Graduation for Pastor Guillometre

Pastor Guillometre is from a little-known place called Savannplat (translation: "flat savannah"). You can get to Savannplat during the dry season by car.  Otherwise, a mule or good walking shoes will be necessary.  When we first visited Savannplat, Pastor Guillometre and his church were meeting in the shade of palm branches spread over a "lean-to" structure.  A landowner in the area had allowed the church to use his land for the church.  Pastor Guillometre just graduated from the first level of Timothy Training, which means that he taught and participated in two modules, "Caring for God's People" and "Stewardship."  In order to graduate, he completed an action plan which including visiting struggling people in his community and improving the material condition of his congregation.  Pastor Guillometre is reserved and a hard working.  In fact, he is one of our better students (we taught him for three years in another program).  His congregation is struggling, however, as there are no schools in the area and farming has been tough the last few years (in Savannplat, peanuts, which are susceptible to drought and flooding, are the primary crops).  Pastor Guillometre has struggled too.  Just several miles away from Savannplat is the town of Thomassique, where World Vision has just constructed sparkling new offices.  Thomassique is also the recipient of several large aid programs (well-digging, agricultural development, and fruit tree planting).  We get the sense that Pastor Guillometre is a little discouraged that this kind of aid hasn't reached his church and community.  The power of the Timothy Training program in which Pastor Guillometre participates is that it encourages Christian leaders not to wait for aid from the outside and instead look to God and local resources for the answer to pressing physical needs.  We give thanks for a grant from Lakeside CRC of Alto, MI, which has assisted pastors from the Thomassique area, like Pastor Guillometre, to participate in Timothy Training.  Please pray that the vision of Timothy Training will catch on and churches will be empowered to seek the well-being of their communities through the power of the Holy Spirit!