Paul Dokurugu, Jan-Mar 2011, Quarterly Report

NSAWAM ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST EVANGELISTS QUARTERLY REPORT TO

MISSIONS MINISTRY: ACCRA-GHANA..

PERIOD: JANUARY - MARCH, 2011.

1. NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS:

I wish to extend my New Year's greetings to you all. The New Year started on a sound note. Because of the New Year's eve activities, there was no worship on New Year's Day. However, my family welcomed the New Year by preparing a meal of rice with some soft drinks to go with. We shared the meals with our neighbours- both Christians and non-Christians.

In the afternoon I visited Brother Abdulai Adams(Kuga-Naa). We had a long brotherly conversation. I left for Brother Musah Dawud's house where I had an hour's conversation with him on the progress of the work in the Yendi municipality. We stressed on visits to Brother Adam's area and his. I got to my house at about 6.15 p.m.

CONGREGATIONAL VISITS.

I visited the Kanimo congregation with my youngest son, Benjamin, on Sunday, 2nd January, 2011, at about 9.20 a.m. G.M.T. I conducted the Sunday School and preached the sermon. It took us about two and a half hours to conduct the worship. I had a forty-five minutes meeting with the church leadership. I streesed on the need for children's classes to be held outside the church building while worship was in progress.

Adult classes will soon be in progress. I also suggested the formation of a youth group in the church.

I suggested that the church meet on Sunday evenings from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. . On Wednesday evenings and Friday evenings I suggested the same time- 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

On their economic improvement, I advised that they should form farming groups or co-operatives in order to be able to raise capital for farming, since it is their livelihood.They were very happy with these suggestions.

I encouraged them to hold joint worship with Diisikura congregation every last Sunday of the month and that they shoul alternate. I further suggested to them that they should fast, at least, once in a month to strengthen their faith. I finally left Kanimo at about 2.00 p.m. G.M.T.

On 9th January, 2011, I preached the sermon in Yendi Church. Brother Andrews went to one of the outstations.

We went through the normal worship procedure. Brother Peter Bombande conducted the Sunday School and I preached the sermon. I also did the Sunday school interpretation in Dagbani. We finally ended the worship at about 1.15 p.m. G.M.T.

I went back to Yendi Church at 4.00 p.m. G.M.T. to take part in the evening Bible classes session.We closed at 6.05 p.m. G.M.T.

I went to Jagrido with my wife to worship on Sunday, 16th January, 2011. We reached Jagrido at about 9.00 a.m. G.M.T. The leader of the congregation, Brother Daniel Nilibrin and, a church member, paid me a visit in my home earlier on. My wife and I therefore took this opportunity to reciprocate their kind gesture.I gave the church four copies of the Konkomba Bible. For the second time, I held discussions with the church leadership. On that day, the late Brother John Kambonja conducted the Sunday school and I preached the sermon. A member of the church who left for a long time returned to give his testimony about the church. Everybody was excited that this brother had finally acknowledged that the Church of Christ is the "True Christian Church".

My wife and I left Jagrido at about 1.30 p.m. G.M.T. and By 3.00 p.m.

we got to Yendi.

I preached the sermon to my school's Scripture Union(S.U.), before going to Kuga. We had a short Bible quiz after we ended our worship at 8.30 a.m. G.M.T.

I preached the sermon in Kuga church on 23rd January, 2011. My family and I all went there because, it had been a long time since we did so.

After we closed at 12.30 p.m. G.M.T., my family and I went to greet Brother Adams(Kuga-Naa). We spent only thirty minutes with him before leaving for home.

On 30th January, 2011, I went to Diisikura for Worship. I conducted the Sunday school and preached th sermon as well. All the women had gone in search of water and had not yet returned and we had to wait for them. After the worship we discussed the bad water situation. I suggested that the leader of the congregation see Brother Nathaniel Adams Jnr. to present their problem before him, since he is in charge of the Church of Christ Rural Water Development Programme in Northern Ghana. I also promised to relay the message to Brother Nathaniel Adams Jnr. as soon as I returned to Yendi.

On Friday, 4th Febraury, 2011, I met Brother Nathaniel Adams Jnr.

presented their problem to him. He suggested that the community should write an application to his office before he could take any necessary action on their request. He also said he was aware that their borehole did not have enough water in the beginning.

I relayed the message by phone to the leader and he followed up with the application. After the discussions in the church I went with the leader and other members of the church to pay my condolences to the bereaved family of a youth of the church who passed away the previous week.

At our discussions in the Church, I advised them to hold joint worship with the Kanimo congregation on the last Sunday of every month since the two congregations are very close. I left Diisikura well after 2.00 p.m. G.M.T. and got home at about 3.05 p.m.

On Sunday, 6th February, 2011, we had four visitors from the USA. I was in Yendi church that morning to welcome them, so I did not go out.

Brother Peter Bombande conducted the Sunday school and Brother Andrews preached the sermon. I did the interpretation. In the evening, at about 4.15 p.m., Brothers Andrews, Fuseini, Alhassan, David and I, went to formally welcome our visitors in the persons of Brothers Kent Chambers, Gordon Gaenzle, Thomas Graham and Michael Everest.

We exchanged pleasantries and discussed the week's programme of activities, especially our visit to schools in the Yendi municipality.

Materials to carry along were put in place. Our visits and preparations for our visitors will be discussed later under the heading, "Other Activities". We left for our homes at about 7.00 p.m.

G.M.T.

I worshipped at Yendi church on Sunday, 13th February, 2011. I went early with my family to introduce them to our visitors. They were all very happy to meet my family. It was the last day that our visitors spent with us.

Brother Michael Everest delivered the sermon, and Brother Thomas Graham also conducted the Lord's Supper. The sermon was a touching and inspiring one.

After the worship our visitors left with Brother Andrews. From there they were to leave for Accra and onwards to America.

In the evening, at about 4.15 p.m., I returned to Yendi church to conduct the evening's Bible classes.The Project Timothy students had started reporting for the commencement of their three weeks classes.The Bible classes ended at about 6.25 p.m. G.M.T.

On Sunday, 20th February, 2011, I went to worship with the Bachibodo congregation. I went with Sister Victoria, a nurse of the Church of Christ clinic in Yendi. Before the worship started, the two of us, in the company of the church leader, went to greet a church member who lost his son in December, 2010.The boy's final funeral rites was performed on December 31, 2010. The man was very happy for our visit.That day, all his family and close relations attended the morning's worship. After the worship the family head thanked us for the visit.

The day's worship started at 10.00 a.m. I delivered the sermon/Sunday school. After the worship, Sister Victoria met the women to give them words of encouragement. I also met the church leaders to discuss their church building with them. Money had been released for the church project. I asked them to continue with their monthly fast( last Friday of the month ), and the formation of farmers' groups. I also stressed on the need for adult and children's catechism in the church during and after worship.

After everything had ended at the church premises, Sister Victoria and I went back to say good-bye to our host. We spent about an hour sharing the gospel with the family. We got to Yendi at about 3.00 p.m.

G.M.T.

I went to Yendi church for the evening's Bible classes. We closed at approximately 6.20 p.m. G.M.T.

I was taken ill on 27th February, 2011, and for that matter I did not go anywhere. For the whole week I went nowhere.

On 6th March, 2011, I worshipped in Yendi church where a day of fasting and prayers was organised to thank God for the safe arrival and deprture of our four visitors from the U.S.A. in February. This was after we had information from them that they had safely arrived home. There was no Sunday school, but there was a sermon followed by the Lord's Supper. We sang beautifully that day to the admiration of the whole congregation. The worship finally ended at about 12.30 p.m.

I went to Boaduyili with Brother David Wumbei. Brother David comes from Boaduyili. I went with him to see how the congregation is doing.

Brother David also gave a report on how the congregation put up a place of worship, but fell short of roofing, plastering and cementing the floor. We, the preachers, promised to help with roofing sheets.

Hence, I went to see the place and the urgency it needed.

I preached the sermon in Dagbani, after which Brother David interpreted the sermon in Konkomba. After the worship was over, the whole congregation went with us to see the building. It really needed urgent attention as the early rains had set in. We proceeded to Brother David's family house to greet his mother and uncles. We departed from Boaduyili at about 1.30 p.m. At about 3.00 p.m. we were in Yendi.

The followig Sunday, 20th March, 2011, I went with Brother David, this time, to Diisikura. I left him there and went back to Kanimo. I provided bread for the Lord's Supper for both communities, because they requested for it. Brother Joshua Sanjah conducted the Sunday school and I preached the sermon. We closed from worship at about 12.

20 p.m.

I went back to Diisikura to pick Brother David. He was meeting with the church leaders when I went. I was invited to participate in their delebrations. We ended in 20 minutes time. We left Diisikura at about

1.15 p.m. G.M.T. and got to Yendi at about 2.55 p.m.

On Sunday, 27th March, 2011, my family and I attended Kuga church for worship. Present there were Bother Musah Dawud and Musah Fuseini. I conducted the Sunday school/ sermon. It was very interesting and inspiring as I could see from their contributions in the Sunday school and their facial expreesions in the sermon. I did not end my sermon topic as time was far spent on the Sunday school. We closed at 1.00 p.m. I went with my family to greet Brother Adams( Kuga-Naa ), but he had visitors.

OTHER CHURCH ISSUES.

VISITORS:

Since the day we were made aware that our visitors from the U.S.A.

were coming, we prayed and fasted relentlessly. We fasted and prayed when there were uncertainties about some of them (our visitors) coming.

Brother Andrews and I went to the Municipal Director of Education to seek clearance for teaching Religious and Moral Education in the Junior and Senior High Schools in the Municipality, should our visitors come. He granted the permission and issued letters to the schools we chose to visit. The two of us also distributed the letters on the days scheduled among some of the schools. I made a follow-up to Dagbon State Senior Technical School and Yendi Senior High School on Friday, February 4, 2011. The visitors arrived in Yendi on Sunday, 6th February, 2011, in the morning. In the evening, all the preachers in Yendi met them to welcome them. We also prepared the meterials for the next day's work.

The next day, 7th February, 2011, we met early in the morning to pair ourselves with the visitors. I was to move with Brother Thomas Graham to Kulkpini-duli and, on to Nalogni( Machelayili ). After our meeting in the mission house, we went to the Municipal Director's office to greet him before departing for our various communities of visit. The Municipal Director received us nicely and took us to see the Municipal Chief Executive( The political head of the municipality ). Our visitors donated some textbooks to the Junior High Schools.

After all was over at about 9.20 a.m., we departed for our communities of visit. Brother Thomas Graham and I left, first of all, stopping at Kulkpini-duli to inform them of our mission and that we would be back there on our way from Nalogni. We got to Nalogni at about 10.45 a.m.

Brother Thomas taught while I occasionally came in to explain what the students did not understand due to his foreign accent. He delivered a very nice lesson. The students asked very intelligent questions. We collected some World Bible School(W.B.S.) materials from the children.

They had been given to them earlier before our visit.

We returned to Kulkpini-duli at about 12.45 p.m. Brother Thomas Graham taught his lesson again. I helped in explaining some parts that the students did not understand. At 2.00 p.m., the lesson was over and we left for Yendi. We got toYendi at about 2.45 p.m.

In the evening I returned to the mission house where all the preachers met our visitors to pray and assess the day's work. Everybody was pleased with what we did. We dispersed at about 7.00p.m.

The following day, 8th February, 2011, we all met in the mission house again for the day's mission. I was paired with Brother Michael Everest to go to Jimli and Zakpalsi, respectively. This was about the longest journey so far. Jimli is about sixty kilometres from Yendi. We departed for the journey with all our materials, stopping first at Jimli, since that was a straight route from Yendi to Tamale. The children were on break when we got there at about 11.05 a.m., so we had to wait for them to come back. They came back from break and Brother Michael conducted a very successful lesson. They asked many challenging questions since Jimli is a predominantly muslim community.

However, we were able to handle their questions to our best. After 1 hour, we finished our lesson and collected the W.B.S. study lessons from the children. At about 1.20 p.m. we got to Zakpalsi, about ten kilometres from the Yendi-Tamale main road and Brother Michael delivered his lesson again. The teachers were in the class to help control and also participate in the lesson. The lesson was expertly executed and we collected the W.B.S. lessons from the children. At about 2.30 p.m. we left Zakpalsi but we had a puncture mid-way between Zakpalsi and the next village, Kpiljini, to the main road. We had to push the motor-bike five kilometres to the village, but there was no vulcaniser to mend the tyre for us. I called Brother Andrews on the phone and he came with the Church of Christ clinic pick-up to take us to Yendi. We got home at about 4.00p.m.

We all paid a visit to Brother Adams (Kuga-Naa) in the evening. We spent about one hour and thirty minutes wtth him.

On 9th February, 2011, I was paired with Brother Gordon Gaenzle to go to Adibo and Nakpachei Junior High Schools. We got to a dibo at about 9.20 a.m. Adibo is a distance of approximately eleven kilometres south of Yendi.They were already aware of us, so they were ready for us.

Brother Gordon delivered his lesson very well and the children asked many probing questions. In about an hour's time he had finshed with the lesson. We left Adibo at about 11.00 a.m. because we were still collecting the W.B.S. lessons.

As soon as we finished, we left for Nakpachei, a distance of about five kilometres from Adibo to deliver the second lesson for the day.

The road was bad, but we managed to get there safely. Just like Jimli, when we got to the school, the children were on break, so we had to wait for them to return.

Brother Gordon begun his lesson at about 11.40 a.m. It was very interesting and lively as the children contributed in the course of the lesson. We ended the lesson at 12. 45 p.m. We collected the W.B.S.

lessons and left Nakpachei at about 1.00 p.m. Because of the bad nature of the road, we were involved in a minor accident about half a kilometre from Nakpachei.

In the evening we all met to pray and thank God for another successful day.

Brother Thomas Graham and I went to Nuri Anwar J.H.S. and Saint Charles J.H.S. with Brother David Wumbei the following day, 10th February, 2011. Before leaving for our destination, we went to Yendi prison to donate some dustbins as they had earlier made an appeal for sanitation materials. The prison officers and in-mates of the prison were very happy and thanked us. They, however, asked for more. We got to Nuri Anwar first, since it is on the outskirts of Yendi town. With the help of the assistant headmaster, sanity was brought to prevail throughout the lesson. The students asked funny questions which were new to Brother Thomas and I because of their Islamic background. Their headmaster had to come in to stop noise when Brother Thomas said he did not know the answer to a question that was asked. We ended the lesson and collected the W.B.S. lessons in the school.

We then left for Saint Charles J.H.S. where we had our second lesson.

Students here were more co-operative as they already had good background knowledge of Christianity. The message was brief and precise. We collected our W.B.S. lessons and left. We spent not less than five hours teching in the two schools. At about 4.30 that evening, our four visitors led by Brother Andrews, paid me a surprised visit.

The following day, February 11, I made a follow-up to Kulkpini-duli J.H.S. for the W.B.S. lessons. Some of our visitors went to Ssboba. In the evening I went back to the mission house to meet them and hand over my lessons. I did not stay for long there. There was supposed to be a film show at Bachibodo in the evening, but our electric generator developed a fault.

On Saturday, 12th February, 2011, we met in the morning to assess our work for the whole period and to see if there could be some improvements the next time we have such an opportunity. It was a lively meeting. It took us far into the day when we broke off, only to re-convene in the evening again. We discussed a lot of issues which could strengthen the work in the north.

On Sunday, 13th February, 2011, our visitors left for Tamale, and onwards to Accra.

PROJECT TIMOTHY CLASSES.

The usual Project Timothy classes which was scheduled for the 7th to 25th February, 2011, was shifted a week ahead, because of our visitors. The classes therefore started on Monday,14th February, 2011, and ended on 4th March, 2011. All preachers were involved in the lessons delivery. I continued with the Book of Acts. I was not able to complete the book before the end of the session. The classes took three weeks.

FUNERALS.

On 7th March, 2011, we lost our old man, Jaakum, who worked as a watchman for the Church of Christ clinic. We buried him at Gbungbaliga. The final funeral rites will be performed later this month, April.

We also lost a member at Diisikura in February. He was baptized late last year by Brother David Wumbei when he went there. The final funeral rites is yet to be performed. The church is expected to play its part in the funeral.

We lost a sister in the Bible Church of Africa at about the same time that Dada Jaakum died. She was very close to my family. On 18th March, 2011, her final funeral rites was perfomed. In the funeral programme, they wanted a member each from all the churches present to play their roles, so I represented the Church of Christ at the occasion. This helped to make people aware that we are not as isolated as people see us to be. We cannot work in isolation of the other denominations in the north if we are to expand. On Thursday, 3rd April, 2011, we attended Sister Gifty's mother's final funeral rites at Sandema in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Though I did not go myself, my wife went with the delegation. This is to create awareness in people that we care for one another.

FASTING AND PRAYERS.

We still fast and pray every first and second Wednesday of the month.

We also fast and pray every last Friday of the month as scheduled. The rural congregations have also been encouraged to do same. On 23rd February, 2011, 3rd and 16th March,2011, we had special fasting and prayers in Yendi Church.

PREACHERS MEETINGS.

This is still going on. Wednesdays are the scheduled days, but we sometimes meet on Saturdays, Sundays or Fridays. When we have emergencies we meet on any other day.

EVANGELISM IN SCHOOL.

I do evangelism in school through the distribution of scriptural materials. Through my moral talks at morning assemblies students, including teachers, get to know more about the word of God as I make references to the Bible.

On March 16, 2011, 1,255 pocket size copies of the New Testament and the Psalms & Proverbs were given to me to be distributed among students and teachers. Even though a predominantly moslem school, both teachers and students rushed for them.

I gave out 200 copies of the same Bible and, 50 copies of the Holy Bible(NKJV), to the Scripture Union(S.U.). The 50 copies of the Holy Bible were given by Brother Tom Carr when he came last year. This year too, he came and donated some Dagbani and Konkomba translations of the Bible.

ASSESSMENT OF WORK & SUGGESTIONS.

On the whole, the work in the Yendi Municipality and its environs is going on well as we have time to visit the congregations as often as we can. I have not mentioned any church projects this time round, because we have done the best we can to assist the needy communities.

Some have been given roofing sheets while others have also been given cement.

I, however, suggest that follow-up visits by our partners would go a long way to evangelise the literate population of the area - both adults and, the youth in particular, since they are very interested in reading scriptural materials given to them.

CONCLUSION.

I would be very grateful if particular attention is paid to the north and, Yendi in particular, as we grapple with how we can get peace in the area.

May the Good Lord Bless you and bring peace into your homes. AMEN!

Yours-in-Christ,

Paul, Yendi.

NB: I have tried to attach pictures of our school visits for the past three days, but failed. Brother Andrews tried to help me do it, but the network was not good. I will try to send the pictures when all goes well. I have a second draft on my PC.

Thanks.