Grace Brethren North American Missions career missionary Chuck Davis (pictured here with his wife, Millie) has sent the following urgent prayer request for a developing situation in Trinidad.
I need your prayers for a very delicate and dangerous situation that has arisen in Trinidad. A local criminal and several local Muslim thugs who are attempting to extort money from him have placed Pastor Ancil Ragoonath’s life and ministry in jeopardy. Many people are being kidnapped in Trinidad at this time and held for ransom. Ancil felt that was a very real possibility facing him at this time so he has flown to the US and is staying with his sister in Miami.
We are working to resolve this situation in a timely manner so Ancil can resume his ministry in the community. At this point the local police have been absolutely no help in resolving the situation.
The situation is complicated by the fact that we are to take an all-women GO2Trinidad team to Trinidad on October 22. Our teams have never encountered any problems in ministering in Trinidad but unless I can be assured of their safety and security within the next ten days I will be forced to cancel the team and reschedule it for a future time.
We have worked for six years to lay the groundwork for this church plant in Trinidad and I would hate to think that local criminals and thugs could put a stop to God’s work in this Hindu and Muslim community.
Please pray that God would give Ancil, Roger (a board member) and myself wisdom in dealing with this situation so we can bring about a successful resolution to the problems. Pray that God would intervene and deal with these local criminals and thugs in such a way that they will be removed from hindering God’s work.
Pray that the people Trin-Grace has been ministering to in Trinidad will remain faithful to God during these difficult days. Pray that the Trin-Grace resources that have been gathered will be safely preserved for God’s use.
Pray that the local police will do their duty and help resolve the problems instead of being part of the problem. Pray for the personal safety of everyone involved in this situation. Pray that the testimony of God’s people will be preserved and that right will overcome evil in this spiritual battle disguised in human bodies and clothes.
If God opens the door, Ancil and I will be flying to Trinidad in a few days to attempt to resolve the problems at hand. But unless God intervenes there is a real possibility that our work in Trinidad will be put in a holding pattern for an indefinite period of time. PLEASE PRAY! Thanks.