Hopeful Path

A Chapter Closes, Another Opens

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:06:21 +0000

We all have talents and skills that can be used in many ways. On January 13, 2008, God called me to minister as an expression of Jesus’ love for all. In my life, I have been a Realtor, concrete layer and finisher, grocery store worker, metrologist, engineering technician, Barista, Nuclear Health Physicist, retail clerk, US Airman, and other work. But I have been designed, and find no greater joy, than to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ with love and respect and for my life to testify about the goodness of God. My work is a joy because I’m joined to my Father in heaven and know He is pleased with the path I’m on. Thank you so much for participating in this path, without your prayers and support this chapter could not have been possible.

I left Tamale the 28th of April to Accra the Capital of Ghana, which is about 14 hours south of Tamale on the coast. I returned to the US on May 6th. What had I been doing in Accra the past week? I had the honor to continue the work God has called me to by evangelizing in a prominent area of other faith. There are now six new believers in Jesus Christ because of God’s grace and your participation!

I was not alone in this work as a Ghanaian evangelist heard I was in Accra and joined me for the mini-outreach. We were able to encourage some Christians living in the area too. On the last day of our outreach, we met a Ghanaian Christian evangelist living and working right where the six new believers came to Christ. God is so good. Elisha has agreed to continue following up with the new converts and to shepherd them into a wholesome church. If we patiently wait upon His timing and plans to unfold, God always provides.

During the events that led up to my resignation on April 20th from the Center of Good News, the point God made in Proverbs 16:9 has been etched in my heart: “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” God allowed us to make a plan, but God always has the last say and will do what is best for all. Letting go is not easy, it wasn’t for me, especially because of the relationships that were built.

Please pray for the people and work in Tamale that were encouraged through SGM; the school outreach, the discipleship class, the hospital outreach, the community family outreach, the six new village church plants, the Christian radio start-up and humanitarian work. Pray that we, leadership and I, discern God’s direction for the next chapter of the mission He has me on. I left a big part of my heart in Tamale with some very special people, please ask God if you and I still have a role to play in the lives of many in Northern Ghana.

May God bless the 260 plus people that now have eternal hope, even though in this life, likely many will not be able to escape one of the toughest environments this earth has to offer. Whatever our circumstance, please thank God for His sovereign choice for us being born in the USA. We have so much to be thankful here.

Jesus is Coming Soon; may God bless our spirits with preparation,

Joe

More Ghanaian Culture and Wachee Recipe

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:37:02 +0000

Give with your left or right, which, in Ghana, IS a matter of right and wrong! “Raise your right hand,” a teacher corrected the preschool student who raised his left hand to indicate he knew the answer to the question just asked at our school. Ghanaians train their children from an early age to differentiate between right and left hands. Our parents all taught us manners when we were growing up, for example: “say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ address elders with respect, wait for your turn in line, never use your left hand to give or take….” Um, yeah, somehow my parents neglected to pass that rule on to me.

There are a number of different instances in Ghana which you can’t use your right hand, however, and the intricacies of right-hand/left-hand etiquette has been hard for me to learn (ugh!). For example, always carry items in your right hand…unless the item is rubbish, in which case the left hand is the appropriate choice. Here are some further guidelines for specific situations:

* If your right hand is full or dirty, you may give or take with your left hand if you place your right wrist under your left wrist. This rule is frequently used in the marketplace, where you take your purchase from the seller’s right hand with your right hand, then use your left hand to give his right hand your money.

* If your right wrist is unavailable in the above situation, you may give or take with your left hand if you say, “Sorry for left.”

* If your right hand is full and your mouth is full (guess how I learned the manners for this situation?), don’t wave your left hand at a friend! Simply nod your head to acknowledge you’ve seen and are greeting him.

* If you are driving, you may wave with your left hand – particularly if you are driving a motorbike, since taking your right hand away will cut the power to the engine. This rule I learned from observation, not from personal experience.

Oh, how I have suffered to meet this simple task. Yes, I got much better at it; right in time before I leave! “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Ghanaians I became like a Ghanaian, to win the Ghanaians….I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” ~ Leah’s paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 to me.

More culture or mundane information:

* Electricity, internet, and coolness aren’t the only things in short supply these days. We’re months into the dry season, so the water supply is iffy as well. If I turn on the tap, will anything flow out of the faucet? There can be water at 7 p.m., no water at 8 p.m., and water again at 9 p.m. It’s entirely unpredictable: what an adventure! I’ve learned to keep a bucket full of water in my bathroom so I can wash hands and bathe regardless of the supply.

* Ghana is the land of relationships and it so evident by the names we call each other. Everyone at my workplace is my brother, my sister, my uncle, or my auntie; and I am everyone’s “Uncle or Papa Joe.” Rev. Asare is affectionately addressed “Daddy” during church services and at work.

* Ghanaians don’t normally use utensils. I love the food (Banku, fufu, tezit, and Kenkey) which is served mostly in soup or with stews, which I eat with my hands. Yes, I can now actually finish the soup using just my hands and the starch.

* Ghanaians’ rule of thumb with twins seems to be that their names HAVE to pair up. The twins I’ve seen have had the following names – and I’m not making any of them up!
- Boy/Boy: Elijah/Elisha
- Boy/Girl: Patrick/Patricia; Jesse/Jessie; Wonder/Miracle (yes, they are from a Pentecostal family)
- Girl/Girl: Rosemary/Rosemond; Deborah Sr./Deborah Jr.

* Ghanaians like to eat their beef tough. They normally fry it in oil first, then cook it for a while in the stew or soup. The texture and toughness matters as people are really into chewing their meat! They serve willy, which is the skin (leather) of a cow or goat used in soups after burning and scraping the remaining hair off of it. When willy is bitten it sorta pops or snaps in two. It’s like rubbing and scrubbing your teeth while you eat!

* Americans are big on bottled water, but Ghanaians drink “sachet water” – two-cup servings of filtered water that come in sealed plastic bags. The sachets sell for five pesewas each, or about 3-½ cents. Ghanaians call the water filtered, but online sources beg to differ. I drink it anyway as all of my friends do and I just don’t remember to bring water everywhere.

* Africans can carry amazing loads on their heads. Abba, for instance, can carry 50 kilograms (110 pounds) on his head. “You could learn to carry on your head too,” many say; but the problem is that no one can teach me how. Africans learn so young that they can’t tell me how to balance. They’ve just always known how: hasn’t everyone?

Little girl casually carrying breakfast drinks on her head in a market strewn with empty water sachets

GHANAIAN RECIPE: WACHEE

This particular dish isn’t as involved as most Ghanaian meals. It is eaten in the morning and afternoons, but I get laughed at when I take it for supper. If you serve wachee with a nice herb-ed roasted chicken or fish, you’ll have an awesome meal!

Wachee ~ serves 6

2 cups black-eyed peas, cleaned
4 cups rice, uncooked cleaned
1½ cups oil
2 medium onions, chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 medium tomatoes, quartered
2-3 small hot peppers
1 green pepper, chopped into small pieces
½ tsp curry powder
1½ tbsp salt (to taste)
3 small carrots, chopped (optional, really?)
½ head cabbage, shredded (optional, really?)
Cooked thin spaghetti (optional, not really!)

1. Place beans in large pot; cover with water plus one inch. Cook over medium heat until partially cooked.
2. Add rice; cover with water plus one inch and cook on medium heat until beans and rice are soft and water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in oil in separate pot. Blend tomatoes with a small amount of water and add to oil. Blend hot peppers with a small amount of water and add to oil. Add green pepper, curry powder, and salt. Cook until everything is soft and flavors are blended.
4. Serve beans and rice with stew and with either spaghetti or cabbage and carrots.

Blessed Hospital Visitations

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:53:36 +0000

We (Leah and Joel; both co-labors in the Lord in Tamale) continued to join in the suffering of hospital patients through prayer every Thursday. The second Thursday in April, we encountered an oppressive spirit; definitely a dark power against which we were fighting. It was hard to pray, hard to concentrate, hard to see past all the sad situations and mournful faces.

We realized that intentional prayer was needed against evil principalities and powers. We stopped praying over people, then prayed specifically that unclean spirits be bound back from God’s work. We continued to pray over people, but the day seemed to be heavy and the hearts of many were low. God allows us all to experience seeming defeat at times. A day brings its own set of God-given problems, opportunities for us to trust Him for the outcome or for us to incorrectly try and fix them on our own. The day of hospital visitation ended soberly without fanfare or a mountain top experience.

The next Thursday, our prospects didn’t look so good again, as we set out to minister. Our primary translator was gone, and our backup translator was sick. Leaving the Center, Leah and I passed our friend “John,” whom we’ve invited in the past, and who has always indicated his reluctance to accompany us. John is also a Dagbani speaker, the language of most hospital patients.

Leah asked, “John, you are welcome to accompany us and translate for us,” she teased as we passed…and to my surprise, he said, “OK, I’ll come.” When it took him nearly 15 minutes to finish his work responsibilities and change his clothes, Leah began to wonder out loud whether inviting him to join us had been a mistake. I encouraged her that its God’s timing. In my heart, God said it is all His timing and for a purpose; so I began to pray for John specifically. We arrived at the hospital 15 minutes later than usual, but we could immediately sense a different spirit from the one we’d encountered the week before. There were smiles on faces, praying came easily.

Friends from the West had given us some stuffed animals to distribute to children, and we took them to give to the kids in the children’s ward. How the faces lit up with smiles as each one selected his or her toy!

“Larensha,” an accident victim, clutches the animals she chose for herself and for her twin at home.

We arrived at one station where an old gentleman lay weak and weary on his sickbed. It was Leah’s turn to pray aloud, and as she prayed for him. She later told me, she felt moved to ask God to please send this gentleman someone soon who could share the Gospel with him in his own language. “Amen,” she concluded, and rose from where she’d knelt by the bed.

In my spirit, while Leah prayed and my gaze was on the old man, God spoke to my spirit. After she prayed I said, “John, How about if Leah and I move on to other sick folks while you stay behind and tell this man the Gospel?” John has been my “right hand” man and close friend and I knew it was going to be outside of his comfort zone, but he manfully rose to the challenge and stayed to talk with the sick man while we went on.

“So how did it go?” we asked John as we left the ward. “It went well,” he rejoiced. “I told him that we were in the hospital not because of any benefit we hoped to get for ourselves, but because we served One Who said to visit the sick and love our neighbors as ourselves. Then I gave him the Gospel, and he said he wanted to believe in Jesus.” “So did you pray with him to accept Christ?” I asked John. “No, I forgot,” he said. “That was a mistake I made.” “It’s not too late!” we urged him. I said, “You can go back and pray with him now! We’ll pray for you as you do so.” He did, and we did, and he came back out glowing…because he’d just led his very first soul to Christ.

At this point in time, I knew I was leaving Tamale while John had no idea. God had spoke to me months earlier about John. He would be an evangelist and preacher to his people; an unreached people group according to the Joshua Project. I knew God was calling him because John consistent loving heart for his people, telling me the need of his people to hear the

God’s Appointment

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:20:45 +0000

Once again, no one was available to accompany Leah and I to the hospital to ask people, in Dagbani, whether we could pray with them. I believed strongly that God wanted us ministering at the hospital even if all we could speak was English, so we went armed with the one Dagbani phrase, “May we pray with you?”

There have been some terrible wounds on our more recent visits: accidents, burns, open sores (an invitation to flies), and amputations. We made our way from bed to bed, using body motions when our words didn’t make sense, and securing permission at each place to pray. About halfway through, Leah and I noticed a 15-year-old boy was trailing us. He was a family member of one of the people for whom we’d prayed, and it seemed that what we were doing had piqued his interest. He listened carefully to the intercession we made at each bedside.

After praying for a person I asked his name – “Samed” – and then whether he would be willing to serve as our interpreter, so we could explain to people that we were Christians who would like permission to pray for the sick. He eagerly agreed to do so, and when our hour was spent, he trailed us out into the corridor. As soon as we reached a quiet place, I began to question him gently about his faith, quickly realizing that I had to share the gospel with him. Leah, as is her practice, stood aside praying fervently.

To our God’s and our joy, Samed understood what was being shared, then gave his life to Jesus being Savior and Lord! I asked Samed if he needed a Bible, he said yes. So I told him, I would try and get him one soon. Leaving Samed a new person in Christ, we walked outside the building and entered a taxi. Just as we were pulling away, we saw Samed running out the doors: his face lit with a big smile when he made eye contact with us, and he waved excitedly.

The next morning, he called me twice to see when he would get his Bible. It was Friday morning, so I had plans for the day so I could not meet. Unfortunately, I tried to call him repeatedly after that day unable to reach him. Events of my departure overtook me, so I was unable to deliver the Bible promised to him. All is not lost, as Leah will continue to try to reach him. I am trusting God, He wants someone else to meet this need. The one time I did connect, I think his mother answered the phone but she could not speak English and I had no Dagbani speaker near me to take over the conversation. So it may be that God wants Leah to establish a relationship with Samed mothers; time will tell what the will of God is in this matter.

Praise God for Samed’s new spiritual life! Please be praying for his continued growth in the Lord.

School Service Continues!

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:07:12 +0000

The month of April was full of activity at “our” school. God continues to reap and bless his harvest, the latest is another teacher, Mr. Zachariah we will call him. He didn’t participate in the classes we taught, but was found frequently outside listening to what was being said. One day, when I was teaching the 4^th through 6^th graders, Mr. Zachariah came into the class and sat down.

I was teaching about Abraham’s visitation by the Lord and two other angels (appearing as men). We teach moral precepts and God’s character through the history of the Bible by retelling its’ wonderful stories. The class, intently listening this particular day, as there was so many similarities to their everyday life: greeting of people of stature; the preparations that need to be made and sometimes in a hurry; and the roles of women and man. Especially similar is the joy of being hospitable, it remains the same today in Ghana as it was then many of years ago.

When the story turned to the Lord leaving toward Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy the two cities because of their sin. If you remember, the Lord and Abraham had quite a negotiation to relent His intent to destroy the cities. Finally the Lord agreed to spare these two great cities if only 10 “righteous” people were found in them! I ended the story on a cliff-hanger, would 10 people be found and would God destroy the cities?

At this point, God taught me something as I stood in front of the class. I was no better than any person to be found in Sodom or Gomorrah! My sin may not be the same as their sin, however I know my sin sentenced me to eternal death before a perfectly holy and righteous God! All thanks be to the cross that Jesus bore to bleed out for us, those who have righteousness imputed to us by our faith in Jesus Christ. So I told the class my thoughts; while it is so easy for us to point to the failures (sins) of others like Sodom and Gomorrah, in doing so, we elevate our self in the same breath by making our sin seem meaningless before God than what it truly is.

Whether it is gross sin of our bodies or the seemingly infinitesimal sin of our thought life, God sees both and will judge us guilty for His love for Him self and justice demands that verdict. Mr. Zachariah never took his eyes off me this entire time. He saw himself as God sees him. This is a humbling experience for us all, if only we would allow ourselves to see ourselves as God does, so we can really learn who we are from God’s perspective. God is gentle and loving, so when Mr. Zachariah saw himself in God’s Light, God opened his mind and heart to His Son Jesus Christ.

At this point, I asked all those who believe that they are no better than those in Sodom and Gomorrah, who have not given their lives to Jesus to be their Master and Savior, to ask God to save them and to place their life in trust to God. Mr. Zachariah prayed and was the first to stand up publicly to declare his faith in Jesus Christ. A bold move and one God will not ever forget and reward him for it.

I taught them a song that day too, Father Abraham, with all the body motions that goes with it. Thank God it was not recorded, LOL. I should retain some dignity, not! I loved it and think I was highly entertaining for them and the adults looking on in amusement.

At the end of April, I said my good-byes to all. We shared our disappointment of me not being able to stay, but confident that God is in control. The children are left in very capable hands. God continues to work through “Joel,” a solid Ghanaian Christian, and Leah to cultivate His love and moral precepts in the life of these little ones. Please continue to pray for their growth in godly living and in Christ. I continue to pray if God would have me return or be of service in other ways for I have a great love for the people of Tamale and Ghana.

What is Good?

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:30:00 +0000

So has the time been good, in ‘Christian vernacular,’ fruitful? This is a subjective question, right? Each of us has ideas of what is good, better, and best. But I hope we would agree that some of the work being done here is considered good by all.

Your support has helped many men, women and children: overcome hunger; cloth people that had only tattered clothes to wear; paid for schools fees when parents couldn’t or the child had no guardian; been used to rebuild a home destroyed by fire; paid for medical bills and provide medicine to those who would have done without because they couldn’t afford them; paid for clean water to those that were very thirsty; supplement incomes that couldn’t cover basic needs; buy text books to help a poor women learn to read; help people start small businesses that will sustain them without help; and so much more! We would all agree these are good, wouldn’t we?

Would we all agree that giving someone hope is a good thing? I think we would all agree that even though hope is intangible, it is real for those that possess it. The reason I am in Ghana is not just to help people raise their standard of living or provide relief from a calamity. All physical help is temporary, but I want people to have lives that will always be full of joy and abundance. A deeply satisfied and abundant life is only experienced through spiritual attainment. Would you agree? Having all the “things” the world has to offer without loving relationships is a cold and useless life?

I am so sorry to report that many people’s hardships here will never be alleviated without death. So the hope I have to offer must be able to even overcome death! I believe it does. God’s love; His desire to be reconciled to those He intimately created for a good purpose to live before Him in joy forever, is the only real hope for people living in such straits. People here readily recognize the need for forgiveness. They know to escape God’s punishment for their sins and to be accepted by Him; a perfectly sinless life must die in their place to satisfy the justice of God.

When they hear me explain where Jesus came from, heaven, it makes real sense that He is the only One who can show them how to get to heaven and God. When they hear about Jesus Christ’s perfect life, His humility and the poverty, beatings, and isolation He felt; they see in Him someone who understands them and can be trusted. But when they hear that the One who should have never died, shed His blood in their place simply because of love, they run to Him to give Him their very lives.

In Jesus Christ, they see real hope of everlasting peace and joy, not by the transitory things of the world, but with God Almighty Himself for eternity! They understand that new life begins the day they give their life to God through Jesus Christ; so even though their life on earth will be plagued with physical challenges, they are looking for a better day and better life after death which itself has been defeated! I walk with many great people here, people of great faith; but the world is not even looking at them because they are hungry, poorly clothed, homeless, and of no reputation.

I call them my friends, you have made them your friends by sacrificially sharing your prayers and support on them. Instead of passing them by, you have stopped, looked into their eyes, and said, “yes I love you; here let me help you up.”

May you too choose God’s love everyday over what the world offers. Remember, we only have Today to come to Jesus, because who knows what tomorrow will bring?

God Bless,

Joe

Ghanaian Cuisine Culture and a Ghanaian Recipe to Enjoy

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:28:00 +0000

Leah, coworker American missionary, and I are taking Ghanaian cooking lessons each Sunday afternoon. It allows a young college student to earn a little income (most of the students here struggle to meet basic needs), and the fine Ghanaian dinner that results is a great meal to enjoy with those I otherwise wouldn’t want to suffer through my own cooking! Can I provide a little background on Ghanaian food culture and practices?

First of all, there is no such thing as convenience food in Ghana. Most Africans have a lot of patience that extends to the kitchen. It can take quite a lot of physical effort to make a Ghanaian dish due to preparing the starch that accompanies almost all dishes. Their lunch and supper meals tend to consist of one starch and a “side” dish of stew or soup in which to dip the starch. The starch can be Banku (fermented cassava flour and maize), Fufu (boiled cassava and unripe plantain pounded together), Kenkey (maize that has been fermented before cooking), and Tizet (unfermented maize cooked to a looser consistency).

The starches need a lot of work to prepare them for a dish, including cutting, peeling, cooking, and pounding with long wooden “rams.” It takes a couple of ladies to prepare some starches; as one pounds, another women sticks her hand into the pot and turns the dough. If their timing is not perfect, broken hands and/or fingers can occur. I am not preparing these starches at this time as you need a charcoal burner and large pots with big cooking tools; but I can buy them prepared or go over to a friend’s and do it there.

Soup ingredients include vegetables and a little animal protein, usually fish and always hot peppers. Palm nut and groundnut (peanut soup yummy) soups are eaten everywhere in Ghana. The main cooking oil is locally produced red palm oil. The northern staple is millet, which is processed into a paste and eaten with a soup as well. Bread is the only major European introduction and is often eaten at breakfast; except maybe rice. I am not sure if it is indigenous. In Tamale, there are now a few restaurants to eat, but most people eat at outside and roadside “chop bars.”

Ghanaians tend to use fewer and simpler ingredients than do Americans in their cooking; however there is a wide variety of food stuffs here. There are great fruits available including bananas, oranges, pineapples, mangos, papaya, small yellow melons, watermelons, and others.

Here’s a recipe we learned in one of our recent cooking lessons. Our student teacher didn’t count or measure, but patiently let us count and estimate at each step. The Onga (stew seasonings with red pepper, garlic, salt, etc.) and Maggi (shrimp powder) packets are simply seasoning packets that are used here: they remind me of the ramen seasoning packets available in the States. And she said that Americans can blend instead of mashing if desired, even though the results won’t be quite as good. So without further ado, here is a recipe for:

Jollof Rice (serves 12-14)

19 small tomatoes, washed and chunked
3 onions, peeled and chunked

3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped (optional)
½ small ginger root, scraped and chunked (optional)
7 (14 for the brave; WE did!) small dried or fresh hot peppers, washed and stemmed
1½ – 2 cups oil
2½ pounds beef, chopped
½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning powder
Salt to taste
2 medium cans (210 grams each) tomato paste
1 can tuna
1 packet Onga stew seasoning
1 packet shrimp Maggi (dry shrimp mix)
3 green peppers, washed and cut into small pieces
1 bunch spring onions, chopped

2 handfuls of green beans, chopped
¼ head cabbage, shredded
2½ cups dry rice

Blend tomatoes with water until very smooth; set aside.

Blend onions with water, adding garlic and ginger if desired. Blend a small amount of this mixture with hot peppers; set aside.

Put half of remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture into large saucepan with 1-1½ cups oil. Simmer on medium heat.

Place beef, all-purpose seasoning powder, remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture, and 1 tablespoon salt in frying pan; cover until cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add hot pepper mixture to onion/garlic/ginger/oil mixture. Then add blended tomatoes and tomato paste to hot pepper mixture.

Remove beef from frying pan; pour drippings into stew, stirring stew occasionally. Then fry beef in ½ cup oil until brown; yes, the beef is cooked twice.

Add tuna, Onga, and Maggi to stew. Add green pepper, spring onion, green beans, cabbage, and meat with drippings to stew. Finally, add rice to stew, adding water and salt as needed, stirring occasionally until rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Enjoy!

Dreams and Visions

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Around the world God is speaking to people of other faiths and to Christians through dreams…and God has visited Fatawu with two such dreams. Fatawu is a teacher at the school we are teaching at every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning now! Here is what God is doing in Fatawu’s life.

In the first dream, Fatawu found himself praying amid a great crowd of people. Two evangelists that have been with us for over two months, along with Pastor Amos, Leah, and I were with Fatawu in the dream. As we prayed, a Man in white clothes appeared in our midst and addressed Himself directly to Fatawu. “Son,” said the great shining One, “I am the Alpha and Omega. Your sins have been forgiven because of your faith.”

At these words, Fatawu awoke trembling; it was 12:30 a.m., but in his fright he called one of the evangelists, Daniel, and told him about the dream. Daniel reassured Fatawu that Jesus Christ had personally appeared to him to confirm his salvation. “What do the words ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’ mean?” Fatawu asked – and Daniel was able to tell Fatawu all about the One Who is the First and the Last!

On another night, Fatawu’s enemies carried him to the top of a very high mountain in his second dream, leaving him alone in a desolate forest. He was weeping, when the same Man clothed in white appeared to him and said, “My peace I give to you – not as the world gives, but as I give. I am with you forever.” Fatawu was not scared, but rather comforted by the Words of Jesus Christ! Praise God for revealing Himself to His new son.

Why don’t we hear of God coming in dreams often in the USA? After all, God says in Acts 2:17 that “in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (NIV)

I think God is speaking to many in the USA, but our eyes and ears are growing spiritually dull. Many, many Christians aren’t seeking God with all their hearts, because they have become comfortable (even with the current economic crisis, most still eat 3 meals a day, have some place to shower/sleep/work, etc.); they fear change and the unknown, so they are unwilling to allow God to be Lord of their lives. I use “they” with a lot of hesitation, because I too find myself all too often pulling back from God; I don’t want to be uncomfortable or not get my way! May God have mercy on us because of our lack of faith!

God is speaking to those who don’t know Him too. Westerners to whom God is speaking may write their visions off as too much sushi for dinner or ignore them as a “crazy” dream. If you have a dream and it speaks to your heart, consider the message by taking it to the Bible to determine if it is true. Also, talk to a good Christian friend to help you understand it and grow from it. A word of warning is in order, though, as Satan is alive and all too well. His time on earth is short, so he intends to come with all false wonders and signs in these last days. USA, get ready for real supernatural occurrences: the devil is determined to steal your salvation, to destroy your life, and to kill all hope of eternal life. What must we do to escape from the devil and the sheer evil about to engulf the entire world (there will be a false peace for a short while)?

Submit your life to the One and only God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Only Jesus’ life was acceptable to God (apologies to the many do-gooders). Only Jesus’ death and blood is acceptable to God to pay for our sins. Only through the power of Jesus’ resurrection can you be born again through the Spirit to become a child of God. Tell God you believe that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus’ blood will satisfy God’s judgment for sin, and ask Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life. Warning: if you ask Jesus to take your life, He will! You will lose control of it to Him, and it will bring suffering as your old bad habits die and Jesus creates new life in you. Be a risk-taker and step in faith to the arms of God; you will NEVER regret it.

“I was sick, and you visited Me”

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:55:00 +0000

One of the new ministries God’s added to my schedule recently is hospital visitation. I’m one of two Americans and one African who are banding together once a week to visit the sick and pray with them.

On our first day, Pastor Amos took us first directly to ICU, past sign after sign reading “No Visitors Allowed” and “Silence Please,” right up to the nurses’ station where he announced, “We are Christians come to pray with the sick,” and before anything could be said about visitors and silence, he continued, “Those in ICU are in the most critical condition, so they need our prayers the most. We need to come in and pray with them.” The staff all obliged, and in we went.

Throughout the hospital we saw people in various stages of undress due to the heat; we saw a boy who was skin and bones; we saw a baby who burst out crying at our approach and screamed at the top of his lungs for the duration of our visit; we saw vacant eyes and listless bodies and hopelessness. One man we visited said that he used to go to church, but had ceased for many years, and was sure God no longer cared for him. We assured him that such was not the case, and led him in a prayer to make his peace with God.

Our second visit was much more sobering. The hospital wards were twice as crowded to the extent that patients were in the hall lanes. The patients themselves seemed to be in much worse condition. There were recent amputees, children suffering extensive burns and that were involved in severe accidents. Our eyes can fool us, right?

The real threat to life for each patient was unseen; their dead spirit for those that don’t know and are known by our Lord Jesus Christ. So we prayed earnestly for spiritual life, physical healing, and protection from evil spirits. So many people here end up hurt or ill due to demonic activity instigated by others who hold a grudge or are envious.

Please pray for the sick and suffering in the hospital to make their peace with Jesus and to be healed both bodily and spirit in the days ahead! Pray for the doctors and nurses too: may they have the wisdom and resources to provide the right treatments.

School Doors Wide Open

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:48:00 +0000

Opportunities continue to expand at the school that we are teaching Nursery 1 and 2, Primary 1 thru 6^th, and now Junior High 1 and 2! In addition to Bible lessons, we are integrating English and exam taking skills as the Junior High classes are getting ready for exams to compete for entrance to Senior High schools. Leah and a Ghanaian evangelist are helping them prepare for this very important examination. Can you pray that each Junior Higher does well on their test?

A few weeks ago, I was prepared to teach the 3^rd through 6^th graders, but the headmistress had other plans. Arriving, she tells me that the two Junior High classes had not had any Bible instruction and asked me to teach them immediately—yikes, we American’s like to plan, prepare, and control our future! Well, I prepared to talk about Cain and Abel to younger kids, could I do it for 14 to 18 year olds? No, God impressed upon me that he wanted me to give the good news of Jesus Christ to these classes. I told the Ghanaian evangelist, who was with us and he agreed. He said that God has appointed me to teach that day, so I should present the gospel. The first time people hear the gospel, the table must be properly set!

So I started where God does, “In the beginning…”, continued with the uniqueness of the Bible (1500 yrs to come together, over 40 authors from 2 cultures, 3 language groups, who wrote 66 books that fit together with One Voice), and ending with the Bible’s central message: our sin separated us from our loving God, who has provided for a restored relationship through faith alone in Jesus Christ, mankind’s Lord and those that accept Him, Savior. We had been praying for an opening into these classes, but hadn’t been expecting such a sudden invitation. God timing and ways are perfect, who can know them? Well – seven of the nine students in the class raised their hands to indicate a commitment to Christ after the gospel presentation! Please pray for them and the over 100+ other children and four teachers now that have come to know Jesus!

It’s been amazing to join God in His work to reconcile these little ones to Him. What their outcome will be on this earth, I do not know and I am concerned. But for a fact, I know they and I will enjoy the majesty, power, and glory of God for eternity; thanks be to Jesus Christ.