2018 January Newsletter

Thanksgiving, Christmas Party, & New Year’s Eve: 
There were 4 missionary families at our house for Thanksgiving Day making 5 families totaling 28 people. We had a good time of food and fellowship. The Bible verse that comes to my mind at times when we are traveling in the US on furlough or here on the mission field is when Jesus was speaking to His disciples saying, “...Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”- Mark 10:29,30. The phrase I am emphasizing is “now in this time”. This was truly a Special Grace and the visiting families were a Special Blessing! On Sunday evening, CHRIST-mas eve we spent it at church with the church family preaching on the 1st Christmas and ending on Anna, “...which departed not from the temple, but served God”..., being a faithful and a fervent witness of the Redemption in Christ. In Luke 2:38 the Bible says, “And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”. Afterward we snacked, played games: Bible Trivia, Awaree (African Game), and Pit. It was pretty noisy! Then the night was topped off with the “White Elephant” gift exchange. After everyone opens their gifts then we exchange 2 more times, bringing a bit of torture to the one that now knows what they have and would like to keep. New Year’s Eve church started at 9 pm and closed well after 12 mid-night with having afterwards Ettel (African dish) and fireworks. To say the least, it was fun, but we were ready for bed when we got home! THANK YOU ALL WHO GAVE US EXTRA FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanksgiving a game of volleyball

CBBC Christmas Party

New Year 2018 eating Ettel

Planning Meeting: 
On December 14 & 15 was our yearly planning meeting where we go over the past year’s finances; Schedule the new year’s happenings; and intermittently download and listen to some sermons
from November’s Loving & Leading Conference in Milford, Ohio. Preachers need preaching too at times and it was good. We scheduled also our spring semester of Evening Bible Classes. Monday, I teach, starting a 3 part course on The Defense Of The Faith – part 1; Tuesday, Bro Koasi will teach a course on The Four Gospels; and Thursday, Bro Prince will teach on The NT Church. Here the government has an organization called the Lands Department. They deal with all affairs concerning government land, which is said to be the safest to buy from. And for us, the only available spot in our location that we see to buy. In the middle of December they were to have met together and decide on the Church property and it’s pricing for us at CBBC. After a year’s wait on them to have this meeting, they finally had it, BUT DID NOT DECIDE ON ANY LAND ISSUES. I think it must have been a Christmas Party!!! Although these times in this world are very disappointing, we are still praying and waiting. The Only Blessed Assurance We Have Is Jesus!!!

Coming Home: 
We are coming home for furlough. We are looking to schedule meetings starting with the middle of April. Also we are looking for a good traveling car/minivan that we can put a lot of miles on. In
May we head towards PCC in Florida and are looking to have meetings on the way there, and back. Our son, Matthew Jr. will be graduating with the Homeschoolers at A Beka and then going to PCC. Please pray for us!!!

Matthew, Joseph and Nehemiah 

Bits Of Bread: 
What is your objective in this New Year, or Better Yet, for Your Life’s Objective, is it that “Jesus Might Be Made Manifest” ?????
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” –II Cor 4:8-11 

His Manifestation, 

Matthew Siekbert

November 2017 Newsletter

Revival: 

October 22^nd - 25th we had our Revival Conference at CBBC. The theme was on the word “REVIVAL”. Each message was based on a word that can help bring revival to one’s life: “Recognize”;   “Return”; “Recall”; “Restore”; “Rekindle”; and lastly “Re-sound”. As a preacher and teacher one thing that is greatly desired is that each one that comes will come faithfully, because God is at work, each message is special, and many times they build on each other. During this revival the people were faithful with a little encouragement from us. A few weeks before the Revival we announced to them that we would give them a Bible if they came to every service; God convicted, stirred and spoke to hearts; and hands were raised. Now that the messages are over, we pray the hearts stay stirred.

Distributions: 

Since September we have been working on distributing some John & Romans, New Testaments, and some whole Bibles. Once a month we select an area in Sekondi to pass out John & Romans; the start of October we gave out about 116 whole Bibles to my Sunday morning class at the Deaf School. Matthew’s  and Joseph’s classes are too young yet. About the middle of September at West Ridge School new students that  came from 6^th grade to the 7^th grade we gave New Testaments to for their textbooks for our Bible classes we have with them on every Wednesday morning. 

Sign Language Classes: 

Since the middle of September we have been having sign language classes for an hour and a half on Saturdays with a young man who became deaf while in training school. This is somewhat unique to us because he can understand the way hearing people do things and yet also relate to the deaf very well because of being deaf himself for about 5 years now. We have been able to get some copies of a sign language book here, which has been a great assistance to us. Please pray for us that we can learn this and also for this   young man who is teaching us. His name is Derrick and he seems to be serious about God and have reverence for God that most people do not. Like most all of the people here, he has been taught twisted charismatic ways, but  yet is faithfully signing my Bible lessons to the deaf class without compromising the truths learned from each Bible lesson. This is great improvement over the last 2 years there! Most everyone else has been half hearted and not comprehensive in relaying the Bible messages. The bad news is that Derrick is an intern that will leave at the December holiday break. Pray that we can see him get saved before he leaves.

Joseph and Matthew writing their lesson on the board. 

                       

Answer To Prayer!: 

The Devil is always at work! We have been teaching faithfully at West Ridge School for over 11 years. This is truly a highlight to the ministries we have here in Ghana. If anyone is going to learn the truth and be salvaged from apostasies of the last days (false teachers and false prophets), it is going to be the students we faithfully teach for 3 years at a time before moving on to senior high. Just last week at West Ridge the newest headmistress of the school came to me and said, “The students will be learning Christmas carols for Christmas during the worship time you have, so we will not need you all (Myself, Bro Prince, Bro Koasi, & my boys: Matthew Jr, & Joseph) to teach your Bible classes until January ‘God Willing’. My heart was heavy when she said that. So after our lesson that day I went to tell the teachers why we would not be there. They were very shocked. The assistant to the headmistress said, “This is the first time that I heard that”. So he took my number  and said, “Pray Pastor and I will be in touch”. A few hours later I got a call that everything is cleared up and we  are back on schedule. Later the assistant headmaster said, “Pastor, it was only the Devil at Work”. Thank the Lord that Victory is His! Beware! the Devil wants to use you! Don’t let him! “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”- Jude 1:3   

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, & a Happy New Year!!!                                                                     

Matthew J Siekbert

September 2017 Newsletter

Evening Bible Classes: 

August 29^th our Evening Bible Classes at CBBC have started. The subjects are the 2^nd  part of the last semester: Give Attendance to Doctrine taught by me; How To Study The Bible taught by Bro Koasi; and Understanding Bible Prophecy taught by Bro Prince. Those in attendance are: Matthew Jr, Joseph, Linda, Benjamin, Elizebeth, Karen and a new student Albert. Please be in prayer for them, their faithfulness, and their spiritual growth.                                                                                                         

4th & 5^th VBS: 

July 31^st we started our 4^th VBS since May in the Sekondi/Kojokrom areas. This VBS was at CBBC. We started with 150 and ended Friday the 4^th with 191. The next week we had our mini 5^th VBS in the village of Essiman.     We started with 189 and ended Wednesday with 215. It was a time of Sowing the Seed of the Gospel. At each VBS we gave  out to each child a John & Romans.                                                                                                        

Visitors: 

On Friday August 4^th we picked up our visitors, Dennis, a dentist and Zach, his son from the airport; Saturday morning was VBS soccer and visitation; the rest of Saturday was a Luncheon/Get-together at our house for the VBS workers who faithfully served at each VBS. It was a time for our church workers to meet with our visiting guests, food, and games. They were pretty rowdy playing the game “Pit”. Our visiting guest came and got right involved with our work here in Ghana. They told me before they came that they wanted to be involved and assist in getting the Gospel out and that we did! Sunday Dennis taught Sunday school; Sunday Evening Zach taught at our Kojokrom Bible Study; Monday morning we visited the church property along with visiting the village there in Ekuasi and Essiman to do a Dental Care Instruction Clinic on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The sole purpose was to get the Gospel out to the Adults, so we did that at the registration tent. Registration was a simple process of getting a numbered slip of paper that they had to hold onto until all sessions were completely done. At the first tent, the Registration Tent, each adult was given a New Testament, and for about 30 minutes I explained and expounded on the verse of II Cor 5:21. With this being a religious country while explaining I was able to ask them questions to challenge their thoughts and then used that verse and other Bible verses to defuse many of their thoughts.  Our Morning sessions with the Dental decoy were very fruitful. It was a time of teaching, learning the truth, and some  receiving Christ. Then they went over to the Dentist’s Tent for their purpose of Dental Care instruction and education. After  the Dental sessions they were given a bag with toothpaste, a toothbrush, & dental floss. During Monday through Wednesday afternoons we did our 5^th VBS were Zach got to use his energy chasing kids during their playtime while we taught and had them do some crafts. Along with supplying and bringing the dental supplies they brought a lot of candy, which goes against dental hygiene, and 5 different soccer balls for give-a-ways. After ministry during the days we were warn out. After supper we played some “intelligent” games that they brought. One game was called “Watch Your Mouth”! You might be interested in some pictures that we posted. I can’t explain all! As said, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. They also got to  experience hearing what the Charismatics and Ghanaians call “speaking in tongues”.       
                                                                                                                   

These girls helped with lunch, chicken, cabbage stew and yam. 

Game of "Pit" at the table

Gospel/Registration Tent

CHEESE!!!

Competition:

On August the 18^th CBBC hosted, a Youth Competition on the book of Galatians. In the morning we had 3 teaching sessions going on until lunch. After lunch we had the Competition Quiz among the 3 churches/works from Kansa, Cape Coast, and Sekondi. I taught on Salvation/Justification; Koasi taught on Son-Ship; and Prince on Servitude. These topics were brought together under “Our Liberty In Christ”, Gal 5:1-“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” The Competition Quiz was very exciting and very close. CBBC took 1^st, Cape Coast took 2^nd, and Kansa took 3^rd place. It is a joy to hear and see others excited and challenged by God’s Word!     

                                                                                                

Salvations & Baptism: 

Sunday, August the 27^th we had a baptism at the ocean. Karen, a young lady, that came to our evening Bible classes last semester at church and was Saved a few months ago. Freedom, a young man of about 30, was a by-stander at a VBS we had for the kids at Nkotompo in June, a new village we are working on. A few weeks later he came to Sunday morning church and then a few weeks later he came back and told me after church that his prayers were not working. I ask him if the Lord was his Heavenly Father? Then I explained how he could be a child of God. Then he received Christ and has been coming faithfully ever since. Many people think the word "Confess" in Romans 10:9 & in I Jn 1:9 are the same. I explained to him the difference was that the Romans’ "Confess" is about becoming a son of God and that the I John "Confess"  is about one who is a son of God who needs to stay in fellowship with his Heavenly Father. The light of understanding came on, you could see his face as the truth just clicked. Prince and Koasi were with me when it happened! It was awesome! Amen! Special Note Of Importance: Our email was hacked in July and Disabled by Google. So we now have a New Email Address: SiekbertRomans828@gmail.com and also a New Blog Page: siekbertnewsletter@blogspot.com You can view some pictures we post about each newsletter at our blog page, if you would like to see more of what you’re reading.

Matthew Siekbert

July 2017 Newsletter

VBS Nkotompo, Ekuasi: 
This Summer we have decided to do something out of the norm and have VBS in the Sekondi areas one week a month from May – August. Our 1 VBS was in Kojokrom and a father from there brought his child. Just a few weeks ago we passed out some John and Romans at West Ridge School at our Wednesday morning worship time there and whole Bibles to the Schoolteachers. As we were finishing one of those teachers was that father in Kojokrom. He told us how much his daughter liked VBS week and how he has recognized our Bible Study. Pray that he will come. His name is Charles. After we finished another lady teacher came to our car where we usually sit after we teach the class for worship time, Prince, Koasi, Matthew, Joseph and I meeting together there in discussion of what we taught on in our classes and then pray for the school, what God is doing, our evening church services, church land, and the rest of week’s events. She wanted to thank us and tell us that she hopes that we continue to always be there to teach their students the Bible. They were all grateful to us and that sure made us feel good! Nkotompo was our 2nd VBS village where we saw about 8 receive Christ. The attendance was 160 to 268 during the week. Ekuasi, was smaller and our 3rd village that we just finished up with last week. The attendance there was 120 to 189. Many younger kids came and the seed was planted and many parents were impressed. This is the village that our church property is in. Please Pray That The Door Opens Soon that we can get on it and start constructing! European Town, Sekondi, where CBBC is, will be our last VBS next month. 

Bible Studies In Nkotompo: 
After VBS there the1st of June some of the men from CBBC, Prince, Koasi, and myself started a Bible study there with the men of that village in a location that was provided by a man named Samuel who seems to be very sincere. The next week my wife and Prince’s wife started a Bible Study with a lady there named Emma. She started bring her little niece to the VBS in Nkotompo. That is how we got to know her. She is 35, seems sincere, and claims salvation 5 years ago. Please Be In Prayer for us here. To the Religious “Jesus Christ... is a Stone of Stumbling, and a Rock of Offence, even to them which Stumble at the Word,...”

Contacts For Salvations & Salvations: 
Pray for Joseph & Freedom who are adult men about 35 who I presented the Gospel to from Nkotompo and are interested; I presented the Gospel 2 weeks ago to Cindy, Linda and their mother. These 2 teen girls received Christ 2 weeks ago on visitation. They are from the Kojokrom area in Jerusalem town. Older folks in their late 60’s & late 70’s, John and his Mother I presented the Gospel to. They were taught to Trust Baptism from the Church of Christ, but I showed them the Bible how it shows us that we must Trust Christ as our Savior alone. They sincerely were thinking and contemplating this New Truth To Them. They are from the village of Ekuasi as is Emmanuel. Emmanuel is a young adult man who we found lives in Ekuasi about where we were having VBS. I took the chance to witness to him but was interrupted. His father was my welder for the car, who just died in June. We will attend the funeral. Please Be In Prayer for this contact. This past Saturday I visited with 2 adult men probably in their mid 30’s. They received Christ as their Savior today. Daniel and Ernest are their names. Pray for them that we will see them in our Bible Studies at Kojokrom or that we will get to start one with them.

Scripture Container & Our Wednesday Night Church Service: 
The Scripture Container left BPS Milford, Ohio on the 23rd of March and arrived in the Takoradi, Ghana, West Africa port May 22nd. It took all day to get it released on Wednesday the 23rd. Our Scripture container was the only container released that day. God Was In It All! It is also the rainy season over here. When we got the container released, we had to unload about 1/3 of it on to another truck at the port because the container was so heavy the 1st truck could not move because the load was on the tires. After that episode we went with the 2 trucks to the church property to unload all of the Bibles so we could get the container off the 1st truck and set it on the ground. That took from 6 pm till 9:30 pm and 14 guys. Then from 9:30 pm till 12:30 am in the morning we reloaded the container with the Scriptures. Prince said to me earlier in the day, Pastor why don't we wait until early tomorrow morning and then we can reload the container? I said, it doesn't look like the rain will come but just in case let's reload tonight. We did and when we all finally got home, just a few minutes after I walked in the door Bro Prince text me and said, “Guess what?” I said, “What?” He said, “It has just started pouring down rain.” Then I reminded him how good God was in waiting until we were done and also putting it in my heart to finish reloading that night! That was our Wednesday night church service around the Written Word. The next day, Thursday was a holiday. Workers at the port didn’t plan to come back to work until Monday the next week. So God led all the way! I'm glad I listened to God instead of giving in to my tired flesh. “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which  stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” – I Ptr 2:8 

Matthew J. Siekbert