Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Mission Field in Ghana.

Our Hope in the New Year
 Another New Year is begun and it is a year in which the promises of God are precious to us.  For we know that no matter what the portion is that we receive in this New Year it will be sent to us by our ever faithful covenant God and for our good and blessing.  The Scriptural promise of God’s care over His Church is precious indeed.  Certainly, with the events of this past year including the terrorism and the ensuing war(s), plus the economical upheavals, etc. reveal that with each passing year things come closer to fulfillment and this means for God’s children Christ shall come and He does come quickly.  Yea, even that is our prayer is it not?  O! I understand that we all are making and have made plans for the immediate future and beyond, but they are the plans of mere man, God’s purpose is being perfectly executed and we must by a faith given of God trust that it is good for us and in harmony with His perfect wisdom.

Preaching
 Once again we are able to report a continuing interest in the preaching of the gospel that we bring to Ghana.  The attendance in worship has steadily increased to the point where the last several Sundays we have averaged about 170 present in the morning services.  The high being nearer the mid 170s.  The evening services have also increased in attendance so that we have consistently 70 or more present.  I believe the high here may have been over eighty.  The other striking thing is that every Sunday almost without exception we have from one to five new people come to worship with us at one of the services.  They do not all continue to come, but there are some that have, and have become regular attenders at our worship services and also some at our Bible Studies.

New Contacts
 One that came this past Sunday morning came to visit me this evening, and she had quite a story to tell.  She came to worship with her husband this past Sunday morning, as a result of a talk I had with those of her house some several months ago, or as a result of just coming to know me from various visits in this area, I am not sure which, but will find out more in the near future.  She came this evening with spiritual concern for her father, whom she thinks is being threatened by some of the family over property that he owns.  Whether this is true or not is at this point hard to know.  Further in talking with her it appears she may have strong charismatic tendencies.  She wants to talk more, and at a time soon I will visit her and her husband to get to know her more and to bring the true gospel for their comfort if the Lord wills.  It is very difficult to tell where this kind of a contact will lead, but the Lord has brought her upon our path and at least once under the preaching, so we will see.
 Others have come again in the past month or so as a direct result of listening to the radio program, and some continue to come at least for a few weeks.  Also in this past month we have had three come to worship with us because they saw our signboard on the corner and decided to visit us.  One of which has now come for three weeks.  Still others come because of the contacts we have made personally with them.  Some as a result of a ride that one of us has given them up the hill to the town of Ashaley some have come as a result of a direct invite to worship with us.  And still others have come as a result of other members of our fellowship visiting with them and inviting them to worship with us.  In other words the evangelism or mission labor with those outside of our fellowship continues and God has continued to use this to gather people together to hear the Word.

Bible Study
 The Bible Studies also continue to be well attended every week.  Both of our Studies the Tuesday Evening one studying I Timothy (we are now in chapter five) and the Wednesday night Study on various practical applications of the reformed doctrine of the Scripture set forth clearly the Protestant Reformed distinctives.  The Tuesday evening Study remains a study using the English language and the Wednesday evening study is interpreted into the TWI.

Catechism
 The catechism classes also continue to be well attended with around 20 young people (adults) in attendance weekly.  This class is a real joy to instruct and it is good to see the growth in the Reformed Faith in these young people.  The Saturday class on OT History is also well attended (in the twenties) and we believe a means used by God to prepare the continuing generations to stand in the truth.  One of the young men of our fellowship that had attended for a brief time a theological school in Nigeria commented upon hearing a review that I had with the children before the worship service on Sunday that the children were learning to know and rehearse truths that he was not even taught in the Theological training that he received.  Again this is the blessedness of the truth that we have as churches.  And, as churches we must by God’s grace strive with all might to hold fast this truth that is so precious.

Poverty
 For the large part our labor continues to be with the very poor in this land.  O! Recently we have had as many as five or six vehicles (three our own) in our parking lot on Sunday mornings, and do have a few that have a bit more means, but all the rest live as the very poor.  This has resulted in a constant need for benevolence especially at the time of sickness, and also in some cases with benevolence for essential food to maintain their families.  This work while hard to decide the true benevolent need, nevertheless is a blessing to the people to whom we must distribute the alms.

Marriage
 A second fruit of the poverty at least to some extent is the affect it has upon the institution of marriage.  There are several couples of our fellowship that have lived together for years without finalizing their marriages.  In the customary marriage there are steps which are followed, the first consists of bringing some small gift when taking a woman to live with one, this is a sort of pledge to complete the marriage when a dowry can be arranged.  However, in the meantime a man and woman are living together without the rite of marriage being finished.  This is often caused by not having the money to finish the dowry, and so the marriage is not lawfully completed, in fact not a marriage.  Thus there is a living in adultery though it often is a living together with only the one partner.  Our preaching and our teaching have pointed this sin out to the people repeatedly and many hearing do desire to make this right before God.  And yet this is very slow coming because at least in part they are not able to satisfy the dowry needed by the woman’s family.  We pray that this improve as the people grow more in the knowledge of the Word and the need to take heed to it in all parts of their life, especially in their family life.
 It is striking that in this regard two of the women in our fellowship that have been living in such relationships for many years have pressed their men to make the customary marriage complete.  At the same time these women seeing the truth have explained the need for their men to worship with them and to stand together in the Lord.  But when their men refused over a period of months each has decided that she cannot any longer live with the man and has established a residence for themselves.  They do so with the stated conviction that they shall not live with another man until marriage.  May God give them that strength.

Good Beginning
 Rev. Bekkering and family have gotten off to a good beginning here in the land of Ghana.  They had to adjust to the climate first of all, and that does take some time.   This is true especially when one is not used to the rather hot temperatures, which we often have here.  Also the next thing was to get used to the traffic and the Ghanaian time, which involves understanding that in an hour may mean in three hours or a day.  To these things they are adjusting now quite well, the next is to try to understand the King’s English as it is spoken by the Ghanaians, now this takes some real time, and the Bekkerings and especially Rev. is just now beginning to hear what some of the people are saying.  Others are easier to understand.  And finally there are all the cultural and traditional differences between the people here and in the States.  This, the Rev. Bekkerings will be busy learning about and trying to understand for as long as they are in the land
of Ghana.
 Already Rev. Bekkering is getting used to preaching with an interpreter, and it is going easier for him each time.  He has preached the evening service for about a month now.  He is presently beginning a series of sermons on the book of James, while I am still preaching the Lord’s Days in the morning.  Rev. Bekkering is also presently teaching the Tuesday night Bible Study and all the catechism classes, while I am still leading the Wednesday night study and the Radio Programs.  We both are taking some of the benevolent calls and other counseling.   Besides this there are visits that I continue to make in Ashaley and in other areas where our people come from.  We share the driving after the worship services to transport the people back to the home areas where they come from between the three of us.  Thus none of us are out overly long.

Emeritation Request
 The next six months we will be busy imparting unto the Bekkerings as much as we can of that which we know about Ghana, the Ghanaians and the work here on the field.  The reason for this is that we are convinced that it is the Lord’s will that we lay down this labor by emeritation.  We have requested of the Hull council their approval of this decision and they approved it and will send it on to Synod through Classis West.  We believe that the Lord used us for His purpose of establishing a work here in Ghana and now others shall build upon it.  Paul had to say this as he left one field for another and so can we.  Rev. Bekkering has been sent of God to take up this labor and we are desirous that it is the Lord’s will that another missionary will be called to help him in this labor.  I do believe that this is necessary in a foreign land such as Ghana.  We pray that our churches may be led to call a second missionary to help carry on this work.
 However much we love the people here in this land, and however much we enjoyed and do enjoy the labor, still we believe it is the Lord’s will that we now seek retirement from the active ministry of the Word.  This is prompted by the fact that we are growing older and the work has been very taxing, especially as we strove to set up the work on the field and begin this labor of the Lord in Ghana.   The last almost three years have been more taxing that five in a large congregation such as that of Hull and we are feeling the affects of it.  Besides this I have been prone to get Malaria and have had it nearly constantly the last year.  Between the malaria and the treatment a certain toll has been taken.  We are content with that; we are not in the least complaining about that, surely we ought to be willing to suffer all things in the service of the Lord.  But weariness does not prosper the labor.   And we believe it is the time to seek emeritation and serve the churches in a somewhat more relaxed way.  We are convinced that the Lord will also bless us in this way, and
that the field here in Ghana is not dependent upon a man or any men, but that we are but means in His hand for a time.  The work for us is not done in Ghana, we have yet six months that will be filled with labor and we also look forward to this.  It is our prayer that we may serve the Lord during our remaining days in Ghana, also in the preparation of the Bekkerings for the continuing labor here.

New Volunteer Assistants Needed
 The above should remind all reading this newsletter of the deep need we have in Ghana for volunteers to help the Bekkerings and other ministers that may come here.  We have counted very heavily on the Bleyenbergs to take care of many of the mundane or every day things that must be done on a field.  Besides they are available always for counsel and they, as well as the Boumas before them, have been a real asset in the living witness of the grace of God that dwells in His people.  We plead with those reading this newsletter to consider giving up one year of your lives to come and help the Missionary bring the Word of God to the people of Ghana.  You will never be able to replace the blessing you will receive in undertaking this labor.  It does not take any special talent, just a faithful living in the service of God.  Our committee is looking for volunteers especially among the semi-retired or retired ones of our congregations.  But are willing to consider any that have a desire to give themselves to such a labor in the service of the Lord.   Without the volunteers it will be near impossible for Rev. Bekkering to carry on the labor at an acceptable level.  The volunteers are essential to the labors in this foreign land.  When the Lord leads you to hear this plea, please contact
Rev.  R. Smit, Secretary of our Foreign Mission Committee, by :
             mail. . .. . .. . .. . .P.O. Box 163, Doon, IA 51235
             e-mail. .. . .. . .. . .rchjsmt@prca.org
              phone/fax. . .. . .. . .712-726-3382

The Last Delegation
 It was a blessing for us also to have had the delegation from our calling Church of Hull and the FMC in our midst for a time.  We believe that the calling Church and FMC are laboring very faithfully to carry forth this work in Ghana.  And we pray that it may serve the blessing also of our churches now and in the future.

Conclusion
 Well that is enough for this newsletter, there are many things that have happened that we have not been able to relate at this time, but maybe in a later newsletter or email update.  May God continue to bless you all according to His purpose, which is always good.

   We send our greetings to all, and we pray that God will richly care for our Churches that we stand strong in the faith.

 In Christ’s Service,
         Rev. Moore and the Mission Houses