August Newsletter from the House family.
Hello Brethren:
Hello to everyone from the Houses in Guyana. Time really moves fast; we have been here for about 5 months already. We have gotten adjusted to living back in Guyana and are enjoying working with the congregations at Plaisance and Industry.
Plaisance and Industry Updates:
The congregation at Plaisance has been averaging about 40 on Sunday mornings for the past few weeks since our last report on August 6th. The VBS and Gospel Meeting that we had in late July led by the University Church of Christ from Montgomery, Alabama, was a big boost for the church at Plaisance. This is encouraging as the attendance had been way down before we moved back in late April of this year.
Naiome is doing a good job with the Sunday school as about 8-10 children are coming regularly. The ladies’ class is also continuing to meet twice a month. It is great to see Plaisance making progress spiritually. Plaisance will having its 34th anniversary on September 29th. The congregation was established in late September of 1990.
We have been attending Industry on Sunday nights to encourage them. I have been preaching twice a month to help the local preacher, Floyd Cato. We have been enjoying going to Industry and worshipping with them every Sunday night. We are hoping to spend a little more time with them in the future to help them grow.
Personal Report:
I preached for 23 years in the States after leaving Guyana in June of 2001. It was a great help for me coming back to Guyana to work with the church here. I am helping Witfield Collins, the local preacher with the preaching and teaching at Plaisance. I am preaching twice a month plus teaching twice a month as we are alternating the preaching and teaching every month. I am teaching Wed night bible class each week.
The past month I have been going out into the field on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Floyd Cato in Industry to visit members, and to encourage errand members from about 1-5 pm. Floyd told me that some of our visits are already bearing fruit as some are starting to attend worship at Industry again. I have enjoyed going out each week with Floyd to encourage others and also help reach those who have never obeyed the Gospel of Christ. Below is a picture of me visiting with Jane, one of the members from Industry who is shut in due to health issues.
I have also been going out in Plaisance visiting to encourage members, and those who have never obeyed the Lord. Please pray for Randall Maniram w
ho is 68 years old. He is the husband of Nadira and the father of Alana who are faithful members at Plaisance. I will be studying with Randall to teach him the truth as he got mixed up with the Mormons years ago but is now open to studying God’s word. He has been attending the last two Wed nights.
Thank you for being co-workers with us in the Guyana work. We love and appreciate all of you.
In Christ
Bruce House
Naiome’s Corner
Hello again to everyone from Guyana. Here are a few happenings from the month of August.
We celebrated Jordan’s birthday. Jordan is one of my Sunday school kids. I made him some chocolate cupcakes. One thing I have learnt is buttercream icing does not do well in Guyana 😊. All the icing melted by the end of class. Keisha his cousin wanted to know if I will make cupcakes when it is her birthday, so I think I have created a new thing now and will be making cupcakes for their birthday. It is such a big treat for the kids here. Below are pictures of Jordan with his cupcakes, I gave him the leftovers to take home. Next to him is Keisha with her craft from Sunday school, we were doing the fruit of the spirit series, that day it was on kindness.
August 1st was Emancipation Day in Guyana. It is a national holiday here in Guyana and they usually have different events to celebrate this day. Below are pictures of me dressed up in my emancipation outfit for church that Sunday. Myself and Roxanne, my sister got matching outfits, but she would not let me take her picture 😊
On August 24th, my sister Sarah invited me to a Ladies Day at a congregation close to her. It was an honor to go to this event. Being there at the building brought back memories of my dad. My dad helped built that building several years ago with several other church buildings here in Guyana. It was an adventure going to the Ladies Day, I had to catch two public buses to get there, and my sister said she was hoping I did not get lost 😊. Below is a picture of myself and my sister Sarah. The theme of the Ladies Day was “Woman of Valor.” The ladies there at the Canal Number Two congregation all did an excellent job!! It was such a blessing to be there, and I was very uplifted.
One of the things we started at the Plaisance congregation is having a monthly potluck. It is a wonderful time of fellowship and members getting to know each other better. Each month we decide on a menu that is affordable and everyone brings a dish. We usually will coordinate during the month who will be bringing what. I usually try to take a dish of everything and make the cake. Our menu for August was BBQ Chicken, baked Mac n Cheese and Mashed potatoes.
On August 29th, eleven ladies from the Plaisance congregation left to go to Suriname for a Ladies Retreat. Suriname is a country that borders Guyana, and you can get there either by a ferry or airplane. We went by ferry. We charted a bus that picked us up at 4:00 am that morning, it’s about 3 ½ hours drive to the ferry, then the ferry ride is about 45 minutes to get across to Suriname and then it is about a 5-hour drive to get to Paramaribo where the event was being held and where we stayed. The theme for the Ladies Retreat was Overcoming Struggles, with lessons taken from Job. It was so great to meet our sisters from the Suriname congregation. They all did such an excellent job!! We will be planning to go again. Our next trip we are planning is going to the International Women Lectureship in Dominica in July of 2025.
Thank you everyone for all your support of the Guyana work. All of the above could not be possible without your help for us to be here in Guyana. We are so thankful for this opportunity to be able to do the Lord’s work here. We are incredibly grateful for you supporting us in this great work. We ask for your prayers daily and we continue to do the Lord’s work here. Please continue to pray for our safety and for health and strength for us. Thank you again so much.
Your Servant in Christ
Naiome
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