FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
April 22 - May 3, 2004
LETTER #1
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"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ"
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Ephesians 4: 7 |
Sunday, April 25, 2004. Our group of Ambassadors for Christ arrived on Friday from the US, South Korea,
and Holland; and we began the tract-distribution effort in earnest on Saturday in several busy markets in this
capital city of Accra, Ghana. Ghana is an English-speaking country on the west coast of Africa, just north of the
equator. The weather has been hot and humid, but it has not rained since we arrived. The market areas were more
than busy – they were teeming with throngs of people, and the reception to the "Does God Love You?" tracts
was nothing short of phenomenal. People crowded around us to get tracts, and many would come back for a few more
to give to family and friends.
Our group comprises seven men and nine women, ranges in age from mid-20s to 80-plus years, and represents nine
countries by birth. Some have been on many Family Radio trips and others are first-timers; and we are all praising
our Lord for the great and effectual door he has opened for the True Gospel of grace in this city and the people
He has raised up to help us.
There is a history of Christianity in this country that has shaped many of the traditions of the culture. For example,
most of the churches conduct their funerals and burial ceremonies on Fridays and Saturdays, and one team distributed
many tracts at a large cemetery yesterday to crowds of well-dressed people. Also, we gave tracts to many well-dressed
churchgoers today who were carrying Bibles to and from the large number of churches in this city.
Three men from our group are planning to travel by van to Lomé [lo-MAY], Togo tomorrow with 30,000 tracts
and Family Radio materials in the French language. They hope to return on Wednesday evening as the Lord allows.
"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace
be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen"
Ephesians 6:23
In Christian Love,
Family Radio mission to Ghana & Togo
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
APRIL 22- MAY 3, 2004
LETTER #2
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"The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul
hateth. Upon the wicked he shalt rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion
of their cup. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness: his countenance doth behold the upright"
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Psalms 11:5-7
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Monday, April 26, 2004. A three-man team traveled by van eastward for three hours with 30,000 French “Does God
Love You?” tracts and Family Radio booklets. They distributed English and French tracts for awhile at the busy
border crossing, met six Christian men from Togo who volunteered to help distribute, and checked into a hotel in
Lomé [lo- MAY], the capital of Togo located near the border.
One of our group, who now lives in New York City, was born in Ghana near the Togo border, was raised in Togo, and
is fluent in English, French and several of the other local African dialects. He came several months ago to set
up the trip and originally recruited eight men, but only six showed up today. So our team met with the men to discuss
the True Gospel message on the tract and made plans to begin tract distribution in earnest tomorrow morning. They
also placed an order for 300 French Bibles for pick-up tomorrow. So far, the acceptance of the tracts has been
excellent in Togo, and our team is eagerly looking forward to what the Lord has planned for them tomorrow.
Meanwhile, tract distribution progressed at a rapid pace in Accra with our 13-person group plus eight men and one
woman from a local Bible fellowship who have been helping us. We placed an order for 75,000 more English tracts
which will bring the totals to about 295,000 English , 25,000 Twi [Chwee] (a local dialect), and 30,000 French
for a grand total of 350,000 tracts. We also received about 1000 Bibles today – mostly English plus some in Twi.
In order to slow the distribution rate a little and to spread the tracts to a wider area, some of the teams worked
in the suburbs of Accra today.
The attendance at our evening Bible studies has been increasing. We had about 10 visitors on Sunday night and double
that tonight (Monday). After the meeting a man in his mid-20s named Abdul spoke at length to one of our group about
the Bible, God’s plan of salvation, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He had received a “Does God Love You?” tract
on the street and was touched deeply by its message. He said he was from a Muslim family and wanted to know how
he could be strengthened in order to tell his family about Jesus. We gave him a Bible and some Bible-teaching booklets
and advised him to study and pray that God will give him wisdom and an opportunity to approach his parents about
Christ. He wants to continue attending our nightly studies and is eager to learn all he can about the Bible and
the love of God. Maybe Our Lord is drawing him. Please pray for Abdul and his parents and siblings.
"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest
them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour
wilt thou compass him as with a shield."
Psalms 5:11-12
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
APRIL 22- MAY 3, 2004
LETTER #3
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""For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue
the lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart"
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Psalm 63: 9-100
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Tuesday, April 27, 2004. Today was Togo’s Independence Day; and since many businesses were closed, we were
unable to pick up the French Bibles for various reasons. Five of the six men we talked to yesterday afternoon showed
up for work this morning; and after some instructions on how to distribute tracts, we took them out on the street
in front of the hotel for some hands-on training for about an hour. We got a heavy rain shower for a few minuets,
and when it was over two more of the “helpers” had disappeared. This situation reminded us of John 6:65-66 after
Jesus told His disciples the spiritual nature of salvation: “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man
can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and
walked no more with him.”
Then we took the three remaining men with us to work in a couple of busy market areas for about five hours in the
afternoon and distributed about 16,000 French “Does God Love You?” tracts to the people of Lomé [lo-MAY].
Both reception and retention of the tracts were excellent, and the people were very appreciative and cordial. We
pray that God will use these tracts to perform a mighty work of grace in the hearts of His chosen people in Togo.
Meanwhile, the work in Ghana continued at various places outside of Accra. The demand for tracts and Bibles is
amazing. It seems as if the people in this nominally “Christian” country are spiritually starving for the life-giving
spiritual food of the True Gospel of grace. By the end of the day we had exhausted our initial supply of 220,000
English and 25,000 Twi [Chwee] tracts and most of the Bibles. We are trying to find more King James Bibles, but
they are in short supply here. We have also had requests for Bibles in the Twi, Ewe [EH-way], and Ga [Gah] dialects
and are planning to buy some of them as well.
Tonight we had over 50 people attending our Bible study, and the dining room where we meet was jammed. We thank
God for what He is doing in the hearts of these dear people and are praying that He will grant many repentance
unto salvation here in Ghana.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall
not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."
Psalms 37:23-24
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
APRIL 22- MAY 3, 2004
LETTER #4
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"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law"
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Galations 5: 22-23
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Wednesday, April 28, 2004. Due to some telephone and fax problems and the heavy workload here, we have fallen
behind with our progress reports that are important for keeping Family Radio management and listeners apprised
of what the Lord is doing with this work in Africa. So, we are attempting to bring everyone up-to-date with these
last few letters that will be sent Thursday, April 29, God willing.
Our Togo team learned of a need for some Bibles in the Ewe [EH-way] dialect, so they purchased 260 French and 50
Ewe Bibles today. The three men who worked with them yesterday came back to continue with the tract distribution
this morning (Wednesday), and two of our group distributed at several small markets on their return trip to Accra
this afternoon. The third member of that team will be getting married to a Togo woman tomorrow and plans to continue
distributing the remaining French tracts, Bibles and Family Radio materials over the next few weeks in several
other towns in Togo. Both are from Muslim families and feel called to share the Gospel of Christ with them at this
time. Please keep these newlyweds in your prayers as well.
Since the group in Ghana ran out of tracts, we scheduled a Bible study in the afternoon and nearly 50 visitors
attended. One big advantage of a slow distribution day is that God provides many opportunities to talk to people
on a personal basis about the Gospel. He also provided an opportunity to visit a large prison complex in Accra.
The chief warden has been a Family Radio short-wave listener for the past ten years and gave us permission to hand
out hand out tracts, and Bibles to the staff and inmates. He also made arrangements for about 800 men to gather
for a message about the Gospel and access to the women’s section for Bible and tract distribution. It is always
amazing to see how God has placed His people in just the right places at just the right times so that we can get
the Gospel to just the right people to accomplish His good pleasure.
This evening we must have had over 200 people show up for the Bible study, so we crammed as many as we could into
the dining room, and several of our group talked to smaller groups in the hotel lobby and even outside on the street.
The people are very attentive and eager to hear the Truth of God’s Word preached. Even the small children seem
to be intently focused on the message of God’s magnificent salvation plan. We also thank God for the marvelous
cooperation by the staff of this hotel to make all this possible.
We received about 22,000 more English tracts this afternoon as a partial shipment of our 75,000 order, and we plan
to distribute them all tomorrow.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself."
Matthew 22:37-39
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
April 22 - May 3, 2004
LETTER #5
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""We love him, because he first loved us"
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1 John 4:19
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Thursday, April 30, 2004. Three teams went eastward by van to the port city of Tema and gave tracts to the
fishermen and the crowds of people in some large seafood markets there. One young girl asked one of our men for
three or four tracts, then she disappeared for awhile and returned with a request for three or four more. After
she did that several times, our man watched where she went, and each time she would distribute them to out-of-the-way
people back where they were cleaning fish. Then she would return for a few more and continue the process as our
man made his way through the market as if she was filling specific orders for the tracts.
Another team left very early this morning for a three-hour taxi ride to the town of Cape Coast that was established
by the Portuguese in the seventeenth century as a slave-trading port. The people of that area are very poor, illiterate
and do not have much of this world’s goods, but now they have the precious Gospel of Christ that can provide eternal
life.
The remaining 53,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts and about 50 Bibles in the Ga dialect were delivered this afternoon,
and we gave out all of the Bibles this evening at another big turnout for the Bible study. It is always a big disappointment
for us when we run out of Bibles and leave some people empty-handed. God willing, we will have a few hundred more
for the meeting tomorrow night.
We can only cram about 100 people into the hotel dining room, and then we have to split the rest of the guests
up into groups outside to discuss the Gospel with them. The conditions are far from ideal, but many people stay
to nearly 11:00 pm asking questions about the Bible. Many come primarily to get a free Bible, but they also receive
a message about the True Gospel. We pray that God will give His people spiritual “ears to hear” as a result of
our nightly meetings.
We have had as many as 10 men and one woman from a local Bible fellowship faithfully working with us every day
since we came to Accra. They are serious Bible students who have been a big help to us and have appreciated the
training we have given them for continuing the Lord’s work here in Ghana.
"And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
1 John 4:21
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
April 22 - May 3, 2004
LETTER #6
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""Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever"
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1 John 2:15-17
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Friday, April 30, 2004. Our teams distributed the 30,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts we allotted for today
in a couple hours this morning at two hospitals, a university, and three bustling market areas in Accra. While
working at the large University of Ghana campus, a man who was employed there in some capacity approached one of
our men to find out what he was doing. After learning that we were proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, he escorted
our man all around the campus to libraries, canteens, and other areas where students were congregated in large
numbers and through all of the administration offices.
Time after time we see how God sends people to assist us in so many ways as we seek to do His will; thus, we are
constantly being reminded of John 15:5, “… for without Me, ye can do nothing.” We saw another example of God’s
hand on this work when we obtained permission to visit a large prison complex tomorrow. Normally, it would take
weeks to work through the prison bureaucracy here to accomplish that.
We received about 500 more English Bibles this afternoon and set aside 200 for the prison visit. We also ordered
25,000 more English tracts for our helpers from the Bible fellowship to distribute next week in and around their
city of Aburi, which is located over an hour’s drive to the northeast of Accra. That will bring the total number
of tracts distributed in Ghana and Togo to 375,000 in the English, French and Twi languages.
The hotel management and staff are also helping us to get better organized for the evening services. We rented
50 chairs and set up two separate meeting rooms by taking out the tables in the dining room and rearranging the
furniture in the adjoining lobby. Although we had a Bible teacher in each room, we were able to synchronize the
singing of a couple hymns between the two rooms tonight. This is the first time that most, and maybe all, of our
visitors are hearing the True Gospel of God’s sovereign grace.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
April 22 - May 3, 2004
LETTER #7
"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts
for men; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [among them]."
Psalms 68:18
Saturday, May 01, 2004. Our group leader, two women from our group, and one man from the Bible fellowship
group distributed about 3,000 tracts and 200 Bibles to the Nsawam [en-sah-WAHM] prison, which is a one-hour taxi
ride to the northeast from Accra. It is the largest prison in Ghana and holds about 2,800 men and women inmates.
Today was Ghana’s “Workers’ Day”, and there was a big celebration at Accra’s “Independence Square” attended by
thousands of people and many government dignitaries. Three of our teams worked there with the usual excellent results.
Another team distributed tracts at a large cemetery where people came by busloads to attend burial services all
dressed in black. Everyone gladly took the tracts, and we pray that God will teach them what life and death
are all about with the message of the Gospel.
We bought some more Bibles today and distributed most of them at our evening meeting, which was filled to overflowing
again tonight.
This was our last day of work here. By God’s grace, we have placed many thousands of “Does God Love You?” tracts
and hundreds of Bibles in the hands of the cordial people of Ghana and Togo. Please pray that God will grant repentance
unto salvation to many in this part of the world and will raise up faithful men and women here to continue the
work of the Gospel through the use of the biblical resources that Family Radio freely provides.
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana
FAMILY RADIO MISSION TO GHANA & TOGO
April 22 - May 3, 2004
LETTER #8
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Romans 12:2
Sunday, May 02, 2004 About 50 people joined us for Lord’s Day worship this morning, and their attendance
and enthusiasm for the Gospel of Christ are a great blessings for us.
This is our final letter for this trip, and we plan to leave this afternoon. Many aspects of the trip – the wonderful
acceptance of the tracts by the people of Ghana and Togo, the assistance of the hotel management and employees,
the large van and driver for daily transportation, the faithful and hard-working helpers from the Bible fellowship,
the weather, etc. – have all been great. We thank God for His guidance and protection and give Him all the praise
and glory for what He has done for us and through us on this trip. We also thank the listeners/supporters of Family
Radio, who make these mission trips possible, for their prayers and financial support; and we consider our being
“Ambassadors for Christ” a great privilege and honor and highly recommend it to others.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
Psalms 19:1
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Ghana