Day 79 Week 12 (March 29,2009)

Thursday morning there was more dawn preaching at 3 a.m. Then in the afternoon, we traveled to Apromasi village for the two baptisms. When we arrived, we were blessed by meeting a man who had heard us preaching and heard his niece was going to be baptized, so he decided it was time for him to do so as well. When we went to meet with Josephine, we found out that she was very hesitant. We found out that she was scared and highly influenced by here mother and aunt who were Jehovah Witnesses. The one thing that has really bothered me with both the Muslims and Jehovah Witnesses is that both receive and keep people within their religion by means of bribery and threats! She wanted more time, but did agree she would do it on the following Tuesday. After meeting her, we went out under the mango tree to talk with some of elderly men who were relaxing there. After we were finished talking to them they all agreed to be baptized on Tuesday as well! Out of a little set back with Josephine, God took two baptisms and turned into five with more potentially joining. God’s work did not stop there. Before we left the village, we wanted to meet with the chief. He had been living in New York for the past 35 years and just moved back. Pastor Paul had meet him only once before over three years ago, so he has never been able to make much progress in starting a church in the community, but when we meet the chief (Nana as all are called) agreed to help us out. He agreed to give ten plots for the church, an academy, and missionary house! Ten plots equates to 700 feet by 1,000 feet in dimension! Nana was so generous that he even asked us to come back on Sunday to see if the land they choose would be acceptable for us. As for payment, all he requested was for the church to give the community what they saw fit to help with more development. In the evening was the second night of the revival and I had the pleasure of preaching. The message went very well and it seemed to be well received. God has been doing so much and I feel bad for my lower than normal energy form this sickness.
Friday was another interesting day! It was our final day of dawn preaching. At times, I have felt bad for I feel that we are just preaching to the wind and the Bible even talks of random preaching, but we are sharing the Gospel, so if just one person accepts Christ then it is all worth it. I am struggling with analyzing time spent for lives changed evangelistic returns. This I feel comes with my youth and love for business, but Christ is not a business, so I heed myself. Later in the afternoon, Pastor Paul took me around to visit a few more sites. We saw the largest market in all of West Africa. Went to the teaching hospital, which is just one of two. It was there that we went to see the King Arthur sword equivalent for Ghana. A high fetish priest over six hundred years ago, supposedly, received a golden stole form the skies. It is this stole that the power of the Ashanti’s remains. If the stole is taken then the power of the Ashanti’s is taken as well. This fetish priest also placed a sword in the ground and no man has been able to remove it! People such as Mohammad Ali have tried to remove this sword and have been unable. Following seeing this we went to the World Famous Kumasi Zoo!!!! Ok this was a very sad site. It is extremely small, and the animals were few and far between. The conditions of these animals and the small size of living conditions almost made me feel guilty for even going.
Saturday God did stop moving! During the whole of last night the church got together to pray from 10 p.m. till 4 a.m. I was unable/unpermitted to attend for threat of the most deadly beast in all of Africa!!!! The Mosquito! After all the pastors recovered, we headed toward Abennase, which is the other village in which Pastor Paul wants to plant a church. Currently they meet every Wednesday for fellowship. It was very encouraging to meet more people and God was a moving once again! While here, through the sharing of the Gospel to many families by all of the pastors and I, there will be around ten or more baptisms on Wednesday with more potentially coming as well. The past couple of days have been very encouraging! I am unaware if this is common or not, but it seems no matter what that God has been busy! Very ones energy is very high and I have experienced that when God speaks through you, your message can leave footprints. From a message that I thought was ok, for I am still young in preaching, the pastors have been quoting and applying. This is truly God’s doing for I even forget some of the things that they have been saying as bad as that may seem. I love the energy that is being felt for it is very contagious to everyone we encounter. GOD IS GOOD! I also forgot to mention that I learned a new way to battle against the fetish practices or the practice of worshiping other gods…run them over! As we were, leaving Abennase Pastor Paul was backing up and could not see very well. The next thing we hear is a loud crash! We had run into and over a cement monument/statue of one god that was worshiped in the community. I love this tactic and plan to see if this is applicable back home!
Another portion of my stay in Ghana came to an end today. I concluded my stay in Kumasi with Pastor Paul, Pastor Jones, Pastor Hope, and all of Garden City Christian Church. God did so much in a short period of time and all, including myself, have been blessed by this time of unity. This morning I delivered the sermon and they actually gave me a whole hour to preach. They said that they have been extremely blessed by my, God’s, messages, so they wanted all they could get from me, God. Following the service, they presented me with beautiful gifts. They gave me kentia shirt, sandals, bracelet, and tie. The Ghanaian people are very hospitable and will do anything to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. One part of there hospitality is giving of gifts to the visitors. I have been blessed by everyone I have stayed with in which everyone has given me shirts and other such gifts. Upon resting, I received a visit from one of the members from the church who invited me to come to his house again to give me one of his paintings. He is truly talented in painting and actually does it as a hobby only!! His business is in graphic design, so he wanted to show me some of his work. He is doing well with his ability and is able to produce pretty good quality material! I was very impressed at his level of God given talent. He never went to school for art or anything for he says that it just comes naturally! After this visit, Pastor Paul and I went to the Bus terminal to purchase my ticket for tomorrow’s trip back to Tema. The night was good as I watched Ghana win its first qualifying game in soccer for the world cup. Now I am currently writing this update in “lights off” mode, which is common in both the village and the big cities!!