Christians Slaughtered in Nigeria

On March 7 approximately 500 people were murdered in three farming villages in Nigeria. Chanting “Allah Akbar,” a band of militant Muslim herdsmen burned approximately 75 houses and attacked the Christian villagers with machetes, knives, and cutlasses. Many of those cut to death were women and children. According to Compass Direct News, a survivor said, “We were woken up by gunshots in the middle of the night, and before we knew what was happening, our houses were torched and they started hacking down people.”

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Sukaya Bore Hole: "You gave them water for their thirst..."

Our joy overflows as we share this wonderful news!
This past week, the Lord provided complete funding for the Sukaya Bore Hole project! Thanks to your prayers and compassionate generosity, our focus-village in Western Ghana will soon be delivered from the parasitic scourge known as Dracontiasis, caused by the guinea worm.

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The Persecuted Church in the Islamic Context

Learn more about
persecution of Christians
in these regions:

 

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Patience for the Harvest

“Are there any mangoes ripe yet?” I asked Pastor Mbarra in disbelief. The mangoes have been getting bigger over the last few weeks, but the only ones I’d seen thus far were still pretty green. “No, there are no ripe mangoes yet,” he replied. “Then why have I seen little boys picking them all this past week?” I inquired. “They just don’t have the patience to wait for the fruit to get ripe,” he answered.
 

Sharia Law and Christians: Persecution in Nigeria

"God is great!" chant militants from the Islamic terror group Boko Haram as they carry out attacks on Nigeria's civilians. Innocent Nigerians are pulled from their cars and shot, corpses left strewn about the streets. Hundreds abruptly and maliciously killed.

The militant group is only one of many in Nigeria that actively seeks to continue the spread of Islamic sharia law. Islamic law governs all aspects of daily life, with harsh punishment, such as flogging, exile, or execution, for any deviation from what sharia dictates.

The most we can do

Yesterday I accessed my email account and learned that Smyrna’s director had been hospitalized for chest pains. It was worrisome to read the scantiest of information and be an ocean away, unable to consult the normal grapevine for more news, make time to visit my friend in the hospital, or call his family to communicate support. All I could do was pray.
 

Uniforms

Americans are familiar with uniforms: members of the armed forces and police forces, package delivery service workers and restaurant staff – all wear uniforms that clearly identify their employer. But perhaps Ghanaians are even more familiar with uniforms, as all public and private school require that children come dressed in specified clothing. At a glance one can tell whether a child attends a government school, an Islamic school, a Presbyterian school.
 

Uninterrupted Power Supply

Every two to three Saturdays, the morning radio announcements include a public notice that the electric power will be turned off for the entire region from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (although generally the power stays off until 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening). Americans would never stand for such an arrangement, but the patient Africans accept this inconvenience along with so many others in their challenging lives.
 

The Wall of Separation

Even the simplest mosque is divided into two rooms. The divider may simply be a curtain hanging from a string, although it’s often a wall. The partition separates the front of the mosque from the back – the men’s prayer section from the women’s.
 

Can’t Hide From Him

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:13
 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jesus said that to follow Him, we must hate our parents, brothers, and sisters. This command always flummoxed me (“Aren’t we supposed to love our neighbor? to honor our parents?”) until my little brother asked me one day whether we were literally meant to hate our family members. As I prayed for wisdom on how to answer him, God gave me a beautiful word picture, which answered my brother’s question and mine!
 

Snow and Sun, Heaven and Hell

While the east coast is experiencing record-breaking snowfalls, the likes of which I have never personally seen, Ghana has been experiencing its typical heat for this time of year. The highs where I came from and where I’m living now are both supposed to be in the upper 30s today; but that’s in Fahrenheit in the States, and Celsius here in northern Ghana – translating into temperatures that will soar into the 100s in this part of the world!