Andrews Abdulai Jul-Sep 2011 Report from Yendi, Ghana

NSAWAM ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST EVANGELISTS QUARTERLY WORK REPORT TO THE MISSIONS MINISTRY, ACCRA, GHANA.

PERIOD: JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2011.

INTRODUCTION: In this work report is the work I have done in relation to edification (Yendi church fasting, Ngani fasting and prayer, evangelists fasting and praying for our home and overseas partners, Annual Northern Bible Camp, reactivation of one congregations in Garinkuka area, my worship with Ngani congregation, visit by Bros. Dan McVey, Dada Christian Nsoah, Isaac Kpakpo Adotey and their wives, donation of a truck full load of good used clothing to the northern congregations, communal fasting and prayers in the villages, visit to Kanimo, postponement of youth program, visits to Tamale to reactivate clinic account, worship at Kanimo and a report from Daniel Dawuni in Ngani ) and evangelism (Documentary on the works of the church in Yendi and its environ, preaching at Kpachili, welcoming of Abukari Dramani from Tamale Instutute of Biblical Studies, devotion in St. Kizito Junior High, meeting of local association of churches, visit by Dr. Mike Glover and Sister Missy, an interaction of five muslims men, taking statistics of bore-holes and congregations, distribution of WBS lessons to students, Yendi Senior High campus ministry and challenges).

EDIFICATION: Yendi Church of Christ fasted and prayed on the 1/7/2011 and 24^th of September 2011. We have realized that the word is been taught for many years and some of the time is like people still listen yet the correlating life style is not achieved. Based on this we have now thought is wise to intensify our prayers regularly to support the teaching with the Holy Spirit backing. This kind of prayer is general, to the congregation as a whole, our partners and the spreading of the word.

A day fasting and prayer was organize at Ngani on the 16^th of September. This is the first time communal fasting and prayer is organized. There were two congregations that participated. Unlike the Yendi south where a number of congregations are participating this was Ngani and Baaduli congregations. A woman who has married for five years with issue was one of the people we prayed for and others who have been farming for years without progress in life. We are sure the Lord will grant us the grace to receive those blessing.

We have realized the difficulty and challenges we as a body of Christ have and that of our partners, therefore the preachers have dedicated some of the days to fast and pray for our partners in Ghana, the work of the Lord in the north and our partners overseas. In relation to this, the preachers in Yendi fasted on 30^th July, 3^rd and 12^th August, 2^nd September. On the same day Bros. George Dassah from Tamale East congregation, Paul N. Dokurugu from Yendi Church, Emmanuel Wumbei from Lagbani church in the Zabzugu district, Fusheini Musah and I met in Yendi to plan for the Annual Northern Bible Camp which comes once in every year in the month of December. This year Yendi church is going to host the program.

On the 31^st July I visited Galinkuka. I went with Evangelist Timothy from Wapuli Church of Christ to reactivate the congregations that are dead. So far we have reactivated one congregation in addition to already two that was in existance in the area and we hope to continue in the months to come. This is Mabombori. One of the interesting things was a prayer for rain in Galinkuka when we went. For some weeks there were no rains and crops were dried and about to be fully destroyed. After service I gently ask the congregation “It looks as if your land is dried and the crops are drying?” they responded in affirmative, I proceeded to ask whether they needed a rain and they responded, and furthered by asking them to what radios do they want the rain just to find out whether the will show any greedy hearts to say they want it just in their village. They answered that they want the rain in all over Ghana and even in any other country that needs rain. I ask the whole congregation to be on their knees including children less than ten years who all join on their knees. We prayed fervently for the Lord to let the heavens give them rain. All hands were raise up and Psalm 68 was read. After the request prayer of the rain we devoted some time in thanking God for the rain we have not yet received, yet by hope we knew the rain will come. It took us not less than 30 minute on our knees and every living being was perspiring to the highest. This was after 12pm GMT. By 8am the next morning clouds had gathered and truly a huge rain came upon the land including the other lands and areas in Ghana. I had calls from Galinkuka on the Monday it rain to let me know that the Lord has answered our prayer. When we were on our knees praying a group of women came closer to us to see what we were doing and the rain was an evidence of the prayer. According to the brethren in Galinkuka, this was a topic for discussion and the name of the Lord was praise and will continue to be praised as people remember this event.

I worshiped with Ngani congregation on the 14^th of August. They worship in a classroom for some years now and we are to assist them in the dry season to put up a worship place which will relieve them from the drumming by the denominational churches who are also worshipping in the next classroom to which the Ngani congregation is. One of the challenges the Church of Christ faces in the north is worship places which in some ways has retarded the growth of the church. We pray as we help in putting up worship places that problem will someday be over in the next years to come.

On the 27^th of July Bro. Dan McVey and his wife, Dada Christian Nsoah and his wife, Bro. Isaac Kpakpo Adotey and I visited Mion-Lana as one of Bro. Dan’s long time good traditional chief whom he for years has been talking to be a Christian. Mion-Lana is now over 80 years and looking tired and weak for his life journey. He even has not been to the church yet he is one of the secrete Christian who endorses Christ as a “prophet from God” who brings peace to those who will accept him. We also visited Papa Musah Dawud who is a veteran evangelist just to encourage him in his blindness. Bro. Adams Abdulai (Now Kuga chief) was also one of the people we visited. They advise him to be a light to himself, his family and the community and not let the chieftaincy take his spirit away from God. We had a long time sitting with him as the three men mention above each has some aspect of life to tell him. All we hope is that he will heed to the advices so that he will have an impact on the community as the first Christian to occupy that position in the history of this land (Dagbon).

Arrival of used clothing in Yendi on the 8^th of August 2011. The Lord responded to our request for used clothing. I have sometime been praying for the lord to grant us some used clothing and have spoken to some individuals yet the answer came from an angle I never expected. This donation came from Village of Hope through Bro. Fred Asare. It was a full truck load of good used clothing that we received. I pleaded with the team that brought it and they helped us distribute the clothing to village congregations without off-loading it in Yendi. We never off load it than just give it out from the truck. Sixteen (16) congregations were blessed to have these clothing. A few days after the donation some of the congregations called me on phone to thank the donors while others came personally to extend their gratitude to the donors for the concern of the needy amongst the local congregations. We are thankful for that and the gift has encouraged some of the members. Non-Christians in the communities are also talking about the love of the Christian people to their fellows and even beyond the church. I have attached photos of this gift.

On communal fasting and prayers we have been able to rotate it from Duuni , Bakpaba, Limpusi, Niliyundo, Mepeasam, Bagjoo, Kakpaani and Nakpah. I was in some of these villages but was not able to visit them all during the fastings and prayer. My absence never affected the program. At the moment we are waiting to have a little rest and will continue with the program again.

13/8/2011, David and I visited Kanimo to pray with them and ask their hands financially in building project

The Yendi church in August proposed hosting the youth in Yendi and Kuga congregations respectively which was not able to materialize due to the overwhelming number of participants. We intended keeping them for three days and move them to Kintampo Water Fall with a proposed number of forty (40) while over one hundred youth (100) showed up from Yendi, Kuga and the village congregations. As a result we were not able to host the program and rather push it to either December or January. With this idea in mind, participants will be ask to pay for the transportation for the excursion to Kintampo while the church will feed them for the number of days they are to be camp.

We visited Tamale to reactivate clinic account with Standard Charted Bank which was dormant for some time now and by the grace of God the reactivation is through. It took us three (3) trips to Tamale before everything was done.

I visited Kanimo to worship with them on the 18^th of September 2011. Worship was good under a big tree. We were lucky the rain threatened but did not come.

This quoted report is from Daniel Dawuni in Ngani who is one of the lay preachers in the villages.

“These two months I went round and visited some of the churches and many of them are complaining about their church buildings.

Some need cement for plastering, some have put up their church buildings. Ngani as an example, we like Ngani to be our Centre but if we have meeting like this and is school days we don’t know where to sit and it is a problem to us in the church.

And also they are still complaining about lack of visits to us as you know human beings like new faces to encourage them. And my prayer is God should open more chances so that we will get more preachers in the system to do His work in Jesus name, amen. Your brother in Christ. Daniel B. Dawuni”. July and August report.”

EVANGELISM: Anniversary team from Kumasi, Kuga chief, Kampakuyana, clinic, water well, school &individuals in Yendi. Four brothers from Kumasi who are doing documentation for the church of Christ jubilee celebration were in Yendi on the 10^th to 11^th of July to take pictures, video and to interact with the church leadership in Yendi, the clinic and Rural Water Development Program. They also interview some of the opinion leaders in Yendi town who gave their version of how the Church of Christ in Yendi has impacted Yendi and the communities in the north. One of such was the regent of Dagbon who is Abdulai Yakubu and the title is Kampakuyanaa. The team left with satisfaction as they heard a good report of the work of the Lord in Yendi and its environs.

Kpachili preaching on the 21^st July. One of my extended family died in a village called Kpachili on the southern part of Yendi with a distance of 8 miles. Even though she fellowship with Assemblies of God church throughout of her life, I was ask to preach during the night of the funeral wake keeping. The preaching was scheduled to come at 12am which I honored. Kpachili is one of the villages in Yendi district that has strong Christian background and equally Islam is as strong as Christianity. I was privileged to present the word of God to the mixed faiths with the change in my life in Christ and called them to come and taste Christ and see what He is and offers us as his followers. Response was good and we pray the message will work in the hearts of the people. Late in the afternoon I earlier on went to Gbungbaliga with Bros. Paul Dokurugu and Fusheini Musah to welcome Abukari Dramani who recently graduated from the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies into the ministry. We each advise him and directed him to Papa Musah Dawud as an elderly evangelist for him to add his words of wisdom to him.

I have been asked to always have one hour devotion in St. Kizito Junior High School in Yendi on every Tuesdays at 8am to 9am. This devotion reaches over 300 students who are a mixture of Muslims and Christians but majority of them are Muslims. These students are in their teen ages. It does make impact because some of the students have taken heed of the word of God. For instance, I once thought on Exodus 20:12 and after that some of the students who had problems with their parent went home and tried reconciling with them. I hope the Lord will use this medium to transform these kids and hopefully convert them to Christ.

On the 26^th July the Local Association of Churches organized a meeting as part of fostering unity amongst Christian in Yendi .We have always had meetings to come up with programs that will send a signal to the world about our unity by doing something in common. In connection with this, the churches in Yendi met on the 26^th of July to discuss programs that will be done in this last half of the year. Some of them were to participate in the biannual program of the prison ministry in Abokobi in the Greater Accra Region. I was part of the delegates but could not attend due to some other programs in Yendi. One of the remaining things is that the Church of Christ in Yendi still has the license to preach in the Yendi prisons.

I was in Tamale on the 18^th of August to purchase ticket for Dr. Glover and Sister Missy. We were blessed to have Dr. Mike Clover from the International Health Care Foundation of the African Christian Hospitals who is a gynecologist to come to Yendi to work. I went to Tamale on the 18^th to buy their air tickets and went back to pick them on the 21^st of August. They left Yendi on the 27^th of the month. Not less than hundred women came for diagnoses and treatment and up to the day of their departure patience were still there for them to sees. This is an indication that the need of women having problems relating to child birth is high, who might not have good finance to travel outside of Yendi for treatment. We thank God for the sacrifice they made as they would have spent it in the USA where the stress would not have been there as working in the Yendi clinic. All this services are spoken off in Yendi town about the good work the Church is doing.

The Yendi church worship place is some of the time used by students preparing for external examination. On the 18^th of September while we went to have our evening service we met five Muslim students who were there to study. I introduce Christ to them as a savior which open the door for them asked clouded questions they might have carried for years. It almost took all the time of the evening Bible study but members of the church who were present were happy and thankful because it is not easy having such an opportunity to address questions that matters to Muslims. At the end of the talk all the five Dagomba students requested Bible which I ask them to come the following day for. I delivered the Bibles to them through Bro. Frank who lives at the church site. Who knows? God may touch them in a specially way to be Christians one day. Some of the questions ask were “how can God be three”. Referring to the trinity. “How can Jesus be the son of God when God has never married?” “How can we have a photo of God?” That is the photograph of Jesus Christ. Detailed answers were giving to which they were satisfied with as they said.

I have been part of the team that visited some of the drilled Church of Christ bore-holes to take GPS coordinate for water wells and congregations. I visited over twenty (20) bore-holds with Bros. James and Daniel on the 24^th and 25^th of September to enumerate them, take the GPS coordinates and these two brethren from the USA will plot them to be added to the Google map. The work is till on progress and we will not be able to visit all the communities where bore-holes or congregations are found due to rivers that are full of water. Yet we hope a huge of the work should be done for others outside Yendi to see them on the internet if possible.

Distribution of World Bible School (WBS) materials. Hundreds of World Bible School materials came from their teachers and we distributed them to the respective schools and will be back to the schools in the middle of October onwards to pick the answered lessons from the various schools for posting. The usual Friday lessons thought at the church nursery school is till on going.

CAMPUS MINISRTY: Worship with Yendi Senior High School. I worshiped with the Yendi Senior High on the 3/7/2011. This campus ministry is developing gradually in attendance and in spirit. I was also tasked by the students to set questions from the book of 1Kings for quiz at the school which they needed not less than 50 questions of different kinds. I did it for them and the quiz came off on the 17^th of July 2011. I only participated in the set up and left them for Yashagu village to worship.

On the 9/720/11 a Cleanup exercise was orginise by the Yendi Senior High School students. The students from the Yendi Senior High were at the Yendi Church of Christ for cleanup exercise. They came in their numbers and were supervised by Bro. Stephen Morogo who serves as their patron. On this day a number of Bibles were donated to some of the students who had no Bibles. It was a privilege to do this and the response was good. As part of steps to strengthen the Yendi Senior High School campus ministry a get-to-gather was organize for the students at 7A’s (a local restaurant) for the students to refresh themselves of the many weeks of academic work, also to encourage them to stick to Christ whatsoever the condition will be, especially in the schools where all kinds of evil are now going on. These include gay life, cultic and consumption of drugs of varied kinds. Bro. Stephen Morogo who is one of the regular teachers at the school was given the opportunity with me to share our experience in our Christian journeys while in school. The students were happy as many would not have had the privilege to dine there. We thank God for all this grace. A picture of the get-to-gather is attached.

CHALLENGES: Yendi church is still appealing to our partners to assist us deck the ongoing building project to house the worshippers in Yendi town where the distance is shorter as to the Church of Christ Mission Site. The Lord is responding to our prayers as Yendi church is enjoying so much peace and even attendance has drastically improved. We continuously need your prayers to improve on all these areas. But as a matter of fact the village congregations are doing very fine except that they lack worship places which we are praying for the Lord to help us in.

Yours in Christ,

Alhassan Abdulai Andrews,

(Preacher, Yendi Church of Christ)