"In the Volume of the Book"
ZADOK PUBLICATIONS - Dr. C. R. OLIVER
July, 2022
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ZADOK PUBLICATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
July 1, 2022
"In the Volume of the Book"
You may watch this Newsletter in a video HERE.
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Hebrews 10:7:
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come -
In the volume of the book, it is written of Me -
To do Your will, O God.'"
NKJV
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Introduction:
Please note, Psalm 40:6-8 is the prophetic passage found in Hebrews 10:7.
Psalm 40:6-8:
6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7 Then I said, "Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book, it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart."
NKJV
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This kind of connectivity was what Jesus was teaching on the road to Emmaus.
Those two travelers had just been confronted with the resurrection and were discussing the events surrounding the fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead.
Luke 24:13-35:
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?"
19 And He said to them, "What things?"
So, they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."
25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
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The Disciples' Eyes Opened
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
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Notice, in verse 27, the scope of Jesus' discussion. He began with Moses, which may have taken in all the first five books of the Bible. He included the prophets' words that were spoken about Him, as well. Whether he exhausted the subject matter and rehearsed every Scripture pertaining to Himself or just highlighted those He deemed profitable for them-we don't know. (I sure wish they had recorded all He said during their walk.) One thing for sure, it was enough to "make their hearts burn within them."
The two recipients felt He opened the Scriptures to them--meaning their interpretation to that point was corrected as Jesus enlightened their minds.
"Jesus-passages" can be gleaned from every book in the Bible. Some of these Scriptures are hidden, but many are highly visible and act as markers in the life- works of our Lord. Jesus went places and said and did things in certain areas in order to fulfill a word given by an Old Testament prophet.
After all, the early church was birthed through the prophet Joel and David's Psalm.
Acts 2:14-21:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.'
NKJV
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So important to the church are these prophetic words, which are referenced throughout the New Testament, that they would warrant this question, "Can the modern church not see their own connection to the prophetic words found in the Old and New Testaments and then walk in them?" Is the book of Revelation not a road map? Is the modern body so compromised that "the gates of hell are prevailing?"
Jesus was birthed through the prophets' words. The book of Matthew is proof of that, for he makes nine references to Jesus fulfilling what the prophets said. Another reason to start with Matthew is his gospel begins with Jesus' prophetic link.
Matthew 1:20-23 and Isaiah 7:14-15:
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
NKJV
Isaiah 7:14-15:
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
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Even the place where Jesus was born was entirely prophetic. Regardless of the circumstances that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, his place of birth was foreordained.
Matthew 2:3-6 and Micah 5:2-5:
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"
NKJV
Micah 5:2-5:
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting."
3 Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
4 And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall abide,
For now, He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
5 And this One shall be peace.
NKJV
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When the magi came to worship Him, they fulfilled Isaiah 60:6.
Isaiah 60:6:
…They shall bring gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
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When the holy family fled the wrath of Herod, and went to Egypt, they fulfilled the prophetic word of Hosea.
Matthew 2:13-15 and Hosea 11:1-2:
Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
NKJV
Hosea 11:1-2:
"When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.
2 As they called them,
NKJV
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Matthew points out that even the death of the young children by Herod was foreseen by the prophet Jeremiah.
Matthew 2:16-18 and Jeremiah 31:15-17:
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."
Jeremiah 31:15-17:
Thus says the Lord:
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more."
16 Thus says the Lord:
"Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.
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Subsequently, upon the death of Herod, the family returned to their homeland and settled in Nazareth, which was the fulfillment of yet another prophetic word. This time it is a prophecy spoken about Samson, but interpreted as a symbol for Jesus.
Matthew 2:19-23 and Judges 13:2-5:
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
Judges 13:2-5:
2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."
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Jesus, as the deliverer, is seen even in hidden prophetic words, which apply to Him. Imagine the array of scriptures that poured from Jesus' mouth on the Emmaus roadway centuries ago.
Many of those who surrounded Jesus found themselves fulfilling prophecy as well.
John, the Baptist, was birthed and sustained by prophetic words.
Isaiah 40:3-5:
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
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When John baptized Jesus, he was fulfilling a prophecy by David (Psalm 2:7).
Matthew 3:16-17:
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Psalm 2:7-9:
7 "I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"
NKJV
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The evil one, in his temptation of Christ, was smashed with prophetic words
(Deuteronomy 8:3, Psalm 91:11-12, Deuteronomy 6:16).
Jesus touched strategic points many times with prophetic significance.
At the beginning His ministry, He chose one of those mandates from heaven.
Matthew 4:12-17:
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned."
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
NKJV
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Turn to chapter four (4) in Luke's gospel and bask in the prophetic word which encapsulated Jesus' ministry (spoken just after His temptation).
Luke 4:16-22 and Isaiah 61:1-3:
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
NKJV
Isaiah 61:1-3:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
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Throughout the gospels, the writers point to some fulfillment of prophecy, almost on every page. Take for instance Matthew 8:17:
Matthew 8:16-18:
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses."
Isaiah 53:4
Like Hosea says, God's prophetic words slay the enemy.
Hosea 6:5-6:
Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And your judgments are like light that goes forth.
6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
NKJV
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Think of the spiritual propelling force of these prophetic words on the mind of Christ as He ministered for three years.
Consider Matthew 12: 17ff:
Matthew 12:15-21 and Isaiah 42:1-4:
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18 "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21 And in His name Gentiles will trust."
Isaiah 42:1-4:
"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law."
NKJV
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Not only did every phase of Jesus' life reflect the prophetic, even His last moments are captured in Scripture. Standing before Pilate, He fulfilled Psalm 38:13 in refusing to speak to him (John 19:8-11).
John 19:8-11 and Psalm 38:13-14:
Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above…
NKJV
Psalm 38:13-14:
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
Closer to His death, the soldiers were casting lots for His tunic and fulfilling Scripture in their action.
John 19:23-24 and Psalm 22:16-18:
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:
"They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots."
Therefore, the soldiers did these things.
Psalm 22:16-18:
…The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
NKJV
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As His corpse hung on the cross, Scripture (the Word of God) guarded His body.
John 19:32-37:
32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
NKJV
Psalm 34:19-20:
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;….
NKJV
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Even before He ascended to heaven, He was fulfilling prophecy.
Luke 24:36-49:
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
(The Scriptures Opened.)
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
NKJV
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Perhaps it is time to take the New Testament Scriptures and their characterization of the believer as prophetic words to be fulfilled in our lifetime.
Is it not time to shout, "It is written," and appropriate the power of those words to our own lives? At least, it is easy to see the touchstones of prophecy necessary to look more like the book of Acts rather than Revelation's Laodicea.
Until Next Month,
Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD.
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MISSIONS REPORT:
From Pastor Samuel and Anusuya Karunanithi; International Missionaries
Founder and President of Living Word International Outreach, USA:
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Pastor Samuel and Anusuya Karunanithi are working with a project in Mexico building a rehibilatation center. This center called "The Victory Home" provides rehabilitation and education against drug prevention, alcohol and gangs. This service is free to the addict and includes bedrooms and clothing for a minimun of 90 days for both men and women. OEA furnished the money to pay for the finishing of the building.
Here are some pictures of the construction:
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From: Robert & Mary Grindley
Branch Ministries
Contacts:
Web: http://www.branchministriesbotswana.org
Email: mailbranch@juno.com
AFRICA:
P.O. Box 2487
Selebi-Phikwe
Botswana, AFRICA
Office: 011 267 261 1746 (Landline)
Cell: 011 267 7421 8210 (Rob)
011 267 7285 5461 (Mary)
UNITED STATES:
P.O. Box 432
Lunenburg, MA 01462
USA
Office: 978 400 7285
Cell: 978 549 7436
The Village of Damachojenaa:
Mary Gindley after ministering
Village of Dimajwe:
There is an outreach for half the funds totaling $1,200.
Sunday School
Claiming Land for the church
Village of Sefophe:
The church meets under shading just outside orphan center. They re waiting for a church member who promised to bring title to the body.
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From: Frank and Hily Carrel
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Long-time friends, Frank and Hily Carrel, are now back home in Butuan City, Philippines. Hily is a native of that region and retired there after a nursing career as a Certified Nursing Assistant [CNA] in the US. They are a missions-minded family and have helped many projects in their ministry. Frank was a board member of Oliver Evangelistic Association (OEA) for a few years before entering foreign service assignments in Iraq and Kuwait.
Currently, they are pastoring a small congregation that has a temporary shed building for a church. In the pictures below, you can see their efforts to mill lumber to be used in erecting a permanent building. Frank is desirous to speed
the project forward with help from OEA. The church members will help with some of the work, but they will have to hire a carpenter and a carpenter's assistant, which was in the original building estimate. The cost of both of these workers is only $22.50 a day for both workers for 78 days of work approximately. Also a Tu-og tree was cut already, and the lumber is drying out under a tent tarpaulin [the 5th structure], due to the recent heavy rains. OEA will furnish raw materials. OEA sent the first installment May 16, using funds provided by our contributors.
The Carrel's are Bible believing, faith people who desire to build a debt free structure and have it lend a degree of permanency to their area. They will keep in touch with pictures of the project as they progress. Hily has expertise in construction and will serve as contractor. OEA is glad to be of help to this couple.
Here are Frank and Hily with church members dedicating the land and taking the first shovel to start.
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