The Rev. Kevin Jacobson is a parish pastor and leadership developer in the Evangelical Lutheran church in Suriname. To support him, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Anna Marie Baal took the first shovel of dirt.

I was very happy with the turn out at the ground-breaking ceremony of the new Paulus Church in Lelydorp,  Suriname, on Sunday, August 15. About 75 people were in attendance.

We were guided by St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians:

“In Christ the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.”

Anna Marie Baal, 86, took the first shovel of dirt. She and her family donated the land about 40 years ago with the current existing building on it. That building has been renovated and will be used as a Sunday school and fellowship hall.  She is so excited to be having a new church built on the property.

Every family in attendance was given a red candle and asked to take it home, light it and say a prayer for the church every Sunday between now and when the building is completed.  Our hope and prayer is that it will be done this year by November 15, when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Suriname celebrates its 270th anniversary.

Pastor Kevin L. Jacobson
St. Jozefstraat #16
Paramaribo, Suriname