We praise the Lord for His continued guidance and protection for the past three months. All has been well with us since we last reported. However, since we entered the month of June, the coronavirus is now on the rise in Liberia, with many deaths. We even lost one of our pastors. But God is faithful. We thank you, our partners and supporters, for your prayers and sacrificial support in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. May the Lord richly bless you.
Our Family
Our family is doing fine. Gifty and Eddie did well in their lessons and were placed on the honor roll. Eddie is ending his sophomore year at the University of Liberia. Princess was very sick and could not go to school for two weeks. Praise the Lord she recovered. In April, Rose lost one of her younger sisters. Since March, we began the construction of a provision (grocery) shop in our yard. This will help with the family income. The project is costing us close to $10,000 (USD ten thousand dollars). The shop has been roofed, and we trust the Lord to help us with money for the floor, windows, doors, and ceiling.
I praise the Lord for saving me from a tragic motor accident on Saturday, June 5. The accident happened just in front of my car. In fact, the first car in this photo almost fell on my vehicle, but the Lord protected me and only my head light was damaged.
Ministries Report
During the last quarter, church services continued, with two worship services at the new building. The average attendance for adults is 399, and for children, 60. Nineteen (19) persons trusted Christ as Lord and Savior, while 15 persons got baptized. Since church resumed at the new edifice, regular Sunday school has not been held due to the holding of two services.
However, the Sunday school department remained active with children’s church and other activities. With the upsurge in the coronavirus cases now, we will continue to hold two services and keep the kids in children’s church.
Couples Retreat
On May 14, the couples’ fellowship of Calvary held a two-day retreat in the city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. The retreat, which brought together 22 couples (44 persons), was focused on strengthening the relationship between husband and wife, especially in the areas of communication, sex, and financial management in the home.
Workshops and Seminars
On March 6, a one-day workshop was held to train teachers how to use the flannelgraph to teach children. Thanks to Regular Baptist Press that has been supplying us with Sunday school materials.
Late in March, the Silent Word Ministries, based in the US, in collaboration with the church, conducted four days of services and training for more than 30 deaf and mute people from around Monrovia. Mr. David Bennett, a former missionary to Brazil and leader of the team, demonstrated the creation story in sign language for the deaf to hear the Word of God. During the workshop, six deaf and mute persons came to Christ.
The Calvary Baptist Church and the Independent Baptist Pastor’s Fellowship, in collaboration with the GOGF (Good Old Gospel Fellowship) based in Philadelphia, USA, conducted a one-day Zoom conference for local pastors on February 6, 2021 at the church edifice. The leadership conference was conducted by Dr. Tony Hart, president of the GOGF. The GOGF has helped to build the capacity of Baptist pastors and church leaders in Liberia over the years.
Fellowships
All of our fellowships around the country remained opened despite the rise in the Covid cases. The Zwedru fellowship will be opening a mobile Bible school early in July. There are four persons in baptismal class at the fellowship. The Central Baptist Fellowship in Monrovia began work on the construction of its new church following a ground-breaking ceremony early this year. Central Baptist is one of our fastest-growing fellowships. The fellowship has even established one new church and is beginning a preaching point in the Kiss Town community.
Church Construction Project
Since the resumption of services at the new edifice in December, 2020, no major work has been done on the church due to lack of funds. The effect of the coronavirus pandemic has not only crippled our economy, but also the church’s income (tithes and offerings). Meanwhile, fund-raising continues as we prepare to begin the tiling of the downstairs edifice. This phase of the project is estimated at USD $18,000. The project is being undertaken by the church without much outside support. The Lord has been faithful in bringing it to this level.
Todee School
As part of its major plans for this year, the Men’s Department and the School Board reopened the Todee School in the church building. Partitions were made to create classes and benches for the children to begin school. The department hired the services of four teachers for six months after which the school board will take over the payment of teachers. Meanwhile, the school building under construction has reached roof level.
Obituary
In March, 2021, Sister Cecelia Siakor, wife of Pastor Jerome Siakor, director of AWANA Liberia, died at the John F. Kennedy Hospital and was later buried.
Jake Memorial Baptist College
Rev. Moses Ujoe Weidehgar, Sr., director of admissions, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, June 16 at the ELWA hospital. Rev. Weidehgar, who was also a national missionary of the IGM, had been suffering from hypertension and diabetes. He was a former police officer, but resigned from the police during the Liberian civil war, rededicated his life to the Lord, and went to Bible School in the 1990s. He later pastored two churches, resigned, and joined the Jake Memorial Baptist College, where he served up to his death. He leaves his wife, eight children, and 12 grandchildren. Meanwhile, work on the College’s new building is nearing completion.
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for Liberia as we battle the third wave of the pandemic. Pray for the Lord’s protection of our lives. Many of our members are sick with the virus. All hospitals and clinics are filled.
- Pray for the completion of the Todee school project. The roofing will cost $6,000.
- Pray for the provision of funds to begin the tiling of the church floor.
- Pray for Rev. Weidehgar’s family.
- Pray for the completion of our shop.