Greetings from Ghana! This is our last day in-country. Today the conference is over at noon. Following another good lunch, we will visit the busy market place, barter for some ware to bring home, and continue on the airport for the long journey back.
As always, the visit here has been very impactful. Being among these 40+ Ghanaian Christian gentlemen and two beautiful ladies, is very inspiring. They are kind, generous, loving people dedicating their time and energies to telling others about what God has done for us; telling and showing how we can be refined to be more like Him. Many of the men are only in their 20s. Some are full time teachers, others, preachers. Many work a full day, continue on to do more ministry, then proceed home to be husbands and fathers, wives and mothers. All are dedicated to what God has called them to do in this season.
Yesterday we heard a few of the testimonials from them. Here are two:
One of our ladies was born into a Christian home. She did not feel that the message was for her. She left home, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man. Over time, she became extremely unhappy and became unwell with a sickness. Nothing seemed to cure the illness and the suffering became unbearable. She remembered her Christian roots and sought out a church. She found a nearby Catholic church and let them know of her afflictions. They prayed over her and immediately the illness was lifted. She now mentors under pastor Seth and continues to spread the good news of the Gospel.
One young man was born into a home with a Catholic mother and a father with traditional tribal beliefs. He grew up not holding tightly to either belief system. Once during a youth group meeting he realized the real gospel message required a complete heart change, one could not believe in Jesus half way. You were either "all in" or "not at all". By God's grace, that day, he dedicated his whole self to Christ. He now mentors under Pastor Seth and continues his growth day by day.
Are you "all in"? Have you understood to your core what has been done for us? We are SO loved by God. When we realize this, we cannot keep it at bay. We must respond. Do you remember the first time you had a crush on that special someone? You could not hold back your response to that love. You wanted to run and shout and tell the world about that person. That is just a spark of the love that God has for you. He runs and shouts and the angels rejoice every time a human heart and soul orients completely towards Him. Let Him draw you. KNOW that he loves you. Trust him, GROW into his vision of transformation for. Then GO and tell the world how that love changed your life.
"The Lord you God is in your Midst, a mighyt one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you by his love, he will exult over you with loud singing." --Zephaniah 3:17
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." --1 John 3:1
"...Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." --John 4:11
A shout out to my FamBam….can't wait to see you all tomorrow! Love you lots! Chris/Mom
Shout out to the dental team members: Charlene and Theresa say "HI!". Daniel, David, David, Thomas, Willie and the team say "HELLO!". They have all sent their regards to you all and would love to see you again.
Here are some of the ''people on the street" around Pioneers:
