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^th of 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^th grade and Nehemiah is in 9^th grade 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^st initial 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 ~~~~~

 

Steel Bending for the columns

Steel Bender

Pouring the Ring Beam 

 

 

 

 

Property UPDATE

On May 4, 2020, CBBC with Missionary Matthew Siekbert broke ground for the church building.
Below are some pictures of the layout of the building. Please feel free to share with your church family. We are excited for what God is and will do.

This is the back of the property looking to the seaside 

Front corner of property looking back, you ca see our little building in the back.

Back or property looking to the front, seaside

More pictures of the month in May 2020.

Cover for the gutter to allow vehicles to enter property.

2020 May Newsletter

The Crippling:                                                                                                                                             

As most everyone we have been crippled by the Virus. It has caused the shutdown of the schools that we teach in and it is the blame of the ban on our church services. During this time my family and I have been having services at home as regularly scheduled services. I have been teaching on the 7 Laws of Sowing and Reaping, the topic of Our Walk With God, and the King and his sons by John Phillips in Proverbs 29. Most of the gatherings of people here are mass messes where people have, seemingly, no clue of  self-distancing. Such gatherings as: their funerals, their churches, their market selling, and etc. It would be devastating in Ghana if the Virus really took off here. The government is trying to take those that have contracted the Virus to quarantine in Accra, the capital city where the best hospital facilities are to be and away from others. Most of the housing here is not just for a husband, his wife, and his children; There are relatives and extended relatives, and many who are not related in the same house and one may not know where all they have been. In the villages like where Pastor Prince grew up is where most of your population is. In a kind of community housing there can be at least 5 people living and sleeping in an 8’ by 10’ room. In town they now have containers of water and soap at each businesses before you enter so one can wash their hands. With that being said people still have to make a living.                                                                                                                                                         

      

The Building Progress:                                                                                                                            
I hope that everyone back in the States that get my Newsletter was able to read my March Newsletter before the virus shut things down. There are many updates there to be read. One of the updates mentioned was that 
We Have Started Building!The Profile has been set where the building will be, many   supplies have been bought for starters: Binding Wire to tie with, Iron Rods to form the skeleton of Pillars, Mats, Columns, Beams, and Ring-beams with, and Cement to pour over those skeletons which actually makes the Pillar, Mats, Columns, Beams, and Ring-beams strong, sturdy and complete. Each work has its specialist! As in March I am asking you to help me help CBBC to get their building built. I am told we need about $20,000 in addition to what we already have to build with. If only 20 Churches give $1,000 each the goal of $20,000 would  be met. Will you Pray and Give to this Project, even if you cannot give $1,000, Little is Much when God is in  it??? This seemingly, is not the time to ask for help, but in principle the Church all through the ages Rallied  during It’s persecution and the Devil’s hindering. Who knows the Extent of God’s Supply!!! On May 4^thwe held   a Groundbreaking Ceremony for CBBC, which can be viewed on Facebook. At this point the foundation is dug,  all the foundational skeleton Pillars for starting and the skeleton Mats for the Pillars to sit on have been formed   out of the iron rods that we bought. Some of the church folks dug out a holding pit for water that had to be built  for the masons. It will help the masons to continue work mixing their cement for the building. Many days the city water does not come on. Between a church promise and a church giving us some money towards our goal we    now need $18,240. Thank you Bible Baptist and Fairwinds Baptist. You can check out the Building Progress and how the steel benders do their work by pictures we posted at: siekbertnewsletter.blogspot.com                                                                                                                                                       

Water pit the guys dug out

Water pit

                                                                          Profile                                                                   

The Benders making the mats

Start of digging for foundation 

Preparing for foundation 

                                                                 

The Drop In:                                                                                                                                     
During April at the Bible Study Room we have in Anaji a man named Anthony Annan stopped by and asked me to explain the difference between true salvation and works. In short I told him Salvation is immediate, not progressive, not of mankind’s works but Solely of Christ’s Work. “Good Works” do not bring Eternal Life. True Good Works come after Salvation and are what come as the affects and evidences of One’s yielding to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is now in him/her who is Redeemed. Afterward I ask him what church does he attend, he reluctantly replied that he and some people broke away from the Seventh Day Adventist knowing that they believe in a works based salvation.                                                                                                                                                 

Bits Of Bread:                                                                                                                                   
When Jesus Spoke to the Rich Man in Mt 19:16-22 and the Religious Lawyer in Lk 10:25-37 about their good works He knew that they also would have a hard time separating their good works from His Salvation! John Phillips Quotes, …“we cannot do anything to gain eternal life for the simple reason that we are incapable of doing anything good enough for God (Rom. 3:9-20).” “People who imagine that works is the way to heaven stand condemned by their own religion.”                                                                  

Matthew J Siekbert

2020 March Newsletter

Going Forward With Building:

After 7 years of delay and struggle on church land in Sekondi for Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church we have started building. We have started with building a 12’ by 24’ building for the Scriptures we have had shipped from BPS Milford, OH in May 2017. This structure is so we can use the container that was full of Scriptures for building supplies during construction of a church building for Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church. I am excited to see what God will do!!! CBBC is our first Church Plant with two Pastors, Bro Prince and Bro Koasi, that I have been able to Disciple from teenagers and Train up through the Church and Bible School training them as sound Fundamental Bible Believing Adults who have been Ordained, Pastoring and Leading at CBBC in Sekondi. This has not been an easy task, but …“having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day”… Acts 26:22. Many Supporting Churches and Friends of mine have helped with the start of this project 7 years ago and now I am asking you to help me help CBBC to get their building built. I am told we need about $20,000 in addition to what we already have to build with. If only 20 Churches give $1,000 each the goal of $20,000 would be met. Will you Pray and Give to this Project, even if you cannot give $1,000, Little is Much when God is in it??? To build on our Church property we have been told that we have to build a two story building, which we were not planning, but that is what the country’s STMA commission (the people who issue the building permits) said. So we are planning to build a 2 story, 12’ in length by 45’ in width portion on the front of the main sanctuary. Then the sanctuary portion will be a 1 story structure   of 50’ in length by 45’ in width. Once built we look to be able to utilize the auditorium in partitioning off on Sundays some of the auditorium for Sunday School Classes and also for at least 240 kids we have had in certain villages during our VBS weeks during the summers. You have all seen the pictures we have posted in our Newsletter Blogs, and Facebook Posts during our VBS weeks. In an estimated population of 144,000, Many people in the Sekondi area and the surrounding villages, have heard the gospel, are hearing, and have come to the Saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ in the last 16 years of our ministries at CBBC in Sekondi. PLEASE CONSIDER THE WORK!   

Let the work begin!

                                       

Lunch after a days hard work moving Scriptures

Putting up site fencing

This is front view to back of property and you can see the little building and the red container to the right  of that. 

Public School Devotions/Worship Time & ABS:

As a part of our new Work in Anaji, the Anaji Bible Study, we have started also teaching Bible at the Anaji Primary Public School. My wife has been teaching the 1st-2nd grades, Bro Prince has the 3rd-4th grades, and I am teaching the 5th-6th grades. Towards the end of January one Friday Morning after we finished teaching at the school, as normal, we were walking to where our car was parked and I was passing some teachers at a Pre-school with about 100 to 150 kids sitting under a tree and one of the 9 teachers asked me, “Aren’t you going to greet me?” So, I greeted her. Then she said, “Do you have a message for us today?” So, being somewhat shocked, I said, “Yes, I sure do!” Every week since then after we get done teaching the Public Primary School of Anaji on the way to my car I go and teach the 9 teachers and their 150 Pre-Schoolers. It is pretty cool sitting during the week early in the mornings at our Anaji Bible Study location preparing for the week when a student from the Anaji Public Schools says, “Hi, Pastor Matthew” or a Pre-Schooler, who’s Dad or Mom is taking them to school, shouts across the way to me, “Hi, Pastor Matthew” with their parents trying to figure out how their kids know that White Guy, me. At the Anaji Primary Public School one of the teachers in my class told me towards the end of February, “the kids  are listing very intently to the Seed you are sowing.” The next week in that same class I teach a girl named Barbra, who responds and answers to me all the time came to me after my Bible Lesson and asked me if she could get Saved! So I got to lead her to Christ, Praise the Lord for His Goodness! On Thursday I Teach an Evening Bible Class at our ABS and Fred the owner where we rent comes off and on. A few weeks ago one Thursday night Fred made a profession of Faith! Joseph, a man who speaks French from Guinea W. Africa was passing by our ABS one Sunday and came in, then came back on Tuesday morning that week to the ABS as I was preparing for the week. So, I called Bro Koasi up, our secondary pastor at CBBC in Sekondi who is from Togo and speaks French. Bro Koasi got to lead him to the Lord just last week and send him on his way. PRAY AS GOD IS AT WORK IN HIS WAY!!! 

Fred who got saved 

Koasi (L) led Joseph (R) to the Lord. 

Pre-School Class 

Pre-School 

 Bits Of Bread:

 In many and most cases whether Good or Bad, Right or Wrong, WE REAP IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN WHEN WE SOW!!! “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” - Galatians 6:9                                                    

Matthew J Siekbert