Ministries Re-opening!
Dearest Friends, Like most of you when ministries where put on hold in March, I expected things to start again within a few months. But covid19 has changed my plans dramatically (including the planned summer furlough). The last six-months have been difficult because I've missed being involved in daily ministries throughout the community. At the same time I knew it was Gods will for us to be safe, and eventually those ministries will begin again. Today it gives me joy to say the time for reopening has come!
The Bible College opens Monday
Next Monday (August 24) classes restart at Baptist Bible College of the Caribbean, where I will teach a three-week module on "The Life of Christ". The Lord's work is clearly seen in this since that class was supposed to happen in November, but the teacher for the originally scheduled class couldn't teach because he would come from overseas. His two-week quarantine period would take up all of the time originally scheduled for his class. The Lord worked it out for me to stay here so that I can teach my class early. Please pray for this class as I challenge students to think deeply about the truths of Scripture, and apply it to their lives.
School Opens Next Week
Along with the Bible College, local schools in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines open next week. While the cases covid19 here are thankfully much lower than everywhere else, its still necessary for children to become accustomed to new procedures in school such as taking temperature every morning, constant sanitizing or hand washing, and wearing of masks. I am thankful that College class and school classes start at the same time since it gives the children a few weeks to get used to things again before I look into the possibility of re-starting a reading program with some of the students. Please specifically pray that the Lord would allow me to continue helping with reading this school year, and pair me with the right students. In January I decided with the school administrators help instead of taking students from different grades, to have two or three children who needed the most help with reading twice a week. The Lord blessed this ministry, and its my prayer He will continue to do so.
The Prison Ministries will open up soon
Finally please pray for the prison ministry that should begin again soon. Actually we were told that ministry would begin again in July, but that changed when some new cases were discovered in the country. The prisoners have sent a message to us more than once about how much they miss our services with them through a Pastor who is allowed to visit them. It's a great ministry of encouragement and teaching that helps them grow mentally as well as spiritually in preparation for the time after their release. Pray that these men would not be discouraged in this time of waiting, and they would study the Word of God for themselves while we are not there.
This is definitely an exciting time to see so many doors of ministry opening! As they do my greatest prayer request is that God would give me patience.
After such a long break, I cannot expect to be able to just dive in and things go smoothly. It's necessary to rebuild the foundation for these ministries first. Which means taking things slow.
May the Lord help my goal not be to accomplish everything at once, but to do things the right way for God's glory.
With Love,
John Wilburn
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