September 2021 Newsletter

CORNERSTONE’S BUILDING:

As we would say in Ghana W. Africa, Cornerstone’s church building is coming together ‘Nkakraa kakraa’ meaning ‘little-by-little’!!!While we are back here in the States Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church has completed plastering the inside of the auditorium walls with cement which completes the whole building being plastered with cement. Next, they have completed putting on the ceiling tiles in the auditorium which also completes all the ceilings inside and eves outside of the whole building. With that being said this week they have been constructing permanent outside steps which lead to each entry way into the building. Friday and Saturday they are to lay on the auditorium floor conduit and run wiring through them for the lower wall sockets; then starting on Monday covering the conduit and wiring with pouring the final auditorium floor in sections throughout the week. This endeavor has depleted their building funds. If you would like to help them more financially, I’m sure they would be glad for the help. There is always more to do, but God is faithful! They still need to paint everything, stain the ceilings, and put up and stain the doors, (there are 4 – 60” W x 8’ L entry way narrow double doors; 2 – 36” office/auditorium doors; 2 – 5’W x 4’L Auditorium/Storage Room  Doors; 1 – 2 ½’ W x 3 ½’ L Office/Storage Room Door; then the banisters for the office staircase; and 33 windows and 33 screens. Cornerstone has all the doors besides the storage doors and they have all of the windows besides the screens. They only need to pay to get the doors and the glass louvers for each window cut down to fit and then installed. With a very rough estimate, I would say $60 per opening for only the installment. That is 42 openings: 9 doorways and 33 windows which is about $2,520.

UPDATES IN THE STATES:

The later part of July and the first part of Augustin between our travels  and meetings we have helped out at our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist Church with their Camp Chippewa Week. Visiting, preparing the grounds, and cleaning up the buildings. It is like VBS in that it had for the kids a Message time, Games, and Crafts, but multiple times with food, water slides, and different other activities all day from 9  am to 4 pm every day for a week. There were about 140 plus registered and about 40 of them made professionsof faith during the week. We took Joseph to school at the Bill Rice Ranch Bible Institute at the end of August. We  got to eat lunch with him before we said our goodbyes. We have heard from him and he is doing well. If you would like to have his address it is as follows: Joseph Siekbert, 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road, Murfreesboro TN 37128. When sending make sure that it is noted for Joseph Siekbert. This address is the main address for all other mail also. Nehemiah has finished his first 9 weeks of school. We also have had to get a new Passport for  Nehemiah and when we went to start the process they said that it will take 18 weeks. I asked to get the passport expedited and they said that it will take 12 weeks. The government agency received it July 30th. With the timeline that I was given we should receive Nehemiah’s new passport by the end of October then we need to get a visa put in it. Please pray for Naomi, our daughter as she will marry her fiancé at the end of September and start a new journey. Matthew Jr and Sarah will be celebrating their one-year anniversary September 26^th. We had meetings in Pennsylvania and Ohio. We have more meetings in Ohio and in Kentucky. The meeting in Kentucky will be a   new church for us to be at.                                                                

Joseph's Dorm/Cabin

Getting Joseph settled

                                                                       

BITS OF BREAD:

With God’s Leading comes the Devil’s Tempting! “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” – Matthew 4:1To Be the Christian the Lord would have you to be has its difficult times!!! The Devil Tempts You:1.In Your Weakness, your want 4:2, “he was afterward an hungered”; 2.In Your Position or with your position 4:3, “If thou be the Son of God”; 3.In Your Ability, your capability 4:3, 6, “Command”, “Cast”, “Charge”;4.In Your Priorities, always look to the Higher Authority/ Principle 4:10, “For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Are You Giving Into Your Flesh?; Are You Rightfully Using Your Position?; What Command or Charges Are You Giving That Lead To The Wrong Outcome? What Does The Bible Say About What You Are Tempted or Attempting To Do???  

                                                                                            

                                                                          

Matthew J Siekbert 

July Newsletter 2021

HAPPENINGS IN GHANA: 

Although the building at Cornerstone in Sekondi is not completed those at Cornerstone are having VBSs during this summer. It is a blessing to see Freedom an adult convert from 2017 now about 37 teaching along with a young man named Nicolas. Nicolas got saved and grew up at Cornerstone. He is about 17 now. Growing up coming to Cornerstone he had no family support at home to go to church, especially, the right kind of church. Nathanial, another young man who was involved with the VBSs this year was influenced by his older brother, Joseph, who was led to the Lord by Bro Koasi back in 2007. A student from the Deaf School in Sekondi where we have had services for many years came to the VBSs. As we all have had to do some canceling summer activities and have disrupted school years from March 2020 till January 2021 with limitations when opened, we hope and pray that things will be back to normal by this September. Please keep Bro Koasi, Bro Ben, and Bro Emmanuel in your prayers as they are faithfully working the Anaji Bible Study.

Pastor Prince

Freedom teaching

View from upper level Bible Time and lower level Crafts

Game Time in auditorium

CONCERNING CORNERSTONE’S BUILDING PROGRESS: 

They have been on hold since we have been back in the States. One of the reasons was that are funds were down to $500 but as we have been back here in the States the funds have gone up. The main thing that needs worked on now is the auditorium. Its wiring, it’s inside walls need plastering and the ceiling hung, it’s final flooring needs poured, then all the windows and doors need to be installed and the whole building needs to be painted along with installing some banisters for the stair case. We want to thank Calvary Bible and Hilltop for giving towards 

Cornerstone’s building!

HAPPENINGS IN THE STATES: 

We made it to Florida in May for our son, Joseph’s Graduation.

He Made It!!! We got to stay in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for about 5 days on our way back from Florida. Where we were staying, we had some close encounters with 5 to 6 bears during the week. The place we stayed at was called “Bears Trail” and it truly was! We had them looking in our van windows and even coming up on the porch where our main door was to the cabin! It was an exciting and a fun time with all 3 of our boys and our daughter-in-law. Back at our home church here at Chippewa Lake Baptist Church in Medina, Ohio we have been getting acquainted with many new folks here. Some that have joined, others that have recently been saved and have joined, and some that have just been saved and are going to join. It has been quite nice to see the Lord working! AMEN!!! My son Nehemiah and I put up a wall for our church secretary, I went to Bro. and Mrs. Brian Starr’s house, a missionary couple that have the “Heart Ministry”

helping smaller churches in pulpit filling and visiting in those church’s areas and communities. I went to speak in his weekly men’s prayer meeting and go with them visiting.

Master Chef

BEARS!!

OUR TRAVELS: 

In July and in August we will be having meetings in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Ohio. Please be in prayer for our safety in our travels. We will be taking Joseph our son to the Bill Rice Ranch

Bible Institute at the end of August.

BITS OF BREAD:

 “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is

forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” – Psalms 130:3-4 c/w Mal 3:2-4.

Jamieson, Fausett & Brown commentary on verse 4 is as noted: 

1) “Pardon produces filial fear and love.”

2) “Judgment without the hope of pardon creates fear and dislike.” 

3) “The sense of forgiveness, so far

      from producing licentiousness, produces holiness” (Jer 33:9; Eze 16:62, 63; I Ptr 2:16).

4) "There is forgiveness with thee, not that thou mayest be presumed upon, but feared."

- What I Take From These Verses are: 

1) Although God is a God of Judgement and Justice, He is also a God of Mercy and Pardon. 

2) With True Repentance, there Can Be True Pardon.

3) Perhaps, by the Psalmist own testimony his reasoning for “Waiting on the Lord” is because of    

    the Lord’s Forgiveness, Mercy, and Plenteous Redemption c/w Psalms 130: 6,7,8.; Psalms  

     27:13,14

In His Service, 

Matthew J Siekbert 

May Newsletter 2021

 CBBCBuilding Progress:                                                                                                                                       In the 2 story section of CBBC's building all the wiring has been run, the inner and outer walls have all been plastered, the final flooring and the steps have been poured/laid, the ceiling tiles are now up on the 2^nd floor and the storage area. For the Outside of the whole building the plasterwork is finished all but the columns on the veranda and the auditorium sections. For inside the auditorium wire needs ran, all the plastering for the walls and columns need to be done yet, ceiling tiles, and the final flooring needs poured/laid. Then the doors and windows can be put on the building. I would like to give thanks to Bible Baptist, Emmanuel Baptist, Old Paths Baptist, and Chippewa Lake Baptist for giving towards Cornerstone's building since our March Newsletter.

DOINGS:                                                                                                                                                       March 21-24 CBBC had their Mission Conference. I spoke the evenings of March the 22nd and the 23^rd. Chippewa Lake Baptist Church had a Missions month in April where missions is emphasized every Sunday of the month. On Sunday April 25^th I showed some picture clips about: our Church Plant in Sekondi, our Bible Study in Anaji, our extra ministering there in Anaji schools, and of the building progress from start till now, taught, and preached that day. Between the two mission conferences/emphasis I spoke on "What It Takes To Get Involved in Missions and in a Bigger Way"; "Fulfilling Christ Command Can Only Be Accomplished Through Being Spirit Filled"; "Doing For Others"; and "The Ways, The Whys, and The Whats In Getting Involved In Missions". On May 2^nd we went to First Baptist Church of Milford to be with them on their new Press Dedication for Bearing Precious Seed Bible Printing. Also while back in our intermediate time in the States we had doctor appointments, eye and dentist appointments along with updating and repairing our ministry computers. I would like to give thanks to my niece in giving me her computer. It is expensive being here and we have got to get back to Africa!

TRAVELS:                                                                                                                                                     We came back to the States in April to bring our son Joseph home to start his life here. We needed to get him started with jobs making money to pay for his college. He is done with Homeschooling and will be Graduating at ABeka in Pensacola, Florida on May 22^nd. We are having a graduation party for him May 15^th at our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist. At the end of August he will be going to the Bill Rice Ranch Bible Institute for 2 years, maybe, 4 years. As most of you churches, friends, and families have been in support of our family please be in prayer for him, his safety, his housing, his travels, God's Will for him, and as he will be faced with many decisions, temptations, and trials. Please pray for us also (My wife Jackie, my son Nehemiah, and myself)   as we will leave another one of our children here in the US. We are here until June 8^ththen we will be going back to Ghana W. Africa.

He did it!

From 6 of us down to the 3 of us.

Bits of Bread:"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath   loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."                                  – Ephesians 5:1-2

 "Followers of God, as dear children"speaks to me of an innocent, un-defiant trust in yielding and obeying as a young child to his father even when one does not understand.                                                                                        "And Walk in Love, as Christ"speaks to me of the Devout love Jesus has for His Father to be an offering for us (the human race that is not worthy of Jesus) and a sacrifice to God: that was for the sake of His Father's Will that no one perish, that Christ was and is Holy, Acceptable, All-Sufficient, and that Christ sacrifice was All-Pleasing. As individual Christians, I think, Only Walking In Love As Christcan help us accomplish being the Offering for others to be bettered for God's Glory and the Sacrifice that is pleasing to God's Glory! The amount of One's Love of God and Love of His Word is shown in One's level of Character, of Trust, and of Willing Obedience.                                                                        

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Matthew J Siekbert                    

 

Cornerstone recognized Joseph's last Sunday in Ghana before returning to the U.S. They gave him a Ghanaian smock and a scarf. Joseph was in Ghana for 17 years. 

Prince, Linda and Matthew with Joseph

Prince, Joseph and Koasi

Our Family with Joseph

Our Family on a Sunday

March Newsletter 2021

CBBCBuilding Work: Cornerstone is still using the funds that have been raised for them, but they are coming to a soon end of those funds. If you still would like to give towards Cornerstone's building it would be quite welcome. They still need funds for the Ceiling tiles, Staircase banister, Running more wires through out the auditorium, Laying the final cement work over the floors and steps in the Office area and in the Auditorium area, Finishing up the perimeter walls around the Church property and Having gates built for the front wall. They also need window screens, a prepaid meter box that needs to be bought at the electricity company along with some Electrical poles to properly and officially run electricity to the church building. All of the doors need to be put up. Most of the doors have been bought except for 3 storage area doors remaining. They have framed in all of the wooden doorframes and all of the wooden window frames. We have bought louver frames and louver glass for the windows for the entire church building. To install the doors  and the windows we must finish with the plastering and the laying of the final cement work. We (Koasi and my son, Joseph for the most part) have chiseled channels in the cement walls to run conduit for the wiring, installed the main breaker box (which is for the whole building), electrical boxes for the plugs sockets, for the light  switches and for the fans in the two story office section and storage area. As I write they are working on finishing chiseling the auditorium area. They have chiseled it already, but now more definably for conduit  channels in the cement walls of the auditorium for the conduit to be laid, so the electrical wires can be ran through the conduit to the electrical boxes!!!!! The masons are trying to complete the two-story office section plastering the final cement on the inside and outside walls with fine (more cautious and particular) work on the pillars. LOOKING AT THE MOUNTAIN Of Things To Do we look at what has been done already, THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS In Getting this far and press on to the next. Our immediate goal is to completely finish up with the Storage area, the Office section, and the Perimeter walls and gates, then work on the finishing of the auditorium and the veranda areas. 

ABS Work:At the end of January Emmanuel was baptized! We have had many visitors come to our services at the Anaji Bible Study. Some of those visitors come off and on. A young man somewhere in his 20's named  Gad, a friend of Emmanuel's has come several times and each time he comes after the message is over he asks more questions. He was a Jehovah's Witness (Devil's Deceiving Liar). Pray for him we would like to see him getting Saved. 

God's Work:God's Work Is Done In His Time! When I was a teenager growing up there were two statements made to me that were very significant to me. One was my Mother would quite often tell me, "God is teaching you patience." The other one was my Pastor while I was growing up would always say, "Faithfulness is the key." Now I am realizing   somewhat more of why these statements were so important. God's Working is not within   my timing and I get weary in well doing! But I try not to forget the rest of that verse, "for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." – Gal 6:9. CBBC (Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church) will be having their Conference on Missions next week. Please be in prayer for us (Pastor Prince, Bro Koasi, and myself) as we bring the messages,  as the Lord's messages fall on the hearing ears, and for the pliable heart.

Bits of Bread:"For neither did his brethren believe in him." – Jn 7:5.  Whenever your life rightly lived  testifies against someone else's life wrongly lived most likely the immediate outcome will be hate (v7), but do not let that detour you. Eventually, they may come around and the final outcome maybe rewarding! The half brothers of Jesus got Saved after Christ's Resurrection, They sought through prayer in the upper room before Pentecost the filling and power of the Holy Ghost to live their lives and evangelize, James became the Pastor at the Jerusalem Church, James and Jude wrote letters in the Bible challenging and exhorting the Christians!

                                                                                                         Matthew J Siekbert

 

Electrical Work

Upstairs

The wall looking at the front of the building

Back left side of the building. The porch off of the auditorium. 

Looking front to back, side of auditorium.

From back to front, side of auditorium and 2 story office area.