Note: We wrote this entry to post last week (6/12), but the internet was down.

Meeting with Prosper
Last Sunday afternoon, we met with a young Bible study leader from God’s Glory Baptist Church named Prosper. Knowing that we are ‘agronomists’, Prosper wanted to discuss growing Moringa oleifera. (Moringa is a fast-growing tree whose leaves, flowers, and seeds can be used as a nutritional supplement.) Though our conversation began with botany, we soon moved on to spiritual matters. By the time he left, we had spent several hours sharing testimonies of God’s goodness and encouraging one another from scripture. It is such a blessing to see and hear how God is working in his people!

Church planting leadership training
This week we participated in a church planting training: teaching and learning how to share the story of the Bible from creation to the church, the “Roman Road,” personal testimonies, and several other things. We spent the week with about ten young leaders from emerging churches in small villages near Wa. In the afternoons we divided into small groups and went out to share God’s word in Wa and the surrounding villages. Sometimes we talked to one person, at other times we were invited into houses where groups as large as 15-20 gathered to hear about Jesus! Many people said they now believed what we told them, others said they understood but are afraid to follow Jesus because they come from Muslim families. However, a few people heard our good news about abundant life as a follower of Jesus, and decided to become followers of Jesus themselves! Please pray especially for Joseph, a young man who joyfully accepted Christ, but is afraid of where he will live and how he will get food once his family finds out he is no longer a Muslim.

Now, the young leaders are going back to their own villages to train other Christians in the methods they learned this week. This training is part of a discipleship process that, by God’s grace, will result in indigenous, village churches which are equipped to plant new churches in other villages.

According to one source, there are over 160,000 Waala people in West Africa. Three years ago, there were only 320 Waala followers of Jesus. Since then that number has grown. However, all the believers we meet here tell us there are still many villages where NO ONE has ever heard the good news about Jesus.


Teams from America
This week we met a team of IMB (International Mission Board) summer missionaries that are coming to work in the Wala village of Kperisi. They helped with the leadership training this week, but will soon go to the village for one month. While there they will use literacy work and relational evangelism to reach people with the gospel. Please pray for them, especially for God’s grace in adjusting to their new environment. Village life is very different from what they are accustomed to and they will need God’s provision to be effective in their ministry.

This weekend, another small group is arriving from a church in West Memphis. They will also be sharing the good news in surrounding villages. We hope to join them. Please pray that God will prepare the hearts of those who will hear that they may be ready to respond to the gospel.


Pastor Seidu
Several days ago, we finally met , the senior pastor of God’s Glory Baptist Church. He left for the Netherlands just before we arrived in May and has been there for the last month. We had the chance to speak with him briefly after the prayer meeting. He was very welcoming and seemed sincerely glad to have us here.


Phil’s research
Phil’s research has been “on-hold” this week because there has not yet been enough rain to plant crops. The plots are marked, and the seed is ready, there is nothing more to do until it rains! We are praying for rain and trusting that God will bring the rain when the time is right. Though this has slowed the research process, Phil is making the most of this delay by serving with the church and learning more Waale and Dagaare.