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.