or that it is not of God. At the beginning of October Prince and I put our Anaji Bible Study Sign Up. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I spend must of the day at the Bible Study going over and preparing Bible Lessons for the Deaf School and the Old Testament Survey Class that I’ve started, Practicing Signing for our Deaf School. Pray with us that things that we’ve done will spark an interest. We have had 2 men drop-in passing by at different times saying they will come. Their names are Johnny and Benjamin. Last Sunday Evening for Bible Studies we had 2 ladies come. The older lady is named Elizabeth, and the younger lady is named Abigail. Abigail, Jackie invited. She is about 16. Sunday evening she was very intent in listening to the teaching I had taught. Pray for them and us as we “GO,” Seeking The Lost!!! 

School Services and Other Miscellaneous News:                                                             

In September we had Devotions at the Anaji Public School for the Junior High. Hopefully, the school will allow us to resume that in the New Year. We are trying another avenue into the Anaji Public Schools, Prince has been allowed to go to their elementary school on Friday mornings to have devotions with them. We hope to get in the door by the New Year. At the end of September the Deaf School of Sekondi resumed their classes. The Sunday Morning Bible classes that we have with them are going very well, even the devil showed up last week. A Muslim teacher with a twisted definition of Christianity as would be expected, but his understanding is also twisted in part of seeing what the Country of Ghana displays as Christianity. When God is working the Devil is sure to show up! I’m excited, my class seems   to be excited, even some of the teachers are coming and excited. They are helping explain to the students my Bible Lesson, my Review Questions, and my Lessons To Learn from the Story just taught that is written down on the Chalkboard. Pray for Salvations and more in roads there. On October the 6^th my family and I went to a Naming Service where I preached the Morning Service and did the Naming Ceremony. The sister of the Pastor’s wife came and received Christ as her Savior, Praise the Lord! It was nice to visit and see another work from a former Missionary to Ghana that is pastored by a Ghanaian National. 

Baby Naming Ceremony 

Resent Revival:                                                                                                                          

CBBC in Sekondi, Pastor Prince’s Church, had me preach their Revival Services Oct 27-30. The two words that were my Theme, Thought, and Focus were: Our “NEED” and Our “FRUITFULNESS”. The messages were: What Soul-Winning Brings; The Documented Command To “GO” & It’s Principles; OurRedemption, Explained; “GO’s” Pursuit; Our Attitude, Is A Game Changer; and Finishing The Formula For Fruitfulness. Because I was the speaker for  the Revival, Sunday night CBBC came over for their Service to the Anaji Bible Study so I would not have to leave the new work. We had 3 visitors from Anaji come: Perbi, Abigail, and Elizabeth. Hearts were challenged and God is still at work.  

Bits Of Bread:                                                                                                                            

Jeremiah said, “Why Will Ye Die,..? ”Pleading to Judah to not listen to Hananiah, the false prophet who came in the name of the Lord, but was LYING to them –Jeremiah 27:13-15. Liars Afflict Those Who DON’T LISTEN to the TRUTH. 

 ~~~HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!~~~  

      Matthew J Siekbert

September 2019 Newsletter

Support Level, Permits, ID Cards:

Our support level is now at 94.96%. We are inching.closer! We pray that we’ll be able to reach our 100% support mark. Thank you First Baptist Church of Milford for taking us on for support. Now that we are back in Ghana W Africa, I pray I’m not beating a dead horse, but I believe we still have some opportunities for support out there of churches we have presented in this year. Please be in prayer with us also that we can get 100% of our support raised. To God’s glory we have  received our new yearly resident permits that needed to be renewed, but still working on getting our ID Cards renewed. We also want to say a special thanks to Mrs Holbrook’s SS Class and Bro Varney at CBCIFF for the  gift and the matching gift. Also, we thank FBC in Illinois for your focus on us this month and the gift for a  special night out. My wife will enjoy that, Thanks! A SPECIAL SIDE NOTE: If anyone of our friends and Supporters send any form of money please remember to send it to our church in Ohio, Chippewa Lake Baptist Church, NOT our African Address. I cannot cash any checks over here in Ghana and it is not secure to send any cash.  

Anaji Bible Studies:

In the previous newsletter I mentionedthat we had a place for a Bible study in Anaji, but that a mentally troubled man ruined those plans for us so we in August started an Anaji Bible Study on Sunday evenings at our house. We have been limited and trying to discern on giving out the location to our house for the sake of who we may be inviting, like a thief/robber. A young teenage boy named Perbi has been coming. He is in the 12 grade, he is very bright in many areas of life, like who he befriends, his schooling achievements, and his way of thinking seems to be different from the mystical way of thinking as the average. Right now I have been working on teaching him that the Bible is God’s Word all of the way from Genesis through Revelations. Many people think that the Bible only contains God’s Words. Pray for Perbi’s Salvation in Christ Jesus and to know the certainty of Salvation. Just last week we found a place to direct people to for Bible Study. We are working on getting its electric working. The Place we have rented is a storage unit. The owner’s name is Fred Appiah. Before we went to rent the unit on his property he was planning to put a drinking bar on his property, but  I spoke to him about inviting the devil to his house and influencing his family so he told me that he would not. Fred told me that he would come and we pray that he does. There are other areas in Anaji we want to strategically have Bible Studies in also. The Anaji public school has accepted us to come and teach for the month of  September. As we went to teach our Bible session there at the school we met a man that knew us 5 years ago who used to be a teacher at West Ridge public school that we taught Bible classes in. Pray that we can get into this school further. Your prayers are needed and appreciated. “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto  us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” – Col 4:3-4.   

Other Happenings:

We had our last VBS at Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church, Sekondi in August. One received Christ. A few weeks ago Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church just received their Official Paper Work from the Lands Department documenting their church property. Now that they have that they can move on to STMA Department for a permit to build. Praise the Lord! I hope to tell you more good news   about building in November’s Newsletter. Cornerstone will also be having Revival week October 27^th-30^th. The Sekondi Deaf School that we teach Bible classes in have restarted their school year and we will be starting there this coming Sunday Morning teaching Bible classes there. Pray for the advancement of our signing!!!  For continued correspondence with our College Kids back home: Naomi’s mailing address is still at PCC and Matthew’s mailing address now is at Chippewa Lake Baptist Church. He has decided to go into HVAC so he is schooling and training at the Medina County Career Center in Medina, Ohio and working with a HVAC company in the Medina area by our church. We still need Prayer for our Minivan to sell.                                                

CBBC VBS

Anaji Bible Study

Anaji Public School

For Sale

Bits Of Bread: 

Psalms 12 we learn that “The Demise Of Godly & Faithful Men Seemingly,:”                         

I. Makes More Significant & Urgent The Help Of God v1;                                                                                                 

II. Makes More Striking The Subverting Of Man’s Vanity w/ Flattering Lips and a Double Heart v2-4                                       III.Makes More Precious The Pure Words Of God in It’s Content, Promises & Assurances v5-8                       

“Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” – Ps 12:1             

Declaring the Glory of the Lord, 

Matthew J Siekbert

July 2019 Newsletter

Support Level, Permits, ID Cards:                                                                               
Our support level is at 93.57%. We still need another $450 to reach our 100% support mark. Please pray that we can get 100% of our support..raised. We are working on getting our yearly resident permits renewed, and our yearly ID Cards renewed. 

New Happenings:                                                                                                       
Anaji Bible Studies. We have been looking, visiting and thought we had found a place   to start Bible Studies. The Place - we were preparing for Bible Studies is not far from where we live. It is about a   5 minutes walk from us. An older gentleman who I knew took some Bible Courses about 7 years ago in a former Bible Institute with some former missionaries I taught with. Several years ago he passed on, but he had an Internet café that after he passed the family stopped using. Last week Bro Prince, Bro Koasi, and myself went and talked with the family about being able to use the old Internet café for Bible Studies and Services. They were more than willing in deciding that would be the best use of it. (Most things relating to buildings or lands are a family ordeal) Each family member agreed, the Mother and the oldest Brother were working the details out for us. A few days later the younger son, come to find out, is on drugs. He is a “mad-man”, mentally troubled, ready to run off anyone that would come to the Bible Studies. So pray for us as we look for another location. The Public School – The school in Anaji has accepted us (Prince, Koasi, and Myself) to come in to do their Wednesday morning worship services starting their new school year in September. The People – The community of Anaji has grown quite extensively since we have moved here 15 years ago. I know of many people around and many people here know us also. It is quite interesting to realize those that know us. Be in prayer as we start this new venture.                                                                                                                                    

CBBC Happenings:                                                                                                                      
While visiting in Sekondi with Cornerstone a few weeks ago I was able to  talk with 3 young men who received Christ as their Savior – David, Augusta, and Joseph. In the 1^stof July we had VBS at Essiman where Pastor Prince from Cornerstone lives and at the last of July we had VBS at Ekuasi where the Church Property is. There were 2 boys that received Christ: Lawrence and Benjamin. CBBC’s church property is going forward on finishing with the legal documents of CBBC’s ownership, then, they should be able to get building permits.          

The rain caused the kids feet to be sandy

Lawrence (White) Benjamin (Yellow) 

                                     

Miscellaneous:                                                                                                              
Our yard is coming together little by little after a serious trimming and cutting   down of grass and other foliage and the inside of the house is now manageable with most water leaks from water lines being repaired. My missing luggage is still missing, but Delta has reimbursed me, although that does not supply the items that would be of some help. We are still in need of getting our Mini-Van, 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan in the States Sold. It has Stow-n-Go compartments with a Luggage rack on top and 115,000 + miles. Most of the miles are Highway miles. I bought it at 83,000 + miles. I have  kept receipts of all the work, faithful oil changes, and other maintenance that has been done on it since   I bought it. If interested please contact our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist Church in Medina Ohio:    330-769-2790 or my son Matthew Jr: 330-461-5795.                                                 

Bits Of Bread:                                                                                                                              
Are you Altering the things of God to get what you want???                                                                            
It is a sad day when the One who is to rule rightly, ALTERS his or her life as those who rebel against the Principles and the Values taught from God’s Word that are to help guide One’s life!!!King Ahaz of the Southern Kingdom of Israel Fashioned, Patterned, and Altered the House of God after his own Self-Ambition. “Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.” – II Kings 16:2 (Read the whole Passage v1-20, especially v7-18)                                 

Matthew J. Siekbert

May 2019 Newsletter

Meetings, Support, & Flight Updates: 

We are still here on the planet! My apologies,……I’m late in getting out my newsletter for May, but here it is! Sunday, May 19th we had our last 2 scheduled meetings of churches that took us on for support earlier on in this furlough; On June 2nd I preached at our sending church in the evening service; and On June 3rd by 2:30 pm we were at the airport leaving for Ghana W Africa. Our flight went well and we arrived in Accra Ghana, the Capital, on the 4th. Out of 15 footlockers 1 is still missing and it is one of mine. It has all of my daily wear in it.That is kind of important – ha, ha, ha! That is not so funny, but it could be worse, like the kid’s school books, some of my books and papers, or my wife’s new plastic dish set with flowers on it! I had 2 other sets of daily wear, one on me and one in my carry on bag just in case. Pray that the airports find it. It would be nice to have my normal everyday clothes. On another note, we thank the Lord for 2 more new supporting churches that took us on in April and May!!! That brings our support level to 93.57%.Thank you Riverside and Hilltop! We need another $450 to reach our 100% support mark. Please pray that we can get 100% of our support raised. We still have some churches out there that we went to that, I believe, are looking to take us on for support.

Goodbyes, Packing & Unpacking: 

Some people we said goodbye to in the States: our sending church which has several newer folks; older faithful friends; our parents, & our Kids, Naomi and Matthew. Please also be in prayer for Naomi and Matthew as they are at the stage of pursuing college and some of life’s biggest decisions, which I pray is always for God’s Glory. As time and years go on saying goodbyes seem harder, but someday “hellos” will be sweeter, lasting and eternal. In May my wife, my 4 kids, and I went to the Smoky Mountains stayed at the Desert Haven of Rest and had some fun there in Tennessee. Thank you Bro Creel! Packing to leave the US and returning to Ghana seemed somewhat routine, but has never been convenient or easy. The process we are in now as I am writing is: Opening up the house; and Getting in the garage to get the car out, running, insured, and inspected for licensing. This portion of work to get the House and Car in functional order has been since Friday, it is now Wednesday. Friday - Monday We, my boys, some of the men from the church, and myself have

been working on getting the water pump for the well hooked up, repairing pipes and mishaps that have happened while being away on furlough. After getting a new battery and new battery terminals the car passed inspections here yesterday, Tuesday, but would not pass the junkyard in the States. Tomorrow, Thursday we plan to tackle yard work with some of the church folks if it is not raining, this is the rainy season. The yard is all grown over and the bushes as well. It will take some time to get everything back in shape. We are still in need of getting our Mini-Van, 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan in the States Sold. Please pray for that. It has Stow-n-Go with a Luggage rack on top and 115,000 + miles. Most of the miles are Highway miles. I bought it at 83,000 + miles. I have kept receipts of all the work, faithful oil changes, and other maintenance that has been done on it since I bought it. If interested please contact our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist Church in Medina Ohio: 330-769-2790

Bits Of Bread: 

THE BIG IDEA: Return To; Stay Yielded To; Stay Committed To the Lord; Get Back on the Altar of Sacrifice “Binding” yourself with Cords That Will Help You Stay on the Altar; TITLE: Binding

The Sacrifice With Cords To The Altar; TEXT VERSE: “God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”- Psalms 118:27; 

The Cords of Suggestion:

1) The Cord Of Who You Belong To - I Cor 6:15-19; 2)
The Cord Of Submission/Yielding - Rom 6:13-16; 3)
The Cord Of Constrain - II Cor 5:14-15; 4)
The Cord Of Focus - Acts 20:24; Jn 17:1; Heb 12:1

For His Glory,

Matthew Siekbert

March Newsletter 2019

Travels & Support Updates: 

As for many, January was a rough start with the cold and slippery weather. We had to cancel and re-schedule, but it has worked out! During February and March we have been in OH, IL, WV, & PA. We have had an increase in support by some of our supporting churches raising their support level in this 1st quarter. We are now at 91.42% of the support level we need. Thank you Faith, in Michigan, Chippewa, and Lighthouse, in Ohio. Please be in continued prayer that we will be able to raise and secure 100% of our support level needed before we leave. We have been in 3 new churches since January and we have 2 more new churches scheduled to go to yet. $600 more a month would get us to our needed goal.

Preparing To Go: 

Jackie and I have mailed in our Passports to get them Renewed. We should be getting them back in April. When we get them back then we will mail them all out again to get our traveling Visas. We have our plane tickets for June 3rd. We are having doctor appointments and dentist appointments. There are many things to be done between leaving the US and getting settled back into Ghana. One of the things we need to do is to sell our vehicle as close to our departure as we can and get a good price for it. The selling of our minivan here in the States will help towards purchasing another vehicle there in Ghana. Please be in prayer as we are gearing up to go!

Ghana Updates: 

We have talked with Prince more in the last month then we have talked to him all year.

He is busy with the plans for a building and working on the land details for a building permit. He is looking forward to our return. Prince and Koasi have been looking for a new school to do devotions on Wednesday mornings. They have requested two schools near our church property. Once school resumes the school administration will consider them and decide to allow them to come. Pray that the Lord works out all the details. Matthew Prince will turn 1 year old on March 30th. They don’t celebrate birthday’s in Ghana, like we do. It’s only when Jackie makes a cake and we celebrate with them.

                            

Sign Language:

January through March we have been taking a sign language class. Our final class is this

Friday. In the class we learn the signs, then watch a video with people using those signs. It has helped in reading the signs. Some of the videos are easy, others are “what did they say?” because it seems the signing is so fast. We are not even close to being experts; little by little we will pick it up. Being around the deaf in Ghana will help quite a bit. Using the signs we know often and continuing to learn the language is the key.

Bits of Bread: 

God Is Glorified In Our Dying, Spiritually not necessarily our physical death, but in our

dying to self desires/ambitions, bearing HIS reproach and Following Him. God Is Glorified In Our Fuller Displaying of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: - John 17:1 “This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” – John 21:19

Prayer Request: 

New Supporting Churches to reach the 100% support level needed, Travels as we

continue with meeting here in the States, Passports/Visas, Sign Language, Departure of June 3rd, Selling of Vehicle, Church Land/Building Architect and Permits, School in Ghana for Wednesday devotions, Dr./Dentist appointments to go well. 

In His Service, 

Matthew J. Siekbert

January 2019 Newsletter

Supportive:                                                                                                                     
We started Sign Language classes at our local Career Center on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Thank you to Lighthouse in Bucyrus, who gave toward these classes, they will continue until March. An anonymous gift was given to us, so we have used that money to update our old computers. We have kept our old computers and updated them with new batteries and hard drives. We also purchased an older refurbished model that works well for us in Ghana. Also, Old Path Baptist Church gave us an offering to use where we need it along with many other supporting churches that gave us additional financial Christmas gifts. Thanks to all of you for your investment in the Lord’s work and our family.

Our ASL teacher, Kevin

Approved: 
In November of 2018, our Quota to stay in Ghana was approved for another 3 years. Jackie and I will need to renew our passports and then we all need to get our visas for our return to Ghana. We have just received news from Pastor Prince that the land for the church in Ghana has been approved for our purchase. The Lands Department, which is an extension of the Ghanaian government that approves land purchases, will be sending us a letter of Approval that will be telling us the purchase price and the length of our lease/ownership of the property before renewal. In most cases that is 60 to 99 years. From that Approval letter till 3 months is the time frame in which to pay for the land. Please be in prayer that we get a good price and that we will be able to start building projects. We will keep you up to date!!!

Ghana: 
Prince called us Friday night. He and the family are well. The church is well and they are working on the land approval information and working on the piece of land we currently have. We have been working at a  public school, West Ridge for 12 years on Wednesday mornings. In the first part of January, there was a conflict there and a student stabbed another student, that student died. For about the last 3 years the students in that 9^thgrade class level were not subject to our Bible teachings because the previous Anglican headmistress did not think that our Bible services were that important. Prince told me the new Charismatic headmistress that started in January doesn’t want them, Pastors Prince and Pastor Koasi, to come anymore. We had an issue with the previous Anglican headmistress last year wanting to do away with Bible teaching, but she quit and we were able to continue teaching there. Prince and Koasi are looking to get into another school in the area. It is sad, to see bad things happen, but it is worse to see the spiritually undiscerning leadership making decisions that will make things worse later. We need to be the voice of truth to these students and have that influence. It is a sad time that we are living in all over the world. It should be sobering to see these instances happening all over the world: Where is uprightness in our Country, Churches, Families, and Parents? Has True Christianity become a joke to be trodden on by the world, because Christians are not living by the book, but are doing what is right in their own eyes? I think so in many cases. It is the integrity of the upright that will guide us in the way God is pleased with and Satan is disappointed with. It is vital that we who are saved not lose our SALTINESS. Be Resolved To Stand For Christ and True Christianity This New Year!!

“The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”              
 – Proverbs 11:3

“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” – Mark 9:50

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth  good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” – Matthew 5:13

                                                                                                                 

 Matthew J. Siekbert

2018 November Newsletter

New Support: 

During October and November we were in Ohio and Michigan and two

additional new Churches took us on for support. Thank you to Temple Baptist, Faith

Baptist, Caesarea Baptist for taking us on for support and to the Cahill Family for your

commitment to take us on for support. Thus far we have had 4 new supporting churches and 2

families take us on for support. Many of our supporting churches have also increased our

support, thank you. We have some new churches I have scheduled for 2019. We hope to get

more. Please be in prayer that these new churches will be able to take us on and that we will

be able to schedule more new churches. In our needed goal of supporting churches we are

currently are at 90%.

Ghana Update:

CBBC is getting ready for their Christmas Gathering. Prince and Koasi are

still teaching at the Deaf School before church on Sunday mornings untill we return. While we

are here in the States we plan on having some sign language courses January through March

2019. The last time we checked on the cost of the courses they were $300 per person. That

will be about $1,200 for the 4 of us: Jackie, Nehemiah, Joseph, and myself. If the Lord lays it

on your heart we could use help in financing this project. Out of all the needs I have

mentioned will you prayerfully consider being a channel of blessing in one of these areas.

Help Appreciated:

The costs of our van repair, I mentioned back in September, have been

paid off and the help was greatly appreciated! Thank you Calvary Baptist for your one time

gift. During December and January I also would like to be updating our software on our old

computers and look into getting a new computer that is updatable also. Thank you to those

who have already sent us some extra financial Christmas gifts!!!

The Holidays: 

Thanksgiving was a good time with family that we have not spent Thanksgiving with in 3 years. The food was good and plenty: Turkey, Home-made Stuffing Mash Potatoes, Candied Yams, Dessert, and etc! We walked the Ohio River Bridge Thursday evening, Friday we shot guns and my wife went shopping, Saturday we went to the ARK ENCOUNTER. Late Saturday evening we drove home to Medina for Sunday morning services at our church. For Christmas Naomi and Matthew will be home. We are looking forward to being together. The boys can’t wait to see Matthew. Please pray for them as they travel and try getting a job or some work during their month away from school. Also, I would covet you fervent prayers for Naomi and Matthew as they will be making some very important decisions in the near future and the next few years that will affect the rest of their lives. Pray hat their decisions would please God and Honor His Word following, loving, and esteeming His Principles and all of His Precepts to be right. “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” 

– Ps 119:127,128

                                                               ~~~~~~~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!~~~~~~~ 

Matthew J Siekbert