Question: What do the following objects have in common?
A laptop, a bench and a ram.
Answer: All are objects which can help you start a spiritual conversation –given the right circumstances.
As the above Q&A suggests, we are thankful that God answered our prayer request for sensitivity and creativity in building relationships and witnessing this week. As an illustration, we share the story of “Saebu’s ram.”

Saebu’s Ram
We were on our way to visit a friend, when our neighbor stopped us. We began talking about his household, his work, and his new livestock, which were grazing in the yard. He had a large white ram, imported from Burkina Faso and several new ewes. These animals were amazingly docile compared to the local goats. The sheep would even let strangers come up and pet them. The goats, by comparison, are independent, stubborn, and tend to resist even their own shepherds – let alone the advances of strangers. “Yes,” our neighbor replied, “my goats will not even sleep on the ground because they do not like to get dirty. They will sleep on top of my sheep!” This began an interesting conversation contrasting sheep and goats. We told our neighbor that, as Christians, it is very interesting to live in such close proximity to sheep and goats because Jesus talks about them in the Bible. Now we understand Jesus’ teaching even better because we realize how differently sheep and goats behave! We told him Jesus’ parable from Matthew 25:31-46, which predicts his future glory and the day Jesus will judge all mankind, separating the sheep from the goats. The people who, like sheep, obediently followed Jesus’ teaching of goodness and mercy are invited into the kingdom, but the people who, like goats, stubbornly refused to obey, must depart from Jesus to go to the eternal fire. We went on to have a very good conversation. Isn’t it amazing what can happen with a little creativity, knowledge of the scriptures, and the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Preaching a Sermon
This Sunday Phil preached the sermon at God’s Glory Baptist Church. Here is a brief synopsis of his message:

While here on earth Jesus claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Furthermore, John 1:4 tells us “In [Jesus] was life, and the life was the Light of men.” There is a close relationship between the life and the light. Using Acts 16:16-34, we observe four principles:

1 When you let your light shine, someone will try to snuff it out
2 Light always shines brightest in the darkness
3 Hope in Jesus is the spark the keeps your light shining
4 When you consistently let your light shine, people will be drawn to it

It was a very well-received message which encouraged us all to be agents of hope in this world. Praise God!

Rescue Mission
We spent time with the youth at the Rescue Mission this week. The young women are learning vocational skills in order to support themselves, so we brought them a special project to work on. They are making presents for some of you, dear readers! This employment helped further their training and provided the youth with a small income. However, we are hoping this special project will reap benefits which are spiritual as well as physical. To find out what we mean... you’ll just have to wait until we return to the States!

Prayer Requests
1. Continued good health (especially not to contract malaria)
2. Creativity and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading in opportunities to witness to neighbors
3. The Lord’s guidance as we begin our goodbyes and make some special donations
4. Favor with drivers license officials, to obtain a permanent driver’s license
5. Praise that Phil’s research is transitioning well so far; continued prayer as there are still loose ends to tie up

Special Update - Prayer Request

Phil has been invited to preach at God's Glory Baptist Church this Sunday. Please pray for him as he prepares to share the message God has laid on his heart: being agents of hope (Acts 16:23-34 and 1 Peter 3:8-16).

Akwaaba Obama
Last weekend President Obama visited southern Ghana. It seems Ghanaians, like most Africans, are fascinated and enamored with the American president. Both of the television channels presented 24-hour coverage of his visit. His speeches and travels were broadcast on the radio air waves. Even when the President was sleeping, it seems there was something Obama-related on TV: be it his A&E biography or one of the many Ghanaian music videos dedicated to the American leader.
The President’s first official address was to the Ghanaian parliament. He emphasized American-African partnership (as opposed to patronization) and four key areas of development: democracy, opportunity, health, and peaceful resolution of conflict. Ghanaian’s received Mr. Obama’s words as warmly as they received the President himself. Below is a picture we captured off the television set.

July 11, 2009, Mr. Obama addresses the Ghanaian parliament

Research “Team” in Piisi

Researcher Phil, farmer Pileka, and translator Ngmene observing crop growth in Piisi

This week Dani accompanied Phil to Piisi, a village where he conducts agricultural research. They visited each of the 15 farmers, evaluating germination, weediness, and crop vigor. Dani and Phil also participated in soil classification training with about 20 of the local farmers.

Piisi farmers discussing how landscape affects soil quality

Catholic Mission and Development Project

On Friday our neighbor took us to Maria Yiri HOLIFE (Mary’s House Hope of Liberation for Empowerment). HOLIFE is a Catholic Mission and women’s development project.

HOLIFE mission statement

Dawadawa fruit processing

The Mission works with women from Wa and the surrounding villages, providing microfinance loans, access to markets, and training in processing traditional food goods and handicrafts. Not only do such activities benefit the women’s self-confidence and dignity, they also provide income which supports the health, education, and quality of life of the entire family. Their projects include weaving, bead working, packaging potable water, baking bread, and processing dawadawa fruit, bean flour, millet flour, and soybean flour. The director, Evelyn, showed us around their grounds.

Dani and Evelyn at Maria Yiri Mission

Already Saying Goodbye
Even though we have several more weeks in Ghana, we have already begun saying goodbye to our new friends. Last Sunday we had dinner with the International Mission Board summer missionaries and prayed together before seeing them off to Burkina Faso. Our German housemate is also leaving this weekend, so on Friday night we had a going away party for him. Despite many mishaps (having to find a Muslim to properly slaughter the guinea fowl for our Muslim guests, the cooking gas running out, a torrential downpour, the cook leaving in the middle of cooking because his house was flooded...) we still had a very nice time...

Some nice guinea fowl, tomato stew, and rice

And the “dance party” we have been joking about for so long.

Christoph and Sector perform traditional whirling dances in their Dagaaba-style smocks

Prayer Requests
1 Creativity and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading in opportunities to witness to neighbors this week
2 We will be interacting with some “street girls” from the Rescue Mission. Please pray that we may be an encouragement to them and help them in their vocational skills training.
3 May we continue to have good health – specifically, not contracting malaria
4 As Phil prepares to leave Africa, he is praying for a smooth transfer of research responsibilities to the Ghanaian technicians.

Greetings! We want to thank everyone for their prayers and concern. We are happy to report that God granted both of our prayer requests last week. Not only was Dani able to spend time in the village, but also we both enjoyed good health this week.

A Plug for Urbana
We recently registered for the national missions conference “Urbana.” Every three years tens of thousands of missions-minded Christians convene for 5 days of inspiring worship, motivating speakers, and myriad enlightening seminars. It is also one of the largest gatherings of missions/sending agencies in the US, a great time to talk to many organizations all in one place. We enthusiastically recommend this conference to our friends & readers. The meeting will take place in St. Louis, MO from Dec. 27th, 2009 – Jan 1st. It only occurs once every three years, so don’t miss it! Check out their website at: http://www.urbana09.org/ .

Phil’s Research
Planting corn, pigeon pea, and groundnut is finally complete on all 15 participating farms and the research station! This week Phil and the technicians began growth analysis sampling. Phil has spent the last two days cutting out fabric to make sample bags. He is a jack of all trades, a farmer turned tailor.

Phil measuring the fabric for crop residue decomposition bags

Dani in Kperisi
Thankfully, Dani was able to go to Kperisi with the summer missionaries this week. She stayed with a family in the village. During the day most adults in the village are busy working on the farms. So, daylight is a great time to interact with the children. The team spent lots of time playing with the children, providing medical care, and even teaching them a few songs. Their favorites were “What a Mighty God We Serve” and “Jesus Loves Me.”

Singing with the children and playing a game like “limbo”

Providing some medical care in Kperisi

At dusk the adults come back from the farm. Thus, evenings are a great time to share the Good News, tell Bible stories, and disciple new believers. Although it is dark, several young men come each evening to be taught about the Bible. We asked one young man to read certain books of the Bible: the Gospel of John, Romans, and Daniel. He enthusiastically set about his task, reading the entire book of John that very night. He was so engrossed he stayed up in our room using our flashlight until late in the night. We weren’t able to go to sleep, but it was worth it!

Dani even had some time to do a little work on the farm...

Dani harvesting bean leaves for dinner

We are thankful to God for the opportunity to spend a little time in the village, encouraging the new church and sharing the Good News.


-God bless & Shalom to you all-

July 4th Festivities
We had the summer missionaries from Kperisi over to celebrate Independence Day. Our two housemates (a German and a Ghanaian) also joined in. Using locally available fare, we put together a meal of steakburgers with tomatoes, onions, and alefu (instead of lettuce); yam chips (instead of potato chips); and fried okra. Our guests even stirred up some Sprite and Coke as well as some “ice cream.” In addition, our German roommate found a watermelon! So after lunch all eight of us went outside for an old-fashioned watermelon seed spitting contest. We concluded with prayer, thanking God for our freedom and interceding for our nation.

Research
Phil has now finished planting on 14 of the 15 farms participating in the on-farm experiment. He will plant the remaining farm on Monday. After that, his main responsibility will be monitoring the fields in case any problems arise. He has already heard that one farmer almost pulled up the pigeon pea while weeding because he did not know what the seedlings look like! Monitor. Monitor. Monitor.

Malaria?
Although Dani had planned to spend last week in a village with the summer missionaries, she stayed home instead. Monday afternoon she came down with all the classic symptoms of malaria. So, she rested until Friday. Thankfully, she now seems better. Many of our friends here have developed malaria infections which required several visits to the doctor and multiple weeks of treatment. We’re glad that Dani’s illness was cured with rest and doxycycline alone –that and a heaping dose of prayer.

Prayer Requests
- Continued good health
- Opportunities to witness & go to nearby villages (Dani would like to go to Kperisi this week)