Patsy and I have been married eight years. Before we met, we had both been widowed. She had been married 43 years to her late husband. I had been married 50 years to my late wife.

The story of how the two of us met, fell in love and married is a testimony of God's grace and favor. During the time we've been married, we have served in ministry to the widowed community we lived in in Texas. We also served in marriage support ministry (we still do) offering premarital counseling to couples soon to be married, or to the very newly married. We also have ministered to couples who were experiencing troubles in their marriages.

When we moved from Texas to Arkansas in 2021, we became involved in ministry to the addiction recovery community. The area in Arkansas where we lived has a major meth addiction problem. There are quire a few Christian ministries serving the recovery community there. She and I taught Bible classes at some of the recovery houses, and both of us engaged in much one on one support to those within the recovery houses.

Upon moving to Arkansas, we began attending a particular church. There we were asked to form and lead a seniors ministry group. We did that until later when we felt that God was leading us to make a change. Then we moved to another church. This one was heavily engaged in the addiction recovery ministry. This church was growing and God was doing some wonderful things there. Lives greatly changed, and the bonds of addiction broken for many.

Something happened, and I won't go into the details, but the church was suddenly abandoned. We had no pastor and we lost the building. It seemed that the intent was for the church to close, and for the attendees to find other churches to attend. But both Patsy and I, and several others felt that God was not through with the ministry of that church

Both of us felt that this was what God had put us there for. I was able to get the non-profit corp. signed over to me, and took on the role of lead pastor. But we had no place to meet. and a goodly number of the former members had moved on to other churches. Every week we scrambled to find a place to meet. Renting whatever venue might be available for that Sunday. We had no equipment including no sound system for praise and worship time. We had nothing

But God provided. We borrowed sound equipment and even folding chairs. We had different ones help us conduct our praise and worship time. And I brought the Word God had for us that day. Soon we were offered the use of an American Legion hall for Sunday mornings. The fee was very good as our numbers were small, and in that community, offerings were very small as well By the way, this American Legion hall had no bar so that was a plus.

During that time we were able to slowly accumulate a few pieces of sound equipment. We also had a family join who had been experienced praise and worship leaders. They were musicians thus we now had instruments.

Later the opportunity came for us to move into an abandoned church building. The building had not been in use for over five years. It had everything we needed in the way of chairs, a small fellowship room, and Sunday School rooms. It was ready to use for services. No longer did we have to go early every Sunday morning to the AL hall to set up for service and then take down following service.

Now we had a six month lease and a regular place to meet. But we knew that God had bigger plans. In November of 2025 we were able to move into a much more capable church building. At the same time, since the couple who lead our praise and worship had been former church pastors, and Patsy and I knew that our time there would soon come to an end, we appointed them associate pastors. In January of 26, this year, we turned the church pastorship over to them. This was in preparation for our planned relocation to Florida.

So now, here we are. We have connected with a wonderful church here in our city. We are not involved in leadership. What the future will bring, God only knows. But we will serve as He leads and what doors He opens, we shall see.

A brotherhood that tested every piece of my soul in combat never prepared me for the pain of having my family stuck in limbo.

My name is Jesse Preston. I spent 14 years on Active Duty in the U.S. Army, Airborne and Air Assault qualified. I served three combat tours in Iraq between 2003 and 2010, and a tour in South Korea in 2007. I bled, sacrificed, and gave over a decade of my life in service to the United States because I believed in honor, loyalty, and standing up for what is right.

Now, I am fighting the hardest battle of my life—and it isn’t on a battlefield. It’s for my own family.

Since November 2023, I have been living abroad because I refuse to abandon my wife, Miheret Beksissa, and our baby daughter, Jessica. Imagine if I had listened to the system and waited back home in America alone, staring at an empty nursery, thousands of miles away from my infant child and the woman God gave me to protect. A combat veteran doesn’t leave his family behind.

We did everything right. We followed every single law. We poured our hard-earned money—over $4,000 just to begin the I-130 and DS-260 with our lawyer, paid every required government fee, and paid another $1,500 for our daughter’s CRBA and U.S. passport. Jessica is a U.S. citizen. Miheret was approved for her immigrant visa through our marriage.

Our journey started in January 2024, and we were so close to coming home. But because immigrant visas for Ethiopians were paused under the current administration policy, our life is on hold. The process is dragging out indefinitely, leaving us stranded in uncertainty.

We are devout, faithful Christians who just want to raise our daughter in the country I wore the uniform to defend. Every day, I look at my daughter and my wife, and my heart breaks knowing that the very system I served is keeping us from starting our life together on American soil.

Please, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the doors are opened, that red tape is cut, and that our family can finally go home to America together. If this touches your heart, please share our story.

Pray for us!

Marinata.
The Message of His Coming.

Greatest Work in the World.

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” is Christ's command to His followers. Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term; but all may be workers with Him in giving the “glad tidings” to their fellow men. To all, great or small, learned or ignorant, old or young, the command is given.1Education, 264.

Upon every one who knows the truth for this time rests the responsibility of making it known to others. The servants of Christ are in a large measure responsible for the well-being and the salvation of the world. They are to be co-laborers with God in the work of winning souls to Christ.2The Review and Herald, March 10, 1904.

The theme that attracts the heart of the sinner is Christ, and Him crucified. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus stands revealed to the world in unparalleled love. Present Him thus to the hungering multitudes, and the light of His love will win men from darkness to light, from transgression to obedience and true holiness. Beholding Jesus upon the cross of Calvary arouses the conscience to the heinous character of sin as nothing else can do.3The Review and Herald, November 22, 1892.

Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in men's minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God.... He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness. He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ.4SDA Bible Commentary 6:1113.

It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.5Testimonies for the Church 8:22, 23.

A Brief Timeline of Halloween
1000 BC and previous
Pre-Christian Celts celebrate November 1 as their New Year (Samhain) and practice the night before as the evening where the veil between the living and the dead was opened.
AD 43
The Romans conquer the Celts and the Roman harvest festival, Pomona (celebrated on November 1), eventually merges with Samhain.
609 or 610
Pope Boniface IV designates November 1 as All Saints’ Day.
835
Pope Gregory III rules that All Saints’ Day always falls on the same day as Samhain. He also declares that young men can go door to door to collect food for the poor and that villagers can dress in costumes as saints to celebrate the holiday.
1517
On October 31, Martin Luther posts the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church.
1600s
New England Puritans ban Halloween since it is Catholic in origin. Only Catholics and Episcopalians continue to observe the holiday.
1840s
A surge in Irish immigration to the United States sparks growth in Halloween traditions.
1912
The Dennison Manufacturing Company begins publishing Halloween books with party, decoration, and costume ideas. (It first began publishing Halloween materials in 1909.)
1921
Anoka, Minnesota, becomes the first American city to officially sanction Halloween as a holiday.
1923
New York City begins Halloween celebrations.
1925
Los Angeles begins citywide Halloween celebrations.
2004
The Puyallup, Washington, school district bans Halloween from schools out of fear of offending local Wiccans.

The greater sabbats are: Samhain (Halloween or November Eve), the Celtic New Year; the days when the walls between the worlds were said to be thinnest and when contact with one’s ancestors took place; Oimelc (February 1), the winter purification festival…Beltane (May 1), the great fertility festival…. Different Craft traditions…treat the festivals in diverse ways. But almost all traditions at least celebrate Samhain and Beltane.

In the Dark Ages and Early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church attempted to oppose the paganism involved in the Samhain festival by making November 1 All Saints’ Day and November 2 All Souls’ Day. As noted, All Saints’ Day was a remembrance and celebration of the saints, especially the ones who were heroic martyrs (people who died for their faith). All Souls’ Day became a day on which Roman Catholics prayed for the dead in order to help them escape the torments of purgatory.
In the year AD 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV grievously strayed from biblical teaching by dedicating the Roman Pantheon, formerly a pagan temple to every known god, to the Virgin Mary and all Christian martyrs. This was done on May 13, a day that became a feast day. In 835 Pope Gregory IV transferred this feast to November 1 and extended it to include all of the saints. As a result, November 1, All Saints’ Day, the day after Halloween (Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve), became a day dedicated by the Catholic Church to the Virgin Mary and the saints. Eventually, November 2 evolved into All Souls’ Day, a special day to pray for the dead. As we will see, this custom supposedly originated with a mystical vision of the Catholic Saint Odilo, who died in 1048. - JOHN ANKERBERG

What is the origin of Halloween?
In AD 835, Pope Gregory IV designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Day (the term hallow refers to saints). The night before November 1, October 31, was known as All Hallows’ Evening. How did we get the term Halloween? Look at the name “All Hallows’ Evening.” If we drop the word “all,” the “s” on Hallows’, and the “v” and “ing” on evening, the result spells Halloween.
Long before the church gave this name to the evening before All Saints’ Day (a celebration in remembrance of saints and martyred saints), it had been celebrated in various ways in many places around the world. The book Every Day’s a Holiday accurately observes that Halloween “probably combines more folk customs the world around than will ever be sorted out, catalogued and traced to their sources.” - JOHN ANKERBERG

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Grace and peace to you in Jesus' name.

My name is Rev. Richard Rohi Sylva-Jaja. I have been in ministry for many years, having been ordained on 10th April, 1992. By God's grace, I serve as a pastor, Bible teacher, author, and missionary.

Last year, my wife, our family, and I spent time seeking God's direction for our next mission field. We had planned to relocate to Brazil as missionaries, but the Lord clearly redirected us to Karji, Kaduna State, Nigeria. We arrived in November 2025 and immediately began the work He placed in our hearts.

Since then, God has enabled us to plant The Maker's House Church (also known as AFLAME) and establish a Bible Training School. On 5th July 2026, we graduated our first 13 students, and today the church has grown to over 100 worshippers. We give God all the glory.

One of our greatest challenges is our place of worship. We hold our services in the open space in front of our residence. Whenever it rains, our services are disrupted, making it urgent for us to erect a simple worship shelter on the piece of land God has graciously provided for the ministry.

We also need basic ministry equipment such as a public address system, musical instruments, a generator, and discipleship materials. Beyond this, we are reaching out to many struggling families in our community with both the Gospel and practical acts of love.

I have attached two short documentary videos that show the work God is doing in Karji.

If the Lord places it on your heart, we would be grateful for your prayers, financial support, or an introduction to individuals, churches, or organizations that have a passion for missions and church planting. Every gift, no matter the size, will help us establish this growing ministry and reach more lives for Christ.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. May God richly bless and reward you.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Richard Rohi Sylva-Jaja
Missionary, Pastor & Author

WhatsApp: +234 912 575 7229

Ministry Documentaries:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tklDtj3Xl2T7ZyEtx19UYs9IT3M6rG7K/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EnSjpEi9Jj3ze06m3IxHTLcymCFbqOHk/view?usp=drivesdk

Here is Today's Message
First Message Celebration of Life for Kevin 1 Year Chronological
Psalm 6:8-9 (May 2) Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
Ecclesiastics 7:11-14 (June 9) Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this; that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
Consider what God has done; Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider; God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
James 1:2-5 (November 16) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

The servant found it by accident.
Blaise Pascal died in 1662 at 39 years old, already recognised as one of the greatest scientific minds of his century. He had built one of the first mechanical calculators in history at age 18. He had laid the mathematical foundations of probability theory through correspondence with Pierre de Fermat. He had conducted groundbreaking experiments on vacuum and atmospheric pressure.
He had contributed to the principles behind the hydraulic press and the syringe.
After his death, while his belongings were being sorted, a servant noticed something odd about the lining of one of his coats.
It had been resewn. Repeatedly.
Inside was a small folded piece of parchment, worn soft from handling, with writing scratched onto it in Pascal's own hand — fragmented, urgent, almost illegible in places, as though written in a state no calm penmanship could survive.
The date at the top was November 23, 1654. The year is 8:30 in the evening to about half past midnight.
What followed was not a theological essay. It was a record of an experience. The word Fire appears first, alone. Then phrases tumbling over each other — certainty, certainty, feeling, joy, peace. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars.
Pascal never told a single person about this night. Not his sister. Not his closest friends. He simply had the parchment transferred from coat to coat for the remaining eight years of his life, carrying it against his chest through every change of clothing.
He spent those eight years writing the Pensées, his unfinished philosophical defence of Christian faith, which contains his famous wager and his observation that the heart has reasons that reason does not know.
The greatest mathematician of his generation had an encounter he never spoke of and never stopped carrying.
Share this with someone who has experienced something they have never told anyone.
"You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." — Augustine