Dear Congregation of Hull and our other congregations:

Our intention is to write newsletters monthly and we are going to try to give more of our information via monthly newsletters.  In this way we will try to have news that is fresh and also that gets out to all of our people.

The Lord has blessed us this past month in our labors here in Ghana.  We have had many activities and have kept extremely busy.
We also had visitors last month from the US, Jack and Brenda Brands.  Brenda is our daughter.  And we have had Minard and Cora
Van Den Top and Michelle Bouma come and visit this month.  Minard and Cora are Judy’s parents, and Michelle is John and Judy’s last born daughter.  Needless to say we very much enjoyed having this company from the States.

While they were here, we went about our daily and weekly activities, and then took a bit of time to show them some of the places of
interest in the general area of Accra.  The reason for the continuing with our activities of course is that the work must continue to go on at a regular pace for the work’s sake.  But further then those visiting are also able to go back to the States with a good idea of how the work goes forth here on the field.  And we believe that this can only be good for the continued labor here in Ghana.  At the same time the visitors do get a good idea of the country and life here as well.

The Bible Studies continue to be well attended and the doctrines of the Word of God are studied with a deep desire to grow in the
understanding of the Word.  In the past two weeks we have been studying the lesson from the Essentials book on the Church.  We will
probably spend another two to three weeks on this article.  For not only must we understand that the church is chosen from eternity in
Christ, but also that as the Church is gathered in the midst of this earth, she becomes manifest in this earth and may be known by the
marks of the true church.  We must study those marks, seeing that they are Biblical and seeing what they are.  We must consider the
officebearers that God has placed in the midst of the Church.  Again doing so from the Scripture, and then also from the Scripture
coming to an understanding of what is the labor and calling of the officebearers.  We must take a close look at the need for the exercise of the keys of the kingdom, and discern from God’s word what they are and how they must be exercised in the Church, etc.  This is necessary to the growth of the understanding of the people in order that one-day the church be established on a Scriptural and
Reformed basis.  We have been averaging about 25 at this Bible Study, and with the exception of just a few times we do meet year
round.

The worship services continue to be the most blessed part of the labor here.  And this past month has been a busy one in this regard as
it has also in the States.  Especially is this true in connection with the death and resurrection of our Lord.  We had a Good Friday
service in the morning, this was best for the people.  The reason is that Good Friday is a government holiday here in Ghana.  So the
people were able to come to worship in the morning.  We set up tents for the worship services and on Good Friday we had about 90 in
attendance and on Resurrection Day we had about 130 in attendance.  This included almost all of our regular worshippers from both
morning and evening services plus we had another 15-20 that do not regularily attend come to the Resurrection Day service.  We had a
special Singspiration after the morning service on Resurrection Day.  At this program we sang Psalters and some of the Resurrection
Day hymns and choruses.  We also had about eight special numbers.  The children sang three Psalters and two other numbers.  They
did very well.  Jan and Judy also sang three songs and did so very well. Plus others of our fellowship sang songs that we had approved
as being in harmony with the doctrine of the Scripture.

We wondered if having three hours in the morning between the worship and the program would hinder the evening worship.  But we
are thankful to God that it did not and we had forty five in attendance in the evening worship as well.
 

Special Things

We were asked to conduct the Funeral service for Pastor Acheampong’s father.  It was a large Ghanaian funeral.  There were over 300
in attendance and we conducted the actual funeral service much the same as in the States.  They had other singing before the service
while they were waiting for the funeral to begin.  But once we came to the funeral service then it was conducted as ours.  We sang
three Psalters, had prayers and I preached the Word for the comfort and instruction of those still living.

Funerals in Ghana become a social event, which are usually way too expensive and extravagant.  So this gave us the opportunity to
speak to this with not only pastor Acheampong but to the people of our fellowship.  And as the elder son he was able to curtail all the
traditions having to do with the native religions, and also keep the cost down and sized down the whole of the funeral.  This was good
for them and made it possible for me to render this service.  We started at five in the morning with meditation and prayer with the family before the people came to pass by the body, which lie in state at the house of the father, in a summer hut.  This was identical to our visitations at the funeral home on the day before.  Then the funeral got started late, and we began at about ten had the funeral sermon and then proceeded to the grave site and had the committal service, again in the same way as in the states.  Later the people returned to the house for refreshments and visiting that went on the rest of the day, we returned home by about two in the afternoon. This took place on Saturday, on Sunday we had extra people for our Sunday worship with about 110 in attendance.  I preached a special sermon for comfort and strengthening of the people.
 

On Good Friday while out to the Ashaley Botwey area to pick up people for worship, I was informed that one of the children of a mother that has attended our worship services on a somewhat regular basis was very ill.  So we went to visit this child.  He was listless and feverish and critically sick. The sad thing is when the child got sick a couple of days earlier the parents had taken the child to see a prophetess of the native religion.  The neighbors had encouraged this and the faith of the mother is infant, and the father has followed the native religion so they did so.  The prophetess had the child wrapped in some ropes and fetish trinkets, and the parents were told that this would deliver the child from sickness.   The fact is that this woman almost was an instrument to bring this child to the grave.  I convinced them that the child should be immediately taken to the hospital for treatment by a doctor.  They agreed to do this.  The child is on the way to recovery as of this writing still weak but gaining strength.  It appears that the Lord is willing to bring this child back to health.

Again this has given us occasion to see how frail life is for the poor in this land especially, but also how very strong a hold much of the fetish religion has upon those with whom we labor.  This has given us the occasion to give much instruction in how we must  trust in God alone, and must not turn to the old religions.  We will continue to labor with this family in the trust that if the Lord wills they will be delivered from the terrible emptiness of their former religion.

The Lord willing not only the mother of this family but also the father will be brought to a stronger faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  But this is also in the hands of the Lord alone.

This week we are back to our regular activities and again had a blessed Bible Study, and look forward to the Radio Program as this
continues to be a means God gives us to bring the truth of the Word of God before the people of Ghana.

Further we will be speaking at the one hostel for the third time, this is a  storied house that has rooms for college students, and we
enjoy the opportunity to introduce these students to the Reformed Faith of the Scriptures.  On Saturday evening we shall have about an
hour and half with these students.  We know that God will use this for His purpose, whether to gather His church or to hold the wicked without excuse.  Ours is but to bring the gospel.

May God continue to bless our churches, once again we must express the joy we have in your remembrance of the mission work here
in Ghana, in your prayers, letters and care.  May it be the will of God that our calling church may soon have a minister to go in and out with them.  We remember those especially that have passed through and are passing through the afflictions of this life.  And we with you look to the day when Christ returns in judgment to bring also His people out of this life of vanity to the everlasting life in glory.

Just one little story, last evening the 27th of March, I spent about an hour and half at the house of one of the families of our worship
group.  I was waiting to talk with the father of the family who was gone to Accra.  While waiting there only the children were there the first forty-five minutes.  They range from 15 years to 3 years and number six children.  Any way during that time they were having a great time trying to teach me TWI or more TWI than I know.  Then we sang a few Psalters, about that time the mother came home from the market, and she asked that I stay awhile longer to see if her husband would get home.  While waiting and talking together all of a sudden the five year old daughter began singing Psalter Number 196 and sang it by herself, and did so on tune.  Then she sang the first three verses of Psalter number 203.    I believe that God works in wondrous ways and this is also one example of His work in our midst.  That a little one may enjoy singing from our Psalter the praises of God.  Needless to say this was a very enjoyable visit.

In Christian Love
From the Missionary and the Mission House,
Rev. Richard Moore