Ministry Letter / Guyana River Ministry

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your interest in Guyana River Ministries. The need in Guyana is great but more importantly, Kathy and I feel the leading of the Holy Spirit to minister there. This is Kathy’s home country. These are the people to whom I was called to minister in 1990.

Guyana was subjected to 25 years of rule by a communist Dictator starting with Independence from Britain in the early 1960s thru the late 1980’s. The years since have seen a move towards freedom but corruption keeps Guyana among the poorest countries in the world. The size of Florida with a population of less than one million, Guyana is sparsely populated. The majority of people live in the Capitol city, Georgetown and a narrow strip of land along the Atlantic Ocean. The inland areas are populated with widely scattered Amerindian villages and gold mining camps. Malaria, typhoid and a dozen other unpleasant diseases make life in the jungle difficult. Along the Border with Brazil, small towns and cattle ranches dot the high grassy plain.

The worst thing in Guyana is the downfall of moral restraint. The major religions, Christianity (Roman Catholic and Anglican), Hinduism and Islam, have all lost their grip on the population they once held so tightly. For all practical matters, government does not exist. Police protection and judicial recourse are openly for sale to the highest bidder. For the poor there is no protection at all. As a result of these things, the people have lost all moral restraint. It is no surprise that the World Health Organization reported that no country outside of Africa has a higher incidence of HIV / AIDS than Guyana.

The chief focus of Guyana River Ministries is to preach the Gospel. Second to that, we pledge to teach the basic facts on AIDS and encourage abstinence outside of, and faithfulness inside of marriage. We believe that it is the Love of God that brought about the Biblical teachings on sex and marriage. Those who live by those rules have almost no chance of contracting AIDS, even in Guyana.

Mission Trips to Guyana are in the works. I want to teach English as a Second Language in the Spanish and other non-English congregations in Lee county. I also want to preach whenever possible as a part of our deputation work. Now we are planning our First Annual Banquet, our first fund raiser. If you would be kind enough to help just let us know. Again, thank you for caring.

In Christ,


Dave and Kathy Rice