Our diversity is the beauty of Guyana
I came across a website today: http://theficeks.com/The_Ministry.htm. This website is about a young Baptist missionary couple, Kyle and Jennifer Ficek, and their “mission” in Guyana. Here is an excerpt from their website:
The country of Guyana is in spiritual darkness. They are gripped by the power of Satan, and are searching for hope within the false religions that plague the country. Guyana has religion, but they don’t have Christ. Our desire is to go to Guyana and help win souls to Christ through evangelism, Biblical training, and church planting.
Their website goes on to explain that they are fundamentalist Baptist “Christians” from an organisation called Truth for Today. They have been in Guyana since 2006 and are STILL living in Guyana. They are actively trying to convert us away from ALL of our religions, culture and roots, all of which are tied together, by teaching us that they are evil! In this day and age!
Firstly, if these people were true Christians, they would practice the TRUE meaning of the word RESPECT - respect for everyone’s beliefs. And I may not be the biggest church-goer, but I do know that believing that you or your beliefs are superior to someone else’s is not a good thing, and certainly not what most people would call Christian. Their narrow-mindedness gives way to a fundamental lack of respect for people of other faiths. The last time I checked, their Baptist church was not the high power that decides that their faith should rule all, or decides who is and isn’t being “saved” through their church. If this is the case, then I guess all the billions of Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists living in the Far East are all going straight to hell because they haven’t been converted by the Baptist Church - am I the only one shaking my head at this? This is asinine!
They have passed judgment based on their own ignorance, and refuse to see the beauty in our own religions and how they shape our lives. They are doing serious damage to Guyana through their warped teachings and brainwashing, by trying to cheat us out of our two greatest possessions - our culture and roots, because they think they know better! Once our roots are lost, they will not be carried on, and they will be lost forever. I urge all Guyanese to do two things:
1. Be aware of these Ficeks and any such organisation that comes to you with the outwardly false pretenses of “the Lord’s work”, as they still have obviously not discovered what this truly means; and
2. Get these people out of the country. Lobby to have them sent back to the U.S., and do not let them take our greatest possessions. Why have they been let in to begin with? And why are we housing people who are spewing out this ignorance and outright prejudice about us?
I am absolutely insulted that these people are even in Guyana, and that they have been allowed to continue with this. I am NOT in spiritual darkness, I am not lost, I do not need to be saved by a dangerous brainwashed group that believes they know my religion better than I do, and I am not gripped by the power of Satan, and this follows suit for all Guyanese. Our diversity is the beauty of Guyana. And just because they don’t see the beauty in our diverse religions doesn’t mean it’s not there. We are a proud people, and we should not allow ourselves to tolerate nor be ruined by the ignorance and lack of respect of organisations such as Truth for Today. What a shame that they really cannot see the truth.
DEBORAH KANHAI
4 Comments so far ...
[…] for publishing the letter from Deborah Kanhai, which brought the story of the Ficeks to my attention. Guyanese take the insults of other […]
Pingback on April 30, 2008 11:46 pmThe following is a response to the letter published by Deborah Kanhai in the May 2 Guyana Chronicle as well as numerous other places on the web.
Let me start by saying that I believe the Bible is true and I do my best with God’s help to stand upon that. I believe that God is the final authority. I happen to be Baptist by conviction, but a person does not have to be a member of a Baptist Church in order to get to Heaven. In fact, just joining a Baptist Church will not get you to Heaven. The Bible is clear that a person must repent of their sins and accept Christ as their Savior in order to go to Heaven some day. If a person has done that, they will be on their way to Heaven. That is what I believe and teach.
I have received several emails from people who are concerned with what I am doing in Guyana. That is understandable considering the statements that were made. In responses to Ms. Kanhai’s letter, I have been compared to Jim Jones. Please rest assured that I am not trying to create a following for myself, only point people to Christ. It has been stated that I lack respect for everyone’s beliefs. I believe that if you were to ask people that we speak with whether I treat their beliefs and religion with respect, you would find that they would tell you “yes”. I simply share with people what the Bible says, if they accept or reject is up to them. I am not “high-pressure” in my approach. I would certainly not say that I am brain-washing them. Everyone has a choice. How can I convert anyone? I am simply the messenger. The Bible does teach judgment for sinners, and that is the very reason God sent His son to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be saved. He is a God of justice and a God of love. The message we have from the Bible is the Gospel, which means “good news.” We are in Guyana to give people the good news. The truth of the matter is that the majority of people that we give this good news to reject what we have to say. We do not shun them because of it. We have many friends here in Guyana that are members of other religions.
As far as I know, there is freedom of speech and religion in Guyana. The sharing of beliefs and ideas is encouraged and one of the things that Guyana prides itself in. I simply offer the Bible and its message. People have a choice. Again, I cannot personally force someone to take my beliefs or convert them to any particular religion.
Please do not see us as the monsters that the letter to the editor made us out to be. We have nothing but respect for the people of Guyana and I deplore those that would come to Guyana to take advantage of the people. I am truly sorry for the poorly chosen words on my website that have caused offense. I made an all-inclusive statement implying that all of Guyana is in spiritual darkness. There are certainly those in Guyana that are not. Who is, and who isn’t in darkness will be something that God will sort out one day. I have since updated my webpage and offered an apology to Ms. Kanhai, before the letter to the editor was published. I have chosen what I will believe as everyone must, and I can’t change my beliefs to suit everyone else. I am not ashamed of the Gospel or my Savior who has given His life for me. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was the payment for my sins and the sins of the whole world. On this I stand.
John 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Sincerely,
Kyle Ficek
Comment on May 6, 2008 09:52 amHello Ms. Confusion,
It’s so sad that a person like this lady is creating a guge confusion simply because she is ignorant. That’s why Guyana is so underdeveloped, so poor and so why so many Guyanese leave this “beauty of Guyana”. Come on, wake up! This lady is creating a fuss trying to stain the good image of freedom in Guyana. Listen: If Guyana expel this couple, Guyana should be removed from United Nations, Organization of the American States because by law and by acceptance of the government ALL should be granted freedom of worship and speech. So, they can say that Guyanese are in spiritual darkness as much as they want, and you can say that they are not! It’s freedom we are talking about, and choices. The Ficeks preach their convicctions and you preach yours, THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF GUYANA!!! Now, the Guyanese people shoul LOBBY TO REMOVE THIS LADY FROM HER CITIZENSHIP, since she doesn’t accept other’s visions and ideas. Please remove this lady from Guyana, and this will be a more developed country. One more thing: Iam Guyanese and respect all people, religions and other’s ideas.
Comment on May 6, 2008 10:05 amso you guys are saying you are not cultist in the line of JIm Jones coming to Guyana to corrupt our people with your new brand of madness?
Comment on May 22, 2008 11:19 pm