Worship - African Style

Easter in Africa

On Easter Sunday, children from surrounding villages gathered at Kushibo Village, home of Heritage Baptist Church, to celebrate Jesus at an Easter Camp.

These children are part of the Good News Club, a child evangelism program which is overseen by Pastor Ziblim Mohammed and led by Pastor Issah, that reaches out to Muslim children living in remote mud-hut villages.  The program has grown to over 350 children.

In the words of Pastor Mohammed:

Today many children are coming to church to hear the gospel, and Pastor Issah and I work tirelessly to make sure we train them to know the Lord and remain in Him. Continue to pray for us to be strengthen and that God will provide the needs of this ministry.

A Church for Zugu

For over a year we have asked the Lord for a church to be planted in Zugu village, which is predominantly Muslim.  Here is our latest report from IHH Missionary Pastor, Ziblim Mohammed. 

As I was trying to share with you on the part of the survey done in Zugu village....95% of the people responded with faith that we should come and start Church in the community whilest other few who are devout Muslims says no,but since the majority carry the vote i can say with confident that we have already won the victory,because devil is a liar.

Let me disclose this man's name to you so you can pray for him. He is in the person of Alfa Iddrisu. He is muslim leader in Zugu community and he was not happy of our survey and plans to start a church in the community,but the chief as you know him was very happy and even most of his cabinet members express their happiness to see a church in the village. However, some of the old age says they are too old to become Christians,but we ask the question whether if their children want to accpt Christ they will allow them,and most of them said the will give their families freedom of worship except some few who said they are born Muslims therefore they cannot be born again into Christ. Pray also for such people.

Pray also for such people.

The Making of a Miracle

Yushaw was five years old when I first heard about him last fall.  He lives in the remote mud-hut village of Zugu, in the Northern Region of Ghana, West Africa.  This is a very poor Muslim village with no Christian influence.

When Yushaw's father died last year, his widow, Salmatu, had no way of providing food for her children. The children survived on hand-outs from other poverty-stricken villagers, but after awhile, they had no more food to share.

One day, my friend and co-worker on the mission field, Pastor Ziblim Mohammed, from a neighboring village was in Zugu, checking on widows and orphans when he came across Yushaw and his sister.  He was suffering from severe malnutrition and not far from death.  He could not walk. Here is one of the first pictures I received.  Yushaw is on the right.  Remember, he is five years old.

By the grace of God, Pastor Mohammed was able to get Yushaw and his sister to a local private hospital where they were treated for malnutrition.  They were given nutritional supplements and food was purchased for their family from the local market.  After a couple of months, here is what Yushaw looked like.  But he still couldn't walk.

That was several months ago. Yushaw is now six years old.  Just this past week a friend of mine went to Ghana and he went to see Widow Salamatu and her children.  This is the picture he sent me as soon as he landed in the US.

And guess what?  Now he can walk.  And now I cannot stop thanking the One who made it all happen.  Some of you were used by God to make it happen and I thank you for being obedient and especially for your kindness.

Beautiful Feet

Death is often an unwelcome visitor in many mud-hut villages in the Northern Region of Ghana, West Africa. The death of a father leaves the wife and children with no income or way of support. That translates into no food for the family.

Many times I have been asked why the other villagers do not "take in" the widow and her children, now viewed as orphans, and take care of them. The answer is simple. Most of them are unable to feed their own families, much less others.

So what happens to these widows and orphans? Many of them become sick and die way too soon. Some of them eventually die from starvation. Some of them find a way to eek out a meager existence by gleaning in nearby wheat fields. Some of them spend hours and hours in the bush picking up shea nuts, drying them, pounding them and the selling them in the local market for a few pennies. All of the children are put to work hauling water and searching for food, which means they do not attend school. It is a vicious vicious cycle.

THIS.IS.NOT.RIGHT.  THIS. SHOULD. NOT. BE. SO.

Doesn't God's Word say that we are to help take care of them?  Aren't we commanded to do more than just love with words?  Aren't we told to visit them in their distress? Doesn't Jesus tell us that when we are serving them we are serving Him?

Let me say it again.  Doesn't Jesus tell us that when we are serving them we are serving Him?

And when we do, God says:

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Mission Teams Forming Now!

IHH is now accepting applications for the Ghana 2010 Summer Mission Teams. 

These teams will travel to the Northern Region of Ghana, West Africa to serve an unreached people group, the Dagomba tribe.  Most of our mission will be in the mud-hut villages of Tarikpaa, Sankpem, Kushibo, and Zugu.

We will join a Ghanaian mission team, led by Pastor Ziblim Mohammed, in hut-to-hut evangelism, church planting, VBS and widow/orphan care.

If you are interested in joining us, please click here to complete a mission trip interest form.

Adijah and Ushaw

Here is one of the first pictures I received of Adijah.

Here is Adijah and Ushaw as of yesterday:

I thank God for allowing us to know about these hurting children and allowing us to help them.  Their mom is Muslim, but she knows that Jesus sent the nutritional food and healthcare.