Our time in Ghana is now over. We are in a guest house at the University of Ghana where we will stay tonight before catching an early morning flight to Lagos Nigeria.
In the past week, Felicia and I worked with Lee Ann Williamson and her team from Christian World Missions to help plant 11 new churches in Ghana near Kumasi. Each morning, Felicia and I worked with children in some of the schools and each evening I spoke at one of the new church sites.
My mind is swimming with all the amazing things that we witnessed. The Ghanaian people are truly remarkable. We were welcomed with open arms and hearts. The deep faith they have shines from their faces and echoes in their music. They worship with abandon and splash joy on anyone near them. We were deeply ministered to by them.
They responded with enthusiasm to the songs Felicia and I sang and to the stories I told. We saw so many come
To faith in our Savior.
The first three days of ministry were in a Muslim neighborhood. Dozens of Muslim children swarmed us each night and most stayed to hear the stories. We told them how much Jesus loved them and longed for them to know Him. It was an awesome privilege.
The next three days were in a different part of Kumasi, predominantly Christian. I can’t begin to adequately describe the sights and sounds of genuine worship we saw and heard. Children were there I’m great numbers. Rows and rows of boys and girls waiting expectantly for the stories each night. Many of them asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. One regret I have is that the weather did not cooperate on the last night. Just as I stood to preach, the torrential rains of their rainy season began. Still, the nucleus of the new congregation was in place. They met this morning to praise God for His faithfulness.
Felicia and I worshipped this morning in one of the new churches that met for the first time under their new “pavilion” sanctuary. There were dozens of people there in their new church. They did not seem to mind that there were no walls. Felicia and I also helped with teaching a group of children Sunday School. We taught them some songs and they taught us some of theirs. We helped them learn a new Bible verse. Soon they were declaring from memory, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Ps 119:11”. I then told them a Bible story. We loved being with the children.
Thank you for continued prayer as we prepare for ministry in Nigeria. We will be in the Calabar region. Over the next week we will help to plant 10 more churches and Felicia and I will be helping establish ministry with children. Pray for safety, health, and great fruit for the Kingdom.
An extra bonus came to us at the end of our first week. A work team from America came to our guest house. When I met them I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this team was from Dayton United Methodist Church in Dayton, IN, where Holly Putnam, one of our daughters in law, was raised. We travelled half-way around the world
And ran into people with whom we have a connection. Not only that, I’ve preached two revivals there and I’m going back next year. It really is a small, small world.
I’ll post again when I have the time and the Internet connection.
