Thank you for your prayers. I was able to complete all the necessary research activities by the end of last week. This trip was an especially busy time in Wa, but the Lord was faithful to bring everything to completion in time. The collaborating researcher and SARI (Savanna Agricultural Research Institute) technicians will complete the remaining work and hopefully send me the final data by January. Then I will be able to focus my efforts on analyzing, interpreting, and explaining what we observed. Thank you for your prayer support for me while I have been away. It has made all the difference. I have experienced more difficulties on this trip than I have in my previous 2 trips to Ghana and I know that had it not been for your prayers I would not have been able to finish in time.
I am currently in Tamale. Though on my way to Accra, I made a stop for a day or so in Tamale to tour the Agricultural college of the University for Development Studies (UDS) that is located near Tamale. I traveled to the campus this afternoon with a recent alumnus who is the former president of local chapter of the National Union of Baptist Students (NUBS). I also met a faculty member working in Animal Science who is a fellow Baptist. He was gracious enough to show me some of the various facilities they have on campus. He even let me use the internet connection in his office to post this blog entry! It was a wonderful opportunity to make some new friends and get a feel for the campus.
I have also visited the campus of the Northern Ghana Baptist Theological Seminary while I have been in Tamale. I spent the night in the dormitory and was even able to sit in on one of their classes this morning. It was a blessing to see pastors equipping themselves for more effective ministry. Two pastors are from towns in the Upper West Region. One of them has been particularly helpful in guiding me around and even preparing dinner for me. I will stay at the seminary again tonight and then catch my bus early tomorrow morning for Accra.
In Accra, I plan to spend Thursday visiting the main offices of the Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC). I hope to meet with Rev. Ofori, the Director of Missions and Evangelism for the GBC, to get a big picture view of mission work in Ghana and specifically in the north. I may also be able to meet with the head of BReADA (Baptist Relief And Development Agency) to find out the kinds development efforts the convention is supporting. I will spend Wednesday and Thursday nights with some friends that Dani and I met in Wa who now live in Accra. They will deliver me to the airport Friday morning and I’ll catch my flight from there to the States. I have begun my journey home, but I still have quite a way to go.
Please pray:
- That the Lord will make my interactions with various GBC leaders mutually beneficial.
- That the Lord will give me perspective on His work in Ghana.
- For traveling mercies as I take the bus to Accra and then fly back to Florida.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I understand that an email went out about my eardrum bursting...it sounds much worse than it actually is...perhaps ‘torn’ is a better term? I have only had minor discomfort and slight hearing loss from it. In fact the only reason I knew that anything was amiss was that I ruptured the same eardrum in high school and am familiar with the symptoms. I am otherwise healthy and doing well (no fever anymore). Nevertheless, I do appreciate the concern and prayers for my health. I am being careful to protect my ear, but please pray for God to prevent any infection from developing as that would greatly complicate things for me.
Zinnye Baptist Church
After the church service, we went to a church member’s house where we held a combined house and child dedication service. The house had recently been finished and the family had recently had a baby so they wanted to have a special service to celebrate both of the occasions. Pastor Kwame and I tag-teamed on the dedications. I spoke from Psalm 127:1-2 and prayed for God to bless the family and their new house as a place for people to see the word of God put into practice. Pastor Kwame then finished with verses 3-5 and led the group in praying for the new baby. Afterwards as we were preparing to leave for Wa, one of the church members gave me a live rooster. So now I have a rooster staying at Pastor Dan’s house until I decide what to do with it. I think we’ll make some soup with it later this week. I’ll let you know how that turns out.
Monday night I was able to join the GGBC youth for their weekly meeting. The youth president, Prosper, had invited me to share a word from the Lord. I spoke from Luke 6:43-45 and encouraged them to be mindful of the influences that they subject themselves to. I challenged them to store up good in their hearts by taking time to pray and read scripture regularly. If they would do so, I assured them that God would make them trees that bear good fruit and thereby honor Him. I often have a hard time knowing when I’m getting through people, but Prosper, Matthew and Philemon thanked me for the message afterwards and reassured me that it had encouraged them. So, even if it only benefited the three of them I guess it was worth it.
I spent all of last week finishing up the interviews I needed in Piisi, the village where I am doing my on-farm research. Interviewing there took much longer than I’d anticipated. It was harder to catch farmers before they left for their farms and even the interviews themselves took longer than I’d anticipated. I finished the last of those interviews on Saturday. This week I am helping the research technicians to harvest the on-farm research plots in Piisi and Nakor. We have finished 7 of 13 so far. If I have time left after those activities are completed I might do a few more interviews in Nakor. I’ll have to see what is feasible. I begin my journey from Wa back to
Sunday, October 10, 2010
My apologies for the long gap in blog posts. I have spent most of the last week being sick or recovering from being sick and have not had much time to get to the internet cafe. Also, the internet has been down for more than a week.
Saturday afternoon a week ago I was privileged to participate in an “Pastor Installation Service.” One of the pastors in the area has recently been ordained (though he’s been serving the church for a couple of years) and the Installation Service is a formal way of churches in the area to recognize the significance of this occasion. They held it at God’s Glory Baptist Church
Saturday afternoon a week ago I was privileged to participate in an “Pastor Installation Service.” One of the pastors in the area has recently been ordained (though he’s been serving the church for a couple of years) and the Installation Service is a formal way of churches in the area to recognize the significance of this occasion. They held it at God’s
I’ve never seen anything quite like it and felt honored to participate. Such faithful men and women seeking to bring the Gospel to the Wala people are really
needed here. The workers are few when compared to the harvest that awaits those who will venture to go.
Last Sunday the local chapter of the National Union of Baptist Students (NUBS) joined services with God’s
On Monday I was sick, sick, sick! I registered a fever of 103.6 F along with a laundry list of other unpleasant symptoms. I could barely move. I spent nearly the whole day just lying down at Pastor Dan’s house. Tuesday was incrementally better and by Wednesday evening I felt well enough to make it to prayer meeting. Thursday I spent most of the day resting and by Friday I was mostly back to normal. Needless to say, I did not get much else done during that time. I will say this: there is nothing like severe sickness to make you appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy. I have certainly not taken my health for granted these last few days.
On Friday I left with Sule to go to Tuasa for to interview farmers. I was expecting for us to finish about 8 interviews before returning on Saturday evening. Amazingly we were able to finish all 15! The Lord truly multiplied our efforts beyond all that I asked for or imagined. I’m left with interviews to complete in Piisi and Nyagli. I am praying that the Lord will bless the remaining efforts in a similar way. If so, I might even finish things early.
Sunday morning I traveled with Pastor David to Vieri for their church service. It was wonderful to worship with them under the shea tree praising the Lord and praying together. I shared with them from 2 Kings 7, where the 4 lepers deliver
Please pray:
- For good health for me and those working with me
- That God will grant me favor with the farmers I interview
- That I will have opportunities this week to pray with and encourage other believers here
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted last. Well, in the last week, I have been working hard to get my research activities up and running. It has truly been a challenge. Life moves at a more relaxed pace here and you can either adjust to it or be doomed to endless frustration. I have been trying my best to observe cultural norms, but this often slows things down. It is culturally unacceptable to simply arrive, introduce yourself, and start interviewing people. The cultural protocol requires at least one social visit before coming to interview them. So, I have been going to greet the farmers ahead of time to let them know that I am in town and will be coming around to interview them soon. I pray about my work often asking God to bless my efforts so that I’ll be able to complete everything in time. I only have a month left, so I have to make each day count. I finally completed 3 interviews yesterday and hope to complete another 3 today so progress is being made. I certainly feel the pressure of my time constraints, but rather than worry about it I have chosen to keep bringing the matter before the Lord. I know that He has brought me here and as I work diligently He will work it all out as He sees fit.
I have really enjoyed reconnecting with friends from God’s Glory Baptist Church. Several friends’ greetings were especially enthusiastic. One friend grabbed me in a couple of big bear hugs, another ran up to me to hug me, and a third ran up and jumped on me for a hug (like some football players do after a touch down). Fortunately, I was able to catch my balance and hold him up without falling over. Needless to say, I have been received vary warmly. I have even moved out of the guest house where I staying and moved in with a couple of young men from the church. They had space and I did not see the need to be paying for a room when that money could be put to better use through the church. Though my new accommodations are not as fancy as the guest house, the closer fellowship with my brothers in Christ is truly a blessing. I have enjoyed several meals together with them and one friend's family. The picture above is of us enjoying some roasted fresh corn. I couldn’t put my own down long enough for a picture until I’d finished half of it:
I will be heading to the village of Toassa on Friday afternoon. There is a small, but faithful group of believers there and I will have the privilege to offer some words of encouragement to them on Saturday morning. I will also spend some time greeting other people in the village in order to prepare for doing some interviews with farmers there next week. I will be staying overnight in a village for the first time, and I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll have to let you know what it’s like in my next post.
Some Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for my friend Prosper. He started experiencing severe abdominal pain this morning and was not able to go with me to interview farmers. He told me he used to have similar pains periodically when he was a child. Pray for his complete health to be restored that he might be relieved of this pain.
- Please continue to pray for me as I seek to be faithful in completing the research I was sent to do. I have just started interviewing farmers so I have much left to do.
- In the midst of everything else, I want to be attentive to opportunities to serve the Lord and His kingdom here. Pray specifically that the Lord will open my eyes to ways I can encourage His people and participate in His work as I travel to Toassa this weekend.
I have really enjoyed reconnecting with friends from God’s Glory Baptist Church. Several friends’ greetings were especially enthusiastic. One friend grabbed me in a couple of big bear hugs, another ran up to me to hug me, and a third ran up and jumped on me for a hug (like some football players do after a touch down). Fortunately, I was able to catch my balance and hold him up without falling over. Needless to say, I have been received vary warmly. I have even moved out of the guest house where I staying and moved in with a couple of young men from the church. They had space and I did not see the need to be paying for a room when that money could be put to better use through the church. Though my new accommodations are not as fancy as the guest house, the closer fellowship with my brothers in Christ is truly a blessing. I have enjoyed several meals together with them and one friend's family. The picture above is of us enjoying some roasted fresh corn. I couldn’t put my own down long enough for a picture until I’d finished half of it:
I will be heading to the village of Toassa on Friday afternoon. There is a small, but faithful group of believers there and I will have the privilege to offer some words of encouragement to them on Saturday morning. I will also spend some time greeting other people in the village in order to prepare for doing some interviews with farmers there next week. I will be staying overnight in a village for the first time, and I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll have to let you know what it’s like in my next post.
Some Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for my friend Prosper. He started experiencing severe abdominal pain this morning and was not able to go with me to interview farmers. He told me he used to have similar pains periodically when he was a child. Pray for his complete health to be restored that he might be relieved of this pain.
- Please continue to pray for me as I seek to be faithful in completing the research I was sent to do. I have just started interviewing farmers so I have much left to do.
- In the midst of everything else, I want to be attentive to opportunities to serve the Lord and His kingdom here. Pray specifically that the Lord will open my eyes to ways I can encourage His people and participate in His work as I travel to Toassa this weekend.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Touring experiments in Tamale and Wa
Tuesday morning I joined a group of researchers touring some experiments in Nyankpala sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Peanut-Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP). We spent several hours looking at experimental plots and speculating about reasons for what we observed. After leaving the fields, we stopped by SARI headquarters for the senior researchers to resolve some administrative issues. We then ate lunch and left for Wa. The ride was quite bumpy along some stretches of the road with several potholes 4 feet or more in diameter. We finally arrived in Wa around
The rest of the researchers leave tomorrow morning and then begins the real work I was sent here to complete. My next steps will be to select and train my translator on the format of the survey I’m implementing and start arranging for the actual interviews. Once the interviews are done, harvesting activities for my on-farm experiment should be getting into full swing. This is definitely going to be a busy few weeks, so I would genuinely appreciate your prayers for strength and endurance.
I haven’t talked with Pastor Dan about the latest on ministry among the Wala. I suspect that my involvement this trip will mainly consist of encouraging members of God’s Glory Baptist Church and visiting the various village churches when I have time. Pray that God will create opportunities for these interactions and make them fruitful for His kingdom.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The best laid plans...
Things never seem to go as planned when I’m in Ghana
The bus I was planning to take to Wa left
Saturday was spent traveling to Tamale. The bus ride was fairly uneventful. I mostly read and napped along the way. Nevertheless, I was happy to find the bed waiting for me once we arrived.
Sunday was a good day. The guest house keeper took me to get some breakfast and then another friend from Wa (who happened to be in Tamale) dropped me off at the First Baptist Church of Tamale. I arrived during the second half of the Bible study hour. Everyone was very friendly, and the worship service followed a similar pattern as God’s
This morning I traveled with a fellow graduate student, Stephen, to the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) headquarters at Nyankpala (map). It was raining, but we were able to catch a ride to the taxi stand with some other researchers staying at the same guest house. Stephen had some business to take care of at SARI and I had wanted to check out the nearby campus of the University for Development Studies, but the rain kept me inside. We are supposed to tour some experiments tomorrow morning and then head for Wa about mid-day. Please pray for good weather and safety as I make the final part of my journey to Wa.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
So far so good...
After plenty of long hours on an airplane, I have made it safely to the airport in Accra, Ghana (map). I will have the day to rest a bit and tomorrow morning I will catch the bus to Wa (map). At least that's the plan, I haven't caught a taxi to the bus station or found a hotel yet. I'd appreciate some prayer in that regard.
Assuming all goes according to plan, I'll have a day or so to get settled in Wa before leaving for Tamale (map), a city in the Northern Region. I will be joining a group of researchers touring some experiments supported by the US Agency for International Development through the Peanut Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP). I hope to participate in services with God's Glory Baptist Church on Sunday, but the trip to Tamale may preclude that. Please pray for my safety and opportunities to serve God while I am here for my research.
Assuming all goes according to plan, I'll have a day or so to get settled in Wa before leaving for Tamale (map), a city in the Northern Region. I will be joining a group of researchers touring some experiments supported by the US Agency for International Development through the Peanut Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP). I hope to participate in services with God's Glory Baptist Church on Sunday, but the trip to Tamale may preclude that. Please pray for my safety and opportunities to serve God while I am here for my research.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Praying with God's People in Vieri, Wa, Tissa, and Jeyiri
On Tuesday night Phil traveled with Pastor David to the Vieri. Fortunately, Vieri is much closer to Wa than some of the other villages. They arrived just after sundown and Pastor David wanted to show Phil the church building that is under construction. When we arrived at the building site we realized that one of the walls had collapsed as a result of the heavy rain the night before. Needless to say, this was a considerable discouragement to Pastor David.
Nevertheless, as they entered the time of prayer, Phil spoke to the congregation from Psalm 46. Among other things, he pointed out that a God as great as the one described in that psalm would have no problem providing the resources needed to rebuild the wall and finish the church building. The whole church prayed that God would provide the necessary resources and took a step of faith by dedicating the finished building to the work of God's kingdom. They prayed that God would use it to train many people up in the word of God and send them out to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. Phil felt so privileged to encourage them and join with them in prayer.
On Wednesday night, Phil led the prayer time at God's Glory Baptist Church. He felt led of the Lord to bring a message from 1 Corinthians 15:50, 53-58. The major theme of the passage is how God will replace the corruptible things in our lives with the incorruptible. He began by acknowledging that many times as Christians God wants to give us incorruptible blessings in the Spirit, but we instead cling to the corruptible things of the world. He identified the reason for this is that we accommodate sinful attitudes in our lives that cause us to pursue sin instead of pursuing the things of God. We are deceived into thinking that sin (which is death) is part of living a full life and that the full life God offers us in Christ is somehow deficient. As they prayed together, they asked God to reveal where they are clinging to the corruptible things of this world instead of reaching for the incorruptible blessings of God. They also prayed for God to reveal where they are accommodating sin in their lives so they might confess this to God and be freed from it in Christ. They also prayed for their own church and the church in Vieri that God would help them to stand firm and persevere in the Lord despite whatever struggles they face. It was a powerful time of communal repentance and focusing on the purposes of God.
While Phil led the meeting at God's Glory, Ryan went with Pastor David to meet with the church at Tissa. It turned out to be an important stepping stone for Ryan in preparing for the sermon on Sunday. He spoke with the Tissa believers about Easter and they reflected on its significance together. They talked at length on the fulfillment of the Psalms (Psalm 22) and Prophesies in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53) and how this has provided for the new covenant through Jesus (Luke 24:36-47). It seemed very relevant for their interactions with Muslims. The people had plenty of questions that Pastor David and Ryan were able to answer that were clearly geared toward communicating their faith to the Muslims in their community. Reflecting later, Ryan realized how much he had been led by the Holy Spirit in bringing this message and how, through the power of the Spirit, the believers were strengthened and equipped to dialog with their Muslim neighbors. At the end of their time together, Ryan also gave out some Gideon Bibles to the people who could read English. It was wonderful for him to see the genuine joy people had in holding their own Bible. Not only could they follow along with the sermon, but they were especially excited for the opportunity to study the word of God on their own.
On Thursday night, Phil traveled with Pastor Prosper to Jeyiri for their prayer meeting. After the church had gathered and sung the some songs, Phil brought some encouragement from Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17, two verses that have become a theme for our trip. He reminded the church that, as Christians, when we have needs our first reaction should be to bring them before the Lord in prayer. In addition, we should always maintain open communication with God throughout the day inviting him to join us wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Though not as dramatic as his experience in Vieri, Phil felt that the message was well received and was delighted to call upon the name of the Lord with them.
After the prayer meeting, Phil began his prayers in earnest. He had thought that traveling out that far during the fading daylight had been "exciting", but it didn't compare to doing it in the dark! He prayed for protection and gave thanks to God for the strong headlight on the motorcycle. Thankfully, the Lord delivered them safely back to Wa without a problem.
Visiting with Pastor Dan
Phil and Ryan with Prosper, Philemon, and Matthew
Friday evening, we were invited to dinner at Pastor Dan's house. In addition to enjoying more than our share of delicious Ghanaian cuisine, we talked with him about his vision for reaching the Wala people. He specifically mentioned his desire to mentor and send out into village ministry three young men (Prosper, Matthew and Philemon), who have shown great potential for serving the Lord. At this point, he feels they are ready to be sent out, but the lack of motorcycles has become a limiting factor. All the currently available motorcycles are being used by others already working in village ministry. The other limiting factor is the lack of adequate financial support to supply them with a stipend. All three of the young men are eager to serve, but they also need means for supporting their families. One of them is the primary "breadwinner" for his younger four siblings and mother, so taking time to go to the village would be difficult for him without that support. We felt honored that Pastor Dan would share his heart with us. After talking for some time, we prayed together asking God to provide the needed resources for this important work among the Wala.
Living Transformed Lives
On Sunday morning, we worshipped with God's Glory Baptist Church for the last time before leaving for the States. It was powerful to praise the Lord together. Ryan brought the sermon. He had spent a considerable amount of time this week preparing. His primary text was Romans 12:1-8. He began by reminding the congregation of God's mercy toward us (Rom. 3:10, 8:13). He continued by explaining what it meant to be a "living sacrifice" by referring to Luke 9:23-24 and 14:28-30. As we do this, we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) and we will be able to "test and approve" God's will (Rom. 12:2, Mal. 3:10). This process leads us to discover and embrace the gifts that the Spirit has given us to fulfill the various roles we find in the church (Rom. 12:3-8). Through the Spirit, we find unity in Christ (1 Cor. 12:26) and we are directed to pursue our gifts wholeheartedly (1 Pet. 4:11). He concluded by sharing about his personal journey of faith culminating in his account of the experiences he has had while here in Ghana. It was a very compelling sermon that seemed to impact everyone who listened. We praise the Lord for using Ryan to exhort God's people and inspire them to devote themselves to him completely.
Mango Tree Ministry
Tuesday night while Phil was in Vieri Ryan went down to Fazana Enterprises (where Raymond works). It turned out to be a great time for fellowship. There were many people gathered around the television to watch the football match so he stayed to visit with Raymond and Boniface. Boniface was one of Raymond's old classmates whom Ryan had met earlier that day. Soon after, several other people arrived that Ryan knew. As the night drew on and the crowd thinned with the end of the game, he felt led by the Spirit to share his testimony with one of the men there named Osama. Earlier that evening he had read some materials that Dani sent regarding witnessing to Muslims. It came in very handy.
As it grew late, Ryan began to wonder what he would do for dinner (he had skipped dinner to spend time with everyone). About that time, the Lord answered his prayers when Osama invited him back to the mango tree to share a meal with him. It turned into a time for them to talk about their beliefs and have a productive dialog on the message of Christ. Pastor David even came by later after dropping Phil off and joined the conversation. Pastor David was able to use that time as an example for the people of Tissa the next day of how Christians should fellowship with Muslims. Ryan finally bid farewell to Osama sometime around 10:30pm. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to witness to Osama and provide an example (even if unintentionally) for other Christians to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.
This morning, Ryan also had a chance to witness to Doma and Haruna, two Muslim men that Ryan has had time to become good friends with under the mango tree. He had been saying his goodbyes and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to pray for them. It turned into an awesome time to share the love of Jesus. They prayed and hugged and there were wide teeth-filled grins all around. They seemed very happy to pray with him and it led to an even greater opportunity to witness. Ryan shared some from the Bible and encouraged them to ask Raymond for their own Bibles (he had given a stack of Gideon Bibles to Raymond earlier in the week for him to distribute). The Lord had provided a way for them to build a relationship with Raymond (a Christian) and for them to receive their own copies of the word of God. All in all, it was a joyous goodbye and it eased Ryan's heavy heart to be able to depart on these terms.
Points for Prayer
We give thanks for God's abundant blessings through this rather hectic week. We begin our journey back to Gainesville tomorrow with a 12-hour bus ride to Accra. Where we'll stay until we fly out on Thursday evening.
Please pray for:
- God's protection on us as we make our way home
- Prosper, Matthew, and Philemon that God will provide the resources needed to send them out
- God to bless the people and ministries of God's Glory Baptist Church and the churches in Vieri, Toassa, Tissa, and Jeyiri
On Tuesday night Phil traveled with Pastor David to the Vieri. Fortunately, Vieri is much closer to Wa than some of the other villages. They arrived just after sundown and Pastor David wanted to show Phil the church building that is under construction. When we arrived at the building site we realized that one of the walls had collapsed as a result of the heavy rain the night before. Needless to say, this was a considerable discouragement to Pastor David.
Nevertheless, as they entered the time of prayer, Phil spoke to the congregation from Psalm 46. Among other things, he pointed out that a God as great as the one described in that psalm would have no problem providing the resources needed to rebuild the wall and finish the church building. The whole church prayed that God would provide the necessary resources and took a step of faith by dedicating the finished building to the work of God's kingdom. They prayed that God would use it to train many people up in the word of God and send them out to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. Phil felt so privileged to encourage them and join with them in prayer.
On Wednesday night, Phil led the prayer time at God's Glory Baptist Church. He felt led of the Lord to bring a message from 1 Corinthians 15:50, 53-58. The major theme of the passage is how God will replace the corruptible things in our lives with the incorruptible. He began by acknowledging that many times as Christians God wants to give us incorruptible blessings in the Spirit, but we instead cling to the corruptible things of the world. He identified the reason for this is that we accommodate sinful attitudes in our lives that cause us to pursue sin instead of pursuing the things of God. We are deceived into thinking that sin (which is death) is part of living a full life and that the full life God offers us in Christ is somehow deficient. As they prayed together, they asked God to reveal where they are clinging to the corruptible things of this world instead of reaching for the incorruptible blessings of God. They also prayed for God to reveal where they are accommodating sin in their lives so they might confess this to God and be freed from it in Christ. They also prayed for their own church and the church in Vieri that God would help them to stand firm and persevere in the Lord despite whatever struggles they face. It was a powerful time of communal repentance and focusing on the purposes of God.
While Phil led the meeting at God's Glory, Ryan went with Pastor David to meet with the church at Tissa. It turned out to be an important stepping stone for Ryan in preparing for the sermon on Sunday. He spoke with the Tissa believers about Easter and they reflected on its significance together. They talked at length on the fulfillment of the Psalms (Psalm 22) and Prophesies in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53) and how this has provided for the new covenant through Jesus (Luke 24:36-47). It seemed very relevant for their interactions with Muslims. The people had plenty of questions that Pastor David and Ryan were able to answer that were clearly geared toward communicating their faith to the Muslims in their community. Reflecting later, Ryan realized how much he had been led by the Holy Spirit in bringing this message and how, through the power of the Spirit, the believers were strengthened and equipped to dialog with their Muslim neighbors. At the end of their time together, Ryan also gave out some Gideon Bibles to the people who could read English. It was wonderful for him to see the genuine joy people had in holding their own Bible. Not only could they follow along with the sermon, but they were especially excited for the opportunity to study the word of God on their own.
On Thursday night, Phil traveled with Pastor Prosper to Jeyiri for their prayer meeting. After the church had gathered and sung the some songs, Phil brought some encouragement from Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17, two verses that have become a theme for our trip. He reminded the church that, as Christians, when we have needs our first reaction should be to bring them before the Lord in prayer. In addition, we should always maintain open communication with God throughout the day inviting him to join us wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Though not as dramatic as his experience in Vieri, Phil felt that the message was well received and was delighted to call upon the name of the Lord with them.
After the prayer meeting, Phil began his prayers in earnest. He had thought that traveling out that far during the fading daylight had been "exciting", but it didn't compare to doing it in the dark! He prayed for protection and gave thanks to God for the strong headlight on the motorcycle. Thankfully, the Lord delivered them safely back to Wa without a problem.
Visiting with Pastor Dan
Phil and Ryan with Prosper, Philemon, and MatthewFriday evening, we were invited to dinner at Pastor Dan's house. In addition to enjoying more than our share of delicious Ghanaian cuisine, we talked with him about his vision for reaching the Wala people. He specifically mentioned his desire to mentor and send out into village ministry three young men (Prosper, Matthew and Philemon), who have shown great potential for serving the Lord. At this point, he feels they are ready to be sent out, but the lack of motorcycles has become a limiting factor. All the currently available motorcycles are being used by others already working in village ministry. The other limiting factor is the lack of adequate financial support to supply them with a stipend. All three of the young men are eager to serve, but they also need means for supporting their families. One of them is the primary "breadwinner" for his younger four siblings and mother, so taking time to go to the village would be difficult for him without that support. We felt honored that Pastor Dan would share his heart with us. After talking for some time, we prayed together asking God to provide the needed resources for this important work among the Wala.
Living Transformed Lives
On Sunday morning, we worshipped with God's Glory Baptist Church for the last time before leaving for the States. It was powerful to praise the Lord together. Ryan brought the sermon. He had spent a considerable amount of time this week preparing. His primary text was Romans 12:1-8. He began by reminding the congregation of God's mercy toward us (Rom. 3:10, 8:13). He continued by explaining what it meant to be a "living sacrifice" by referring to Luke 9:23-24 and 14:28-30. As we do this, we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) and we will be able to "test and approve" God's will (Rom. 12:2, Mal. 3:10). This process leads us to discover and embrace the gifts that the Spirit has given us to fulfill the various roles we find in the church (Rom. 12:3-8). Through the Spirit, we find unity in Christ (1 Cor. 12:26) and we are directed to pursue our gifts wholeheartedly (1 Pet. 4:11). He concluded by sharing about his personal journey of faith culminating in his account of the experiences he has had while here in Ghana. It was a very compelling sermon that seemed to impact everyone who listened. We praise the Lord for using Ryan to exhort God's people and inspire them to devote themselves to him completely.
Mango Tree Ministry
Tuesday night while Phil was in Vieri Ryan went down to Fazana Enterprises (where Raymond works). It turned out to be a great time for fellowship. There were many people gathered around the television to watch the football match so he stayed to visit with Raymond and Boniface. Boniface was one of Raymond's old classmates whom Ryan had met earlier that day. Soon after, several other people arrived that Ryan knew. As the night drew on and the crowd thinned with the end of the game, he felt led by the Spirit to share his testimony with one of the men there named Osama. Earlier that evening he had read some materials that Dani sent regarding witnessing to Muslims. It came in very handy.
As it grew late, Ryan began to wonder what he would do for dinner (he had skipped dinner to spend time with everyone). About that time, the Lord answered his prayers when Osama invited him back to the mango tree to share a meal with him. It turned into a time for them to talk about their beliefs and have a productive dialog on the message of Christ. Pastor David even came by later after dropping Phil off and joined the conversation. Pastor David was able to use that time as an example for the people of Tissa the next day of how Christians should fellowship with Muslims. Ryan finally bid farewell to Osama sometime around 10:30pm. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to witness to Osama and provide an example (even if unintentionally) for other Christians to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.
This morning, Ryan also had a chance to witness to Doma and Haruna, two Muslim men that Ryan has had time to become good friends with under the mango tree. He had been saying his goodbyes and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to pray for them. It turned into an awesome time to share the love of Jesus. They prayed and hugged and there were wide teeth-filled grins all around. They seemed very happy to pray with him and it led to an even greater opportunity to witness. Ryan shared some from the Bible and encouraged them to ask Raymond for their own Bibles (he had given a stack of Gideon Bibles to Raymond earlier in the week for him to distribute). The Lord had provided a way for them to build a relationship with Raymond (a Christian) and for them to receive their own copies of the word of God. All in all, it was a joyous goodbye and it eased Ryan's heavy heart to be able to depart on these terms.
Points for Prayer
We give thanks for God's abundant blessings through this rather hectic week. We begin our journey back to Gainesville tomorrow with a 12-hour bus ride to Accra. Where we'll stay until we fly out on Thursday evening.
Please pray for:
- God's protection on us as we make our way home
- Prosper, Matthew, and Philemon that God will provide the resources needed to send them out
- God to bless the people and ministries of God's Glory Baptist Church and the churches in Vieri, Toassa, Tissa, and Jeyiri
Monday, April 5, 2010
Outdooring Ceremony
God has been answering your prayers. On Saturday morning, we attended Brother Henry's son's Outdooring Ceremony. Apparently, "outdooring" is when you officially bring your child outside and present him publicly for the first time. We really enjoyed being a part of it. They dedicated the child to the Lord and announced the child's name: Blintoh Tuurosong Jilac. "Blintoh" is their family name. "Tuurosong" means something like "follow the good/right way." Jilac is actually an acronym for "Jesus Is Lord And Christ." Creative don't you think?
We sang songs, prayed for the child, prayed for the parents and generally celebrated the new life that God has brought into this family. There were a number of people walking by the building who were looking in through the door and windows curious about what was going on. Brother Henry has already been approached by a few neighbors about it. We hope it will continue to give him the chance to witness to the Muslims in his neighborhood. He arranged for it to be very visible so that it might be a testimony to the love and community that Christians have with one another. God was faithful to bless the occasion and we give Him the praise for it.
He is Risen!
The Easter service at God's Glory Baptist Church (GGBC) was a little crowded. It was a joint service including several of the village churches near Wa. Usually they have an Easter conference for all the Ghana Baptist Convention churches in the Upper West Region. However, due to some logistical issues this year they decided to hold several joint services distributed throughout the region. The churches at Vieri, Jeyiri, Toassa, and Tissa came to GGBC. The service was longer than usual (more than 3 hours!), but no one seemed to notice. The praise and worship portion itself lasted nearly 2 hours. By the time Pastor Dan stood up to preach it was after noon. Even so, he preached for close to an hour. It was well after 1pm before we finished. Nevertheless, it was a joyous occasion to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord together.
By the end of the service, we were both pretty hungry and we had not decided what to do for lunch yet. As we were considering whether to try to find a restaurant, Pastor Dan invited us to stay at the church for lunch. Apparently, the church was providing lunch for all the village churches in attendance since they were unable to prepare their own food due to traveling into town. Since they had prepared plenty of food, we gladly joined our friends Prosper, Matthew, Philemon, and Solomon for the meal. The food was delicious and the fellowship was wonderful. He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Ryan's Local Football Club
Ryan has been connecting with some of the local kids through football lately. Mostly they have been having fun together playing football (and getting dirty), but God has gradually enabled him to share with them why he is here and teach them respect for one another. Through these interactions, he has discovered that most of them are Muslim. He wishes he could do more to witness to them, but so far the Lord has not provided the opportunity. Even so, Ryan has enjoyed at least teaching them about sportsmanship and treating one another with courtesy.
Meeting with Farmers
Phil has been working diligently to carry out his research activities. Mostly this has involved meeting with farmers individually and facilitating several farmer meetings. They have been discussing various issues related to crop production and soil fertility. In addition to providing useful information for Phil's research, the discussions seem to be helping the farmers learn some things as well. They were discussing the linkage between legumes and cereals and Phil was able to explain the plant processes that allow legumes to add fertility to the soil. During his explanation there were nodding heads throughout the group. It was very satisfying for him to see the "light" come on for them. Phil is grateful to God for richly blessing his collaboration with these farmers.
The Coming Week
The rest of this week is going to be rather busy for us. Phil has a farmer meeting tomorrow and in the evening he is supposed to go to Vieri for their weekly prayer meeting. He's also leading the prayer meeting at GGBC on Wednesday night, while at the same time Ryan will lead a prayer meeting at Tissa. Thursday evening Phil will go with Pastor Prosper to Jeyiri for their prayer meeting. Needless to say, We'll be experiencing lots of prayer with God's people this week.
On Friday evening we have been invited Pastor Dan's house for dinner and on Saturday we will travel with a group from GGBC to Sombo for a memorial service. On Sunday, we'll have our last worship service at GGBC and Ryan is bringing the sermon. He is a bit apprehensive about it, but is honored that Pastor Dan asked him to speak. On Monday morning, Phil will hold the last farmer meeting and in the evening we plan attend the Youth meeting. On Tuesday morning we'll say "goodbye" to Wa and board the bus for Accra. As you can tell, it's going to be a busy last week in Wa.
Points for Prayer
Pray that:
- God will bless Phil's remaining research activities
- God will give us the energy to keep up with all that we need to do this week
- We can find time for reflection and prayer
God has been answering your prayers. On Saturday morning, we attended Brother Henry's son's Outdooring Ceremony. Apparently, "outdooring" is when you officially bring your child outside and present him publicly for the first time. We really enjoyed being a part of it. They dedicated the child to the Lord and announced the child's name: Blintoh Tuurosong Jilac. "Blintoh" is their family name. "Tuurosong" means something like "follow the good/right way." Jilac is actually an acronym for "Jesus Is Lord And Christ." Creative don't you think?
We sang songs, prayed for the child, prayed for the parents and generally celebrated the new life that God has brought into this family. There were a number of people walking by the building who were looking in through the door and windows curious about what was going on. Brother Henry has already been approached by a few neighbors about it. We hope it will continue to give him the chance to witness to the Muslims in his neighborhood. He arranged for it to be very visible so that it might be a testimony to the love and community that Christians have with one another. God was faithful to bless the occasion and we give Him the praise for it.
He is Risen!
The Easter service at God's Glory Baptist Church (GGBC) was a little crowded. It was a joint service including several of the village churches near Wa. Usually they have an Easter conference for all the Ghana Baptist Convention churches in the Upper West Region. However, due to some logistical issues this year they decided to hold several joint services distributed throughout the region. The churches at Vieri, Jeyiri, Toassa, and Tissa came to GGBC. The service was longer than usual (more than 3 hours!), but no one seemed to notice. The praise and worship portion itself lasted nearly 2 hours. By the time Pastor Dan stood up to preach it was after noon. Even so, he preached for close to an hour. It was well after 1pm before we finished. Nevertheless, it was a joyous occasion to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord together.
By the end of the service, we were both pretty hungry and we had not decided what to do for lunch yet. As we were considering whether to try to find a restaurant, Pastor Dan invited us to stay at the church for lunch. Apparently, the church was providing lunch for all the village churches in attendance since they were unable to prepare their own food due to traveling into town. Since they had prepared plenty of food, we gladly joined our friends Prosper, Matthew, Philemon, and Solomon for the meal. The food was delicious and the fellowship was wonderful. He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Ryan's Local Football Club
Ryan has been connecting with some of the local kids through football lately. Mostly they have been having fun together playing football (and getting dirty), but God has gradually enabled him to share with them why he is here and teach them respect for one another. Through these interactions, he has discovered that most of them are Muslim. He wishes he could do more to witness to them, but so far the Lord has not provided the opportunity. Even so, Ryan has enjoyed at least teaching them about sportsmanship and treating one another with courtesy.
Meeting with Farmers
Phil has been working diligently to carry out his research activities. Mostly this has involved meeting with farmers individually and facilitating several farmer meetings. They have been discussing various issues related to crop production and soil fertility. In addition to providing useful information for Phil's research, the discussions seem to be helping the farmers learn some things as well. They were discussing the linkage between legumes and cereals and Phil was able to explain the plant processes that allow legumes to add fertility to the soil. During his explanation there were nodding heads throughout the group. It was very satisfying for him to see the "light" come on for them. Phil is grateful to God for richly blessing his collaboration with these farmers.
The Coming Week
The rest of this week is going to be rather busy for us. Phil has a farmer meeting tomorrow and in the evening he is supposed to go to Vieri for their weekly prayer meeting. He's also leading the prayer meeting at GGBC on Wednesday night, while at the same time Ryan will lead a prayer meeting at Tissa. Thursday evening Phil will go with Pastor Prosper to Jeyiri for their prayer meeting. Needless to say, We'll be experiencing lots of prayer with God's people this week.
On Friday evening we have been invited Pastor Dan's house for dinner and on Saturday we will travel with a group from GGBC to Sombo for a memorial service. On Sunday, we'll have our last worship service at GGBC and Ryan is bringing the sermon. He is a bit apprehensive about it, but is honored that Pastor Dan asked him to speak. On Monday morning, Phil will hold the last farmer meeting and in the evening we plan attend the Youth meeting. On Tuesday morning we'll say "goodbye" to Wa and board the bus for Accra. As you can tell, it's going to be a busy last week in Wa.
Points for Prayer
Pray that:
- God will bless Phil's remaining research activities
- God will give us the energy to keep up with all that we need to do this week
- We can find time for reflection and prayer
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Ministry Under the Mango Tree
Ryan has continued to reach out to people near our guest house. He met man named Haruna earlier this week while visiting Raymond at work. Because Haruna's English is very good, Ryan was able to get to know him pretty well. Encouraged by their interaction, he resolved to visit Haruna again. He finally met up with him one afternoon later in the week under a mango tree where several people were reclining in the shade and napping away the heat. As they chatted about America and Ghana, Haruna mentioned that a common practice of the men under the tree is to share their meals. Ryan began to understand that the people who congregated in that area were less well off than their neighbors, so they could not always afford to feed themselves. As a result, they have developed a communal meal ritual in which anyone who could afford to eat would get enough for everyone to share in the meal so that those who were hungry could be fed, too.
After this experience, Ryan felt led by the Spirit to participate in this ritual by sharing a meal with these men. So he prepared his lunch and brought the food out to share with them. When he arrived at the mango tree, he found that Haruna and most of the other men were at the mosque for Friday prayers. Ryan had not realized that Haruna was Muslim, but soon learned that all of the men under the tree were Muslim. After waiting briefly, the men returned from the mosque and Ryan was eventually able to share the food he had brought. He felt accepted as one of their own as they immediately shared tea and water with him even before he could offer them the food. They had great conversations about Wala culture and, of course, football (soccer). In a foreign country around strangers he had just met, who spoke a language largely unknown to him and who practiced a different religion, he was amazed at how he was welcomed as a brother and friend. Ryan felt the Holy Spirit guiding him through his time in conversation with them. We give thanks to God for such a blessed experience.
Encouraging God's People in Toassa, Tissa, and Jeyiri
On Saturday morning, the Lord answered your prayers by opening the door for us to encourage some of the village churches. Instead of both going to the same village, we decided to "divide and conquer." Phil rode with a young man named Sule to the village of Toassa. The ride on the motorcycle out to the village was an adventure in itself. The roads to these villages are basically unpaved the whole way so it was a nearly one-hour ride on dirt roads whose surface resembled a washboard riddled with pot holes. By the time they arrived in Toassa, Phil was covered from head to toe in the burnt-orange dust that made up the road. After dusting himself off as best he could, Phil and Sule walked through the village to one of the local schoolrooms, where the Toassa Baptist Church meets. When they arrived at the schoolroom only three of the five members had arrived, but after a few minutes all five were present and the service could begin.
The service began with Sule teaching from Genesis for the Bible study time. They followed with some praise songs and time for prayer. After all this, Phil preached from Colossians 3:15-17. He encouraged the believers to find rest in the peace of Christ, despite the difficult circumstances they faced. He urged them to support and encourage one another through meeting together and sharing hymns and songs and hearing from the word of God. Finally, he challenged them to do everything in Jesus' name by undertaking their various activities with an awareness of God's presence with them. He adapted Christ's message to his disciples from John 15:4-5 by using the example of a mango tree. The believers who remain in Christ are like the branches that remain connected to the mango tree. We will be nourished by His Spirit for our own health and enabled to produce the fruit that God desires of us. He ended by calling them to invite God into their everyday activities and so make themselves available to draw their neighbors and family members to Christ.
After the service at Toassa, Phil and Sule went to the nearby village of Tissa. When they arrived, the Tissa believers had just finished their Bible study time, although they had not spent the time in Bible study. We found out that recently there has been some quarreling in the church over mismanagement of church funds (apparently some things are universal). Pastor David had taken the Bible study hour to allow everyone to air their disagreements in the interest of helping them work through the trouble. They began the worship service shortly after Phil and Sule came in. After some singing and praying together, Pastor David brought the sermon from Daniel 9:2-10. He explained that if we are to experience God's transforming power in our lives, we must seek Him in prayer and confess our disobedience. If we will humble ourselves before Him, God will grant us the strength and grace to carry out the work He has for us. It was a blessing for Phil to sit towards the back and simply listen to this message from God's word.
After the end of the sermon, they sang another few songs and Phil was introduced to the church members. He took the opportunity to offer some encouragement to them. He rejoiced at the work that God has been doing in their midst. He also expressed his sorrow for the troubles they were having in their congregation and told them that they were not alone in their struggles. He urged them to not give up and to find unity in serving Christ together. He acknowledged that overcoming their troubles would not be easy, but assured them that if they would look to God for strength that he would be faithful to bring the reconciliation that they need. Finally, he prayed with them that God would give them unity in the Spirit so they might be empowered to reach their community with the gospel. It was deeply meaningful for Phil join them in prayer over this time of difficulty.
Ryan traveled with Pastor Prosper to the village of Jeyiri. With mostly dirt roads the whole way, it was a long, dirty, bumpy ride on the motorcycle. When they had almost arrived at the village Pastor Prosper asked Ryan if he would be willing to speak at the service. Though somewhat hesitant at the idea, Ryan agreed. It turned out that "willing to speak" was more accurately "give the sermon." It was a lesson in depending on constant guidance of the Holy Spirit. He shared with them the message of Psalm 27:1-3, which was given to us as a source of strength in our journey. He was able to illustrate the passage with the allegory of our travels and hardships and then related this to the struggles that they are experiencing as a young church. Ryan commented later that were it not for the Spirit's guidance he would never have come this far. God led him from his couch in Gainesville to the middle of the wilderness in sub-Saharan Africa to encourage and learn from the burgeoning congregation in the small village of Jeyiri. Christ has strengthened us to do some amazing things in our time so far and Ryan felt blessed to share that message with the Jeyiri church. After some time reflecting on the experience, Ryan commented that if not for complete submission to God's will, not only would he have had no idea what to share, but he would most likely still be on that couch in Gainesville.
Points for Prayer
We have felt your prayers at work. In addition to opening opportunities with the village churches, God has blessed Ryan's time with Raymond and with Haruna. Phil, too, has felt God's presence with him in the process of his research activities and encouraging other believers here. This past weekend we even experienced some spiritual warfare in which we were delivered from irrational fears and discouragement.
We continue to pray for you, too. God's Glory Baptist Church has joined us in praying specifically for the Easter Outreach you are doing on Saturday. The whole church prayed together for FBC at the end of the Sunday morning service and the GGBC youth group prayed for the FBC youth group on Monday night. The believers here are serious about prayer so you can be sure that your efforts are being supported by the intercession of God's people in Wa.
The Lord has also blessed God's Glory Baptist Church with an opportunity to witness to reach out to their community. The church is holding a child dedication service on Saturday for one of its members, Brother Henry. Part of Brother Henry's family is Muslim and will be in attendance. Pray that the other church members' support for Brother Henry, his wife, and their new child will be a testimony to the Muslims of loving Christian community.
Please pray:
- For our continued spiritual and physical protection
- For the Lord to keep our hearts open to his leading
- For God's people in Toassa, Tissa and Jeyiri
- For the child dedication service that God's Glory Baptist Church will hold on Saturday
May God bless the efforts of His people in Wa and Gainesville to invite women and men to experience the joy of following Christ.
Ryan has continued to reach out to people near our guest house. He met man named Haruna earlier this week while visiting Raymond at work. Because Haruna's English is very good, Ryan was able to get to know him pretty well. Encouraged by their interaction, he resolved to visit Haruna again. He finally met up with him one afternoon later in the week under a mango tree where several people were reclining in the shade and napping away the heat. As they chatted about America and Ghana, Haruna mentioned that a common practice of the men under the tree is to share their meals. Ryan began to understand that the people who congregated in that area were less well off than their neighbors, so they could not always afford to feed themselves. As a result, they have developed a communal meal ritual in which anyone who could afford to eat would get enough for everyone to share in the meal so that those who were hungry could be fed, too.
After this experience, Ryan felt led by the Spirit to participate in this ritual by sharing a meal with these men. So he prepared his lunch and brought the food out to share with them. When he arrived at the mango tree, he found that Haruna and most of the other men were at the mosque for Friday prayers. Ryan had not realized that Haruna was Muslim, but soon learned that all of the men under the tree were Muslim. After waiting briefly, the men returned from the mosque and Ryan was eventually able to share the food he had brought. He felt accepted as one of their own as they immediately shared tea and water with him even before he could offer them the food. They had great conversations about Wala culture and, of course, football (soccer). In a foreign country around strangers he had just met, who spoke a language largely unknown to him and who practiced a different religion, he was amazed at how he was welcomed as a brother and friend. Ryan felt the Holy Spirit guiding him through his time in conversation with them. We give thanks to God for such a blessed experience.
Encouraging God's People in Toassa, Tissa, and Jeyiri
On Saturday morning, the Lord answered your prayers by opening the door for us to encourage some of the village churches. Instead of both going to the same village, we decided to "divide and conquer." Phil rode with a young man named Sule to the village of Toassa. The ride on the motorcycle out to the village was an adventure in itself. The roads to these villages are basically unpaved the whole way so it was a nearly one-hour ride on dirt roads whose surface resembled a washboard riddled with pot holes. By the time they arrived in Toassa, Phil was covered from head to toe in the burnt-orange dust that made up the road. After dusting himself off as best he could, Phil and Sule walked through the village to one of the local schoolrooms, where the Toassa Baptist Church meets. When they arrived at the schoolroom only three of the five members had arrived, but after a few minutes all five were present and the service could begin.
The service began with Sule teaching from Genesis for the Bible study time. They followed with some praise songs and time for prayer. After all this, Phil preached from Colossians 3:15-17. He encouraged the believers to find rest in the peace of Christ, despite the difficult circumstances they faced. He urged them to support and encourage one another through meeting together and sharing hymns and songs and hearing from the word of God. Finally, he challenged them to do everything in Jesus' name by undertaking their various activities with an awareness of God's presence with them. He adapted Christ's message to his disciples from John 15:4-5 by using the example of a mango tree. The believers who remain in Christ are like the branches that remain connected to the mango tree. We will be nourished by His Spirit for our own health and enabled to produce the fruit that God desires of us. He ended by calling them to invite God into their everyday activities and so make themselves available to draw their neighbors and family members to Christ.
After the service at Toassa, Phil and Sule went to the nearby village of Tissa. When they arrived, the Tissa believers had just finished their Bible study time, although they had not spent the time in Bible study. We found out that recently there has been some quarreling in the church over mismanagement of church funds (apparently some things are universal). Pastor David had taken the Bible study hour to allow everyone to air their disagreements in the interest of helping them work through the trouble. They began the worship service shortly after Phil and Sule came in. After some singing and praying together, Pastor David brought the sermon from Daniel 9:2-10. He explained that if we are to experience God's transforming power in our lives, we must seek Him in prayer and confess our disobedience. If we will humble ourselves before Him, God will grant us the strength and grace to carry out the work He has for us. It was a blessing for Phil to sit towards the back and simply listen to this message from God's word.
After the end of the sermon, they sang another few songs and Phil was introduced to the church members. He took the opportunity to offer some encouragement to them. He rejoiced at the work that God has been doing in their midst. He also expressed his sorrow for the troubles they were having in their congregation and told them that they were not alone in their struggles. He urged them to not give up and to find unity in serving Christ together. He acknowledged that overcoming their troubles would not be easy, but assured them that if they would look to God for strength that he would be faithful to bring the reconciliation that they need. Finally, he prayed with them that God would give them unity in the Spirit so they might be empowered to reach their community with the gospel. It was deeply meaningful for Phil join them in prayer over this time of difficulty.
Ryan traveled with Pastor Prosper to the village of Jeyiri. With mostly dirt roads the whole way, it was a long, dirty, bumpy ride on the motorcycle. When they had almost arrived at the village Pastor Prosper asked Ryan if he would be willing to speak at the service. Though somewhat hesitant at the idea, Ryan agreed. It turned out that "willing to speak" was more accurately "give the sermon." It was a lesson in depending on constant guidance of the Holy Spirit. He shared with them the message of Psalm 27:1-3, which was given to us as a source of strength in our journey. He was able to illustrate the passage with the allegory of our travels and hardships and then related this to the struggles that they are experiencing as a young church. Ryan commented later that were it not for the Spirit's guidance he would never have come this far. God led him from his couch in Gainesville to the middle of the wilderness in sub-Saharan Africa to encourage and learn from the burgeoning congregation in the small village of Jeyiri. Christ has strengthened us to do some amazing things in our time so far and Ryan felt blessed to share that message with the Jeyiri church. After some time reflecting on the experience, Ryan commented that if not for complete submission to God's will, not only would he have had no idea what to share, but he would most likely still be on that couch in Gainesville.
Points for Prayer
We have felt your prayers at work. In addition to opening opportunities with the village churches, God has blessed Ryan's time with Raymond and with Haruna. Phil, too, has felt God's presence with him in the process of his research activities and encouraging other believers here. This past weekend we even experienced some spiritual warfare in which we were delivered from irrational fears and discouragement.
We continue to pray for you, too. God's Glory Baptist Church has joined us in praying specifically for the Easter Outreach you are doing on Saturday. The whole church prayed together for FBC at the end of the Sunday morning service and the GGBC youth group prayed for the FBC youth group on Monday night. The believers here are serious about prayer so you can be sure that your efforts are being supported by the intercession of God's people in Wa.
The Lord has also blessed God's Glory Baptist Church with an opportunity to witness to reach out to their community. The church is holding a child dedication service on Saturday for one of its members, Brother Henry. Part of Brother Henry's family is Muslim and will be in attendance. Pray that the other church members' support for Brother Henry, his wife, and their new child will be a testimony to the Muslims of loving Christian community.
Please pray:
- For our continued spiritual and physical protection
- For the Lord to keep our hearts open to his leading
- For God's people in Toassa, Tissa and Jeyiri
- For the child dedication service that God's Glory Baptist Church will hold on Saturday
May God bless the efforts of His people in Wa and Gainesville to invite women and men to experience the joy of following Christ.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Encouraging God's People in Charia
Friday night we got a call from Pastor Prosper from God's Glory Baptist Church about a memorial service he was preaching at on Saturday. It was for a member of the church at Charia (a nearby village) that had passed away. He offered that if we had our own transportation we could follow him to Charia and participate in the memorial service. Since we had no other plans we heartily agreed. He also mentioned that perhaps there would be an opportunity to say a few words to encourage the church. Phil was able to re-claim the research station motorbike that he had used last year so we were able to go.
The service began as soon as we arrived. Everyone was already seated under a large mango tree and a small group of women led the singing. We sang a few songs...well really the rest of the people sang a few songs. We mostly hummed along since the songs were in Waale and neither of us knew them. It was a good way to ease into ministry here...or so we thought. Shortly before Pastor Prosper stood up to preach he leaned over to Phil and told him that he (Pastor Prosper) would preach first and then call Phil up to speak for around 10 minutes. Oh! That's what he meant about saying a few words! Well, God is good and he quickly brought to Phil's mind 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. After briefly explaining Paul's analogy, Phil challenged the Christians to live in hope and not fear death because our life on earth is only temporary and the fullest life will begin when we join God in heaven. He also urged the non-Christians to trust in Jesus so that they might experience the taste of true life that God gives us on earth and be assured of the fullest life that God will give us in heaven. It was hard to gauge the crowd's reaction, but it seemed to be well-received. All in all, it was wonderful opportunity for us to experience an authentic village church service and to offer them encouragement in the Lord.
Worship at God's Glory Baptist Church
On Sunday morning, we went to God's Glory Baptist Church. We arrived for Bible study and were able to join in the pre-Bible study prayer time. After Bible study, we began the worship service. There is nothing more joyful on earth than joining with God's people in worship of Him. After the usual exuberant singing and dancing, Phil brought the sermon...this time with at least over night to prepare (Pastor Prosper had invited him to preach the day before). He preached from Luke 4:1-13 and 5:27-31 on the theme of being holy as Christ was holy. He started with the idea of withstanding temptation as being a part of holiness and used Jesus' temptation in the wilderness as a model for us. He continued by pointing out that not sinning was only part of holiness. If we stop there we can make the same mistake as the Pharisees by ostracizing those we deem "sinners." Phil noted that Jesus associated with sinners so that he could bring them to God. In the same way, if we are to be holy as Christ was holy it is important to reach out to the lost to draw them to God in addition to being free from sin. Through the sermon, he only noticed two people dozing off so he considered it a success. We give thanks to God for another opportunity to encourage God's people and challenge them to be an influence for Christ in their community.
Making Friends
Ryan has been ministering, as well, though in a more relational way. He has started to develop a friendship with a young man named Raymond, who works in a kind of general store close to the guest house where we are staying. Because Raymond's father passed away around '97, he has become the man of the house and, as such, has had to forgo his dreams of going to a university to put his siblings through school. So Raymond works at the store every day except for Sunday morning/afternoon, when he goes to God's Glory Baptist Church. He is still trying to develop his English ability and hone his reading and writing skills by tutoring some of the local high school students in almost every subject. He hopes that when his brother graduates he can pursue his education further. Through this friendship Ryan has learned more of the language, customs, culture, food, and many other aspects of Wala life. He hopes that this will develop into an opportunity for discipleship and that they can grow in Christ together.
Soccer
Football (soccer) has been another great way for Ryan to connect with many people here. He has already played some with the local youth who live around the guest house. It has opened up opportunities for fellowship and learning and he thanks the Lord for this universal common ground that can bring them together. He is especially excited about the prospect of watching the "All Stars" (the local Wa professional football team) after church this Sunday with Raymond.
Points for Prayer
God has been richly blessing us through his provision and protection in these and many other activities. Pleas pray:
- For us to remain open to the Spirit's leading as we go about our life here
- For Raymond and that Ryan's interactions with him might encourage him
- For God to open up more opportunities to encourage some of the village churches
Please know that we are praying for you, too, and were happy to learn of Drew being brought on staff full-time. We have been praying specifically for the youth ministry under his leadership and for FBC to find a unifying vision for ministry. You are in our thoughts and prayers often. We continue to give glory to God for the many wonderful things he is doing whether here in Ghana or back home in Gainesville.
Friday night we got a call from Pastor Prosper from God's Glory Baptist Church about a memorial service he was preaching at on Saturday. It was for a member of the church at Charia (a nearby village) that had passed away. He offered that if we had our own transportation we could follow him to Charia and participate in the memorial service. Since we had no other plans we heartily agreed. He also mentioned that perhaps there would be an opportunity to say a few words to encourage the church. Phil was able to re-claim the research station motorbike that he had used last year so we were able to go.
The service began as soon as we arrived. Everyone was already seated under a large mango tree and a small group of women led the singing. We sang a few songs...well really the rest of the people sang a few songs. We mostly hummed along since the songs were in Waale and neither of us knew them. It was a good way to ease into ministry here...or so we thought. Shortly before Pastor Prosper stood up to preach he leaned over to Phil and told him that he (Pastor Prosper) would preach first and then call Phil up to speak for around 10 minutes. Oh! That's what he meant about saying a few words! Well, God is good and he quickly brought to Phil's mind 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. After briefly explaining Paul's analogy, Phil challenged the Christians to live in hope and not fear death because our life on earth is only temporary and the fullest life will begin when we join God in heaven. He also urged the non-Christians to trust in Jesus so that they might experience the taste of true life that God gives us on earth and be assured of the fullest life that God will give us in heaven. It was hard to gauge the crowd's reaction, but it seemed to be well-received. All in all, it was wonderful opportunity for us to experience an authentic village church service and to offer them encouragement in the Lord.
Worship at God's Glory Baptist Church
On Sunday morning, we went to God's Glory Baptist Church. We arrived for Bible study and were able to join in the pre-Bible study prayer time. After Bible study, we began the worship service. There is nothing more joyful on earth than joining with God's people in worship of Him. After the usual exuberant singing and dancing, Phil brought the sermon...this time with at least over night to prepare (Pastor Prosper had invited him to preach the day before). He preached from Luke 4:1-13 and 5:27-31 on the theme of being holy as Christ was holy. He started with the idea of withstanding temptation as being a part of holiness and used Jesus' temptation in the wilderness as a model for us. He continued by pointing out that not sinning was only part of holiness. If we stop there we can make the same mistake as the Pharisees by ostracizing those we deem "sinners." Phil noted that Jesus associated with sinners so that he could bring them to God. In the same way, if we are to be holy as Christ was holy it is important to reach out to the lost to draw them to God in addition to being free from sin. Through the sermon, he only noticed two people dozing off so he considered it a success. We give thanks to God for another opportunity to encourage God's people and challenge them to be an influence for Christ in their community.
Making Friends
Ryan has been ministering, as well, though in a more relational way. He has started to develop a friendship with a young man named Raymond, who works in a kind of general store close to the guest house where we are staying. Because Raymond's father passed away around '97, he has become the man of the house and, as such, has had to forgo his dreams of going to a university to put his siblings through school. So Raymond works at the store every day except for Sunday morning/afternoon, when he goes to God's Glory Baptist Church. He is still trying to develop his English ability and hone his reading and writing skills by tutoring some of the local high school students in almost every subject. He hopes that when his brother graduates he can pursue his education further. Through this friendship Ryan has learned more of the language, customs, culture, food, and many other aspects of Wala life. He hopes that this will develop into an opportunity for discipleship and that they can grow in Christ together.
Soccer
Football (soccer) has been another great way for Ryan to connect with many people here. He has already played some with the local youth who live around the guest house. It has opened up opportunities for fellowship and learning and he thanks the Lord for this universal common ground that can bring them together. He is especially excited about the prospect of watching the "All Stars" (the local Wa professional football team) after church this Sunday with Raymond.
Points for Prayer
God has been richly blessing us through his provision and protection in these and many other activities. Pleas pray:
- For us to remain open to the Spirit's leading as we go about our life here
- For Raymond and that Ryan's interactions with him might encourage him
- For God to open up more opportunities to encourage some of the village churches
Please know that we are praying for you, too, and were happy to learn of Drew being brought on staff full-time. We have been praying specifically for the youth ministry under his leadership and for FBC to find a unifying vision for ministry. You are in our thoughts and prayers often. We continue to give glory to God for the many wonderful things he is doing whether here in Ghana or back home in Gainesville.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Trip to Accra
It has been an arduous few days, but we made it to Wa last night. Our plane landed in Accra around 8am on Tuesday. God's grace was upon us because we cleared customs and immigration without any trouble, negotiated a taxi to the bus station, purchased tickets to Wa for Wednesday, took the taxi to a nearby guest house, and secured a room all by 9:30am. It was pretty amazing how everything seemed to work together. Really brings to mind Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
In Accra
After getting settled at the guest house, we ventured out into Accra walking down Ring Road (a main thoroughfare in Accra) past Kwame Nkrumah Circle (famous Accra landmark) and down through the West part of town. Along the way we "happened" across a Melcom store (something like a Ghanaian Walmart) where we were able to purchase an electrical plug adapter/power strip that we needed (God is good!). We made our way past the Paloma hotel (another landmark on Ring Road) back to our guest house. Having satisfactorily stretched our legs we purchased some chilled bottled water to refresh ourselves and made our way up to our room. We took a nap (we were pretty tired) and then went downstairs to the guest house restaurant for some fufu (pounded cassava and plantain) in soup. After a day of sandwiches and airline food, it was really nice to have a real meal.
Traveling to Wa
The next morning we left for the bus station around 7am. We had considered taking a taxi, but in the end decided to walk. The station was not too far and we made it in plenty of time before the bus left. We weren't sure what to expect, but the bus was actually quite nice (it even had air conditioning!). We settled in for the ride. The bus left the terminal around 9am and we arrived in Wa around 10pm. We arrived at the SARI (Savanna Agricultural Research Institute) guest house by 11pm. We set up our mosquito nets and showered as best we could (apparently water is under limited supply) and collapsed into bed.
God is With Us
This morning we had a time of prayer and reflection on the many ways that God has blessed us to bring us here to Wa. Ryan read from a couple of Psalms and from Exodus 14:14, which says "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." That has certainly been our experience so far. Please pray for God's continued protection and provision for us as we seek to be useful for him. Pray specifically that we can get in contact with Pastor Dan and the people of God's Glory Baptist Church so that we can encourage them and join with them in evangelizing and discipling the Wala people.
To God be the Glory! Great things he has done!
It has been an arduous few days, but we made it to Wa last night. Our plane landed in Accra around 8am on Tuesday. God's grace was upon us because we cleared customs and immigration without any trouble, negotiated a taxi to the bus station, purchased tickets to Wa for Wednesday, took the taxi to a nearby guest house, and secured a room all by 9:30am. It was pretty amazing how everything seemed to work together. Really brings to mind Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
In Accra
After getting settled at the guest house, we ventured out into Accra walking down Ring Road (a main thoroughfare in Accra) past Kwame Nkrumah Circle (famous Accra landmark) and down through the West part of town. Along the way we "happened" across a Melcom store (something like a Ghanaian Walmart) where we were able to purchase an electrical plug adapter/power strip that we needed (God is good!). We made our way past the Paloma hotel (another landmark on Ring Road) back to our guest house. Having satisfactorily stretched our legs we purchased some chilled bottled water to refresh ourselves and made our way up to our room. We took a nap (we were pretty tired) and then went downstairs to the guest house restaurant for some fufu (pounded cassava and plantain) in soup. After a day of sandwiches and airline food, it was really nice to have a real meal.
Traveling to Wa
The next morning we left for the bus station around 7am. We had considered taking a taxi, but in the end decided to walk. The station was not too far and we made it in plenty of time before the bus left. We weren't sure what to expect, but the bus was actually quite nice (it even had air conditioning!). We settled in for the ride. The bus left the terminal around 9am and we arrived in Wa around 10pm. We arrived at the SARI (Savanna Agricultural Research Institute) guest house by 11pm. We set up our mosquito nets and showered as best we could (apparently water is under limited supply) and collapsed into bed.
God is With Us
This morning we had a time of prayer and reflection on the many ways that God has blessed us to bring us here to Wa. Ryan read from a couple of Psalms and from Exodus 14:14, which says "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." That has certainly been our experience so far. Please pray for God's continued protection and provision for us as we seek to be useful for him. Pray specifically that we can get in contact with Pastor Dan and the people of God's Glory Baptist Church so that we can encourage them and join with them in evangelizing and discipling the Wala people.
To God be the Glory! Great things he has done!
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