God's Plan in God's Time

On September 10th we visited our church in Worivi. Worivi is a remote village and has a small church. The leadership has led the church with some difficulty over the past years, but thank God they have persevered. A few members of the Videre team also joined us on our visit. As we arrived at the village our car was surrounded by many children. A car full of white people is not a common scene in Worivi. After a while the members of the church gathered and benches and chairs were brought from the surrounding houses to give everybody something to sit on. Two teenage boys were standing at the window at the outside of the church and Abukari called them to come inside.

Worivi village

The service then began. After we had sung, we prayed for the needs of the church and its members. A number of people were sick and we prayed specifically for these individuals. Still people continued to enter the church. The church leader told us that some people from the village had heard we were there and they wanted the Christians to pray for them. They are Muslims who do not normally visit the church – a man with a swollen hand, a woman who has been married for years but still barren, a father with a sick child – but they all came forward to be prayed for. We committed them into God’s hands for healing as well as for open hearts to the Gospel.

Worivi church

Brian, one of the Videre team members, preached from John 4 about the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman; about living water. This is a story that has so much in common with the lives of the people in many villages in Dagbon; to never be thirsty again, but to be full and filled with Jesus Himself, eternal life.

After the church service the two teenage boys came to speak to Abukari. One of them, Adam, indicated that he wanted to give his life to Christ. Wonderful. Whilst Abukari talked with him, many of the church congregation also listened in and heard what Abukari was saying, including some Muslims. An old woman tried to discourage the boys – it is so hard to be a Christian in an environment where people offer resistance. But the boy was determined. Abukari prayed with him and told him that he would meet with him later in the week.

Last Thursday, Abukari had another talk with Adam and his friend, Mareek. Adam told him that he had visited the house of the church leader in Worivi several times to inform him that he is ready to become a Christian. However, each time he went to the house the leader was not at home. On the Sunday we visited the church at Worivi, Adam was riding his bicycle towards Yendi. When he saw that our car turned towards Worivi, he decided to return to the village. Although he was reluctant to enter the church, because of what other people would say, when Abukari called them inside it was as if God Himself had invited them.  Mareek also indicated that he wanted to give his life to Christ. It is so great how God in His time, executes His plan and how many people can be a link in His chain.

Abukari meeting with Mareek (l) and Adam (r)

Last Sunday we visited this church again. However, the boys could not come to church as Adam’s father told them to help with the yam harvest. At the same time Muslim evangelists had come to the village to warn and discourage people about becoming Christians.

Please pray for these two boys, as they will have to face a lot of oppression from family and friends.

The church service last Sunday