Summer

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for tuning in! Exciting things are going on with YWAM Guyana this season!

We're in the full swing of summertime (dry season), with a 5 day youth camp beginning tomorrow a couple hours away in a place called Hararuni. This camp is run by YWAM with various Guyanese church leaders and sponsored by a church in Florida. Karen and I are counselors and we're doing a workshop on purity for the girls.

Kim and I had recent meetings with a couple of government workers regarding the rampant child molestation happening in a particular interior village where YWAM has worked extensively.

I left the meetings with conflicting feelings of dismay and hope. It was hard to hear the dismal news of the enormity of child abuse and rape cases that come to Social Services everyday, while only 1% of cases have actually gone through the court system and resulted in conviction in the past 5 years. I was saddened by the stories one of the workers shared with us.

But it was hopeful to hear that there is a proposal being put together to change legislation so that such cases will be tried more quickly and acurately while protecting the victims. Social Services is looking for NGO's who will work with them to be a voice in their community regarding child protection.

I pray that the corruption that has infected the court system would be eradicated and I thank God for this opportunity to seek justice on behalf of children in Guyana.

We joined a group of Canadians on a stint with Youth Challenge International who are starting a literacy program of sorts in Parika. I was delighted to teach some awesome kids at the local elementary school in the last couple of weeks! Getting to know more children in the community has been a blessing and I look forward to how this will open up ways to share the love of Christ with their families.

I continue to be humbled by the generosity of Guyanese friends -several people have given toward our upcoming trip to the interior, providing food and medical supplies.

As I looked out at the sea of faces during a recent youth service I participated in, I felt privileged and grateful to be here in Guyana. My life has been enriched through people and experiences in this nation.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers in all these things. May our living God bless you tremendously.

“...we wait for the blesed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:13-14