The Da Silvas share their experience Ministering to the Indigenous Community and how God helped them along the way.
Filled with a passion for sharing the Gospel, Reverend Patrick Da Silva and his wife, Minister Pauline Da Silva, after much praying and fasting, took the step of faith some forty-seven years ago and embarked on a journey that would significantly change their lives. Though their primary mode of transportation was walking, they were not deterred. Instead, the couple trusted God and drew strength from His leading. Together they travelled many miles among villages, often spending nights on the floor or the bottom of persons’ homes. As was expected, this journey was not easy, filled with many red lights, bumps and roadblocks, but with all this, the couple placed their unwavering faith in God and stepped into the unknown. Further, their faith in God, along with His constant direction, was the only constant, and it always made a way for the Da Silvas.
Rev. Da Silva, along with his wife, Min. Pauline Da Silva resides and ministers in Aishalton, an Amerindian village approximately five hundred miles from Georgetown. It is occupied by the Wapishiana tribe and situated in the Rupununi Savannah [South Rupununi] of Guyana in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (Region 9) of the country. The ministry’s main focus is on the Spiritual growth of the Indigenous People as they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Beginning of their Ministry
God’s hand was upon Rev. Da Silva and his wife from a tender age, directing their every step. Min. Pauline attended a Wesleyan Church, while Rev. Da Silva attended a Full Gospel. Despite this, God led them to each other. Prior to meeting Rev. Da Silva, marriage was never in Min. Pauline’s plan, but after meeting her now husband, they both knew this was all part of God’s divine plan. After being saved on September 15, 1973 [three years before his wife], Rev. Da Silva married Minister Pauline Da Silva on October 12, 1974, now forty-eight years. Rev. Da Silva described his wife and children as his greatest asset. With a heart of thanksgiving, he expressed that through many dangers, storms and snares, He [God] brought them through.
Approximately four months after marriage, Rev. Da Silva and his wife left Georgetown to begin their journey of ministering to the ‘first people’ on February 9, 1975. From Georgetown, they travelled to Rosignol, then New Amsterdam, onward to Corriverton and then to Orella, returning that way also. Pastor Da Silva recalls sleeping in different places, including on the floors and the bottom houses of several brethren. Continuing their journey, they caught a boat from Georgetown to Vreed-en-hoop and, on foot, travelled from Vreed-en-hoop to Parika. Further, they travelled from Parika to Bartica by boat, then to Mahdia again by foot. The couple continued to travel and minister in areas including Tumatumari, Rockstone, Mahdia and Toka, where his first son was born and also where Rev. Da Silva and other brethren were arrested.
Being Locked Up
In 1975 while in Toka, Rev. Da Silva, along with other brethren, was arrested and taken into custody in Lethem after it was alleged that they were rebels who returned from the 1969 Rupununi Uprising. They spent five nights in jail. Though this was an unfortunate event, he did not lose hope. Instead, it gave him a greater desire to serve God on a grander level. He proudly describes this experience as an honour because Christ had done so much for him and he did not commit a crime; he only preached the gospel, and God saw him through.
Family Life and the Start of Ministry in Lethem
Upon being released from detainment, Rev. Da Silva and his wife felt inspired by God to live and work in Lethem. And as such, all of their children were born in the Rupununi Savannahs. Minister Da Silva recalled one of her children being delivered by a local villager supported by her husband with no medical help. The villager even spoke Macushi, but with God’s help, they managed to deliver safely. The other three were birthed at the Lethem Regional Hospital.
Rev. Da Silva’s journey continued in ministry while Min. Pauline worked as a Nursery School teacher for 13 years. In 1980, alongside Pastor John Forde and his wife, Rev. Da Silva and Min. Pauline pioneered a church in Lethem. Here, they also met Brother Wilbert Lee (now Dr Lee), the then Secretary of the First Assembly of God Church. The Holy Spirit allowed them to be connected and adopted into this family. The Da Silvas spent about thirteen years – 1975 to 1988 – in Lethem before God led them to Aishalton – leaving that life behind and solely devoting their time to Ministry.
Challenges Faced
Being new to the village of Aishalton, everyone watched them keenly. This posed a challenge in getting their lives started since the villagers were very suspicious of them. Not only were they new to the area, but Min. Pauline was and still is the only woman and person of African descent that lived there. Nevertheless, they lived and became role models, setting good examples not only as a couple but as a family and as Christians for the community.
One of the major challenges experienced was the culture of the Wapishana tribe. In Aishalton, culture and tradition run deep within the indigenous community and differ from that of Georgetown and the Coastland. He expressed that his ministry is challenging but exciting and different. Further, he shared that ministering is more than just sharing the gospel; it includes understanding the culture and dialect of the indigenous people and displacing cultural beliefs and values that pose a barrier to them receiving God’s Word. As a result, he has adopted a teaching rather than preaching approach to ministry.
Rev. Da Silva did not let these challenges hinder his mission. With determination and the support of his family, he continued in ministry, and as time elapsed, things became much easier. Though he has not mastered the language, Rev. Da Silva can somewhat understand the Wapishana dialect and shared that some of the older persons in the church [not forgetting their dialect] continue to sing songs in their dialect to make other church members feel comfortable.
Impact of the Ministry
His Ministry has seen people saved and filled with the Holy Ghost in church. He has also seen significant growth in the church at Lethem, which now houses approximately forty-five members. Rev. Da Silva has also attended Mission Trips to the Wai Wai’s [another tribe in Guyana’s interior] and other villages where he gets to share God’s Word within the indigenous communities. Because of his presence within these communities, the Gospel is well received whenever he goes to minister. He believes that this is a result of him adapting to their culture. Quoting 1 Corinthians 9:22, he stated that to win the Amerindians, you have to become one, like the Scripture admonished, “I have become all things to all men, that I might…save some.” This can be done without adapting to the negative part of their culture.
It is customary that villagers come out from the ‘back dam’ on Monday for village work and some on Sunday for church. On Tuesday, they return to their farms, returning on Saturday for church on Sunday. Thus, activities like Bible Study are held every Monday to accommodate the custom of the villagers.
Sacrifices Made
In 1992, Minister Pauline relocated to Georgetown so their children could access more educational opportunities. It was not her intention to remain in the capital, but since her children were very attached to her, she made the difficult decision to remain with them to see them through their secondary and tertiary education – this lasted for 25 years.
While Min. Pauline stayed with the children in Georgetown, her husband stayed in Aishalton to continue his ministry, visiting two to three times a year and spending 1-2 months. Rev. Da Silva expressed that this was challenging since it forced him to do everything on his own, but despite this fact, it allowed him to give much more of himself to the ministry. During this time, the couple relied on God’s help as they stepped into the unknown.
Rev. Da Silva and his wife sold food items to provide for their family. He recalled waking up at two every morning to walk to Marudi, a mining area, arriving around midday to sell bread, plantation chips, salara (red cake), buns and other items to provide for his family. After selling, he would spend a day in the village to get himself together and return on foot. Though this was a difficult season, Rev. Da Silva expressed gratitude to his wife for her continued support and lauded her continuous support.
His Motivation
Rev. Da Silva is guided by the Scripture text in Revelations 22:12; “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” This helps him to persevere because he knows he has God, that his labour will not go in vain and that whatever he sacrifices, God will give back to him.
His Plan for Ministry
Reverend Da Silva intends to spend the remainder of his life in Aishalton, where he can reach people from the Wapishiana and other tribes since he believes that is where God has called him to be.
