Evangelical Brotherhood Church
Sunny Point sister Dahl is the founder of the EBGS congregation there. When she first came to live here, there was no church in the neighborhood, and therefore they began to hold church itself together with local residents. Sunday morning she hit on a pan to collect the churchgoers and then they held the service. This is already 12 years ago and now this has become a real EBGS congregation, indeed even without genuine church building, but in the meantime the land on which the service is held hardened. And the space is dressed better and better. In this community we are involved, Jolan Gaaikema preaches at least once a month there and sister Dahl is in our board. We have offered the city 60 songbooks and a keyboard and we organize various activities or for the church.
Improvements
In these months we want to improve the sanitation facilities of the town and the home of Sister Dahl will be refurbished. For this money has been raised in the Netherlands. The intention was that it was long before this started, but the workers have always postponed. Now we hope that it will really happen
A New Home
We have financed the construction of her simple house for one of our former workers, a single mother with a large family. She is very happy with her new home. We have already provided additional money for doors and now we have support for the final finishing of the house.
Sunnypoint
Vacation Bible School
Bible school, this is intended primarily for children of primary school and younger, but of course teens are welcome. Bible stories will be told and creative activities will be following these Bible stories. People draw, write and perhaps also do plays. Vacation Bible School was in september. Of course, at the end of the week there was a Bible Quiz. The children learned to sing many songs, and those songs also were performed in the church service is held on the Sunday after this Bible Week. There is the opportunity to perform with singing and the children sing the most beautiful or the most knowledge of the Bible stories told to get a prize. Music lessonsIn
In October 2015 we hoped to start again with flute lessons. This activity could not continue for a long time: first because the teacher studied flute and still had to take an exam. She has now succeeded. And in these months stagnated lessons again because she was ill. Meanwhile, we have received money from a the Talent Class in Zaandam, enough money to continue the recorder lessons again. So in October started a new class of 20 students.
Possibly we will also organize keyboard lessons, there are several adults and young people interested, who want to have lessons and now the town is still singing a capella. There is an urgent need for assistance during the church services. The keyboard was already given, only the lessons have yet to follow.
Church Services Wanica
For residents of the house Jolan Gaaikema holds weekly church services and it goes without saying that people and neighborhood children are welcome. Easter 2014 we held a baptism service at the river in Klaas Creek. Each was baptized after writing and reading of a self-made creed. Meanwhile, we have our foundation two dance groups and dance groups that perform regularly in our church services. At our services we take into account our audience and so are our church family friendly and provide the most services children a special contribution. During the holidays, the services are stopped just because our house is fairly empty, but from the beginning of October we again hold them every Sunday at 15:00. After the service there are sweets and drinks and an opportunity to play games with each other. Church services Wanica.
In 2013 there was also a theological course held in New Nickerie, where students thought about their vocation and about their future. The leadership of this lies with Ds. Jolan Gaaikema. At each course meeting the participants also did exercises in preaching in public. There was also emphasis on exegesis Old Testament and New Testament exegesis, the course was held once a month during the weekend, where the classes were held both Friday and Saturday. There was a lot of self-study, because students were given various assignments. At the course were also other items on the agenda such as the different religions in Suriname and each weekend the service was also held by the students themselves, each had its own task. Considerable attention was also paid to the content and critically listening to each other. The course lasted for several weekends. It was actually planned to get together more weekends, but also students have gained a lot of knowledge with these deep weekends.