TOKA TO RUPUNAU

Monday morning, around 6 am, we were off on another 150 miles or so journey, deeper south to the village known as RUPUNAU, where we spent the next 3 days in fellowship with the believers there. Toka village has been blessed considerably by their participation in the online quizzes and activities of YF, and the Rupunau believers have been anxious to get a little more deeply involved. The Message entered this village around 2010, when a brother who was born in the village, then residing in Toka, felt the leading to carry the Message back to his hometown and family. Since that time, a number of trips were made to the village by both the believers of Toka and Trinidad, to encourage the brethren, distribute materials sent to them from VGR, and also to help them erect a place of worship.

We enjoyed some wonderful services and times of fellowship and singing. We were able to demonstrate the use of the websites, view many videos that express the mission of VGR and YF. With the use of a projector, which was bought for them as a gift, they had the experience of both reading on screen and hearing the voice of the prophet, via the Table audio player on their laptop. They will now use this for their regular services.

We even had a day of fun activities with the village school, which was mysteriously arranged. On our last day there, as we were about to begin our youth activities, a messenger arrived to tell us that the children at the school were waiting for us. “Waiting for what?” was our response. It was told that apparently, the school’s headmaster had announced the day before that there was coming a group of children from Trinidad to have a day of sports with them. At that point he had suspended classes, and was setting up volleyball nets waiting with the kids for our arrival. When we asked among the brethren, no one knew who had made such an arrangement, even to this day, it remains a mystery.

Nevertheless, we gladly responded to that sudden call, believing that the Lord was opening a way for us to be a witness in the village. There we met many smiling faces, excited kids and a very polite overseer. They even asked one of our minister brothers to open the event with a word of prayer. They put together a nice schedule of friendly competitive events, mainly volleyball, cricket and soccer. It proved to be a perfect ‘icebreaker’ and opportunity for us to fellowship and give out witnessing cards, tracts, Pillar of Fire & Christ at 33 picture cards, and even lots of sweets. CC magazines were offered to the headmaster for use in the school library, which he gratefully accepted.

That night, we printed and handed out the YF quizzes for the message, “The Oddball” 64–0531. Four young men, students who had played with us during the day, came to the service, listened to the message and did very well in the quiz. The quizzes were collected afterwards, and results and papers returned to them that same night. After some late night singing, we were again ready to leave, early the next morning.

RUPUNAU TO LETHEM

On our way out of Rupunau, we passed through the town of LETHEM, which is along the main route. It is a fast developing town of commerce, and is a main hub in this area for business, right on the border between Guyana and Brazil. Hundreds of visitors from Brazil come over the border each day for shopping. This day was no different, and we took the opportunity to pass out Message materials in the nearby homes and business places. The response was generally favorable, and almost everyone gladly accepted the materials offered to them. Some even commended the youth on their worthy campaign, which, of course, was an encouragement. The children showed great courage, as they politely addressed strangers to introduce them to the Words of Life.

After about 2hrs, we regrouped, telling of the many encounters along the way, and finally left Lethem, heading back to Toka.