Daniel’s later missionary work in Guyana grew organically out of a long-standing field relationship that began not in South America, but on the West Indian island of Nevis.

1) From Germany to Nevis – Meeting Shawn Chatram

In the early 2000s Daniel left Germany with his family to serve as a missionary on Nevis. There he became deeply involved in evangelism, Bible teaching, and building up a local assembly which started gathering on the basis of the one body of Christ.

On Nevis he met Shawn Chatram in 2007/2008, a former Hindu from Cotton Tree, Berbice (Guyana) who had been saved on Nevis after moving there in 1993. Brother Shawn was already known across the Guyanese community on the island as a bold evangelist and spiritual leader, and the Lord brought him into close fellowship with brother Daniel.

Daniel invested heavily in Shawn through teaching and pastoral support, and in 2010 Shawn started breaking the bread at the already grown gathering in Nevis. During that time on, Shawn’s long-standing burden for his home region of Berbice, Guyana became increasingly clear to Daniel. Shawn repeatedly expressed that God had laid it on his heart to see „New Testament assemblies“ (the expression he used at the time) planted in Berbice, Guyana.

2) Guyanese believers return home — a bridge opens

Over time, several Guyanese believers who had been helped spiritually on Nevis and Anguilla returned to their home country. Several of them had left denominational churches and were now seeking to gather simply in the Name of the Lord Jesus in Guyana.

Contacts in Bushlot, Cotton Tree, and other parts of West Coast Berbice began meeting in a home for Bible teaching and prayer, often coordinated by brothers Lennox Hamilton and another brother, and sister Shirley, with Shawn remaining their spiritual link from Nevis. 

These were not random contacts — at first, most were the spiritual “children” of the Nevis work.

3) Daniel begins visiting Guyana with Shawn

Because of these returning believers and Shawn’s burden, Daniel visited Guyana as part of a still Nevis-based missionary team led by brother Shawn that also included another couple from Nevis and Christopher and Daniel Pickering.

In 2012 and 2013, as Daniel traveled from Switzerland (after his Nevis missionary years) to join Shawn Chatram for missionary journeys into Guyana, their work focused on:

• West Coast Berbice (Cotton Tree, Bushlot)

• Amerindian villages in the Interior along the Corentyne (Courantyne) River

• Follow-up with new believers and the house group (before they started breaking bread)

• Teaching on the Church, Christ, and biblical gathering

These trips were follow-up missions to living spiritual fruit that had come out of the Nevis ministry. 

4) Berbice and the Interior — including Orealla / Siperuta

The Amerindian villages the brothers Shawn & Daniel visited were reached by boat up the Courantyne River. They had been invited by Amerindian believers who had heard the Word and wanted further biblical teaching.

The brothers taught there on:

• Christ and the Assembly

• Gifts and offices

• God’s dealings through the ages

• What to do in a day of ruin

Conversions followed and local leaders openly acknowledged that much of what they had practiced was unscriptural and needed correction.

5) A continuous field — not a new mission

Daniel’s work in Guyana was therefore not a separate mission from Nevis, but the natural extension of it.

The same people, the same converts, the same spiritual teaching were now simply on the South American mainland, on which Daniel had already lived in Argentina for 6 months in 1997.

Daniel was repeatedly invited by believers of ten other existing assemblies in Essequibo and Demerara, Guyana and returned to strengthen, teach, and evangelize with them.

After brother Shawn had relocated to Guyana and married sister Shirley, who had been working so far closely with brother Lennox and sister Paula Hamilton, the Lord continued to give fruit to the united efforts of these brothers and sisters and in 2015 the house gathering started to break bread at Bushlot. Later a piece of land was purchased in Hope/Bath in order to build a meeting hall there.

In 2021 a first MAG Team to Guyana was organized mainly by the brothers Daniel, Shawn and Lennox, after Daniel had lived with his family (during COVID !) for three months at brother Shawn's childhood village of Cotton Tree, Berbice.

Later the same year the Lord sent the missionary family Alex & Malena Schneider to support and help develop the assembly at Hope/Bath Berbice, that was and is in a special need of local (!) brothers as pillars in the assembly.

In 2023 Daniel & Esther and 7 of their children did another 3 months mission in and from Berbice continuing the various visits into the Amerindian Interior with brother Shawn Chatram. Brother Friedemann Werkshage, a new missionary in Essequibo, also joined us during this period.

In 2024 another MAG GUYANA was organized by Frontline Hearts together with the brothers Daniel, Shawn and Alex. 18 participants had a wonderfully blessed time and saw fruit for eternity.

In 2025 the focus in Orealla of brother Shawn was the building of a meeting hall - besides Bible teaching sessions - to give a possibility for local saints to gather on the basis of the one body of Christ.

In 2026 another MAG Team came out to Orealla in order to help gather believers and still unconverted people for the Gospel and to help starting a biblical gathering. Daniel & Esther with their 5 youngest children now continue the mission for three months locally in Orealla - a real challenge given the practical circumstances. Brother Shawn and sister Shirley will continue faithfully their ongoing mission there as well. DV