Impressions of the past weeks

During the past few weeks we have enjoyed a holiday and retreat in Germany. We were invited by the German partner organisation with whom Abukari works. We had a wonderful holiday and were inspired through studying God’s Word together and hearing about the work the organisation is doing throughout the world to reach people with the Gospel. We met prayer partners and had a short reunion with our family members. On the 8th of September the boys and I (Joke) returned to Ghana. Abukari stayed in Germany visiting partners for another two weeks to share about the work we do in Ghana. Abukari then returned to Ghana on the 22nd. Altogether we can look back on a wonderful time that has refreshed us as we continue the work God has called us to do.

Here are some photo highlights of our time in Germany:

The Hindensee lighthouse

The Baltic Sea is much colder than Atlantic Ocean but just as much fun!!

Making new friends

Reconnecting

During the past few weeks you have heard little from us. This was due to the holiday season and a number of journeys we undertook:

In June, Abukari travelled to Dallas for 3 weeks where he took part in the Global Proclamation Academy.

Abukari in Dallas at the Global Proclamation Academy

With founder Professor Dr Ramesh Richard

With some of the other participants in the 'Dallas Outfit'

On the 13th of July we to the Netherlands for 3 weeks where we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of our parents.

Samuel and Micah with their great grandmother who is 98 years old

Samuel and Micah presenting their paintings to opa and oma

Since returning to Ghana, Abukari has taken part in a BCA pastors conference and we have also been busy with preparations towards our move from Yendi to Tamale. We hope to transport our furniture and boxes by the middle of this week.

Packing up the house in Yendi!

However, we still found time to celebrate the boys birthdays last week.

Celebrating Samuel (7) and Micah's (5) birthdays

A busy period behind us and still a job before us but we hope to write more regularly once again!

Please pray for a smooth transition from Yendi to Tamale.

Back in Ghana

Where as many of you are busy making plans for your holiday or have been on holiday already, we are now unpacking our suitcases here. Although....

On Saturday 9th July we returned to Ghana. It is always quite an undertaking. We try to pack our suitcases to the maximum allowed because we want to carry many things which are difficult to get or not available in Ghana, eg: cheese, coffee and particular shoes, clothes, bed sheets, books, DVDs, etc.  We spent a couple of days in the capital Accra.  Abukari was especially busy organising some papers, as we hope to travel to Togo at the beginning of September and for that we need visas and special car papers.  Accra is a big, busy city – which means hours spent in traffic, as well as time spent waiting for the right people, papers and stamps.  We all also took the opportunity to have a family visit the dentist!! 

On Wednesday we travelled north.  We were intending to travel straight to Yendi but during the last part of the journey we had some problems with our vehicle’s radiator and finally after a journey of 13 hours we decided to stop overnight in Tamale.  On Thursday we completed the last leg of our journey - another 100 kilometres - to Yendi.  Finally, we had reached home!  Then the unpacking and organising of our house began. Apart from a few cockroaches, mice and lizards that had found a home in some kitchen drawers, everything else seemed to be all right - even though the house needed a good cleaning after several months away.

However, there was not really that much time to settle in, as last Monday, we packed our suitcases again and returned to Tamale for a three week stay.  We came to make the final preparations for the visit of a youth group from the Netherlands who will arrive today and will be helping/working at “Home of Hope”, one of our church projects. 

It’s wonderful to be back in Ghana again and great to meet up with family/friends and to be 'home'.  We are enjoying the warm weather and all the good things Ghana has to offer. 

 'Saying goodbye to Opa and Oma'

'Just before leaving the Netherlands we visited the UK where we attended the graduation ceremony at the 'London School of Theology' where Abukari received his Masters in Biblical Interpretation.'

Ghana Day

In Ghana we sometimes make the joke, 'In the west they have a clock, but we do have the time.' Well that 'time' does not seem to be on our side at the moment.  At the beginning of our four-month furlough we thought we would have so much time, but now our return to Ghana is fast approaching.  This has not, however, stopped us from fully enjoying our time here. A recent highlight was the 'Ghana Day' that we held. With help from many people, we brought a little bit of Ghana to the Netherlands with presentations about our work, a literacy class, Ghana made goods, African music, dressing up in traditional Ghanaian clothes, children making African masks and Ghanaian flags, tasting of traditional Ghanaian food, etc. The day was very special to us and we want to thank everybody who joined with us and took part. For those who missed it - well, you will just have to travel all the way to Ghana to experience it instead!!

Making Christ Known

One of the many joys of being on furlough has been the opportunity for us to spend time worshipping with our church family here in the Netherlands and also share news of our work and ministry in Ghana. Recently, as part of the Easter preparations we’ve had the privilege of preaching at our local church, Beth-El, in Hoogeveen.

This was a joint “ministry” for us both as Abukari preached in English and Joke translated that “on the spot” into Dutch for the congregation! The full English text of the sermon can be read here, but we thought we would share with you a summary of it below:

We spoke about “Making Christ Known” (Luke 9:18-27, 9:7-9) and the fact that each of us needs to be sure that we really know who Jesus is and what he represents and then allowing that knowledge and experience of him to make a difference in our lives so that those around us can see that we are not just “one of the crowd”, but that we demonstrate the uniqueness of Christ and what he stands for in all that we do and say. As Jesus challenged the disciples when he asked “but what about you, who do you say I am?”, so he challenges us to examine our ourselves and our reasons and motives in life and not just follow the modern secular beliefs that seek to distort our knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ. Jesus also challenges us to take our faith and share with others as part of his “bigger” picture for salvation for everyone from every tribe, creed and nation.

How can we do this? We explored five areas that can help us to put this into practice:

• By not following the crowds: Jesus enquired of his disciples as to the “public opinion” of him. What were the crowds saying about this man Jesus and his ministry? Jesus obviously stood out from the crowd because of his teachings and lifestyle (v18-19). The same can apply to Christian believers today. To what extent do we use our faith to confront issues happening in our countries, nations, and our world today? To what extent do we let the Bible speak for us instead of the crowds? As Christians where are our standards? When and where do we dare to say this is right, when the “crowds” say it is wrong? When and where do we dare to say this is wrong, when the “crowds” say this is right? For those of us who are fortunate enough to live in countries that are have freedom, especially in speech, do we as Christians enjoy that freedom when it comes to expressing our faith and who we are in Christ? Will your “crowds” – your neighbours, co-workers, friends and family – ever notice you or see that you are different in your life and opinions?

• By knowing him personally: The question of who Jesus is to us forms the foundation of our faith and belief system – Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus and that makes it different from all other faiths/religions (v20). Jesus also warned the disciples that their long awaited Messiah, long expected king would have to suffer, to be rejected by authority and put to death (v22). Jesus went through suffering alone so that we might never go through it alone. He will always be with us. He is our Saviour. He holds the key to our lives and this knowledge gives our lives new meaning and hope. Jesus died for each and every one of us personally. He paid the price on the cross for every sin in our lives.

• By enduring suffering for his sake: Jesus also makes it clear that following him is a choice with consequences …... to “take up your cross” (v23). This implies self denial, complete dedication and willing obedience. Self denial here means ceasing to make self the object of one’s life and action. We live in an age of instant solutions, tranquilizers and painkillers. We think that our sophisticated technological advancements can help us avoid pain and give us instant gratification. Our society has forgotten how to suffer and wait. Our self sufficiency seems to tell us that we do not need God any longer. However, we only have to look at the overwhelming natural disasters, wars, famines and manmade catastrophes that occur around our world, to realise that we cannot always control everything. Jesus warns us against making choices that become so important to us that we become slaves to them instead of trusting Him.

• By denying ourselves for his sake: In verse 25, Jesus seems to be saying that all the things we could possibly acquire or achieve in this world are worth nothing if we do not have Jesus as our personal Saviour. Our love for the things of the world, such as wealth and status are meaningless without Jesus. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self.” The “very self” here means, what makes you the person you are – what makes you who you really are on the inside. 

• By not being ashamed of Him in all our relationships: If we think that gaining and loving the world is better than knowing Jesus then we are well on the path of being ashamed of our Lord (v26). In our work places, in our neighbourhood, on the streets, in shopping centres – do people see Jesus in us? Do we stand for Him? Or is Jesus confined to our church buildings? So often, we are too careful and even sometimes too afraid to even share our faith with our children and grandchildren. Let us be reminded and encouraged by the generational passing on and the multiplying faith of Timothy’s family (2 Tim.1:5).

About 2010 years ago, Jesus relied on twelve men called disciples to pass on his message of good news to humanity, and through their faithfulness we were reached. Today, Jesus is still relying on you and me to make Him known. Making Him known is not only the work reserved for the Pastor, Elders, Missionaries or Sunday school teachers. It is also the work you and I are called to do as his disciples. Christianity in Europe is ever decreasing, it is becoming a minority group thus making our task of evangelism even more necessary and urgent.

May we be part of the chain of passing on the message of God’s grace to a lost world.

Please pray for:

• For Samuel and Micah to cope in their Dutch schools

• That we will find time between meetings to rest and relax

• For good health and strength

• For a safe trip to Germany for a one week holiday

Praise for:

• The time of fellowship with family and friends here in the Netherlands

• The opportunities we’ve had to speak and preach in recent weeks

The beginning of our furlough....

...... enjoying the Dutch countryside!

Goodbye Ghana

Going on furlough is always quite an undertaking. Saying goodbye to the people around us, making sure that the people we are responsible for are taken care of, packing away some things in the house so that dust cannot get into them, thinking about the things we need to take to the Netherlands, travelling to the capital Accra (13 hours by car), applying for a visa for Abukari, buying of gifts, etc. It is with great relief that we finally enter the plane and know that we have reached the last stage of our journey. Tonight (8th March) the boys and I (Joke) hope to fly to the Netherlands.

This last week we spent a few days together as family in Accra.

Samuel and Micah bake a cake for their teachers to say goodbye ......

..... and add a beautiful drawing to it

Playing at the guesthouse

At the guesthouse in Accra, Samuel found a 'monitor lizard' in the bushes. He caught him together with the watchman who enjoyed the delicacy

In Accra we visited the swimmingpool as we don't have one in Yendi

A visit to the ocean hunting for small fish