Ghana Missions
of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America
Ashaley Botwe, Ghana
Mail: P.M. Bag #15,
Madina-Accra, Ghana |
Phone:
233-21-51-0353; 233-024-27-9459 |
e-mail: bekering@africaonline.com.gh |
March 29, 2002
Dear Hull Congregation and FMC and other Churches:
Greetings to you in the Name in the Risen and Exalted Lord Jesus from the Mission Field in Ghana.
We have a new writer of the Newsletter this month, Rev.
Bekkering. As more and more of the workload is shifted to me I now have the duty of
the monthly Newsletter.
Preaching
The preaching of the gospel continues to be well
received. We have consistent attendance at both morning and evening services.
We have about 170 in the morning and about 70 in the evening and we continue to have new
visitors almost every week. I began to preach the evening service on the
first of January, and now Rev. Moore and I are going to switch. He will preach in
the evening, and I will have the morning worship. I will be preaching the
Heidelberg Catechism beginning this Sunday.
Marriage Confirmation
Last Sunday morning after the morning
worship, we had a ceremony confirming the marriage of a couple from our fellowship.
The couple has been married for 18 years and have 7 children. The couple had been
legally joined by a "customary marriage" in their native village. Since
that time 18 years ago, the government of Ghana has changed its marriage laws for the
better. It is better for couples, who now want to marry, to be married under the new
marriage ordinance and to have their marriages registered with
the government of Ghana. Stephan and Lydia Acheampong,
after having registered their customary marriage, decided to have their marriage confirmed
using the form in the back of our Psalter for that purpose. They were not remarried,
since they were legally married 18 years ago. The confirming of their marriage
in the presence of our fellowship was a powerful witness to the others in our fellowship
who have not yet properly registered their marriages with the government of Ghana.
Bible Study
The weekly Bible studies continue to be
well attended. The Tuesday evening class recently finished their study through I
Timothy, and now we have made a beginning in the book of Acts. The Wednesday evening
class has been studying many aspects of the proper marriage before the Lord and the
calling of God's people with respect to the children of the union. Even though
there has been much teaching and preaching about marriage in the past, some of the people
are just now beginning to apply that teaching to their own situation.
Radio
Rev. Moore has been in a rather lengthy
series on the Covenant Family on the weekly radio program. This has been worthwhile
for our own people as well as those who listen from the surrounding area.
Catechism Classes
The catechism classes are going well. About a
month ago, we divided the Saturday morning class into two and that has caused some
confusion for parents who have children in both classes. Previously, the one class
began at 10:45, now the first class starts at 10:00 and the second class begins at
10:45. This is complicated by the fact the some of the children have to walk nearly
a mile to reach our
fellowship building. We are working through this little
problem.
The Friday evening Heidelberg Catechism
is a joy for me. We have a good group of young people that regularly attend
numbering between 20 and 25. They are also regular in their attendance at the
worship services. This bodes well for the future of the
fellowship if the young people continue show the same interest
and growth.
Church Polity Class
Rev. Moore is making good progress in his Church
Polity class, which meets every Monday and Saturday evening from 7:15 to about 9:00
p.m. He is trying to finish this course before he goes home to the States sometime
in June.
Along with the preaching and teaching Rev. Moore is busy
working on many aspects of the transition of the work on the field from himself to me.
Missionary Assistants
This morning we had a Good Friday worship
service. Rev. Moore preached. After the service we had a Farewell program for Arnie
and Char Bleyenberg, who will later this evening be departing from Ghana after being here
on the field for one year. The members of the fellowship expressed their love and
appreciation to Arnie and Char with songs and words. They received from the
fellowship a brightly colored Ghanian banner expressing appreciation to them for their
service to the members of the fellowship. Arnie and Char will be missed not only by
the fellowship members but also by the missionaries.
We pray God's blessing for them as they return to
Edgerton, Minn.
Doug Bekkering has volunteered to assist the
missionaries until a married couple offers to come here for a year to help. If you
are interested in this opportunity, please contact Rev. R. Smit, Secretary of our Foreign
Mission Committee, by e-mail (rchjsmt@prca.org), mail (Box 163, Doon, IA 51235), or phone
(712-726-3382).
Rev. Moore’s Emeritation Request
Rev. Moore has requested emeritation and that request has been
approved by the calling church in Hull, Iowa and also by Classis West. His request
will be dealt with by the Synod of 2002. Pending Synod's approval Rev. and Mrs.
Moore will be leaving Ghana
within a period of thee months.
Our prayer is that our Synod will see the need for a second missionary
to be called to go to Ghana.
Yours in Christ's service,
Rev. Bekkering and the Mission Houses