Ghana

Status of the Persecuted Church in Ghana
January 15, 2010
Muslim population: 15.9% (Christian Population: 68.8%)
Though 70% of the villages in Ghana still have no churches, there has been a significant increase in evangelism to Muslims. In the last 45 years, the Bible or New Testament has been translated or is being translated into 43 of the nation’s languages. Though 64% of Ghanaians claim to be Christian, only 12% actually attend church, and many still cling to tribal religious beliefs and practices. In the northern third of the country the population is 95% Muslim, and tensions are increasing between Christians and Muslims in the region. Still, evangelism in the northern third of Ghana is growing as well.

Prayers for persecuted Christians in Ghana

Closing Thoughts

July 3, 2010

 God has brought my mission in Ghana to a close, and I'm “back home” (and feeling more than ever as though heaven will be my real home, where my heart will not be torn in two!). God's work in Ghana and around the world continues: and I'd like to share three action items that He has impressed on my heart as I've reflected on my year away, which I think all of us need to incorporate into our lives. 

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Our Missionary Mandate

June 9, 2010

Adherents of African Traditional Religions (ATRs) believe that the way they worship God is specific to their people group, a book I was recently reading contended. Their ancestors have worshiped gods and spirits in a certain way for generations, and so they will follow in those ancestors’ footsteps. They feel under no obligation, however, to evangelize those around them and encourage others to join them in their religious practices.

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Sharing our Faith to Understand Christ

June 1, 2010

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. – Philemon 6

Have you ever stopped to consider this little verse? I’d never really noticed it until recently, and was struck to consider how true Paul’s statement is. As we actively share our faith with others, we gain a fuller understanding of our riches in Christ in two ways.

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Twisting the Truth

May 27, 2010

Islam has an alternate version of many of Christianity’s basic truths. For example, the Koran tells its followers that Jesus was not crucified: rather, another man was killed in Christ’s stead, and God changed his appearance to resemble that of Jesus. As a result, no resurrection took place after the crucifixion. Of course, to us who are followers of Jesus Christ, the death and resurrection of our Lord are central truths that are critical foundations of our salvation.

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The pain of the “good-bye”

May 18, 2010
As I prepared to leave for Ghana, one of the aspects of preparation that surprised me the most was the number of “good-byes” that came my way. Often they caught me by surprise. A friend would say, “I’m leaving for a trip, and by the time I get back, you’ll be gone.” My mind knew I was leaving everyone for a year, but my heart wouldn’t be prepared for that particular person to say “good-bye” so soon.
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A reminder to be grateful

May 13, 2010
Do Americans complain a lot?” a Ghanaian asked me…not, thankfully, because I’d been complaining, but out of pure curiosity. “Yes,” I had to admit, “We do complain a lot. We have less to complain about than do Africans, but we complain far more than do Ghanaians.”
 
It’s quite true! Everything in life comes more easily to us as Americans: food, drink, electricity, internet, transportation, employment, possessions. Africans must struggle more for each of these and other items. Yet rarely will an African be found grumbling about his plight in life.
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May God bless the mothers of the world!

May 9, 2010
This past week a friend and I were talking with three former Muslims who are now fervent Christians. As they shared with us the struggles through which they’re going in their homes, one of them mentioned, “But as for my mother, she is not giving me such a hard time.
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Overwhelming Prayer Requests

May 5, 2010
When you pass dozens of beggars on your way to work in the morning, how can you possibly pray for each one? When scores of children excitedly call “White person! White Person!” as you walk the streets, how can you see each face individually, ask each one his or her name, remember each one before God’s throne?
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The True Source of Hope

April 20, 2010
God has stationed me in one of the poorest areas of Ghana: the north. There is a great divide between the (relatively) rich south and the poor north – economically, linguistically, culturally. My general observation has been that southerners tend to look down on northerners, who in turn tend to envy their southern neighbors.
 
It’s not uncommon for young people in the north to migrate south in the hope of finding a way to earn money.
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Blessed are the pure in heart

April 15, 2010
Jesus praises those who have hearts that have been washed clean by His blood through faith in Him; but Islam believes that our righteousness is secured by what we do.
 
Recently a Christian friend of mine who is a former Muslim was explaining to me the symbolism of all the ablutions a Muslim must go through before each prayer.
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