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

2018 September Newsletter

NewLook:
Along with updating our family picture from last furlough we have also given our newsletter and prayer cards an updated look with our correct email that was changed July 2017 do to hacking. Also our blogspot address has been added. Summer Activities:Both Joseph and Nehemiah were able to attend the Bill Rice Ranch this summer with our church’s youth group. Our church CLBC here in Ohio had their day camp, “Camp Chippewa” the first week in August. We got to participate in the daily activities. My wife picked up two girls in the church van every morning, she also helped with the days activity of crafts. Also helped with serving lunch as was available for the “Tabernacle” which is when the Bible lessons were presented. Joseph was one of the group leaders for the children and led the children to the different activities throughout the day. Nehemiah was a camper for the week, he enjoyed the water slide and being with his cousins. We saw several get saved during this week. We’ve been able to get together for a few family activities this summer. In Ghana Cornerstone Biblical Baptist’s last VBS of the summer had 2 youngsters getting saved. School:Naomi and Matthew have begun classes August 20. They are both attending Pensacola Christian College.                                                                      

Naomi Siekbert PCC Box 666 250 Brent Lane, Pensacola, FL 32503;                                               
Matthew Siekbert Jr PCC Box 1397 250 Brent Lane, Pensacola, FL 32503

Joseph and Nehemiah have started school at the end of July. Our son Joseph is taking his driving school classes also. He already had his permit, but has to take the classes and the driving with an instructor. Joseph is in 10th grade and Nehemiah is in 7^thgrade.  

Car Repairs:August 28^th
I went to get a diagnostic test done on our van. Initially, we found out that it needed $2,400 repair for engine work. While sitting at the car dealer’s there was a lady getting her car repaired that I was talking with about being a missionary in Africa and come to find out she is from one of our supporting churches. It is quite amazing how the Lord puts things together. Thank you Mrs Meadows and Ambassador for your financial help of $1,000 with the engine repair. In addition my van’s front-in wheel bearings were bad for $350 and rear wheel bearings and rear caliper brackets were bad also for $661. Any other help will be welcome.  

Monday Night:
Monday Evening Sept.17th Pastor Mitchell invited me to the Akron Children’s Hospital to make a visit with him. There was a 17 year old girl named Lauren there, who suffered a Stroke with no hope of survival. Her guardians were considering pulling the plug, but they did  not. She  survived having brain surgery and has now the challenge of recovery and re-gaining the use of her motor skills: speech and right side (hand, arm, and leg). With God’s all knowing the Lord orchestrated it all out  for us. In the hospital room while Pastor Mitchell was talking to the husband of the girls guardian. I was speaking to  the wife and Lauren, the 17 year old about my stroke, traumas, inabilities and the similarities to hers, it was a blessing to me and, I believe a comfort, hope, and an encouraging challenge that she also can conquer with the Lord’s help and determination which she seemed to have! Then I was able to bring in our sin cursed bodies, our  sin nature, and the Gospel. That evening in that room the Lord was moving and very present. Marla, the wife and Lauren received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior!!! Huck, the husband seemed to be already Saved. To me it was humbling, awesome, and a very special blessing!!! Please be in prayer for Lauren as she recovers and goes through a lot of therapies: for speech, occupational, and physical therapies. 

Meetings:
During August and September we went to 2 new churches.1 took us on and the other is meeting to deciding on that this Sunday. In October we have another new church we will be in. Thank you for continued pray for us in travels, new supporting churches, and thank you to FBC in Garden City for committing to us to doubling our support and Cornerstone for increasing.

What is our attitude towards God in our circumstances?   
“Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish…? can he give bread…?...can he provide flesh for his people? How oft did they provoke him…” – Ps 78:19-20, 40     

Matthew J Siekbert

2018 July Newsletter

New Support:

I want to thank Old Paths Baptist Church and Bro Kirk for taking us on for support. We have had meetings in Tennessee, in Ohio and in West Virginia. I am looking for more new support and have scheduled some new churches. Your Prayers are needed! Thank You!

Ghana Update: 

Pastor Prince and Pastor Koasi from our church in Ghana, CBBC, updated us on

the work there. They are having VBS in the surrounding villages of Sekondi this summer. The Theme for the weeks of VBS is “BELIEVE”. The crowds have been about 150 kids in attendance. Freedom, a young thirty-four year old man, received Christ last year in August as a result of our VBS in Nkontompo. He has been baptized and became a member of CBBC. He, since January has also been coming to our Evening Bible classes during each week. This summer of VBS the Pastors notified me that Freedom has been teaching a VBS class!!! Praise the Lord for Freedoms visible growth it is wonderful to hear this great report! While he is growing in the Lord, we are also just as glad to hear of our faithful church members serving the Lord at the VBS also. The Pastors, Prince and Koasi are also keeping up with going and teaching once a week for us at the Deaf school and learning little by little some signs. Please be in prayer for a young man there at CBBC named Albert. He is having problems with the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. He has been saved and growing in the Lord as a CBBC church member. But misguided by wrong influences at work and at home. Charismatics live by feeling and take the Bible out of context. The Holy Spirit does not guide the Charismatics, the Hellish spirit guides them. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” – I Jn 4:1. Please be in prayer for the Pastors as they are doing the work of the ministry there.

Mack & Freedom

Travels & Happenings: 

Traveling to Florida in May for our son, Matthew Jr’s, graduation was

exciting. We got to see him graduate, to see our daughter, Naomi, and spent a week of vacation with them before they both had to go back to work at PCC for their college tuition. It was a good week together and we, rightly, are proud of them in their growing up and taking on financial responsibilities. That makes a parent feel good! For those who would like to keep in contact with Naomi and Matthew

their mailing addresses are:

                 
                  Naomi Siekbert 

                  PCC Box 666 250 Brent Lane

                  Pensacola, FL 32503

                  Matthew Siekbert Jr 

                  PCC Box 1397 250 Brent Lane, 

                  Pensacola, FL 32503

  

The 4th  of July at our Ohio home with some of my family and friends. It seemed to be extra special this time because after 14.5 years experiencing Africa and having now an American President who has America’s interest in a right perspective, I have come to appreciate our God Blessed Country more, the Land of the Free. We had a day recalling what some of our forefathers said: Thomas Jefferson said, “We in America do not have government by the majority—we have government by the majority who participate… All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent”; “The good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army. They may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves”;  James Madison said, “A well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people”;  John Adams said, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord;”… - Ps 33:12a 

Matthew J. Siekbert

siekbertnewsletter@blogspot.com

siekbertromans828@gmail.com

2018 May Newsletter

Our Last Few Weeks In Ghana: 
March 18-21 we had our Mission Conference at Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church. Many folks raised their hands in commitment to be a disciple and the last night committing to give to FPM. The commitments for 2017 FPM year went to the project of putting a roof over the container of Scriptures we received last May from BPS Milford, Ohio. God cares about the littlest of things. Planning to leave in May we had to reschedule leaving Ghana April 3rd so Matthew Jr could do his ACT test in the States to be accepted into PCC’s work program for the summer. Disappointment came to us because Bro Prince and his wife Linda had the 1st baby due April 14th and we knew we would not get to see it. But we prayed and God heard us!!! Amen! On March 30, 2018 Matthew Prince Tackie was born. They named the baby boy after me. God’s Blessings are rich and His gifts are Precious!!!

  

Our First Few Weeks In The US: 
We are still trying to see our way through the dust of moving, meetings, appointments, scheduling and graduation. April 22-25 we had MC at Chippewa Lake Baptist Church and on the 29th a meeting at Crusade Baptist where we were warmly welcomed back home.

Our Needs: 
Time of furlough is a time for reassessing our physical dilemmas, doctor appointments, family adjustments, financial analyses, ministry needs, and etc. We must raise our support level 25%. We are running on reserve. If you already support us thank you for your faithfulness. Above many other missionaries on the field I thank the Lord and also count ourselves blessed because of the churches that support us are faithful. Please be in prayer about helping us with an increase of your support. I am not complaining, but just informing. Usually, every furlough we come back and try to get our support level raised up to where it needs to be. We honestly, always fall short of our goal. Please pray and consider helping us get to our needed level this furlough. I’m sure you well know this, but prices everywhere in the world for everything are getting higher. Also we are trying to raise money for some sign language courses while we are here in the States. Be in Prayer for the church land in Sekondi, Ghana to be approved for purchase and building. All last term we longed to put the bricks we had made into the form of a building, but corruption and scandals in the government there have held us up.


Our Schedule: 
We will be in Ohio, Florida, and West Virginia this month and next month, May and June. I am working on getting into the Pensacola, Florida area. The busy schedule of Mother’s Day, graduation, and vacation fever is coming on. May and the summer epidemic is hitting. Please be in prayer for us as I am scheduling with supporters and also looking to pick up some new churches.

Our Family: 
We are glad to be back home in the States!!! Naomi is completing her first year at PCC. Some of our Newsletter contacts and supporting churches have sent Naomi letters, cards of encouragement, and gifts through the year, as her parents we want to thank you for remembering her and keeping in touch with her. We are getting ready to take Matthew to Abeka to graduate with the homeschoolers. Last year there were well over 400 Graduates in attendance. Then we will be leaving him there with Naomi so that he can start the summer work program to pay for college at PCC. Enclosed is his Class of 2018 graduation picture. If you would like to send him some graduation money, you can send it to our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist Church, in his name, Matthew Siekbert Jr; and noted it as Graduation in the memo section. Thank you all for being a part of our family during these last 18 years as we have been traveling the US on furlough and being your missionaries in Ghana W Africa.

Our Reception with God Depends Many Times On Our Living for God, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. – Psalms 86:7 

Matthew J Siekbert

SiekbertRomans828@gmail.com

siekbertnewsletter@blogspot.com

2018 March Newsletter

Salvation/Weekly Bible Studies: 

About 4 weeks ago I got to lead a young man named Eric to Christ in the Village of Ekuasi. Our weekly Bible studies on Tuesday Evenings in Nkontompo has continued with Linda and Jackie going to Emma’s house. Prince and myself were meeting with Samuel, due to his work we have not been able to continue with him. He has come to church once since then. Prince and I go visiting there in Nkontompo while the ladies have their Bible study. Another man named, Bill, contacted me to have a Bible study at my house on Thursday’s. We have known of Bill, he remembers us from 14 years ago when we were looking to rent a house in the Sekondi/Takoradi, area we live in now. I have been meeting with him on our front porch on Thursday Evenings. As I have mentioned before Ghanaians are very religious but their gospel is good works and tradition. The people here in Ghana are fooled by their own people and the churches here are money-making businesses.  They dress and look like many think Christians should look and even use Bible words, but without  Bible Truth of those words. Bill goes to a charismatic church, which is named Victory Bible Church. That sounds very convincing, but there is no victory in a cult. It does not follow the Bible. Most  churches now do not teach or preach on conflicting or convicting topics. The churches here teach on money, prosperity, and miracles. The world is full of blind people looking for a blind hope. They praise and worship, speak in what they call “Tongues” as the world has defined Christianity. I have  been going over with him “Salvation Bible Studies on Blood Sacrifice” that another missionary has developed. This past Thursday I hit a cord with Bill when I mentioned Judgment. He thinks that “ALL” will be judged at once by their works to determine their Eternity, because II Cor 5:10 says, “For we  must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Then I mentioned to him that judgment, reading carefully, it is called the “Judgment Seat of Christ” and that is for “ALL” Believers, who are Truly Christians, those that will be raptured. And that judgment is about rewards of living for Christ. Also that judgment is not to determine if they will live in Heaven or Hell, that has already been decided for them when they received Jesus as their Savior, who took and paid for their punishment on the cross and went to their deserved Hell. Then I mentioned the “Great White Throne Judgment” found in Rev 20:11-15 and told him that judgment is for the Unbeliever, the one not written in the Book of Life. At that judgment Christ will judge the Unsaved person “According To Their Works” (20:12,13) because that is what they trusted in like Cain to be accepted by God, but was rejected by God. That rejected person will then be cast into the Lake of Fire forever, because they did not put their sole trust   in the Blood of the Lamb, who is Christ Jesus the only Savior. Pray for Bill that he will see the true gospel light and get Truly Saved. I will finish these lessons with him in the next two weeks. “The love of Jesus spoils us for every other interest in life EXCEPT DISCIPLING men and women to HIM.” –   by Oswald Chambers   

Isaac, (left) I led to the Lord and he came to church, he is from Ekuasi. Samuel (right) is who we had Bible study with in Nkontompo

Freedom got saved from a after VBS visitation. He came to get out of the rain and was listening to what was being taught. He got saved and baptized and has been coming faithfully and growing.  Amen

Furlough: 

With just a couple of weeks until we head  home for furlough we would appreciate your prayers for our family, travels, meetings, good traveling car, and the ministry here in Ghana. We hope to update you on the church property the next newsletter. Please pray for: Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church. We will be starting our Mission Conference this Sunday; Pastor Prince and Pastor Koasi as they continue the ministry here in Ghana as we return for furlough; Bro Prince’s wife, Linda, as she is due to have a baby soon. It is due in the middle of April.                                                                                                                                              
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,…” – Mat 28:19a   
       

     

Matthew J Siekbert