On Friday March 2, the World Day of Prayer Service will be held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, on the corner King Creek Road and Sarahs Crescent at King Creek.
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Since 1887, on or near the first Friday in March every year, millions of Christians have gathered worldwide to pray for the issues of family violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and other forms of injustice.
In 2018, that prayerful support will be directed at the 540,000 inhabitants of the Republic of Suriname, on the north-eastern coast of South America. Despite a history steeped in slavery and political coups, this tiny nation has achieved remarkable progress since its independence in 1975.
Suriname enjoys multi-ethnicity and biodiversity, freedom of religion, free primary and secondary education, and free medical care for children and seniors.
But behind closed doors, family violence, abuse and neglect are ongoing issues. Children are particularly vulnerable, many growing up in orphanages or one-parent families.
While education is free, there is no compulsory school attendance. Child labour in the form of street selling is common, but of far more serious concern is the fact that many children are labouring in the gold mines of Suriname.
The artwork commissioned for the 2018 World Day of Prayer is called “The Divine Gift” painted by Alice Pomstra-Elmont. In the painting we symbolically see the hands that receive the divine gift and pass it on to the next generations.
Every day the sun shines over the land where animals and plants have found a place. The vegetables and fruit tell us that there is enough food for everyone.
The blue hummingbird, the white ibis and the macaw are a few of the many bird species our country boasts. The blue frog (okopipi) is one of the protected animal species that can only be found in Suriname. The red and yellow heliconia is native to this country and the majestic kapok (ceiba) tree is a beautiful giant in the forests.
The Voltzberg (Voltz Mountain) is one of Suriname’s many granite mountains. The seven women symbolize all women in Suriname who cherish this gift to pass it on to their children. Seven also symbolizes the seven days of God’s creation.
The Wauchope Christian Community invite you to join us in prayer for the needs of Suriname and its people at the World Day of Prayer service, Friday March 2, starting at 6pm at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, King Creek. A light supper will be served following the service.
WAUCHOPE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
