Newsletter of July 2000
Dear Congregation of Hull and our other congregations:
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are thankful to God that the Synod of our Churches has been able to meet and conduct its business, and that the seventy-fifth Anniversary of our Church has been able to take place and that the Lord has used these for the blessing of our people and our Churches. Also it appears from here that all received traveling mercies and also were kept in safety in their journeys.
The labors here continue to receive the many blessings of our Father Who is in
heaven, the faithful covenant
God. We see this in that He sustains us for the labors, and has given us fruits upon
those labors. The fruits seen are a
continuing growth in the knowledge of the Word of God and in the desire on the part of the
people to live according to
the truth. While this progress is in steps nevertheless it is apparent in the
conversation and life of those with whom we
labor. It is evident also in the joy expressed as the Psalter numbers are sung in
our gatherings. The Ghanaians have
beautiful voices, and a very great capacity to memorize the Psalter numbers, and they are
quick studies with respect to
the tunes of the Psalter. The second way that we see the blessings of our God
manifested in this labor is by the steadily
growing numbers of people that come to worship with us each Sunday, and that come to study
the Scripture in our Bible Studies and catechism. The last month we have been
averaging near to ninety for the morning service and forty in the evening service.
There are a growing number of people that come to both worship services to hear the word
of God being expounded. We also are seeing a growing number of complete
families coming to worship with us. This also is encouraging to us.
We are happy to report that one box of Psalters has arrived from Cornerstone, and
one box of Psalters has
arrived from Grandville. These will be followed soon we believe with the other boxes
that they have sent. It takes about four or five months for such packages to get to
us when sent by surface mail, but they do arrive here in very good shape. We now have
enough Psalters again for those attending our worship services. We are thankful for
these gifts to the work.
We have experienced some long outages of electricity here at the Mission House
and have appreciated the
generator that we received by a gift from the estate of my uncle Raymond. The
children and family asked if there were
something we could use and with the approval of the Hull Council and the FMC we told them
we could use a generator. This generator we have wired to a switch by the meters so that
when the lights go off we merely have to switch to the generator and we have a house full
of electricity again. This especially has been a benefit for work during the long
outages, one Sunday evening we had to use it for the whole of the worship service.
On another note we are glad that we have now been granted our resident permits,
and now can travel out of the
country and back without visas. Also it means that we have been completely
recognized as missionary in the field here
in Ghana. This means we will not have so much time spent on government things.
In three years we will have to get the quota for missionaries reviewed and renewed, but
this should be rather routine.
The two Bible Studies are going well. The Tuesday evening Study continues
its work with the Essentials of
Reformed doctrine. We have very lively and instructional studies. These
studies are relatively deep studies of the
Scriptural truths of each lesson. We take up to four weeks in the study of some
lessons. The Wednesday night studies
that we have now started in Ashaley Botwe are also well attended and are a blessing for
those for whom it is intended.
This study is on a more basic level, and is interpreted into the TWI language. This
is especially helpful to the people
there for many are not conversant in the English. Slowly I am learning a small
amount of the local language, although I
can hear a lot more than I can speak.
We have had more illness in our fellowship this past month than in some of the
previous months, this is due to
the rainy season. Mainly the sicknesses are Malaria caused by the fact that there
are many more mosquitoes.
There are other illnesses related to the damp and colder weather. However,
most of these if treated early do not
cause great problems for the people. It is only when they are not treated that the
sickness becomes greater even
dangerous for their earthly welfare. We continue to help with the mercies of Christ
those that truly are poor, and cannot get the treatment on their own. This has been
limited to a rather small number of the whole of our fellowship, and we are also thankful
that this is true.
I have been called upon for spiritual counsel more often lately. This comes
to pass as the people come to know
the missionary to a greater extent. We do grow more as a spiritual family as time
goes on.
A couple of more things for this newsletter follow. First, we still have
opportunity from time to time to speak with
various school groups. This past month we spoke at a primary school in which one of
the members of our fellowship
teaches. I spoke to this group of about 100 students from K - 6 about having the God
Who has created all things as our Father for Jesus sake. Then also this past
week I was able to speak to over 400 students in their late teens-early
twenties at the Kinbu Senior Secondary Tech School. Here I spoke on Romans 8:28-30,
with emphasis on God's
sovereignty in the work of salvation. We are very grateful to God for these
opportunities, and do not know the effect they shall have upon our Mission work here, but
do know that the Word never goes forth to return void, and that God's purpose with His
Word as we bring it shall be accomplished.
The other thing is our gratitude to God for the work of Synod. That once
again it appears that God blesses our
churches in our Synodical gathering as the truth is maintained in the midst of our
churches also by the decisions that
Synod has made. We need ever to stand steadfast in the truth of the Scripture that
we may stand in the days of
darkness. This is true of our churches and it is true on the mission field.
Also we are thankful for the decisions made
with respect to the continuing work here in Ghana.
It encouraged us to hear of the reaction to the work of the field by those
attending our Seventy Fifth Anniversary
as well. We understand that the slide and video presentation by Jack and Brenda
helped make the work here on the
field better known to our people in the States. This reminds me that you are all
invited to come and witness that work
first hand, you will be received in love by the Mission House and the people of God that
worship here.
John and Judy continue to be busy helping in so many areas of the work. We
have appreciated their presence
much. October already seems too soon, that is the time they are scheduled to return
to the States. This also reminds
me that we need others to come take their place. Consider carefully whether you can
come and help us for a year in this work in the kingdom of God.
This will bring to close our Newsletter for this month, many things are left yet
unsaid but we will try to say more
next time. We continue to enjoy rather good health, and God sustains all of us in
the precious reformed faith, the faith of the Scriptures. May He keep you faithful
in all of your labors.
To Rev. Key: May God sustain you as you take up your labor as the pastor in our calling Church.
May God continue to bless you all.
In Christian Love
From the Missionary and the Mission House,