Niipaak Laar, Aug-Oct 2010, Report from Saboba, Ghana

CHURCH OF CHRIST, P. O. BOX, SB 28,

SABOBA – GHANA, NORTHERN REGION.

29^TH OCTOBER, 2010.

THE ELDERS,

PRESTONCREST CHURCH OF CHRIST,

DALLAS, U. S. A.

FIRST QUARTER REPORTS [ AUGUST TO OCTOBER, 2010 ]FROM BROTHER NIIPAAK LAAR, GHANA.

INTRODUCTION; As from 1992, I started following my late brother Samson Laar on his motor to villages for evangelism and church planting. By then I was giving him a company and leading songs when we are in the village. I got attracted to village work and the Lord increased my interest in leadership to my own surprise. As from 1998, I started going out to villages all by myself on a bicycle establishing churches through friends and public preaching and by the year 2000, I had 20 congregations under my care [ I was in Yendi by then ]. As the churches were growing, I started leadership training classes with them every Wednesdays, where the leaders assemble at one place for the class. At this point in time, I was working with the church of Christ mission clinic in Yendi. I took this leadership training plan because, I had planned to resign from the clinic and go to Bible College to become a full time preacher. Through this leadership training, I was able to raised seven [ 7 ] brothers who were capable of helping me with the work in the local congregations. Because of these brothers who were helping me, I was able to leave for the Bible College in the year 2000 and completed 2003 and continued my ministry as a full time preacher.

Fortunately or unfortunately, just after my graduation, I was been pressurized by Saboba and its surrounding churches to move further to work with them as the churches of Christ in that District was at the verge of collapsing. However, whiles I was in Yendi I started some congregations in Saboba District and working with them from Yendi. I succeeded in moving finally with my family from Yendi to Saboba on 5^th April, 2005. Upon arrival, Saboba church of which we started with plenty membership was left with 17 members with children all and the surrounding congregations were nothing to write home about. Because most of our congregations were collapsed and lack of working personnel in the vineyard, I suspended opening of new congregations in order to be able to revive the collapsed ones. By God’s grace, now we have 11 congregations in the villages with one across Togo and Saboba Township making 12 congregations which I am directly working with. However, there are other sections of Saboba District where we have churches there, but they are being handled by some other preachers.

Besides the above mentioned work, I am also working in a different District called Bunkpurugu Yunyoo District. There are two routs leading to the place from Saboba where one is 80 miles away from Saboba and the other one is 200 miles [ That is through Tamale ] but the short one is not motor-able in the rainy season. I started that ministry in the year 2000, and now we have 9 congregations over there with 3 already trained Project Timothy leaders helping me. However, some leaders are also going through my leadership training workshops I organize twice every year. Personnel are not a problem, but financial motivation to enable them take care of their families and work is the problem.

MY PERSONAL INFORMATION; I am a young man of 40 years old married with three sons, { David, Jonah, and Paul } and my wife is called, Victoria [ very helpful in ministry ]. Rather we have more dependants who are orphans we are taking care of. We have 4 them staying with us and my 2 late brothers who died last year also left me with 16 orphans to take care of. So you can imagine the great help your support is giving to me, may the Lord be glorified.

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES; Besides Sunday services which I preach and teach not less than three sections before the day is over, we have Wednesdays evenings for Bible class, Friday evenings for prayers, and Saturdays for visitations. I had the opportunity to be preaching every Saturday dawn at a community Radio station in Saboba. We equally have special programs like village night preaching, youth classes, married and unmarried classes, community cleaning exercises, hospital visitations, and personal works but they are all on special program run.

ANNUAL SPECIAL PROGRAMS; 1. Leadership Training workshops [ twice a year ] 2. Annual Regional Bible Camp, 3. Community cleaning exercises, 4. Evangelical campaign in the villages.

BAPTISMS FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER, 2010. Because this particular season is our serious rainy season with flooding everywhere, we usually have lower coverage and for that matter baptisms are also lower. However, bellow are some few;

Baptisms made at [Tanyen church, Bunkpurugu area ] on 15^th August, 2010.

1. Brother Kwasi Duut

2. // Datamint Konfook

3. // Bapaak Jatuat

4. // Moitong Dindiok

5. Sister Lariba Wapang

6. // Lydia Joutukah

7. // Suapak Yamdam

8. Brother Suuk Kunkon [ the Pentecost Elder ]

Baptisms, 19^th September, 2010 [ Saboba church ].

1. Bilarmi Nakojah

2. N- mohanden Jagri

3. Bilisun Mary

4. Tayedin Makabi

Baptisms, 14^th October, 2010 [ Pagnatiik church, Bunkpurugu area ].

1. Yandia Yendal

2. Jakpel Binang

3. Laribiik Nampukin

4. Kwasi Laar

5. Gbalibannu Laar

Baptisms, 26^th October, 2010 [ Nanyiar church, Bunkpurugu area ].

1. Sadingnah Manubial

2. Bantuaka Jakpel

Baptisms, 29^th October, 2010 [ Sachido Church, Saboba area ].

1. Kofi Yelibe

2. Matanni Buagnor

3. Nagnatali Wumbei

4. N- gbalibe Kojo

5. Jaabilah N-silibe

6. Bajorbiyan Jabaab

7. Wakugnan Kwabena

My Project Timothy leaders are all inclusive in these efforts because, we are working as a team.

EXPENDITURE DETAILS ON CHURCH BUILDING FUNDS; The total funds sent recently for the church building project was $ 3000. The exchange rate was 1.428 per dolla, which means, $ 3000 x 1.428 = GH¢ 4284 received as funds for church building project. Below are the expenditure details of the funds;

1. Cement [ 50 ] at 15 cedis per bag = GH 750

2. River sand [ 6 ] trips at 50 cedis per trip = GH 300

3. Pit sand [ 2 ] trips at 50 cedis per trip = GH 100

4. Plastic chairs [ 35 pieces ] at 8 cedis per chair = GH 280

5. Doors [ 2 ] at 50 cedis per one = GH 100

6. Paint [ different types 9 containers ] = GH 286

7. Louver frames =GH 517

8. Louver blades = GH 638

9. Wire net for windows [ 2 rolls ] = GH 120

10. Bugler proof for windows [ 24 pieces ] = GH 228

11. 1.5 mm cables [ 3 coils ] = GH 120

12. Transportation of materials = GH 270

13. Workmanship for mason and painter = GH 450

Therefore total income for building is; = GH 4284

Total expenditure made on the funds is ; = GH 4159

Balance in our hands = GH 125 Ghana cedis.

Your timely intervention into our church building project amazed all of us how God can push us at that fast pace to finish the project. we started the building on the 11^th March, 2006 and because of our financial constrains, we moved such a low pace until the Lord made it possible for us to partner with you recently. Your quick response to my request for the completion of the building really made every member of the church so happy. It has projected the image of the church in our community here a lot, and will surely enhance my evangelism so much.

EXPENDITURE DETAILS ON THE BICYCLES FUNDS.

The $ 735 meant for seven Bicycles had the following exchanging rate;

$ 735 x 1. 428 = GHS 1049.58 and a bicycle is GHS 150. Therefore, 1049.58 divided by 150 = 6.9972. However, I was able to buy all the 7 bicycles. My leaders are now using it for villages and very happy.

NEEDS ACCORDING TO THEIR PRIORITY ORDER.

1. More Support of $ 50 per month for my trained leaders are needed. And one time amount of $ 250 to help repair brother John Nteche Taakal’s motor-bike.

2. Replacement of Niipaak’s AG 100 motorbike which is now seven years old and breaking down every time. [ 6562 GHS ]

3. Additional [ 500 GHS ] for electrical infrastructure for the Saboba church building.

4. A portable Projector [ 800 ]and Honda portable generator [ 700GHS ] for village presentations.

5. Modem for email connections [ 150 GHS ]

6. Tractor to be used to farm for support of the church and its programs [ 18,000 GHS ].

7. Support to help finish Sanguli church building which is now at the foundation level and some other ones in the villages.

8. Funds to build Bunkpurugu Township Chapel for worship and to serve as a training centre for the leaders over there.

9. Yearly medical outreach in the villages to open more doors for evangelism.

10. 4 bedroom accommodation to be built by Saboba church to house visiting missionaries.

11. A temporal fence round our 20 acre square land in Saboba to prevent encroachment.

12. Provision of health care and portable drinking water [drilling of bore-holes ] for our people in the villages.

13. Physical infrastructure like school [Primary level to senior High ]in Saboba and Clinic or Orphanage in Bunkpurugu for the health care of the people and also to give care to the Orphans.

14. Educational fund for brilliants but needy students in the church.

OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE ALREADY.

1. Human resources are available

2. Labor cost is very low here and every member is ready to contribute his or her skills and expertise free in any project you shall help us with.

3. We already have 20 acres square land for physical infrastructure in Saboba right now.

4. I also acquired another 15 acres square land for physical infrastructure in Bunkpurugu already.

5. The two Districts are all noted for peace in the whole Northern Region of Ghana.

These social or community developmental projects are great open doors for the Gospel. It makes the church popular and the care of our Lord Jesus is always realized through these things by the unbelievers.

CONCLUSION; The Church of Christ is fast gaining its popularity in these areas with its sound doctrine and its true reflection of the Biblical church. However, because we are lacking physical infrastructure and social services, other churches uses those things to attract people and even some of our members. I therefore want to urge you brethren, by the mercy of God to give much attention to these requests. Though I know it is a lot of financial burden, it will also open more doors for the Lord’s church to gain much roots in this part of the world. Some of our trained leaders joined other churches because of lack of support for them to take care of their families whiles working for the Lord, though it is very unfortunate, that is the realities on the ground.

Attached are pictures of my work this morning after I have preached at a village called SACHIDO, the Lord added 7 people to His church and they gave themselves to Him through Baptism. In the pictures doing the baptisms is brother John Takal N-teche who I went with him. We already have the church there, it is not a new congregation, I will want you to be praying for these souls, thank you.

FROM; EVANGELIST NIIPAAK LAAR, SABOBA / BUNKPURUGU.