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GRID-NEA: Ministry
The NEA believes that people’s needs are both physical and spiritual and seeks to address both in its programs.
In Northern Ghana traditional tribal beliefs permeate most native religious expressions. Their beliefs are primarily expressed in the
form of "Animism". Derived from the Latin word “anima”, meaning a “spirit” or “soul”, they can be found to exist
in everything from animals, plants, rocks, mountains, rivers to the far reaching stars of the universe. Each “soul” or “spirit”
has a degree of spiritual power that can either be beneficial or adverse to the individual, including the souls of dead ancestors. The ever present
fear that an individual might unknowingly offend one of these spirits creates enormous anxiety and stress upon their daily lives. Those who profess
to be able to communicate with and influence the spirits through the use of witchcraft, magic, divination, spells, and enchantments are reverenced
and feared by all the villagers. A majority of people adopt charms, talismans, and amulets of all types. Some are boldly displayed on their person
while others brandish them on their vehicles. Objects considered more spiritually potent are kept hidden away and used only in crucial situations.
For the Animist, the Most High God is not a person. God is the Energy, the Force, the Power, and the Unknown. This Divine Being is not a ‘somebody’ but a ‘something’. The animist’s goal is to influence this powerful something through the use of the right expression and application of magic to enable him or her to get this god to act in a beneficial way. This could include the healing of an illness, having a bountiful harvest, being successful in a business transaction, or being protected in a life-threatening situation.
The message of the Christian faith, the Gospel, brings hope to animists because the Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over all the principalities and powers of darkness and offers His protection to all those who believe in Him. The great message to the animist is that God, who is personal and loving to all people, has broken into human history in the life and death of Jesus Christ to reveal His power over the Prince of this world and to break the chains of Satan. On the cross, Christ "disarmed the rulers and authorities" and "made a public display of them (Col. 2:15). One can only imagine how this Good News, the message of deliverance from demons, from fate, from magic, would cause many to believe in the Lord Jesus.
DEG AREA
NEA also saw the need to provide Bible training to church representatives in the various villages to equip them to care for the congregations in their communities. The organization of two-week training sessions with pastors from Ghana, Canada and the United States about two or three times a year has been a real source of encouragement for all involved parties as the challenge is placed upon hearts to follow Jesus to greater heights. At the end of 2004 there were fifteen churches that formed ECAC and about thirty-five men and women being trained as lay pastors. At the Christmas convention, about 300 members attended and the five chiefs who had become Christians. At the end of 2007 the number of established churches had climbed to thirty-one and the lay pastors in training numbered forty-five. There was close to 2000 members present for the Christmas Convention including twelve Christian Chiefs. Four members, who were chosen by the ECAC to attend Bible College, have graduated and are hard at work nurturing the many new Christians in their locale. One of the church’s greatest challenges is to be able to ensure that each group has a place of worship. So far they have been able to help nine communities to build modest buildings – only 22 more to go!
SOUTH MO AREA
CHRISTMAS 2004: BUSWEMA, YAARA, TRIBAN
The Christmas Convention was an amazing time. Members came from all the churches. We used our two KIA trucks, the pick ups and the gravel truck to bring them and they arrived in convoy singing. In the mornings we had a devotional time together and then heard reports from each of the churches as to what God was doing in their villages as well as their prayer concerns. In the afternoons people had time to have fellowship together and rest. On the Sunday morning, all the women wore their special green and yellow uniforms led the rest of the church members in a singing march around the town of Yaara. It was so beautiful! In the evenings we did outdoor presentations of the gospel in various villages and the Lord blessed in a mighty way. In each of the three villages where the message was preached, people decided to follow Christ and during the week that followed than even more people came to say that they had thought over the message and they too wanted to have their names written in God’s book. Even the last morning we were in Yaara, a man and his wife came for prayer saying that that they too want to be part of God’s family. Over 60 people have made the first step of faith to follow Christ and we (as well as the angels) are dancing with joy. The five Christian chiefs were there with us and that was such a testimony. In two of the towns, the resident chiefs said that they thought it was just the youth that joined the church but for the first time they were realizing that elders and chiefs can also follow the Lord. In Yaara some of the elders said they were waiting for their children to come home for Christmas so that they could inform them that they want to join the church. Please pray for these new babes in Christ. They need the Lord's special protection in this place where the forces of darkness are visibly at work.
EASTER, 2005
Dear GRID/NEA Board Members:
We are pleased to send to you the report of the Easter Convention held at Nkwanta. It was an amazing time and we saw the Lord at work like we’ve never seen before. Most of the NEA vehicles – 2 KIA trucks, the gravel truck, the pick-up, and Patrol and they brought people from all the 15 villages where the ECAC churches are located. It was so well organized by the pastors and church leaders. There was an advance team that went to get certain things set up. We used the primary school for accommodation, with two rooms for the men, two for the women, one for the children and one for the foodstuffs. Everybody just looked for a spot on the floor to spread their mats and that was where they camped. They organized many groupings of 3 stones for the huge cooking pots to sit on. There were large piles of firewood gathered and canopies made at the meeting areas using tree limbs as pillars and tree branches as shade on top. Each of the churches brought contributions for food, in addition to us using part of the GRID/NEA conference budget. They brought yams, peanuts, corn and one of the members had contributed a bull, as his ‘firstfruit’ offering since it was the first calf born to his cow. The women managed to feed about 300 participants three meals a day. The women from two or three of the churches were joined together and each group had their cooking area. It was hot in the shade, but out in the sun by the wood fires was hotter still yet they worked together with such joy. Children carried water, pounded fufu, looked after younger siblings, danced vigorously at the meetings and made lots of new friends. It was quite an interesting evangelistic strategy, for 300 people to descend on a village that did not have a church and live there for 3 or 4 days. One of the church members, a teacher, wrote the following report of what happened. We know you will be blessed as you read it.
EVANGELICAL CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH (ECAC),
EASTER CONVENTION
NKWANTA, KINTAMPO DISTRICT
MARCH 24-27, 2005
The 2004 Easter Convention was held at Nkwanta, near Ayorya in the Kintampo District. Before the convention, advance preparations were made
by the various assemblies in the district notably Carpenter and Bamboi to mention a few. Foodstuffs were collected from all the assemblies.
THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2005
On Thursday, March 24, 2005, with the support of NEA vehicles and drivers, all the assemblies arrived peacefully at Nkwanta around 5:00 p.m through the help of the Almighty God. The whole congregation was hosted at the Nkwanta Primary School. When we reached the village, the church elders, pastors, chiefs and women leaders went to the Nkwanta Chief’s palace and shared greetings with him and his elders. Supper was prepared for all the participants (about 300 men, women and children) before we moved to the convention grounds at about 9:30 p.m. We were late owing to the delay in the preparations of the supper.
At the convention grounds the Pastor Peter Kumah from Yaara started as the Master of Ceremony. He welcomed all the various assemblies who were present. He asked Pastor Yeboah to give us the opening prayer to open the convention. Some of the assemblies brought their welcome songs which, in fact, moved the spirit of the convention. Singing and dancing took place for some time before the Chiefs arrived and took their seats. Pastor Jacob Mensah gave a touching sermon from 1st Kings 17:1-2, 9 and 17 in the Mo language. After his preaching, Pastor Peter highlighted or summarized his sermon and a few announcements were given by Brother Newlove, assistant to the District Deacon. Pastor John Dari from Subinso gave us the closing prayer and the service came to a very successful end. We departed to our respective classrooms and slept comfortably.
FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2005
On March 25, 2005, which was the second day, our President, Dr. Mensah, and his wife arrived at Nkwanta. Breakfast was served and we went to the convention grounds under mango trees in the middle of the town for the morning service at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Jacob Mensah took the post of M.C. He called on Pastor Yeboah to give us the opening prayer. Singing and dancing followed. Dr. Mensah gave us a touching sermon from Luke 8:40-41, concerning the sick woman who was healed by Jesus in the crowd. He advised all sinners to stop and follow Jesus, since the Lord is the only one who can forgive and erase our sins. In fact, his sermon was heartfelt and very touching to all. Pastor Jacob Mensah made a short summary about the sermon and invited Pastor Yeboah to pray for us. Dr. David advised us to keep the school where we were hosted very tidy all the time. Mrs. Brenda Mensah was called on to give us the closing prayer. After the benediction, we departed to the school for our lunch.
In the evening, meals were served and after supper we assembled at the convention grounds at about 7:30 p.m. The joyful singing and dancing took place for some time which set the tone for the service. Brother Abraham Nsiah from Bamboi gave us a special solo in Mo entitled “Jesus is Coming to Judge the World. The Nkwanta Chief and his elders arrived at the convention grounds at 9:05 p.m. Pastor Jacob Mensah introduced the chiefs that had come from various ECAC assemblies (Nana Gyima from Jugboi, Nana Emmanuel from Baniantwe, Nana Joseph from Yaara, Nana Solomon from Carpenter). Nana Gyima from Jugboi gave us a short speech. He told the crowd that the time has come for men, women and especially chiefs and opinion leaders to turn to Christ. He said that they all know that their ancestors have left a legacy of idol worship and asked if any of them could give an example of something good this has brought them. He told them that following Christ is not just for the youth and invited them to turn to Jesus as he has done. Nana Joseph from Yaara gave us a solo. Dr. David gave us a hot and touching sermon from Luke 19:28-35 about the freedom we have in Christ which stimulated about five hundred people to the extent that fourteen souls came forward to accept Jesus Christ during the altar call which was very wonderful. Another twelve joined when the service came to an end. They were prayed for and some advice was given to them. The chiefs and elders welcomed the new believers and the last blessing was given by Pastor John Kyei. The meeting came to a successful end and we departed to our respective places to sleep.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2005
On Saturday, the morning service started at 9:50 a.m. after breakfast. Singing and dancing took place for some time and some churches brought their welcome songs. The Chief of Nkwanta and his elders joined us. They donated a sheep and thirty yams to the church members to help with their feeding. The Women’s peanut cooperative also donated a rooster and some tubers of yams. The chief of Jugboi, Nana Gyima, thanked them for the good thing done. Nana Nkwanta then said that from today March 26, 2005 he has also decided to be a follower of Jesus and he was prayed for especially. Some of the towns brought welcome songs. Tamale people brought their song in Dagbani. Mrs. Mensah also sang an English song to praise the Lord. She reminded us that since the Chief and many people from Nkwanta have decided to follow Jesus, the angels in heaven are happy. The title of her song was Hallelujah in the Highest. Brother John Dary prayed before the sermon. Dr. David tested our previous knowledge on all that we heard yesterday. Pastor Yeboah read the scriptures from Colossians 2:16-17, 20 &23. Dr. David talked about the fact that some people do not eat certain foods and meat. Since we have accepted Jesus we are free from all those superstitions and ignorance. He also talked about how Mo women whose husbands has passed away had to go through difficult treatment as widows and that Christ sets us free from these traditions. He advised that we should send our children to school. There was a time for people to ask questions. After this, the Chief of Yaara said that he had noticed that the town does not have a community toilet which is a difficulty for the community. Dr. David said that NEA would help to provide Nkwanta with a 10 seater toilet if the people are ready to help with communal labour. One of the new believers, Mr. Cheerawe, came out boldly to say that he is no more going to sell Akpateshie (locally brewed liquor) since he has given himself fully to God. We prayed for him for God’s guidance and prosperity. A few announcements were given concerning our going to Nyamboi for the meeting this evening. Pastor Noah Ampem gave us the closing prayer and we closed for the day.
After lunch, the elders, pastors, and ECAC executive held a meeting and discussed issues concerning the church: most especially the church instruments, preaching plan and who will look after the new converts in Nkwanta and Nyampoi. The meeting ended successfully. In the evening we moved to Nyamboi for a very strong crusade. We reached there at 6:35 p.m. Pastor Yeboah led us in the opening prayer. Singing and dancing took place and drew many people to the grounds where the meeting was held. After some time Pastor Peter from Yaara introduced the chiefs and Dr. David. The Baniantwe Chief was called on to speak. According to him, he was a Christian before he became a chief. He added that old and young as well as chiefs can serve God. Nana Solomon from Carpenter also spoke. He said that he was only 18 when he was asked to become the chief of the village. He was hesitant since people told him that he was going to be the chief of a dying village. When he gave his life to the Lord things changed and as they know Carpenter is not a dying village. This has excited him to serve the Lord since he has seen that God can turn the bleakest of situations into something bright. Pastor Yeboah prayed and read the scripture for the evening from Luke 19:29-34. Dr. David gave a heartfelt and touching sermon, once again speaking about the freedom there is in Christ. The crowd was moved by this talk and 30 people came forward to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. The most interesting and wonderful thing was that the Chief of the town, Nana Nyamboi Koro, and his elder Kyeame Kwaku Amponi, came forward to accept Christ as well. Dr. David gave them some advice and we prayed for them. After prayers, a member from the community came and gave us some announcements and the church elders plus the chiefs went round and shook hands with the new believers. The closing prayer followed and the crusade came to a very successful end. We came back to Nkwanta safely and slept comfortably.
SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2005
On Sunday morning breakfast was served and after the meal we marched through the principal streets of Nkwanta. This day was extraordinary. Women put on their green and yellow uniforms and marched in front to mark the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We assembled at the convention grounds for the last service at Nkwanta. One of the NEA vehicles had gone to bring the new believers from Nyamboi. All the chiefs arrived and danced majestically to praise the Lord. Singing and dancing went on for some time and the morning service began with the usual song “The Lord is in His holy temple, keep silent before Him. Three people gave testimonies. A representative from Bamboi Literacy and Bible Translation came and advertised his books (i.e. the Mo Bible and cassette tapes) Nana Nkwanta Kooro gave us a short speech about our stay at Nkwanta. He thanked us for all that we have done for his village. People again brought their welcome songs and danced happily. Before Dr. David spoke, he introduced the groundnut women farmers and all the women who helped and we prayed for them. The sick were also invited to come for prayer and we prayed for them too. Pastor Yeboah read the scripture from Mark 16:1-7 and Dr. David spoke on the death of Jesus and His resurrection.
After the service we had lunch following which the ECAC executive, elders and pastors had a meeting to discuss issues concerning the development of the church. After supper we went to Sabule for the last meeting of the convention. We reached there around 6:30 but the advance team had gone earlier to set up the speakers and benches. Nana Joseph, from Yaara gave us the opening prayer and singing and dancing started very hot and the grounds were filled to capacity. This stimulated the whole crowd. Singing and dancing took place for some time before the chiefs also danced and praised their Creator. Pastor Yeboah prayed and the scripture (John 5:1-8) was read. The President introduced the chiefs and the Jugboi chief once again spoke to the crowd about his faith in Christ. The Chief of Sabule and his elders arrived at the crusade grounds and greeted Dr. David, the chiefs and the church elders. Dr. David then spoke about the crippled man by the pool whom Jesus healed. At the end of the service forty-one people came to be prayed for. Pastor Yeboah gave us the closing prayer and the crusade came to a very successful end.
APRIL 18, 2005
Post script:
In each of the villages, the pastors set up times with the new believers for when they would be back to meet with them. We met four of them together praying the morning were on our way back to Tamale. In all three villages, there were more people that came to the meetings telling them they too wanted to be Christians. In Nkwanta alone there were 48 people at the first meeting and more have come since. When Noah visited them this past weekend, they wanted to have services each night he was there. In Sabule, the chief is away from the town, but when the team got to that village, his linguist and other town elders had thought the message over and also decided to follow Christ. In Nyamboi, the chief’s family has come to Christ and the number of new believers in that town is increasing as well. There is a smaller village between Nkwanta and Sabule (Chaara) that we didn’t organize a meeting in, and they sent a message that they too wanted to hear the Gospel preached to them. In fact, they were a little offended that we had passed their town. This is another open door which we shall soon plan to walk through!
A Call to Prayer
As mentioned above, we have never seen the Lord’s blessing like we have in these days, starting at the Christmas convention and now with the
Easter convention. We have also never seen Satan attack so severely. For example:
After the first meeting in Nkwanta, we came back to sleep in Carpenter and there was a poisonous snake in the bath corner
(which David killed before it had a chance to do harm).
The next night, on our way to Carpenter from Nyamboi, as we passed through a village, some young teenage boy threw stones at our car and smashed
the driver’s window and the back window on that side. With all the glass falling on David, he was still able to bring the car to a stop and we
narrowly missed falling into a big ditch. (The boy was apprehended and spent time in police custody and is doing hard communal labour)
Simon, NEA’s longtime driver, took the car to Accra for repairs. When the work was finished, he left Accra at 5:30 a.m. and collided with a van
full of people. Simon was unhurt, but some of the people in the van were sent to hospital.
(Nobody was killed and all those injured have been discharged)
The week after the convention, Pastor Peter, (David’s brother) went on the annual town fishing trip in one of the local ponds that dries up around
this time of year. The pond was full of people catching fish and a large fish jumped right in front of him. As he brought his machete down to hit it,
a young teen dove for it with the result that he was hit on the head rather than the fish. He nearly died but by the God’s grace they were able
to get him to the hospital and he is recovering.
Last week, we had David’s brother Joseph and their family here for a short visit. On the last night of their visit, armed robbers attacked our home.
They jumped the wall between our place and our neighbour’s, captured and tied our watchman and entered our house. Joseph & his wife did not lock
their door, and they forced him at gunpoint to come to our room. When we heard him calling at our door, we thought one of them was sick and David
opened the door only to be told “hands up, we want all your money”. They rushed in and took the money that was in our room
(including the funds we had gotten out of the bank to send to Peter to help care for the boy in the hospital) and eventually left.
We were not harmed but for sure were a bit shaken.
We see all of this as an indication that we have really stirred up the forces of the enemy and want you to know that we are fine and not discouraged.
David preached yesterday on 2 Cor. 4: 8 & 9.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”
(SOUTH MO VILLAGE)
BEWELE
MARCH, 2006
Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord!
We arrived back last night from one of the most amazing weeks of our lives. Our God is a miracle working God. Our God is a God who
answers prayer. And as the Psalmist says, “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods!”
We send our thanks to you all for standing with us in fervent prayer. Listen with joy to what the Mighty One has done. A week ago today we left
Tamale, setting our faces toward Bewele. Even to the Mo people, when they speak of that town, there is such a fear in their voices. When we
arrived in Yaara, where the team was to be based, some of the elders of the town were doubting the wisdom of our going there and asked,
in an effort to persuade us otherwise, “Are you sure you want to go to Bewele?”
One truckload of church members, about 50 people, arrived in town around 4:00 p.m. Noah and a crew from Carpenter arrived in the pickup – and
with a report that the other truck had a breakdown on the way, was being repaired and was expected soon. That truck was carrying the sound system,
lighting, and the other half of the team. We knew we needed to head to the village before dark because of the state of the ‘road’
(better termed the bicycle path). At one point David asked Jacob (one of the pastors) whether the vehicles could get right through to the
village and he replied, “No, but you can see the village from where you will have to leave the vehicles.” At 5:30, there was still no sign of
the other vehicle, and we knew we could wait no longer as the sun was starting to set. We got to the impassable part at dusk, and began the walk
with a few benches, the church drums, a couple of bright lanterns --- and half the team. It was then I realized that Jacob’s comment that
‘You can see the villages from where you leave the cars” is a figure of speech. It was closer to a mile away, and darkness had set
in before the little band finally arrived. In traditional fashion, we went from house to house greeting people and then came to set up the
meeting area while the people of the town finished pounding their evening meal of fufu. All was set, but brewing right behind us was a
powerful African thunderstorm. Lightning was flashing, thunder was rolling, and it was rolling our way – quickly. We all prayed that the
Lord would not let it come and stop us from being able to speak for we knew that the people would read into it that their idol had prevented us
from speaking. That was His first miracle. The town started to gather: the chief and elders, women, men and children.
The two lanterns flooded the area with light, the drums were set. Pastor Jacob looked at David and said, “We’re ready”, David replied
“Let’s start” and with faith and fear still wrestling in our hearts, ‘We started’.
The singing sounded more beautiful than ever, the dancing seemed more exuberant and when the Christian chief from the village of Baniantwe was called on to speak, the crowd listened intently. He talked about the olden days when they didn’t have mirrors. He said that they used to look into water if they wanted to see themselves to be able to comb their hair, but once mirrors came, nobody went back using water to see themselves. He went on to say that in the olden times they served idols, but someone better has come, Jesus, it is as foolish not to follow Him as it is to look in water to comb your hair if you have a mirror! Ebenezer, who was once a Muslim shared what God has done in his life. He told of how when he came to know Christ, his family shunned him, but now he is the one they look to and depend upon. David then spoke about the demon possessed man that the Lord healed and the town’s response that Jesus should leave them (Luke 8:26-37). He brought out that here was a man who was tortured and frightening the whole town, yet when Jesus came along to relieve them from the fear of the man who was terrorizing them, somehow the people preferred the situation the way it was and the benefit they could derive from the pigs more than this man being healed and contributing to the community. Instead of them begging Jesus to stay, they begged Him to go. He told them how Satan will always shift our attention from good things and that the idols they have served so long want them to ‘sleep in the tombs’ and to suffer. He wove in part of what the Lord has done in his life and in his family’s life mentioning that he had walked from Yaara many times with his Uncle Asimbo carrying goats and sheep to the idol of Bewele and yet, if Jesus had not intervened in his life, that same uncle would have had to beg for food to eat before he died because he was so poor. He talked about an uncle that served a particular idol so faithfully and yet was so poor that someone took his only ‘cloth’ from him because he couldn’t pay a debt of about a penny. He reminded them that years ago, they had said they didn’t even want a road to their village as the noise of cars would send the spirits of the idols away from there, and that now, they are asking us to try and help them get a road. This is another way that they too have been kept in bondage. And with all the service they have given to that idol, they have no clean water to drink. He told them it is time for them to choose Jesus and leave that demon! He asked them “Are you tired of making the sacrifices of sheep and goats?” “Do you want to stay the same?” He concluded by asking them whether they too wanted to beg Jesus to go or wanted to ask Him to stay? At different times, David heard the town elders behind him chatting back and forth to each other saying “He’s telling the truth.” “How does he know this?” “God is revealing it to him.” He also heard the chief, who is also the fetish priest, sighing. At this point, he invited those who wanted to follow Christ to come for prayer and without a second’s delay, people started to come -- beginning with the chief’s elders. Young and old, men and women came and before we prayed, there were over 60 people before us – including the wife and son of the fetish priest/chief. It was as though they had been waiting for the gospel to reach them! We were amazed, thrilled, surprised and thankful God that He had allowed us all to be part of seeing salvation come to Bewele. We decided that night that we would come back and worship the Lord with them on Sunday, and the men of the team said that some of them would return the next day with pick axes and shovels to make the impassable part of the road passable. When they arrived, the town was so delighted that they had prepared food for them to show their appreciation. By the way, just before David finished speaking, in trooped the other half of the team: Abraham in his wheelchair, and others with the generator, lights and sound system. You couldn’t help but be moved seeing them come in knowing what a long day they had had just trying to get there.
On Sunday morning the trucks filled with people twice to go to Bewele and what a wonderful day it was, breaking the taboos related to the Lord’s day that has held this town for centuries. Even more people gave their lives to Christ that day. There is such joy in the whole town, for it seems that more than half the adults in the town have committed themselves to the Lord.
On Tuesday, the Bewele chief came to Yaara, and shared with us the difficult position he finds himself in, because he is the keeper of the idol. Now that his wife and children have left serving the idol, he doesn’t know how he can continue because any of the animal sacrifices that are made to it, his family won’t cook or eat. We feel it won’t be very long before he too leaves the idol and follows Christ. We look forward to the day that the town will ask us to destroy it. On Wednesday, three of the pastors went back to spend a few days nurturing the new believers and reported that there were 73 people at the meeting on Wednesday night. News of what has happened in Bewele is spreading fast in the area and the Yaara elders that were trying to warn us not to go there, are now shaking their heads in wonder – and so are we. It is difficult to express the joy in our hearts over seeing the way the Lord has worked in this village. He surely does so much more than we can ever ask or think. While we were in Yaara, we received two other exciting messages. One was from the village of Babatokuma. They said they are waiting for us to come to them and already have a plot of land set aside for a church building. The other message was from the village of Chara. One of the elders of the town said he wants to remind us that their village is waiting for us to come and talk to them and that he has taken the lead and decided to become a Christian. As you celebrate Easter, please continue to keep us in prayer. We are expecting over 800 members from the 25 churches (including the new believers from Bewele) for the Easter convention to be held in Subinso. This is another time of outreach with meetings each night in the villages of Subinso, Chara and Branam. God is opening doors almost faster than we can go through them. We are so thankful to know that you are upholding us all as we move out in His mighty name. Please pray for God’s protection on our team and particularly for David as he speaks each night. Please pray that there will be many more names written in the Book of Life and that once again we will have the joy of seeing the Spirit of the Lord at work drawing children into His family.
One with you in Christ and in His service,
Brenda, David and all the believers in Mo land.
(SOUTH MO VILLAGES)
Easter Convention, 2006, Subinso
THURSDAY, APRIL 13
Our drivers worked from dawn to dusk, going to 25 villages to bring church members to the convention site at the primary schools of Subinso # 2.
They would unload one group of at least fifty people from their trucks and then head off to another village. In all, there were five big trucks
and two pick ups on the move that transported the over 800 adults and the estimated 200-300 children.
It is hard to describe the excitement that each arrival brings. Children running around looking for their friends; early arrivers starting
the first cooking fires ; young girls gathering water; organizers directing each new group to their classroom/bedroom; people laughing; babies
crying and everybody full of anticipation for the few days they will spend together.
FRIDAY, APRIL 14
Our first activity was to greet the chiefs of the area. Subinso # 1, is where the terrible fire was this year and it is on one side of a large stream. Subinso # 2 was our host village and it is on the other side of the stream. We were warmly welcomed to both villages and many people told us they were planning to come to the meetings we would be having. We had a special service together with all the church members that morning and much of the afternoon was spent just having fellowship with one another. At about five o’clock, all the trucks lined up and as many people as could fit piled into them for the journey to the village of Chaara. This is the village that was offended that we came to the villages north and south of them last year but left them out. It is another village dominated by witchcraft and some terrible taboos. This is also the village where one of the elders recently reminded us that they were still waiting for us to come with our message for them, and that he was taking the lead to follow Christ. After arrival, we went to greet the chief and elders and while we were there, thunder and lightning started. We were all glancing at the sky and praying. For those of you that have experienced a Ghana rain, just before it starts, there is usually a big rush of wind. That came rolling in as well and David asked one of the leaders to get a group together to pray. By God’s grace, the rain held off, the good news was shared, and about 30 people took those steps, in front of the whole community, to say that they were now moving to the Lord’s side. A new church has been established in Chaara. After we got back to the conference site, there was a heavy downpour. The next day, one of our cousins passed through the village on his way to the convention and some of the people told him, “Their God is powerful. They prayed for Him to stop the rain and He did. Then when they finished saying all they wanted to say, they prayed for Him to let the rain come because we need it, and He did.” More were added to the church as a result.
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
We started the day with the 5 Christian chiefs and their linguists that had come for the convention. David had invited them for a special breakfast, first of all for a time to encourage them in their walk with the Lord and secondly to help them solve a problem that had arisen between two of them over a land issue in their area. Now that they are brothers in Christ, this was quickly and amicably solved. Later we met together with all the church members. There was so much joy as we sang, danced and shared stories of God’s goodness in our lives. We had the members from each church come to the centre of the circle so that we could pray for them. You can possibly imagine how full of thanks our hearts were when the big group from Bewele, stood before us.
That night our destination was the village of Branham (there was already a small group of believers in that village that our pastors had been meeting with faithfully). Once again, just as we were pulling out in our convoy to go to Branham, lightning started. Again we prayed and again the rain held off until we were back to our beds. David spoke about the crippled man by the pool, waiting for someone to help. The Spirit of the Lord breathed through the words, moved in the hearts and about a dozen people boldly came to be prayed for.
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
Sunday was our day in Subinso and I honestly don’t think there has ever been an Easter parade like the one that took place there. Nearly all the church members, men, women and children formed themselves into three long lines and went singing along the main street to the place where we had our morning service. The women were out in front in their canary yellow tops and turquoise skirts with their fast-moving tambourines. Men, children and drums followed. They seemed to stretch out for at least a quarter of a mile. What a way to celebrate our Risen Lord! Many people had come from the two Subinsos for the Sunday morning gathering, including the chiefs of both towns. At offering time, the leaders announced that all the offering would be given to the burned-out town. The whole crowd cheered in response, glad to know that the little they had to give, would go to help those that had lost everything in that fire. After the giving was complete, the funds were wrapped in a bundle and handed over to the chief and his elders. They were so moved - both by the gift of love and by the fact that it came with no stipulations, without even being counted.
At the evening meeting in Subinso, there was a large crowd gathered. I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised but just as the people were getting settled, a storm again threatened. It is not that we were in the middle of rainy season. Usually in April we get two or three rains – maximum. But for it to rain three nights in a row, that is unheard of at this time of year! And it’s not that we would have minded the rain coming and having to plan a date to return. It was that we knew that people would conclude that their witchcraft had prevented us from being able to speak. We realized afresh that we truly were in a battle for souls of many. Sitting very near us that night was a little old man, with uncombed hair, dressed in a dirty smock. He was one of the people from this village that gave his life to Christ that night. More and more people kept coming. There were around fifty - sixty by the time the evening drew to a close, including the chief and several key elders from the town. I really hate talking in ‘numbers’. What I’m seeing in my mind’s eye are the faces of the men and women, young and old, sitting on the benches before us, who ‘believed our report’, and made their way out of the crowd to affirm their desire to start their new life with Christ. Back on our beds, for the third night in a row, we fell asleep to the sound of showers on the tin roofs, knowing that rain after the meetings would be seen by all as a sign of blessing.
MONDAY, APRIL 17
It was departure day. The drivers were back in their seats as group after group repacked themselves into the trucks for their journey home. While that was taking place, we were meeting with our new brothers and sisters from Subinso. We had told them to come to the site in the morning for this first meeting. There were even more people than those that had openly responded to the message the night before. One of the new believers is the proprietor of a local school. He offered his building as a meeting place until a church could be built. He later said that previously he had been going to idols to help his school progress. He was advised to turn all things over to the Lord and to trust in Him only.
The little old man came to say that he had two serious problems, one was witchcraft. He made his living by people coming to him because of his idols. His other problem was drinking and that all he gets as income, he drinks. He wanted to be free of them both. We prayed for him and asked that one of the other members should help him to stay away from the ‘bars’. One of the men who gave his life to the Lord last year at Nkwanta was sitting there. You may remember us mentioning a man that asked for prayer, saying that he didn’t want to drink or sell alcohol anymore. At this point in the conversation, he shared how God had helped him to stop and that now he even has more money in his pocket because he doesn’t waste it on drinks. We waited with several of the young pastors and organizers at the convention grounds until all the church members had been dispatched and then headed off to Carpenter. We chatted and marveled at all that God had done. The morning we left for the convention, I was reading Psalm 108 and was especially struck by verse six “Save us and help us with your right hand that those you love may be delivered”. All the people arrived home safely, there were no accidents at the site with over a thousand people and little kids running around the open fires, and it certainly seemed at though the His right hand had held back the storms, night after night so that all these, whom He loves, were delivered! Thank you again, for your part in prayer.
Postscript:
On Sunday, April 23, Mr. Yeboah, David and I, went back to Subinso for the morning service. The classroom is already too small – there were nearly 100 people inside! And the little old man? He was there, looking brand new, wearing a clean Ghana cloth, with his hair all combed and face shining. He had brought all his witchcraft – his old source of income, his old source of power, to be burned. He told us that he had taken one of the young men from the church with him to all the drinking places in Subinso and had him tell them that even if he comes to buy alcohol, they shouldn’t sell it to him. He hadn’t had any alcohol to drink all week and was full of joy in this new freedom found only in Christ, the bondage breaker !
__________________________________________________________________________________________________Funding for this aspect of the Northern Empowerment Association’s (NEA), work is not supported financially or otherwise by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).This aspect of the NEA's ministry possible from donations specifically designated to this area by individuals throughout both Canada and the United States, or through the efforts of the NEA in Ghana and it’s income generating projects.